I was intrigued by Threadless after the recent Mumble collaboration so I thought I’d put up an old design that I hadn’t really used and see what happened.
I read the other day they sell over 100,000 t-shirts a month!
Back from a ridiculous eight hour drive and an amazing weekend in Edinburgh with The Outcrowd and the guys from Analogue, setting up the second step of the touring Joyful Bewilderment show. Analogue is one of the best bookshops and galleries i’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting and the opening party totally exceeded all expectations. It was packed all night long hundreds of lovely people, although I was a bit worried about the rowdy Scotland football supporters out on Saturday Night for their game against Holland. They didn’t come in for a look though…
The show at Analogue is gong to run all month until April 28th. I’m not sure where the next stop for the show will be, but if its anything
like this one it’s going to be great. More pictures from the night on mine and Analogue’s Flickr pages
There’s a little more about the exhibition and the people behind it in something I wrote in October here.
The Joyful Bewilderment
28th March 2009 – 28th April 2009
Opening: Saturday 28th March, 7pm-9pm
Analogue Books
102 West Bow
Edinburgh
EH1 2HH
UK
Originally posted on Club Mumble.
“The idea is a simple one. That people who Do things, can inspire the rest of us to go and Do things too”.
Linked in part with the good people at Howies, the idea came from a conversation between two of it’s founders over the dining table one night about how to do something about the things we care about.
“They can be small Do’s or big Do’s or just plain amazing extraordinary Do’s. But when you listen to their stories, they just light a fire in your belly to go and Do your thing, your passion, the thing that sits in the back your head each day, just waiting, and waiting for you to follow your heart”.
Its an amazing project that took place in the middle of a forest in Cilgerran, Wales. You can subscribe to the podcast here, or go to the website where you can watch or download the lectures. Work your way through, read about the people, there’s a lot to learn and enjoy
Alastair McIntosh was one of the great speakers at the Do lectures, and it was actually a post on the Howies site about him that originally got me interested. It was a list taken from a book of his entiltled ‘rekindling the community’ from a page about how to build a community.
here it is:
The lecture by Andrew Whitley ‘Why Bread Needs Time?’ is interesting and scary at the same time. I’d only just started making my own bread about 3 weeks before watching it, now i’m happy that I did.
All images © The Do Lectures
Back in April I was asked to create a piece of work for the Lightning Bolts and Innovation art show, a collaborative event between Nike and Bob Haro. The show opened in Beijing for the Olympic games, was part of the Beautiful Losers exhibition in Tokyo and is now in LA for the final show.
All of the plates are now up for auction with proceeds going to a very good cause, the Athlete Recovery Fund. Many of the auctions have already ended, with the rest ending in the next couple of days. You can go to the main page here, or a direct link to the auction pages here.
I have some work in a new book designed and compiled by Fl@33. ‘Postcard’ is a collection of over 800 miniature works of art from more than 100 artists, designers, illustrators and photographers. Among them are Twopoints.net, Nutre Arayavanish, Rick Myers, Andrzej Klimowski, Anthony Burrill and Daniel Eatock.
My work was taken from a set of limited edition large format postcards and printed on handmade paper. The individually numbered cards were produced for the Meme art project and opening of the Adam et Ropé Gallery and Store in Shibuya, Tokyo. The four individual cards join to form a single image. All of the shapes and typography were made with handcut wood blocks which were also exhibited as a sculpture during the opening.
A larger print run of two colour postcards based on the wood cut typography and block shapes was also produced and distributed throughout Tokyo in the run up to the exhibition.
In October i’ll be one of the artists taking part in The Joyful Bewilderment show at the Rough Trade East Gallery on Brick Lane. It should be an amazing show with new work from over 100 like minded image-makers from all over the world who all share a strong craft based aesthetic and compulsion to create.
There are some people who are a little more known like James Jarvis, Lucy Mclauchlan, Stefan Marx, Josh Petherick and Andy Jenkins, but all of the artists here are well established in their given fields and you’ll certainly know a lot of their names. Each will be showing a single piece of work, and as far as I know, they’ll all be for sale.
The show is the hard work of four good people who are doing something pretty special here (especially when you look at the list of people taking part) all for the love of it; Simon Peplow, Marcus Oakley, Lawrence Roper and Holly Wales will also feature in the show themselves.
I’m still finishing my piece, which is in progress, but it will get there…
The show will run from 2nd until the 27th of October with plans to tour later in the year. You should try to make it to the private view on the 2nd of October from 7 until 12, with live musical accompaniment from Einstellung
Rough Trade East Gallery, Dray Walk, Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL
List of artists: Abby Portner (USA) / Adam Hayes (UK) / Adrian Fleet (UK) / Alex Higlett (UK) / Alice Stevenson (UK) / Amy Brown (UK) Amy Ruppel (USA) / Andre Razo (USA) / Andreas Banderas (NOR) / Andreas Samuelsson (SWE) / Andy Jenkins (USA) Andy Rementer (USA) / Anna Peaker (UK) / Ben Javens (UK) / Ben Newman (UK) / Brent Wadden (CAN) / Cat Johnston (UK) / Chrissie Abbott (UK) / Chris Bourke (UK) / Chris Keenan (UK) / Chris Magnusson (SWE) / Christopher Bettig (FRA) Clare Shilland (UK) / Cornelia O’ Donovan (UK) / Crayonlegs (UK) / Craig Atkinson (UK) / Damien Correll (USA) / Danny Sturgess (UK) / Dean Sullivan (USA) / Derek Albeck (USA) / Emerald Mosley (UK) / Emily Twomey (UK) / Eric Shaw (UK) / E*Rock (USA) / Errol Richardson (CAN) / French (UK) / Garrett Morin (USA) / Grady McFerrin (USA) / Gwenola Carrere (BEL) / Hiroshi Kariya (JAP) / Holly Stevenson (USA) / Holly Wales (UK) / James Jarvis (UK) / Jenny Bowers (UK) / Jethro Haynes (UK) / Jesse Brown (USA) / Jesse Spears (USA) / Jim Stoten (UK) / Joanna Marie Beaumont (UK) Jody Barton (UK) / Joe83 (POL) / Joseph Allen (AUS) / Joseph Arthur (USA) / Josh Petherick (AUS) / Justin Fines (USA) / Justin B Williams (USA) / Lala Ladcani (ARG) / Lawrence Roper (UK) / Lee Basford (UK) / Leila Shetty (UK) / Lucy Mclauchlan (UK) / Luke Ramsey (CAN) / Maja Sten (SWE) / Marco Velardi (ITA) / Marcus Oakley (UK) / Marcus Walters (UK) / Matt Cassity (US) Matthew Feyld (CAN) / Matthew Hodson (UK) / Matthew Lock (UK) / Maxwell Paternoster (UK) / Merijh Hos – Bfree (NL) Melvin Galapon (UK) / Michael Kirkham (UK) / Michael Perry (USA) / Michael Swaney (CAN) / Mogu Takahashi (JAP)Nathaniel Russell (USA) / Nick White (UK) / Nigel Peake (N. IRE) / Nigel Robinson (UK) / Ok Bang (ITA) / Ola Vasiljeva (NL) / Patrick Gildersleeves (UK) / Petra Borner (SWE) / Randy Laybourne (USA) / Richard T Clarke (UK) / Richard Coldicott (UK) / Rik Cooper (UK) / Rick Myers (UK) / Robin Cameron (USA) / Robert Hanson (SCO) / Rob Ryan (UK) / Rui Tenreiro (NOR) / Ryan Jacob Smith (USA) / Ryan Waller (USA) / Sarajo Friedeh (USA) / Scott Barry (USA) / Shoboshobo (FRA) / Stefan Marx (GER) / Stef Grindley (UK) / Steven Harrington (USA) / Stine Belden Røed (NOR) / Stuart Kolakovic (UK) / Simon Peplow (UK) / Simon True (UK) / Sumi Ink Club (USA) / Supermundane (UK) / Susan Cianciolo (US) / Tetsunori Tawaraya (JAP) / Till Thomas (GER) / Tim Head (UK) / Toby Shuall (UK) / Tsz Wan Ting (HK) / Tuukka Kaila (FIN) / Valerie Philips (USA) / Vaughan Baker (UK) / Wouter Vanhaelmeesch (BEL) / Yuka Katagiri (JAP) / Ron Rege Jr (USA) / Anna Giertz (SWE) / Nous Vous(UK)
I first heard about Postalco when my friend Rick gave me a small book of theirs simply called MAPS. It was similar to an idea i’d spoken with him about, but like so many ideas nothing was ever done about it (i do still have a nice collection of hand drawn maps from all over the world, in a folder, in a box, that sits in a drawer).
The book is part of a series which includes Signs, Letters and Recipes, all celebrating the beauty and idiosyncratic nature of a hand written document, which in many cases can give you a better, or at least a different understanding of the subject in question.
As the book on signs explains “A hand written sign is speech made visible. In speaking there is gesture, body motion, and facial expression. The effort to transfer speech to paper signs often include underlining, circling, stars and boxes around words. The spontaneous punctuation helps the message sink in”.
Postalco produce much more than their collection of beautiful small books though (amazingly held together by a single well placed staple). They produce a range of really well made products reminiscent of a time when things were made properly and actually lasted long enough not to have to replace them, objects like bags and notepads that actually get better with age. They select very tactile, natural materials like pressed cotton, leather and paper for all of their products.
The company originated in Brooklyn but is now located in Japan with their studio and showroom in Kyobashi, Tokyo. What began with an interest in the international transport of mail progressed to paper, its immediacy, warmth and universal nature, which in turn led to some experimentation and research in to methods of carrying paper.
Their designer, Mike Abelson had a really interesting exhibition a few years back at Issey Miyake’s MDS/G space titled ‘Carrying Research’ based on his work exploring how humans in different countries and eras carry objects. The exhibition displayed his research and notebooks compiled over the last 8 years. Pingmag had a piece on the show back in 2005.
I was recently asked by Bob Kronbauer to take part in an exhibition curated by Nike, celebrating BMX making it to the Olympics for the first time in history, with a selection of artists who share the common bond of BMX as an early inspiration. Nike have collaborated with Bob Haro on the uniforms for the riders, but also in the canvas for the show which was one of Haro’s original lightning bolt number-plates.
“The Haro number plate was a landmark product in BMX. Within this plastic panel is the story of a 16 year old BMX kid bending sheets of laminate over his mom’s stove, hand crafting each plate and number as a way to support his riding. It is one of the first examples of iconic graphic design in the sport of BMX. The product was also a piece of functional sport performance equipment that doubled as a platform for individual creativity, giving every kid in BMX a “blank canvas” to express themselves. It was the point on the bicycle where speed met style.
Bob Haro went on to leverage this successful product and create a brand name in BMX that was always rooted in great design. Bob’s next contribution to the sport was even more iconic as he fused his love of skateboarding and BMX into a new sport category called freestyle. Bob and his friends literally opened the doors of imagination of what could be done on a bicycle, riding in the streets, skateparks, and on ramps.”
The artworks will all be auctioned off in public to generate funding and awareness for The Land Of Plenty. The other 30 artists include some great creators, some people that really influenced me at an early age, Bob Haro, Andy Jenkins, Mark Lewman, John Martin, Kevin Wilkins, Todd Bratrud, Yogi Proctor, Michael Leon, Dave Fox, Nick Phillip, Jeff Tremaine, Gork Barrette, Michael Lau, Rich Hansen, Joe Polevy, Ronnie Bonner, Norman Chuck, Dave Ortiz, Andy Mueller, Greg Higgins and David Slade.
The Lightning Bolts show will debut in Beijing, China on May 15, 2008. And if your interested in a little bit of a history lesson you should watch the documentary Joe Kid on a Stingray.
My friend from London, Natsko Seki has her first solo exhibition in Tokyo this month. The opening Party is tonight at Rocket gallery in Aoyama and the exhibition runs until 26th April. There’s more information about the show here, if you’re in the area you should take a look.
Nasko’s work beautifully combines the collage of found printed material and hand drawn lines, and can be seen in projects with Muji, the Guardian, Paper Sky and The New York Times.
It’s not particularly new, but i recently discovered the collaboration between Paul Smith and Mercian Cycles of Derby. All of their bikes are still handmade at their Alvaston workshop and in this collaboration they produced unique Paul Smith designs available in a selection of six hand painted colours in both track and touring set ups. Smith originally wanted to be a professional racing cyclist (he rode a Mercian), but an accident ended his dream at age 17 and was actually the main reason which led to him becoming a fashion designer.
These bikes also sport handmade leather Brooks saddles and handlebar tape, still made by craftsmen in Smethwick just outside Birmingham. Their website has a gallery of catalogue covers as well as a nice collection of illustrations from their original patent applications. They’re beautiful objects that should last a lifetime and actually adapt to the shape of the rider with time. I really should be riding one.
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