Untitled

The below illustration by Bryce Wilner reminds me of The Calling of St Matthew by Caravaggio - the composition, objects and subjects, and lighting quality.

Images via Bryce Wilner's page and Shafe.

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reading ...

It is becoming almost unbearable to keep reading Jane Jacobs' classic, as she writes about New York sentence after sentence. Anyone who has had any kind of vague contact with me knows it is my durrrreaaaam to get my bum to NY. I think it all started in year 10 art class with Ms Sheather, as she spoke very briefly about organising a school trip for us to NY (which, by the way was deemed too risky a trip for little sixteen year old expats by the school board). Anyone who knows me a little by better knows I love living in the city. We can have arguments and discussions about the pros and cons of this, but this is my monologue so stay out of it, please. I was recently asked by my uncle who resides in Hong Kong, "why would anyone want to live in the city? well, except for you.". Anyone who knows me well knows that I sometimes find it difficult to articulate myself (dot points ... dot points). Why do I like living in the city? Let me first make it clear that I don't like living in just any cities, but the more 'successful' ones, or what the media would term as 'liveable'. Successful in terms of Jane Jacobs-type cities. I have lived in Singapore. I would live in it's city. Auckland? Don't remember much of it aye bro, I was too young! Melbourne? Sure. Kuala Lumpur city? Probably not. Don't get me wrong, I love my home (which, for the record is in the burbs, and that's cool ... it's all good, I would live here), the amazing food, fond childhood memories, and all that sentimental jazz about not forgetting where you came from. But sorry hometown-city, it isn't going to work between us. It is you, not me. Oh, why do I love cities? Read Jane Jacobs. It is continually, page after page, reaffirming my observation, knowledge and that 'gut feeling' that Melbourne is indeed on its merry way to become a successful city. Hey, even Jan Gehl said so. It is also continually suffocating me in frustration that I really, really, need to get to New York.

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sketches from Athens

Some more sketches from Athens (most of them from the Tschumi's New Acropolis Museum, because photos weren't allowed inside). I haven't revisited them since the trip but I think they should be left the way the are? It's genuine that way, I think.[[posterous-content:pid___0]][[posterous-content:pid___3]][[posterous-content:pid___1]][[posterous-content:pid___2]][[posterous-content:pid___4]][[posterous-content:pid___5]]

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illustration makes me happy

Fantasy worlds drawn on the top of photographs? Count me in, please. Swedish illustrator Johan Thörnqvist found via the always inspiring bumbumbum.

ps: Zi -- tag, you're it.

colour wheel biking

YES!

Found at daily dose of imagery, check it.

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horizons

I had these images stored in a folder, and just realised that Amelia had posted something similar in her latest post. Très cool.

via gzi24◎歌無岸's Flickr.

Katie Turner knows best, folks

Her dream-boyfriend list is freakishly accurate, and it doesn't hurt that the accompanying illustrations are uber cute too.

I am also quite enamoured of her handwritten typography. See exhibits A and B:

 images from Katie Turner's website. 
found via Smitten.

NB: Katie's blog is also worth a read - filled to the brim with cute boys and other giggle-worthy goodness.

space, place, and trickery: felice varini

 Huit Rectangles

Musee des Beaux-Arts, Arras, France

Swiss artist Felice Varini creates mindbending installations which challenge our understanding of the way we perceive the spaces around us. It's hard to explain exactly what he does in words -- a picture speaks a thousand words, in this particular case -- but Wikipedia's explanation, for once, is pretty good:

"Felice paints on architectural and urban spaces, such as buildings, walls and streets. The paintings are characterized by one vantage point from which the viewer can see the complete painting (usually a simple geometric shape such as circle, square, line), while from other view points the viewer will see ‘broken’ fragmented shapes."

This comment, from Varini himself (via fatcap) also helps clarify what he's trying to do:

"My field of action is architectural space and everything that constitutes such space. These spaces are and remain the original media for my painting. I work "on site" each time in a different space and my work develops itself in relation to the spaces I encounter."

 Take a moment and try to get your head around these:

 Trois Triangles Bleus

Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin

 Encerclement a dix

Chapelle Jeanne d'Arc/Centre d'Art Contemporain, Thouars, France

Elisse nel trapezio

Spazio Fendi, Milan, Italy 

Huit Carres

 Orangerie du Chateau de Versailles, Versailles, France

 Quatre cercles dansants

La Baule, France (private collection)

Varini's website features photos of alternative views of his works, so you can see how they actually look, in situ, but that sort of spoils the fun of looking at them from the intended POV, so if you want to look inside the magician's bag, so to speak, clink on the links that say "hors point de vue" underneath the main image.

There is also a youtube clip of one of Varini's installations in Japan showing how it effectively 'comes to life' when viewed from the right angle.

via bumbumbum.me

all images from Felice Varini's website.

typography Tuesday

A selection from a simple but clever project by Lars Willem Veldkampf - Typocalypse. It's true ... choosing a font can be a rather complicated process.

via Lars Willem Veldkampf's Flickr.

typography tuesday

(click to see full size)

Ok, I lied, more typeface than typography ... but check this out - So You Need a Typeface, a project by graphic design student Julian Hansen. It is a bit of fun. Looks like we're well on our way to Arj Barker's 'Sarcastica' and 'Good Times Roman'.

Kayo Ume

Curing Monday blues today is Japanese vernacular photgrapher Kayo Ume.

via BOOOOOOOM!

Bunnies of yore

I have always loved vintage magazine covers. But it still came as a surprise to me how well designed these old-school Playboy covers are. That's right, you heard me, Playboy. A word you never thought you'd be reading at from a to zi. But every now and then, you find witty and effective design in the most unexpected places. Nice work, vintage Playboy. If only contemporary Playboy covers were even half as classy as these ones.

image credit: Ruby Press.