art of picture gallery: December 2007

Monday, December 31, 2007

Okkervil River Album Free Download

New Year's gift time!

Texas band Okkervil River, you may already have their recent album The Stage Names , and you know they are awesome. And now they put out a new year's gift on the band’s site: Golden Opportunities Mixtape, a collection of covers and one original track, all recorded at various radio stations, gigs, and “empty hotel stairwells.”

Golden Opportunities Mixtape

Free Download Here

Happy New Year!

I'm signing off for 2007, kids. I'm here in Milwaukee, wishing you all a safe, fabulous, fun evening and new year where ever you are.

(image courtesy of Jack Cards)

I'm curious.

Do you use reusable shopping bags? If so, do you find it awkward?

Over the last month, I've done a lot of shopping for the holidays. I carry Envirosax with me and use those as often as I can. I love them. They're sturdier than plastic bags, and I don't accumulate tons of bags under my sink.

Unless I'm shopping somewhere like Whole Foods, though, cashiers always seem perplexed when I pull them out. And they never offer to help me pack up my purchases.

I've been thinking about this and realized this probably isn't a bad thing -- I suppose there's a risk for the cashiers of spreading cold germs and such. But cashiers often look at me as if I'm doing something peculiar or old-fashioned -- like paying for everything in pennies.

I'm curious. Do you live in a city with or without plastic bag regulations? What's your experience?

A selfless post.

Had I not resolved to mercilessly beat down my credit card debt this year, my little plastic friend/enemy would be out right now, buying this huge (48" x 36") Joe Suta painting from the Threadless Chicago store. Instead I post it for someone else out there. You can thank me later. (sniff)

Threadless T-Shirts :: Display Art for Sale

Tiny Showcase newsletter.

If you haven't signed up for it yet, you should. Seriously. Very few things make me laugh like Jon and Shea's weekly update for their print store. F'rinstance, this is from this week's newsletter:

I love new years, the concept in general. As someone naturally prone to reflection and nostalgia, it's healthy to take a last look back on the former year before resolving to leave it all behind. So I'm taking my cold pills and cough syrup out for a night on the town. Anyone looking for a midnight kiss better have some serious socialized health care, suckerzzz.

As well as a solid understanding of jujitsu. My defensive karate skills are both spastic and fierce.

Tiny Showcase

All's Well That Ends Well

I was complaining on Twitter about this New Year's Eve: high fever, math final exam, not being able to go to Worlds University Debate Championship in Bangkok because of the final exam, the treacherous weather in Beijing, blah blah blah. And then I got this reply from Graham: "It can only go up from here! ;)"

I also said I was not going to write New Year's Resolutions this year, except I am. Except this year, instead writing a list of to-dos and wish-to-dos, I'll make a list of things really important to me:

Mom
this one is difficult, it should be somewhere between my friends in NYC and in Dhaka
honesty
Hangzhou
creative stuff: graphic design, blogging, etc
good music: mostly classical, but I'd love to be seduced by Mika
reading and writing

And a list of scheduled travels in the coming year:

February: Harvard MUN Conference -> NYC
April 20-ish: Lahore, Pakistan
May 1~7: Dhaka, Bangladesh
December 26~ : Cork, Ireland

Make them all will make my year!

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Dosugus cushion.

By one of my fave design houses, Art. Lebedev Studio. I think I know some people who might like to decorate their whole pad like this.

Dosugus cushion

(via Freshpilot)

Vintage posters.

From the Imperial War Museum. I'm fascinated by these.

Welcome to the Imperial War Museum Online Shop

the Laugh-Out-Loud Cats.

My fave:

the Laugh-Out-Loud Cats - a photoset on Flickr

Saturday, December 29, 2007

"On Being" video series.

onBeing is a project based on the simple notion that we should get to know one another a little better. What you’ll find here is a series of videos that takes you into the musings, passions, histories and quirks of all sorts of people. The essence of who they are, who we are.

Washington Post :: On Being

Part of Best of the Post 2007.

Dita's Bazaar.

Wonderful type and graphics.

Etsy :: dita's bazaar

(I was bouncing around the interweb so much last night, I can't remember if I found this or saw it on someone else's blog. My apologies.)

Vintage loveliness.

While my taste usually falls squarely on the modern design side, I do have a weakness for vintage product design. In a world of mass-produced cheap plastic, it's good for one's soul to remember a time when even trivial things were unique and seemingly handcrafted.

Parishotelboutique.com - Hotel silver, antiques, and vintage online catalogue

(via the equally lovely and good-for-one's soul poppytalk)

Chinese Newsprint Flip-Flops.

These sturdy foam-core flip-flops [by Goods of Desire] are built into a sheet of printed foam. the foam sheet, and the soles of the flip-flops, are printed with advertisements taken from chinese newspapers, which creates a fascinating grid of numbers and characters. these versatile shoes are suitable for indoor, outdoor, or shower use. shoes have soft plastic thong portion designed to lie flat against the feet. the frame has a portion that pops out for hanging on a wall.

Chinese Newsprint Flip-Flops :: Unica Home

Friday, December 28, 2007

Parkitechture?

Finding beauty in the lowly car park. Came out a few months ago, but worth sharing anyway.

Simon Henley's new book, The Architecture of Parking Thames & Hudson, £24.95), casts an objective eye over car parks, one of the most important but most neglected building types of the modern era, and finds a strange and haunting beauty.

The architecture of car parks | Arts | Guardian Unlimited

(via The Aesthetic Poetic)

Colour Cage Hoodie.

Funny idea, but I can't imagine who would pay €180.00 for it. It looks like a perfect DIY Halloween costume for designers, though. Take notes for next year...

100% Cotton hoodie with yellow velcro detail and detachable highlighters and felt tip markers.

Angry Retail :: Colour Cage Hoodie

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Happy Birthday, Gabriel!

From this...

To this...

In just ONE YEAR. Wow.

Auntie BB wishes you a happy birthday from way up here in Milwaukee, little man. x!

The Postman's Decision Is Final.

The Postman’s Decision Is Final is a small performance using the postal system, a game of chance or a gentle hello to the postman. Two postcards are stuck together so that only the address sides are showing. Each side is stamped and addressed to two different people, then posted. Somewhere along the line a decision is made as to which person receives the card.

Dan Rees (Artist) in Berlin (Germany) from Re-title.com

(via VVORK)