Digital Design Sensations January 10, 2010

The V&A is having an exhibition on digital design. This mostly interactive exhibition explores how digital technologies have added new depths to the works of artists and designers. At an exhibition like this, the lines are blurred between the artist, creator and participant. This exhibition was fantastic for engaging its audience by participation and interaction. The tree above is part of the exhibition and is by experimental videomaker and media artist Simon Heijdens. Here he explores the relationship between nature and technology. The movements in the tree are directly linked to how windy it is outside the museum.

On a less subtle note, we saw children going wild, recording themselves being silly on a video camera for Ross Phillips‘ Videogrid. The result was a collage of mini videos of people who collectively let go of their inhibitions and acted silly for the camera for art’s sake.

The interactive section was the strongest in the exhibition. In this section, we got to move sand around to create new worlds of existence in Oasis by Everyware.

But it was with Body Paint that we let loose and brought out the Jackson Pollock in us through crazy dance moves. The result was vibrant colours that reminded me of being in the Architects of Air tents.

It felt appropriate that I was running around this exhibition on digital design with one of my favourite applications -the QuadCamera. Like an action camera, it allows you to take photographs in quick succession.

Time Out is having a 2-4-1 special for this exhibition. The voucher is available here. The exhibition is on until 11 April 2010 and I highly recommend it.

Winter Warmers January 7, 2010

I’m starting to feel like I am permanently trapped in a snow globe. Whilst it has been very pretty and I quite like the stillness and silence of winter, it has been very nippy.

This winter, it has become apparent to me that my wardrobe is lacking in winter warmers. I need to get myself wrapped up and I want to be wrapped up in the best winter accessories.

I keep thinking about my lost hat.  It was a beanie with a headphone knit pattern. I don’t know how I lost it, but as with most winter accessories, they have a tendency to break away from you. Which is why mittens on a string are such a fantastic idea!

I recently wrote about Yokoo and her amazing winter accessories. Today I’d like to share some other winter warmers that I have my heart set on.

I am waiting to get Elizabeth Lau’s handknitted Kiev hat and scarf hybrid on my head. What a clever design!  Which reminds me of this possible replacement to my headphone beanie. Are these earmuffs? Or headphones? Well my friend, they are earphones disguised as earmuffs. And they are also on sale at the moment at Urban Outfitters and available in black or white.

If you want your winter accessories to have only one function, then here are some of the cutest scarves out in shops at the moment.

Donna Wilson’s little fox scarf comes in grey too. If you can’t get enough of the fox, she also has the cutest fox cushion.

If that’s too cute for your taste, I also like Lazy Oaf’s Tuxedo Scarf. How cool is this little number? Perfect for last minute black tie events!

Even if these don’t fight the baltic temperatures the cool little designs will certainly warm the heart and put a big smile on your face.  Anyone know where I can get a Rupert the Bear jumper? There used to be knitting patterns on ebay that were available for sale but I’ve not had much luck today.

In The Realms of Henry Darger December 8, 2009

At The Museum of Everything on Saturday, I fell in love with the paintings of Henry Darger. I have never heard of this outsider artist before. The recluse from Chicago, the janitor who lived alone and died leaving hundreds of watercolour paintings illustrating an epic known as “The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What Is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion.”

His art is evocative of illustrations in children’s books and are often set in panoramic scale. The paintings remind me of the colouring books I loved as a child with the darkness of adulthood. This is no happily-ever-after land. The seven girls who are known as The Vivian Girls fight evil and protect each other from the sinister world of adults. And these girls are usually depicted as hermaphrodites.

What I love most about Henry Darger’s painting is the sincerity of his works. And of course it is sincere. It was never meant to be perceived as art. He was a lonely janitor with a tragic story to tell. A good literary accompaniment to his paintings is Jeffrey Eugenides’ Middlesex.

Wear The Wild Ones Are December 5, 2009

I’ve been hunting down some jewellery and would like to get my claws on these ones.

Zoe & Morgan’s Who Loves Wins, AW09 collection is filled with spiders, lions and foxes for the brave-hearted.

Following the success of Tatty Devine’s Tiger necklace, a limited edition for winter has been launched. The White Tiger is the wildcat for me.

Who’s Next has just announced their Young Designers Winners list. The winners will have a chance to show in January, for free. On this list is Lena Klax. Her colourful polar bear necklaces come with detachable paw bracelets. I like the coral coloured one best. I am looking forward to seeing the pieces at the next Who’s Next.

I’ll Cheer For You November 24, 2009

Winter’s a far more exciting season for accessories. The choice is endless. Scarves and snoods, mittens and gloves, arm warmers and colourful tights.

I found my perfect winter item in the form of Yokoo’s Pom Pom headband.  Check Yokoo’s Etsy store for winter warmers like the oatmeal soopascarf and the numerous cowlneck scarves. I love the quirky images and I know that I will be finding it difficult to limit myself to just this headband.

Now if only it would get properly cold. I would be able to wrap myself in lots of chunky knits cosily.

Holidays and Other Distractions November 23, 2009

I have been feeling guilty for neglecting the blog. A confession. I have a few new addictions. One is the game Doodle Jump and the other is wonderful Joy Orbison mix. The mix is an easier thing to be obsessed with as I can just listen to this on repeat and it does not really affect my life apart from the obvious joy I get streaming into my ears. Doodle Jump on the other hand has put my life on hold. Like a proper geek, I’ve quickly become very addicted to this game, playing it all the time, at any given chance.

I thought that I needed to cure this addiction but could not bring myself to delete the application from my phone. I have decided that tonight I will write about Porto and Lisbon.

At our first stop, Porto we regrettably had rain every day. Luckily the large number of confectioners meant that we could duck in and out of the rain for more pasteis de nata and quick cups of strong coffee or bica.  And even though chocolate umbrellas can’t really protect you from the rain, it can with a little imagination make you forget your soaking feet.

I found Porto an interesting destination. The city was so old and hilly. The architecture beautiful. We searched for youth, but kept finding old men in flat caps and walking sticks. In a club, we sat in the dancefloor next to a family. Three generations sitting together in a darkened club, illuminated only by the dancing lights from the giant disco ball. The DJ played something generic and other families peered in from the madly decorated bar. It was surreal and wonderful.

Our next stop was Lisbon, a city we knew would be very different. It even has its own Le Cool guidebook. We wouldn’t find clubs filled with small tots learning how to walk and greying men and women. We’d find bars that looked like crazy museums lit by  pak choy lampshades.

In Lisbon, we missed variety in our diet so we went in search of something different. It led us to near wild goose chases to find the Mozambican restaurant and later a Malaysian-inspired place called Cafe Malacca.

We pursued the cool in Barrio Alto and Principe Real but it was in Sintra where we found paradise (as described by Lord Byron) and a paper mache animal park. In Lisbon, the old and new sat together comfortably. Sprayed on tiles didn’t look out of place next to the originals that are so distinctively Portugese.

In Sintra we walked up the massive hill and were rewarded by the calm of the lake where a lone black swan was swimming in circles. The air was so fresh and the forest trees were alight with autumnal colours.

On our way to Belem we found the Museu Da Carris, a charming little museum dedicated to the trams!  In Belem we had the most delicious tarts in Antiga Confectaria de Belem. Here perfectly baked custard tarts are served with icing sugar and cinnamon. Each bite is perfectly flaky with a soft filling. I regret not taking photos of any tarts. There were so many petite cakes and tarts. I have never eaten so much pastry in my life. And I’ve also never enjoyed pastry this much.

We went to the wonderful Berardo Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and happily whiled away a few hours looking at the exhibitions on at the moment.

On one of the evenings we met a dapper man. He was so excited about the fact we lived in London that he repeatedly proclaimed “London is the best country in the world!”. This we found endearing and very amusing.

The main highlight of the trip was when we decided to seek out The Cape Verdean Association (Associação de Cabo-Verde, 8th floor at Avenida Duque de Palmela 2, tel. 21 353 1932). In the business district of Lisbon, in an 80s office block, we entered this grey building and into the lift with two men in suits, clearly on their office lunch breaks.

Together we rode up to the eight floor. As we approached the 6th floor, we started hearing music. The men got more and more animated.

The lift opened onto the 8th floor into a big dining hall, filled with people, laughing, eating and chatting. There was a band playing Afro-Portugese music and couples danced in the front. I have never felt so much happiness around me. My last memory of Lisbon was this busy hall filled with music, chatter and dance. And I can’t imagine a nicer way to end a holiday.

100 Colors, 100 Writings, 100 Days October 12, 2009

I saw this on Design Observer’s twitter and thought Rachel Berger’s project was so good, I had to blog about it.  I sat after dinner in the kitchen reading Rachel’s favourite forty paint chips.

The project is simple. For 100 days, she picked a paint chip noted the name of the colour and the number of the day (of 100) and responded to it by writing. Everyone knows that there is memory in scent, but a shade or tone of colour can also remind you of things. And it most certainly can influence moods and emotions.

Rachel’s writing is thoughtful. The kind of writing I love. There is a lot of personal experiences, quirky observation and some random facts. Everything that makes for great reading is here.

08 Candied Yams “I bought my first yam this week. I wanted sweet potatoes, which sound a bit friendlier, but the store didn’t have any. The yam is quite rooty, forever looking freshly pulled from the earth — something that is born, grows, and dies in darkness. It’s bumping around my cupboard now, rolling into view when I take out the sugar canister, tin of anchovies. It’s clumsy and bulky. I rudely shove it back, out of my way, further into the darkness.“

48 Moss Landing “Ken Kesey’s Sometimes a Great Notion opens with a description of the frightening, dripping, verdancy of Oregon. It continues for many pages, and it’s all true. In Portland, moss grows on the roofs of the houses, ferns sprout from cracks in the sidewalk, even the best maintained streets and buildings are prone to sliding around during the dark wet winter. One time in college, I came home for a holiday, and there were huge gray mushrooms growing out of my bedroom carpet.“

52 Glacial Tint “I’m stranded at my father’s house, what Joanna calls “the Greenway Inn,” on Greenway Avenue, way up in the West Hills. It snowed all night and is snowing now. Seven, ten, thirteen inches. Never in my life has it snowed this much in Portland. When I describe the white carnage to people in Connecticut and New York, they are not nearly impressed enough. They think Portland is like I think Denver is, snowy, cold, mountainous. I was shocked when I finally visited Denver and it was flat and sunny.“

57 Cool Melon “Only three times in its hundred-year history has the Crayola company changed the name of a crayon. Prussian Blue became Midnight Blue in 1958 and Indian Red was renamed Chestnut in 1999, both in response to requests from educators. In 1962, the company voluntarily changed Flesh to Peach, partially in response to the U.S. Civil Rights Movement.“

I urge you to read the full set of Rachel’s musings here.

Creamy White Ceramics. The New Green. October 11, 2009

Designs are best when they tick the aesthetic box and the functionality box. The best ones also come with a bit of humour.  Seletti’s Estetico Quotidiano is a great collection of ceramics modeled after throwaway objects of the modern world.

Consider the milk carton, the sardine or anchovy tin and the egg carton.  While you may recycle these objects, the shapes of these everyday objects have been designed to serve its purpose in the best way. Now they can have a permanent room in your kitchen.

I wonder if this collection was inspired by Rob Brandt’s crinkle cup. Whatever it is, Seletti have taken ceramics to a new level and I love it!

Two by Two October 6, 2009

Keetra Dean Dixon creates magical art in the vein of Miranda July. Just Between You and Me features various objects that require co-dependency. I especially love the objects above. The glasses you wear to see eye to eye would definitely help reach compromises. The shadowing shoes = hugwalks and the balloons that take two to blow up.  Now that it’s getting colder, I am feeling rather romantic and daydream of walks on fallen leaves, wrapped in layers with the boy.

On the topic of sharing and togetherness, I recently spotted the Loving Cup by Maria Lintott Ceramics. The double handled cup  makes it easy to pass hot drinks, which will make it perfect for when it gets colder. While you’re on the website, check out the moustache-protector cups too!

You’re A Mug! A Moustachioed One! October 1, 2009

My love for moustaches is well-known. Guy sent me this link. Peter Bruegger’s mugs come with a different moustache on each side. At £11.95 a pop for this wonderful piece of disguise it is guaranteed to brighten up mornings.

I can’t wait to get my hands on all of them!