August 21st, 2009
BUILDING THE LIFE THAT YOU WANT TO LIVE
A swell little portrait of Sweetpea Bicycles, Members of 1% for the Planet and the Portland cycling community. Portland is home to many that are creating their own brand of success, and it’s not hard to see why women are drawn to the Sweetpea experience (hint: it’s not the dog).
August 17th, 2009
LE BICYCLE, LE BICYCLE
Alex Marco Cinebox song film. A huge hit in France, the Cinebox, or Scopitone, was a projector of short song films – most charming precursors to music videos – constructed from surplus WW2 airplane parts. Introduced to America in 1964 by the WIlliam Morris Agency in its first foray into multimedia. via candycranks.
August 13th, 2009
Cabinet of Curiosities
Organ Tools
A tool chest made by a gentleman named Studley in the 1800s. He was an organ and piano-maker and obviously a phenomenal carpenter. Seeing this incredible tool chest reminded me of a more contemporary work by artist Tom Sachs. His piece is called “Hardcore.” It’s a really crude-yet-astonishingly-wonderful cabinet of weapons that are also made by Tom Sachs. They are all constructed from common plumbing supplies and general hardware store materials. My understanding of the story is that the NYC police had a program by which they would collect weapons at precincts, no questions asked, and give something like $75 for each weapon turned in. Tom Sachs and company were making these crude guns out of scrap and turning them in for cash.
(Interesting to note that Tom Sachs has tried his hand at piano-making with a piece called the Bösendorfer. I had a chance to play this with Mr. Peter at the Sperone Westwater gallery in NYC and it’s really incredible! I think it’s made out of road barriers and plywood.)
August 10th, 2009
AXE, UPGRADED
Highly superfluous and strangely covetable are these designer…axes. Hand forged in Maine then shipped to New Jersey for paint and polish in a “small workshop environment.” Upscaling an everyday utilitarian object into a finely honed display accessory….we hate ourselves for loving them, yes. (Thank you Austin)
