Kim Dorland - Artist

I was turned onto Kim Dorland after my client just recently bought one of his works. His show is currently up at Freight & Volume in New York city and I highly recommend that you see it if you can. His paintings are large, gloopy and colorful and depict relationships between people and relationships to the environment. His references come from his experiences growing up in a small town called Red Deer in Canada where he would hang out with his friends in the woods to party or in parking lots skateboarding, etc....the normal rural upbringing I guess but their is something quite mysterious and ominous in his work to me which keeps you drawn in.  

watch an interview with the artist here

see more images here

images taken from Kim Dorland's website and 

Sex is still Selling?

Calvin Klein is renowned for pushing the envelope in their typically racy and sex driven ad campaigns and from the looks of their most recent campaign, they don't seem to be letting up. This 50' billboard, which is currently on the corner of Houston and Lafayette in Soho, New York, has generated much publicity and scorn with some people boycotting the brand. What do you think? Does this make you want to buy a pair of Calivn's?

For more info on the controversy go here

The Highline, NYC

                  

What great timing! Whilst in New York, The High Line (one of the most anticipated public space projects in New York) opened last week and I had the chance to take a stroll with some friends to check it out. I was not disappointed in the least. The integrity of the what the high line originally was, was maintained in the design even down to the indigenous plants which were planted throughout and it still had a bit of a ragged, unkemptness which made sense to me.  I especially loved the birds eye view it allowed...I saw things I had never been able to see before even though I had walked those same streets a hundred times over. Bravo to New York and all involved for a beautiful & Green project!! 

Food, Inc.

I have become increasingly green minded of late but after watching Food,inc. last night at the Film Forum in NYC my veil of naivety shrouding the American food industry has been lifted and there is no going back for me.   At the risk of sounding melodramatic, you MUST watch this movie and if its not in theaters near you then read the book. Its sad, scary and downright horrifying at times but without people knowing the true toxicity of our food we will not be able to evoke change. There is a great trailer on the website...check it out!

LOST in NYC

Hiya...sorry for the disappearing act of late but I've been stomping around NYC. You know how that goes....late-night "philosophical" conversations with taxi drivers, morning coffee gossip

with girlfriends, random interactions with strangers (not in that way you dirty little minds)....Anyhow, at least after my travels I will have accumulated mucho abundance of funny new york tales. Until then....

Yellena - Art for your Walls

I just found this artist on Etsy and thought her work was super cool and at $20 bucks a print, ridiculously affordable.  She's just made the cover of Rojo magazine and has done work for the likes of Nike, K2 Snowboards and Anthropologie.  Her prints are limited editions and are generally around 81/2 x 11 in size and she also has mounted, resin-coated pieces which are stunning...a little more money but still attainable. As for the prints;  it would be super easy to pick up a white frame and wide matte (pottery barn or michael's crafts is a good place to look) and turn them into true works of art for a song!

more on the artist here

Architecture - Mass Studies

This is the Ann Demeulemeester boutique in Seoul Korea, which is located in a very densely populated urban alley of sorts. The architectural firm who designed the space, Mass Studies, are interested in the complex relationship of architecture in intensely over-populated urban conditions. For this project, their aim was to incorporate as much nature as possible into the building given the small space (378m2) and create a fusion between the natural/artificial and interior/exterior rather than a confrontation. The result is stunning. 

more on massstudies

images found on mass studies site

Tyranny of the Plug

Dick Van Hoff calls himself an industrial tailor. He creates uncomplicated objects where form always follows function but you would never suspect this given his cool designs. 

The pictures above are from his "Tyranny of the Plug" collection.  These retro gadgets include a kitchen machine, citrus press and blender all made of cast iron, glass and wood and did I mention they are entirely hand-operated. Thats right, no need for electricity or plugs! Not only are these puppies beautiful, in that grandma's kitchen kind of way, they save you precious wattage & allow you to burn calories whilst preparing dinner...pretty awesome.  

more on Van Hoff here

images found here 

Artist - Charlotte Mann

Illustrator Charlotte Man draws quirky, life-size murals of "the objects we surround ourselves with" in black marker on the walls of peoples homes. Her first commission was from Peter Jensen for his spring/summer show. Since then she has also done commissions for; The School of Life, B-Store and Dazed Japan just to mention a few. Her work is inspiring to me because the concept is so simple and of course anything dealing with interiors in a new way always peeks my interest! 

To learn more about Charlotte click here

Music - The Black Keys

The only thing my ipod is hearing these days is the newest Black Keys album. Ok, I know they've been around for a bit (maybe I'm a little slow on the uptake) but OMFG, these guys rule!! Check out their badass performance on Letterman.

The black keys

Black Keys - I Got Mine :: Letterman - The funniest bloopers are right here