As an ex-New Yorker, I’ve always been fascinated by beauty of the city’s manhole covers. I love the simple geometry found in many of the designs. New York City now has to step up its game. After seeing these beautiful Japanese manhole covers from the book Drainspotting, I think Con Edison needs to go back to the drawing board.
If you’re inner geek needs more drain images, check out drainspotting.com.
I have a soft spot for food packaging from the 60’s and 70’s. I don’t know what it is about the design that draws me to it. Perhaps the campiness and the nostalgia that I enjoy. Maybe I like it because it conjures up memories of going to the supermarket with my mom and picking boxes of cereal. (I usually chose Frosted Flakes.)
While searching around the Internet today I found someone who has an even bigger love for it all. Dan Goodsell (What a great advertising last name!) from The Imaginary World has an extraordinary collection of vintage packaging. I’m particularly fond of the cereal box section.
I’m going to begin this post by taking this opportunity to rave about my husband’s thoughtfulness and his web surfing skills. I got an early Christmas gift from him the other day. (Yay! I love early presents!) He had created a book of our trip with his family to Cambodia and Thailand. Now, I’m not talking about a collection of photos put into plastic sleeves or even a crafty scrapbook. He created a beautiful, hard bound, full color real book! It could have easily been found on the shelves of Barnes and Noble under their travel section.
He used a website called http://www.blurb.com/. Blurb is a great website that allows you to self publish your own books! You choose the format, the theme, the size and then supply your own text and images. The possibiliteis are endless! Not only is it great for family presents, but has so many applications for teaching and education. Teachers and students could create their own textbooks, step by step instruction manuals, how to draw books, teacher and student portfolios, and annual collections of student images. The list goes on and on!
I’ve been so excited by this website that I have been consumed like a crazy woman putting together our vacation photos. Next, I think I’m going to create a family cook book!
I love interestingly designed everyday objects. Give me a quirky looking tooth paste holder and I will love it forever.
While searching the web today I came across the Boskkye Sky Planter. Some smart designer figured out a way to make a normal flower pot that you only have to water once or twice a month and uses up to 80% less water. Genius! (No, I do not hold stock in this company or work on commission.)
This planter got me thinking about applications for the classroom. This would make a great visual resource for an art lesson on industrial design. You could challenge students to redesign an everyday object in a fresh, thoughtful and unique way. The final project could be done in almost any media: pencil, paint, a 3D computer model, or a sculpture. The lesson could be extended further by asking students to design packaging or an advertising campaign for their product.
Upon our friend Tom’s recommendation, David and I have been watching the DVD series Madmen. It’s about a Madison Avenue advertising firm set back in the 1960’s. At first, the show made my stomach churn and my temper rise. In almost every episode the ad guys are smoking and drinking at work, sexually harassing the secretaries and cheating on their wives. It took me a long time to get past all of this. I reassured myself by thinking that director was trying to make a period piece that accurately depicts this time in our country’s history. And if you ask Mark Simmons, he would wholeheartedly disagree.
Mark is a little pickier about the accuracy thing than I am. And thank goodness for that. Mark wrote a great article about the typography found in the show’s opening, signage and props. He states that many of the typefaces used in these instances were actually designed after the 1960’s or were not widely popular during this time period. For those you who are obessed with typography, you’ll find it to be a great read. For those who think it’s a bit to picky, go eat some popcorn.
When compared to the sleek and clean train stations of London and Tokyo, New York City’s subway stations leave a lot to be desired. But if you take a second to get past the gritty grime and the foot long rats (yes they really, truly are that big!), I promise you that there are treasures to be found under the city’s sidewalks.
NYC’s Metropolitan Transit Authority has chosen to brighten up the otherwise dim and gritty subway stations with an extensive Arts for Transit program. This site is pretty neat. You can search according to subway line and station. Some of my personal favorites are the Houston Street stop on the 1 train, 59th and Lexington on the N, and the Prince Street stop on the R.
While living in NYC, I used to always think about taking myself on a little subway art field trip. I thought it would be neat to ride the rails all day long, getting off at every station to photograph the art found underground. Unfortunately, at times I can be a pretty impatient person. Waiting for the next train to come by the station would have driven me crazy. Luckily, a group of dedicated subway art lovers did it for me. Here is their subway arts guide.
In addition to the permanent installation, the MTA has created a series of fun and whimisical art cards. I’m not entirely sure why they are called art cards. They are pretty large and hang in the subways. Anyway, I am in love with the whale poster from 2001 and the Coney Island boardwalk scene from 2007! I’m not entirely sure what to make of the yellow chick-a-dee poster from 2004.
Subway art would make a great idea for art lessons at any age. The possibilities are endless! Students could design subway posters, signage, sculptural installations, video service guides and station designs. Any art medium could be used.
Before living in China I felt that I needed certain material things in order to be satisfied. Seeing how people live in impoverished communities throughout Asia has dramatically changed this viewpoint. When presented with limited resources, human do amazing and resourceful things.
The exhibit Design for the Other 90%, takes human ingenuity one step further. The Cooper-Hewitt describes the focus of the exhibit best:
“Of the world’s total population of 6.5 billion, 5.8 billion people, or 90%, have little or no access to most of the products and services many of us take for granted; in fact, nearly half do not have regular access to food, clean water, or shelter. Design for the Other 90% explores a growing movement among designers to design low-cost solutions for this “other 90%.” Through partnerships both local and global, individuals and organizations are finding unique ways to address the basic challenges of survival and progress faced by the world’s poor and marginalized.”
The show was originally exhibited at the Cooper-Hewitt in New York City, but is now currently at the Walker Art Center from May 24th to September 7th.
After reading about this exhibit I couldn’t help but think that this would be an incredible lesson for students of all ages to take part in. Not only does it provide a clear link between art and science, but it also addresses issue of social justice, race, and inequality.