Nov
2008
Lord Holycroft
30/11/0810:54
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Come and buy.... not that I make a habit of selling products on this blog, but Danny is a very good mate and having pains in my side from laughing at his 2006 calendar, I thought it would tickle him back to see his new 2009 calendar site here. If you’ve still to get your new office calendar, or one for your grandmother, you could do worse than visit Lordholycroft.com
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Domestic communication design
26/11/0820:05
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Just ‘looking cool’ doesn’t make for good design but there are so many fantastic colours and simple ideas on this site from stickers and wall drawings through to mirrors and product. Hard to believe that anyone ever thought that ‘illustration was dead’ (for the young guns... that was a long time ago it has to be said!), seems very much alive and well at domestic.fr
Buy the Golden Fleece
23/11/0818:02
Categories: Events
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Turning into a major institution, this is your chance to buy work by some of Scotland’s top artists through to those who are to be tomorrows big hitters.
Works from David Shrigley, Nathalie de Briey, Toby Patterson, Alisdair Gray and many more are being offered with startlingly low reserves, and you can actually give a silent bids online too if you’re not able to attend the event in person. Some of the most interesting artists have set the lowest reserves to encourage all bidders which is great to see.
Read more about this event, taking place on 6 December at 6pm in Glasgow, the dedicated website has plenty of information and it’s great to see this fundraising event getting great support from so many established and talented artists:
thegoldenfleece-auction.blogspot.com
If you love print and pattern...
16/11/0819:55
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This is a page from the astounding book, The Grammar of Ornament by Owen Jones, architect, visual researcher and artist from the late 1800s. I borrowed a library copy about 20 years ago, having forgotten about it since then. Amazing that its luscious colour plates have been finely scanned by two separate groups and the whole book is now available to view online.
The Grammar of Ornament is now available on Flickr, and through The Digital Library for the Decorative Arts and Material Culture website.
What is fascinating is the level of study and analysis developed by Owen at this period in history, it certainly deserves its place as a widely used ‘Bible of Ornament’. Originally published in 1856, it is thankfully still possible to buy a new edition (2001) by DK Publishing. I’d love to come across the original version again, with it’s rich, striking print.
Just DO something
I’ve just come across what looks like it was an interesting lecture series, thankfully the site contains a good amount of info too lead the casual reader down a long, and interestingly winding path.
Check out the site for more info at dolectures.co.uk
Climate Safety: Keep your eye on that big old ball
image: George Monbiot
Interested to hear what any of these speakers have to say? Wish I was around for this talk, it should be fantastic!
Caroline Lucas
George Monbiot
Jeremy Leggett
Kevin Anderson
Tim Helweg-Larsen
A short and simple summary of the latest climate science followed by a discussion of what we’re going to do about it.
On Thursday 27th November from 7-9pm, The Public Interest Research Centre will present the Climate Safety report at Friends Meeting House, Euston, London.
The ‘Climate Safety’ report gives a clear and simple summary of the latest science, and shows how our current handling of the problem has exposed us to serious and growing risks. Modelled on the Australian ‘Climate Code Red’ report, ‘Climate Safety’ delivers a clear message that to have any chance of maintaining a safe climate, we must rapidly decarbonise our society, preserve global sinks, and address the problem with an unprecedented degree of seriousness.
Even with a commitment to 80% carbon cuts by 2050, “Climate Safety” warns that our current policy response does not match up to the scale of the challenge. Come along to this event which promises a discussion exploring ways to get beyond ‘politics-as-usual’, and to achieve ‘a full emergency response’. Worth a punt isn’t it.
If you are interested to come along then take a look check out climatesafety.org
Following the talk you can now download the climate safety report here
City Eco Lab
In the words of John Thackara....
“If you know of another event about city-regions and design that includes permaculture, mushrooms, spin-farming, fritzing, open money, peak protein, alternative trade networks, dry toilets, sustainable urban drainage, alternate reality games, watershed planning, seed banks, de-motorisation, and VeloWalas – go to it. That way I won’t suffer remorce for my encouragement of long-distance travel. Otherwise, here are highlights of the encounters and presentations planned for the event”
Aimed at encouraging visitors to think about ways to interface with a sustainable world, the event will run from 15-28 November in St Etienne.
If you’re passing through the ‘Massif Central’ area of France you could do worse than check it out. For more info: biennalesaint-etienne.citedudesign.com
There is still a sense that sustainability is this ‘otherworld’ which we need to be forced into making a connection with. To some extent that’s understandable (ideas about Permaculture have ‘only’ been talked about for the past 30-40 years), people obviously take a little while to take new ideas on board.
I hope that the exhibition activates a positive change in the visitors who experience it. I also wish for a parallel approach that actually puts the knowledge and tools in peoples lives. Is it a dream to imagine a real life strategic project to promote social change, along the lines of Jamie Oliver’s ambitions to instigate change in the way society eats, but more successful than that. Aren’t we in danger of perpetuating the issues of sustainability as a freakshow, something which is put on display and shown to be ‘different’.
Perhaps I should just go and check it out, I might just find something new there, who knows.