I’m trying to keep myself from buying this amazing antique sleep mask from Ethanollie (look at the eyes!), so I thought I’d post it here, in the hopes that someone else would buy it.
And….go!
Teenage: My AOL Youth
Posted by – June 13, 2011
Curious about the origin of all this teen angst? Today I recollect my Internet-addled, kind of terrible youth at Teenage. Amidst asshole boyfriends and foster care girls spitting in my lunch, I found power in the Internet. I still do. Here’s a taste of the essay:
In a dichotomy of blond athletes in Starter jackets (the ultimate status symbol) and farm boys dirt racing in the school parking lot, I was lost: a blank slate. The only thing I really knew for certain was that this “Internet” thing held a lot of power. This was in the early days of chat rooms and IM, and I was soon an addict, abusing our dial-up and lurking to my heart’s content. While held in the (relatively) safe bosom of AOL, there were no preconceived notions about being a brown noser, socially inept, fat, tall, weird or “the new girl.” I was only Zubon13. I could be anyone. I could be anything.
Paul Strand’s “Manhatta”
Posted by – June 12, 2011
As a neophyte New Yorker (five years this August, and many more to come!), my love affair with my city is still going strong. Anything relating to the history and culture of the city is catnip to me — and I’m full of recommendations! If you’re into food, the history of New York restaurant culture — from oysters to steaks to the origin of spaghetti and over-the-top theme restaurants — you’ve got to read Appetite City. Interested in Brooklyn of the early 20th century? A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. E.B. White’s Here is New York is a given. And if you seek a feast for the eyes (and an avant garde approach to cinema), you must take in Manhatta. This short documentary, directed in 1921 by painter Charles Sheeler and photographer Paul Strand, takes a silent, non-narrative approach to city life. (Do yourself a favor and put the video on silent! Techno awaits.)
With the city as subject, the film consists of 65 shots sequenced in a loose non-narrative structure, beginning with a ferry approaching Manhattan and ending with a sunset view from a skyscraper. The primary objective of the film is to explore the relationship between photography and film; camera movement is kept to a minimum, as is incidental motion within each shot. Each frame provides a view of the city that has been carefully arranged into abstract compositions.
The surge of the morning commute looks pretty familiar, except with more hats. It’s good to know that some things never change.
What’s your favorite piece of New York media?
Shoppin’
Posted by – June 12, 2011
[Clockwise from left: Horse Hair Belt; Ulpu Earrings; Antique Wooden Elephant; Vintage Lace Wide-Leg Pants; Vintage Rocking Horse; Vintage Abacus Lamp; Kilim Cube Stool; 1940s Clarion Bakelite Radio; Coney Island Photographs, Circa 1940; Brutalist Wrought Iron Candle Holders]
I’ve been hoarding all kinds of goodies in my Etsy cart. I’m not sure if I’ll ever actually have the guts to wear lace pants, but damn if I don’t think about it often! (And what a nice breeze for summer.) Also, the horse hair belt? Incredible.
Thanks to an in-the-know commenter, I’ve been informed that the elephant above is a classic Schoenhut toy from the 1930s. I’ve since fallen down a Schoenhut hole on eBay — so many incredible designs, and all wooden! In addition to wooden animals (many circus-themed), they also made realistic dolls and miniature musical instruments, like this player piano. Their clown toy is the stuff nightmares are made of! Thanks for the tip, Robin!
Nightwood at Home
Posted by – June 6, 2011
Nightwood makes incredible furniture and home furnishings, so it’s no surprise that Myriah and Nadia’s apartment is a reflection of their aesthetic. I love the sparsity, the linen and burlap, and the dark walls of the kitchen. The bedroom is a dream come true. I aspire to find more mirrors and clear off some mantles.
See more photos and read about their place at New York Magazine.
Insect Ballet
Posted by – June 5, 2011
Igor Siwanowicz’s up-close-and-personal shots of praying mantises (and other bizarre insects) will make me think twice before flicking a stick insect off my shoulder. The battle stances, markings and chameleon effects are so elegant — like a tiny ballet taking place on leaves and branches the world over. See all of the photos at The Telegraph.
Today
Posted by – June 3, 2011
Yesterday was an incredible day. I’m without a worry in the world (for the first time — ever?). There’s only one song that fits these emotions.
Happy weekend, friends.
Glamour Glasses
Posted by – June 2, 2011
What’s that foolish old adage: “Boys don’t make passes at girls that wear glasses”? I don’t think that’s the case, if these stylish ladies are any indication. The hunt for new glasses is most decidedly on!
Summer Camp Memories
Posted by – May 30, 2011
I went to a sleepaway camp or two when I was a kid, mostly through Girl Scouts. However, we never stayed away from home for long — three days at the most. We’d make lanyards, canoe and flip ourselves on a rope swing over a pond. It was always fun, but I can’t help envying those who got the “real camp” experience, going away for weeks or months at a time. (Have I mentioned that I’ve watched Wet Hot American Summer about 100 times? Because I have.)
Scouting NY recently visited Camp Wishe, an abandoned summer camp in upstate New York. Started post-World War II, it was a children’s sleepaway camp until 1995, when it came under new management — and was immediately left to fester in the elements. Though many of the buildings are now in disrepair, I’m endlessly pleased to see that cabin markers and the campers’ cabin graffiti remains. So sweet, so sad! Read more about the history of Camp Wishe on their website, and see what remains of the camp on Scouting NY.
Heath Ceramics
Posted by – May 24, 2011
As a bit of a ceramics freak (seriously, I can’t stop buying it), I recently got into Heath Ceramics. I knew there was a history behind all this vintage pottery I was coming across on Etsy and eBay, but I knew little about the woman behind the company’s legacy: Edith Heath. As an industrial designer and potter, she founded Heath Ceramics in 1948. Its iconic designs, still modern and relevant today, are still produced in Sausalito. It’s one of the few mid-century American potteries still in existence, though now run by new folks. I’ve been pining for both new and old pieces, but finding that rare old vase or set of mugs — it’s a satisfying quest.
According to the SF Gate,
It was at the San Francisco Art Institute where she made her foray into ceramics. Driven to better understand the science of clay and glazes, Mrs. Heath successfully petitioned the UC Berkeley’s extension program to host a yearlong ceramic chemistry course.
When her husband, an engineer and inventor, converted an old treadle-powered sewing machine into a potter’s wheel, and later installed a gas-fired kiln in the basement below their Filbert Street flat, Mrs. Heath was able to practice her newfound craft, developing endless glaze formulations.
Mrs. Heath became a defining influence of 20th American design by creating distinctive ceramic dinnerware and architectural tiles. She is best-known for her pioneering glazes and clay bodies made to her own formulations with an avant-garde, minimalist look.
Edith’s designs immediately captured the attention of Frank Lloyd Wright, who requested Heath dinnerware for some of his projects. (Pretty incredible, as he was so famously particular and ornery. But brilliant. Have I mentioned I’ve been to almost every house he’s built in the Midwest? Anyway.) The positive response led to the founding of the same factory where work is produced today.
And those glazes: talk about beautiful The fading blues, creams and browns… I’ve been building my collection, and I can only hope I recognize Heath when I see it in the future.
Miss Chris
Posted by – May 23, 2011
I’m excited to present my friend Mickey Duzyj’s latest comic. Mickey’s interest in the race track, eccentric figures, and the lives of losers and misfits often crosses over into his work, and “Miss Chris” is no exception. This mystery minicomic tells the story of a chain-smoking, cross-dressing bartender with a dark past who works the bar at the local racetrack. Does a life of decadence conceal a monstrous injury, or can Miss Chris prove that his ugliness is only skin-deep?
And this is just the beginning. This story is the first of a longer series of stories about the racetrack, where more characters who work and hang out there will be revealed. Trolls in place of jockeys? Opium-addicted horses? I can’t wait.
Gauguin Re-envisioned
Posted by – May 22, 2011
I’ve fallen deep into a Gauguin black hole, which led me to this photo recreation of his famous “Spirit of the Dead Watching.” And yep, that’s Naomi Campbell, circa 1992. Beautiful.
[Via]
Bits of My Weekend
Posted by – May 17, 2011
Today I’m pleased as punch to share some moments from my weekend on For Me, For You. It’s full of Cheers reruns, cat ogling and party time. Livin’ the dream!
You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby
Posted by – May 17, 2011
I’m pretty fascinated by Virginia Slims’ advertising campaign of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s: “You’ve come a long way, baby.” I’ve seen enough episodes of Mad Men to realize that any feminist leanings of the ad agencies (or cigarette companies) was probably a farce, but I can get down with their message. Utilizing flappers, suffragettes and independent, Afro-wearing ladies as inspiration is just fine in my book, and if the cigarette in question is “tailored for the feminine hand” — well, yeah, that’s a little weird, but I’ll go with it.
Now the television commercials: that’s another level of amazing. The first is from Japan, the second a relic from 1967. It’s so strange to conceive of a time when cigarette ads were on tv!
Kitten Loves Its Cigarette
Posted by – May 12, 2011
I know I should be disturbed by this, but I just can’t stop laughing.
Furniture Lust
Posted by – May 12, 2011
Vintage twosome Daily Memorandum (“an intellectual’s Americana”) has been hitting it out of the park. The workbench? I’d use it as a desk in my imaginary garage. Or even learn to solder!
Each photo links to the furniture in question.
Textiles
Posted by – May 11, 2011
I never knew that I needed a huge, 1970s wall textile, but Morgan of The Brick House quickly enlightened me with her recent post on the subject. Rope, macrame, yarn: lay it on me. All of this orange and hemp-colored material will definitely not fit in my current apartment, but this just inspires me to go nuts with a cabin or an attic somewhere. I need to live out my textile dreams, I’m pretty certain.
“I don’t know anything. I’m just a big rock in the sky.”
Posted by – May 11, 2011
I worship at the altar of Miranda July, so when I found out she has a new movie, I was all in. Her new film, “The Future,” looks tailor-made to give me butterflies. And I will cry. And a cat with a broken paw?! Fuel to the fire.
Our Apartment
Posted by – May 8, 2011
My place has been getting some press! Check out our apartment tours on Design*Sponge and Re-Nest. Here are some of my favorite out-takes; see the rest on Flickr.
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Posted by – May 5, 2011
A few nights ago, I had the distinct pleasure to take in Werner Herzog’s latest documentary, “Cave of Forgotten Dreams,” at IFC. It was magical. The sophistication of technique and the paintings’ beauty can’t be disputed, but the timeline — most of these paintings were composed over 32,000 years ago — just boggles the mind. These are the earliest known paintings of humankind. To provide some perspective, the famous images at Lascaux (the other famous French cave) go back 18,000 years; Chauvet is “another Lascaux back from Lascaux.”
Some of the paintings had a space of 5,000 years in between additions. Can you even imagine that amount of time? It’s like going to the pyramids, adding your own illustration to a panel of hieroglyphics, then walking away — and it remains untouched. Imagining 500 years from now is hard to realize; I just think of Futurama.
I highly recommend this movie. Any excuse to hear Herzog’s voice is a good excuse, in my book. And make sure to check out this interview with Herzog at The Paris Review. Good stuff.
Alison’s Most Wanted
Posted by – May 2, 2011
[Clockwise from left: Lunar Ball; Rogan Quasar Dress; Vintage Doll Sconces; 1970s Easy Chair by François Thévenin; Illesteva Horn Sunglasses; Momufuku Compost Cookie; Pregnant Keychain; 1900s Elephant Hair Ring; Rachel Comey Fringed Saddle Bag; 1980s Sculpture by Robert Lee Morris]
You know that saying, “Champagne taste on a beer budget”? Well, I know the sentiment way too well! Here are a few things I’m coveting. I’m especially obsessed with the leather chair and the elephant hair ring. See more on Pinterest.
Maru Gets a Bob
Posted by – April 26, 2011
The many hairstyles of Maru. Is there anything this cat can’t do?
Douglas Coupland’s Canada Home
Posted by – April 25, 2011
As a longtime Douglas Coupland obsessive — Life After God and Generation X functioned as my bibles for quite a few years — I was not at all surprised to realize that his home is as minimal, beautiful and odd as his books. However, I wasn’t quite right in that assumption. In fact, this is a very specifically Canadian-inspired art installation — all objects culled or constructed from the Canadian paraphernalia of Coupland’s childhood — in a 1970s house slated for demolition. Its name: “Canada House.”
While I may not fully understand the references to fishing float lamps, whale vertebrae made from styrofoam jetsam, mussel shell midden, and a Haida button blanket — oh, but I want to! And because no Coupland -related post can go without a tidbit of his writing:
“I didn’t realize then that so much of being adult is reconciling ourselves with the awkwardness and strangeness of our own feelings. Youth is the time of life lived for some imaginary audience.” — From Girlfriend in a Coma
[Via]
Pictory: The Stories of Handmade
Posted by – April 25, 2011
If you’re not familiar with Pictory Magazine, you should be. (Pictory = picture + story) This collection of curated galleries and stories document love, loss, family, travel, and our lives and culture in big, gorgeous photos. Anyone can submit a photo story on the continually changing social documentary themes, then the best work from the community is curated into polished photo essays.
I was recently part of the curation process — on behalf of Etsy — for a collaborative project with Pictory on the subject of “handmade” and the art of craftsmanship. The virtual gallery is now live. Here a few of the winning entries to whet your appetite. Beautiful stuff.
Watercraft by Heather Perry
Carefully, methodically, and very precisely, Buster Prout of Bowdoinham, Maine, constructs a gunning float, a boat used for hunting duck. This model is specific to Merrymeeting Bay. Buster Prout is the last of the bay’s gunning float builders, and for each full size boat he crafts, he creates a precise and tiny model, exactly 1/8th scale. He is a gentle man, with an artist’s hand. They are elegant crafts, and a good sculler can move the float through the rushes silently, and sneak right up on the birds. At best, a hunter might bag a limit. At worst, one spends a day in a remarkable place, in this handmade, remarkable boat.
What Lives in the Body by Meera Sethi
Once a week for two years, I have sat down at a table in a natural history museum, picked up a scalpel and a pair of tweezers, and—gently, carefully, meditatively—created a study skin out of a bird, or two, or three, that has been killed by its unsuspecting flight into a window of a skyscraper. On this day I prepared a Wilson’s flycatcher (a slight, somewhat unprepossessing bird notable for being new to me and for turning out well despite being incredibly small), a Savannah sparrow, and a Gray-cheeked thrush. They were all good to me; no one’s skin tore, no one’s wings sat crookedly. It was quiet, without even the radio on to disturb the hush, and there were no visitors all day. I felt restored when I left.
Fur Trade by Harriet Andronikides
For the past 40 years, my father has been working as a furrier in the Garment District in New York City. This neighborhood was once the heart of the fur industry, thriving with craftsman from all backgrounds and nationalities. However in the past decade, the craft of making fur coats and accessories has vanished, leaving my father as one of the last few artisans left in the Fur District. The sewing machinery, tools, and collection of coats themselves are a beautiful example of American craftsmanship.
Aimee Bender
Posted by – April 24, 2011
“But what I kept wondering about is this: that first second when she felt her skirt burning, what did she think? Before she knew it was candles, did she think she’d done it herself? With the amazing turns of her hips, and the warmth of the music inside her, did she believe, for even one glorious second, that her passion had arrived?” — Aimee Bender’s The Girl in the Flammable Skirt
The Rumpus’s recent interview with Aimee Bender — an amazing author, weirdo and someone whose brain I would love to crawl around inside — is a must-read. I just ordered her new novel, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, which takes the concept of eating your feelings to new depths: the book follows Rose Edelstein, who at age nine bites into her mother’s homemade lemon cake, only to discover that she can taste her mother’s emotion in it. Surreal, beautiful and always interesting, I can’t recommend Aimee’s work enough. I will hit you over the head with it again and again and again.
Flinging the Silk
Posted by – April 22, 2011
This fascinating scientific short, made in 1909, demonstrates how a spider (in this case, mechanical) spins its threads to create a web. Director Percy Smith believed he could cure people of their arachnophobia with his short films showing enlarged replicas of spiders, and it seems certain that most viewers would be more amused than frightened by the mechanical little guy in this short. (But wait for the ending…reality strikes!) As Alvy Singer once said, “Honey, there’s a spider in your bathroom as big as a Buick.”
See more entertaining shorts and newsreels on the British Film Institute’s YouTube channel.
[Via even*cleveland]
Weekend!
Posted by – April 16, 2011
This cat’s expression says it all. In this case, “all” meaning “let’s get manicures and eat olives and maybe root through a dumpster afterward.”
[Via Atlantic Treefox]
Quilt Crazy
Posted by – April 12, 2011
1st Dibs is a magical place, so of course the collection of folk art quilts for sale is jaw-dropping.
This “turkey tracks” crazy quilt was made in the 1930s. If I ever found something like this, I’d hold it so tight, I’d never let go.
This African American improvisational quilt was originally constructed to raise money for the temperance movement (a.k.a. outlawing alcohol) in the ’20s. It looks so contemporary!
And finally, this Japanese indigo-dyed quilt from the 19th century is beyond beautiful. It has the color and texture of perfect, ancient blue jeans.
