this is ‘theme no.1’ by balmorhea, off their ‘rivers arms’ album. it is rare these days that we come across such ambient, nostalgic, mood moving music. i can put this on repeat, it’s that good.
unfortunately, this youtube video is not the official video for the track but it still delivers the score for you to mellow out to. it also may make you want to watch gus van sant’s ‘good will hunting.’ to hear more checkout their website here. enjoy. by kgb
intersections, laser-cut wood, single light bulb, 6.5′ square cube, completed: december 2013, cast shadows: 32’x34′.
anila quayyum agha works in a cross disciplinary fashion with mixed media; creating artwork that explores global politics, cultural multiplicity, mass media, and social and gender roles in our current cultural and global scenario. as a result her artwork is conceptually challenging, producing complicated weaves of thought, artistic action and social experience.
in the ‘intersections’ project, the geometrical patterning in islamic sacred spaces, associated with certitude is explored in a way that reveals it fluidity. the viewer is invited to confront the contradictory nature of all intersections, while simultaneously exploring boundaries. my goal is to explore the binaries of public and private, light and shadow, and static and dynamic by relying on the purity and inner symmetry of geometric design, and the interpretation of the cast shadows. the form of the design and its layered, multidimensional variations will depend both on the space in which it is installed, the arrangement of the installation, and the various paths that individuals take while experiencing the space.
the intersections project takes the seminal experience of exclusion as a woman from a space of community and creativity such as a mosque and translates the complex expressions of both wonder and exclusion that have been my experience while growing up in pakistan. the wooden frieze emulates a pattern from the alhambra, which was poised at the intersection of history, culture and art and was a place where islamic and western discourses, met and co-existed in harmony and served as a testament to the symbiosis of difference. for me the familiarity of the space visited at the alhambra palace and the memories of another time and place from my past, coalesced in creating this project. my intent with this installation was to give substance to mutualism, exploring the binaries of public and private, light and shadow, and static and dynamic. this installation project relies on the purity and inner symmetry of geometric design, the interpretation of the cast shadows and the viewer’s presence within a public space. (source: here) by kgb
the white and silver pedro lourenço x nike blazer low. the sole and profile is suspiciously common projects but we love it just the same
one of the 2 colors available, but clearly the one to get. the gold and black (alternative design) are quite nice as well but best suited for those with a little louder taste
nice horizontal detail stitch on the back heels
nikes capsule collection designer pedro lourenco
dreading the hike to the nike lab store but that will be the only place you’ll be able to get your toes on one of these. i guess well just have to do that. nice one. by dd
the french bike maker les cycles victoire has certainly made quite a few unusual bikes, all made to measure and personalized… in an age were most bikes are covered with flashy stickers and fluorescent paints., this one is all about pared-down beauty
the berluti edition comes with leather shoe straps to cuddle your loved ones
specially made berluti shoes for your specially made berluti straps
a little about how it’s made
i am personally quite pleased with my british made armstrong 3 speed bike sporting a brown leather brooks seat, a black lacquered bell ring and metal basket. but for a few dollars more you could perhaps go for the french made les cycles victoire berluti edition (available now). and while you are at it, you may want to also pick up the pair of shoes berluti created specifically to go with this bike. after that, if you have any change left, you could then stop off for a cup of new york’s finest 50 cent coffee to complete your look and regain your sense of dignity. just be sure not to park it anywhere near the 5 boroughs. a great bike to store in your loft, but not very practical for the streets. we’re having trouble retaining our $300 brooks seat with out having to chain it down. one could just imagine the vultures descending on this piece of steel and leather ars. that aside it is a beautiful piece of chivalry. by dd
how to sharpen pencils: the el casco pencil sharpener approximate price $400-$600 pending finish
x-acto 1700 series pencil sharpener $30-$50
blackwing dual blade pencil sharpener: this one requires you to 1- sharpen the wood, 2-switch blades to sharpen the lead tip… and now how cool is that? approx $10
the results of the 3 sharpeners on the worlds finest pencil, the blackwing 602 cedar wood pencils, are displayed below
from left to right:
1- using blackwing dual blade pencil sharpener
2- using el casco pencil sharpener
3- using x-acto 1700 series pencil sharpener
there is no question that the middle pencil using the el casco pencil sharpener wins
above the legendary blackwing 602 pencils about $2 a pencil sold in cases of 12
first a little about the pencil: the palomino blackwing 602 are considered the best pencils in the world and have developed a following amongst pencil geeks like us. they are made of cedar wood (easy to sharpen with out causing “chips”) and feature a firm and smooth graphite core that combines lead with wax that helps it deliver on its promise of “half the pressure, twice the speed”. its unique and iconic ferrule allows you to extend and replace its eraser after extensive use or for super nerds to even “hack” their pencil to give it a custom look. erasers come in black, white, red. the pencil was used mainly by artists, writers and musicians and when the pencil was discontinued years ago, known writers such as joseph finder and stephen sondheim tried to convince eberhard faber to continue production or at least said some warm words about the tool they were so used to. while the company says that other pencils with similar leads are available, the devotees are convinced that there is no adequate substitution for the 602s, and we must agree with those devotees.
now a little about the sharpeners used: while the el casco pencil sharpener does an amazing job it takes some getting used to and in my opinion its not worth the cost of $400-600. that said once you get the hang of it it does do an amazing job sharpening the lead to a steady point that makes the nib stronger than any sharpener you’ve seen…. not to mention that it also looks wicked on any desk. but for nearly $600 its disappointing that when you sharpen a pencil some of the dust falls out of the casing in the front area and that the pencil grip in the sharpener damages and marks your pencils stem. it is the best sharpener resulting in the best nib but not $600 better…
the xacto sharpener is in word a piece of “garbage”. very disappointing for a company that is known for making blades. the motor is a DC motor using AC current (meaning its equivelant to a battery powered one) and can barely shave a rod of butter. the weak motor combined with, let’s assume a layman’s pencil, using inferior wood, results in a saw dust hell of a point with chips and dust all around it. not worth the postage we paid.
this brings us to the $10 blackwing sharpener which has 2 blades and openings. one is used to sharpen the wood alone and does not touch the lead point. you then insert it into the 2nd opening and sharpen the lead. i love this sharpener for its detailed attention and simple production cost that makes it cheaper than any other sharpener on the market and resulting in a very acceptable nib. while we purchased all three because we hate pens here we recommend the $10 socialist version over any other. ok so now you know… you can go around and say what complete geeks we are… by uh+kt
just breakfast in bed… and we’ll take our coffee piping hot and our woman ice cold… please. by xy
this maybe a staff pick but hell its good enough to be here. happy turkey day. by kl
riddin on gold, its so ghetto… but i want it
damn d we missed out on these!! solid gold it aint but sold out it is… nick tucker’s limited edition primitive gold skate deck made with 7 ply maple and topped with gold foil. you can ride wall street with this shit… now don’t tell anyone but it was priced at $54.95 and if you called now you’d get a pair of gold teeth to go with it. that’s cool… no matter if you get it or not. jeff koons would be proud. by dd
pretty well put. by vp
this is the maza house by chk arquitectura located in valle de bravo, mexico and spearheaded by eduardo hernández ch. this 5,623 sqf lodge-like home is surrounded in elements of nature. the living room, with its open fireplace, is where the ts team would like to be cozied up in, thinking up our next blog topics. nevertheless, we will not be able to travel to mexico, yet we have invested in personal space heaters for our less grandiose new york city apartments. please read more here and photo creds go out to yoshihiro koitani. by kgb
henri matisse’s show at moma new york opened on october 12th and will be up till feb 8th. the cut outs which we all know so well take on a different life when seen up close. i saw the show in a fly by visits, but going to see it again this weekend. highly recommended. more info here. also check out the robert gober piece’s which is why we went there initially… by uh
above: surf art not fashion
“the marble surfboards above were part of the belgian marbles show produced by the reena spaulings gallery; made of marble, they are precise copies of boards from the mollusk surf shop in brooklyn. spaulings is with an international group of artists who call themselves the bernadette corporation; the collective has produced films, a faux fashion label, albums, even a novel.” the surf boards are just a hobby on the side.
above: fashion not surf art
“haydenshapes founder hayden cox, has taken the artful practice and elevated it even further with a recent collaboration with fashion designer alexander wang.” hmmm im perhapse too lazy to research this given its god damn winter, but is this one-and-the-same? or some blatant rip-off festival?
a visual collective outlet of inspiration
