December 17, 2011
New York City’s Dept of Transportation commissioned artist James Morse to produce these lateral, funny, thought-provoking haiku signs. They are designed to alert pedestrians, cyclists and drivers to the unexpected on the road.
December 12, 2011
Frank Zappa and Mike Nesmith
Update: Goodbye Davy Jones, 30 December 1945 – 29 February 2012.
December 2, 2011
When I saw this painted favela in Brazil I went through this sequence: 1. Wow, beautiful. 2. How is papering over poverty and structural inequity with a rainbow going to help? 3. I would actually feel much happier living in Santa Marta after the paint job, and maybe it would attract money into the community.
November 30, 2011
A mystery sculptor (all that’s known is that she is female) has been leaving these sculptures made from book pages in libraries and museums across Edinburgh. When the sculptures numbered ten she stopped, leaving this inscription in a guestbook: “In support of Libraries, Books, Words and Ideas… a tiny gesture in support of the special places.” As a mysterious public art piece it has fascinated many in Edinburgh.
November 26, 2011
The composer Laurie Spiegel in her studio. An amateur musician from childhood, Spiegel detoured through the social sciences at university and then returned to music, later founding NYU’s Computer Music Studio.
October 28, 2011
via Facebook. Original source unknown.
September 28, 2011
Hiyao Miyazaki, one of my favourite filmmakers, is the Japanese director of the animated movies Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke and Totoro. Of all his films these three are favourite, probably because they are the most Japanese in their aesthetic.
September 7, 2011
I love this tall mural in NYC, near NYU. Deceptively simple, fixes a somewhat dreary block, and artful enough that it won’t instantly become tiresome (as many murals do). See also painted buildings here and this mural.
August 31, 2011
Recent radio silence has been the result of being either too busy in the city, or too unbusy and computerless while on various islands.
Today I learned that the term dog days is very old, a translation from the latin dies caniculares.
August 17, 2011
1976 Greenpeace launch at Jericho Beach Wharf, with seaplane hangars behind in the Moderne style
Goodbye to another old Vancouver landmark. While the loss of the wharf is sad, the greater loss actually happened about thirty years ago: the demolition of the old beachside military hangars behind the wharf.
