Jul 31, 2012
Jul 29, 2012
Do The Work {0}
Chris Ritchie, ladies & gentlemen… Academy Of Lions
Jul 29, 2012
Jul 29, 2012
Jul 26, 2012
Jul 24, 2012
Everything Old Is New {4}
Over the last many years we’ve seen a real trend towards locally produced (or at least nationally produced), hand-made goods over mass-produced items produced all-too-often in conditions that can most accurately be described as modern-day “slavery“. But that’s not what this is really about, so I digress…
Trend… What a nasty little word. We use this word most often to describe things that “everybody is doing to be cool” with the implication that whatever is “trending” has little or no value and will soon be deemed unpopular along with whatever made it trendy in the first place. In fact, the mere description of something being a part of a trend is usually enough to kill any forward momentum said trend has already gained – by the time something has reached mass appeal, it’s already basically OVER.
But that’s not what this is really about, so I digress…
Along with the revitalization of “heritage brands” and the romanticism of all things old-timey & hand-made, some of the skills that had seemingly long-since been lost are making a huge return and I, for one, am really glad to see it. In this case, the particular skill that I’m thinking/talking about is hand-lettering & sign painting.
Moving in the exact opposite direction that Draplin talks about in his America Is Fucked rant, a huge number of young businesses (in Toronto, anyway) have opted to have their signage hand-painted and in most of those cases, it has been produced by none other than Andrew Kidder (RCade)…
But, obviously, it’s not just Toronto. In Montreal my old friend Dave Arnold (Mr. Sign) is beautifying the city one bar, restaurant, storefront, or taco truck at a time…
In southwestern France we’ve got Steven Burke (Lucky Lefthand)…
And in East London there is Nicolai Sclater (Ornamental Conifer)…
In virtually every city I’d bet that there are a number of young men and women picking up on these old crafts and making something new and exciting out of them. Everything old is new.
Jul 23, 2012
Jul 23, 2012
The Most Astounding Fact {1}
Astrophysicist Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson was asked by a reader of TIME magazine, “What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?” This is his answer.
THIS ONE and THIS ONE (along with virtually anything this guy touches) are also WELL worth the watch.
Jul 23, 2012
Jul 23, 2012
Bands Make Her Dance – Day 03 {0}
As mentioned in yesterday’s post – rainy weather + paper products = not ideal conditions for commerce.
Jul 23, 2012
Bands Make Her Dance – Days 01 & 02 {0}
As in years passed – the Doublenauts and I packed up and headed off to Chicago for the Flatstock poster show / Pitchfork Music Festival. This year the boys brought along Ross who is a very talented young designer from Ottawa who is spending the summer in Toronto working with the guys at 132 Oss.
Jul 20, 2012
Jul 18, 2012
Jul 17, 2012
Our Work Is Never Over {4}
I spent another super fun and super draining weekend in Chicago with the Doublenauts for the Flatstock poster show / Pitchfork Music Festival (more on that soon) but before I left I dropped my moto off at Solid Cycles (aka Frank The Tank) so he could install that Black Beauty I’d been lusting after for so long.
I was going to do it myself… I’d installed done a fair bit of electrical on my last bike (including signals / tail light) and, I think, got pretty good at it but the modern electrical seemed much more complicated… I was right. There is a little electrical junction hidden inside the tail light that ties the signals to the main wiring harness so Frank had to make a few additional wiring harnesses to tie them all back together… Throw in a fender chop and I’m happy to have paid a pro to take care of, in a few hours, what would have easily taken me all day to figure out… If not longer.
Jul 11, 2012
Jul 10, 2012
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