Alan Kitching at St Brides

What a nice surprise - went to St Brides type library the other night with the intention of simply mooching around the Alan Kitching exhibition, only to find he was giving another talk that night! And it was fantastic. Hearing someone talk about their work seems to bring a whole new level of detail to it, and an insight into someone else's thought process is always fascinating, I find. Truly inspirational. I didn't really get chance to sneak any pictures but there are a few here.

Kew Gardens

Even at a (fairly) mature age, having paid money to get into Kew Gardens and see plants and trees, people will always be far more fascinated with the residents than with even the wierdest plants. Just look at the goose harassment going on here.

Hot Fuzz

Fantastic.

See it! Now!

yum

mmmmm. Aren't they lovely?
I am a big geek sometimes.

Frankfurt

I didn't really get to see much of Frankfurt on my trip. Mainly just the Ibis hotel and the Messe, and a short trip into town to eat one evening. Some of the things I noticed, if you're interested in such a flying visit;
- there's a shop called 'wormland'.
- they really do eat a lot of sausages. I had thought this might be a mis-leadingly comical urban myth. but Frankfurters really do seem to like frankfurters.
- you can get a half decent cup of tea...
- but it might come with coffee cream instead of milk.
- Frankfurt airport has a proper flippy departures board. I miss the one at Waterloo.
- interior design fashion has yet to get it's evil claws into the Ibis.
- however the Italian restaurant we went to (just off the main shopping street if you're interested) was a fetching shade of blancmange pink, and complete with properly argumentative Italian waiters.
- they have proper public recycling bins everywhere.
- smoking is cool

Saw lots of interesting things at Ambiente though. Perhaps when my brain is working properly again I'll stick a few things up here.

If you're really lucky. ooo!

Typical

I'm not going to be able to make it to this talk by Alan Kitching and I'm really gutted! He's been such a huge inspiration and I'm sure it would be an amazing experience (and doesn't he look nice?!) But typically it's an evening when I have to work. rubs.
Can't wait to see the exhibition.

Photo by Celia Stothard, pinched from the St Bride site.

Alan Kitching shows significant works and shares seminal influences from his fifty-year journey from printer to printmaker, apprentice to professor, Darlington to Kennington via experimental printing in Watford and letterpress in Clerkenwell to The Typography Workshop, Printroom & Studio in London SE11.
Talk, Tuesday 13 February 2007 at 7pm; exhibition preview 5.30pm
Exhibition, Wednesday 14 February to Thursday 8 March 2007

snowy lollipop tree

snow tracks tree
Originally uploaded by hello.vickibrown.

outside our flat the snow tracks look like a tree. aah.

Alan Fletcher

I love this calendar - the description said that the printer had to wear sunglasses and described it as "the most vulgar thing he'd ever seen". I have a soft spot for Cooper Sans (geek!) so I think May is my favourite (middle left, diagonal stripes). Love January and June too. And neon's so this season too! Apparently August was printed onto silk scarves that were dropped from a light aircraft onto a beach in Italy.

It's so sad that googling his name now brings a page of obituaries, rather than a page of inspiring and exciting work, like
this, these, this, and this.


The Design Museum
Wikipedia
Design Observer
Guardian obituary

The book that made me want to be a graphic designer.

yum

Fantastically yummy chocolate packaging.
Xocoa, barcelona.

What if...

Lots of good ideas by London 'young creative team' David and Pheobe. And not just good ideas but pretty ones too. I like the David Shrigley-style typography. Also reminds me a bit of Kate's daily purchase drawings.

see lots more at What if...

January blues

trollied
Originally uploaded by stockytex.

First big shop after Christmas. No shiny things, no frilly things, no chocolate, no cake. Lots of fruit. and washing powder. :(

ho ho ho!