Rob Ryan. Yes, again.

I'm sure there are a few people who might be getting a bit sick of me going on and on about Rob Ryan but I thought the other, saner people out there might like to know that he's opening a SHOP! YAY! It's at 126 Columbia Road London. It will be open every Sunday 8am til 4pm from June 29th onwards.

Copying is Rubbish

We live in a country where roughly 4 billion* design and creative graduates are about to spill out onto the streets from a bottomless list of educational institutions. Quite a few of them are probably quite good, too. So where's the missing link? Because there seems to be countless 'creative' departments that are being anything but at the moment. Creative Review have highlighted a few eye-watering moments on their blog recently, and I have to say BMW's latest "effort" just made me wince. Some agencies have even started recycling their own work. What's going on?

Rant over. Thank you for listening.

*ish

Light Graffiti.

This is just waiting to be ripped off by an ad agency and/or music video. Look out for the horse (or maybe dog?) walking through the car park. That's my favourite :) There are some great still photos here. Found via this good effort from Alistair. (My efforts unfortunately went quickly downhill once the ratio of alcohol consumed overtook the level of inspiration, combined with my little camera giving you about 1 second to complete your masterpiece. Will have to give it another go now I have a more flexible camera, and sober friends!)

Ornaments

18, originally uploaded by peacay.

There's a fantastic collection of printer's ornaments if you follow the link above. Thanks to Richard for posting them originally, in between all the chicken excitement.

Dr Strangelove

I was reminded today of one of my favourite sets of opening titles. Beautiful and very fitting.

Sweetie Birds

Sweetie birds, originally uploaded by shoobydoo.

Lovely.

Jon Burgerman's Colouring Cube

Hay Day 1 Proper, originally uploaded by Jon_Burgerman.

Hay in the rain vs. colouring in = no contest.

Shintaro Ohata

Shintaro Ohata, originally uploaded by pingmag.

Spotted this today. Beautiful. I like the image of all the hustle and bustle around her too, and how it emphasizes how lost in her own world she is.

American Photography 1900-1960

Walker Evans, Subway Passengers, New York, 1938.

I went to a really interesting lecture last night at The British Museum. It drew largely on the incredible, and very accessible, FSA archive. It highlighted how influential a few photographers in particular have been to contemporary photography and photojournalism, including Dorothea Lange, Helen Levitt, Alfred Stieglitz and of course Walker Evans. They're all worth a good look.


Walker Evans, Hale County, Alabama 1936.


Alfred Stieglitz, The Steerage, 1907.


Helen Levitt, New York, 1940.


Dorothea Lange, Woman of the High Plains “If You Die, You’re Dead–That’s All.” Texas Panhandle, 1938.

Laura Cooperman

Researching something totally unrelated for work, I just came across this great blog. Lots of interesting thing, including Laura Cooperman's incredible work. Painstakingly perfect paper-cuts. Her portfolio's really interesting, well worth a look.

Rob Ryan

Rob Ryan's been busy lately. Not only does he have some GORGEOUS new prints for sale like Can We Shall We, above, (click here for a larger view) he's also exhibiting in Tatty Devine's Brick Lane space from the 25th April til the 1st of June. Hooray!

Sailor in a Cup

sailor in a cup, originally uploaded by Camilla E.

Camilla Engman has been posting the progress of her collaboration with Karin Eriksson on Flickr and her lovely blog, and I had to show you this little sailor. I think he's wonderful, and a beautiful hopeful colour to lift the melancholy feeling. Apparently there's also a heart in the bottom of the cup which Camilla says he is "looking for... or maybe he has lost it.".