I love to overhear fragments of other people’s conversations, I think I admitted to that in an earlier post. That explains why I get such joy out of overheardinnewyork.com.
Here’s an example from the site:
Boy: Mom!…Mom!
Father: Dad. The name is Dad.
–Eli’s, 80th & 3rd
Growing up on the country side in Switzerland, I have always admired Hans Ruedi Fricker, a local “Mail Art Artist”. Here’s an interview I just found online. I’ve always loved the idea of having a ‘global art dialogue in form of letters’.
I love his stamp saying: ‘NUR SENDER KANN MAN ORTEN’. Wich means: ‘One can only locate a sender’.
Here’s a blurb from wikipedia’s definition of Mail Art:
Mail art is art which uses the postal system as a medium.
Mail art is also, simultaneously, a message that is sent, the medium through which it is sent as well as one of the longest-lasting art movements in history. To be precise, an amorphous international mail art network evolved of thousands of participants in over fifty countries between the 1950s and the 1990s from the work of Ray Johnson and influenced by earlier groups, including Dada, the Surrealists and Johnson’s contemporaries in the Fluxus group. Mail artists characteristically exchange ephemera in the form of illustrated letters, zines, rubberstamped, decorated or illustrated envelopes, artist trading cards, postcards, ‘artistamps’, mail-interviews and three-dimensional objects….. read all
While I was looking for some of his examples I came accross this wonderful MailArtBLog
Here’s what some of Hans Ruedi Fricker’s mail art pieces look like:
Intruiged? Fricker has a book called “I am a networker (sometimes) , you can order it here.
“30 SECONDS of film, about a person, a space, an object, a tune, about a story, an interest, an experience, a thought, maybe about an obsession, a desire, a secret, or simply about yourself or the thing that is only known to you. Direct your own 30 SECONDS of film.”
Check out Thilo Hoffmann’s 30 SECOND movies. They’re stunning. I love the concept. Make sure to check out the making off, it features my fabulous aunt Hugi.
Oh, and by the way, Thilo is my cousin. He’s one cool cousin to have.
I’ll have to remember this link, next time I’ll travel somewhere and don’t feel like staying in a Hotel. Furnishedrentals.com
via joshspear.com
“The Fairest Fowl / Portraits of Championship Chickens” (by Tamara Staples) is BY FAR my favorite book ever. Every time I pull it out it puts a smile and look of astonishment on my face. Make sure to check it out, next time you’re in a bookstore. So much fun to be had with it! (Back in my single days, I would play the game of: Which of these chicken would I go on a date with?! Trust me, once you see the pictures, you’ll see the humour in it.)
Yes, I have an obsession for chickens.
Last night, Gary and I hung out on our rooftop with our new neighbors Lori and Matthew. I only realized a few days ago, that, when I first came to NYC in 1999, I applied for an internship at Matt’s Company (The Chopping Block).
I told Matt, that I was impressed by him or his partner (don’t remember) getting back to me within a day or so. I vividly remember how frustrating it was, not hearing back from companies I contacted.
Note to self: “Follow Matt’s example when running my own studio.”
“Yesterday E and I sat in Prospect Park hungover and looking at the tens of thousands of couples around us with Maclaren strollers and Baby Bjorn carriers. Sometimes it feels like a baby explosion. Like a massive wave of babies have been let loose out of a gigantic jar and they all ran straight to Brooklyn.”
from more than donuts
Today’s news about flickr teaming with Qoop to launch a new print on demand service is making my day! read article
Love this logo, done by Christopher Simmons
Stages
As every flower fades and as all youth
Departs, so life at every stage,
So every virtue, so our grasp of truth,
Blooms in its day and may not last forever.
Since life may summon us at every age
Be ready, heart, for parting, new endeavor,
Be ready bravely and without remorse
To find new light that old ties cannot give.
In all beginnings dwells a magic force
For guarding us and helping us to live.
Serenely let us move to distant places
And let no sentiments of home detain us.
The Cosmic Spirit seeks not to restrain us
But lifts us stage by stage to wider spaces.
If we accept a home of our own making,
Familiar habit makes for indolence.
We must prepare for parting and leave-taking
Or else remain the slaves of permanence.
Even the hour of our death may send
Us speeding on to fresh and newer spaces,
And life may summon us to newer races.
So be it, heart: bid farewell without end.
– Hermann Hesse
————-
Stufen
Wie jede Blüte welkt und jede Jugend
Dem Alter weicht, blüht jede Lebensstufe,
Blüht jede Weisheit auch und jede Tugend
Zu ihrer Zeit und darf nicht ewig dauern.
Es muß das Herz bei jedem Lebensrufe
Bereit zum Abschied sein und Neubeginne,
Um sich in Tapferkeit und ohne Trauern
In andre, neue Bindungen zu geben.
Und jedem Anfang wohnt ein Zauber inne,
Der uns beschützt und der uns hilft, zu leben.
Wir sollen heiter Raum um Raum durchschreiten,
An keinem wie an einer Heimat hängen,
Der Weltgeist will nicht fesseln uns und engen,
Er will uns Stuf‘ um Stufe heben, weiten.
Kaum sind wir heimisch einem Lebenskreise
Und traulich eingewohnt, so droht Erschlaffen;
Nur wer bereit zu Aufbruch ist und Reise,
Mag lähmender Gewöhnung sich entraffen.
Es wird vielleicht auch noch die Todesstunde
Uns neuen Räumen jung entgegen senden,
Des Lebens Ruf an uns wird niemals enden,
Wohl an denn Herz, nimm Abschied und gesunde!
– Herman Hesse
“Search Scapes Manhattan” is an attempt to create a tridimensional map of Manhattan, using existing data from the web. The objective is to compare the city’s “physical spaces” and “information spaces” (search results)… Intruiging.
Check out the redesigned mediafury , where my talented friend Dana is showcasing his work. Rock on, Dana!
urban camping, by zach klein
more pictures also here
Just got the latest FunctionFox newsletter and the subject line had me chuckle: “Stop giving away your time”. I just pictured myself standing out on the street handing out ‘my time’…
Whenever the literary German dives into a sentence, that is the last you are going to see of him till he emerges on the other side of his Atlantic with his verb in his mouth.
—A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
“Even when change is elective, it will disorient you. You may go through anxiety. You will miss aspects of your former life. It doesn’t matter. The trick is to know in advance of making any big change that you’re going to be thrown off your feet by it. So you prepare for this inevitable disorientation and steady yourself to get through it. Then you take the challenge, make the change, and achieve your dream.”
– Harvey Mackay
My fabulous longdistance roommate BB posted an homage to the ludicrious variety of chairs in her office on her flickr page. Check it out.
Great find Red! Made me smile!
If you’re in NYC, don’t miss out on seeing some fabulous photobloggers talk about their experiences at the NYC Photobloggers 4, this Friday at the Apple Store in Soho, 7pm. I am looking forward to Raul’s and Keith’s presentation. (Rion did the site, well done!)
(seen on sprout home)
Anyone who’s ever had a japanese client will appreciate this site: How-to-bow.com
