GPS Drawing and Situationism

Multidisciplinary artist Jeremy Wood has been making some interesting work using GPS devices to draw his routes on foot. Interestingly, for the Traverse Me map, Jeremy avoided using roads and paths as much as possible. It brings to mind one of the basic exercises of situationism. The idea is that when you take a new route - one that is off the main drag, so to speak - the “spectacle” is revealed and the experience is supposed to be enlightening, bringing back the spirit of adventure and discovery. So tomorrow, while on your commute to work, or whatever, try taking a new route. Also consider this; if you go by car - try a bike ride, if you go by bike - take a walk, if you walk - try skateboarding. A refreshing situationist exercise.

From the artist:

I responded to the structure of each location and avoided walking along roads and paths when possible.

The route was recorded with GPS technology and was walked in stages over the 300 hectare site.

My shoes turned brown in the dry fields and they turned green in the long grass.

Security was called on me twice on separate occasions and I lost count of how many times I happened to trigger an automatic sliding door.

Trading Prints

I am trading some prints with my new pal Owen Gildersleeve. Apart from being a member of the radical Evening Tweed collective, he is quite exceptional with the applied materials. I was checking his work one day, not for the first time, and noticed that he had a “music” link on his site. Turns out he’s in a 2-piece heavy-jamz outfit called Old Mayor—akin to one of my all time fave’s Godheadsilo. I don’t meet many designers who dig the heavier stuff, so it was nice to see. So I dropped him a line. Now we’re pals.

P22 Type Foundry

The folks over at the P22 type foundry have won my heart by designing typefaces focus on design and art history. They have a website but it is counter-intuitive and feels like the year 2000—but they have some really great stuff, I swear. Lucky those savants over at You Work for Them have a grip of them for sale, and are hosting the P22 faces in an intuitive and pleasant way. I’m always trying to find a nice serif to use, and this one in particular has the right feel to it. It’s classic and hand-made looking. I dig. It’s called P22 PanAm. 

About the font, from YWFT

This font was created to help celebrate the centennial of the Pan-American exposition of 1901 which was held in Buffalo, New York. It is based on a variety of printed ephemera from the exhibition (which incidentally is most noted not for the spectacular electrical illuminations provided by nearby Niagara Falls, but rather for the assassination of President William McKinley).

Furthermore, I find it interesting that one can buy these historic/classic looking type-faces from the eras past, and use them on a various designs, thus contributing to the weird non-contextualness that is our times. The only thing I can do is navigate all the randomness with a strong intuition, and my gut says “that font looks classy”. Another thing I keep wondering, is—why do I keep finding myself drawn to things of the past more than what is being made now.

vacation between gigs

I don’t usually share the personal family stuff, but this week I had one of the most memorable trips to the Oregon Coast I have ever had. Maybe because we headed out to do something interesting, everyday, or that we were there for five days solid, or that I pretty much cleared my schedule, it was abundant with good times. A great way to refresh before heading over to Wieden + Kennedy. Monday, we drove to the coast and got settled in the beach house, walked the beach a bit. Tuesday we headed up to Astoria, thrift shopping all the way, and scored huge at a little place in Warrington. Wednesday we hit up the Tillimook Cheese factory, split some ice-cream, then stopped at the Air Museum. My head is still spinning with thoughts of wartime, 6 inch bullets, propellers, and rivets. Thursday we drove down to the Newport Aquarium, and lunch at the Rogue brewery. Rogue is on top of my list. Then Friday, picked up some locally grown, milled and baked bread from Waves of Grain, then headed back to Portland. I had little to no internet for those 5 days, and it was like a total cleanse of the spirit. Just rollin hard with the family. Soulfood for the mind and spirit. Check it.