Cool Hunting Video Presents: Cool Hunting's Oakland

by Ami Kealoha, 28 November 2009

by Gregory Mitnick

For this video we traveled to Oakland, CA to get to know the city by talking to the people who call it home. The resulting documentary visits independently-owned businesses—looking at bikes at Manifesto, magazines at Issues and Bakesale Betty's fried chicken sandwich—as well as spends a little quality time with artist Nat Russell. Last but not least, we climb the clock tower with machinist Kevin Binkert, who maintains the landmark.

Cool Hunting Video Presents: Absolut Art Collection

by Cool Hunting Video, 27 November 2009

by Gregory Mitnick

Checking in with artists David Shrigley, Douglas Gordon, Sylvie Fleury and Hung Tung Lu in Stockholm, Sweden, this video takes a look at Absolut Vodka's longstanding history of creative collaboration. As guests of Absolut invited to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their substantial (upwards of 800 pieces) art collection, we also visit an installation of artists' work for the brand and a celebration.

Cool Hunting Video Presents: Cool Hunting's Baltimore

by Cool Hunting Video, 26 November 2009

by Gregory Mitnick

This video tours Baltimore, MD, relying on its residents to lead us from place to place. Starting with DJ Blaqstarr, visiting the Station North Arts District and with a few other stops along the way, it's a portrait of a city painted by its people.

Glass is Liquid Video

by Ami Kealoha, 25 November 2009

A lyrical study of glassblowers Justin Parker and Andi Kovel's (aka Esque's) process, this video nicely compliments the 2007 mini-documentary Cool Hunting made on their studio. With a neat visual effect that makes the glass look hand-colored in an otherwise primarily black-and-white scene, filmmakers Mike Call and Boone Speed show the playfulness and intensity that goes into making their work. Credit for the score goes to Dave Madden of nonnon and our own contributor Russ Lowe stepped in to co-produce.

Eskayel Bespoke Wallpaper

by CH Contributor, 25 November 2009

by Ariston Anderson

When artist Shanan Campanaro redecorated her Brooklyn apartment last year, she couldn't find the exact designs she wanted to put on her walls. So, digitally manipulating sections of her own watercolor paintings to create original wallpaper, Eskayel Bespoke Wallpaper was born. The Central St. Martin's grad digitally prints the highly personal and chromatic designs to maintain the intense color variation most often seen in hand-printed wall paper. The work brings together her strong backgrounds in fine art and graphic design, creating the perfect mix of authentic handmade art with cleaner, more poised interior graphics.

Inspired by her recent travels to Indonesia and Iceland, her latest design capsule "The Island Collection" reflects both of the diverse landscapes and climates. She based several pieces on her drawings of polar bears, in fact. Subtle yet also pop, the intricate details and colors of such designs as "Madagascar" and "Bear in Mind" make it easy to get lost. Each work of art is an easy way to makeover any room, either in pieces or as entire wall coverings.

The bespoke wallpaper begins at $15 per square foot, but each design also comes two feet-wide with an 11 foot drop for $350. To order or for a quote, contact Eskayel.

Stockholm's Julmarknad

by CH Contributor, 25 November 2009

by Richard Prime

A holiday tradition in Sweden, Stockholm's top colleges and design institutions put on annual fairs known as Julmarknad. The events pack booths full of interesting gifts, pieces of artwork, design pieces, fashion, jewelery and trinkets, posing a more artisinal alternative than a last minute dash around the mall.

Of the three major fairs, Konstfack is perhaps the largest. Stockholm's most famous school of art and design, the Telefonplan-based fair is housed in a unique space once owned by Ericsson. Last year the fair attracted giant, but patient (this is Stockholm we're talking about) queues, eager to snap up pieces from the current crop of students. Due to its size, finding that special something can be tricky yet all the more rewarding—especially if the student behind the piece finds fame in future years.

Not to be outdone yet smaller in size, Beckmans College of Design is more centrally-located than Konstfack. In addition to the quality items found at the fair, such as cutting-edge jewelery, the school's architectural structure itself warrants a visit with its clean lines and modernist layout.

Each year Stockholm's Design Gallery, located in Odenplan, invites a guest from the design world to curate a selection of gifts. Last year saw Swedish architect Eero Koivisto put on his Santa beard to fill the proverbial sack. This year they've invited Daniel Charney, curator of London's Aram Gallery. Expect to see a wide range of design items for even the most discerning tastes, with a great mix of Swedish designer pieces and others from around the world.

See more images of prospective items after the jump

Rotorcaps Cuff Links

by CH Contributor, 25 November 2009

by Samantha Melamed

Philadelphia, PA-based "rogue silversmith" Jen Roder gathers up discarded bottle capsm, upcycling them into cufflinks, dubbed Rotorcaps.

Handmade with nickel silver and genuine Magic Hat, PBR, Blue Moon, Dogfish Head, Rolling Rock and—my personal favorite—Rogue bottle caps, the extremely well-crafted upshot adds irreverence without looking too kitschy. (Roder also makes pendant necklaces out of the caps, in case you’re not exactly the French cuffs type.)

Pricing starts at $40 for most sets of inks, though Roder also offers sterling silver bottle cap designs, including San Pellegrino stars, for $150 a pair. All sell on the Rotorcaps website.

Eric Haze: New Abstracts and Icons

by CH Contributor, 24 November 2009

by Tamara Warren

Eric Haze operates at the intersection of art and design, exploring how the application of lines and shapes communicates and influences culture. "New Abstracts and Icons," which opened last week, represents the evolution of the New York artist and designer's work on canvas, in sculptural form and in drawings.

With a meticulous attention to detail and steady hand, the show makes for a precise study of congruence, symmetry and perspective, revealing his particular style. "This show represents a clear window into the process I have dedicated myself to over the last three years," comments Haze, "with a deeper exploration of the minimalist and pop styles that have always informed my work."

An iconic figure who first emerged from 1970s subway graffiti culture, Haze traces his path back to his early fascination with form and shape, balanced with function, to influence and present classical representations with a contemporary approach.

He exhibited his work on canvas along with the key figures in the '80s downtown art scene, including Keith Haring and Jean-Michael Basquiat. At the center of the burgeoning hip-hop culture, Haze gravitated toward graphic design, eventually opening his own studio. His aesthetic sense cultivated a blueprint for the look and feel of urban culture representations, since developing imagery for Public Enemy, EPMD, LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys.

Haze was among the first to launch a streetwear-driven apparel line in 1993. He has since worked with Nike, Casio and Scion on collaborative projects and will release HazexStussy and the HazexPro-Keds sneaker in 2010. He last showed a series of acrylic, ink and charcoal pieces in a solo exhibition in 2008 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Hong Kong.

See more images after the jump.

New Abstracts and Icons
Through 10 December 2009
Level 2
812 Broadway
New York, New York, 10003 map