Scott Campbell

by Seth Brau

Brooklyn-based tattooist Scott Campbell has taken the art form to another level—not just by being one of the most sought-after tattoo artists in NY (if not the world) but for using a laser cutter to etch his intricate old-world designs into everything from laptops and books to leather chairs, tables and paintings. In this field trip to Scott's Brooklyn tattoo parlor and studio, he shows us around, demonstrates how the laser works and does some coloring on a tattoo.

Tretorn Wellie Wagon

by Doug Black

For the next three weekends, squeezed between NYC's omnipresent hot dog and gyro stands, you'll find one vendor hawking a very different product. In collaboration with Scandinavian clothing and design store [hus], Tretorn will sell their wellies, sneakers, accessories and apparel from a custom built "Wellie Wagon" (pictured). The wagon is built from wooden boxes and will spend one Saturday in three different West Village locations. Expect classic Swedish minimalist garments and prices a little north of the average dirty water dog. Dates, times and locations are listed below.

19 April 2008
Jackson Square Park map
Intersection of 8th Ave and Greenwich Avenue
10am-5pm

26 April 2008
Christopher Park map
Intersection of Grove and Christopher St
10am-5pm

3 May 2008
Bleeker Street Playground map
Intersection of Bleecker and Hudson Street
10am-5pm

I Want You To Want Me Video

by Ami Kealoha

"I Want You To Want Me," an interactive piece on the subject of online dating and relationships by perennial CH fave Jonathan Harris and his collaborator Sep Kamvar, and one of the standouts commissioned for MoMA's recent Design and the Elastic Mind exhibit, is the subject of this m ss ng p eces produced video. For anyone who missed the show at MoMA, the short explains how the piece represents constantly-updated info collected from dating sites using a drop-dead gorgeous interface and the visual metaphor of balloons.

Watching the balloons stream across the screen, chase themselves, reveal their bits of data and form into shapes is a trademark Sep-Jonathan delight unto itself, but the themes of human emotion, online communication and voyeurism (a continuation in many ways of the duo's famed We Feel Fine project) lend IWYTWM its weight. At times amusing and at times tinged with heartache, the piece is a heady meditation on the wonderful, horrible force of love. As they put it, the project "aims to be a mirror, in which people see reflections of themselves as they glimpse the lives of others." We think of it as somewhere between a love song and a thesis paper in the form of a touch screen art installation.

Casio G-Shock Watch Giveaway

by Doug Black

Casio's G-Shock line has been the gold standard in durable digital watches since its inception in 1983. To celebrate their 25th anniversary, we're giving away three versions of the G-Shock's latest incarnation, the eye-catching G5500C (pictured).

The limited edition G5500C Vivid Colors watch comes in three distinctive combinations: red on red, white on gold and green on green. It features Tough Solar Power Technology, which charges the high capacity battery using a super sensitive solar panel that surrounds the display. It also auto-illuminates when the watch is angled toward the face and available light is below a certain threshold. And of course, you can count on classic G-Shock perks like shock resistance, 200-meter water resistance, 48-city time options, 1/100-second stopwatch and battery level indicator.

The G5500C retails for $120 and is available from the G-Shock online store, but the first three people to correctly respond to the following trivia question will get one of the three color options for free. Question: What was the color of the first non-black G-Shock watch? If you think you can accurately field this one, follow the contact link at the bottom of the page, select "G Shock Giveaway" from the pull-down menu and send us your name, address and answer. We'll pick the first three who get it right. The contest ends this Tuesday, 22 April 2008, 11:59pm EST. Good luck!

Re:vision Camera Cuffs

by Letizia Rossi

Australian designer Craig Arnold combined his passion for cameras and recycling to create Re:vision, a line of bracelets made by reshaping and polishing discarded cameras parts. The stylish hand-finished cuffs are available in eight models with themed names, like the Aperture cuff, Focal length cuff, Wide Focus cuff and Lens thread cuff.

Thanks to vendor of the accessories, who also happens to be a CH reader Jenioye, for posting Re:Vision in CH Reader Finds.

The Re:vision Cuffs are available from Oye Modern and start at AU $190.

Droog: A Touch of Green

by Brian Fichtner

Droog's current exhibit on the Foro Buonoparte as part of Milan's design week, called "A Touch of Green," attempts to address the imperfections and issues of sustainability with products that hint at eco-consciousness, while making no pretenses about resolving the matter. Martin Azua's "Plaited fence" is a simple galvanized iron frame stitched together with vertical strings through which users can weave a medley of discarded shopping bags. The design assumes that we will continue to use the harmful plastic sacks, but offers a second life for them.

One of the great things about visiting trade fairs is witnessing the emergence of trends and threading together the seemingly random way in which creative people develop similar ideas. Like Stephen Burks' Cappellini Love tables that we reported on yesterday, Belgian designer Jens Praet's "One day paper waste" utilizes shredded paper (Elle magazines in the model pictured). In this case, the object is made by combining paper with resin and compressing it into an MDF (vacuum) mold. The design begins at the same starting point as Burks', though lacks a thorough research into sustainable binding agents and socially motivated production.

Another product that shares similar traits with a recent design is Rotterdam-based duo Minale-Maeda's "Touch Wood." Earlier this year, Front Design created a group of benches and easy chairs for the Swedish manufacturer Materia. The furniture played with users expectations, subverting the traditional use of beech in Scandinavian furniture by replacing it with a wood-patterned fabric. In a nearly identical way, "Touch Wood" undermines our experience of traditional objects (other items in the series include a chair, a table, a door and a chandelier) by covering the surface in upholstery and wood-grained silk. Minale-Maeda suggests that we can still use rarefied woods, so long as they're simulated.

Easily the most engaging part of the show was Tobias Rockenfeld's "Creatures," a grouping of robots and insects made from discarded toys combined with household refuse and other trash. Quirky, somewhat creepy in cases, and not something that will be put into regular production, they offer the hope that children can be stimulated by more than slick toys and video games. It certainly made me long for a respite from all the highly polished furniture exhibitions and sift through the trash. (See more Creatures images after the jump.)

Luxury Lab Linens Rebus Throw Pillows

by Ami Kealoha

by Sheena Sood

Luxury Lab Linens, a purveyor of hand-printed bedding and unique designs, has just come out with a series of new throw pillows featuring rebuses. Designer Caressa Allen was inspired by pictorial riddles from old beer bottle caps and decided why not bring that fun into the home?

Each pillow is 16" X 16", comes with a feather and down pillow insert, and retails for $54. They are currently available in white cotton twill with three different riddles in black. Like the rest of their bedding products, the pillows are screen printed by hand. So, like the pillow says, strike while the iron is hot!

Visit Luxury Lab Linens for a list of retailers or to order online.

Letter by Letter: An Alphabetical Miscellany

by Doug Black

The 26 letters of the Roman alphabet operate almost subconsciously once ingrained in young minds. The resulting familiarity proves invaluable in life, but also makes it difficult to step back and examine letters as standalone objects. In "Letter by Letter", designer/calligrapher/artist Laurent Pflughaupt aims to do just that with an exhaustive overview of each letter in the alphabet.

He begins with a historical look at the creation of early alphabets, starting with ancient hieroglyphics and proceeding to our current Latin-based system. Next, he takes a formal analysis of their physical structure using base-level observations while regarding letters as simple combinations of straight and curved lines. The third and final section occupies the bulk of the book. As the subtitle suggests, Pflughaupt looks at each letter alphabetically, tracing their evolution and noting their acute significance in various cultures. He borrows from many different fields, looking at structure through the lens of paleography, phonetics and graphic design. (Note below variations on the modern "Q" and "R.") Though necessarily rudimentary at times, "Letter by Letter" is an exemplary reference for those interested in typography or language in general.

"Letter by Letter" will be available through Princeton Architectural Press when it's released on 1 May 2008. You can also order it now from Amazon.