Cool Hunting
| 02 June 2008view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
Tiny Vices Books
by Tim Yu
by Gabriel Bell
We've gotten lost in photographer Tim Barber's online gallery, Tiny Vices, more than we probably should. Carefully edited and simple to use, Tiny Vices does a great job of introducing readers to an entire clique of visual work ranging from the ghostly, back-alley photography of Christian Patterson to the truly cracked illustrations of David Benjamin Sherry. With artists ranging from the near-unknown to scene faves (including Ryan McGinley), Tiny Vices has evolved into a virtual perch from which to watch the growth of current minor movements and future major names. Until now, Barber's reach has been limited to the internet and periodic on-site exhibitions, however, lucky for us, Tim today unveiled TV Books, his new independent publishing house.
With the introduction of TV Books Barber's domain has moved beyond the computer screen to the coffee table. TV Books, which is just now releasing its first pressings of limited-edition artist volumes, already has a catalogue of 12 titles including the "The Island," Julia Burlingham's curious photo tribute to Manhattan (pictured) and "I am not a Shrinking Violet," a collection of Kim Krans' beguiling collages.
In keeping with Tiny Vice's charming DIY flavor, the site's "flip through" feature consists of Barber literally flipping through his titles in front of a camera. If you see something you like especially like, larger prints are available on request.
Capitalist Pig Chalkboard Piggy Bank
by Ami Kealoha
by Mat Lyon
Had too much of the collapsing world economy? Fear not, the Capitalist Pig will help you aim for brighter days.
Floundering savers can stay focused by listing or drawing object(s) of desire on the blackboard surface of the bank. Don't think this is a one-off investment, this little piggy will encourage saving time and time again as it features a removable stopper so you can put the hammer down and gorge on the fruits of your savings without mindless piggy-based destruction. Value for money doesn't stop there, this piece of wonder comes with four sticks of chalk.It's £13 from Giftlab.
Boone Speed Photography
by Ami Kealoha
by Russ Lowe
Boone Speed is his real name. Whether the Portland, OR-based photographer's brand of photography is the result of natural-born talent or sheer determination, his aesthetic likely has something to do with his father, Grant Speed. Known for his sculptures depicting Western life, the senior Speed split his West Texas home at the tender age of 12 to ride bulls and earn a living as a cowhand. Boone is keeping the all-American myth going, albeit updated for a new generation.
A new breed of adventure photo-artist, Speed is inventing a genre all his own, defined by a global scope, a captivating painterly quality to his work and his incomparable capacity to "get the shot"—which seems to be both his mantra and guarantee. What that means exactly all depends on the day.
Attempting to catch up with him over the past few months, I received sparse mobile correspondence from the likes of a borrowed fishing vessel off the Pacific Coast of Mexico while chasing an epic surf swell, wandering alone through mainland China documenting the rapid shifts in cultural realities there and the riggings of a crow's nest on a remote ocean cliff in Mallorca, Spain. Boone's bread and butter seems to be his aptitude for (and sheer insistence on) capturing something truly special.
His singular style ranges from the beautifully blurred "Evanescence" to visceral nostalgia and sometimes startlingly intimate portraits of human interaction. Critically-acclaimed Esque Studio turned to him to capture the delicate essence of their glass work. But most who know of Boone's work would quickly snap to mind his chronicles of the evolution of rock climbing across the past couple of decades, of which he has been a pioneer and revolutionary figure.
Recent cover shots for Patagonia and Climbing Magazine's Photo Annual showcase the x-factor he possesses when immersed in some of the most surreal places on earth. Apparently, you give this guy a camera, and he'll return with proof that anything is possible.
Alex Da Corte, Artist
by Seth Brau
Drawing on found objects (and people), kitsch and the banal, Philadelphia-based artist Alex Da Corte makes multimedia work that belies its material origins. This video visits his studio/apartment and his recent gallery show at Fleischer-Ollman to gain some insight into his ideas and technique. We also interview Fleischer-Ollman's director William Pym to get his take on the young artist.
Pergola
by Lost At E Minor
Designed by Montreal-based landscape architects Claude Cormier, Pergola was a 2006 pop art piece comprised of 90,000 plastic balls arranged in the form of a wisteria bloom at Le Havre City Hall. A tribute to Monet, who spent his childhood there and much of whose work featured Wisteria, the piece works with an existing vine, creating an interesting juxtaposition between the artificial and the natural.
