Claire Beckett

by Lost At E Minor

Boston-based photographer Claire Beckett earned a BA in Anthropology from Kenyon College and an MFA in Photography from the Massachusetts College of Art. Her photo series — In Training: Soldiers Before War — was inspired by the two years she spent as a part of the Peace Corps Volunteers in the Republic of Benin, West Africa. We interviewed her about it.

How did this project begin?
I was drawn to this subject initially in late 2004, around the time that there was a lot in the news about the lack of up-armored humvees (the armor necessary to protect soldiers). At that time, we weren't allowed to see photographs of the coffins of deceased soldiers. I felt a strong compulsion to make work on the subject because I thought it deserved more attention than it was getting. I have stayed with the work because I still find the subject moving, and because it really interests me.

You seem to have shot many more women than men for this series. Is this intentional?
I don't believe that this work deals especially with gender other than the reality that gender is always with us in this world. I probably photographed about the same number of men as women, but in my experience the women were more open and their photographs were more to my liking.

What has been the biggest discovery while working on this series of young soldiers?
Before embarking on this project, I knew very little about contemporary soldiers or the military. Most of what I'd known up this point came from family stories of World War II and Vietnam. I did not personally know any members of the Armed Services, so the entire thing has been and education.

The most important thing that I've learned is that there is a tremendous variety among soldiers in terms of their personal biographies, their motivations and their politics. In the circles that I frequent there tends to be a set of beliefs about who soldiers are, and this often casts our young soldiers as uninformed victims. This attitude really bothers me because it robs soldiers of their agency. We do not have a draft in the United States today. Everyone who enlists does so by her or his own choice. Yes, we have an unjust socio-economic system in America, but it is a mistake to cast soldiers exclusively as victims of this system.

I have observed that for certain soldiers joining the military is the adventure of a lifetime, for some it is a way to pay for college and for others there is a deep sense of patriotic duty. Among the many soldiers I have met, there have been right-wing Christian conservatives, poor people, Harvard-educated economic elites, left-leaning democrats, Buddhists, Muslims and environmentalists.

Volkswagen CC

by Brian Fichtner

A couple of weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to check out the new Volkswagen CC, the German auto maker's foray into the entry-level luxury market. Having been the passionate owner of two Volkwagens already, I was more than thrilled at the prospect of test driving this introduction on the highways and byways of the Windy City. Over the years, Volkswagen had managed to chip away at my reverence with some poor design choices (such as the sweeping chrome details that have been added under their signature grills), but seeing the CC on the morning of our group test drive, old sentiments came surging back.

Car design has regrettably suffered over the past decade. There are few bold statements and very little separates one model from another. The CC, which stands for "comfort coupe," also eschews bold statements, but manages to distinguish itself with a collection of subtle gestures and fine detailing.

Although technically a four door sedan, the CC maintains the feel of a coupe with its low, sporty profile, a feat made possible through using frameless doors and a tapered, almost clipped rear. On the exterior, the CC is marked by a graceful line which begins at the top of the front wheel wells and connects with the rear tail lights. Subtlety continues on the rear where the suggestion of a spoiler (so often an eyesore on most cars) is notable above the lozenge-like tail lights. The car also comes with some clever options, such as the VW badge that flips to reveal a rear-view back up camera. I was happy to learn that the design group in Germany remains insistent on the lack of a CC badge.

On the road, the CC performed as one might expect a German engineered car to perform. Although I'd hoped to drive a manual, none were available that day, and so I got behind the wheel of a 2.0T Luxury model which delivers 200hp. Gunning from a red light was a pleasure, but it was the performance on I-94, effortlessly accelerating from traffic slowdowns and into the eighties, that put a smile to my face. In fact, I found myself weaving and speeding through traffic with little hesitation, and I have to believe my foot was made heavier on the pedal because the CC was so silent; I couldn't tell the engine was running. Although the CC isn't being billed as an eco-conscious car, it nevertheless gets a respectable 30mpg on the highway.

The interior befits the luxury moniker. All models, with the exception of the Sport version, come standard with sport bucket leather seats. Brushed aluminum panels on the dash mean that a MacBook Pro would look at home in the passenger seat. Come to think of it, Volkswagen owners nearly always have an affinity for Apple computers, and vice versa. It must be the attention to detail. One of my favorite features of the interior was the panoramic sunroof. Although it only tilts open, the full-width window allowed ample light to stream in while maximizing the perceived volume of the interior.

Readers may recall VW's Phaeton from several years back: a high-end luxury sedan which the company launched to directly compete with Mercedes and BMW. Unfortunately, despite being a gorgeous car, the Phaeton met with poor sales because it simply confused both existing and potential Volkswagen consumers: it was a branding issue. The CC aims to rectify that and place Volkswagen in proud competition with the former manufacturers. Starting at a reasonable $31,990 for the standard Luxury model, the CC is an easy choice for the VW enthusiast looking to upgrade.

The Packrat Bag

by Karen Day

No, this is not a politically incorrect Halloween costume. This is the mother of all hybrid tote/camera bags. The new Lomography Packrat holds all your creative needs (not to mention a few other things); it's even got enough space and durability for your tripod and an interior pocket meant for cameras.

Just to show you how much they believe in their design, they enlisted London-based photographer Adam Scott to road test it by capturing eight exceptional Icelanders as they went about their daily biz. Its unisex style and all around good looks (we like the giant Cyrillic Lomo graphic) make it a winning gift option. The Packrat's available in two sizes and starts at $40 at the Lomo store.

World's Smallest Postal Service

by Karen Day

Let Lea Redmond send your next birthday card or love letter by transcribing your sentiments onto tiny stationary using her tiny pen and enclosing it in a tiny envelope and sealing it with a tiny wax stamp.

Formerly only available in cafés and stores where Lea would set up shop and perform the service, she now offers her epistolary skills online—for $8 she'll write up a mini-letter and either mail it off to the recipient of your choice or to you for hand delivery. Maddeningly precious, yes, but the attention to detail (note Lea's custom uniform) is hard to resist.

d.v.d

by Karen Day

Creating more than just beats, Tokyo-based drum trio d.v.d's live installations include synchronizing instruments to Flash technology (hooking up two sets of drums to images) resulting in a video game effect. Members Itoken, Jimanica and Ymg began performing in 2006 and have since gathered a large following of fans in both the music industry and the arts playing around Japan and Europe. This year they picked up an honorable mention in digital music from Ars Electronica, the international competition for cyber arts.