think/feel

Election fever

2008-10-05T15:47:00.004-04:00

THE craft activity for your next debate party. Just when you started thinking politics were boring. HA!

fold US Candidate

Nicholas Nyland

2008-09-07T16:58:00.004-04:00

All watercolor on paper. Some more info here http://www.nicholasnyland.net/, but would love to see higher-res images of his work.

Oh, The Bliss

2008-09-07T16:39:00.003-04:00

By Allan, The Gallant

Sandwich & salad

2008-09-02T20:32:00.005-04:00

Bought the below on separate occasions for approx. $8 each but won't be making the same mistake twice. Luscious combinations with very simple and affordable ingredients...

Sandwich (from a deli in Greenpoint)
On whole grain ciabatta
Roast beef - quality is everything
Avocado
Alfalfa
Apples
Brie
Dijon mustard

Salad (from Le Pain Quotidien)
On a bed of mesclun greens
Red quinoa
Cherry tomatoes
Enoki mushrooms (have never eaten those raw until now - yum!)
Alfalfa
Radishes
Fat wedge of lemon
Pesto dressing

Pythagorean jewelry

2008-08-14T04:48:00.008-04:00

Since the last post on jewelry in October, our attention has really turned to delicate metalwork with a focus on geometry. Really admire the craftsmanship of these creations by independent designers.

[Clockwise from top left: Triple Small Wing Oxidized Multiply Ring $70 (multiple styles for stacking) by Deka Ray (Eugenie Huang), Gold Honeycomb Necklace $65 from Small Things Studio's Stone & Honey line, Dodecahedron Pendant $58 from Jalea Jalea's (Tatiana Sánchez) Minerals & Polyhedra Collection]

Also sweet from the Stone & Honey line from Small Things Studio - this pinwheel necklace.

Disclaimer: we're not sure if these are actually examples of the Pythagorean Theorem... it's been a decade since our last math class.

Tsutsumi

2008-07-20T04:07:00.003-04:00

We hear the word "sustainable" so much now... here's something that truly is sustainable and conscientious without compromising aesthetics or quality. While browsing Japanese mega-bookstore Kinokuniya in Bryant Park (highly recommended if you're into Japanese-published picture books), we came across a book on tsusumi, which demonstrated that anything from a wine bottle to a lunch box could and should be wrapped with one piece of cloth.

Love the philosophy, and we think many others would too. So why is there very little information on the web about it? We bought the book found at Kinokuniya for our friend Kat's birthday (wrapped tsutsumi style, of course) but a quick search revealed only one US book on this topic: Gift Wrapping: Creative Ideas from Japan, published in 1987.

Introduction to Gift Wrapping: Creative Ideas from Japan by Kunio Ekiguchi:

In Japan, the concept of wrapping, tsutsumi, is not limited to the function of packaging. It plays a central role in a wide variety of spiritual and cultural aspects of Japanese life. Tsutsumi encompasses many areas not included in the Western concept of wrapping. For example, gods or Buddhas are "wrapped" in a household altar containing a hidden image of the god or a portable shrine carried during festivals; gardens are enclosed by a variety of fences; architectural space is defined by translucent shoji doors, opaque fusuma doors, and bamboo blinds; pictures are rolled up in hanging scrolls and picture scrolls; and food is placed in lacquer containers. The wrapping style illustrated by these examples is not a tight, hermetic seal, but a loose, flexible covering or shading. The style embodies the concept of "gentle concealment," a central part of the traditional Japanese sense of beauty.

Petra Börner's Mister Pip

2008-07-20T03:11:00.003-04:00

http://www.borner.se/

Shinzi Katoh

2008-07-19T23:07:00.003-04:00

$38 @ Penelope's

Conjoined

2008-07-19T22:53:00.002-04:00

Painting and pillow by k studio.

Jeana Sohn

2008-07-19T21:37:00.003-04:00

These photos are pulled from her website but she has a ton of other stuff floating around in small gallery sites. Check it out. We also enjoy her blog - inspiration for sharing more photos from our own lives and for living in LA (if we ever have to move there).

1, 2, 3, 4

2008-07-19T21:22:00.004-04:00

The humid muggy NYC summer embraces us. We have been so busy as of late but have a lot to share as you will see in the posts that follow.

Is everyone sick of this song already? We were, until we saw this video...

[via swissmiss]

Vicente Villarin

2008-05-17T17:12:00.006-04:00

Joanne Cordero Reyes of Vicente Villarin is the first fashion designer in awhile that has made us stop in our tracks and think. We love how the designs evoke sculpture and art, and how the forms and shapes hint at being constructed from materials other than textile, all while retaining a practical, back-to-basics sophistication that is totally wearable.

Above: many of our favorites from the Spring 2008 collection, "Distorted Sweetness"

Above: a couple of our favorites from the Fall 2008 collection, "Sculptural Essence of Romanticism"

The label is young, and very formal and couture-ish, though we'd be interested in seeing a causal side to Reyes' vision.

[via Refinery29]

Valero Doval

2008-05-17T16:54:00.008-04:00

Whimsical and delicate illustrations and collages by Spanish artist Valero Doval. This Japanese Poster series is our favorite.

[via poppytalk]

Ethno-geometric

2008-04-19T18:10:00.019-04:00

think/feel is under renovation/transformation/progression. We are planning upcoming projects, gathering equipment, figuring out the books, planning for the future. Being responsible and contemplative, mostly. We'll be back in under a month to announce summer plans. We have embodied a stern and intense work ethic, which is hard these days with the weather so gorgeous it makes us want to stop everything we're doing, sit on our stoop until dark, drinking cold beer from the bodega.

Here's a little something we wanted to share. We are pretty obsessed with geometric ethnic patterns. This is a modern rendition of a Navajo blanket encountered last week, which we are particularly drawn to because of its colors (and patterns, of course). The motifs on this blanket incorporates, amongst others, stars, diamonds and squash blossoms.

[via yellow owl workshop]

KESSELSKRAMER

2008-03-10T13:54:00.003-04:00

Found photography! The practice of photo-collecting is just as interesting as photo-taking; it is like the gathering of moments with no continuum of time or money, which is amazing if you think about it because time and money are the banes of our existence.

I am particularly fond of the Useful Photography series by Erik Kessel's Amsterdam-based publishing entity KESSELSKRAMER. Below is an excerpt from Useful Photography 6.

About this collection: "It's the most tried and tested technique in advertising. Useful Photography #006 explores the wider implications of 'before and after' as used in political disruptions, environmental disasters and more personal adjustments and improvements."

Reading as of late...

2008-02-28T22:43:00.004-05:00

Advertising Got Better by Paula Scher
I am generally interested in advertising-design fusion these days. Advertising-design fusion... sounds like a new restaurant theme. Anyway, see second article to fully understand why there may be this void she is describing.

Fuck style by Eric Karjaluoto
This article annoyed me a bit because it could easily have been misconstrued. It's on the verge of sounding stuffy and stuck in its own bubble. It makes it seem like designers who adhere to these principals would not be able to get along or collaborate with those whose job is to make aesthetic choices. But this article points to noble aspirations, and is a peek at how nerdy designers can be.

Personas and the Role of Design Documentation by Andrew Hinton
Very much related to my work these days, so it was an interesting read. You may have a big question mark over your head if you aren't familiar with user experience culture though.

Letter From Poland: True Crime by David Grann
The full article is not online, but if you can get your hands on the 2/11/08 edition of The New Yorker, this is a fun must-read. I almost missed my stop on three separate occasions because I was so engrossed.

Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business by Chris Anderson
Practical. I would say forward-thinking too but if you did some critical thinking about the Internets, you would've come to the same conclusion. Anderson just does an amazing job of illuminating it.

think/feel hosts a screening

2008-02-26T18:23:00.017-05:00

In honor of my friends over at Remedee, think/feel is hosting our very first event. We want to share with you a special advanced screening of Remedee's pilot program, Reel Lives, which consists of five powerful documentary films made by teenagers from a gang-infested neighborhood in Los Angeles. Here's the trailer:

If you're interested in any aspect of youth empowerment through storytelling and film, you'll want to see this. It has been amazing what Remedee has been able to accomplish from the ground-up in just a year. Please feel free to pass this wide and far to those who are in the area and may be interested, but note that space is limited and a seat at the screening will require a RSVP. We hope to see you there! Here's the info:

Remedee, in partnership with think/feel, presents

The Reel Lives Project
Short Films by Extraordinary Youth

Saturday, March 8
8:00 reception
8:30 screening
merriment to follow

Special guest Remedee co-founder and Executive Director, Mara Abrams
Special guest DJ, Luiseño

Bedford-Stuyveant, Brooklyn
Contact us for the exact location

Space is limited! Please RSVP
info@thinkfeelstudio.com

ITP goes to MoMA

2008-02-23T13:15:00.006-05:00

Starting tomorrow, a new exhibition at MoMA entitled Design and the Elastic Mind will feature a bunch of works that explore the intersection of science and design. Five of these projects belong to ITP alumni, two of which belong to my class of 2007. I'm so proud!

My (slightly biased) favorite is Demetrie's Hypothetical Drawings About the End of the World, which I have witnessed him develop since 2005. The results are 72" x 22" giclee social landscape prints, the content generated by the very particular parsing of Internet searches. Really, these images do not do the drawings justice; you have until May 12 to see them in person.

Saturday morning lust

2008-02-23T12:48:00.006-05:00

I love everything about this rug.

Chiesa Yellow (Nepalese, 100 knot Tibetan Wool) from The Rug Company

[via Apartment Therapy]

I would wear this

2008-02-21T19:56:00.006-05:00

oooh, Finnish textiles; consistently noteworthy. The designer of the print above, Maija Louekari (best known for her designs for Marimekko) is only 26!

man, I really miss living in Scandinavia sometimes.

[via Oh Joy!]

Shake it

2008-02-19T22:12:00.007-05:00

I like Grant Hamilton's Polaroid work very much. I don't think his Flickr page is the most ideal place for them though. I prefer a more minimalist experience, so best to view the series as a conceptual whole here. More Albers than Rothko, I think; I always love a solid homage to colors and lines, simple shapes and compositions. His upcoming show in Seattle features GINORMOUS Polaroids which I'd like to see in person, or maybe just learn how to make 'em. Now, allow me to douse you in some of my favorites:

[via swissmiss]

Na na na na na

2008-02-18T01:14:00.008-05:00

When I was in 6th grade, we had cable for a few months (a rare treat), and Clarissa Explains It All was the sole reason I defaced my room and started wearing funky earrings every day. This was my introduction to suburban punk rock - which may be watered down but what sheltered girls so so need. So much cooler this Hannah Montana I keep hearing about nowadays, but I may be biased. This post officially makes me feel 87 years old.

Dora Jung

2008-02-17T18:37:00.004-05:00

Every day is show-and-tell day here on the Internets. This particular show-and-tell for Dora Jung (discovered via hoping for happy accidents) makes me a bit sad though because her work is not something I want to just stare at on a computer screen. I feel similarly about most design shared and discussed online. That is, just a few photos but not based on any real in-person experiences. I often fall in this trap where I'll read about, for example, a museum exhibition, and then discuss it the next day at lunch or start recommending the exhibition to people as if I went myself! See here as I gush about Dora Jung's work. And who's to say I can't base my judgments off of a few poor-quality photos? Still, I feel something is missing, which is, I didn't know about her in 2003 when I was in Finland (also the year I was introduced to Scandinavian design), so I hope I get another chance to see these textiles in person one day.

Below are two of Jung's tablecloths: 100 Roses and Play of Lines.

Nina Katchadourian

2008-02-02T16:04:00.000-05:00

I studied a bit of Nina's work in 2006 (mostly her sound pieces) and have since been a huge fan of her art which spans many many mediums and subjects.

The Mended Spiderweb series is filed under a subject called Uninvited Collaborations with Nature:

[Mended Spiderweb #8 (Fish Patch), Cibachrome, 20 x 20 inches, 1998]

I like how this reminds me of Brooklyn:

[GRNAD OPENING, C-print, 16 x 23 inches, 2006]

Sorted Books project - poetry and statements made by stacking the spines of books:

[Shark Journal, C-prints, each 12.5 x 19 inches, 2001]

Yellow mums, polka dots, chevron stripes, shepherd's pie...

2008-01-27T13:37:00.000-05:00

... all make winter a bit more bearable.