Constant Beta

Murakami Exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum

I FINALLY visited the Murakami Exhibit at the Brooklyn Musuem this weekend. My long-time readers will know about my obsession with Japan - and everything Japanese (except perhaps sushi - I'm not a big fan of sushi, probably because I don't eat fish) But we digress!
The exibit was fascinating - and I think an incredible blend of culture, commerce and design. From his one-off pieces for Louis Vuitton to disturbingly funny sculptures a woman skipping rope of her breast milk an)  Murakami's work can best be described as contemporary interpretation of the current psyche with often a dark subtext.

MOCA's youtube channel has uploaded a series of videos about the exhibit.

It was my first time to MOCA - but I was very impressed with the space. I also really enjoyed the mixed media installation of Inochi - a robot who begins to feel like a young boy. The commercials are hilarious! Watch them yourself.

Tim Walker Inspiration

Imagine my delight when I saw Tim Walker's 3 Limited Edition prints are for sale at the Design Musuem UK! It was really hard for me to not go beserk and buy all three, instead I picked this one.

This photo-essay with Lilly Allen was shot in India. I remember because I have still saved that September 2006 issue of Vogue magazine where this photograph appeared. For a while, this picture - torn from my Vogue, graced my walls until my friends convinced me that I was too old to have ripped-off photos from magazines on my walls.

There are a few other photos from that photo essay that left a lasting impression on my mind. 

But I'm just giddy that my print will arrive soon. Yay!

(PS - The print wasn't expensive, infact, it's a really good deal at about $25. But the shipping from UK added another $20. argh)

Constant Beta

There are moments in history when the pace of change is so fast and the shape of the future so fuzzy that we live in a constant state of beta. - Bruce Nussbaum in a speech at the Royal College of Art, London

Read the full speech here.

There is no such thing is writer's block. But there is laziness, and then there are excuses that have no real grounds. Often when there are too many boundaries drawn around a piece of creative work, it loses it's appeal and instead of becoming something to look forward to, it becomes a cumbersome chore. That's what my blog became for me for the last few weeks. When I couldn't find something intelligent to report on, I despaired. But I suppose, this blog doesn't have to be extraordinary. It could, well... just be me. An ordinary person with (if I may say so myself) an unusual perspective.

I welcome myself back.

The Pentagram Papers

Designers are the smartest people, I think. Even smarter than MBA grads. Their approach to problem-solving is more intuitive and experiential. And I love that.

Which brings me to my latest discovery. (Thanks to VSL) Pentagram, the iconographic design-firm that has lended it's genious to numerous campaigns and brand identities (some you may be familiar with, some you may not), has just released a previously in-house, treasure trove of design-papers aptly titled, "The Pentagram Papers."

Published since 1975, The Pentagram Papers are a  collection of whimiscal and inspiring images that highlight a certain point of view in design. For example, check out this collection of Tin Tabernacles and other buildings for inspiration: