Pens Are My Friends

The fall of the BNP

2010-05-15T15:05:00.003+01:00

So, if you think the election brought about nothing better than the chance for the Liberals to play government with the Tories you should think again. Amongst all the anti-climactic live blogging about Labour and the Tories flirting with Nick Clegg something (arguably - certainly in the wider scope of society) much more important happened— the BNP imploded.

Rather than trying to explain exactly how and why this happened, I'm just going to point you in the direction of the excellent : article the guardian published in the G2 yesterday about the fall of the BNP...

Every beard type

2010-05-11T13:33:00.002+01:00

The facial hair theme continues with this great blog about one man's quest for every beard type

Gorilla @ KK Outlet

2010-05-07T12:38:00.002+01:00

In case you hadn't noticed Gorilla have a show starting at KK gallery today, here are a selection of images from KK's flickr account. Love their work.

More here
www.kkoutlet.com

Where The Wild Things Are..

2010-02-01T16:18:00.011Z

It's been a while (again), so apologies.

So, anyway, I've actually managed to watch a lot of films recently (still no books though..) and it has completely re-affirmed my belief in modern cinema. I shall start with one of my favourites, and probably the one that is freshest in my memory.

If you've missed the hype and avoided the hipsters running around in Max's costume recently then you're in for a treat. Directed by the excellent Spike Jonze, the film is an adaptation of (or an extrapolation from) the children's book of the same name. I never read the book as a child, and in fact only got to look at it properly a couple of days ago in Magma, Manchester—after watching the film twice. Considering I attach no childhood sentiment to the story, I found it deeply emotional and involving.

It is interesting to note that I have received mixed opinions on this film from a lot of people, but many seem to fall for the lack of obvious narrative— the film mirrors the book, in that it doesn't always fully explain the transition in the story and also never fully explains the relationships between characters. However, this pseudo-literary, less-is-more approach taken by the writers results in a film that is even more full of meaning and emotion than it would have been had everything been spelled out to the viewer.

This inter-character relationship between Max and the Wild Things (particularly with Carol, played superbly by James Gandolfini), and the relationships between the Wild Things themselves was what made the film so utterly absorbing. Contrary to appearances the Wild Things aren't dressed up Teletubies, they are complex characters who live out an almost bi-polar existence— balancing their need for stability and re-assurance from a king, with their 'wild' nature. Carol is the best example of this, with his visible conflict between his playful, loving, trusting half with his violent, self-destructive and frightening other. Something that is an amplification of what Max struggles to contain.

Perhaps the most apt description of the film is bittersweet—there is an ongoing conflict between the beauty of the cinematography and the flawed characters. I loved that the makers avoided providing a hollywood resolution to the fragmentation of Max's relationship with the Wild Things, leaving them wild but with a dim sense of hope.

A special mention should go to the excellent soundtrack by Karen O And The Kids, beautifully poignant at times and raucous at others— perfectly in tune with the film and key to the overall magic.

"..but the bitch aint one"

2010-01-13T11:46:00.001Z

Oddly Specific

2009-12-31T00:52:00.000Z

Just the most brilliant blog of strange signage, brought to you by the same guys as the legendary Fail Blog.

A selection of the incredible signs on offer at Oddly Specific:

Audi Rubik Cube advert

2009-12-31T00:37:00.000Z

Just saw this on tv - great concept and as always with Audi's stuff, beautifully produced. I think it's been around a few months. Maybe I don't watch enough tv..

Meaty goodness

2009-11-25T14:52:00.000Z

Blergh, spotted this on the CR blog today. I can't decide if it's quite funny or just massively revolting... read the full article here

Piano Stairs

2009-11-20T12:47:00.000Z

100 Best Wire quotes

2009-11-19T15:50:00.000Z

LOVE the wire - if you haven't watched it by now then don't admit to it, people will only spoil it for you. Instead watch the video above, and then ask for all the DVD box sets for Christmas.

Moustaches

2009-11-18T14:28:00.001Z

Ok so I missed the boat on Movember a little. I have always wanted to grow a moustache, but unfortunately look stupid and also worry about my hipster index going through the roof.

This being about the best I've managed (this was just a post ski holiday beard trimmed into a 'tache rather than a bespoke job though):

I spotted this picture gallery on The Times today and thought I would share it with you:

And finally a quick plug for Harry who is actually taking part in Movember this year and needs your money!! Check out Harry's mospace and donate! I have...
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Apologies..

2009-11-18T12:28:00.000Z

.. for being a bit slack about this blog recently. Have been writing full time on the Grafik blog - www.grafikmag.com

Will be less shit from now on - expect new stuff shortly.

x Dan

MF DOOM in the new yorker

2009-09-16T16:04:00.000+01:00

When Dumile began performing as MF DOOM, he extended hip-hop's obsession with façades. While other MCs fashioned themselves after outlaws, thugs, or drug dealers, Dumile, whose handle is inspired by the Fantastic Four villain Dr. DOOM, called himself “the Supervillain.” When he raps, he often refers to DOOM in the third person. Other MCs are obsessed with machismo; Dumile is obsessed with “Star Trek” and “Logan's Run.”

When I rediscovered Dumile, in his new guise, I was on the cusp of fatherhood and life-partnership, and considering divorce from the music of my youth. My outlook was that of any Golden Age proponent - I was worn down by the petty beefs between rappers, by the murders of Tupac and Biggie, and by the music's assumption of all the trappings of the celebrity culture in which it now existed.

DOOM's music was revancne, and me DOOM persona felt as though it had emerged from the graveyard of rappers murdered by glam-hop. Onstage, DOOM looked the part. He cultivated a dishevelled aspect - ill-fitting white tees or throwback Patrick Ewing jerseys. His paunch gently rebelled against the borders of his shirt. He was visibly balding. His manner suggested a retired B-boy tossing off the trappings of domesticity for one last boisterous romp.

The mask “came out of necessity,” Dumile explained. It was a warm afternoon in Atlanta, where he lives now, and we were sitting in black vinyl chairs in an alley in midtown. Dumile wore a green polo shirt, matching green shorts, a pair of black Air Jordans without socks, and a New York Mets cap. His glasses were missing a lens and sat crooked on his face. He removed the Mets cap and placed it on his knee.

Dumile, who is now thirty-eight, was raised on Long Island, home of several prominent rap groups of the Golden Era - De La Soul, Public Enemy, EPMD, and Leaders of the New School. He started performing during the infancy of hip-hop, when no one had yet realized the potential for big money in a guy talking into a microphone.

“Rhyming wasn't that popular back then, but it was fun,” Dumile told me. “And people would say, 'Oh, you rhyme? Oh, snap, say a rhyme for me! Say another one! Say the one about the girl!' Everybody had a cousin who came out for the summer and could rhyme. And you'd be like, 'Oh, he rhymes? Oh, he rhymes? I gotta meet him.'”

“Ever since third grade, I had a notebook and was putting together words just for fun,” Dumile went on. “I liked different etymologies, different slang that came out in different eras. Different languages. Different dialects. I liked being able to speak to somebody and throw it back and forth, and they can't predict what you're going to say next. But once you say it they're always like, 'Oh, shit!'”

For MF DOOM, Dumile wanted to create a character with a complete backstory, which he would reference through a series of albums. “The story was corning together, and it worked and became popular. And now people wanted to see shows, and I'm like, how do I do that?”

“I wanted to get onstage and orate, without people thinking about the normal things people think about. Like girls being like, 'Oh, he's sexy,' or 'I don't want him, he's ugly,' and then other dudes sizing you up. A visual always brings a first impression. But if there's going to be a first impression I might as well use it to control the story. So why not do something like throw a mask on?.........”

full article here...

Eddie Izzard in charity marathon madness

2009-09-15T14:28:00.000+01:00

Comedian Eddie Izzard has (unknown to me until today) run 43 marathons in 52 days, having trained for 5 days. Previously he'd never run more than 5 miles.

I admire his determination and it's really an incredible achievement, but it's also BLOODY stupid. Doing 5 weeks training before running that far and that long is insane, more than anything it means that your ankles and knees won't be supported properly by the muscles around them (as they won't yet be strong enough). This virtually guarantees injury, and permanently fucked joints in the future.

People train for a year to do ONE marathon, what kind of mental idea is it to do 5 weeks and then run 43 with barely any recovery days?

Lego Calender

2009-09-15T11:00:00.000+01:00

Lego are set to launch their first UK Calender, all proceeds to charity. Get one!

they'll be on the lego shop soon

Neurosonics Audiomedical Laboratories

2009-09-06T10:24:00.000+01:00

Neurosonics Audiomedical Labs Inc. from Chris Cairns on Vimeo.

Scratch Perverts (Tony Vegas, Plus One, Prime Cuts)
Foreign Beggars
Schlomo
Syntax
Stig of the Dump

Amazing.

check out the full website here

Science museum lates

2009-08-27T11:53:00.001+01:00

Went to the science museum last night for one of their "Lates".. much like the V&A lates, but sort of.. infinitely better, because it's the science museum!

I can't believe that its been so long since I went there - probably about 10years.. it really is the most inspiring place. Being able to go late at night and walk about with some mates a beer (or two) just makes it even better.

May I recommend that when (not if!) you go, that you check out "The listening post" on the first floor, which is a kind of science-meets-art kind of project:

"Listening Post is a ‘dynamic portrait’ of online communication, displaying uncensored fragments of text, sampled in real-time, from public internet chatrooms and bulletin boards. Artists Mark Hansen and Ben Rubin have divided their work into seven separate ‘scenes’ akin to movements in a symphony. Each scene has its own ‘internal logic’, sifting, filtering and ordering the text fragments in different ways.

By pulling text quotes from thousands of unwitting contributors' postings, Listening Post allows you to experience an extraordinary snapshot of the internet and gain a great sense of the humanity behind the data. The artwork is world renowned as a masterpiece of electronic and contemporary art and a monument to the ways we find to connect with each other and express our identities online."

find out more about events at the science museum here

Giant waterslide

2009-08-07T16:05:00.000+01:00

Fake? Real?

I reckon fake. Paddling pool is waaaaaay too small! :)

Worst Tatoos Ever

2009-08-03T22:14:00.000+01:00

London paper mini-piece thing on a book about worst ever tatoos. Ace

find out more here

p-rod vs Ice Cube

2009-07-31T13:35:00.000+01:00

Wicked Nike Sb ad with my favorite 'cube song, awesome.

Thanks to mrK for the link on this one..

Hipster hater

2009-07-30T12:35:00.001+01:00

Oh my god I hate hipsters - share your hate/ point and laugh at: Look at this fucking hipster

Victoria Pendleton

2009-07-28T11:09:00.000+01:00

Article about Victoria Pendleton in the Guardian today - check it out here

Also, go here to listen to the guardian's new "bike podcast", I've not had a chance to listen to it yet and will write a review when I do.. If it's anything like their excellent football podcast then I will be a happy man. I also hope that it's not just a summer thing if it is that good.

Fancy dress madness

2009-07-21T15:20:00.000+01:00

Whilst looking for a costume for Secret Garden Party I came across some serious bangers! Thought I would share them with you all:

DJ Neil Armstrong

2009-07-21T13:43:00.000+01:00

One of my favorite mixtape DJ's - really incredible mix-ups of soul, hip-hop, funk, samples etc. Really taking mixtapes to another level.

try to get hold of mixtapes: Original, 2Original, Bittersweet and Warmfuzzy.. all classics and all brilliant.

Subscribe to his excellent podcast here

Born in the Streets @ Le fondation Cartier

2009-07-15T14:31:00.000+01:00

What looks to be a really fantastic (and more importantly not overly "concieved") exhibition on street art and the beginnings of Graffiti. Refreshingly not a single "urban" brand sponsorship in sight (though the gallery is very obviously owned by Cartier) in what promises to be a really honest look at graffiti from its start to the international explosion that happened in the late 80's-early 90's — including everything inbetween and since.

Get yourself to Paris before mid November! I'm already booking my eurostar!
Find out more here

What happened here?

2009-07-13T10:05:00.000+01:00

Another weird phone photo

Trackosaurusrex Blog

2009-07-10T16:23:00.000+01:00

nice blog about everything track/fixed gear. Check it out here

Mr P

2009-07-09T10:54:00.000+01:00

ATG member and lovely chap MrP has a new website full of nice work. One of the most talented "street artists" around, has a real London style but also clearly heavily influenced by other scenes in Europe (Barcelona anyone?!).

check it all out here

Barnaby barford - bell end

2009-07-06T13:43:00.001+01:00

Barnaby Barford used to have a post here.. but apparently has anti off-site linking for images on his site. Which seems pretty bloody arrogant - which artist these days can afford to not have their work blogged about/discussed?
It's free promotion.

fruit city

2009-06-29T17:54:00.000+01:00

Every wondered where you pick Blackberry's on the heath? Or whether there were apple trees in Peckham.

Vahakn Matossian's Fruit City project, aims to provide exactly this knowledge - and also aid you by providing helpful tips on picking, tree climbing as well as heaps and heaps of hot recipies.

If you've got time - go to the RCA MA show to find out more, alternatively check out the fruit city site here

.. and while you're at it, check out Vahakn's site here

Classic Lightweights

2009-06-29T15:14:00.000+01:00

Pretty basic website design-wise, but thats beside the point. This is definitely a case of content over form.

This site is FULL of GORGEOUS classic bikes - lovingly restored. Total vintage bike porn. Most are made in the Uk pre-1970 and have some of the most beautiful detailing and lugging you'll see anywhere.
Also contains a nice section about classic cyclists, with biogs for each.

click here

Terrible news for Rietveld Academy

2009-06-22T16:23:00.000+01:00

It turns out that after screwing up the extension to accommodate new students the Reitveld board's solution to their own mistake is to relocate the students to a dis-used office block. Very sad stuff, especially since the identity of the academy is so closely linked to the work and the kind of students it produces.

Reading about this reminded me of the Wim Crowel talk I went to with team grafik the other day, in which he explained how the modernist architecture of his first art school inspired him to experiment with modernist design and break with convention. He impressed upon me the important relationship between buildings and education - finishing his talk by telling us that he always "made sure my children went to well designed schools, if they have a well designed environment then good things must happen"

Online journalism

2009-06-22T14:05:00.000+01:00

Very funny

birds birds birds

2009-06-08T14:51:00.001+01:00

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I draw birds - all the time!!

Here is a selection of some of them.

cycle chic

2009-05-07T12:16:00.001+01:00

Fuck topshop, if you're really after some lovely bike gear for the ladies, this is the place for you

Onra & Quetzal

2009-04-30T12:55:00.000+01:00

Thanks for the link on this Mr K!

"Onra & Quetzal are like the French Dilla" said K, and he was right.

Their album "the tribute" is a brilliant blend of soul and funk chops similar in style and length of track to Dilla's 'Donuts' album, which is such a BIG album.
I've only had this album a day and I already know it's going to be one that I come back to again and again.

Mark Chiarello for Carhartt

2009-04-29T12:45:00.000+01:00

Mark Chiarello is currently the art director at DC Comics and famously created several Batman covers and inked a few issues too.

Recently produced this series of prints for Carhartt - can't find any links to his other work, if anyone finds any, let me know - dan@pensaremyfriends.com

Frame size calculator

2009-04-28T14:35:00.000+01:00

Really useful tool for calculating frame size accurately.

Great if (like me) you have a strangely proportioned body (long legs, short body, short arms (apparently!)..

New work - VELO illustration

2009-04-27T17:23:00.000+01:00

needs some tweaking, but starting to look nice

Posters as Art: Swiss Design in Perspective

2009-04-24T14:52:00.001+01:00

"The show will provide an opportunity to see and purchase some of the finest examples of 20th century and contemporary Swiss and American poster design.

The exhibition will bring together work from important American artists representing Abstract Painting and Pop Art, such as Frank Stella, Jim Dine, Jasper Johns and Roy Lichtenstein, including Toblerone, Campari, Linth, Nivea and Swatch.

Work by today’s leading Swiss typographers and poster designers will also be on the show, including awarded graphic design work by Bruno Monguzzi, Ralph Schraivogel and Wolfgang Weingart."

(c/o James Pallister @ the AJ, thanks James!)

Show at Swiss Gallery Artifiche - 1-5 Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2HE, 20 May to 20 June 2009

Googlemap typography

2009-04-24T14:44:00.000+01:00

Rhett Dashwood

check out more here

The Ride Journal

2009-04-23T12:53:00.000+01:00

Have been meaning to write something about this for a while - I wrote a little preview a couple of weeks ago and my copy came a few days after.

This magazine/journal is fantastic - it's non cycling genre specific, it's not about gear, or diets, or how to bunny hop, or who won the world championships, or why hardtails are better than full suss or wicked trails to ride, or tips for shaving your legs.. it's just about riding bikes and enjoying the freedom and history of the sport.

For me it totally hit the nail on the head. I have an interest in most of cycling and have just as much admiration for Chris Hoy as I have for people I know riding bmx or whatever. It's nice to find a publication that a) isn't a massive review/advertorial for all the latest gear and b) is well designed and considered.

The guys who put this together obviously really care about what they're doing and it's a labour of love for them rather than a job.

It manages to have a sophisticated layout, without going all "Rouleur" and remains simple in format. Combined with some nice illustration (some bad too) and some really lovely photography it makes a gorgeous magazine that I would subscribe to in a second, were the option available!!

Contributers range from Chris Hoy to Pharell Williams, and there's a whole bunch of "normal" people thrown in there too, talking about how cycling has effected their life for better (or occasionally worse).

If you like bikes, you can't miss this.

Onwards

2009-04-23T11:28:00.000+01:00

Went to a Nike running shoe launch yesterday, which was fun. James Jarvis has made an animation with Nike called "onwards" - its his first piece of animated work and its lovely.

check out more of his work here: www.studiojarvis.com

Notorious

2009-04-22T12:28:00.000+01:00

Finally brought myself to watch Notorious the other night and can heartily recommend that you DON'T. It's awful, the only redeeming feature of the film is the fact that it features so many of Biggie's bangers.

The films executive producer is puff daddy, or p diddy or diddy, or whatever the fuck he's called these days. His character (played by a more handsome p-diddy lookalike) is a 'key' figure in the film, who spends the whole time fannying about and saying 'real' shit like "Don't chase the money, chase the dream" and "my music is about the game, but it aint in the game" and other trite soundbites.

The film discards characters with no explanation and re-introduces them later just as abruptly, for a scene, before cutting them again. Notorious has no continuity and appears to be nothing more than a sequence of rose-tinted hi-lights of Biggie's life. Obviously the script was basically written (or heavily edited) by Biggie's moms and piddly diddly and so its one concession to showing his "dark side" is him selling crack to a pregnant woman ("oooohh dark" they obviously haven't seen The Wire or The Corner) and loosing it for about 30 seconds at his wife.

It's a confusing film - with mixed messages about whether Biggie was in the music game for money or for the "dream", it seems like he just used music to get himself out of THE game, and just happened to be really good at it. But who knows, because this the whole thing is such a farce that god knows what has some truth to it in the film...

Jamal Woolard plays Biggie - he's not Biggie. No-one could really pull it off and this actor definitely can't. This is the problem with films about musicians - what do you do, get them to mime to the original track or do you get them to do their own kareoke version? It's impossible to get it completely right, but films like Ray and Walk The Line, show that it is possible with good casting... unfortunately in Notorious they just picked some fat guy who could rhyme a bit. No charisma, no confidence and not biggie. It makes him look like a total chump.
Oh and he doesn't even look like him, he looks like a white guy in a fat suit who's been blacked up.

Do not watch!

Celebrities on invisible bikes?

2009-04-15T17:10:00.001+01:00

Do you like celebrities? You like invisible bicycles? Well then you'll love NEW "celebrities on invisible bicycles".

Ok, I know this is a bit wack, but still brought a smile to my face.

Hufnagel cycles

2009-04-14T18:53:00.000+01:00

Hufnagel make BEAUTIFUL bespoke bikes.. and when I mean bespoke, I don't mean "change the tube lengths" bespoke, I mean they'll make it EXACTLY how you want it - down to the most beautiful lugging and detailing - for more examples check out their flickr page
or here

Rapha make a tailored cycling suit

2009-04-14T13:02:00.001+01:00

Makers of beautiful cycling clothing Rapha have teamed up with Saville Row's Timothy Everest to make a £3,000 tweed 3 piece cycling suit.

Timothy Everest said: ''The brief was to tackle the response to growth in commuting by bicycle and compromises in available clothing. The first suit is a purely bespoke design with the ergonomics needed for cycling as well as looking reasonably smart.

"The fabric is inspired by old-boy country suits worn by farmers to market – think Reid and Taylor 1958. Having said that, this colouring is more urban, being black-based with grey and a Rapha pink overcheck, so that it fits with most people’s wardrobes.

"The yarn has a nanotechnology, making it very showerproof, but unlike Teflon it doesn't affect the appearance or how the cloth handles.”

This project combines two of my favorite things - cycling (of course) and well made clothes. If I had a spare 3k.. well, I'd probably buy 2 new bikes, but if I had ANOTHER 3k...

check out more of rapha's lovely gear here

friends and family - you know where to go when birthday/christmas rolls around! :)

Zombie Jane Austen tops US book charts

2009-04-09T14:16:00.000+01:00

"The public's unanticipated desire for the unusual conflation of Regency romance and the undead this morning sent Seth Grahame-Smith's zombie mash-up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies soaring to the top of Amazon's UK "movers and shakers" chart, which monitors the books which are experiencing sudden demand from consumers.

Already sitting at number three in the New York Times bestseller lists, the novel – which sees Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters battling a zombie menace that has descended upon the quiet English village of Meryton – looks likely to make a similar killing in the British market. A UK sales representative for its American publisher Quirk Books said today that it was struggling to keep up with demand and is already going into a second printing, despite the book not being published until 13 April. This morning it moved into top position in the Amazon movers and shakers chart, having previously languished below 300, and climbed to 27th position in the online bookseller's overall bestseller listings.

"The idea of taking two completely separate, incongruous elements – Regency romance and zombies – you think it couldn't possibly work, but it's so intriguing and has really captured people's imaginations," said Bethan Jones, UK spokesperson for the book. "It's definitely exceeded our expectations – I don't think the publisher quite realised how popular it would be ... It's on sale next week and we've sold over 4,000 copies already, before it's even in the shops."

From The Guardian today.

Read the rest of the article

The Ride Journal

2009-04-06T13:59:00.000+01:00

Nice new bike mag out - have ordered my copy, will put up some scans when I get it.

In the meantime - go here to find out more

This is cool

2009-04-06T13:55:00.000+01:00

Bathtub IV from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

by film maker Ken Loutit. Check out more of his stuff on vimeo (its like youtube but better -duh!)

Danny Sangra

2009-04-02T15:34:00.000+01:00

Danny Sangra is an amazing illustrator/art director who has a Profile in the May issue of Grafik (on sale 30th April), until then check out his work here

Kim Høltermand

2009-04-02T15:26:00.000+01:00

lovely architectural/ethereal photos.

check out his website for more

Jiggery Pokery

2009-04-01T15:53:00.000+01:00

Anna Lomax and Lauren Davies are two lovley ladies who make up Jiggery Pokery - "Art Direction + Set Design = Life Size Illustration"

Lots of nice work to view at their website

Jesus Christ

2009-03-29T17:06:00.001+01:00

no comment necessary - just wrong

Fake FT today

2009-03-27T16:51:00.000Z

fake financial times distributed today

"Anti-capitalism campaigners hand out copies of fake Financial Times at London's Waterloo station ahead of G20 summit"

Downfall

2009-03-26T15:55:00.001Z

I watched Downfall last night. Though pretty grueling (178 mins - almost 3 hours long), the film is fantastic.

The film charts the last 10 days of the Nazi regime in Berlin. Bruno Ganz brilliant plays an increasingly deluded Hitler, who literally falls apart in front of your eyes throughout the film. The story is told in part through the eyes of Traudl, Hitlers young secretary, who's performance is also great.

This was a difficult film for me to watch, finding myself starting to sympathize with Hitler at certain points - particularly when he interacts with Traudl and also when his delusion escalates towards the end of the film, claiming that letting the russians invade Berlin has been part of a grand plan.. and inventing auxiliary forces that will "break through", despite knowing they are outnumbered 10 to 1.
However this is all turned around when he starts talking about the final solution and how compassion is for the weak.

Eva, his wife alludes to this devision when she talks about him being split between Adolf and "the fuhrer". Hitler seems like a stubborn child and yet horrifically ruthless at times.

The film is strangely sterile - the majority of the plot unfolds indoors and in Hitlers bunker, mimicking how isolated Hitler is, in mind and also physically. The consequences of his refusal to evacuate civilians from Berlin, and the atrocities he sanctioned in the concentration camps are detached from these final days.. and any glimpses we are given of the struggle for Berlin on the outside seem disconnected from the film and almost ethereal.

As I said before, the portrayal of Hitler is brilliant - Even Ganz's voice is perfect, he emulates Hitler's voice and it's ability to contort the German language into something disgusting and angular in sound. His ability to provoke sympathy for a figure such as Hitler is nothing short of astounding.

It is a film that is strangely full of anti-climax, despite describing momentous events, Hitler finally gives in and commits suicide. Once dead he is almost more human than the monster he was alive, as his sad, tiny body is carried outside and burned with his wife.

In short a brilliant film, and beautifully filmed.. Don't expect a warm fuzzy feeling afterwards though, it's bleak and it gets more so towards the end. Traudl's testimony at the end is a harrowing reminder that inactivity is just as bad as pro-activity.

Secret Wars Final

2009-03-24T13:57:00.000Z

So we went to secret wars - was fantastic. Great venue, work and Session killed it on the 12's. Hicks won. Much deserved - he now goes on to battle in Portugal and won a bunch of money too.

to check out the rest of my flicks - go to my flickr page

or go to the secret wars site for better views of the work and other shots/videos etc.

If you could

2009-03-23T18:10:00.001Z

Luke Best - try again

"If You Could is the self initiated project of London design studio HudsonBec. Working with established designers and illustrators as well as exciting emerging talent we produce work for publishing, exhibitions and events."

Some really nice work here - I recently bought the print series and was really really pleased.

Includes lots of lovely work from designers/Illustrators such as: Kate Moross, Luke Best, Anthony Burrill, Geneviève Gauckler, Ian Wright, HelloVon etc..

find out more at: IFYOUCOULD

Don Ross

2009-03-23T17:58:00.000Z

Absolutely amazing guitarist - like two guitarists playing at the same time. There are a few others who play in this way, but he's got the best "style" out of all of them.

This video is my favorite composition of his.

Also search in youtube for Andy Mckee and Antoine Dufour.

Birds

2009-03-20T16:49:00.000Z

You all know I love birds!

Here are some nice photos I took whilst in the mountains recently.

Peepshow

2009-03-20T13:12:00.000Z

Peepshow are great.

They've just finished some new work for the BBC kids channel Cbeebies which is lovely (stills above). It's really nice to see the beeb commissioning some proper kids animation - not all this horrid 3D rendered stuff or lots of weird actors running around in giant furry suits etc.

check out their animations here
... and the rest of their portfolio here

Scanwiches!!

2009-03-19T21:18:00.001Z

SCANWICHES

This guy scans his super New York deli lunch every day - Some serious bread and meat action going on. He must me HUGE by now.

Thanks to Mr K for the heads up on this one.

Gomorrah

2009-03-19T17:19:00.000Z

Watched this film on the weekend. Absolutely fantastic.

"Five stories set in and around Naples, where the residents' lives are dominated by organised crime outfit, the Camorra. Based on the best-selling non-fiction book by Roberto Saviano"

I heard mixed things about it when it came out and it slipped through my net, but got round to watching it and really really enjoyed it.

I think that a lot of people were frustrated by the lack of narrative or real plot, the film is slightly mis-leading in that it feels like the seperate plot lines are going to converge toward the end of the film. They don't!
I didn't really find that a problem however, it's one of those films that was a series of snapshots of the violence and intimidation that the Camorra use. I suppose the obvious comparison in content and also cinematic technique is the way that the Sopranos just starts and finishes with no conclusion and a feeling that you've been a voyeur, watching at the window the entire time.

In terms of cinematography, the film is gorgeous, I really enjoyed the shots of the run-down Neapolitan estates (see above) juxtaposed with the gorgeous shots of the country-side and beach.

Secret Wars Final this weekend

2009-03-19T17:08:00.000Z

Going to the secret wars final this Saturday - check the website for details here and yourself down there.

Secret wars is basically a illustration 'battle'-come-party where two illustrators get a bunch of edding markers and some wall space to out-do each other in front of a live crowd.

The whole thing is hosted by Jimi Crayon (atg), who's a total joker and also an amazing illustrator himself - check his website here or his blog here

Le Corbusier @ the Barbican

2009-03-19T16:57:00.000Z

Went to see the Corb show at the Barbican couple of weeks ago - really enjoyed the work, but thought the exhibition design was a little awkward.. The space at the Barbican must be a bit of a nightmare given that it's split-level, but the way they split the work and the rationalisation between floors didn't really work in my opinion.

Also thought that the graphic identity of the show was a bit of a 'safe option' – Corb is like a graphic designers wet dream, there is so much graphical content to his work that the designers should have been spoiled for choice. The 'concrete' solution is tidy and fits the Barbican well, but I just felt there was more there.

Don't let these criticisms dissuade you though - still an incredible volume of beautiful work on show, including nice touches like a scale replica of a kitchen he designed etc etc.

Well worth a trip. I love the Barbican too, especially at night.

Yeah!

2009-03-19T16:48:00.000Z

Hello,

Welcome to my blog of all things good and bad - I have been posting on various other blogs for a while, but I figured it was time I got my own to update on the regular.

I don't really have a mandate with this one - it will most likely reflect things I like or do.. so expect; art, design, photography, film, music, bikes, and other stuff!

Enjoy!
Dan