The Great Discontent was launched as a digital publication focussing on the darker side of creativity; the risks, the failures and the disappointments everybody has to deal with, but one rarely reads about in publications. After almost three years Ryan and Tina Essmaker, the married duo behind TGD, quit their jobs and made the decision to materialize The Great Discontent as a printed publication. For the inaugural printed issue which was released last month, Ryan and Tina teamed up with designer Frank Chimero to assist with editorial design and art direction, and as with many impressive new publications, financing was found directly through their existing community via Kickstarter. After 30 days in February and March the funds were raised to create The Great Discontent, Issue One and now the beautiful magazine is here. In it one finds 17 interviews with interesting creatives like Aaron Draplin, Alastair Humphreys, James Victore, Anna Wolf, Lotta Nieminen, Debbie Millman, Matt Porterfield, Ryan Bingham, Tavi Gevinson and Roman Mars. [ Continue reading ]
The blazer is a staple of modern menswear, but few realize that this garment has its origins in the sporting kit of the Oxford and Cambridge rowing teams. The amazing, just published, 'Rowing Blazers' by Thames and Hudson explores these authentic striped, piped, trimmed, and badged blazers that are still worn by oarsmen and -women around the world today, and at the elaborate rituals, elite athletes, prestigious clubs, and legendary races associated with them. Each University, school, college and club featured in the book is represented by their own group of rowers, including world champions, record holders and Olympians. The insightful portraits, set in historic international boathouses and club rooms, are accompanied by captivating anecdotes and descriptions of the esoteric traditions behind each blazer. [ Continue reading ]
The beautiful biannual magazine Victory Journal was founded in 2010 by Christopher Isenberg, Aaron Amaro and Kimou Meyer in their hometown New York City. The magazine calls itself the new refuge of the true sportsman; unmoved by statistic analysis and provincial opinions,Victory is concerned with the eternal glories and ignominies of players and pursuits the world over. From sumo wrestling to nautical jousting, 80's icons to Olympic hopefuls, Victory unearths the sublime joys of the sporting life through reportage and oral history, photography and illustration. Drawing on a group of quality contributors, Victory provides a forum for work that is unapologetically enthusiastic and uncompromisingly personal. It speaks to an audience that like its founders can distinguish the enduring from the fleeting and is ruled, above all, by an irrepressible curiosity and love for the deep spectrum of emotions and aesthetics one finds in sports. [ Continue reading ]
Since the 80's Dutch photographer Ralf Mitsch has been fascinated by what lays behind the people who are heavily tattooed. What motivated them, what role do the tattoos play in their particular life or even their vision on the world? With his on-going series 'Why I Love Tattoos' the photographer has been asking these questions through his lens for many years, and last month the project resulted in the first printed publication. The book, which was released in May and will have its official launch on the 15th of June in the Amsterdam-based NAME Gallery, the spectator is offered a selection of subjects which Mitsch has had before his lens, to find out about the stories behind that Maori tribal design, traditional Japanese body tattoo or a collection of smaller tattoos totally filling one's arm or leg. The book contains more than 50 beautiful, full-page portraits of people from all over the globe who have visited the photographer's studio through the years. Each photographed tells a personal story of the hidden truth behind their tattoos, plus features a short interview by (heavily tattooed) author and journalist Henk van Straten, who's also one of the subjects featured in the book. [ Continue reading ]
On the 6th of June the first issue of OPENHOUSE Magazine finally saw light after it found funding through Kickstarter earlier this year. Based in San Sebastian, Spain, OPENHOUSE was founded by Andrew Trotter and Mari Luz Vidal and is a magazine with a clear focus on beautiful photography and captivating interviews with people who invite the reader to their special places around the world. The first issue features interesting stories among which is; German fashion brand BLESS, which houses its Berlin shop inside a private home and Jo Nagasaka, a famous architect and designer who opens his Tokyo studio for the public for many different events. It also features GnamBox in Milan who invite creative people into their kitchen to record their home made recipes, and share them on their website. But also 'regular' people are introduced; like Niki Robinson who opens her doors to guests via Airbnb and organizes theatre events and concerts there. And also Jacobo and Luis in the Costa Brave who use their weekend home, Palau de Casavells, as a gallery for art, design and antiques. Each issue will also present a recipe. In the first issue chef Andoni of Mugariz shares what he likes to cook at home for his friends. [ Continue reading ]
'Paradigm Volume I — Genesis' is the first publication by the highly inspiring online platform Paradigm Magazine. The book is a tribute to all the people who have inspired Theo Constantinou on his journey with Paradigm thus far. The anthology is a vivid expression of dreams, feelings, thoughts, and ideas conveyed from visionaries across the world, with each contribution to this volume offering aninterpretation of the book’s central theme, Genesis: an origin or beginning. The stories and visions shared seek to infiltrate a deep-rooted connection within each individual’s journey and to illustrate the unified wonder of the human experience. This timeless keepsake has been tactfully crafted from cover-to-cover in order to fulfill its unique conceptualization. Only by an unyielding level of devotion without any commercial backing, along with the help of remarkable friends, was the dream of conceiving this book realized. The list of contributors is both long and impressive, with amazing names like scholar Noam Chomsky, artist Erik Brunetti, photographer Glen E. Friedman, tattoo artist Maxime Buchi and regular collaborator Mikael Kennedy, among many other names. [ Continue reading ]
Launched in London in April 2011, IRÈNE was born out of the desire of three young women, Geneviève Eliard, Esthèle Girardet and Lucie Santamans, to revive some forgotten values of eroticism. Soon-after they moved back to Paris where they continued their adventure. IRÈNE explores elegant eroticism by following surrealistic references as well as popular icons or contemporary photography. Around erotic poems, texts, photographs and collages, IRÈNE leads the way on the land of an elegant, modern and feminine eroticism that was unloaded of any vulgarity. The process of creation of IRÈNE is based on an erotic poem deconstructed, then reconstructed as an exquisite corpse. Each word represents an idea developed with talent by international contributors. After the first issue, which was exclusively released online, IRÈNE also became available in a paper version. Now a days it is a multidisciplinary platform; a website, a blog and the organization of creative and sensual events for her admirers and contributors to join her erotic journey. Recently the beautiful issue #5 was released. [ Continue reading ]
We like everything the lovely Portuguese company Serrote produces, from their special notebooks to the crate with a selection of blue and white products they released last year, and with their latest addition to their catalogue they have created yet again another elegant and beautiful product which we love. Last month Nuno Neves and Susana Viela of Serrote presented the truly beautiful Sky Chart. It is an interpretive map of the night sky, where you can find the constellations and major stars visible from the Northern Hemisphere, throughout the year. The star Polaris, in the constellation Ursa Minor, is in the center of the chart. As this star is aligned with the axis of rotation of the earth passing through the poles, it remains motionless in the sky during the night, while the other stars appear to rotate around it. [ Continue reading ]
We really like the latest by the Lisbon-based publisher Pierre von Kleist editions. The book named 'Japan Drug' by António Júlio Duarte features moody, grainy black and white photographs portraying urban Japan in a very anonymous and isolated fashion. The images were taken 17 years ago when the Portuguese photographer visited Japan all by himself. It was a time, with the insecurities evoked by the new millennium ahead becoming apparent, but above all a period in time in which both economical and technological perspectives seemed endless. Looking back a lot has changed over the years that have past, with sentiments all over the globe becoming more and more sombre. A sombreness which already speaks through the imagery of António Júlio Duarte as if the photographer then already felt that times wouldn't stay the same, and therefore the right time to share his images was right now. [ Continue reading ]
We really appreciate Process Journal Edition Ten, which was released at the end of last month. Taking on the same revised format of the previous Edition, the tenth Edition is the first issue which solely revolves around one particular city, and what better city there is to start with than New York City. Shortly after the team commenced its research, the fundament of every edition, quickly realization grew that they were in the process of making something pretty special. New York with its incredible range of talent, work and diversity, basically serving as a melting pot of the most talented people worldwide, the choices between contributors for the issue were endless, resulting in a magazine which serves its readers an excellent string of inspirational stories. [ Continue reading ]
Esme Winter’s work can be typified by her extraordinary talent of creating beautifully patterned products in a fantastic scala of colors. Based in London since 2008, Winter works from her studio with partner Richard Sanderson. Both designer have heritage in high esteem, which resulted in a modern British company rooted in quality production and design. Each beautifully detailed accessory is a product of careful thought and inherited taste in antiquarian books and mid-century modernism. Working with the best makers and materials from the UK, they craft items that reflect the innate value of hand-binding, weaving, and finishing. Last year they unveiled their 2013 'Paper Collection' consisting of notebooks and patterned paper. The collection is a beautiful one, simple yet refined, with most likely some of the more beautiful original patterns you'll find today. Some have called it a mixture between Japanese papers and Bauhaus textile prints; the Paper Collection offers the perfect color saturated solution for your gifts and goods. [ Continue reading ]
'The Outsiders: New Outdoor Creativity' is the latest inspirational publication by German publishing house Gestalten. Created out of the fact that more and more people are turning to the great outdoors when seeking peace and balance, whether hiking through the mountains or simply spending a night in a tent far away from civilization. The Outsiders showcases the outlook and passions of the new creative scene that has emerged and draws inspiration from this development along with its original products, brands, and ideas. The products and projects presented in this book are better, both in concept and design, making them more radical and complete than its predecessors. Combining handicraft with the latest technology, they incorporate illustrations, photography, and graphic art as well as trends in product design and fashion. Here, the fundamental challenges posed by the wilderness meet the aesthetic needs of the design-literate urbanite in ways that are atmospheric and likeable, with the occasional romantic or ironic wink. [ Continue reading ]
Pawel Bownik’s 'Disassembly', published by newcomer Mundin, is an artist’s book in which a photographic project has been brought to the form of a non-standard picture album. The main role here is played by flowers, which Bownik disassembles into parts using DIY tools and then reassembles in possibly unchanged form. For deconstruction purposes the photographer uses glues, adhesive tapes, ropes, precisely measuring the distances between the leaves, noting them in pencil on the leaves themselves and photographing them. The resulting images, informed by the still-life tradition, perfectly imitate and evoke that which has been subjected to a destructive process. Haunting the viewer with their deformed charm, they also create an uncomfortable sense of participating in a strange experiment. Beginning with the cover image and progressing through a series of collages and drawings, the book’s narrative culminates in the middle part and comes to a conclusion with a series of sketches evoking progressively the sense of being the witness of a highly aesthetic, but bizarre scientific experiment. [ Continue reading ]
We are avid fans of independent magazines and even collected first editions of every magazine we could get our hands on at one point. Therefore we support any significant stage that is given to the beautiful printed products. The largest stage for indie magazines in Europe is Facing Pages: a biennale in the Dutch city of Arnhem celebrating every aspect of the independent magazine, of which the third installment will start the 28th of March. During the festival the city centre of the city, known for its fashion academy, will be transformed into a free haven for magazine makers and lovers. In this year's edition with the theme 'Make magazines not War', a great selection of interesting individuals will participate, focussing on the power of magazines to be a tool for change. Among them are Patrick Waterhouse, creative director at COLORS Magazine, Matthew Holroyd and Jonathan Baron of the beautiful Baron Magazine, Rachel Maria Taylor and Jody Daunton of Another Escape, Francesco Franchi the writer of 'Designing News' and from the Netherlands: Jeroen Boot of Soigneur. [ Continue reading ]
We love this extraordinary collaboration between two of our favorite Japanse companies Midori and Takeo Paper, in which they experiment with the product of paper in a beautifully manner, both print-wise and in the use of unique sorts of paper. Under the name 'Card Labo' the two Japanese companies have pledged to work together and create beautiful new products combining their individual specialties. The first set of products is a wonderful start. Designed in an 'Encyclopedia' format in which various printing processes were put to use, four series of four greeting cards with each a different theme were developed, truly engaging the senses. [ Continue reading ]
Octaevo is a new stationery and miscellanea company of our utmost liking, based in Mediterranean Barcelona. The brainchild of Zurich-born Marcel Baer happened by coincidence; "and it felt right, because it felt like home." As an independent Art Director and Graphic Designer Baer had always loved the romance stationery evokes through its permanent nature and historic appeal. With an inherited passion for the sea, history, traveling and the Mediterranean, possibly from his Spanish grandmother, Baer wanted to create a new kind of stationery that combined all the elements which inspired him. With his products Octaevo aims at explorers, collectors and dreamers as he is just that himself. All the pieces are made to be held close and built to last, produced exclusively with regional partners and support artisan workshops. Through these collaborations with inspiring creatives, Octaevo has the ambition to form a platform to showcase Mediterranean talent. [ Continue reading ]
The Latvian photographer Inta Ruka is famous for her portrait photography. She has portrayed fellow human beings in their daily lives throughout her career, with great honesty and curiosity. The background to her intimate imagery are long conversations she has beforehand with her subjects, helping her to convey "the whole picture." She also complements her photographs with texts; anecdotes, comments, stories from their calls. That way she pushes the idea of the limits of the photograph and what can be included in a photographic work. The text helps to capture the whole picture of the people she meets and portrays. Following Inta Ruka's exhibition 'You and Me' at the Stockholm-based Fotografiska, which took place from the 5th of October until the 8th of December 2013, and in her honor, the book The Bigger Picture: A Photo Book Without Pictures was published. A highly fascinating publication carrying just Inta Ruka texts written for her photographs, without the actual images. The ambition behind this fascinating project is to challenge the reader with the question what the intrinsic qualities of photography are. [ Continue reading ]
On the 31st of March a tremendous collection of photographs by famous English photographer Derek Ridgers will be published by Damiani. Taken in the streets, clubs, basements and bars of London between 1978 and 1987, the photographs in the book named 78–87 London Youth show a broad scala of youth cultures caught through Ridgers' lens. The photographer has documented the perennial youth ritual of dressing up and going out since he first picked up a camera in 1971, and has been drawn to virtually every subculture London has produced. His photographs capture punk’s evolution into goth, the skinhead revival and the New Romantic scene, and the eventual emergence of Acid House and the new psychedelia. Ridgers’ work is both from a anthropological viewpoint, as style-wise of the highest standard. Next to the excellent work of the photographer a foreword by John Maybury is featured in the book, who himself was a mainstay of the times the book documents. [ Continue reading ]
The Alpine Review is an outstanding Montréal-based magazine which Tyler Brûlé: "wants to save for the weekend to enjoy, to spend time with it." This truly sums up the impressive magazine which was founded by Louis-Jacques Darveau and Patrick Tanguay in 2012. The publication can be seen as a comprehensive publication that tracks changes in thought, systems and creations around the world in a variety of disciplines ranging from tech to agriculture, design to anthropology. The team behind the publication is multidisciplinary, working with a clear focus within the context of the well-designed fundament of the publication, making The Alpine Review a true compendium of ideas for a world in transition. [ Continue reading ]
On the 17th of February of this year a promising new Swedish magazine called Dogme Magazine will premiere; Stockholm and New York-based Libraryman's first publication. The magazine was created, inspired by the fact that a lens transmits and refracts light, but at the same time also often is used to focus light. Dogme intends to take a closer look through the creative lens of film, fashion, and photography, presenting lucid portraits of their favorite creative subjects. The features promise to be original conversations with industry and non-industry alike, plus portraits and scenarios one might not see otherwise. The magazine will be published irregularly, which points at the intention to produce quality rather then quantity. [ Continue reading ]
Métier, Small Businesses in London is a lovely book by photographer Laura Braun published through her own Paper Tiger Books, about London-based small-scale independent and specialist businesses and the people who run them. In a time when the high streets of London are taking on a more and more corporate character, this book offers an unusual and interesting perspective on the city and an insight into the working lives of people who strongly identify with their occupation. In total Laura has photographed 26 people and their places of work, accompanied by a short text about each person and business and an afterword by sociologist Dawn Lyon. [ Continue reading ]
Last month the third edition of MADE Quarterly was released, and once again graphic designer Thomas Williams and his partner, creative consultant Amber Hourigan, delivered an aesthetic and interesting overview of creative individuals from all over the world. This edition features work from: the always impressive Jean-Philippe Delhomme from France, Snickeriet from Sweden, Josh Oldenburg, Thaddeus Wolfe, Fort Standard, and NADAAA from the United States, Our/Vodka and Lars Focke from Germany, Crumpler from Australia and an essay by Magnus Schifter-Holm, who's also from the Unites States. The cover photograph was shot by Australian contributor Michele Aboud. [ Continue reading ]
Alquimie is a beautiful quarterly publication, which debuted in September of this year, that contemplates alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks; their origins and stories. Each edition explores wine, beer, spirits and coffee and extends to anything drinkable; tea, juices, water and beyond. With a combination of wine, photographic and design experience respectively, the publication was founded by four friends; Josh, James, Nic and Raul. The personal experience of the owners is complimentary, as to create a result that is mightier than the sum of its parts. [ Continue reading ]
We love the latest additions to the beautiful collection of Lisbon-based Serrote. Expanding their horizon beyond just notebooks, the company introduces Crate Serrote: a wooden crate filled with ten blue and white products by Portuguese manufactures, especially made for this box. Included in the box, but also available separately, Serrote also introduces a new notebook and a new notepad. The Starry Notebook is a notebook for those who like to watch the movement of the stars and draw lines in the sky. And the Celestial Notepad is a notepad with 144 pages of four different tones, interleaved with each other, which reproduces the colors of the sky. [ Continue reading ]
