Socal Friends in the City
I had some friends visit from Socal this past weekend. It was three days of tame revelry in the City with little sleep but plenty of food, laughs and drinks. Kiara, thanks for visiting and bringing your (security) crew. Terry, thanks for letting me crash at your place for two nights. It was a good weekend. We must do it again soon.
Spring Cleaning
I bought two rad t-shirts recently. The left is from the online ISO50 store and the right from SFO Snowboarding on Haight in San Francisco.
When it’s springtime in California, it’s also spring cleaning and I’ve decided to clean my closet of old clothes to fit new ones. I’m donating everything that no longer fits. But more importantly, I’m donating everything that has been stashed in the back of my closet for more than a year. It’s the ugly stuff I wish I had never bought. We all know the feeling of buying something that got ugly the moment you brought it home. I know the feeling well.
Spring cleaning has always been a good exercise for me. Rummaging through old clothes is like going through old photos. You’re reminded of old memories, old identities, old perspectives and habits. You see how far you’ve come and how you and things have changed. My dad likes to remind me that in one season of my life, I had clothes in all sizes from small to extra-large. I blame the extra-large sizes on those rap days in junior high when Warren G was blaring in school. The smalls I blame on being too optimistic about fitting into sale items. It’s nice to be reminded of the past but I’m glad some seasons have passed. Some clothes just should never be bought.
After a night of cleaning, the closet’s half empty now and it’s a good feeling. Thank God the ugly stuff is finally going away.
Eduardo Srur + Urban Interventions
I thank my sister for linking me to this man’s work. Eduardo Srur is an artist from Sao Paulo, Brazil. In the last four years, he has used his art background to create what he calls urban interventions to make statements about issues such as pollution and the importance of preserving history. The photograph above shows one of his projects along the Tiete River.
The art pieces are amazing (most of them scattered around different cities in the world including Sao Paulo) and the photography on his website is phenomenal. I recommend taking a look at all his work from 2007. The man’s a creative heavyweight. You can also find him linked on Josh Spear.
Design Observer: Would it kill you to smile?
I’ve read many good articles on Design Observer but this one, Would it kill you to smile? by Michael Beirut, might be my favorite. It’s definitely one of the funnier ones.
Michael writes about his discovery of bershon. I won’t write too much about it since you should read the article in its entirety. But the definition he finds for bershon goes like this:
The spirit of bershon is pretty much how you feel when you’re 13 and your parents make you wear a Christmas sweatshirt and then pose for a family picture, and you could not possibly summon one more ounce of disgust, but you’re also way too cool to really even DEAL with it, so you just make this face like you smelled something bad and sort of roll your eyes and seethe in a put-out manner.
Read the article. You’ll love it. [Link to article]
RVCA + Artists
RVCA is one of those brands that I always knew of by name but never thought to read about. I visited their store in Haight & Ashbury this past weekend (first time mind you) and I was impressed with the brand’s history and in particular, its collaborations with artists (not to forget that their styles and clothing designs also rocked). I liked the SF store a lot. It was well-designed with nice photographs everywhere. But the kicker was the art gallery at the back of the store. Most brands these days collaborate on some level with artists but I hadn’t seen a company like RVCA where collaboration is such an integral part of their brand vision. I think it’s cool.
The brand was founded by PM Tenore, described by many as a visionary, albeit an elusive one. His intentions for RVCA’s Artist Network Program were clear, “to create a platform for RVCA which combines art, music, fashion and a modern lifestyle in an original way.” I think the SF store is a good example of this melding of subcultures. And it’s a beautiful thing to behold.
Check out their clothes if you get a chance and then check the artists they collaborate with. There’s some good work there. Here’s a link to their art gallery if you’re interested in checking it one day.
Hallelujah for Prints
My two ISO50 posters came in today. Time to shop for frames. Since the summer, I’ve been working on redecorating my room. I’m putting up some of my favorite posters and prints. Lots of black and whites. My goal is to convert the room into a refuge and studio. I’ll have some pictures once it’s complete.
By the way, know any graphic artists? I’m looking for a killer designer to watermark Old Armstrong.
Weekend in San Francisco
I fought the 600lb Monday gorilla today at work thanks to a very fun and tiring weekend in the City. They say friends (old and new) are good for the soul and I couldn’t agree more. I met some awesome people this weekend and I’m looking forward to more good times. Kiara, it was good. Andrea, come back and visit again.
The winners this weekend: Brasil do Canto, the Irish Bank, Haight and Ashbury, and the Cobalt Season, an Indie band here in San Francisco who just released their new CD, “Fragile Iconoclast“. I’m a fan. Pictures of their party (and the weekend) to come as soon as I get my four rolls of film developed.
I’m off to grab dinner and then catch up on some much needed sleep. Congrats to my friend Terry with his new job. I am jealous of your sweet new commute.