Thursday, May 31, 2012

Queen for a day




Between the optimist and the pessimist, the difference is droll. 
The optimist sees the donut; the pessimist the hole! 

 — Oscar Wilde











Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Better than








Writer-director Preston Sturges on box-office appeal:



   A pretty girl is better than an ugly one.

A leg is better than an arm.

A bedroom is better than a living room.

An arrival is better than a departure.

A birth is better than a death.

A chase is better than a chat.

A kitten is better than a dog.

A baby is better than a kitten.

A kiss is better than a baby.

A pratfall is better than anything.





Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Ghibli set




Hayao Miyazaki films imagined as Penguin classic book covers 











A set of nine postcards by Jason K of 84/5 Studio is available for purchase



Monday, May 28, 2012

Beneath the waves




Sharks,


mermaids,



and octopus



oh my!



Sunday, May 27, 2012

Love track




The Vogue Records label produced less than 75 double-sided 78rpm discs in their single year of operation. The records were notable for having embedded artwork in the vinyl on both sides, illustrating the tile of the song. The company went bust, but their records remain highly collectible.











Saturday, May 26, 2012

Nothing in his pockets




Cool,funny, cerebral, sardonic, provocative John Baldessari 




 Text + film stills + dots + kissing + hats + subversion = no more boring art


 


Thursday, May 24, 2012

Provocateur




The Esquire Magazine covers by legendary art director George Lois chronicled the turbulent sixties with distinctly powerful imagery. His bravado, humor and brilliant concepts challenged the status quo of magazine design and changed the ways and means of the world of communication. The Museum of Modern Art has a collection of his Esquire covers in their permanent collection.



Seven months after the assassination of President Kennedy, tears for a murdered leader and his legacy (June 1964)


Stripped of his title after refusing to go to war in Viet Nam, Muhammed Ali as martyred St. Sebastian (April 1968)


Ursula Andress strikes a pose as a modern, battered woman (July 1967)



Andy Warhol drowns in his iconic soup (May 1969)



Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Art of rocket science






In the 1960's, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration teamed with the National Gallery of Art creating a program that commissioned artists to visit NASA facilities to draw and paint freely, to record the strange new world of space technology.



Photographers Shoot Apollo 17 (1972) 
Nicholas Solovioff


Firing Room (launch control) 
James Wyeth


Lunar Confrontation 
Robert Shore



The Last Launch Daylight Launch of a Manned Apollo (1972) 
Chet Jezierski



Images from The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum



Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Soft cover










Gouache portraits of paperback friends by Richard Baker


Monday, May 21, 2012

Light meal










Latex balloons, fashioned to resemble cuts of meat, created
by Object Design League (ODL), a contemporary design group in Chicago.

Handmade and hand-painted, taking about 3 hours each to complete, the balloons were made for a featured New York event at Japan Premium Beef. Sadly for the rest of us, these inflatable steaks are not available for purchase. 



Saturday, May 19, 2012

Proudly and prettily




Once hired, a new Bunny received two costumes, ears, collar and cuffs, bow tie, cufflinks, 
a Bunny tail, flashlite, and the official Bunny manual. 



(Photo, manual circa 1968)















Friday, May 18, 2012

50's modern




The striking mid-century home of Bob and Helen Parr









From Pixar's The Incredibles (2004)




Thursday, May 17, 2012

Saying Grace










Grace Kelly poses with an upright piano, wearing the photographer's suede jacket. At the tender age of 23, she has not yet won an Oscar, or the heart of Prince Ranier III, but appears golden just the same.
Photos by Milton Greene.


Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Signature wit





I'm not a big fan of wallpaper, but Maharam has some lovely choices.






Design: Maira Kalman, On This Day





Design: Christopher Daniels, People Doing Different Things



Monday, May 14, 2012

That's a keeper






If you are planning a trip to California's Napa Valley, you can expect great restaurants, gorgeous scenery and charming hotels. Should you visit Francis Ford Coppola's winery, you can dine in his restaurant 'Rustica', enjoy swimming in his lush pool, and peruse his impressive collection of movie memorabilia at his gallery.






List of possibilities for the cast of The Godfather
(Laurence Olivier as Don Corleone?! John Saxon as Sonny Corleone?!)



Costumes by the great Eiko Ishioka for the 1992 film Dracula




The 1948 Tucker Sedan from the 1988 film Tucker: The Man and His Dream