This thoughtfully designed project was commissioned to raise awareness around a recycling crisis in Australia. Read more here.
Jumpsuit - Band
Our good friends Nathan and Matthew Tolzmann (and Andrea, wife of Matthew) moved to Chicago years ago and among other things, started (or maybe continued) their band Jumpsuit (not with Andrea, but with their friend Grant). Nathan did the album cover artwork below and here’s a video (Chic-A-Go-Go) from an all ages cable access show - look for Batman.
Seattle Public Library - by OMA + LMN architects
Architecturally, one of the more stand-out new libraries in the country. It seems to represent the modern house of information. Read more here.
Solar Decathlon - Competition
The Solar Decathlon is a great idea for an architectural/engineering competition. Ten U.S. colleges/universities participate and have a year to conceive of and execute a zero energy house. Each project needs to be transported to and assembled on the mall in D.C. and awards are given out in various categories. Read more here.
p.s. There is also now an international competition.
Jennifer Siegal - Architect
I’m inspired by Jennifer Siegal’s organic re-use of materials with the blank canvas of an addition as backdrop. Check out more of her work here.
FormCard - moldable bio-plastic
My wife, Emily, got me this as a gift and I’ve mainly used it to wrap the weak-spot on cell phone charger cables…works like a charm. Here’s their short kickstarter video.
Movie Crush - Podcast
I’ve really been enjoying this podcast. One person is interviewed about a movie they love, host Chuck Bryant watches it and interesting conversation/analysis ensues. Listen here.
HyperLoop
Essentially, HyperLoop is a train in a tube that can go 600mph. Testing has begun and the plan would be to use this first for moving freight, then advance to moving people from city to city. Currently, it takes roughly 2hrs. to drive from Denver to Vail - HyperLoop would do it in 9mins. Read more here.
MoMA P.S. 1 - NYC
Modern experimental art and architecture venue. See more about this project by Pedro & Juana here.
Alexander Calder - Artist
Calder introduced movement into sculpture, and…some might argue, changed it forever. Love how his sense of proportion, form and the relationships between materials are so singularly identifiable as Calder-esque.
TED Talks
Here’s a TED Talk I’ve been referencing lately about how design matters.
Amy Hempel - Writer
Amy Hempel is one of those writers that understands how to structure her writing sparingly but with great power. Here’s a 3min. video of her reading two of her short stories.
Terry Gilliam - Director
Gilliam was the only american member of Monty Python (until he renounced his american citizenship in the 60’s). He primarily creating the absurd graphics for the show but eventually became a cast member. His films include - Brazil (shown below w/Gilliam or the right), Time Bandits, 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, etc. Love is dark sense of humor and inventiveness.
Thomas Jefferson - Architect
TJ was not only the architect of the Declaration of Independence but designed some lasting works, including the University of Virginia, Charlottesville campus. Read an interesting NYTimes piece here.
Big Blue Bear - Lawrence Argent
The scale of the bear with the size of Denver’s Convention Center feels just right. Read more about Lawrence Argent here.
Ironton Studios & Gallery
This is one of our favorite places in Denver to see art and go to openings. Love the outdoor spaces. See more about Ironton here.
Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Our family just spent a lovely week in Maryland with lots of family. We went over the Bay Bridge a couple of times. Here’s a little of it’s history.
Leo Tanguma - Muralist
I was fortunate to get to work with Leo in the early 90’s, he was a great teacher and artist. See some of his works here.
Vivian Maier - Photographer (Feb. 1, 1926 – Apr. 21, 2009)
Maier was an American photographer. She worked for about forty years as nanny, mostly in Chicago, pursuing photography during her spare time. She took more than 150,000 photographs, primarily of the people and architecture of Chicago, NYC, and LA.
Maier's photographs were unknown and unpublished during her life. A Chicago collector acquired some of her photos in 2007, while two other Chicago-based collectors also found some of Maier's prints and negatives in her boxes and suitcases around the same time. Maier's photographs were first published on the Internet in July 2008 but the work received little response. In October 2009, Maier's photographs were posted on Flickr, and went viral, with thousands of people expressing interest. Her work subsequently attracted critical acclaim, and have been exhibited around the world. See more of her photographs here.
David Byrne - Musician
Talking Heads ’77 and Stop Making Sense (Live Album) were big albums for me. I listened to them endlessly in HS/college and on a bike trip thru the mid-west in my early 20’s. Byrne could do it all, punk, new wave, pop, world music, etc. Love his influence on music. Listen here to Don’t Worry About the Gov’t (a track from Talking Heads ‘77.
