Federico Multilingual OT

This font is based on the quill pen strokes of the Spanish poet and playwright, Federico Garcia Lorca. Designed by Russian type designer Olga Umpeleva in 2007, it was released by Paratype in 2008.

Barack Obama

In celebration of the arrival at the Whitehouse of Mr Obama, here is my favourite Obama based print (from the vast sea of designs produced in the run up to this day). It's by Ron English and is a mash-up of Obama and Lincoln. Quite apt also, as Obama was sworn in using the same bible as Lincoln and it's the first time that bible's been used since Lincoln was sworn into office.

I Love Desks - Part 2. Minimal Desk

I can't put it into words, but I know I want one of these Milk desks, designed by Soren Rose. They're perfect. I want two. No, I want to buy a bigger studio so I can have seven of them.

I Love Desks - Part 1. Geek Desk

Han In Carbonite Desk... I know, alright. I know.
But I love it.

Martin Creed

Martin Creed - Work No. 786 - 2007 - 1/4" Plywood. I love art and I'm not a prude about it. I kind of buy into the whole 'it's art cos I say it's art' attitude. And I love plywood as much as the next man. No. Actually, more than the next man. In fact I have a slightly unhealthy obsession with the stuff. I used 1/4" ply (6mm to us) to cover my kitchen cupboards at my last place, with two sheets of 18 mil. ply laminated together to make the work surface. I've generally used 18 mil. ply (Latvian Birch Ply, to be precise) for more things than I maybe should have. The first birthday gift I gave my girlfriend 6 years ago, for her 21st birthday no less, was presented in a small box I made from 18 mil. ply. Now that had a snug fitting lid (she still has it today and I'm still in awe of it. And she's now my fiancé so something went right). With all that in mind, here's 's "Work No. 786". Is it art, or just a stack of ply. I'll leave you to scream in disagreement at one another, but also check "Work No. 571" from 2006, which is another stack of plywood (Martin's made a few). Or maybe "Work No. 600" from the same year, which looks terribly much like he's made a film of a girl having a poo.

NASA - Money

Susanna Hertrich

Susanna Hertrich has design this working prototype of a calendar that shreds each day. It takes 24 hours for it to shred one day and doesn't have an off button so never stops, leaving you to simply contemplate your days and "...as the seconds pass by, the tattered remains of the past pile up under the device."

John Wringe

John Wringe is a thoroughly nice and very talented advertising and marketing chap. We worked with him recently on Winergy and, after knowing him since I was in short trousers, I can't believe I've only just found out something about him.

Barry Norman (yes, of "Film 80-something-or-other" fame) says John is "...very possibly the world’s leading aficionado of pickled onions."

I hope someone says something like that about me one day.

Sarah Magazine

Almost a hundred artists from around the globe have submitted artwork for inclusion in Sarah Magazine. It's on sale for 15 Euros and all proceeds go towards paying for a cochlear implant for Sarah, a 23 year old girl from Antwerp.

Her myspace site says:

"Sarah was born almost deaf and recently got a cochlear implant in her right ear, which helps her hear sounds she never realized existed. The second implant in her left ear has been scheduled for 2009, but since medical insurance will only cover one operation, she'll have to pay the full 25,000 Euro bill all by herself... To help her out, 100 artists join forces to realize a publication and donate the full proceeds to her operation."

Glue Society

It's from ages ago, but I spotted this entry to Sculpture by the Sea by The Glue Society. It's from back in 2006 but I'm not ageist and besides, I love it. It's called "Hot with a Chance of a Late Storm" and is made from polystyrene and urethane and it's a fair size. Check out their website, they have the equally brilliant acts of God captured by satellite imagery which have to be seen.

Dead good sofas

I love these sofas made from recycled coffins. Unused, 18 gauge steel coffins, to be precise. These guys at Coffin Couches collect them from local funeral homes, mainly in Southern California. I don't know if I'd dare to lie down on one.

I want to be a Jellymonger

Just found these guys, Bompas & Parr, who are Sam Bompas & Harry Parr and are jellymongers - curating jelly events and designing bespoke jelly moulds and other wobbly activities for clients like Habitat, Innocent and the V&A. And they even do glow in the dark jelly. There's not many things I see and really want to do, but this is definitely one of them.

Jeff Soto at RAM

Hailing from California, I love Jeff Soto's striking work. The Turning In Circles exhibition at the Riverside Art Museum in California runs til 21st Feb 09.

Pete Fowler Lino Prints

After the sale of artist's proofs of four lino cut designs like "Skullscillator" pictured above, the next lino print by Pete Fowler is a "...Little Bittern/Human mutant playing the soprano uke..."

The inside track from Pete is he'll probably release something like a limited run of around 30 prints, so keep your eyes peeled and snap one up quick sharp when they're released.

Oh, and in case you've not seen it, here's a Pete Fowler animation from 2007.

First Day Back

First day back after the new year is normally a shock to the system, but I've had a pretty calm Christmas break as we (almost) completely closed for the festive period. The result? An enthusiastic start to the next year of Trap 5, with a lot of good stuff planned for 09.

It's snowing outside but I'm happy working (although the lure of catching snowflakes on my tongue is pretty strong). If you haven't tried doing that since you were five years old, you really need to.

New years resolutions are to be more organised. To back up my work more often. To be more organised with how I back up my work (spent a lot of time over Christmas trying to rid my various drives of duplicate files and I just don't trust Time Machine yet). To keep on top of my finances better. To keep running. To cook more. To cook more varied dishes than cheese on toast. To drink less tea. To drink more water. To clean my teeth more thoroughly. And the staple NYR in most people's arsenal... To stick to the NYRs for more than a week. Oh, and to be more optimistic.

Work wise, we've uploaded our little YouTube animation for Winergy Equilibrium, which was great fun. If you own a horse, you have to feed them this stuff - it's catered specifically for your kind of horse and they love it. It's just a bit like eating a weird cereal and a fistful of hay. Apparently.

I'm off to drink tea and eat cheese on toast while randomly backing up some files into the first TO SORT OUT folder of 2009... Happy New Year.