When it comes to stocking your desk, what's your go-to splurge or must-have?
[photo via Carrier and Company.]
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Office Space
I'm an office supply junkie that likes to hoard the good stuff. For six years, I've held onto four never-before-seen paperclips that came off a Lucky magazine press kit. [They're from Kinokuniya Book Store in Rockefeller Center and I should have purchased a lifetime supply, darn hindsight.] When I learned of our move to Asia Pacific, one of my first thoughts included visions of bookstores brimming with industrial, utilitarian, non-plastic supplies. I'm now on a mad hunt.
When it comes to stocking your desk, what's your go-to splurge or must-have?
[photo via Carrier and Company.]
When it comes to stocking your desk, what's your go-to splurge or must-have?
[photo via Carrier and Company.]
In a Constant State
There's no denying the consistency of Kate Spade's branding. Whether mixing patterns or taking a graphic approach, their identity remains cohesive season after season. I love when a company is so sure of itself.
Then:
Now:
Then:
Now:
Out of Sight
Listening to this Brett Dennen song, I couldn't help but think how in tune it is to yesterday's post.
"It is our routines and our comforts that allow us to ignore social issues. For some of us, it is our privilege to be ignorant. This video tells the story of social issues challenging our privileges and entering our routines making them impossible to ignore. Social injustice cannot be ignored when you are forced to deal with them."
- Brett Dennen
"It is our routines and our comforts that allow us to ignore social issues. For some of us, it is our privilege to be ignorant. This video tells the story of social issues challenging our privileges and entering our routines making them impossible to ignore. Social injustice cannot be ignored when you are forced to deal with them."
- Brett Dennen
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
New York Profile: Will Steacy
This certainly isn't my first introduction to photographer Will Steacy, but it's by far my favorite. He's raw, uncensored and real, and Will's latest work, Down These Mean Streets, documents the gut-wrenching sights he witnessed during midnight strolls through America's inner cities. Armed with nothing more than his large format view camera [the kind where you get under a dark cloth] and a wrench for protection, Will walked from the airport to the central business district of each city capturing what's alive on the streets as we're comfortably asleep. And not only does Will take incredible photos, but he's quite the storyteller as well...
What's the history behind "Down These Mean Streets?"
When I was a kid my father and I on the weekends would spend days wandering railroad tracks. We didn't talk much. But we would walk together, waiting for a train to come, or discovering something on our journey. These walks meant a great deal to me and at times I suppose my father and I were both alone within ourselves, lost in thought or some day dream. For my senior thesis at NYU I was going to walk the railroad tracks from New York to Philadelphia and back, photographing my journeys. I didn't end up doing it, but it's a project I never forgot and gave way to other ideas which are connected to this work. In many ways I feel as though my work is all the same, it is one long journey in which the ashes of one project give birth to new ideas and the next project. All of my past work influences my current work. I am who I am and I see and react to my environment in the only way I know how. My photographs are a record of these experiences and interactions. I have lived in cities all my life and growing up in a city I have always had the most direct experiences with inner city life and those experiences at a young age had a great impact on me. While they hurt and frightened me as a boy, they also taught me very early on the order of things, the social dichotomy of the inner city.
What's the history behind "Down These Mean Streets?"
When I was a kid my father and I on the weekends would spend days wandering railroad tracks. We didn't talk much. But we would walk together, waiting for a train to come, or discovering something on our journey. These walks meant a great deal to me and at times I suppose my father and I were both alone within ourselves, lost in thought or some day dream. For my senior thesis at NYU I was going to walk the railroad tracks from New York to Philadelphia and back, photographing my journeys. I didn't end up doing it, but it's a project I never forgot and gave way to other ideas which are connected to this work. In many ways I feel as though my work is all the same, it is one long journey in which the ashes of one project give birth to new ideas and the next project. All of my past work influences my current work. I am who I am and I see and react to my environment in the only way I know how. My photographs are a record of these experiences and interactions. I have lived in cities all my life and growing up in a city I have always had the most direct experiences with inner city life and those experiences at a young age had a great impact on me. While they hurt and frightened me as a boy, they also taught me very early on the order of things, the social dichotomy of the inner city.
What cities did you tour?
• Queens/Brooklyn
• Chicago
• Philadelphia
• Atlantic City
• Los Angeles
• Detroit
And over the summer I plan on checking out Newark and St. Louis. There are many cities I would like to do and for every project I work on, I am never satisfied and want to keep working, but I must stop myself and move on to the next project.
I would like to return to Detroit. The devastation in Detroit at times reminded me of a post Katrina New Orleans. Detroit is in great need of many things and it perhaps has fallen harder and quicker than most cities since the deindustrialization of America. But with that said, Detroit can also be a model. This is such a crucial time for Detroit and many other cities in America. I mean right now, things can get either a whole lot worse or they shift gears and begin re-invention. I think Detroit is important not just in terms of preventative measures and new ways of urban planning/renewal but as a leader of revitalization for cities with the environment as a major factor. I wonder as the auto industry shifts gears towards new environmentally aware designs and manufacturing how this might create jobs, how will this impact the local economy, what can the city of Detroit gain by keeping a progressive mind and eye toward the future, how can the same leadership and forward thinking that put the Big 3 auto makers on the map and a once thriving middle class be applied to environmental action in many other aspects of city living/urban planing. America has become a consumer, a country of importers, can we change this?
What hours did you work?
I have shots from all hours of the night, they range from sunset to sunrise and all the good stuff in between. There are two parts of the night, before midnight and after midnight; I enjoy both. After midnight though things get better, the people become a little bit questionable, the stakes rise and there is this silence and stillness of the city night that just feels amazing. At times I have felt like the city is mine and I have the most romantic and thrilling time just wandering around by myself discovering things. It's just me and the city streets.
• Queens/Brooklyn
• Chicago
• Philadelphia
• Atlantic City
• Los Angeles
• Detroit
And over the summer I plan on checking out Newark and St. Louis. There are many cities I would like to do and for every project I work on, I am never satisfied and want to keep working, but I must stop myself and move on to the next project.
I would like to return to Detroit. The devastation in Detroit at times reminded me of a post Katrina New Orleans. Detroit is in great need of many things and it perhaps has fallen harder and quicker than most cities since the deindustrialization of America. But with that said, Detroit can also be a model. This is such a crucial time for Detroit and many other cities in America. I mean right now, things can get either a whole lot worse or they shift gears and begin re-invention. I think Detroit is important not just in terms of preventative measures and new ways of urban planning/renewal but as a leader of revitalization for cities with the environment as a major factor. I wonder as the auto industry shifts gears towards new environmentally aware designs and manufacturing how this might create jobs, how will this impact the local economy, what can the city of Detroit gain by keeping a progressive mind and eye toward the future, how can the same leadership and forward thinking that put the Big 3 auto makers on the map and a once thriving middle class be applied to environmental action in many other aspects of city living/urban planing. America has become a consumer, a country of importers, can we change this?
What hours did you work?
I have shots from all hours of the night, they range from sunset to sunrise and all the good stuff in between. There are two parts of the night, before midnight and after midnight; I enjoy both. After midnight though things get better, the people become a little bit questionable, the stakes rise and there is this silence and stillness of the city night that just feels amazing. At times I have felt like the city is mine and I have the most romantic and thrilling time just wandering around by myself discovering things. It's just me and the city streets.
How would you describe your sentiment on the streets?
Oh man, I could chew your ear about this. Of course there is an element of fear and if you asked me a year or two ago what one of my greatest fears are, one of them would probably be walking through the inner cities at night by myself. But a lot of the picture taking process for me is pushing the absolute limits and often times most of those limits are my own—my own fears, breaking my own boundaries and challenging myself. If you don't push the limits and take a risk, then you are not living. Our experiences are what define us, particularly our failures and fuck ups. Those ultimately help us better understand ourselves and who we are on this Earth. That to me is one of the great things about art, it allows us to understand a little bit better the human condition and make sense of our environment.
Oh man, I could chew your ear about this. Of course there is an element of fear and if you asked me a year or two ago what one of my greatest fears are, one of them would probably be walking through the inner cities at night by myself. But a lot of the picture taking process for me is pushing the absolute limits and often times most of those limits are my own—my own fears, breaking my own boundaries and challenging myself. If you don't push the limits and take a risk, then you are not living. Our experiences are what define us, particularly our failures and fuck ups. Those ultimately help us better understand ourselves and who we are on this Earth. That to me is one of the great things about art, it allows us to understand a little bit better the human condition and make sense of our environment.
Scariest stop? Most vivid memory?
Detroit and Baltimore are the toughest cities I encountered in all of my travels. I want to say Philly is up there, but I'm biased because I am from there. In Detroit there were so many abandoned buildings and walking around at night I kept seeing people dashing in and out of the shadows, in and out of these buildings and homes, and that definitely kept me on my toes. In each city I have been, I've experienced and witnessed some scary things. In Atlantic City I saw a body seconds after a man leaped from a parking garage, in Chicago on one corner people breaking into a car while on the other side a man was passed out in front of a corner bodega as bored wild teenagers kept running in and out of the store, each time leaping over him. Right after I passed them, a guy walked very quickly towards that corner with a gun in his hand. I dont know, after a while it becomes a blur. The night is filled with desperate and lonely creatures, sometimes I have had interactions with people who at first I was nervous when they came up to me and they definitely were people who if I didnt have this big heavy camera set up taking a ten minute exposure I probably would put my head down and keep walking not wanting any trouble, but really people are people and sometimes people are curious and just want to talk. Or, on second thought as I write this, perhaps I am an easy target and people know if they shoot the shit for a couple minutes they can probably loosen me up and get a couple bucks or the change in my pocket for a good story or something. There is always some kind of tax that needs to be paid and one must always respect that, this is America after all.
Favorite character along the way?
Sammy, who I met in Atlantic City on the boardwalk. He was singing over the instrumentals of some of my favorite blues songs. We got to talking about cameras and some of his equipment, which you can kinda make out in the photograph. We spoke for an hour trading stories about fighting and musicians and places we have been. Sammy did most of the talking and he had some great stories at first. Like how his father used to spar with Joe Louis and how he taught him as a boy to fight south paw and how through the years he always won his fights by switching to lefty in the middle of a fight. And about the time he performed at the Apollo in Harlem. But then the stories began to repeat in one form or another, but this time more exaggerated and impressive. His hat collection went from 59 hats to 110 hats, one time he beat up 7 guys at once and another time it was 29 guys. I began to question everything Sammy had told me and thought about the different realities that Sammy and I lived in. I thought about his world, a world in which people pass by you all day either ashamed and uncomfotable and throw a quarter into your change cup or look the other way in disgust. I thought about a world in which you are the lowest rank in society, people don't want you near their businesses, in front of their stores, in their bus stations, on their subways, or to even look at you and what that world must be like. And I decided in that reality sometimes exact numbers don't matter so much. What matters is what keeps you alive, what gives you hope and inspiration, what you dream about. And in a place where one is sleeping on the streets and begging for their next meal, what is real in a world that is already unreal? When I look at this picture I imagine Sammy singing those songs as if he had written them and lived them, and I kinda think that his life wasn't far off from those songs and maybe this homeless guy on the boardwalk wailing his heart out is really just telling us his story
I love that you send copies of your work to the people you've photographed...
I am still in the process of printing this work, but yes when I take someone's picture I always get their address and mail them a print. Sometimes people don't have an address and they give me a friends, brothers or whatever and I hope that some of my subjects at some point get to see their photograph. Atlantic City is somewhere I go to a lot in the summers and I hope to find Sammy there still wailing his heart out. I look forward to being able to give him a photograph. I think most photographers do the best they can at keeping in touch with their subjects and showing them the work. That is such a rewarding part of it, the photograph is a record of that experience they both shared, and there is always a beginning and end of that photo. I think the photo is usually the middle of it.
Favorite character along the way? Sammy, who I met in Atlantic City on the boardwalk. He was singing over the instrumentals of some of my favorite blues songs. We got to talking about cameras and some of his equipment, which you can kinda make out in the photograph. We spoke for an hour trading stories about fighting and musicians and places we have been. Sammy did most of the talking and he had some great stories at first. Like how his father used to spar with Joe Louis and how he taught him as a boy to fight south paw and how through the years he always won his fights by switching to lefty in the middle of a fight. And about the time he performed at the Apollo in Harlem. But then the stories began to repeat in one form or another, but this time more exaggerated and impressive. His hat collection went from 59 hats to 110 hats, one time he beat up 7 guys at once and another time it was 29 guys. I began to question everything Sammy had told me and thought about the different realities that Sammy and I lived in. I thought about his world, a world in which people pass by you all day either ashamed and uncomfotable and throw a quarter into your change cup or look the other way in disgust. I thought about a world in which you are the lowest rank in society, people don't want you near their businesses, in front of their stores, in their bus stations, on their subways, or to even look at you and what that world must be like. And I decided in that reality sometimes exact numbers don't matter so much. What matters is what keeps you alive, what gives you hope and inspiration, what you dream about. And in a place where one is sleeping on the streets and begging for their next meal, what is real in a world that is already unreal? When I look at this picture I imagine Sammy singing those songs as if he had written them and lived them, and I kinda think that his life wasn't far off from those songs and maybe this homeless guy on the boardwalk wailing his heart out is really just telling us his story
I love that you send copies of your work to the people you've photographed...
I am still in the process of printing this work, but yes when I take someone's picture I always get their address and mail them a print. Sometimes people don't have an address and they give me a friends, brothers or whatever and I hope that some of my subjects at some point get to see their photograph. Atlantic City is somewhere I go to a lot in the summers and I hope to find Sammy there still wailing his heart out. I look forward to being able to give him a photograph. I think most photographers do the best they can at keeping in touch with their subjects and showing them the work. That is such a rewarding part of it, the photograph is a record of that experience they both shared, and there is always a beginning and end of that photo. I think the photo is usually the middle of it.
Do you have a favorite photo or city?
Well, New Orleans and Philadelphia are two places I love and over the past couple years have been so incredibly close to moving to both but something keeps me in New York. Yes, every photographer has their favorites and I would think most of the time it is because of the experience associated with making that image. Whether you waited all day in one spot for the sun to hit that building at the perfect angle with most amazing yellow late afternoon summer light and just at that second the most beautiful woman you have ever seen walked by in red high heels and just as you snapped that shutter she flung her hair back with a gentle whip of the neck and glanced back at your camera lens. Trust me, everyone has their favorites. (And the above picture is one I have not taken, and something I just imagined as I was answering this question, but perhaps one day I will have one like that.)
See Down These Mean Streets in its entirety:
• The New York Photo Festival opening reception on Thursday, May 14th, 5-7pm. The Tobacco Warehouse, 26 New Dock Street, Dumbo, Brooklyn, NY.
• A solo exhibition will open at New York University's Gulf & Western Gallery (721 Broadway, NYC) on Thursday June 4th, 6-8pm. On view until August 8th.
Well, New Orleans and Philadelphia are two places I love and over the past couple years have been so incredibly close to moving to both but something keeps me in New York. Yes, every photographer has their favorites and I would think most of the time it is because of the experience associated with making that image. Whether you waited all day in one spot for the sun to hit that building at the perfect angle with most amazing yellow late afternoon summer light and just at that second the most beautiful woman you have ever seen walked by in red high heels and just as you snapped that shutter she flung her hair back with a gentle whip of the neck and glanced back at your camera lens. Trust me, everyone has their favorites. (And the above picture is one I have not taken, and something I just imagined as I was answering this question, but perhaps one day I will have one like that.)
See Down These Mean Streets in its entirety:
• The New York Photo Festival opening reception on Thursday, May 14th, 5-7pm. The Tobacco Warehouse, 26 New Dock Street, Dumbo, Brooklyn, NY.
• A solo exhibition will open at New York University's Gulf & Western Gallery (721 Broadway, NYC) on Thursday June 4th, 6-8pm. On view until August 8th.
Monday, April 27, 2009
The Times They Are a-Changin'
For the found object and typography aficionado, download Blu Dot's desktop clock and be inspired by the minute, literally.
Make Sense
I posted a few of these Lonely Planet photos on Shrimp & Petroleum, but they're inspiring enough to share here as well. The images are so rich and alive, all five senses are roused into overdrive as you scroll through. Kuala Lumpur is certainly not lacking in energy—or eye candy.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Foreign Policy
Lauren Bush's FEED Project was a great success—and she's proving to be worth her activist salt once again. Her newest venture, Lauren Pierce, is a fashion line that's already won over department heavy hitters like Barneys and Japan's United Arrows. Her mission is to source from developing nations in order to create jobs in those communities. For Spring, Lauren turned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo for hand-dyed fabrics made from centuries-old techniques. And each season she will give back 10% of profits to women's organizations in those countries. It's a refreshing mix of eco-friendly fabrication and global inspiration that taps into foreign talent. I'm craving laid back style in this tropical heat!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Viva La Carmen
Monday, April 20, 2009
Button Up
It seems every article in my suitcase is suddenly missing a button or two. And because we're in a service apartment, miniature toiletries, shower caps and handy sewing kits with extra white buttons aren't lining the vanity shelves. So, I'm definitely in need of these sartorially genius spares. Actually, a few should be stowed in my wallet right next to extra Band-Aids and Splenda.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Flower Power
On Friday, I'm channeling my inner Martha-meets-Edward Scissorhands for a traditional Ikebana class, the ancient art of Japanese flower arrangement. Minimal flowers, stems and leaves are methodically used to create beauty and symbolism through shape, line and form. At the very least, my efforts will brighten this stale hotel room!
[photos via Zen-Images.]
[photos via Zen-Images.]
Friday, April 17, 2009
Teen Spirit
I can't imagine having such self-awareness, vision and dereism as a teenager. These photographs by 15 year old Olivia Bee have me in another world.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Simple Minded
If, god forbid, anything should happen to my sea shipment while en route [pirates, consider yourself warned], I could very well replace all contents with Jackson, Johnston & Roe. My goodness, I've never seen such simple beauty come out of one collection.
Take Flight
We haven't been settled for two weeks and J's already being called to start his travels. And since hotel life can only be so thrilling, I'm
[photo by yyellowbird.]
Juicy Fruit
Everywhere I look, there's another stall selling fresh squeezed juices—and I can't get enough. My flavor du jour: watermelon! To make your own, simply puree fruit in batches then strain juice through a sieve [if you're not into pulp]. Leftovers will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week.
[photo via deedays.]
[photo via deedays.]
Monday, April 13, 2009
Hello, My Name Is
All weekend I've had a ball reading the responses to Kate's Allow Yourselves to Introduce Yourselves post. And I just can't help myself, I'm joining the bandwagon and following suit!
I'm turning it over so you can introduce yourselves to me. Take the stage and leave a comment. Fill me in on anything and everything from name, age, blog/web address, hobbies, how you found me, et al. I'll kick off the festivities:
I'm Courtney, 27, and no longer employed. I left my marketing job a month ago so we could accomplish one of my husband's goals: to work internationally. We have a very dreamy St. Bernard and most of you have seen her plastered across the blog here and there [I know no self control when it comes to my hound]. I love people, but also crave quiet time. I'm addicted to email, even more so living across the world from everyone I know and love. We're big into Southern Hospitality around here and I'm a firm believer of "the more, the merrier" mentality.
Now the floor is all yours and I can hardly contain my excitement!
I'm turning it over so you can introduce yourselves to me. Take the stage and leave a comment. Fill me in on anything and everything from name, age, blog/web address, hobbies, how you found me, et al. I'll kick off the festivities:
I'm Courtney, 27, and no longer employed. I left my marketing job a month ago so we could accomplish one of my husband's goals: to work internationally. We have a very dreamy St. Bernard and most of you have seen her plastered across the blog here and there [I know no self control when it comes to my hound]. I love people, but also crave quiet time. I'm addicted to email, even more so living across the world from everyone I know and love. We're big into Southern Hospitality around here and I'm a firm believer of "the more, the merrier" mentality.
Now the floor is all yours and I can hardly contain my excitement!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Bite Club
I'm obsessed with Devour.tv, an internet food television network dedicated to bringing foodies and winos the entertainment they crave. Spend time exploring the site because webisodes run the gamut from Eater's Etiquette to Hardcore Wine, which is led by a Harley-riding biker with a sommelier degree. Whether you're a natural chef or just budding, basic fundamentals of cooking is a must for everyone.My personal favorites are Hawker Food and Bickering Foodies, where big personality food experts are pitted against one another. And I've tried my best to reinterpret Cafe Habana's signature corn, but thanks to Devour, you can get the recipe straight from the horse's mouth!
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