Berlin (not Cleveland)

What a beautiful office in the Berlin home of film director and producer Jan Schmidt-Garre. Chief Wahoo approves.

Abstract Art Chart

I’m not sure of the origin of this chart, but I love the look of it. Although I must say, as an instructive tool I find it more confusing than clarifying. Perhaps that was the intention?

Kraftwerk at MOMA

The pioneering electronic band Kraftwerk are playing at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Called Retrospective 12345678, they will perform eight of their albums on eight consecutive nights for an audience of 450. Their futuristic and prescient music is hugely influential. As they rarely perform live, their amazing visual imagery is less widely experienced. I had the good fortune to see them in San Francisco in 2004 and it was utterly mesmerizing. Concertgoers at the MOMA shows will be outfitted with 3D glasses. Whoa.

Ghost in the Screen

This is a wonderful example of a simple, inexpensive and clever way to create an interesting and functional environment in a non-descript space. For a salon near Tokyo, designer Tetsuya Ito installed hanging screens of semi-transparent mesh fabric silkscreened with ghostly images of classical European building facades. The screens define areas and lend the all white space some architectural detail while maintaining a light, ethereal feel. I also like the chandelier made out of fluorescent tube rings.

Nice View

Check it out, a mysterious topless woman is typing while gazing out of my window! Fantasies aside, this is the view from my office chair, with the built-in bureau and palm trees outside reflected in the ‘68 Italian experimental cinema poster. Nice.

From Bland to Bold

Here’s an example of a potentially bland (yet tasteful) space that has been brought to life with a bold introduction. Barcelona based designer Lazaro Rosa-Violan hung striking graphic abstract art in the mostly white interiors at the Hotel Pulitzer Roma, and boy, what a difference it makes.

The Bold and the Beautiful

Sometimes a bold move can be just what the doctor ordered. Whether on a wall, a rug, a chair, or an accent pillow, a bold color or pattern (or both) can bring a room to life. I’m digging these geometric patterns from the sixties by Australian designer Florence Broadhurst. A strong remedy when you need a cure for the decoration blahs.

Cheeky Graphics

Asskisser logo, a collaboration between graphic designer Edward Leida and fashion designer Cynthia Rowley. Love it.

Tauba Auerbach

I’ve been a big fan of the art of San Francisco native and New York resident Tauba Auerbach since I picked up her book How to Spell the Alphabet a few years ago. A former sign painter, she plays with language, typography and graphic design to create images that are beautiful and thought provoking.

I believe this photo was taken in the home of Paper Magazine editor and publisher Kim Hastreiter. A Mies van der Rohe daybed, Noguchi floor lamp, African stool, interesting knick-knacks and Auerbach’s “A” drawing leaning against the wall . . . Uh Huh!

Sign Language

What a great sign for an Apotheke (Apothecary, or Pharmacy) in Berlin. It first caught my eye illuminated in the dark of night while walking home from dinner in Savignyplatz, and I made sure to come back the next day to get a photo. Simple and striking, it conveys the information necessary in an easily understood visual ‘language’ of the letter ‘A’ and symbols.

I can see it doubling as a sign for a cocktail bar. ‘Alcohol +’ and a serpent wrapped around a cocktail glass. What more needs to be said? Seems like the kind of place where Damien Hirst would hang out.