SEEN AND SKUNK'D

TDR ©1964

I have had a curious morning of browsing admired design websites that have presented publications in a variety of ways. 

Today as I work in my studio at school, I aim to document my work from the last year. So far the documentation styles of my books are not consistent in any way, and after my findings I am still not so confident about any one strategy. 

At the Walker Art Center, Mylinh Trieu Nguyen reports on a beautiful fluxus book with clean, flatbed scans, on black background, that I recognize from Chad Kleopfer's documentation method. I notice in the bookshelf section of the Walker design blog, Emmet Byrne had a more dynamic approach that includes a photo of a levitating book (I couldnt help but wonder how involved Greg Beckel was at mastering that drop shadow in photoshop), and variously angled macro photos including the humane effect of the hand-browsing element, that really puts a book in to context. 

By some twist of fate, I then looked at a new website featuring my friend's old-ish skateboarding magazine, in all of its 4 issues. Luke Hunt recently set up this SKUNK blog that exhibits their magazines with an interactive feature that allows the viewer to flip/click through each issue that is programmed to represent a glossy sheen on fluidly flipping pages. It is uniquely satisfying to me, regardless if I have all 4 printed magazines in my library 5 feet away...

I wonder what the future of book documentation is. Could I invent it today? Could I ever accept all of my craft to be represented on flash-animated pages like my Rad Dude Dicky article in Issue #2 of SKUNK mag? (I will now introduce the beginning to my new documentation process, which includes screenshots of my work as seen on isuu.com)

SKUNK ©2005

the SQUATCH


I truly wish the sasquatch was real. This rugged video was made a long time ago, and its rugged quality is charming to me now. My friends who I worked with are far beyond college. Tyler is making snowboarding videos with Alexandra, Bud is working at Thirst, and Cassi is due for a baby soon.

When I graduate college this spring, I'm thinking about going in to the study of Cryptozoology. Show me the non-evidence.

TOTAL THRASH

Thrasher Magazine is archiving their historic mag!!
Why dont I have a THRASHIRT yet?

And this Cal Streets archive will blow your mind.

Srsly.

the critic

from the 'worlds best photos' series by neil krug.
as much as i love the outdoors and romance, this is not a style of fantasy i admire. it is time that contemporary artists and stylists investigate the native american symbols they rip off, perhaps find alternatives or stop associating them with cigarettes and coolness. try giving a thought to how laughable your urban adaptations are perceived by the people who developed their culture based on deeply rooted spirituality, serenity, and necessity. then think about how, for our country's entire political history, native americans have been used and abused for their resources and now their image. until i see these homages presented with more integrity than in a retail environment or fashion magazine, without a care to its actual history nor being involved to benefit its critical future, im not buying it.

The Indian Arts and Craft Act of 1990  

The more ethnicity is a rational choice, the more restricted that choice is likely to be. This limitation results from the fact that when ethnicity is a valuable social resource, access to favored ethnicities is likely to be heavily socially and politically regulated. On the other hand, ethnic options are often most broadly available when the cost of ethnicity is relatively low and the benefits mostly symbolic. 

— Joanne Nagel

SAUERKRAUT DELIGHT

Serving up grandma's recipe of sauerkraut and kielbasa hotdish!!

OUT

Hey, this is my rejected entry for the 

Ride Snowboard Design Contest.