Typeface Tuesday: Functional type

Hi. Wishing you a rad Tuesday. What’s not to love? The weather’s nice and mild, and we only have 3 more days until a 3-day weekend.

So, as some of you may know I got a bike–a white and orange hybrid-style Marin. The color find is totally random but perfect because I look pretty darn good in white modes of transportation…take exhibit A (Miami circa 2004) below.

Anyways, the point of my story is that I’ve gotten really into biking as of late and finally got a new one after what feels like forever BUT is really since I was about 12 years old. At that point I’m sure I had some glittery pink-purple thing and unfortunately it got stolen hence why I am soooo protective of my new wheels.

Enough about me. Let’s talk type. Type that comes in an interesting form and does relate to my anecdote above, I promise. It’s type as a bikerack…or maybe a bikerack as type? Either way, I think this is way amusing and great how the type is functional while also being perfectly readable. What’s extra cool is that it’s located here in DC over by the Dupont Circle Metro stop…so ladies and gents, make sure to lock up your bike on this fancy rack all in the name of typography and non-bike-theft!

See you in the bike lane.

Typeface Tuesdays: Happy place

Everybody has a happy place. One of mine is traveling (not enroute but once at my destination). Another is the minute anything chocolate hits my lips. Blissful.

While in Miami this past weekend, my friend B, shared these type-tastic pictures she took while at an art event at Rubell’s warehouse-style gallery. It’s interesting how with this light installation the red electrical wires are actually part of the art itself, twisted into one another and drapping on the ground. I dig how choatic this peice is…it’s a little like my brain at many moments…very unlinear.

enjoy.

Art Basel 2011

I’m back in my beloved Miami for a long weekend, and it just struck me that I never posted about my visit in December….

It was my first time at Art Basel and what I quickly realized is that there is a ridiculous amount to do and simply not enough time. There are art events galore and now a ton of great street art and music events in the Wynwood art district. We only scratched the surface and still managed to sleep very little. Best party was HolyGhost! at Bardot…didn’t stop dancing…

Here are some pics of the most interesting, striking, and downright bizarre art works from Art Miami and Design Miami.

B & me

A great Warhol…

It’s made out of raisins…ha!

WOW, talk about meticulous

Downright creepy but at the same time kind of sweet and cuddly

These maps are all thread and beading

It’s electric! Literally. The new wave of art meets technology

This series is made of entirely electrical wires, how wild

Next to his mobiles, this is a great Calder piece

Love the texture of these. Oh, and you wouldn’t believe how much they go for!

A table made of yellow leather

I want this record player

xoxo

Getting in the mood

In T minus ~21 hours I will be in Miami LIVING IT UP and SOAKING UP art, music, and the beach lifestyle. In honor of Art Basel, I am sharing some art I experienced at DC’s Uncapped Live art event hosted by Art Whino and BYT earlier this year…which I totally dug! Those little vinyl dudes are outrageous. Art Whino will be doing their thing at Basel this year, in addition to a plethora of other exhibits and events.

I promise to take lots of pictures and report back.

Miami, I love you

Just looking at these pictures MAKES ME HAPPY. Especially with this won’t-quit-rain in DC. Enough already, weather gods.

This was a much deserved and welcomed girls trip. And, Miami is the kind of place where I can be guaranteed to feel completely immersed and stimulated in my environment by new and exciting experiences. There’s no looking back or ahead, there’s just this exact moment in time.

Seeing as its FASHION WEEK — this also makes me giddy with happiness — I wrote a post on my friend Carrie’s blog about some Miami fashion finds. Check it out, if ya know what’s good for you.

Typeface Tuesdays: Art deco type

Happy Tuesday. This post is dedicated to one of my homes away from home — MIAMI!

I just got back from a wonderful trip there to celebrate the long weekend. We seriously did it right (thanks to our hostess, Billie)… stayed at the Raleigh right on south beach, hit up the pool and beach, strolled Lincoln Rd, went to a hipster pool party at Dream hotel, dined at Sugarcane and the Soho House, and went dancing at Bardot and Purdy. Besides all of the great memories, I’ve now got a little sunglasses tan as a souvenir…it’s pretty funny. I will have some pics from the trip to share with you in just a bit.

So from a design perspective, I was inspired by Miami’s Art Deco District, which has a bevy of pastel hotels with all the characteristics of this 1960s style (resurgence date – first appeared in Paris in the 1920s). Art Deco is an ornamental style, which is part of the reaction to the forced austerity caused by World War I. In particular, all of the hotels are plastered with their name written in traditional art deco style types, as shown below for example. What’s interesting about this type is that it has many distinctive styles, but all of the following attributes remain consistent:

• symmetrical (based on mathematical geometric shapes)
• suitable for modern contexts
• ornamental and lavish