Blog - 2009 May

The trailer for the film of The Road is out today. Looks like it’s keeping pretty faithfully to the storyline of the book and the set/costume design look pretty spot on too.

Been working on some Betty Page collages lately, mostly because the photos are so great but also because a lot of the shots are fairly similar so they make the job of collage that bit easier. Plus that fringe is kind of hypnotic…

Click here or on Betty’s big pants for more.

What does more for your day-to-day happiness than a new pair of gutties? Nothing that’s what…despite what the idiots at MAXIM think.

“It doesn’t look like a running shoe – and it doesn’t feel entirely like one either. There’s something of the old-school trainer about the solid, chunky sole, which offers little feedback or flexibility.”

…and besides what’s bad about looking like an “old-school trainer”?

Just a detail of a felt tip drawing from the sketchbook, click on the image to see the full page. Thinking of doing something like this (or there abouts) for the first in the new series of linocuts, although probably not so many colours.

Finally got around to reading The Painted Word by Tom Wolfe (because I like to keep on top of the 1975 zeitgeist) and predictably it’s really good but if you’re not into -isms (and who can blame you) there’s always The Right Stuff.

Just rediscovered this amazing collection of Chinese clip art from the Cultural Revolution era, scanned and assembled on Oldtasty’s photostream. Really inspiring stuff, especially if you’ve recently bought cutting tools and some lino.

The development of the logo for The Rock Crew which as I’m sure you already know is a Bboy crew from Slovenia. Click on the image to see them spin on their lips in a train station in Slovenia for about a week.

Planning on getting back into the printing in the next few weeks, even treated myself to some beautiful Pfeil “palm tools” (click on the image above to see ‘em) but all that’s done is get my heart set on the matching Working Apron.

“Sewn of rugged canvas with pockets of goatskin”

Mmm…does it get any better than that?

I’ve been returning to R.B. Kitaj a lot recently…someone that I was introduced to in High School and then mostly forgot about (certainly consciously) except for If Not, Not but that’s got a lot to do with it being one of the best things in Edinburgh Modern Art Gallery rather than me seeking it out. Anyway I’ll not bang on about the incredible draftsmanship but rather encourage you to click on the image and go see a short clip of the man himself.

“I suppose if you catch me on a good day…I might be able to talk like an ordinary person…would”

R.B. Kitaj