tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35041422011-04-21T20:27:27.302-04:00Bella Macchina"Betrayed in the mazes of your ingenuities..."
T.S. EliotPeternoreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-75840411845052608212010-03-21T11:23:00.001-04:002010-03-21T11:45:20.532-04:00This blog has moved This blog is now located at http://journal.bellamacchina.org/. You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here. For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to http://journal.bellamacchina.org/feeds/posts/default. Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-23265296361018938322007-12-02T21:28:00.000-05:002007-12-02T21:34:59.104-05:00The new dust covers have arrived for this year's Almanac. Many thanks to Mr. Palomar for his last minute design to correct a printing error on the original cover.Secretary General, Société de bella macchinaPeternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-40373814379115835142007-11-15T23:22:00.000-05:002007-11-15T23:28:51.718-05:00It's been far too long since we've related any news, but we have, at the very least, a good reason. Like small children in a South Asian sweatshop, we have dedicated ourselves to a singular pursuit. That being Roget's Almanac of General Knowledge for the Year 2007 which has just been received from the printer and will be distributed to our members by mid-December. A copy will be made available Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-39768456410848053412007-06-06T22:22:00.000-04:002007-06-06T22:26:19.470-04:00NEW site comin' soon. As soon as our ancient web maestro, Giovanni Testupa can figure out why Internet Explorer is as Maestro says, "pazzesco" then we'll be up and running headlong into the 21st century. Many thanks for your words of encouragement and patience. Ciao,SergeSociety ArchivistPeternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-56397725412805189682007-02-16T18:46:00.001-05:002007-02-16T18:59:41.649-05:00Well, this is a little sad but Ryan Larkin has passed away.Let's remember his beautiful and innovative films as a better legacy than most of us can hope to leave behind.Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1159634420683220502006-09-30T12:40:00.000-04:002007-11-15T23:31:30.418-05:00Hola! Our good friend Kevin Karst is getting props at IIDEX/NEOCON 2006 as his Karst Tables for Nienkamper were awarded the Bronze Award in the tables category. A hearty "Well done and well met, good fellow!" from us to Kevin.Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1156538741367886112006-08-25T16:40:00.000-04:002006-08-25T16:45:42.296-04:00Think Twice, Search Once Before thinking that you might want to upload a video for discussion, search to see if it's already posted. I know this sounds obvious, but a few weeks I searched for this Daft Punk Video (Around the World) directed by Michel Gondry and found nothing. Now here it is. Like animation and information design come to life - Gondry assigns a different set of characters for the different components of Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1153924268360843272006-07-26T10:23:00.000-04:002006-07-26T13:04:11.843-04:00These mudflaps are so much cooler than those simple Yosemite Sam and Road Runner mudflaps you see everywhere. Why can't I get me some Dirty Harry mudflaps or even some Elvis mudflaps on my VW Golf. I guess being a conservative semi-serious guy means you don't pimp your ride with the best of them. That would be behaviour unbecoming of a black-clad designer. sigh.Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1149608273502702642006-06-06T11:17:00.000-04:002006-06-06T11:39:10.203-04:00What the Hell is going on? To Hell with web standards, on the Road to Hell, the collapse of the sacrement of marriage, breaking all ten commandments before breakfast - it must surely have something to do with today's ominous date, 06/06/06. Well at least these people hope so - when did the Devil get so popular again? I'm not sure, but it seems to have something to do with the re-emergence of the Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1148311190431515902006-05-22T11:12:00.000-04:002006-05-22T11:19:52.643-04:00Yves Béhar may be the hottest thing since your momma's grill cheese sandwich because of his Leaf Lamp (a light that requires the entire head to be changed if the LED lights go out)premiering at ICFF, but I would really like to remind everyone that he's no Ross Lovegrove.Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1147792985032413202006-05-16T10:59:00.000-04:002006-05-16T11:23:05.090-04:00Last night as I was flipping channels I saw the last few minutes of The Apprentice and I sat stunned as I heard Trump declare, "I know a lot about design,...and I thought your design stunk..." From what I could tell, he was right. The losing team did have a crap design while the other team did the right thing and outsourced all of their graphics. Unfortunately, the local printers let them down Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1143231706202484602006-03-24T15:00:00.000-05:002006-03-24T15:21:46.256-05:00What's this? Will Alsop has to sell his firm? Well, no one ever said architects and designers had to be good in business but maybe they should think about a 'design-flavoured' MBA. I've long thought that we really don't need anymore business grads or lawyers but we could use a few good designers to sacrifice their lucrative careers and get MBA's, law degrees and go forth and become our next breedPeternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1142044605921297622006-03-10T21:30:00.000-05:002006-03-10T21:36:45.930-05:00Can you keep a secret? Me too.Apparently these folks can't. Their revealed secrets range from the funny, to awkward to the horribly sad. This art project seemed to allow people with suicidal thoughts or deeply saddening secrets of abuse to have a voice, and all of it told through artful and esoteric home-made postcards.Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1141533118900225052006-03-04T23:04:00.000-05:002006-03-04T23:40:40.916-05:00Planning on watching the Oscars Sunday night? Again this year, Animation World Network is showcasing both the feature length and short form animated films. You can watch clips and read descriptions of this year's nominees or nominees of previous years. Inform thyself.Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1136475664941256732006-01-05T10:16:00.000-05:002006-01-05T10:41:05.000-05:00Witold Rybczynski's essay about width=940, height=675, left=, top=, resizable=no,status=yes,scrollbars=no,'));" title="Link opens in a new window.">McMansions may not be definitive or you may not even agree with some of his assertions but it's worth a look as it contains a simple message to builders, "Design Matters". Many consumers appreciate design consciously, but often their choices are Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1135894199557994442005-12-29T16:56:00.000-05:002005-12-29T17:09:59.580-05:00Evolution wins in court. Judge John Jones (say that three times fast), has "concluded that intelligent design is not science". This from a conservative judge appointed by Bush. You get the feeling that despite how many 'conservative' judges are appointed to federal positions, they typically follow the logic and reasoning of law and the intent of the Constitution rather than their own religious orPeternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1135189555582781812005-12-21T12:55:00.000-05:002005-12-21T13:25:55.623-05:00It's official. Dick Cheney is an incorrigible bastard. Well known as an asshole and a miscreant, the vice President actually flew out of his way to add "bastard" to his growing list of derisive monikers. His latest tie-breaking Senate vote would reduce medical care for the elderly, increase fees on student loans, crush hopes and dash dreams. Since General Pinochet was removed from power, Cheney Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1133363502854437442005-11-30T09:55:00.000-05:002005-11-30T10:11:42.913-05:00I'm not sure how I overlooked this great site created for the 2003 (or was it 2004?) AIGA biennial conference. The Vancouver Cultural Guide covers shops, nightlife, restaurants, attractions, and outdoor activities, in an interactive grid and contextual map. It also includes useful print and SMS features which allow you to take information with you, either on a printed page or on your mobile Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1132183136151474932005-11-16T16:28:00.000-05:002005-11-16T18:18:56.200-05:00Ollie Johnston, the famed Disney animator and one the original '9 Old Men' is finally receiving a National Medal of Arts from the National Endowment for the Arts. What took so long? I can only imagine those responsible for such decisions are either so young they've never heard of Johnston or even hand-drawn animation, or they are so old, that they had long since forgotten about Johnston. Either Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1128443895537851672005-10-04T11:46:00.000-04:002005-10-04T12:38:15.600-04:00The current Douglas Coupland exhibition at the CCA in Montréal, Super City, which consists of building block sets such as Lego™ and Tinker Toy™, is a conundrum. It is far too designed to be art, yet far too artful to be design. Coupland is certainly prolific, and even if other people manufacture his installations, his skill as a project manager alone should put many designers to shame. A Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1128086732225760112005-09-30T09:24:00.000-04:002005-09-30T09:25:32.230-04:00I'm taking a few days off to see the sites and sounds of Canada's most hip city - Montreal (with apologies to Vancouver and Yellowknife).Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1126128582586998522005-09-07T17:27:00.000-04:002005-09-07T17:29:42.593-04:00Eva Zeisel is set to receive the National Design Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Cooper-Hewitt in October. Zeisel will be 99 in November, raising the question, why didn't she receive such an award 20 years ago? Better late than never I suppose. Yet, what designer did more to move Modernism beyond its unadorned utilitarian interpretations? Her designs show an exploration of organic, fluid,Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1120919771296982582005-07-09T10:20:00.000-04:002005-07-09T10:36:16.026-04:00It's finally happened. The years of joking have given way to a real live product. Spray-on Mud is an easy to use, can of mud to spray on your SUV - when the "U" stands for Urban and the worst dirt you're likely to get on your 4X4 is a spilled latté or perhaps a heavy tree pollination. What could be next? Vitamin infused toilet paper? Street heroin, laced with influenza innoculations? I don't why Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1114032315640526412005-04-20T17:15:00.000-04:002005-04-20T17:25:15.640-04:00It's commonly accepted in North America that Japanese cities suffer from real estate shortages. What isn't so commonly known are the innovative housing solutions that come from such scenarios. The Muji Infill House is a nice example of what you can achieve in a small footprint. Or perhaps it's a terrible example but the photos of the hide-the-clutter-doors appeal to my never attained zen image ofPeternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3504142.post-1094406509950216432004-09-05T13:48:00.000-04:002004-09-05T14:06:18.280-04:00Recently I was reminded about a notion I had of exploring the threads of connected films. Sort of "six degrees of Six Degrees of Separation". It began after watching The Seven Samurai, by master director, Akira Kurosawa. Knowing that the film had inspired The Magnificent Seven, and Western film makers such as Sergio Leone, and Sam Peckinpah I decided to revisit the classic and rented the DVD. Peternoreply@blogger.com