Fellow PSFK contributor Simone Haruko Smith made an incredible find at an Alexanderplatz, Berlin grocery store: the USA section. It includes, in true Yankee fashion, everything from Betty Crocker to cheese-whiz. Although, in my opinion, the Germans left out (for better or for worse) a few notable pieces of Americana: Aunt Jemima, velveeta, fun-yuns, oatmeal cream pies, and general industrial-sized packaging. Overall the standout detail is in the barbecue sauce which only features whiskey/molasses hybrids. The subtle implication exists that, here in the US of A, we love corn liquor and smoked meat so fervently they’ve been combined gluttonously into one mega-bbq hoe-down. It’s too amazing to even comprehend.
In an age of 3D mega-tainment, finding artists that speak in quiet truths and vernacular can be an unexpected joy. Sparrow Songs, a collaboration between filmmaker Alex Jablonski and cinematographer Michael Totten, is one of those surprises. This year long project consists of 12 mini-episodes, one per month, exploring everything from the life of a puppet-maker to a home for special needs adults to porn star karaoke. You can find two of these episodes below:
This is just a quick PSA for anyone else whose high school experience was augmented by the escape of an even more acerbic and surreal Lawndale High. Daria Morgendorffer has finally made it to DVD. I can hardly contain my geeky-self.
Some people take themselves too damn seriously, which is why this playful analysis is refreshingly different. Mini sofa Calatrava’s are judged for their inspired use of cushions, afghans, and coffee tables. Build LLC explains in more detail: “Unrepresented and ignored for too long in the architectural industry, today’s post pays respect to the wonders of couch cushion architecture. We’ve rounded up a (mostly) admirable collection of projects, taken from a randomly conducted search on the internet. Join us as we take a critical analysis of the architecture, methods and design philosophies of living room furniture re-appropriation.”
“A clear derivative of the Miesian box, this handsome project is “informalized” with the use of colorful, freeform roof panels. Taking further direction from the Archigram movement, the project explores architecture as body wrap and propels couch cushion architecture to new and exciting territory. Grade: A”
“Good God gentlemen, you’re a mess! You need walls, you need a roof. Get to work man! Grade: F”
[Al’s Tower, a block of flats on Harrow Road, Berea, overlooking the Ponte building, from the “Jo’Burg” series, 2004]
Guy Tillim’s quiet photo documentary of Hillbrow, South Africa manages to clearly and thoughtfully describe post-apartheid life, without posturing or explicitly capturing individual suffering. His photos really are quite remarkable.
“Though Guy Tillim is often considered a war photographer, his subject is more likely to be the aftermath of war. This point is very apt in relation to the “Jo’Burg” series of 2004. There we see the still very present after-effects of apartheid in the Johannesburg suburb of Hillbrow.”
If there is one thing in my life I can say with utmost certainty it would be this — if I had spent my youth playing The Tamale Trail, The Southern BBQ Trail, and/or The Southern Gumbo Trail instead of the standard Oregon Trail, I would have defiantly chosen to remain a child forever. Looking back, I’m pretty sure I dodged a bullet. However idyllic these Trails sound, they do exist in reality as collected paths of southern cuisine and culture cataloged through oral history. The Southern Foodways Alliance has gathered stories and media, plotting it on an interactive map replete with trip-planning tools. Though the stories are engaging, with destinations like Jim Neely’s Interstate Barbecue I can’t imagine a road trip would take much convincing.
[I am very happy to announce that I'll be taking the glory of Spicy to the realm of Friends We Love as a feature every week from now on. Here is my first post and I will continue to repost what I write for their site in the future]
In most cities the idea of having 26.2 miles of car-free pavement at your disposal sounds like a dream — especially in auto clogged L.A. So, with an eye towards creative urban intervention, the Wolfpack Hustle bike crew has managed to turn the night prior to the L.A. marathon into an event in and of itself. The Wolfpack Hustle: LA Marathon Crash Race begins at 4 am and gathers 369+ riders for nocturnal rivalry on two wheels. Surreal footage of the event can be found above.
Well, it’s that time of the year and despite outward attempts to hide it, I can’t help but admit my love for the sugar-coated imps. In keeping with my infatuation, here is the trailer for “Peeps: The Movie.” I don’t care what you have to say about the production quality, peeps and zombies always make for a winning combination.
Ross Racine creates aerial views of faux-sprawl. His works highlight the incredible beauty, mundanity, order (of a sort) and absurdity of American suburbs. Someone should really start marketing cloud-shaped developments. I can think of a few gated communities from my hometown alone, that would have the gall to construct that kind of awkward utopia.
