Jack Chambers (1931-1970) was a Canadian painter and filmaker who shifted from surrealist to photo-realist during his career. I was turned on to Chambers’ work via this article in Walrus Magazine about his unfinished masterpiece, Lunch (1971), which after working on for ten years, Chambers died before completing.
Chambers completed six films between 1960 and 1970, I tried to find footage online from one, The Hart of London, but they were taken down. I did find some excerpts from a movie about Chambers’ work and life here.
A couple other photo-realists working in a similar I’ve posted on previously are William Eggelston and Mike Bayne.
http://www.ccca.ca/videoportrait/english/chambers.html?languagePref=en&
http://c4gallery.com/artist/database/jack-chambers/jack-chambers.html
Stumbled onto this interesting find while putting together the CN logo post. The CN Turbotrain was a high-speed train build in the late 1960’s. Really interesting lines and I loving the paint on these. I think that last one (B&W) is some earlier version or prototype.
Last week I posted on the NASA logo and suggested that it might be the most iconic logo of our time. In the comments, Design+Conquer begged to differ and reminded me of an equally perfect logo. The CN logo was designed by Allan Fleming and James Valkus for the Canadian National Railway in 1960. Being an American I’ve had limited exposure to the mark, but every time I’ve come across it (usually on trains passing through when I lived in Sacramento) I’ve always been stricken by it’s minimal perfection.
If you haven’t heard yet (I heard via Rough Trades twitter) that the warehouse of PIAS UK distribution(music distributor to over 150 indie labels) burnt down during the London riots, the only info I have found is the statement below, I hope all the indie music lovers out there can chip in and help out during this huge loss.
“I have no doubt that if you’re here you’ll have heard the news that the PIAS distribution centre in Enfield has been burnt down during the London riots. What you may not be aware of is that the warehouse contained the physical stock for most of Britain’s Indie records labels. The subsequent loss of income and cash flow problems that this act of mindless vandalism will bring about may well be enough to push many of the smaller operators out of business.
Our aim is to try and rally the music industry, both on the artist and the audience sides, and see if we can raise some money to see those affected through the tough times ahead.
This is just a holding page at the moment but more details will be posted here as and when we have them. In the meantime, if you would like to get involved or contribute in any way please drop us an email to: piasfundraiser@gmail.com” – PIAS benefit
This distributor was home to many labels listed below
2020 Vision
Beggars
Border Community
Boysnoize
Def Jux
Domino
Drag City
FatCat
Full Time Hobby
Kitsune
Kompakt
Lex
Mute
Ninja Tune
Peacefrog
Rough Trade
Secretly Canadian / Jagjaguwar / Dead Oceans
Soma
Sonar Kollectiv
Soul Jazz
Subliminal
Thrill Jockey
Touch And Go
Vagrant
Vice
Warp
(and many many more)
This Gatekeeper song touches on a sound that i’ve loved since I was little. Believe me this isn’t a bad thing but combine dreamy(probably not the best word) scene music from the TV show Airwolf with Paul Hertzog’s soundtrack(specific songs) for Bloodsport and your talking about my favorite childhood music that was coming out of the television. I mean I could also describe all same-y and compare it to Moroder or some of the better synthy Italo but that has been covered before.
When I want dub thats more on the electronic tip I know I can rely on Deadbeat, he’s been doing it for awhile now, I wish he didn’t veer off into minimal techno but this track Deep Structure always reminds me of what I fell in love with in Detroit Techno, let it ride out, I love it when Techno isn’t soo in your face but locks into a great long groove.
You know if i’m posting on Foxes In Fiction that means something is being given away for FREE. That generous and kind Canadian is at it again with a free 2 tracker, think bubbles with a stutter floating in circles inside a silo somewhere in Winnipeg.
The beach music will never die, it might be hip and then hated but you can’t deny a home for beautiful music like this Beach Fossils, if you see their new record pick it up and I swear you’ll find out that one summer night it will hit the spot just don’t force it.
We’re pleased to present the exclusive premiere of a new song and video by one of our favorite new artists, Memoryhouse. Yours Truly captured this beautiful performance of Pale Blue by the Canadian duo while they were visiting San Francisco’s The SUB. Stay tuned here for more info on the upcoming album and tour dates.
One of the things that turns me away from products is when they are slapped with something saying it’s “environmentally friendly” or “green” when its not. If cutting down trees and mining the soils for ore is environmentally friendly then this PC by Design Hara, is exactly that. I get that you could recycle this but do people really buy products (namely electronics) just because they can be recycled?
My initial thought about this PC was of course the design. It fits into the mid-century category by the materials choice. The option of Italian Cypress wood, Canadian Rose wood or even sheep leather really give this the computer it’s substance. The keyboard and even USB drive also really add to it. Maybe next we’ll see a wood-framed monitor. But as cool as this is and as much as I love the mid-century design aesthetic, I would probably only use this as a decoration (enter Mac vs PC debate).
A nice collection of posters and tickets from the Expo’70 in Osaka Japan. I’ve been looking for proper scans of these posters forever but I settled on these corrected versions from this flickr set. Anybody know where you can score some copies of these? I found this one on eBay, but not really the style I’m looking for. Nothing I love more than 70’s phtography blow-up with bold Helvetica over top. It’s always a little sad to see stuff like this and realize how rare it is; it’s a shame there isn’t some sort of high res vintage poster repository.
On a side note, Canada: you always have great design instincts but I have to say, you really blew it on this one. Winking Caucasian Indian? Also, what’s with the attempted Geddy Lee up in the corner? Couldn’t you get the actual guy to be in your poster? But I guess not all 70’s Canadian bassists were in Rush. You saved it with the type lockup on the bottom though.
