OBSERVATORY : ROB WALKER

Killing for Beautiful Objects

The ability to admire, even be moved by, the beauty of both the natural and the human-made seems, in fact, to be part of what makes us human. A report on the ivory trade reminds us that the willingness to kill for objects, beauty, and transcendence seems uniquely human, too.
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OBSERVATORY : JOHN THACKARA

Transition Dogville

In Lars von Trier’s 2003 film Dogville there is almost no set. Buildings in the town are represented by a series of white outlines on the floor. Dogville was a to-the-limit exercise in what von Trier calls ‘pure cinema’ — a commitment to use only real locations, and no special effects or background music, when making a film. I was reminded of Dogville during a this year’s Transition Conference in London.
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NEWS FROM DESIGN OBSERVER GROUP SPONSORS

SVA's MFA in Interaction Design program trains students to research, analyze, prototype, and design concepts in their business, social, and cultural contexts. They are holding an open house November 10 for prospective students.
Open House Information >>
MFA Ineraction Design Program >>
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Being sustainable has never been so profitable. See how the country's most innovative companies are improving their bottom line by staying the course on sustainability. Look into Sappi's paper mills that are setting a new standard for environmental responsibility.
Find out more about Sappi here >>
Order a copy of eQ003 >>
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OBSERVATORY : MARK LAMSTER

Nick Tobier Will Make You Smile

One night when he was a much younger man, Nick Tobier watched a procession of elephants walk out of the Midtown Tunnel and into the cacophanous streets of New York. Following them was an attendant with a shovel for you know what. This was the Ringling Brothers annual elephant parade, a great New York tradition, but Tobier had no idea at the time. It seemed an unexpected revelation, a wondrous moment of random transcendence. Tobier is now an artist, and his works aim to deliver that sense of wonderment and odd pleasure wherever he performs them.
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PLACES : ROBERT MACFARLANE

Ice

One recent winter Robert Macfarlane journeyed from his home in England to western China, and from there, along with a friend and a guide, on to Minya Konka, which has long attracted both devout Buddhists and intrepid mountaineers. The group did not attempt to summit the notoriously difficult peak. As Macfarlane's friend warns him: “You’ll never get up Minya Konka, and you wouldn’t want to try. When we’ve set eyes on the mountain, I’ll tell you a story that will absolutely convince you of this.”
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OBSERVATORY : ALEXANDRA LANGE

Shopping With Sandro, and Other Tumblr Delights

A round-up of recent additions to Tumblr from the Museum of Modern Art, the Miller House & Garden and Vitsoe, all demonstrating different ways of making archives part of our daily media diet.
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OBSERVATORY : RICK POYNOR

The Art of Punk and the Punk Aesthetic

In the past three decades, the 1970s punk movement has received many respectful assessments. There can’t be much left to say about the music, clothing, media outrage and legendary gigs, but the graphic expression of punk has received less critical attention. Now we have two thick, illustrated volumes: Punk: An Aesthetic and The Art of Punk. What conclusions do the authors draw about punk’s graphic history?
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OBSERVATORY : JOHN FOSTER

Accidental Mysteries, 10.14.12

Nighttime has always held a powerful and integral place in the arts. Literature abounds with the metaphor of night. Writers and poets use the dark as a foil for mystery, intrigue, evil and as a contrast to light in all its forms. Visual artists — painters and photographers stalk the night for sublime and dramatic contrasts. It is where film noir resides, with loneliness, fear, and the unknown its comfortable companion. With midnight called "the witching hour," it's no wonder it's the preferred time that goblins and haints awaken for their work.
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