the mehallo blog. beta.

Competing Helvetica billboards, a visual from my morning commute

I’m not much of a purist. Well, that’s a lie. When it comes to type I am. Well, not always. I argue with myself a lot about it. It either works or it doesn’t. My litmus test: ‘Does it communicate?’ And if the goal for the local business is not to be read, then often, it works.

An article in this Sunday’s New York Times is all about this. Once one starts to see type, it’s all over. Read here.

Thanks to Susan and Jonathan for forwarding

Tags: design, education, thoughts, typography by steve
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Gargantuan satellites from the early 1960s. Details.

Plus: Wiki.

Tags: cool finds, design history, education by steve
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Made with Radium. Increases pleasure. From 1928.

More radioactive products here. And a few here.

Tags: design history, education, flom by steve
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Roxy, c.1930

I finally made it over to the Depero 50 exhibit at the Italian Cultural Institute in San Francisco. Discovered many of Fortunato Depero’s originals were an interesting mix of ink washes. Above is his view of NYC from 1930. When he finally visited the overgrown metropolis, it wasn’t the Futurist utopia he’d imagined. Also below, the number composition is a sketch for a series of Futurist pillows.

A great exhibition catalog can be had for only 20 bucks – and thanks to the docents for all their help. Show details.

Exhibition ends December 4, 2009.

Composizioni Numeriche, 1927

Campari, 1933

Italia – Guerra, 1916

Plus
Here’s more Depero over at designboom.

Tags: cool finds, design, design history, education, exhibitions by steve
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”It’s a Haushold word, the Bauhaus, but a misunderstood one. Its influence is all around us, from Ikea furniture to glass skyscrapers, but it is credited – and blamed – for much more than it should be.’ -Candace Jackson, Wall Street Journal

The bauhaus was about advanced thinking in design, and it has its successes and failures. It was a great experiment and it changed the world. Its influence can be seen in everything today.

Workshops for Modernity: Bauhaus 1919-1933 just opened in NYC. And the exhibition is about going beyond the basics, show how far reaching the school actually was.

WSJ article here. Exhibition info here. Catalog here. TIME magazine video here. Show runs thru January 25, 2010.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe armchair, 1927-30

Tags: art, cool finds, design, design history, education, exhibitions, typography by steve
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This year is the 90th anniversary of the bauhaus (1919-33). And workshops – titled ‘get on site’ – were held this past summer in Dessau. Here’s a photo gallery.

And here’s info on  . . .  the bauhaus bed and breakfast. Really.

Tags: design, design history, education, events by steve
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Today is almost my day off. So I’m sort of taking a break. Listening to Röyksopp. Veteran’s Day is this Wednesday, but the two schools where I teach have decided on different days for the holiday. So I have half of today off.

dad & war
My dad was a veteran. He ended up in the Merchant Marines during WWII. The Merchant Marines were not a combat force, they kept the supply lines going and the ships were mostly unarmed. They had a ridiculously insane amount of casualties.

He thought he’d be killed at any moment, but he wanted to see the world. He delivered supplies to combat zones just about everywhere, was surrounded by lots of violent death, ships sunk, really horrible stuff. [Read more →]

Tags: education, thoughts by steve
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I’ve developed photographic visuals for the past three versions of The Unicode Standard. Unicode is a programming language that makes it possible for computers to operate in any language. This Wiki explains it better than I can.

The Unicode Standard 5.0, wraparound cover by mehallo

Working on the Unicode materials has been an incredible learning process – both from a technical standpoint as well as cultural. These are some of my images.

Tags: design, education, photography, typography by steve
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ADAC 40th Anniversary Season mailer (2006-7)

Stefan Hattenbach is a font designer from Sweden who I first met thru Rod Cavazos at Psy/Ops. His types always take me to another place. The forms are rooted in history, but his interpretations are all his own. And his typographic ornaments are exquisite.

Anziano ornaments

I used his Anziano fonts for ADAC’s 40th Anniversary Season – teamed with a beta version of Stefan’s Beef fonts.

Beef will (finally) be released next year thru Veer. And I should note, Stefan is a vegetarian. Beef is pure irony. [Read more →]

Tags: cool finds, design, education, fonts, thoughts, typography by steve
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Varanasi, India
Photography by Jayson Carpenter; website, blog

Sacramento ADAC returns with a new location and a Tuesday night talk.

Illustrator David Danz and photographer Jayson Carpenter will be talking shop November 10th, 2009, 6:30 p.m. at the American Institute of Architects Central Valley [AIACV] Building in Sacramento [map]. Details here.

Illustration by David Danz; website, blog

Tags: education, events, illustration, photography by steve
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‘Nil basterdo carborundum’

I did Pecha Kucha back in January and it was a blast. And since, Sacramento’s Pecha Kucha group has grown by leaps and a few bounds.

Happening this week is a three-night Pecha Kucha Grand Slam – brought to you by Ottolini & Associates, Architects. Co-sponsored by Capital Creative Collective and Urban Hive. Over a DOZEN really cool speakers! Designers, artists, photographers, architects. With music by the always incredible Alex Trujillo.

[1] Thursday, November 5th, 2009
The Level Up Lounge Outdoor Plaza, 8:20-10 p.m.

[2] Friday, November 6th, 2009
The Urban Hive 8:20-10 p.m.

[3] Saturday, November 7th, 2009
MARRS Building 8:20-10 p.m.

For more about Pecha Kucha in Sacramento (and worldwide) go here. (And I’m not one of the speakers this time. But I will do it again eventually)

Tags: design, education, events by steve
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