B.Light Design

I recently visited Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s homestead. It was incredible. I have rarely been to a place that has inspired me so much, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Growing up, my favorite founding father (everyone had a favorite founding father, right?) was always Ben Franklin. Let’s face it, he had the best marketing. But after watching HBO’s John Adams mini-series (I can not recommend this enough, it will make you want to be a better American), I really started groovin on Jefferson. I loved the shots of him at Monticello, writing to Adams about how much he loved his home. I needed to see this place.

I knew Jefferson was a lawyer, a politician, and a writer. But I never knew what a Renaissance man he was. He was an architect (designed Monticello and the University of Virginia), a meteorologist (possibly the first in America), a musician, a zoologist, a botanist, an inventor, and a gadget guy. Monticello is now a museum and all of these aspects of his life are on display there.

Mastodon bones, given to him by Lewis and Clark, are on display (the man had dinosaur bones in his house). He has a giant 7 day clock, which he designed, that requires cannon balls as counter weights. He has a wine bottle dumb waiter hidden in the dining room fireplace. He used a polygraph to duplicate every letter he wrote. He invented automatic closing/opening doors. He invented double pane storm windows. He surrounded himself with books and art.

This place made me want to be better.

This is a lot of fun to play with. Great work by Aakash Nihalani.

Wow, these guys are great. Some incredible designs/films/art from HunterGatherer.

Thanks for pointing me in their direction Swissmiss.

I thought this was very clever. Designed by the Matthias Ries Design Office.

Two artists that I’ve been digging lately.

Arthur Ganson makes moving sculptures. His pieces have to be watched in order to be appreciated. Check out his gear making tools and his TED Talk.

Michael Salter is also a sculptor, but his medium is generally recycled styrofoam. A lot of giant styrofoam robot goodness on his site. Via NOTCOT.

I entered the Moleskin 2.0 Exhibition contest. My idea is to use the fore-edge of the notebook. When you fold the notebook length-wise (when the spine practically touches the long edge of the back cover), the fore-edge of the pages fan out. Only when the notebook is folded this way, does a subway map clearly appear. This is due to the fact that the map is printed on the edge while the notebook is positioned like this. You can hide the fact that you are consulting a subway map and be spared the embarrassment and scorn from locals. It’s easier to show you than to explain it.

I was inspired by Martin Frost, a fore-edge painter. I saw his stuff (really amazing stuff) originally on Laughing Squid. Check it out.

I was at the AmDC’s Purpose and Worth show last night at DSW Flatiron. The show had some great pieces in it. The highlights for me were seeing one of Lindsey Adelman’s chandeliers in person (they are incredible), Leon Ransmeier’s glass coin bank (I want one), and Karl Zahn’s Pallet Mirror (what a great use of material).

The pieces are still at DWR today, I recommend checking it out if you get the chance.

I’m currently reading The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon. And I’ve never had so many people stare at my book on the subway before. They can’t take their eyes off of the cover. Good work Will Staehle. The book is pretty good, but (according to the crazy lady on the 6 train) not nearly as good as Kavalier and Clay.

By the way, the inside jacket is just as cool.

I was at BRKLYN Designs this weekend. There were some great pieces there.

I met Hugh Hayden (nice guy), designer of these great ball-pit ball chairs. He had a piece in Hue Are You? as well.

My favorite piece though was by uhuru. They took a new pass at one of their signature pieces, the Stoolen.

The original Stoolen is scrap wood beautifully formed into a cylinder with a found bicycle rim holding it all together. uhuru’s latest is the Metal Stoolen. Made of leftover steel lengths arranged in a similar pattern. The steel fills up the empty space of the wooden Stoolen. Beautiful design, way to keep working on a great idea.

I’m really digging artist Dan Walker’s work.

Definitely check out Wham-O and Pool.