PingMag has a profile on Tomoko Sawada, a Kobe-based artist/photographer whose work I’ve been a fan of for a few years now. I absolutely love her photo booth series, part of which is pictured above.
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Month: February 2008
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Bingo Was Its Name-o
What does Ian Lynam do when he heads back home for the holidays? He gets inspired by the games of bingo he plays with the family, and creates a new “typeface,” which you can get here.
Reminds me that I really need to do a full-on presentation of the work he did for me on my M31 identity (I presented it at PauseTalk, but not here). I’m finally ready to start handing out my new business card — for now there are 10 versions (beating the 8 of my previous series, that were designed by NCM), and soon to be 31!
Remember Claska‘s first-floor The Lobby? It’s now turned into a bookstore and cafe located in Osaka. I wonder if the original one will still be part of the new Claska, once it re-opens on March 29.
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The Return of Smart Girls
SMART GIRLS, “the world’s favorite hipster booby magazine” (so says Marxy), is back on newsstands. It had stopped a while back — you may remember the final issue, featuring a pictorial by Karia Nomoto — after founder and photographer Yasumasa Yonehara had a falling out with the publisher, but Yonehara is again involved in this re-launch. I haven’t looked through the issue yet, but according to Marxy, it features less nudity, but still has the same vibe as before.
The latest TABlog entry runs down a few gallery relocations, including news that the main Nadiff bookstore will re-open in Ebisu, sharing a building with the Magical Artroom gallery.
Magical Artroom will move to Ebisu, sharing a building with the Nadiff bookshop, which recently left its well-known location in Harajuku. Taro Nasu Gallery will move to nearby Azabu Juban while Ota Fine Arts will relocate to Kachidoki. Gallery Min Min is moving to Daikanyama. Lastly, Weissfeld-Roentgenwerke AG is moving to Asakusabashi, reopening with the name “Radi-umâ€. All gallery locations will be updated on TAB in due course.
Chin Music Press is at it again, and even though you know I can’t help but show love to them, I’m here to inform you that you WILL be pre-ordering their upcoming release NOW! ART SPACE TOKYO: AN INTIMATE GUIDE TO THE TOKYO ART WORLD is a guide to twelve of Tokyo’s art spaces by way of 20 interviews and eight essays from people who know a thing or two (or three) about the Tokyo art scene. The book is edited by Ashley “TAB and TABlog editor” Rawlings, and of course lovingly designed by Craig “I will build myself a Moulton” Mod.
The book will be out in April, but you can pre-order it now and save $8 — that’s only $22 with free shipping anywhere — which is what I just did (hey, as much as I want to support them, I can’t pass up on a deal).
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Shantell Martin on Music Japan TV
Tokyo-based illustrator Shantell Martin is everywhere these days, the latest being in a report currently airing on Music Japan TV. You can watch it online here.
I stopped by the Creation Gallery G8 in Ginza the other day for the “86th Art Directors Club Annual Awards” exhibition. I always enjoy going to this to see all of the interesting ad work and TV commercials I don’t see here in Japan, and this year I really liked watching the winning works in the hybrid section (sort of a mixed-media category).
The show also has me thinking that I need to start buying THE NEW YORK TIMES on Sundays, just to get a hold of the Sunday magazine — a bunch of their covers and layouts were awards winners, and looked amazing. Also, great to see Canadian magazine THE WALRUS get some attention. You still have a few more days to catch the exhibition (until February 29).
Having to deal with empty stores (in Tokyo at least), I guess Bape has to do what it can to sell some products. Everybody loves the DS, right? Enter the Bape-branded Nintendo DS Lite. Via Kotaku.
Update: If the Bape-branded Nintendo DS Lite doesn’t interest you, then how about a DS co-branded with the Honeyee magazine and website and Hiroshi Fujiwara.
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Manga Museum in Kyoto
THE JAPAN TIMES covers the Manga Museum in Kyoto. I agree with Imprint Talk, why isn’t there one in Tokyo?