I was excited to hear that Braun plans to re-release Dieter Ram’s iconic ET66 calculator from 1987. In our culture where new is always better, far too often well designed objects disappear far too quickly into the annals of history. This landmark design by Rams became so ubiquitous that the original iPhone calculator was almost a complete copy of the Braun ET66, which is the epitome of Rams’ “less, but better” philosophy. Even though I can’t remember the last time that I used a calculator that wasn’t digital, I think I may have to pick up one of these when they’re released later this year.

I just wrote the other day that this summer Somerset House will be presenting the world’s first food-based exhibition on elBulli and this winter (from November 20, 2013 – March 2, 2014) it will be exhibiting anther show I’d love to see: Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore! I’ve been following Blow’s life and career for years – she started in the early 1980s as Anna Wintour’s assistant at American Vogue and eventually returned to London where she worked at Tatler, British Vogue and the Sunday Times. Blow was a major patron of fashion as well as a creative tour de force having discovered and cultivated many designers including Alexander McQueen, milliner Philip Treacy whose surreal hats she popularized, Hussein Chalayan and Julien Macdonald. Famously, she bought McQueen’s entire graduation collection from Central St. Martin’s paying it off in £100 weekly installments. Her extravagant and bold taste, entirely unfettered by convention, helped push the boundaries of fashion especially in collaborations with photographers like Steven Meisel and David LaChapelle with whom she created fantastical and sumptuous fashion spreads. Tragically, she committed suicide in 2007. Blow’s incredible collection is now owned by fashion kindred spirit, Daphne Guiness, and more than 100 pieces will be on view in Fashion Galore! About the exhibition, Daphne Guinness said:

“This exhibition is, to me, a bittersweet event. Isabella Blow made our world more vivid, trailing colour with every pace she took. It is a sorrier place for her absence. When I visited her beloved clothes in a storage room in South Kensington, it seemed quite clear the collection would be of immense value to a great many people. I do believe that in choosing to exhibit them we’ve done the right thing – and that it is what she would have wanted. I am doing this in memory of a dear friend, in the hope that her legacy may continue to aid and inspire generations of designers to come”.

The first American retrospective of Canadian-born artist Jack Goldstein (1945-2003) just opened at the Jewish Museum in New York and will be on view there until September 29th. Goldstein was born in Montreal and moved to LA as a child. He studied in the late 1960s at the Chouinard Art Institute in LA and then was a member of the inaugural class of the at the California Institute of the Arts where he studied under John Baldessari. Goldstein is one of those tragic figures in art history whose recognition comes too late – he was a pivotal figure of the Pictures Generation of the 1970s and 80s whose members include Cindy Sherman, Sherrie Levine, Laurie Simmons, Barbara Kruger, David Salle and Robert Longo, and his influence is widely felt but he was discouraged by his lack of success and eventually committed suicide in 2003 having lived the last part of his life in relative isolation. I’ve only seen a few examples of his work in person and wish I could see more in person – his paintings are luminous and graphic, really packing a visual punch. Like his colleagues he was interested in popular culture and appropriated imagery from books, magazines, television and film. Goldstein was especially interested in imagery of natural phenomena, science and technology as he strove to capture “the spectacular instant” which was previously the domain of photography. If you’re in New York, check out Jack Goldstein × 10,000, which is a much overdue retrospective of this influential artist’s work. You can also read more about his life and the art scene of which he was a part in Jack Goldstein and the CalArts Mafia.

Like many kids who grew up in the 1980s, I’ve always been obsessed with 1960s culture — the music, the lifestyles, the clothing. As the decade becomes more of a distant memory it seems like our collective cultural fascination with the period only increases — encouraged by shows like Mad Men that glamourize the era. Edie Sedgwick was one of the many tragic figures of the 1960s — a scenester, Warhol Superstar and actress who epitomized both the highs and lows of the period. Edie’s name came up constantly when I was researching the Chelsea Hotel for the Grand Hotel exhibition — from her dalliances with the likes of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen to almost burning her room down when she passed out beside lit candles, Sedgwick was a Chelsea Hotel mainstay throughout the 1960s. I was inspired to pick up a copy of the excellent Edie: American Girl , a collection of memories from those who knew her best — family, friends, acquaintances — that was published in the early 1990s. Like the best biographies Edie: American Girl is as much a portrait of the meteoric rise and fall of one individual as it is an account of the era itself. This book is the perfect summer read — once you start you will not be able to put it down.

When Phaidon first released the massive tome, Vitamin D, in 2005, the book became the go-to resource on artists working with the drawing medium in contemporary art. Organized alphabetically and featuring 109 artists who had emerged since 1990 and had an innovative drawing practice, Vitamin D became an encyclopaedia of sorts for this aspect of contemporary art. Since the art world has changed dramatically in the almost nine years since Vitamin D‘s release, Phaidon has put together a sequel, Vitamin D2, which attempts to capture the state of drawing practices today. Embracing artists who challenge the conventions of the medium, Vitamin D2 includes 115 artists whose work is analyzed with large scale reproductions and commentary from a range of art historians, curators and critics who attempt to place the work within a broader discourse of contemporary drawing practices. With work by both emerging and established artists — including such notables as Adam Dant, Gareth James, and Mircea Suciu — Vitamin D2 promises to be a captivating exploration of the importance of drawing in contemporary art.

Matthew Barney, KHU: Djed, 2011

There are always so many things I intend to do when I go to New York and visiting the Morgan Library, which I am told is a breathtaking place, is always on my list, but I’ve yet to make it there. If you’ve never been, now there’s an extra reason to make the trip – on view until September 2 is an exhibition focusing on Matthew Barney’s works on paper featuring nearly 100 drawings. Titled Subliming Vessel, and spanning the breadth of his entire career (from his earliest drawings made in the late 80s to recent works), the show will be sure to satisfy Barney fans since it features drawings related to the CREMASTER film cycle as well as storyboards for his films and videos. Barney has also included works from the Morgan’s collection to exhibit with his storyboards highlighting the critical influence both literature and mythology have had on the development of his work. The artist will be giving a talk on May 15, if you happen to be in NYC.

Lukas Peet, Bureau Stool (grey), 2010

Here and Elsewhere: We’re always interested to learn where designers got their start. Can you talk a bit about your background? How did you get into design and what inspired you to work in the field?

Lukas Peet: My entry into design was influenced most by my father Rudi Peet. He is a very talented jewellery designer and all-round creative guy. Some of the first objects I made were in silver at his studio, probably at the age of 8. From a young age I was always drawing, painting or making something.

Lukas Peet, Table Light Specular, 2010

Lukas Peet, Table Light Specular, 2010

HE: What are your major influences?

LP: My influences can come from anywhere: materials, shape, form or techniques and processes. These are the widest and most influential, though I also find inspiration in all things creative: music, film, photography, art and of course design.

HE: Can you talk a bit more about how music and film affect your creative process?

LP: Music, film and art affect my creative process by being stimulants. They allow my mind to wander as well as encourage me to ask new questions with regards to design.

Lukas Peet, Village Side Table, 2012

Lukas Peet, Village Side Table, 2012

HE: You studied at the prestigious Design Academy Eindhoven – is your work influenced by the design aesthetic that you encountered in the Netherlands?

LP: Yes and no. I grew up in Canada for 18 years and then went to Europe for four years so you could argue that I was more influenced by Canada because I spent most of my time here. I think everything in your life can be an influence. I wouldn’t say that my aesthetic is specifically Dutch. I would say that my time in the Netherlands and Europe refined my “Canadian” aesthetic.

Lukas Peet, Surface Tension, 2009

HE: As a designer, how do you find living and working in Vancouver after spending time in Europe?

LP: I like the quietness of Vancouver ‒ how you can just do your own thing. When I was living in London especially, the studio that I worked for was very well known and when we went to events during Design Week no one would pay us any attention until they found out where we worked and then all of a sudden they were interested. It’s all about who you know and dropping names. I’d rather be more isolated and not overly influenced by going to all the design shows and seeing what’s happening somewhere else. I prefer to be influenced by everyday experiences.

Lukas Peet, Hanging Light (24K Gold), 2011

HE: We’re quite interested in your use of materials – your pieces often appear minimalist upon an initial glance yet with closer inspection reveal surprising details. How do you select your materials? Do you first come up with the idea for the shape and function of the object or do you select a particular material and the form emerges from that decision?

LP: As I mentioned earlier, I can be inspired by a material or process among other things. In this case the material can be the starting point or even a certain process which could be applied to a specific material.

When this is not the deciding factor, I choose the material based on what I am trying to communicate to the user: the function of the piece or the environment where it will be used. Price, weight and strength are also major factors.

Though as a general rule I choose the material based on what I believe is best for the communication of the design.

Lukas Peet, Candle Light (Specular), 2013

Lukas Peet, Candle Light (Specular), 2013

HE: Your practice is quite diverse running the gamut from lighting to furniture to graphic design – what unites your varied interests? Do you have a cohesive aesthetic sensibility?

LP: I’d like to believe I have my own aesthetic which I arrive at from my choices with regards to function, shape/form, material, colour and scale. And most importantly by constantly questioning myself throughout the designing process, determining what I am trying to communicate with the final object or piece.

I strongly believe that the “aesthetic” should only emerge through the development of the design by putting what you are trying to achieve first. There will always be limitations with any design and even more when you work with a client; the more limitations you can free yourself from the better chance you have of making something unique or new.

One of the things I learned in school was identifying my “Personal Rules of Design”: the things that determine how I make choices in shape/form, material or colour and scale etc. These “rules” can be applied to any medium, both 2D and 3D. In my opinion these choices differentiate me from other designers as well as determine my aesthetic by defining both my work and my identity as a designer.

In the end, as any type of creative person, what we have is the opportunity to create something new. And that should never be forgotten.

Lukas Peet, Shape/Form, 2009

Lukas Peet, Shape/Form, 2009

HE: Can you talk a bit about the cutlery you designed while you were in school?

LP: It was completely process-based. I just took pieces of wood and sketched a side and top profile and whittled away to create a spoon, a fork and a knife individually, but all at the same time. They have to be interesting objects on their own but also relate to each other. So it was an evolution to get to the final pieces. The fork was the hardest – it was 21 pieces and the spoon was 11 and the knife was 15. I didn’t do any technical drawings or even sketches on paper, it was all just purely done by hand. How I deal with shape and form in creating an object is what differentiates me as a designer; I translate the idea in my head into the object through my hands and eyes.

Lukas Peet, Hanging Clock (Maple), 2011

Lukas Peet, Hanging Clock (Maple), 2011

HE: We love your “Hanging Clock” piece – it’s such an elegant, simple object yet somehow is unlike anything we’ve seen before. How did you come up with the design?

LP: Thanks. The idea for the clock came from searching for an alternative to changing the time for daylight savings, which can easily be done by rotating the clock left or right one hour or 30 degrees.

Lukas Peet, Bureau (Table), 2010

HE: Your “Bureau Table” creates a really compelling juxtaposition between the surface and the support. What were you trying to achieve with this piece?

LP: I broke the idea of a table into its most basic parts: the table top and the legs. I wanted to create a table that clearly communicated these two elements, and in doing so convey how they are both dependent on each other to be of any use, as well as both being completely useless on their own. The design of the table shows the relationship between these two elements as if they are in a perfect state of balance when combined together to become a table.

Lukas Peet, Rudi, 2012

HE: Are many of your works in production?

LP: A lot of the pieces are prototypes. There are three “Rudi” lights that are in production with Roll & Hill, which is a New York based company. The production model is a bit different than the original design; it was based on a prototype and I designed two other lights with slight changes for production. The Hanging Clock is currently being developed for production – we are planning to release two versions: one all in wood and one in painted MDF.

HE: What’s up next? What are you working on now?

LP: I am currently working on setting up my new studio in Vancouver. With this there are a number of new projects on the horizon, lights as well as some design proposals for a few different producers. My “Hanging Clock” and “Hanging Mirror” are in the final stages of development and should be available soon. While my “Rudi” light series for Roll & Hill is now available in stores in Vancouver, in Canada through LightForm, and around the world in numerous retailers and online at Rollandhill.com. Roll & Hill will be launching a smaller version of the “Rudi” in New York during ICFF in May. As well I am designing four lights for a new Vancouver-based lighting company which will hopefully be launched in the next three months, and some candle holders that I am currently working on will be launched in September.

So it should be an exciting year!

HE: Thanks, Lukas, for sharing your thoughts with us!

As a relatively new transplant to Toronto from the West Coast, one of the things that I miss is beer. I mean real beer, like the I.P.A’s that are almost as easy to find as water in Vancouver from beer capitals like Portland, San Diego, and San Francisco. Going to a LCBO store here can lead a hops lover to despair and the not very aptly named Beer Store seems like a cruel joke. But like most major centres these days there is an uprising against the monopoly that the beer giants have over consumers, and new breweries are opening all over the Greater Toronto Area and Niagara region every month. An example is the success of mid-size Ontario breweries like Mill Street, Steam Whistle, and Amsterdam, but what interests me even more are the tinier DIY breweries. These new breweries can be found on tap around town at dedicated beer bars like Bar Volo and Beer Bistro and favourites of mine include Oast House, Church Key, and Great Lakes Brewery. One brewery though that has really stood out for me is Bellwoods which is considered by many to be the best new brewery in Canada.

Conveniently located close to my house in the trendy Ossington-Dundas area, Bellwoods has gone quickly from upstart brewery to neighbourhood fixture. They are so popular that one cannot travel a single block in the neighbourhood without seeing the ubiquitous red bell that is their logo, found on all their bottles, tote bags, t-shirts, and cardboard carrying cases. Started just over a year ago by Luke Pestl and Mike Clark, formerly brewers at Amsterdam Brewing, it is stationed in a transformed old auto garage complete with sliding garage doors. With 20 foot plus ceilings it is perfect for their fermenting tanks, but it also houses their own minimalist farm chic pub that wouldn’t feel out of place in Brooklyn or Portland. Their white picket fenced patio with picnic tables is the area’s most sought after spot for an after work beer in the summer and they also have a bustling retail space at the side which sells their bottled products exclusively. As well, this spring saw them launching a new food menu that features an excellent short ribs dish with shitake slaw and pickled potatoes as well as a beer friendly Pork Belly and Clams. Plus they still have on the menu their ever popular charcuterie board and for the more adventurous, grilled duck hearts. In a recent article in New York Times, Bellwoods was at the top of their list for places to visit if you had just one day in Toronto. I couldn’t agree more.

Here are my three favourite beers that are currently available in bottles at their on-site retail shop:

WIZARD WOLF (Dry-Hopped Session Ale)

Bellwoods version of a session pale ale, this one weighs in at 4.8% alcohol, but still has a high enough level of hops which gives it a complex flavour. It pours a nice golden colour and is has a slight pineapple taste without being too fruity. One of my favourite every day drinking beers, I wish they could serve this at my local sports bar while I watch the Jays play.

WITCHSHARK (Imperial Indian Pale Ale)

As I mentioned earlier, I love those hoppy I.P.A beers that dominate the West Coast scene. So I was very happy when I took my first sip of Witchshark – in fact it is the beer that originally converted me to Bellwoods tasty brews. As a double I.P.A it is definitely the hoppiest of their beers and with an alcohol volume of 9% you must be careful as one can hardly stop at a single. I enjoy drinking it best on the patio accompanied by their charcuterie plate.

HOPPY HEFEWEIZEN

I was pleasantly surprised by this one, as to be honest I have never been much of a fan of German beers. One of Bellwoods newest concoctions, it was inspired, of course, by a trip to Portland. It is very hops- forward for a Hefeweizen and is complimented quite nicely by banana and citrus flavour notes. I enjoyed it so much that it is certain to be my new summer beach beer or for chilling in the evening at nearby Trinity-Bellwoods park.

Beyond picking up their beer at the shop you can also find it on tap at over 10 local bars and restaurants in Toronto including hotspot Parkdale taqueria Grand Electric and David Chang’s T.O. outpost of Momofuku. Unfortunately though their facilities are currently too small to accommodate distribution outside of the GTA. So for now you are going to have a hard time finding Bellwoods in your town which is kind of rough since they were ranked the world’s 3rd best new brewery in 2013 by highly influential beer blog Ratebeer.com. It just means you have another excuse to visit the big smoke and check out all the great new restaurants and bar that have made the city become one of North America’s rising culinary destinations.

John McFarland was once a leading music tastemaker and DJ, but gave it up for cooking and the pursuit of the perfect meal. His current obsessions are Afrobeats, Sixties Soul, Street Food & Southern Cooking. A former Georgia Straight contributor, he now resides in Toronto where he is our East Coast Editor.

We were skeptical when we received our copy of Mumbai New York Scranton: A Memoir. Upon opening its back cover, we were greeted with a photograph of its author, Tamara Shopsin, dressed in Converse and baggy, oversized clothes with an impish grin. It seemed improbable that she was over thirty and unlikely she could possibly have enough material to write her own memoir. But in Mumbai New York Scranton, Shopsin takes a few critical weeks in her life and transforms them into a compelling diaristic tale, taking her readers along on her travels throughout India and then back home to New York and Scranton where her life takes an unexpected turn.

Shopsin is a graphic designer and illustrator who also works at her family’s New York restaurant, which seems like one of those family joints dominated by an owner (her father) who is quite a character. The book begins in India as Shopsin meets her husband in the airport – it is a travelogue of sorts describing the author’s encounters with the cuisine of the country, the strange and charming sights and sounds, and the fun and tender way Shopsin and her husband negotiate each other and being far away from home. Shopsin’s voice throughout is both droll and descriptive:

“`The only seats left on the train are upper bunks that force you to lie down and have no windows. There is a pictograph sign behind Jason’s head. Here is how I interpret it:

1. Do not take snacks from strangers.
2. Snacks are drugged.
3. You will pass out and they will steal your gold watch.”

This staccato prose, ripe with meaning and to the point, recalls a Haiku poem both in its deceptive simplicity and her uncanny ability to evoke using the most economical of means. Her language and cadence produces an inevitable comparison – Shopsin is the 21st century’s young, hip, female version of Hemingway.

Eventually Shopsin and her husband return to America, their tiny flat in New York, and her quirky and loveable family. Shopsin’s pacing is unexpectedly brilliant – she starts off slow, building up steam quietly so that you don’t even notice she’s building suspense and just when you settle into her comical descriptions and feel a part of her life, things take a surprising turn. Without giving anything away, her website offers a FAQ section about the book and in her typically spare language she answers the question “What is it about?” by creating a list that seems to encompass most of the journey of life itself:

- 4 weeks
- the importance of travel
- reverence for the past while appreciating the present
- family
- the little things
- the big things
- paranoia and stress
- telling a story
- love
- fate and luck

The text is scattered throughout with her unassuming observations and she has a way of making little, everyday things seem big (without any of the sappy pretention you might expect).

Mumbai New York Scranton is greatly enhanced by the Shopsin’s simple and elegant line drawings which mirror her language in their ability to conjure, despite their restraint. Luckily, her husband Jason Fulford is a photographer, who is by her side to capture every comical, dark and inspiring moment. He turns his lens on the uncanny and strange, adding cheeky captions that result in some laugh-out-loud funny images. The book includes 63 of his photographs which do much more than document their travels – they create another layer of meaning altogether. Combined with Shopsin’s illustrations, Fulford’s photography creates an imaginative world of visual associations, drawing you into the sensibility of both the author and her husband. In the end, Shopsin has created a distinctive work by marrying text written in her singular voice with wry graphics and photographs, erasing any doubt about her ability to tell an unique story in her unique way, despite her tender age.

It often seems like the most interesting and innovative designs — be it furniture, graphic, industrial or architectural — come out of the Netherlands. Design is so ingrained in their culture, such a part of their day-to-day existence, that it’s a conducive environment for experimentation and a fertile breeding ground for design talent. I first became aware of Marcel Wanders in the mid 1990s during his meteoric rise to the top of the design world with his Knotted Chair for Droog which firmly established his place among the most promising, young Dutch designers. He’s since had a rather illustrious, and multi-disciplinary, career, working on lighting, furniture and architectural projects while heading up his own studio, Moooi which he established in 2001. I love his latest design, this whimsical, sculptural bar stool that he launched at Milan Design Week. Blending the form and ornamentation of an antique with contemporary colour and materiality, the Antique Bar Stool, which seems almost reminiscent of a chess piece, is an exciting fusion of old and new.