love-la

I caught the latter part of a documentary on I.M. Pei on PBS earlier today that chronicled his work on the museum he designed for the Chinese city he hails from- Suzhou. Pei was 90 when he completed the project, and it was inspiring to watch his uncompromising vision and execution, interpretation of his Chinese heritage, and undying modernist approach to design/ architecture. And as this PBS write up reminds us, he was indeed the man who put the glass pyramid in the Louvre!

PBS Link

Also, as a designer who left ‘home’, I was interested in what relationship Pei’s work had with the China of his youth and how he interpreted it, and also countered its influences very strongly all his life, being a strong proponent of modernism. So, what really do we, as designers carry away with us when we leave home? The idiom of Indian design has been a fascinating subject for me, which I hope to return to again for more discussion.

Images courtesy: PBS website.

My dear friend Neves recently sent me this link to some of Christoph Neimann’s recent illustrations. He’s an illustrator who’s work ranges from the very complex scientific, to children’s books, quirky, and like this one very, very witty. He’s been inspired by the iconography and style of google maps and has created some fabulous metaphors for New York, life and many other random things. They’re all maps, for all kinds of places! Don’t miss Casablanca.

His blog on the New York times website, the best place to see what’s fresh. NY Times

More on his website-Christoph Neimann

After watching the first five episodes, I’ve realized that I’m now hooked. The posters didn’t persuade me, neither did the TV ads, but the show itself has something. Maybe its the fact that its shot very much in the grungy streets, bars, cabs of New York that feeds my New York nostalgia. Or that its two very optimistic designers, one very pushy, the other self effacing, trying to make it in the city, feel familiar. Whatever it is, HBO’s new TV series ‘How to make it in America’ is working so far. Although its created by the guys behind Entourage, any comparisons are unfair. P.S. I could have done without Lake Bell, though.

How to make it in America

I was excited to see that the LA Marathon comes to us. Many of the landmarks on Sunset Boulevard are right by us. I will grumble though, as I navigate the streets this morning, since most off my regular routes are blocked off. 

Here’s more on:

Link

I really liked this retro poster designed by Studio Number One’s Cleon Peterson. Wish it was little more evocative of LA.