Objects: Matt’s Stuff: Fingerprints
Inspired by the packaging for Matt’s Hiroshi Teshigahara box set…
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Objects: Matt’s Stuff: Handwritten
Inspired by the packaging for Matt’s Agnès Varda box set,
some lovely examples of handwritten text used as design elements.
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Objects: Matt’s Stuff
It’s been a month since my last post. Is it even still relevant? Yes — especially when I have friends who so kindly answered my questions about their beloved possessions. In fact, I could probably tangent off their responses.
Matt — an amazing drummer, all around good guy, and one of the biggest cinephiles I know — owns hundreds of movies, each significant in their own way –
– partly for their monetary value:
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Tangent from: Objects
Yes — objects. Some weeks ago I saw two very different but equally wonderful movies that focus on the value of material objects (monetary, sentimental, etc).
Olivier Assayas‘ Summer Hours shows the simultaneously solemn, humorous, and emotional introspection that occurs when one has to decide how to deal with the belongings of a recently deceased loved one. It questions the true value of objects and examines attachments to material things. It’s a quiet, thoughtful movie that moved me so much that I found it difficult to hold back tears when recounting the story to a friend.
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Objectified, on the other hand, touches on sentiment, but focuses more on the utility, efficacy, and aesthetic of objects. Gary Hustwit, the design-focused filmmaker who aimed his camera at Helvetica two years ago, now turns his attention away from typography and towards industrial design. He speaks with some big names in the field who offer their historical knowledge and philosophical outlook on the subject. It was clever, enlightening, and certainly gave me a deeper appreciation for the potato peeler. (Seriously.)
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Since watching these films I’ve been absorbed with material objects. I’ve thought about my own — what I love, what I’ve paid loads for, what affection and memory won’t let me part with, etc. This got me thinking about my friends and their possessions — particularly those whose interests have led to the accumulation of a lot of… stuff. So I asked them about it. And they told me about it…
The Thin Man: Mingus
A mini tribute to Jon and Tim (aka Shank and Bludgeon)
When I was in college I had the good fortune of knowing two people with the most excellent music collection: roommates Jon and Tim. I spent loads of time at their place — eating their food, watching their movies, using Jon’s computer so I could write my papers in an environment more comfortable than the computer lab. And in all the times I was over, there was always — no exaggeration — always music playing. These guys woke up to music and fell asleep to music. Their individual collections covered an impressive range of genres; combined, it was just amazing.
The first time I heard The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady was at their place. Tim was rifling through his stuff when he decided on this album. “Trish, you’ll love this,” he predicted. The music played and immediately I pictured car headlights, shadows in alleyways, near empty diners, tough men in trench coats, and mysterious women with wavy hair that seductively draped over their eyes.
After listening to that album, I acquired my own Mingus collection. Whenever I hear his music, I don’t always imagine a detective story, but there’s definitely a narrative running through my brain. I like to to think the album covers function in a similar way.
The Thin Man: Wine and Spirits
Nick Charles likes to drink. This is actually one of his distinct characteristics. Given the time period, I’m sure it was meant to be one of his charming flaws. And the man drinks with such style and grace — no matter what time of day or night. I think he’d be pleased with the beautiful work designers are creating for his favorite beverages (gathered from The Dieline and Lovely Package — two excellent sites that showcase gorgeous packaging).
The Thin Man: Murder By Death
Murder By Death is a comedy (written by Neil Simon) with an all-star cast that pokes fun at some well-known and beloved mystery novel detectives (Charlie Chan, Nick and Nora Charles, Hercule Poirot , Sam Spade, and Miss Marple).
I’ve seen it a number of times. It’s a really silly movie but it cracks me up every time I watch it!
The movie is a lot of fun and I think the opening credits do a good job in showing that.
Tangent from: The Thin Man
I’ve recently been on a Thin Man kick. This involves reading The Thin Man and then watching and re-watching all the movies from the series. I’ve realized that the subsequent movies aren’t as wonderful as the very first, but I’m happy that the witty banter between the husband and wife team played by William Powell and Myrna Loy (a great pairing) remain clever and charming throughout. I’ll admit that The Thin Man is also the only Dashiell Hammett novel I’ve read (though certainly not the only Hammett film adaptation I’ve seen) and I’m eager to read more of his work.
Just as charming are the film posters for the movie, with the lovely type from the time period and (surprise, surprise) a lot of images of Nick and Nora Charles, my favorite detective team.
Into the West: The Rat Pack
The Rat Pack was definitely a West Coast crew — from the Sands to the Hills. Their brand of style, glamour, and cool distinctly tilts left and is evident in photos of the men suited up for their late night romps and album covers that reflect their playful banter and laid back swing.
