Herb Lubalin and EROS Magazine, 1962

Whilst in New York we got to make a couple of special studio visits, but by far the best trip wasn't even a studio.

A couple of us were lucky enough to go to Cooper Union, where in the basement stowed away is the Herb Lubalin Study Centre for Design and Typography. We were met with the curator of the archive, Alexander Tochilovsky. It was a very small long room, more like a wide corridor really, and around a table he introduced us to Herb Lubalin.

We were there for over three hours looking through this amazing work, and we could touch and hold everything with our bare hands, even though some of them are the original works and sketches. Alexander said that the centre believed in sharing 'design as it was made to be experienced', and so we had all this opportunity to be up close to all these pieces as they were intended to be. I was most amazed by a series of magazines that Herb Lubalin and his studio made in collaboration with Ralph Ginzburg, an American author, editor and journalist called EROS.

EROS was a magazine about love and sex. All four volumes were published in 1962 (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) and was folded when both Ginzburg and Lubalin were arrested; at the time all mail was censored and censorship in the 60s included anything of a sexual nature. Both of them knew that this could perhaps be the end of their careers, but it was a project that both felt they had to pursue. Lubalin agreed to work with Ginzburg if he had full creative control, and he became art director. There's a nice little section in Ralph Ginzburg's wikipedia page about it.

Anyway, when Alexander mentioned that these were still in circulation online etc, I knew I had to have them. I'm planning my dissertation at the moment, and I want to write about sexuality, which makes these invaluable historically. Not to mention that they're beautiful! And lucky me (and Hannah too!) got all four for about £60. Definitely worth looking out for online!

Yay! Unboxing video!

ArtFund Card Unboxing.

Getting stuff in the post is fun.

Soho: The Breakfast Club and Berwick Street

Last Saturday, I went to meet Yusra for lunch in Soho at the famed Breakfast Club. We had a halloumi wrap and berry pancakes, before setting off to Berwick Street for some mega fabric sample collecting.

First stop was the famed Cloth House. There are two of these on each end of Berwick Street, and both are perhaps the most beautiful places I've ever witnessed. Choc full of beautiful fabrics and trimmings and buttons... what more could you ask for?? I will forever be a slave to surface pattern and textiles, even if I am an illustration student. I think it's pretty important to keep all of these things going, it's what makes you different. Hannah, Katie, we have to go back to get some more samples!

After spending a good long time rummaging and deciding on our final two samples from each place, we just simply moved on to the next one! I had a massive haul of fabric samples to go home with...what I'd give for some metres of fabric!

I'd just also like to add another apology for the lack of blogposts these last few weeks. It's less that I've become too busy, but more that the internet exasperates me here... It's currently 9am, so I reckon my future blogposts will be a morning affair. However, after chasing people up about it, the internet seems to be a little more improved...we'll see how it goes. Right now, I've also come to uploading on to Flickr to get the photos up on here. Much less of a faff than using Tumblr. Thankyou for all sticking around, and I promise, promise, PROMISE to keep you all posted.

The Night Market

So Kingston Market Place had an event going on organised by the Illustration and Animation Year 2. Me, Mikey, Nat, Will and Amo went along to see what what going on. It was small, but neatly packed with some entertaining activities, and delicious, delicious food. MY student budget couldn't quite afford dinner, so I just splashed out on illustrated goodies. Good to know I got my priorities right.

Designblock Haul.

The London Art Book Fair.

Hannah (3) and I went to the London Art Book Fair  on Sunday and I treated myself to two scrumptious books. Peckham by Charlotte Mei was way WAY overpriced, but it was too beautiful not to take home with me. I was going to pick up a different book to The Nao of Brown, but the shop guy showed me this one, and although its completely different to something I'd usually choose but for some reason I fell in love.