Bauhaus to Deconstructed Newspapers

nowing all the facts might have helped my Sunday visit to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. I wanted to see the Publishing Modernism: The Bauhaus in Print exhibit, which showcases printed material from the Bauhaus School. To my disappointment upon arrival, I learned it is a weekday-only exhibit.

A consolation prize did catch my eye: Modern Lab: The Found Alphabet. Given my photographic focus, how could I pass this up? Shockingly, this is not a featured exhibit. I had to ask a security guard where to go. After winding through a few galleries, I found a broom-closet-sized room with about a dozen pieces of art.

While I wouldn’t plan a trip for just this exhibit, if you’re interested in typography, it is worth a look. A Claes Oldenburg painting called The Letter Q as Beach House, with Sailboat, is oddly self-explanatory. The work features a giant, upside down Q posing as a house, with sailboat.

But my favorite piece was a deconstructed newspaper by Canadian artist Kim Rugg. The work, No More Dry Runs, is a front page of the Financial Times. All the letters are cut out and pasted back in alphabetical order. So FINANCIAL TIMES became AACEFIIILMNNST. A clever idea, though I can’t imagine how long it took.

I’ll have to take an afternoon off to see the Publishing Modernism exhibit, which is open through October, 28, 2011. Just don't drop by on a weekend expecting to get your Bauhaus on.

Follow GDL Studio on Twitter (@GDL_studio) or Facebook.

Fill in the Blank: GDL Studio Note Cards

ust because we spend more and more time communicating electronically does not mean we should be reading the last rites to the handwritten note. In the spirit of helping people turn off their electronic devices (unless you are reading this blog), GDL Studio is proud to introduce note cards.

Peace, Love, Thanks, Hello, and Note are the pioneering words at the launch of my stationery efforts. Each note card is blank inside allowing you unlimited freedom to create literature-worthy prose.

For those uncertain how to send messages without a keyboard, please follow the tutorial below, with helpful computer equivalents:

1) Launch email program (select note card)
2) Select new message (open card; grasp hand-held writing implement)
3) Type message (press writing implement to blank area of card; craft letters like those seen on computer screens)
4) Select signature (sign your name)
5) Select recipient address (place card in envelope; seal envelope; write mailing address -- see U.S. Postal Service for technical support)
6) Press send (purchase and attach stamp; deposit in U.S. Postal Service mail box or hire private courier service to hand deliver note)

Congratulations, you just went old school and sent a paper-based email!

Keep watching this blog for more low-tech communication solutions. Follow GDL Studio on Twitter (@GDL_studio) or Facebook.

Food Meets Design: Lucky Peach Magazine

nvestigating the magazine racks usually does not involve me stopping in the food section. But the design buzz about the new food magazine Lucky Peach prompted a detour into the dizzying array of culinary glossies.

Lucky Peach’s first cover lived up to the hype with hand-drawn type and a de-feathered cover chicken. A two-page infographic on what happens to eggs at different temperatures stood out as did colorful hand-drawn illustrations that dotted the magazine's layout.

As I started reading a lengthy ramen-centric essay on a culinary journey through Japan, I realized something was missing: ads. I flipped through all 176 pages and saw maybe three house ads with no outside advertising. Not that I minded, but even at $10 an issue, I am not sure if that will be enough to cover all their production costs. I don’t know if they have an ad-free business plan or they just wanted a clean debut.

I suppose one could argue the whole magazine is an advertisement. The top of the cover shouts “THE NEW FOOD QUARTERLY FROM MOMOFUKU’S DAVID CHANG.” The Japan essay focuses on Chang’s recent pre-earthquake visit to the island nation. Chang opened his New York City noodle bar in 2004, and he pops into in other stories in the debut issue. Since it is his magazine, he can do what he wants on the editorial side. But he might have to think about a few outside ads, unless he has major noodle money to burn through.

GDL1 Clock: Keeping Time in Style

aving a great idea is easy. Turning an idea into reality can be challenging. The GDL1 clock, like GDL Studio, was years in the making. The seeds of inspiration were planted around 2005 in a dusty eastern California town. I stumbled onto an old train depot that had tiled numbers, 1 to 9, marking departure areas for buses that once serviced the depot.

A few years later, I wanted to create a clock based on those depot numbers as a wedding gift for friends. I printed photos of all the numbers, using 1s and 2s to create the 11 and 12. Since I found no zero at the depot, I picked a photo of an orange car in place of a proper 10. I spent days scouring craft and hardware stores for pieces to concoct a clockish device that could keep some semblance of time. The final product looked exactly like it was made by someone who spent days scouring craft and hardware stores. (Sorry Lisa and Mark! I totally forgive you if that monstrosity is now decaying in a Utah landfill.)

This month, I conquered my clock demons. Thanks to help from CafePress, my inaugural time piece is not only clock-shaped but also completely free of eyeball-threatening jagged metal bits.

I was surprised this clock was the first design to come together, considering my journey has focused more on letters. But fear not, my letters are standing proud on mugs and totes.

Keep up with the GDL Studio blog as I unveil future designs. Plans are in the works this summer to offer custom designs for items such as baby name gifts and favorite or inspirational word prints.

Taking Flight

etting started has been more of a challenge than I anticipated, but GDL Studio is now ready to take flight. You can now visit my CafePress shop at http://www.cafepress.com/GDLstudio where I have posted my first six designs.

At launch, I have items for tracking time, holding liquids and transporting small- and medium-sized objects. Check back with the GDL Studio blog to learn about the origins of these items in the coming weeks. I plan to expand my offerings throughout the year, so stay tuned.

Along with the online shop, GDL Studio has also started its own Facebook page, for yet another way to follow my progress. If you dig what you are seeing on my shop, feel free to visit my Facebook page and click on the little "Like" button.

And you can't do Facebook with out doing Twitter, so follow me @GDL_studio. If you have ideas for designs or products, leave a comment on the blog, write on the GDL Studio Facebook wall, or send an email to greg@GDLstudio.com.

(Post updated June 16, 2011 at 7 PM to add Facebook link and Twitter paragraph.)

Minor monuments and modern courtyards

inding a spot for quiet contemplation is not a problem in Washington, D.C. Small monuments to great minds, such as the Albert Einstein memorial, lie off the beaten path in the nation’s capital. Secluded memorials to half-forgotten patriots, like George Mason, sit in the shadow of structures honoring more famous founding fathers, in this case Thomas Jefferson.

But my favorite hidden gem for peace and quiet is not among the area’s myriad monuments. My top spot for thinking is Kogod Courtyard. It combines history, modern architecture, and art. The courtyard lies between the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. While both are part of the Smithsonian, they are several blocks from the National Mall and are not obvious destinations for most tourists. The first tenant was the U.S. Patent Office in 1840. Maybe some of the innovation that once percolated through these halls still lingers, inspiring visitors.

Even when brilliance fails to strike, Kogod Courtyard is still a nice to write, people watch, and relax. I am not the first to quietly hum its architectural praises. I love staring up at the wavy glass ceiling and the interesting shadows the crisscrossing steel frames create.

I wish I could say today’s “F” is found near the courtyard, but this letter comes from nearby Baltimore, Maryland. This and other letters are patiently waiting to be deployed. The wheels of progress continue to grind as GDL Studio approaches reality. I hope to make an announcement in early June. Thanks for your patience.

George Nelson and Fire Hydrants

verywhere you go, there is an immense amount of visual information in the built environment competing for your attention. Most of the time you tune out the “irrelevant” information. If you didn’t block out some of the information, you would never get to your destination on time. (Or you might drive off the road.) An interesting book that addresses this subject is “How to See: A Guide to Reading Our Man-Made Environment” by George Nelson, the prolific architect and designer. The book is out of print, but you can pick up a used copy on Amazon among other places.

I bought the book a few years ago from Design Within Reach (this was actually within my reach at $30, unlike their sofas) when the company reprinted the volume. Just as the title promised, it provided a new perspective to how I look at the built environment. I had no idea how much I was ignoring each day.

If you happen to live in an urban area, take a look at any given block and try to count the number of signs. There will be parking signs, traffic rules and warning signs, street name signs, address numbers, store and office signs, menus, advertisements, newspaper boxes, graffiti, and posters. Unless you are looking for something specific, you likely ignore most of this visual clutter. If you are driving, it is always a good idea to pay attention to some key road signs, but it can be tough to catch everything when they put up to 4-5 signs on each available post or utility pole. Nelson gives good examples of the types of driver-related visual information overload.


Nelson suggests there are some universal patterns in elements of the build environment, like the fact that manhole covers are generally round, metal and must have an opening so you can pick them up when needed. He also mentions fire hydrants as being universally the same. I have to say that I have run across some variations in hydrants. (OK, it took me a half-hour to find two hydrant photos in my collection, but I knew there was a reason I kept them.) The blue hydrant, which seems more aerodynamic than any fire hydrant needs to be, sits in Bristol, Tn. The red hydrant, which is super skinny, is on guard in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Both are deviations from the standard hydrant I grew up ignoring in upstate New York. Anyone else seen any unusual fire hydrants? Am I the only one who now takes notice of fire hydrants?

The "E" at the start of this post is from Charleston, S.C. Sadly, I have no South Carolina hydrants to offer. But in a few weeks, I will be using this and other "E"s as I launch GDL Studio. Just a few more Virginia bureaucratic hurdles to clear. I think I can see the finish line.