In a rare and intimate one-night event, apparel/book/font designer, publisher, and manufacturer of design objects, Andy Cruz of House Industries will speak about his work and House’s most recent collaboration with the estate of Charles and Ray Eames.

As a partner in the cutting edge design phenomenon House Industries, Andy has helped steer the course of visual culture over the past fifteen years, creating design work with toes dipped liberally in fine art, Modern design, vernacular commercial art, and brand-oriented graphic design. See the past and the future collide and how the aesthetic of tomorrow will emerge!

Friday, September 17 2010
Doors Open: 19:00
Presentation / Q&A: 19:30 – 20:00
Dinner: 20:00

Oakwood Premier Tokyo Midtown
Address: Akasaka Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052
Map: Click here.
Telephone: 03-5412-3131
Fee: ¥3,500 (Advance) ¥4,500 (Door)
Includes presentation, light buffet dinner, drink, limited edition publication and limited edition print.
Language: English with Japanese Interpretation

RSVP NECESSARY
Email info@nonaca.net before Friday, Sept 10. 6pm.
Advance payment can be made here:

More: nonaca.net

WITH

BRONZE
LIGHT ASYLUM
MATRIMONY, WEED WOLF,
DJ YETI, DJ lADYFINGERS, AND MORE!
AT THE WORKS—SE STARK + 14th— $8, PICA MEMBERS, $10 GENERAL

Chris Bruch’s show is invigorating and shows an almost supernatural ability to combine various materials and techniques.  He combines materials like fiberglass, epoxy, and pigment in clever and innovative ways, making sculptures that look like giant meteors or half human, half animal forms. One clue to his resulting works might come from his process of gathering all materials, impressions, ideas, and inspirations and then waiting. He spends time with these ingredients and pondering them until ideas crystallize and something arises that he can work with.

His works of ink on paper fall into two categories: simple, almost figurative looking sketches with a hint of surrealist influence, and works that have modulated areas of greys and black drips, with the use of white paper as a tone.

Bruch’s work is not likely to change your world view.  Perhaps a return to some part of his socio-political or performance  work would bring his work to a higher level of meaning. In the meantime, his new show is notable. Catch it through late August at Elizabeth Leach Gallery, 417 NW 9th, Portland, Oregon. —Lisa Parsons

The latest from the amazing Tokyo-based independent art publisher edition nord, a selection of work by Tadashi Kawamata.

box:198mm x 150mm / 64 cards in color / poster: b/w, 786mm x 537mm
Edition of 1000 each

Photographs and Text by Tadashi Kawamata
Selection by Shin Akiyama
Design by Shin Akiyama + Takuya Seki / schtucco
Translation by Tohru Horiguchi
Printed by Sun M Color
Printing direction by Seijiro Kori
Assembled by chiku chiku laboratory

“Thunderbitch: Women Designers in Northwest Rock 1966–2010,” opens August 5 in Seattle at Tether Design Gallery, 323 Occidental Ave S., Seattle, WA 98104,

The opening runs 5-8pm, with live music by Barbara Ireland + Stone Gossard and Visqueen, plus an appearance by The Piston Packin’ Mamas, Seattle’s all-girl car and motorcycle club, and an all-ages late show with Damien Jurado.

From DIY Xerox flyers for bands you’ve never heard of to big budget rock albums that sold in the millions, women designers have shaped the visual identity of music in the Pacific Northwest since at least the late 1960s. Some never considered themselves designers, simply making Xerox posters out of necessity to promote their bands. Some are artists and illustrators synonymous with various music genres and some are career graphic designers. Thunderbitch is the first attempt to document these women artists and their work.

Artists include: Lynda Barry, Judith Bissell, Deborah Brown, Rachel Carns, Neko Case, Chelsea Conboy, Cindy Crangle, Shari Critchley, Louise Crowley, Katha Dalton, Dotty DeCoster, Ellen Forney, Candy Fowler, Sharon Gannon, Marianne Goldin, Kathleen Hanna, Chanda Helzer, Jane Higgins, Lucy Huntzinger, Barbara Ireland, Kim Kalliber, Eva Lake, “Lee”, Molly Neuman, Lisa Orth, Tammy Packs, Gina Papen, Cielito Pascual, Emily Pothast Robynne Raye, Mary Rivard, Helena Rogers, Rachel da Silva, Helene Silverman, Clara Sims, Heidi Snellman, Dana Squires, Kim Stringfellow, Ashleigh Talbot, Tobi Vail, Jeanne Wasserman, Joanna Wecht, Catherine Weinstein (aka Hedda Goldspace, aka Thunderbitch), Alice Wheeler, Bon Von Wheelie, Allison Wolfe

Image above: Ellen Forney

The Department of Defense is unable to account for the use of $8.7 billion of the $9.1 billion it spent on reconstruction in Iraq.

From the GOOD blog. They claim their source, which we haven’t checked, is none other than the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.

Just who are these instrument-wielding miscreants, and what exactly do they want with you? Well, I assume they want your money, because their CD release show isn’t free. But these dudes are smart enough that they could’ve become Wall Street hoodwinkers or dot-com gillionaires if dough were their priority. Maybe they want you Portlandians to start dressing more snazzily? Or are they modeling poses for a new series of those real-life-sized bronze statues downtown?

Maybe they just wanna bombard you with music so inviting, intricate, and infectious it smacks the summer ennui right out of you. Their genre, alas, is called “world chamber music,” and it’s woefully insufficient to describe the exhilarating brilliance and sly sense of humor employed by the five members of 3 Leg. You’ll recognize influences and traditions from indie pop to classical, klezmer to jazz, and experimental to rollicking cabaret. The new disc, “Animals & Cannibals” reveals new instrumentation for the band (is that a waterphone in Gary Irvine’s hands, above right?) and wanders through some new, highly textured territories not explored on previous releases.

Celebrate the release July 31 at Alberta Rose Theatre. All ages, tickets $15-17 ($25 includes CD). Doors 7 pm, show at 8.

Full disclosure: OK, I’ve played with some of these sartorially besuited gents in the past. I can still be objective enough to say they’re freakin’ great regardless.