I’m super-amped to announce the public release of Eli Carrico’s Black-Out Stencil typeface via Wordshape/MyFonts.

Black-Out was used for the cover and interior of the Barbara Bestor book, Bohemian Modern, designed by Eli and Michael Worthington a few years ago over at Counterspace, a stunning book about L.A. architecture and interiors. Since then, it’s seen super-limited use by a select few folks, but Eli decided (with a little prodding) that the time was nigh for public release.

A chunky mix of geometric stencil, system-based slab serif, and a unique feel that falls somewhere between 1967 and the year 3000, Black-Out will sock you in the privates and run off with your money. Or something.

Three typefaces I designed years ago got new leases on life via MyFonts this week:

Devil’s Advocate, a digital version of an old ATF typeface.

Inversion, culled from a bit of German lettering circa 1910.

Sandberg Honorarium, an original display font created in tribute to the career of Willem Sandberg.

As anyone who makes environmental art can attest, much land art, environmental art, and site responsive eco-art doesn’t make great bedfellows with galleries and museums. This is how we ended up with our rather strange performance and site art tradition of displaying documentation rather than the originating object or action itself. Your environmentally situated artwork may be just as brilliant as Andy Goldsworthy’s (well, chances are it’s not, but ya never know) (no offense)… but unless you’re an exceptionally accomplished photographer, or being followed around by an amazing filmmaker, we’re unlikely to ever know the fabulous heights you’ve reached.


“The decision to organize the Green Museum specifically under the auspices of a museum—as opposed to a network or archive—was a distinctly political strategy to legitimize an art movement that had been marginalized in the larger sense of art history.” Christian L. Frock, writing in Art Ltd.

If this kind of artwork can’t be neatly piled into a museum, or neatly bought and sold, if we’re limited to experiencing it in a removed, documentary fashion, then an online archive-museum makes loads of sense as a central repository for showcasing the work. Art Ltd.  delves into just that: greenmuseum.org, notable for its (lack of) fundraising technique, the interesting works archived on its website, and desperate need of a redesign. Good stuff. Do check it out.

Image: Dust Mask, 2009-2010 by Vaughn Bell. Photo by the artist. Stolen rudely from the Art Ltd. article.

When the Department of Transportation in NYC issued an RFP for two dimensional artworks in Times Square, it was picturing designs to be painted on the fairly new pedestrian blocks on Broadway.

The artists of [v]vital[ny] in New York envision something greener and much more ambitious. “Kinetic Path, an interlocking, replicable leaf pattern of piezoelectric tiles, will be integrated into pedestrian areas. When walked on, these tiles convert the energy of footsteps into electricity.” This electricity would be used to fuel signs in Times Square, and any additional energy required to run the rest of their project, including a ticket booth and a Sculptural Garden.

Thanks to Jane H. for the tip… Photo of Times Square Toys “R” Us by J.D. Berger

I made two poster versions, just because.