// Things I’m admiring ….//

In lieu of my more meaty art & culture writing, my blog has become more of a “things I am able to think are beautiful while working too much”, I hope you (the ever elusive reader) do not mind too much.

1. Egon Schiele’s handwriting

I think I could write a small essay on the perfect balance both vertically and horizontally, as well as the general height and style. It is perfection in ink. A number of letters he wrote during his lifetime are on display at the Leopold Museum in Vienna (where I was lucky enough to spend some time last week for work-related matters).

Even in his paintings, the way he signs some of his works are little puzzles or look like the beginnings of a word search using just his name. Just look at the connection between the 1 and the 9 in the year 1917 at the bottom of the note above.

2. This fusion of talent with one of my favorite Max Richter’s compositions and Dinah Washington singing “This Bitter Earth”

3. These magical Stella McCartney Fall 2010 ads using artwork by Barry Reigate

4. Re-discovering my great love of the 50p1q series by Crush+Lovely (with Deltree love too!)

One of my earliest blog entries talked about how much I was impacted when I watched the first installment of this series (which, full disclosure, lead me to making two close friends with some of the people involved in bringing it to life). I was recently talking about projects that I think bring some real humanity and depth to our internet existence, and this one came to mind. I have subsequently re-watched all of them in the past 24 hours.

They are just as wonderful as the first time.

My favorite, which I make no secret of, is the FIRST New York video (embedded above). There is a crisp rawness to all the responses, the music is the right balance, the light… wow wow wow!

5. Memoir writing