The Fox is Black

20 September, 2023

—

Transportation

Honda’s Motocompacto Is A Future Mobility Dream

Living in Barcelona, it’s incredibly easy to not need to own a car. Walking is my usual way of getting around. Everything is really no more than 20 minutes away by foot, and if you want to go further or get places faster, the bike share program makes it so simple. Still, what if there was an even easier way to get around? This seems to be what Honda is thinking with the upcoming release of the Motocompacto, due to be released in November.

The Motocompacto is a new electric scooter is inspired by the Motocompo scooters Honda released in the 1980s. It is designed to be used “for the last leg of commutes” (which is carmaker jargon, you do not need a car to own this) and has a range of 12 miles on a full charge and a top speed of 15 miles per hour. For someone like me, 12 miles would be plenty, as it’s about 6 miles to get to the sea from my apartment in the center of the city, Eixample. It weighs less than 50 pounds, imagine carrying a heavy pice of luggage around, and has zero emissions.

I would love to see one of these in-person to understand the scale, as well as try riding it around to see how smooth or bumpy the ride feels. As for the design, I love the suitcase look and feel, it’s giving 80s anime vibes. I’ve seen a lot of “you’ll like a dork riding this around” commentary, but like, who cares what other people think if it works for your life? Hopefully we see more out-of-the-box mobility solutions on the horizon.
18 September, 2023

—

Music

Mount Kimbie and King Krule Reunite for New Track, “Boxing”

The Mount Kimbie guys, Kai Campos and Dom Maker, are always doing interesting work, and post-lockdown, it seems like they’ve been really on a roll. Their classic album, Cold Spring Fault Less Youth, was released a decade ago now, and featured an iconic pairing with then 21 year old Archie Marshall, aka King Krule. The two tracks he guested on were two of my personal favorites, raw with emotion and unparalleled in sound.

Now, the guys have reunited on a new track titled “Boxing” which sees their explorations in sound continue to develop and grow. It feels a bit more like the King Krule universe, ending in a field of sound that’s more akin to Mount Kimbie. The track is only on sale through Bandcamp until this Thursday, 21 September, so grab it while you can.

<a href="https://mountkimbie.bandcamp.com/track/boxing-featuring-king-krule">Boxing (featuring King Krule) by Mount Kimbie</a>
18 September, 2023

—

Art

Nicolas Party Explores Unsettling Landscapes in His New Show ‘Swamp’

There’s something old and familiar in the paintings of Lausanne-born artist Nicolas Party. His new show at Hauser & Wirth New York, simply titled Swamp, feels like wandering through a dream, with tinges of arcane wisdom and occult-esque imagery. His use of pastels, employed at incredibly large scales, and his oil-on-copper paintings, are evocative of pieces you may see in a museum. He’s exploring familiar ground, building off the primal elements of life, and bringing them to life in such a contemporary way.

For me, there’s something so magical about his jewel toned palette that’s extremely alluring, especially the contrast of colors. And of course, playing with scale is always an effective tool for making things feel grandiose and beyond the norm. If you’re in New York, please go see this show for me, it runs until 21 October.

Nicolas Party
Swamp
Hauser & Wirth, 22nd Street
15 September, 2023

—

Art

The Patchwork Brilliance of Artist Thomas Campbell

I was talking with a friend yesterday about the art and creative surrounding 90s and early 2000s skateboarding, and he reminded me of someone I hadn’t thought of in a while — Thomas Campbell. A key figure in the “Beautiful Losers” movement, I was always so impressed with Campbell’s ability to dabble in so many mediums. Paintings and ephemera sewn together in abstract quilts (literally), charming hand painted lettering, and pattern-painted ceramics all were part of his creative worldview. If you’re unfamiliar with his work, I’d highly recommend this interview with Campbell by Chloe Roth who goes deep on the artist. He has such a unique POV.
14 September, 2023

—

Design

Identity Design for Santorini-based Hotel HOM by k2 design

How does one design a brand to emphasize it as a perfect summer retreat? Greek design firm k2 design has employed their vision for a new hotel simply called HOM, highlighting its one-of-a-kind charm which sets it apart from the typical honeymoon hotel vibe that saturates Santorini.

With a nod to the simplistic beauty of Greek design, they’ve incorporated elements like handmade pottery and vibrant colors that evoke the carefree spirit of summer living. The tones they’ve chosen are gorgeous, they feel so rich and lively, and the hand-drawn illustrations bring such a familiar, human touch to the overall brand. Overall, there’s this really nice interplay between the simplicity of the typography and the character of the textures and colors used throughout.
14 September, 2023

—

Books

‘Letters from M/M (Paris)’ Explores the Type Projects of The Infamous Design Studio

There are few design studios who’s work can touch the sheer scale and boundless creativity of M/M (Paris). Founded in 1992 by Mathias Augustyniak and Michael Amzalag, they’ve continuously pushed the boundaries of creativity, not settling for any trends, and who look at the written word as a playground for innovation.

Their newest book, Letters from M/M (Paris), is a comprehensive study of the studios typefaces, cataloguing ninety typefaces in three volumes, showcasing their development, specimens, and project illustrations. Written by Paul McNeil, a typography expert, and with a foreword by Björk, this encyclopedic publication explores the role of type in M/M’s work across art, fashion, music, and theater. If you need some inspiration this book is sure to spark something in your mind.
13 September, 2023

—

Illustration

Elegant, Abstract Illustrations by Yasuo-range

Japanese artist Yasuo-range considers herself a “graphical illustrator” which is a pretty apt description. Her work, which seamlessly blends digital and physical mediums, has influences that wander between abstraction, influences of the Bauhaus, and Japanese minimalism. There’s something so lovely about how she abstracts objects into these colorful still-life scenes. She gives our brains just enough information to start to pick out particular items, but in some cases, not quite enough, giving you time to look over the pieces trying to discern what is what.
13 September, 2023

—

Fashion

Folk and Speedo Team-Up For a Cold Water Collection

One of the collaborations I did not see showing up this year is the recently announced collection from British clothing brand Folk and the iconic swim brand Speedo. The Cold Water Swimming collaboration features a wide range of pieces for both swimming (obviously) as well as staying warm before and after your icy plunge.

As Folk founder and Creative Director, Cathal McAteer, describes it:

“Losing yourself in nature has always appealed to me – hiking up mountains, dancing in a field, floating in the sea – all big positive moments. So naturally we have admired and been part of the love for cold water swimming, these small groups & communities of people taking to the rivers, ponds, lakes & coast to get the elemental rush of being outdoors in the water wanting to introduce a lived-in sense of ease to the kit that people use, the aim was to make an excellent range of swim and warm-up gear. So we designed robes, fleeces, base layers, hoodies, hats etc plus partnered with swimming icon, Speedo, for performance quality swimwear. We have tackled the outer cold to help deliver the inner peace.”

I love what they done with the patterns and colors for the collection. I think the combinations work so well because they contrast so nicely with the water and earth tones. The photoshoot does a great job of selling the idea of cold water swimming, I’m almost convinced it’s something I would do.
11 September, 2023

—

Art

Odd Compositions and Shapes Form the Paintings of Ben Newman

Ben Newman is a UK-based illustrator and artist who’s primary work is focused on illustrations for children’s books and toys. Yet, I want to focus on his newly burgeoning fine art that began to crop up in late 2022. The pieces are somewhere between paintings and assemblage, with random shapes building together in some fascinating ways. He’s created pieces that seem to focus on the macro, lots of circles and blobs and triangles coming together in a chaos of shapes, as well as the micro, seemingly close-up details of larger compositions which are equally as delightful.
11 September, 2023

—

Art

Yuri Mo Renders Everyday Objects Into Prismatic Wonders

This series of objects by Yuri Mo, which have been 3D rendered in a kind of “hyperpop” aesthetic, for lack of a better term, immediately caught my eye. I love how fantastical these are, somewhere between the throwback “transparent everything” trend and if Karan Singh did more acid trip inspired work in 3D. And the complexity of each of the surfaces and how the colors change really blows my mind, this is such beautiful work.
7 September, 2023

—

Fashion

Valextra’s Sophisticated Leather Glasses Case

There are some everyday objects that you should consider investing in. As Marc Jacobs is known to say, “a nice version.” And as a person who has been a life-long wearer of sunglasses, keep your specs safe (and accounted for) is a top priority. So when I spotted Valextra’s quite sophisticated take on a glasses case I realized what’s been missing in my day-to-day kit. With over twenty colors to choose from, there’s a shade for every bag or outfit. I always default to the more natural tones, though the mint and peony pink/poppy red combo are definitely calling to me.
6 September, 2023

—

Art

Tim Teven Studio’s Pressure Vases Bring a Dynamic Twist to Your Table

Tim Teven is a Dutch designer who graduated from Design Academy Eindhoven in 2018. He has a technical and material-driven approach to design, and he uses unconventional methods to create functional yet interesting objects. The one that caught my attention, though I’d say all of his work is quite remarkable, are the Pressure Vases he creates.

He’s created an array of these vessels, in a myriad number of sizes and shapes, as well as materials, including stainless steel, chrome, and zinc. It’s fantastic that he’s able to take such mundane materials and give them such an interesting twist. In some cases the forms look almost cartoon-ish, like Wile E. Coyote after a run in with an Acme product gone wrong. Yet an elegance still remains in these pieces, and I can quite clearly imagine how many of these would look with a lovely bouquet of flowers in them.