Red Pepper Flakes. A blog by Imelda Suriato

Gastrotypographicalassemblage!

When I saw this word, I can’t help but to smile and write about it.

What is it?

Gastrotypographicalassemblage is the name of the 36-feet long, 8-feet high 3D-typographical artwork by American design legend Lou Dorfsman in 1966 for the Eero Saarinen–designed CBS Building’s cafeteria. As an art director for CBS Radio Network (from 1946 to 1987), Dorfsman was responsible for all the building’s graphics, including the hand-milled wood type that listed all the foods and ingredients. In addition, the typography was done by Herb Lubalin and Tom Carnase under his art direction.

How delightful… until it was torn down and tossed aside in the early 90s. If it weren’t for the efforts of designer Nick Fasciano, and ID magazine writer Eve Kahn, it would have been gone for good.

What brings the word to mind today is an exhibition of Dorfsman’s work under the same title which runs until October 30 at Kemistry Gallery in London. Sixty original print advertising for CBS will be displayed along with the star attraction: The specially-created half-scale, photographic reproduction of Gastrotypographicalassemblage.

Go to Creative Review to read more about the exhibit and the making of it.

For more on the original artwork, its almost demise & restoration:

• Rebuilding a Legacy: The Gastrotypographicalassemblage by Richard Anwyl
• The Wall that Lou Dorfsman Built by Jim Schachterle
• Video of CBS radio interview with Dorfsman about the project can be viewed in The Center of Design Study

Also read The Four Lessons of Lou Dorfsman, a tender tribute by Michael Beirut when Dorfsman passed away in October 2008.

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Photo credit: UnderConsideration

Tokyo Bar: Anime no more

Tokyo Bar, the anime-themed Japanese restaurant in TriBeCa, is now closed. Too bad, the Kashiwa Sato-designed ID was dope!

The Berlin Wall: 20 Years Later

I can’t believe it’s been 20 years! I remember a good friend of mine, Firdaus Fadlil, who was in Europe at that time on a photo assignment, brought home a piece of the wall. What an intoxicating moment!

Checkout NY Times’ The Berlin Wall – 20 Years Later celebration and the interactive “Where Were You When the Wall Fell” user-submitted piece, The View From the Wall.

P.S. Go rent Good Bye Lenin! for a touch of East Berlin and communist humor.

Uniqlo Calendar

I’m testing the Blog Parts of the Uniqlo Calendar. Pretty cool. I like the accelerated motion of the cityscapes and the setting interface. Some sections are still coming soon so we’ll see what other ideas they’re cooking up.

A supershort story: Cellphone Day

This supershort story is inspired by a courier that dropped by Squeaky’s office. He had the loudest walkie-talkie phone that pretty much blared inconsequential conversation throughout the whole office. No sorry, nothing. What a piece of work. So here it is, my supershort story for all of you inconsiderate people out there:

“So how’re you doing?”

“Yeah, nothing, really…”

“So what are you up to?”

“Oh, nothing?”

“Oh yeah, me too.”

“Yeah, I’m just on the bus, you know, going to work…”

“So, are you doing anything tonight?”

“No?”

”Me too.”

“Alrighty then… I’ll see you at work.”

He shuts his cell phone and put it in his coat pocket. He turns his face to me and smiles. “Sorry. Work stuff, ya know.”

I look at him and I want to say, “What on earth would you think I give a shit about your conversation? I just want you to shut the fuck up and not bother me on my way to work, you asshole!”

But I just shrug and turn my attention back to the book I’m reading. Tried to read, anyway. Because when someone is shooting his mouth off on some petty bullshit just to fill the void in his head and knows nothing about common courtesy, I can’t turn my hearing off. I wish I could just shoot them. What would that feel? I can see the headline now. “Woman Charged In Man-On-Cellphone Death. Lawyer Files For Temporary Insanity Defense Caused By Lack Of Manner.” Now that’s a headline.

This actually makes me smile. Today is going to be a good day for killing someone.

The End.