Fig Magazine Launch Party!

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In honor of the new issue of Fig Magazine shipping out week, Deb Brandt & Co. at Moxie House threw a launch party last night at Annie Bailey's. Since it was the PCA&D-led issue that my C. Emlen Urban piece was part of, I was able to hang out with many fellow faculty, administration and alumni that I rarely see over the summer. All of the original pieces were on display, as well as tons of Fig-itos and other beverages!

The cover of Fig, as seen here, features art from many of us affiliated with PCA&D, including Matthew Ivan Cherry, Charlie Beyl, Bob Hochgertel and Megan Caruso.

The Hey-Day Of Rail Travel Spawned…

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… some amazing design, photography and illustrations. I mean, just looking at that glorious illustration makes me want to have been there too! The Vista-Dome North Coast Limited was a train run by the Northern Pacific Railway that ran through Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Spokane, Tacoma, Portland and Seattle. I picked these postcards up at Root's Country Market & Auction Inc. this past week, along with another sweet find you'll see soon enough. For more classic train imagery from this era, go here.

The History of the Vista Dome (in brief): "The Vista-Dome North Coast Limited was the premier passenger train of the Northern Pacific Railway from 1954 to 1970. Dressed in Raymond Loewy's two-tone green paint scheme, deemed by many to be the most attractive ever applied to a passenger train, the Vista-Dome North Coast Limited featured glass-topped dome cars, which allowed passengers a sweeping view of the scenic territory between Chicago and Seattle. It also featured a unique lounge car with a Lewis and Clark theme, top-notch dining car service, and state-of-the-art Pullman sleeping cars." – From the press release for "Vista-Dome North Coast Limited" book

Where Fine Art & Design Unite…

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I don't care much for purists in art and design. Art, in all of its various forms – by its very essence, is borderless and free to go wherever it so please. And one of my favorite artists who did such a beautiful job crossing lines at will was Ed Ruscha.

His use of type and his grand appreciation for photography, architecture, mixed medium (we're talking everything from hot sauce, caviar to oil) and traditional painting methods always please my aesthetic senses.

His work is being both beautifully and painstakingly collected into a series of catalogues: Ed Ruscha: Catalogue Raisonne of the Paintings: Volume 1, 2, 3 & 4. Each of the four titles is currently available at D.A.P. here, here, here and here.