With all the chatter of Blackberry, I-phones and the like, whatever happened to the Iron Age mobile phone? This example was uncovered from an undisclosed site just near Railway Balaclava Station. Sarah from our office says she really missed her Iron Age phone – “The look matched my wardrobe at the time and it was also very effective in staving off stray Celts”

Read more about the Iron Age here.

Google Maps has moved to the next level. One can try to describe it in words, or one can encourage you to go there enter with your home address, the house you grew up in, or a house you rented fifteen years ago. It is nuts.

Visit Google Maps here and have an address handy

There are “ghosts in the machine” in the graphic design world as attested by this morning’s latté.

Froth art is wonderful expression; a little graphic thought where one least expects it. Thank you Perrin from Batch for breaking Batch’s Silver fern protocol (a small rosetta) and bringing a little spirit to a mild caffeine fix.

The Police, the 1970s/80s UK pop oufit, dedicated a record to the idea of the physical and mental state running in parallel, via their fourth LP – Ghost in the Machine – inspired by Arthur Koestler’s The Ghost in the Machine.

The “Ghost in the Machine” record cover, designed by English designer and artist Mick Haggerty, is a piece of graphic art and design history recognised all around the world. It’s a fine example of design that effectively and curiously engages, intrigues and communicates a complex idea with simplicity

Visit some froth art here, and Mick Haggerty here

This space has often bemoaned the current trend with Australian Stamp designs that are dominated by: photographic outcomes, lots of graduated tonal work, cute ideas, or all of the above. That was until the mail came in today, and this little graphic gem winked back at us.

It has been some time since a true graphic stamp, the style of Australian stamps of the 1970s an 1980s, has graced Australian envelopes, usually containing a bill, and as design nerds we are really excited.

This lovely series, the Living Green issue was released on the 8 July 2008, and designed by Hoyne Design. Fantastic, lovely, wow again – may there be more graphic stamps again soon, it makes the humble postage stamp feel like currency again. Thank you Hoyne Design you have made our year.

Buy your stamps here, visit Hoyne design here

Emotion recollected into tranquility – Wordsworth

This time last year we left our Greville Street space in Prahran and moved into a new space off Carlisle Street in Balaclava. The new studio is in a run down 1960s building and our space was once an drafting services office amongst other things.

Near our front door is an assemblage of numbers and letters executed in a style perfected by New Zealand born Artist Rosalie Gascoigne. A visitor one asked – is the work a Gascoigne? Our response was – No, would you like it?

Gascoigne’s work is a favourite of many graphic designers, because she manages to pull off with letter forms and composition what most designer would only dream of as graphic executions. Subsequently her style of art is often mimicked in graphic design works. It is a style of work that is very easy to sell to clients for it artful qualities and from time to time it pops up on report covers, graphic textures, even the odd CD cover.

Born in 1917, Gascoigne started her work in art at the age of 58, after she had brought up her family. She worked on the outskirts of Canberra up to her early 80s, until her successful career was cut short when she died October 23, 1999.

Gascoigne’s cut and dry manner was always a welcome alternative to often hyped up world of art. Her way with words has a delightful economy without pretention; she was never one for complicating her process; she is a woman that loves to make art, rather than a woman who thinks she is art.

As a homage to the great artist we would like to share with you an interview with Gascoigne.