Cristiana Couceiro: A Look of Her Own

(click any image for a larger view.)







CRISTIANA COUCEIRO IS A 31-YEAR OLD ILLUSTRATOR and graphic designer who lives in Lisboa, Portugal. She collage’s vintage papers with contemporary images the old-fashioned way—with glue and scissors. Whether she follows that hand work with scanning and digitizing the pieces seem likely, as the translucent, overlapping sections would be difficult otherwise.

Cristiana has a fresh style that looks and feels effortless, a style that harkens back to the birth of modernism. It would be quite easy to over-do something like this—but she knows just when to stop. Her work has a beauty to it based on her own sense of mathmatical formulas, grids, balance, vintage ephemera, typography and numerals.

From the Archive: Five Great Snapshots

(Above) Number One, silver gelatin print, c. 1945; Talk about a powerful, mysterious image! These two men appear not to want their photograph taken. It’s just a very different, unique kind of snapshot.
(Above) Number Two, silver gelatin print, c. 1950; Ooo-h baby, I love this. I has all the qualities of a great mystery novel, or classical art. You have purity (innocence, with the baby); you have evil (the dark shadow); and you have the garden hose serving as the “snake” in the garden.
(Above) Number Three, silver gelatin print, c. 1935; You couldn’t prop a photo as wonderful as this picture today. I could talk about this image a lot. The child warrior rides again, the last of her lost tribe! It’s magical.
(Above) Number Four, silver gelatin print, c. 1955; If you know the work of Sally Mann, this is a perfect match. As an image, what I find compelling about this image is the subject matter. On the left, you have this little girl, kinda awkward and goofy, eating a watermelon. On the right, a girl of the same age either putting on or taking off her shirt. What a beautiful shoulder, the angle of her arm! It’s a statement about the emergence from adolescence to adulthood—an American “Venus de Milo.” This image has it all.
(Above) Number Five, silver gelatin print, c. 1940; This picture, a mistake made during the exposure, actually has perfect tonality. For some reason it is looking lighter online. The light spot sits perfectly around the little girls head, like a protective bubble. The mother looks none too happy.

WHENEVER I EXHIBIT MY COLLECTION OF VERNACULAR PHOTOS, I always leave each image “untitled.” That is because I do not want to contaminate a viewer’s thinking as to what they are looking at with my wild guess inference as to what is going on in the picture. I wasn’t there—so your guess is as good as mine. And I sincerely mean that. These images are mysteries as to who, what, when and where. We might be able to get close—but unless someone in the photo steps up to identify the situation, we are left with our own resources to figure it out. Things are not always what they seem.

Why do I call these great images? Well, since I didn’t take them, I feel much like a curator at a museum. I found the images, selected them, gave them a new life. Therefore, I should be able to discuss them with a critical eye.

Here are my criteria for the qualities of a great photograph.

1) Compositionally, it must be extremely good if not perfect. It must work, and deal with formal design issues, if even abstractly.

2) Tonality must be extremely good. There is nothing more frustrating than a photograph that is missing this quality. A severely over or under-exposed image that is great in all the other categories can make a good (but sensitive) man cry.

3) Subject matter: can be anything, but the image must be powerful. It must leave room for interpretation, beg for answers. It must have several levels of interest, both visually and intellectually. As an image, how rare is it that you would ever see something like this again?

4) Condition: The physical condition of the picture must be at least “good,” to excellent.

5) Comparison: This is very personal to my collecting eye, but the image must remind me of some great photographer’s work. Does the piece remind me of little Sally Mann, WeeGee, Friedlander, or any other photographer of the 19th or 20th Century? If it does—it “connects” to art history. I like that.

A Song for Hard Times

Today, I will attend the funeral of my friend David Holt. We once worked together, laughed together, and enjoyed a period in our shared lives that I will never forget. I hold in my heart the memories of that time. In many ways, Dave was bigger than life, so losing him is difficult to take. Dave was a graphic designer of extraordinary talent. He was a loving father and a friend you could count on. Dave was experiencing a difficult time in his life. He died too young—and this is in memory of him.

This is by singer/songwriters Kate and Anna McGarrigle with Emmylou Harris and friends (Rufus Wainwright - son of Kate, Emmylou Harris, Mary Black, Karen Matheson, Rod Paterson) performing Stephen Foster’s Hard Times Come Again No More during the Transatlantic sessions. These are harmonies from heaven in a song written by Foster in early 1855.

Revel Today in Some Great Objects

(Above) Late 19th century canvas circus banner “Thompson’s American Museum of Genuine Curiosities” with original grommets and binding rope intact, all professionally hand painted with great detail, in as found old surface and condition, professionally lined and mounted in a shadow box. 109” high x 88” wide.
(Above) Circa 1930 wood double sided triangular sign “Silver Lake Camp” with an applied horse head and lettering in crisp white on a bright green ground in the best age cracked surface and original condition. 30” high x 33” wide x 2.25” deep.
(Above) Circa 1930 sheet iron Pontiac Indian weathervane in exceptional and original red painted surface. 54” overall wide x 42” overall high.
(Above) Rare 19th century cast iron mooring head in the figure of a young black man, probably used as a riverboat tie down, in excellent and untouched original surface, ex-Savino collection, as pictured in the book “Horsing Around 19th Century Cast Iron Hitching Posts,” page 55, catalog item #94. 9.25” high x 7” deep x 8” wide.


Circa 1860 highly unusual diminutive cast iron optometrist trade sign in original and as found cobalt and red glass, surface, paint and condition. 21.75” long x 11” high.

AMERICAN GARAGE, located in Los Angeles, CA has a new selection of objects for sale. I have selected 5 lovely objects for you today, to view and enjoy. The Pontiac symbol is my fav!

5 QUESTIONS: Modern Shed

For a single person business, how much room do you really need?
Small is good, when it comes to these beautifully designed structures by Modern Shed.
(Above) I’m not wild about this color combination, but that decision is up to the owner.
(Above) Welcome to my little hideout. I wish!
(Above) Small footprints, sustainable solutions. That’s what I like.

WHEN I SAW THESE GREAT, VERSATILE SHEDS advertised in Dwell Magazine, I had to learn more. So, I contacted Christine Palmer, Director of Sales for Modern Shed, who was kind enough to answer a few questions for me.

1. Hi Christine! I must admit, you work for a really cool company. I love the designs for these modern sheds—but they are more than just sheds. I see where people are using your plans to make studios, or even living quarters. Are people loving the simplicity of them?

A: The sheds are very versatile—people love that they can use these for whatever the extra space is they need. Most of our clients use these as offices, but they have been used for extra bedrooms, meditation rooms, exercise rooms, and complete living spaces. The design is clean and simple which allows these to sit next to any style house, in any neighborhood. We have even seen Modern Shed accepted in strict historical neighborhoods.

2. So all the pieces arrive at your house or wherever, and if you are somewhat handy, you start the project. How long would it take two fairly skilled people to build one of these—including beer breaks?

A. We recommend using a contractor, or someone that is familiar with building actual structures, not just IKEA bookcases. These are tricky, and we always can tell when we have a client that got in over their head. The sheds come in panels and are delivered flat-packed either by our delivery/assembly crew, or a traditional carrier crated (depending on delivery location). Our assembly crew of 2, usually builds a 10 x 12’ studio in 3-5 days, depending on site and logistics of working with electrical contractors, etc.

3. What is the single most important thing to do to get started off on the right foot? Would you say preparing the foundation or getting the footings properly set are the most important?

A. The first thing you need to do is check with the city to see if you need a permit. Then the foundation is second. Often the permitting department will determine what kind of foundation you need. We provide pier footing location/directions to the client—so they are set properly. We can help out with details and decisions via email or telephone if the client needs direction.

4. You say these are sustainable, how do you justify that?

A. The practice of building these off site in a controlled environment is one of the biggest reasons. Our design and the materials we use are another. The Modern Shed is designed to be built by 2 people, no cranes or heavy equipment needed. They are designed with the idea that you don’t need a costly addition that creates waste. You can get the extra space you need by adding one of these to your lot. Many of our clients that have bought these have decided to work from home and are eliminating the wasteful commute. Our transom glass along the roofline offers natural light therefore cutting down on the amount of daytime lighting required.

Many of our materials are sustainable, like the cement composite siding that offers durability, the metal roof and the aluminum windows are both recyclable. Even the way our siding is applied prevents mold growth and allows the structure to breathe, aiding in the longevity of the Modern Shed. We offer many Eco options as upgrades if a client wants to go green all the way.

5. What are the sides made of and does that vary?

A. The walls are made of a 2’ x 4’ wood construction with a formaldehyde free fiberglass insulation and an exterior grade plywood. The siding is a James Hardie cement board product. We do offer SIPS (structurally insulated panels) in place of the traditional framing.

If you would like to learn more about these studios, sheds, man-caves, whatever—Christine Palmer
will be happy to answer any of your questions. Check out all the variations at www.modernshed.com.

Here’s more information: 

Modern Shed
T 206.524.1188
F 206.524.1189

This Horse Rocks!

(click on images for larger view)
GREAT DESIGN IS TIMELESS. When I look at this early to mid-19th century child’s rocking horse, there is an elegance of simplicity that speaks to modernist design. Free of pretense or decoration, there is rhythm, balance and perfection here. I believe the sculptor Brancusi would have looked at this object with some awe.

This incredible object is available at the shop of Joshua Lowenfels in NYC.

The Way We Were

(Above) Photographer: George Grantham Bain (1865 - 1944)
Police officer by the Brooklyn Bridge, New York, 1916.
(Above) Anonymous Photo, Black American Barbershop, 1940s
(click on images for a larger view)
(Above) Photographer: John Vachon (1914 - 1975)

Migrant couple living in one room of abandoned house on property of fruit grower, Berrien County, Michigan, 1940.
(Above) Anonymous Photo, Mountain Lion on the Street in the Rain, 1940s
(Above) Anonymous Photo, Rural Family with Nine Children, 1930s. Penned on verso: “9 children, oldest 9 years, 1 set twins, skipped 1 year. Cherokee Co.”
(Above) Photographer: John De Biase (active mid-2oth century)
Black American Children Workers, 1940s
Penned on verso: These are some of the kids whose parents’ strike is being fought by imported strikebreakers. Wages for Starkey workers ranged from 15¢ an hour for 7-year olds to 45¢ for adults.”

ONE OF THE THINGS OLD PHOTOGRAPHS DO FOR ME is to make me stop and re-examine where we are and how far we have come. At the same time, it makes me rethink just how far we need to go. Here is a remarkable set of photographs that speak to various aspects of our American way of life.

These photographs are all for sale on eBay, the selections of James Lamkin—a person who has helped shape and define this entire “vernacular” phenomenon we see today. James was finding and selling snapshots before most. Most importantly—James has an eye like few of his contemporaries. It’s unique. While many sell within the so-called “odd” snapshot genre—James will select an anonymous photo because of it’s sublime magnificence. As far as the history of photography goes, James is able to make these incredible connections to the history of photography.

You never know what you are going to find on his eBay site: this week he has a heart-wrenching, incredible Depression era FSA photograph by WPA photographer John Vachon, whose work is in the Archives of the Library of Congress. Next to that, for comparison— an anonymous snapshot of a family with 9 children from the same time period, a photograph with equal power.

Check out his site for a chance to own a piece of photo history.