Media Nugget

Joe Gibbs

Joe Gibbs

What a year! 2004 has brought us the return of the Pixies, Mission of Burma, and Joe Gibbs. As the boy in Animal House said when the half-naked woman flew through his window, "Thank you God!" After an eleven year absence from football, the Hall-of-Fame coach who led the Washington Redskins to three Super Bowl victories in twelve seasons returns to the sidelines today for the team's regular season opener. And while the game may have changed while he was gone, and we might all suffer the consequences of our overinflated expectations, the beginning of the new Gibbs era gives Redskins fans something they haven't had in a long time: Hope.

Creative Commons

Creative Commons

Copyright is broken. What began as a system balancing the promotion of individual incentive and "the progress of science and useful arts" has become a weapon of commerce that tries to eke out every last penny from artistic creations, whether or not the original artist wants it that way. Creative Commons aims to steer the boat back on course, by offering a spectrum of licenses for artists to control the use of their creations. Choose from options such as "attribution," "noncommerical," "no-derivatives," "share alike" and even a "Founder's copyright," which allows authors to publish their work with the 14-year period of exclusive ownership that the framers of the Constitution orginally enacted and not the "70 years from the author's death" that Congress adopted at the urging of that other noted stateman, Sonny Bono. Use the Founder's copyright when you want the beat to go on...just not for a 100 years.

Gerhard Richter

Gerhard Richter
1932-

Defying the image of the "single-minded" artist, Gerhard Richter has moved, over the course of his 40-year career, from realistic to conceptual to abstract and beyond. That said, his most immediately accessible pieces are almost certainly the paintings he's based on photographs, some ominously blurred, others blissfully accurate. According to SFMOMA's online companion to a recent Richter show, the artist views photographs very differently from paintings: "The photograph is the only picture that can truly convey information, even if it is technically faulty and the object can barely be identified. A painting of a murder is of no interest whatsoever: but a photograph of a murder fascinates everyone. This is something that just has to be incorporated into painting." In the late 80s, Richter attempted to bridge that gap with "October 18, 1977" -- a suite of paintings based on historic images associated with the deaths of Germany's notorious Baader-Meinhof Gang.

Pixel Art

Pixel Art

Think back to before computer-based illustration was hyper-real. Remember the 16-color palette? The cartoon outlines? The static viewing angle? Well, they're back. And they're better than ever. Not only will you find practical examples of pixel art all over the place, from online games to magazine illustrations. You've also got consumer products like t-shirts and building blocks aimed at quenching the cultural thirst for this retro style. One of my favorite incarnations of pixel art is Craig Robinson's minipops collection -- tiny little portraits of people like Sonic Youth and the characters from Big Lebowski and hundreds and hundreds more. If you want to explore the world of the pixel art, some decent starting places include eBoy, pixelfreak, Electriconland, and Craig Robinson's Flip Flop Flyin'. If you want to learn how to create your own pixelated masterpiece, then bookmark this tutorial.

Cast Puzzles

Hanayama
Cast Puzzles

Hanayama's metal puzzles are mostly classic "tanglement" affairs, where you attempt to separate the component pieces (and hopefully reassemble them). Once you learn how to solve each puzzle, they aren't really all that much fun to repeat, unlike a Rubik's Cube. However, these puzzles are a lot more beautiful than a multicolored plastic cube, and once they're solved, they transition gracefully to paperweights, conversation pieces, and something to just fiddle around with unconciously. The puzzles are divided into six levels of difficulty. Skip the lower half, unless you're buying for a child. But don't think you'll start at the top, either. Several of the toughest puzzles are "unranked." Take on the Enigma at your peril.

Charles and Ray Eames

Charles and Ray Eames

We're suckers for visionary multidisciplinary artists here at the Nugget. And if you had to look for a prototype, this married couple might be it. They designed magazine covers, toys, films, buildings, courseware, and, of course, furniture. Much of their work has become part of the definition of "20th century." The first photobloggers? Not quite, but the Eames' collection of 350,000 slides is easy to link to the far-ranging online photostreams that are being curated today. How about their ground-breaking film Powers of Ten? Tell me that wouldn't be meme of the year if it came out today. Lucky for us, the legacy of Charles and Ray Eames is being carried on and many of their films, photos, and furniture designs are still readily available.

Steve Coogan

Steve Coogan

Before Ricky Gervais created the despicably funny David Brent on The Office, Steve Coogan had already perfected the art of behaving badly for big laughs. His radio sportscaster / failed talk-show host / graveyard-shift DJ Alan Partridge is not only deadpan hilarious, but also somehow endearing despite his astonishing lack of savoir faire. For the best of Partridge, you may have to do some detective work, since his BBC shows Knowing Me, Knowing You and I'm Alan Partridge haven't been released stateside. However, you can get a taste of Coogan's brilliance in 24-Hour Party People, the Michael Winterbottom film about the Manchester music scene and Tony Wilson's Factory Records. Rent Party People, dig up some Partridge, and hope and pray that more of Coogan's characters eventually end up on a screen near you.

Mr. Winkle

Lara Jo Regan
Mr. Winkle

As our technology makes leaps which streamline how information is delivered, the information itself changes in ways we cannot imagine. Image and reality are blending in ways never before thought possible. We are beginning to doubt everything we experience, even as we welcome it. In this age of in-flow-mation, a cute dog resembling a cartoon character can become a minor superstar. (Tip of the hat to ladygg.com for providing the link.)

Vaughan Oliver

Vaughan Oliver
Vaughan Oliver

Vaughan Oliver has created stunning artwork for the 4AD record label since 1980. Under the name 23 Envelope, he and photographer Nigel Grierson helped define 4AD's visual identity through graphics for Modern English, Cocteau Twins, and This Mortal Coil. By 1988 Grierson had moved on and Oliver re-christened the studio v23. Collaborating with various photographers, he continued to create images that complemented and enhanced each group's music in a unique manner. Some of Oliver's most unforgettable designs grace the covers of albums by the Pixies, Lush, Ultra Vivid Scene, and His Name is Alive.

Tobin Sprout

Tobin Sprout

Best known as former guitarist and songwriter for Guided By Voices, Tobin Sprout has more recently gained acclaim for three solo albums of charming, slightly skewed pop --as well as for his new band, eyesinweasel. While fans and critics alike have recognized his musical talents, Sprout may be even more gifted as a painter. His striking photo-realist paintings feature such domestic details as storefronts, stovetops, and kitchen appliances. His work can be found on album covers and in galleries throughout the Midwest, including his own in Michigan, The Petrified Fish.