The Stolen Scream - A Story About Noam Galai

It's crazy that something like this can get so big and a shame that to date, Noam has received no financial benefit from the mainstream corporations that duplicate his image to sell their products. As he says it's cool when artists use his 'scream' for art and not for profit. I'd be fairly happy with that too! Below you can watch Iranian street artists ICY and SOT use the stolen scream in their Hope 'n' Pain set.

Six Pack Frame Cinch

I know what you are thinking.... 'That is amazing!' 'I don't even have a bike but I'm going to buy one of these anyway, just in case'? I thought so... I'm not actually sure if I should be promoting 'cycling and drinking' having seen the dark side of this firsthand when my friend Taylor smashed his incisors in while cycling home after an evening of refreshments. That required quite a bit of attention from the local dental practice as well as some rather uncomfortable stitches at the hospitals accident and emergency. And my friend Thomba had a nasty spill when he inadvertently cycled into an empty shopping trolley parking area as he raced through the supermarket car park in the dead of the night. His enjoyable drunken liaison came to an abrupt end as his knuckles were introduced to the trolley park cross bar at high speed.

However, everyman to himself! Scoop it here if you likes. It's essentially a strap used for carrying polo mallets (?) but the hanging six pack array looks good to me. And the bell... you still get those? Nice!

Amsterdam Acoustics - The XX - Crystalised

By miles upon miles upon miles, one of the best bands to come to light last year, in a place that is close to my heart. A few amazing weekends have been spent in Amsterdam. I think I've been there five or six times now. In saying that, it's probably time to head back. Fancy a bier (smoke and a pancake)?

Joni Sternbach - Surfland

Wow, wow, wow, wow!!! I absolutely love these vintage looking photos by Joni Sternbach. They are amazing! Her Surfland series of photography is soooo nice! The super talented Joni Sternbach grew up in NY, graduating from the New York University and International Center of Photography in 1987. She currently teaches wet plate collodion at the ICP between projects and exhibitions.

These photos were actually taken quite recently (2009) but aged through a process called 'tintype' using wet plate collodion. I'm not familiar with this process but having read a little about it now, it sounds like a fairly complex lesson in chemistry (which I failed) and given that she does this outside of a studio is incredible. Apparently this type of photography is more closely associated with images taken during the American Civil War and other happenings from that era onwards (not only in the states).

Joni displays the same natural elements in her other sets: the sky, ocean/sea and decaying architecture. This in turn gives her style a beautiful timeless feel.

Each image is taken on an 8×10 inch one-of-a-kind tintype. The collodion process is instantaneous and processed on location with the aid of a portable darkroom. Many of the first stills taken were of local surf heroes and artists that reside in the Montauk area of New York but most are simply strangers. Lucky ones! Doing their own thing but willing to help out, met on location, up and down Americas east and west coasts. The Surfland Series consists of several hundred photographs and is available in a super sweet hardback book that would look very nice sitting on your coffee table. You want it? I think you do? Go get it!!!

TateShots - John Squire on watercolour

John Squire, The Stone Roses guitarist on Patrick Heron's watercolours. A nice clip. John Squire seems like a really mellow guy. His talent with the Roses was never in question although I never cared much for any of The Seahorses stuff. I was always more of an Ian Brown fan while my friend Kev (the young one) was a Squire man through and through. Needless to say, that topic was debated quite a few times. However, we both agree his artwork is sweet.

Hello there, poor little blue guy

Hello there, St kilda

Christmas day on St Kilda Beach (or about three feet from it as this was taken) Melbourne, 2001.

All together now.... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

The Archive

I wish John Peel could have met this dude. Not only would they have been the best of friends, maybe John could have helped this poor guy out. A compelling story of one mans passion sadly coming to an end.

Hello there, wife!

Yo Yo Yo Robots!