Foxymoron

Call for contributors

I'm looking for contributors to the Foxythings blog. If you haven't visited it, it's a new blog of beautiful design and ideas. The slogan is simple: indie and eco-friendly ideas and stuff. So far, I've written about sustainable homes, indie fashion designers, technology that turns your dance moves into energy and other stuff. If it looks good, isn't harmful to the earth and supports small businesses, then it's welcome on Foxythings, or rather, it is a foxything.

Interested contributors don't have to have a background in design or environmental issues. I don't. The important thing is that you're interested in finding and promoting good and positive ideas and products. So if you or someone you know fits this description and can put a reasonable sentence together, e-mail me. Don't worry, it's not a big commitment. I'm just looking for a few good people to share their idea of a "foxything" once (or, if they like, more times) a week. C'mon, e-mail me.

If you don't want to or can't contribute but like the blog, please link it from your blog or site. It's still getting off the ground and we could use a few more blog friends.

Thanks!

Tagspotting in Hong Kong

Tagspotting is a short indie documentary about Hong Kong graffiti collective ST/ART. The group of artists is the brainchild of China Stylus, the creative and graphic design firm that designs Kee Magazine. The artists profiled in the film discuss typical graffiti issues such as running from authority and commercialism but more importantly, the film showcases some impressive art from around the city.

It would be cool if ST/ART and/or other local graffiti collectives organized a graffiti tour for those of us who want to see more. These city streets are already scenes of sensory overload (skyrocketing buildings, flapping laundry, rush of people and a flood of sounds from every direction), it's sometimes hard to find the art in the chaos. I realize that sometimes the strength of graffiti is its subtle existence but can someone point me in the direction of Hong Kong's best street art aside from the Yumla wall? Just a thought.

mp3: Stereo MC's - Graffiti (Part One)
mp3: Stereo MC's - Graffiti (Part Two)

(Film link via co-producer Edwin Lee's blog)

Foxythings

When I was younger, I had dreams of being an architect or a designer. Influenced by my father (a real estate agent) and the art classes my parents enrolled me in, I often drew blueprints of my dream homes. I found some of these plans when I was back home in August, and they are nothing close to what I would consider a dream home now. When you're 10-years-old in 1990 and live in the suburbs, the concept of a home is literally square.

mp3: Commodores - Brick House

I know now what design can be, and it's obviously not limited to suburban brown brick boxes and strip malls. Beautiful design has so many possibilities and is not limited to the pages of Wallpaper* (although I love that magazine). The Internet is a great way to open eyes and see what wonderful things designers around the world have created. The web is the biggest shopping mall in the entire world and it's so hard (but fun) to try and keep up with the innovative and pretty designs in everything from architecture, fashion, furniture, home products, packaging and more.

mp3: Rufus Wainwright - Pretty Things

The way I look at it is that design is not just about pretty things. Good design can lead to better living: eco-friendly products, products to help the elderly, etc. To explore good design and also research more great ways to shop on-line, I've created a blog all about products and small companies I think people should know about, Foxythings. It won't save the world but maybe you'll find some things and ideas you'll like.

mp3: David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World

Whatever happened to my dreams of a career in architecture? Grade 12 physics, that's what. We're all better off if I stay away from building things.