Samuel Price’s Incredible Dog Portrait Collages

What recycled magazines have to do with the essence of the canine soul.

We love dogs. From Tim Flach’s extraordinary dog portraits to the great mystery of how to photograph a black dog, we have a particularly soft spot for unusual ways to capture (wo)man’s best friend. That’s exactly what San Francisco collage artist Samuel Price does in his stunning dog portrait collages made of hand-cut photographs from recycled magazines.

And while the whole eco-art card may have been played and played again over the past few years, it’s worth noting that a single ton of glossy virgin paper, like that used for magazines like National Geographic, requires 15 trees to make about 1,100 magazines. Sam collages about 20 recycled magazines every day, or 48,000 over the ten years he’s been making his stunning collages — that’s 650 trees saved over the course of his creative career.

I study the image and focus on the details and subtle nuances of the mouth and eyes that make every animal unique. The relationship between the owners and their pet is special and I look forward to mirroring that affection in my work.” ~ Sam Price

For the dog lover in your life, Sam’s work can be commissioned for custom collages.

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something: An Open-Story Plot Device for Life

An antidote to friend buttons, or what Shakira, Seth Godin and JJ Abrams have in common.

We’ve got something, something we share with Sir Richard Branson, Dave Eggers, Shakira, and Seth Godin, among others. And now, you too can have something — for free.

something is a plot device in a story you choose to ascribe it to, part MacGuffin Library, part Significant Objects, part creative vehicle all its own — a fascinating side project by our friends at m ss ng p eces, whom you might recall from the lovely Behind the Scenes of a TED Talk, the Michael Wolff mirco-documentary on the three muscles of creativity and last month’s excellent James Murphy interview on the future of taste and music discovery.

Today, we sit down with founder Scott Thrift to talk about something.

What, exactly, is something?

ST: something is a profoundly simple work of art that connects people, inspires new ideas and generates curiosity.

How did the something story start?

ST: After film school my writing was taking me deeper into the meaning of the moving image. The impact a single frame could have on someone began to hold more interest for me than a feature film. While applying pressure to what a one second film might feel like; I began to wonder what media, books, or art ‘do’ in the first place. What do we ‘have’ with us after the experience? I wanted to be able to grasp that intangible mystery. I wanted to ‘have’ what I wanted an original film to ‘do’ to people, without making the film.

Where is something going?

ST: For the past nine years I have given it as a gift to people who have meant something to me. It’s an effective way of giving thanks for everything beyond words. I would estimate that there are close to 500 pieces throughout the world.

One of my favorite things about something is that it cannot be downloaded. I’ve always wanted to send something to people in the mail to celebrate the physicality of connection.”

I kind of miss that in a world of friend buttons, so I’m going to give that a go and see what happens.

What has been the most surprising response to something that you’ve seen?

ST: Something connects people to the present moment. In the newness of that moment I’ve seen people bite it, laugh uncontrollably, shake it next to their ear, try desperately to open it, smell it, go on a pun fit or become frightened, confused, jubilant, jealous, I’ve seen it make people cry, become furious, throw it or take a picture with it but most commonly, share it with everyone around them. The most enjoyable responses for me are the surprising insights and deeply interesting conversations it inspires concerning meaning, perception, value and the thingness of things.

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The 3D Type Book: A Typographic Treasure

What wire fences have to do with noodle soup and the male reproductive system.

After months of anticipation, The 3D Type Book by London-based design studio FL@33 is finally here. Dubbed “the most comprehensive showcase of three-dimensional letterforms ever written,” the book is nothing short of stellar: With more than 1,300 images by over 160 emerging artists and iconic designers alike, it spans an incredible spectrum of eras, styles and mediums. From icons like Milton Glaser and Alvin Lustig to contemporary Brain Pickings favorites like Stefan Sagmeister, Marian Bantjes, Ji Lee, Stefan G. Bucher and Marion Bataille, it’s a treasure trove of typographic treasures.

From toothpaste typography to sperm alphabet to typonoodles, the book’s typographic specimens both make us see with new eyes the seemingly mundane building blocks of language and reconsider ordinary objects, materials and media as extraordinary conduits of self-expression.

For a fine companion to The 3D Type Book, don’t forget David Sacks’ excellent Alphabets.

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