Friedrich --

Bravely risking the chance that I might break my arm patting ourselves on the back, I'm tickled to take note of a piece in Eye magazine written by Rick Poynor (here) that makes appreciative mention of 2Blowhards. Here's the relevant passage:

When it comes to reading blogs, I am strictly a dabbler. These constantly updated logs offer the same fascination and pleasure as diaries. They are direct and confessional and if they are done well, it’s possible to become absorbed by the musings of a total stranger. Too bad that any time you spend perusing blogs will have to be deducted from time reading other things. Blogs need to be unusually worthwhile to triumph in this Darwinian struggle of texts and justify your return visits. My favourite blog – for now, anyway – is Two Blowhards (perfect name – www.2blowhards.com), a collaboration by a couple of scarily urbane ‘eternal amateurs’, which is beautifully written, invariably entertaining and almost indecently well stocked with useful insights.

"Scarily urbane" -- I like it! Let's not neglect to tell the wives about that description. They'll scoff, but hey, there it is in print.

The mention is a special treat because Rick Poynor is the best design critic I'm aware of. He's a fab thinker and writer, one of the most tuned-in observers of visual culture around, and one of the few who's as interested in the content as much as the visual impact of what he's discussing. Some years back, he was also the founder and then editor of Eye magazine, and during his time at the helm Eye (which is still first-rate) was one of the best arts magazines I've ever read.

Poynor's praise also comes as a pleasing if embarassing coincidence, because shortly before leaving on vacation I'd spent time combing the Web for links to Poynor's work, eager to pass them along to you and to any visitors who might be interested. Unfortunately, time pressed, energy flagged, and I crapped out and let my little project go.

Let me semi-correct that bit of injustice now -- do be sure to check Poynor's brain, eye and writing chops out. Here's a book he's written about contempo design which, to my shame, I haven't yet read; here's another. Here's a talk he gave to the AIGA, the graphic designers' organization. And here's a piece he wrote for Metropolis about the vogue for "magalogs" -- publications that are half magazine and half catalog.

Many thanks to Rick Poynor, who I hope will set up up his own website soon.

Best,

Michael

Hmmm...wonder if his focus was on being "scary" or "urbane"? ;)

Posted by: annette on August 21, 2003 10:51 AM

Oops. Good catch. Maybe we should keep this from the wives after all.

Posted by: Michael Blowhard on August 21, 2003 11:04 AM






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