endless ocean endless sky

It’s kind of a given that the people working at Nau have a passion for the outdoors: skiers, bikers, surfers, climbers and paddlers abound in our ranks, and when our team clocks out at the end of the day, many run (literally) from town to do something fresh and physical. But it came as a happy surprise to me that so many of the people I work with have separate creative lives outside the office. Among my immediate coworkers I have found authors, illustrators, photographers, painters, filmmakers and dancers.

Six months ago, when Eugenie invited me to a performance she was part of called “Endless Ocean Endless Sky” (playing in Austin, TX this weekend), I didn’t quite know what to expect. Choreographed and produced by Tahni Holt, the website for the Portland production was mysterious and poetic. The story, it seemed, was a collection of vignettes 100 “moments” long. Since only ten audience members are allowed in the performance at a time, I made sure to reserve a spot early. Read on »

Talking Images

Photographers observe, explore, and comment on the world around them with their lenses. The best of this breed of artist create images that are approachable, clever, aesthetically pleasing, refraining from trying to bash you over the head with their work’s meaning. Like the saying goes, “Walk softly but carry a big shtick.”

As both a photographer and appreciator of this art form, I’m constantly amazed by people’s brilliance and insight, especially when their work deals with environmental issues in subtle and clever ways.

Below are a few of the artists that have influenced my own personal work; the last two images, a landscape by my boyfriend Kevin Malella and another by yours truly, are our own variations on this theme, presenting both the sublime and the surreal in respect to our changing environment. The interpretation is up to you…

Photographs (L-R):
1. Dionisio Gonzales - Heliopolis 1
2. Alan Cohen - Construction No. 108-03
3. Edward Burtynsky - Nickel Tailings No. 31 (Sudbury, Ontario 1996)
4. David Maisel - Mining Project 3
5. Edward Burtynsky - Uranium Tailings No. 12
6. David Maisel - Lake Project 20
7. Kevin Malella - Mutated Towers
8. Simone Bogode - River Project No. 3

If You Knew Everything About Tomorrow, What Would You Do Differently Today?

So asks Faith Popcorn, who has created quite a reputation for what she calls “applied futurism.” By that she means weaving the future into the everyday texture of companies and brands. Faith and her gang have come up with a list of predictions for 2008. One in particular caught my attention. It’s titled “Reactions to Cashing Out”:

Lagom: From the Swedish, most commonly translated as “just enough.” It’s an approach to both design and consumption that explains the essence of brands like Ikea and Volvo. We see notions of “minimalism” and “sustainability” taking on significant currency, as even Americans reject hyper-consumption as not just excessive, but actually damaging to themselves, others and to the planet.

KarmaCapitalism: As “Cashing Out” rises to this level of prominence, we’ll see a basic shift in the identity/mentality of people, as they make the transition from “consumer” to “citizen” – recognizing that every act of consumption has cost and consequence beyond the transaction, and that every transaction is a “vote” in favor of the offering entity, and against the options not chosen. To compete, companies are going to have to weave “goodness” as a fundamental intent into their corporate culture. Bringing on a dash of “corporate responsibility”; whether the mere monetary commitment to a cause, or some more symbolic gesture, will not suffice to curry favor with the citizen. In a world of transparency, where every corporate practice is knowable, they will be watching and exercising that all-important vote of the purse.

Hmmm. As we like to say: that was then, this is Nau.

Catch Their Drift

Based out of the UK, Drift Magazine strives to recapture the lost soul of surfing, similar to the way the esteemed Surfer’s Journal and Surfer’s Path highlight non-commercialized, environmentally-minded content in their publications. One look at the magazine’s design and photography clues you into the fact that something different is going on at Drift. Artful, thoughtful imagery and insightful stories grace the pages of their first three online issues, which are available for download HERE. Now the magazine is venturing into the printed realm, and I wish them the best of luck. Being a surf-blogger in my other life, I’ve always appreciated the respect they show for everyday surfers by highlighting blogs in their newsletters and soliciting content from “non-professionals” who have stories to tell about their experiences in the ocean.

Branding by the People for the People

Take a bit of entrepreneurial flare, mix in a bit of eco consciousness along with a dash of digitally enabled community participation in the form of “crowdsourcing” and “crowdfunding” and what do you get? How about Nvohk (pronounced “invoke”) – an eco-friendly, surf inspired clothing manufacturer that appears to be decidedly democratic in its management approach. The concept: You sign up for free and when membership hits 20,000 everyone invests $50 a year. In return, you get a say in the management of the company, including — according to its founders — major business decisions like logo design, product design, athlete selection and advertising direction. You’ll also have a voice in choosing what charities receive 10% of net profits and 35% of net profits will be directed back to members via award points. As of March 21st, over 2106 future members had signed up. This experiment is one to watch, if not participate in. It will certainly test the power of crowds and our capacity for collective decision-making.

Tired of Sound Bites?

Intelligent Debate. Passionate Media. How rare is that? If you found it, would you engage with it? I ask because I recently discovered Scribemedia.org. That’s exactly what they promise and that’s definitely what they deliver. The folks at Scribemedia travel extensively to capture and deliver speeches, roundtables and interviews of thought leaders across an incredibly diverse range of disciplines from technology, fashion, business, design, media and the arts. My samplings included a talk by Chris Jordan at the recent Greener Gadgets Conference where he artfully illustrates our staggering quantities of mass consumption and a speech by Lord John Browne of Madingley (former Managing Director of the colossus oil company British Petroleum) about the future of world energy markets.

Scribemedia serves up intelligent dialogue, versus the usual sound-bite approach that has become all too prevalent in our national dialogue. As they say, they “deliver content where and how people want to receive it.”

Dream Bus

Saw this bus on a walk yesterday.
Had to run over and look in the window.
Of course, it had the perfect sticker on it…

Why doesn’t a car manufacturer make a cool bus again? An AWD, hydrogen-powered six-seater with a fold-down bed in back (or above). Sink, toilet, and card table would all come standard.

This Westy concept car by Verdier is what I’m talking about… Hello, VW?

Cold Hands, Warm Hearts

Losing a glove sucks. Usually, if you’re biking or on a walk, you try to retrace your route and hope that some kind soul has picked it up and stuck it on a fencepost—but that rarely seems to happen. What ends up happening is that you keep the other glove for a while, unable to throw it away because technically, it still works. You almost feel sorry for it, like an identical twin that’s been separated from its sibling, until finally you have to donate it or toss it away. It’s so much better to lose a hat, because at least you know the hat has more of a chance for a second life.

The One Cold Hand? blog is an ingenious lost-and-found on the web that reunites Pittsburgh’s lost gloves with their lonely counterparts. Designed by Carnegie Mellon art student Jennifer Gooch, the site is a work of art in itself, with each lost glove telling a story and inspiring the imagination. But this isn’t just for show—As of yesterday there have been 12 happy endings where gloves have been returned to their rightful owners.

Bike Love

Well, it was a banner weekend for bike lovers in Portland. The NAHBS is now behind us, and in its wake lingers the aroma of pure two-wheeled lust, not to mention permanent grins and some new ideas for the next bike-you-never-knew-you-needed-that-now-you-have-to-have. Between the Teams of Portland exhibit and party, the show itself, and Rapha’s debaucherous, ridiculous, sublimely excellent night of Roller Racing, there was a little something for everyone.

Go to the next page to see photos!

Read on »

FRAGILE: Contains Peace

Back in November Josie came hopping back to my desk to deliver a very bright box that had just been dropped off by the postman. Handing it to me, she seemed very excited to know what it was. Having no idea myself, we sat down to take a look. The box, a five-inch cube, sported a Pollock-esque paint job of dripping splotches of blue, yellow, purple, magenta, and turquoise on a mauve ground. One side was signed and dated, like a piece of artwork, and a band of clear packing tape wrapped all the way around to hold it together. It was very light and a jiggle revealed no noises from inside. After this once-over of the curiosity, our attention was drawn to the top of the box, where we found postage, my address, a return address, and a large sticker advising in bright red, “HANDLE WITH CARE / FRAGILE / Contains: PEACE.”

The box suddenly gained some heft, and questions began to pour into my head: There’s Peace in here? How does it fit? What does it look like? Will it fly out if I open the box? Do I want to open the box? What can I do with this? Who can I give Peace to? Who needs it most? How on earth did this Peace get addressed to me in the first place? I have to be careful with this!

The mysterious contents of the box beckoned to be seen, but I resisted the urge and did some quick research instead. The home-printed return label listed the sender as “Franck de Las Mercedes” of New Jersey, and listed a website, fdlmstudio.com. A trip to the artist’s site revealed this artifact as part of an extensive series titled, “The Priority Boxes Project,” and along with a form to order one, provided this explanation:

“By using a box format painted on the outside, sent by mail, Franck aims to have people interact with a work of art, from the person requesting one, to the very first change of hands at the post office, all the way to its receiver. By holding and observing one, the recipient can consider what the box suggests it contains, realize the fragility of what they are holding, and in that relation become aware or activate their ability to take action and influence change. The boxes must be free, in order to reinforce and remind us that things like peace and hope are not only free but also a priority.”

Read on »