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

The Camera Steals the Soul: Outdoor Sports in Cinema

Our Thought Kitchen meetings usually take place at the bar/creperie Le Happy, a little joint around the corner from the office that’s the perfect venue for our informal pitch meetings. It’s usually after a couple beers (or hot toddies) that the best subject matter is born. Such was the case this winter when we began an ongoing discussion about the worst cinematic interpretations of outdoor sports.

What started as a casual conversation about few ‘80s date movies blew up into an email rally 20 replies long. From Keanu Reeves’ bro-brah Johnny Utah in Point Break to Stallone’s piton-firing gun in Cliffhanger, no phony stone was left unturned. A month or so later, we had a hefty list of the bad, the good, and the guilty pleasure flicks Hollywood has made about the sports we love.

The list grew so long that we had to break the post into categories based on the sport genre being butchered. Since it’s still ski season for some of us, we thought we might as well start there.

SKIING/SNOWBOARDING

THE BAD (click for clips):
Ski Patrol
Downhill Willie
Frostbite
Ski School 1 & 2
Snowboard Academy
Winter Break
Aspen Extreme

THE DECENT/FUNNY:
Downhill Racer
Hot Dog
Out Cold
Better Off Dead

THE GUILTY PLEASURES:
Ski Party
Fire & Ice

Stay tuned for the next installment: totally bogus surf films…

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.

The First Place

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the idea of inspiration. Where it comes from, when it arrives, how it is born. Like many, my earliest and most powerful source of inspiration was the outdoors. Recently I’ve been reflecting on the literal source of these feelings: the first place I discovered them.

This weekend I visited my family in San Diego, where I grew up, and went for a run on the cliff trails at Torrey Pines State Reserve. It’s a place I have spent countless hours in since I was a child, exploring and discovering the quiet wonder of the earth. While I think of it as a profound spot, it was not until this trip that I realized how important it was in my development of a relationship to the outdoors. Read on »

Killing a Bird

I killed a bird on the way home from the beach. There was no way of avoiding it. It crossed in front of my car quickly, emerging from the snowy bushes on the left shoulder and flying madly toward the other side of the road. I didn’t have time to react—to do so anyway would have put my family’s life in danger on the icy mountain pass.

I heard the small thud and looked in my rearview to see feathers flying and a black dot in the lane behind us.

I felt bad.

When I told my wife what had happened, it spawned a conversation about the cost of doing the things we love. We talked about the gas used to get to the ocean and my petroleum-laced wetsuit and toxic surfboard. Was the negative impact I had on the environment worth the positive impact the environment had on my life through surfing? Read on »

Thank You, New York!

The Big Apple welcomed Nau with open arms last month, and I’d like to thank everyone for all of the excellent recommendations. While I didn’t spend much time getting to know the greener side of New York, I did spend some time getting to know New Yorkers. On our last night in town a server told us that New Yorkers who visit Portland are never the same. Here are a few things I learned while visiting New York:

1. Shoes. It’s all about the Shoes.
2. If your eyes are open, art is everywhere.
3. Don’t miss a beat or blink an eye when the wildest thing happens right in front of you. Take it in and keep moving.
4. “Lanes” are relative.
5. Eating anything less than amazing food, regardless of the time or your budget, is totally unacceptable.
6. While politeness has its place, being direct is so much more efficient.
7. Women’s clothes look just as good on Men
8. There is a reason why the restaurants name is “Peep”.
9. Respect moving vehicles. They do not, and will not, stop or slow down if you step in front of one.
10. Always look your best because when you least expect it, you could bump into an old college crush. It’s a big city, but a small world.

- Josie
 

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The Art of Politics

Art and politics have long history together. So it was with great pleasure that I read about a recent addition to the marriage of creative output and political activism. Art of Politics 2008 is, in their own words, “a political art poster design contest geared to engage youth in art and politics and to inspire and motivate people around the country to become more aware and involved in social, political and environmental issues this election year.” Sweet.

So far poster topic submissions have ranged from political apathy to police brutality. New posters will be posted to the site on a weekly basis through April 30th, 2008 at which time the contest will open on-line people’s-choice style voting. Check it out.

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 »

Got Bikes?

It’s the beginning of a banner weekend here in Stumptown. As many of you know, the North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show is in town, highlighting the incredible crafts-personship (there’s some damn fine women showing this weekend, too) of this hemisphere’s finest bike builders. With over 150 exhibitors, and crazy amounts of gorgeous bikes on display, it will be a visual feast. Don’t miss it.

Running concurrently are some notable bike culture events worth checking out. For sheer graphic and design enjoyment (al la the above photo of my people on the Super Relax program), be sure to check out the Teams of Portland exhibit, or at least the website for all our non-local Kitchen readers. Also, uber-stylish bike clothing purveyors Rapha are hosting some good times of their own. Peep the options, including a killer Sunday ride, here.

No doubt there’s more. Add ‘em to the comments if you like. Now go outside and enjoy!