Philip Wood

Whose Photography

Well, that was almost true then and now we're closer to it than ever before, Google earth, Google ocean, Flickr and the like are enabling the storage, cataloging, data asset management and geo mapping of these images (or as it's now known, Data). Yet the authenticity and authorship of the image is made so mutible by digitization and the interweb as to make all things fake all the time. Maybe now we're in an age where




Oliver Laric's video has a few things to say on the matter, click the image above

Welcome to Philip Wood dot com

Welcome to the launch of this new site.

After many years behind the scenes of culturally significant projects and brands, I've decided due to much request and interest to bring my thoughts and insights into a more public space and today I'm very pleased in letting you be one of the first to view Philipwood.com

I've opened up the archives of blog entries, collating and condensing them into one space, added the tweets, the flickr's, the projects, the press, and the, well everything that's going on in my world.

My examinations and explorations are collaborative, creative and hopefully compelling. The world we create is the world we inhabit, and if an unexamined life is not worth living then an unexamined world is not worth living in.

I hope you enjoy the site and the observations, it's an early start with much to add and improve. I'd love to have your feedback and thoughts, also your support in promoting the site.

Philip Wood

Kate Torgersen

This piece by Kate Torgersen reminds me of TOM FRIEDMAN and a few others, and I'm glad of it.

An Examined Life

As Plato's suggestion still travels through the corridors of time, we get Cornel West absolutely resonating through the city of NY. Thanks to a yellow cab and Astra Taylor who helps us investigate a philosophy called life.

Margiela my house

    “Maison Martin Margiela on Tuesday showcased its new furniture prototypes and home objects at the international furniture and design exhibition Salone del Mobile here.

    Wallpaper, bookshelves, lamps and carpets were some of the new items on display in the showroom, which reproduced the company’s interior design workshop in Paris.

    The project is still a work-in-progress and will likely range from the design of objects and furniture in a self-produced collection or in the development of one-off partnerships, according to Pungetti. The company will also do commissions for individuals or public interior design and architecture.” Via WWD.

Object lesson

Gary Hustwits latest endevour is releasing this week, London and San Francisco. Many thanks to Peter Stathis Who so graciously obtained tickets for tonight's screening here in San Francisco.

I will be speaking on panel along with Gary this Friday along with such luminaries from the industrial design world as co-founder of IDEO Bill Moggridge and co-founder of Smart Design Tom Dair . Dwell magazine are the instigators and their very own Aaron Britt will be our moderator.  It's going be an interesting conversation if I have anything to do with it, which I do.

If you'd like to grab a ticket was the still remaining go here and I'll see you there.

Common Projects

I've no money to put in it at the moment, but why should that stop me from getting one, I mean, beauty is a function, and this therefore is highly functional.

Please Common Projects, I'll be your product tester.

Fiona Banner

‘This Bastard Punctuation’ by Fiona Banner, text, art, airplanes and homage

discovered at Heavy Eyes

Teaching a new course at California College of the Arts (CCA)

I've just confirmed that the new course within the Furniture program at CCA is going to start this Fall. It's been exciting to pull my ideas together for this, and I'm looking forward to working the faculty and students there.
More info below.

FURNT 416.01  Studio: PRODUCTION 2

Furniture/Object production—from concept to market
Adjunct professor Philip Wood

This project-based course has its emphasis on the practical steps involved in taking your ideas to market. It will be underpinned by an exploration into the value of objects in our culture. From the idea to the object, from the factory to the warehouse, we will explore what players are involved and how fluid the movement is between artist, producers, distributors, agents and retailers.

Ayazpasa House / Istanbul

discovered at Yatzer

Strike a light

I've had the pleasure of Su and Fitz's company on several occasions whilst visiting Los Angeles, they've impressed me with their knowledge of design and business accumen. They say In 1680, an Irish physicist named Robert Boyle (Boyle's Law) coated a small piece of paper with phosphorous and coated a small piece of wood with sulfur. He then rubbed the wood across the paper and created a fire.

Fitzsu

Bye Bye Blackboard

Tony Benn, the old socailist, god bless him, is one of the contributors to Bye Bye Blackboard at the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford.

they say

Blackboards were wiped after use: they were meant for immediate communication, not for record. Even as they were being used, their messages were continuously revised, erased and renewed. But when Einstein came to Oxford in 1931, he was already an international celebrity. After one of his lectures a blackboard was preserved and has become a kind of relic. It is the most famous object in this Museum.