Al Wertheimer

WE'RE SUPPORTING

The loose linework and watercolors that mark the illustration of Victor Kerlow bring to mind several other well known editorial illustrators, but Kerlow is clearly doing his own thing. I love his White Sheik illustration, which he did for the New Yorker, in particular. The New Yorker, yes. It’s hard to believe this guy is only just about to graduate from SVA. We will most certainly be seeing more of him in the years to come. Read more

WE'RE TRAVELLING TO

Yes it may be cliched to acknowledge it, but having lived for some time now down the barrel of the loaded gun that is New York, it really is difficult to be cynical — as the folk laureate Rufus Wainwright is — about this city. Read more

WE'RE WEARING

Alkemie Jewelry, the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Ashley Lowengrub and Dara Gerson, is a Los-Angeles based company who make socially responsible pieces of jewelry. Their entire collection is made from 100 percent recast metal in the USA. When leather is used, Alkemie obtains the leather from cattle ranches that uses all of the animal, and are dyed with eco-friendly dyes. The current collection for Alkemie is named The Maiden Voyage, inspired by the Art Noveau Movement.

WE'RE THINKING

The digitization of music seems to have put the art of good album covers in jeopardy, and now with the Kindle, even good book design seems to be threatened. The Book Cover Archive is gallery of great book cover designs from recent years.

WE'RE READING

Our friends over at the street art and design site, Feed Me Cool Shit have a revealing interview up with UK artist Sickboy, who talks about his earliest days on the streets. Read more

I remember the first time I saw a Mark Rothko piece at the Art Institute in Chicago. I’d only seen reproductions until that point, and I never understood why people considered the late painter so important. Read more

WE'RE LISTENING TO

Already with a Spectrum show under their belt, The Archerbolds are an up and coming Australian band well worth checking out. I saw the Sydney-based lads play recently at the Mars Hill Café and it was evident that they should be permanently rocking out on a real stage; not in front of coffee sippers. Their floating lyrics, smart guitar riffs and meaty bass lines are infused by The Strokes, Mars Volta, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin — ultimately producing a freshly spun modern-vintage sound. Lead vocalist and guitarist Geoffrey ‘Gep’ Rectin says The Archerbolds plan to create a solid sound for next year: ‘Over summer, we’re recording an EP and working on a set sound, defining more of an image’. If their track, Rest Your Soul, is anything to go by, then it should be pretty dandy.