Time Past
These are a couple of old SX-70 Polaroids of the original Reactor second floor studio at 51 Camden Street. These were taken in 1983. That’s Jeff Jackson in the fourth picture.
R.I.P. – 51 Camden Street
Posted by Louis Fishauf
51 Camden Street – home of Reactor Art + Design from 1982 to 2014. And for 19 years before that, home to Camden Cooper Garments, my dad Nathan’s schmatta business in the old garment district. Nathan and his partner Sam Warner bought the building in April 1963 for $53,500.
Throughout my teenage years, I spent summers and weekends working for my dad, hauling rolls of textiles up to the third floor, and helping to lay down hundreds of layers of cloth on the long cutting table, to be cut into the pattern pieces for the stretchy slacks and ski jackets that were the mainstay of the business.
In 1982, upon my dad’s retirement, I took over the second floor space where Bill Grigsby and I started Reactor Art + Design. I was Reactor’s creative director for 13 years until 1995 when I decided to pursue life as a freelance designer/art director/illustrator. Through up-sizing and down-sizing, Reactor was a tenant in the building for over 32 years until it was sold in 2014.
I’m feeling a little Horse
An early scratchboard illustration by Bill Russell.
Fresh Fruit by Sylvie Thamsir
A new still life done with graphite pencil on paper by Sylvie Thamsir.
June 11, 2015The Juggler of Our Lady: Forbear of the Graphic Novel
Originally released in 1953, R.O. Blechman’s picture book, The Juggler of Our Lady will be reprinted by Dover Graphic Novels this summer with an introduction by Maurice Sendak. The Juggler of Our Lady is one of the great examples of the graphic novel form. In the book, Blechman gives us a satirical, visual retelling of a classic medieval Christmas tale of the same name. The story is simple: An innocent juggler named Cantalbert sets out to save the world with his talent but is scorned and ignored by everyone he meets until an encounter with a statue of the Virgin Mary changes his life.
The first edition was published by Henry Holt in 1953.
June 10, 2015Alëna Skarina’s Music For Memory
Alëna was commissioned by Denise Cole of JWT to create a poster for the Alzheimer Society of Toronto’s “Music and Memory iPod Projectâ€. The project program is based on the effects of music and stimulation on people with dementia. The poster encourages the donations of old iPods, which are then loaded with personalized music for patients with dementia.
June 9, 2015Carolyn Gowdy’s Warm wishes for a season of sunshine and splendour.
These are two of Carolyn’s recent handcoloured etchings.
Dream Boat
Girl with Eye and Seashell
Carolyn is presenting a solo exhibition of her ongoing project ‘pOeM pEoPle at the Seaside’ during her residency at the Aldeburgh Beach Lookout & Arthouse in Aldburgh, Suffolk, UK from 6 June to 20 June, 2015.
June 8, 2015