This gives me the idea of having an invisible recording studio in the living room… Should be possible!

Introducing the Musical Rumba Series! Musical Furnishings is very excited to introduce the Musical Rumba Series. Design your own personal drum table with durable, interchangeable and rearrangeable percussion inserts. Choose from four different sized tables to suit your musical and space needs. The smallest table accepts four of the smaller instruments and the largest accepts sixteen. Make sure to watch the videos below and carefully consider which inserts you desire. The tables are easily shipped UPS and only require the legs to be attached (very easy requiring no tools) All orders are hand built by NW Artist Tor Clausen in his Studio in Olympia WA.
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Unless otherwise noted, these are single modules (8?x 8?x varying depth). Note that the large 4×4 table has all of the 12 modules and the snare and cajun drum are larger thereby explaining why 12 modules can fill a 16 module table.

1 ) Tamborine
2 ) Snare Drum (takes the space of two modules, 8?x16?)
3 ) Medium Bongo
4 ) Low Bongo
5 ) High Bongo
6 ) Shaker
7 ) Chimes
8 ) Bell
9 ) Cow Bell
10) High Hat (adjustable)
11) Cajon Bass Drum (takes the space of 4 modules, 16?x16?)
12) Cymbal Crash

Musical Furnishings

Welcome info about this design show in UK from Jacquelin on MySpace:

Our next Dulwich Midcentury.Modern show is on Sunday 30th March 2008, Dulwich College, Dulwich Common, SE21 7LD. View location on Google Maps.

Set in the light and bright 60’s concrete and glass Christison-designed refectory and the South Cloisters at Dulwich College. Situated on the A205 South Circular near College Rd, SE21 7LD. Nearest train – West Dulwich (trains leave Victoria BR and take approximately 10 minutes). 5 minute walk to college. Other local galleries and museums include The Horniman and The Dulwich Picture Gallery. Refreshments on site. Car parking with college boys showing visitors to spaces

Opening times, 10am–4pm (admission £5). Early admissions for trade from 9am

(£7). Children under 14 are welcome and do not have to pay.

Email us for our latest designer and dealer updates. Designers and dealers, apply to take part.

If you are looking for the best in design from the last century or the latest in future collectables from this one, look no further than Midcentury.Modern. Recognising the eclectic way people dress their homes Midcentury.Modern has fast established itself as the number one destination for sourcing the antiques of the future without the huge retail mark-up. …

read more here

I checked this book out a while back and I confirm it’s a must have. Here’s a quote from the New York Times.

The cool was born in New York. It was in Manhattan that Miles Davis and the nine-piece group he convened in the late 1940s forged a tightly understated alternative to the hot expressionism of bebop and recorded the hugely influential tracks later collected in the album “Birth of the Cool.” But it was in California in the 1950s that cool jazz and cool art in general took root and flourished.

The story is well told in “Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design and Culture at Midcentury,” an exhibition here at the Addison Gallery of American Art. Organized by Elizabeth Armstrong, chief curator at the Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach, Calif., where it originated, the show examines cool style of the ’50s in several disciplines, including painting, furniture design, architecture, film and photography.

The multidisciplinary approach could be confusing, but it all hangs together in ways both entertaining and thought provoking. What emerges is not just a style but a spirit and an ethos that are in many ways diametrically opposite those of East Coast Abstract Expressionism. Angst-free, not monumental, anti-grandiose:
California cool is laid back yet cleanly articulated, impersonal yet intimate, strict yet hedonistic, and seriously playful. …

Birth of the Cool – California – Art – Review – New York Times

Thanks to Lou Smith.

Hot Buttered Soul was a revolutionary four track LP released by Isaac Hayes and the Bar-Kays in 1969. A few months later, 20-year-old Terry Fitzgerald, fresh from a Hawaiian winter season and a big fan of funk and soul rhythms decided to identify the name for his new surfboard company with this multi-layered music genre. But all three words didn’t quite fit on the rainbow sash logo. Thus Hot Buttered Surfboards were born – and with it one of surfing’s true originals. But the third word never went missing. Instead it’s lived in the handmade, hand-painted HB surfboards and the styles that arose from riding them, over three decades, in the best surf on the planet. Hot Buttered Soul: The Movie draws on a deep well of surf cinema heritage to present the surfing of the HB extended family. Choice selections from HB’s “Sultans of Speed” series, along with surf flick classics Morning of the Earth, A Winter’s Tale, Fantasea, Storm Riders and more, are expertly intercut by editor Mick Waters, with interviews and commentary from Andrew Kidman and Derek Hynd. Wherever they went, “Sultans” trips always had the knack of scoring amazing waves. …

… The unique soundtrack, featuring ex Tamam Shud guitarist Tim Gaze in front of a six piece band, was written, practiced, and finally recorded as a single 59-minute free-flowing piece, in sync with the movie’s final cut. It’s an inspired enhancement to inspired footage. The unique packaging will feature two photos which can either remain in their original frame or be removed as individual collector’s items. The first 3 different series of artworks will be limited to 600, 600 and 800. A limited numbered edition of 42 units, of each design, will come with hand signed photos by the Sultan of Speed himself.

Action Sports Video | Hot Buttered Soul DVD

Ben Strawn, who is an awesome artist, just sent a bulletin about this upcoming California artshow at The Light Gallery. I really would go see that if I lived on that continent!

Quote from his Bulletin:

To All Los Angeles MONSTERS! I’m gonna be in another show soon with over 70 Krazy Artists!This is gonna be BIG man!

SurfBEAT group art show!

don’t miss this EPIC group art show that will feature original artwork from over 70 prominent SURF, HOTROD, TIKI and other “outsider” artists.
The show opens MARCH 15 at The Light Gallery in Costa Mesa.
Please check out the flyer below and watch for show updates at https://myspace.com/surfbeatgallery

Some of the amazing group of surf, outsider and tiki artists who have committed so far:

The Pizz, Rick Reitveld, Jeral Tidwell, Drew Brophy, John Bell, Candy, Miles Thompson, Ben Strawn,Damian, BigToe, Mr.G, Doug Dorr, Grimb, Steve Caballero, Ken Ruzic, Dave Lozeau, Bamboo Ben, Fudemae, Max Grundy, Aaron Kraten, Fudemae, Squindo, James Mcleod, Keith Ciarmello, The mysterious 13:11, Dirk Hays, Buddy June, Crazy Al, Scott Aicher, Chongolio, Doug Horne, Atomic Kitty, Justin Barry, Chainsaw Chuck Majewski, Von Poot, Dale Sizer, Nik Scarlett, Dark Vomit, Paul Torres, Joe Vitale, Bob Penuelas, Augie pagan, Mike Sosnowski, Tiki ray, TV-1, Ryzart and many more talented artists from all over the globe!…

MySpace.com – SurfBEAT – Costa Mesa, California

I have no idea. But it looks somewhat Witco-like to me. Considering it’s on an island belonging to Europe’s mainland Tiki-mecca Spain, which blossomed shortly before the decline of Tiki in the seventies, this could easily be from that period. The major property developement in this place dates back to that era as well.
I don’t mean there are Tikis anywhere in this picture, but it reminds me of abstract late 60s and 70s works by William Westenhaver, as seen on page 216 in Tiki Modern by Sven A. Kirsten. Any hints?

Fender Jaguar/Jazzmaster authority and accomplished surf guitarist Mel Waldorf writes at Surf Guitar 101 about an american tv-show (HGTV) they (himself and Jessica Lindsay) participated in and got their home office re-designed.

This is when the action takes place
Air times:
.January 26, 2008 5:30 PM ET/PT
from the HGTV website:

‘Tropical Tiki Office
As avid collectors, homeowners Mel Waldorf and Jessica Lindsey have a jackpot of fun finds to use, so creating a very personalized space is easy. While incorporating bright and fun elements, host Karen McAloon and the Design Remix team give the room purpose, clear up clutter and form functioning workspaces. The result is a home office that’s practical, yet playful and as tempting as a tropical tiki island.’

Disclaimer: The show’s director strongly encouraged us to behave like imbeciles… we were acting…really.

I really would love to see this.

Design Police | Bring bad design to justice.

My dayjob is freelance graphic-designer. I see a lot of really bad design – sometimes there doesn’t seem to be a designer involved, not even a bad one. Those folks who “design” without being designers won’t understand what these stickers are about, very unfortunately!
Found via Spreeblick

Gordon finished his Jaguar project. It’s a very special guitar, based on Fender’s favorite surf guitar – the Jaguar.
Everybody wants to hear it, and I am no exception! He chose Charlie Christian style pick-ups and a reverse headstock, that crazy french-man.

Here’s his blog.

Surf legend Rod Sumpters guide to the art and graphics of surfing. Hundreds of images of everything from old movie posters, logos, surf shop signs spanning decades and providing a great resource for designers, collectors or anyone interested in the graphic history of surfing. Items include valuations.

Surf Art! at Amazon