Things 2013 #2: This week's Things features calendars, coal holes and photography from Down Under

This week Things falls down London’s coal holes, wanders through the woodland of Berlin and ends up on the beaches of Melbourne plus ironic word games and perforated pink philosophy.

2013 – Lucky For Some Calendar from Mytton Williams

Seeing the year stretched out in raffle tickets really hits home. This calendar could be read as a cruel countdown to death, willing you to rip off each of its pink, perforated squares in agony at the misfortunes that befall us. Conversely it could be read as a fun reminder of the lottery of life and all the joys to come! Well, whatever the witty team at Mytton William’s metaphysical intention, it’s undeniably brilliant.
www.myttonwilliams.co.uk

Golden Cosmos: 2013 Year Planner

This wonderful calendar comes courtesy of Golden Cosmos who are – quite possibly – our favourite Berlin-based illustration and design duo ever. My German’s suffered since GCSE but I think it’s based on the Brothers Grimm. Obviously they’ve decided to go for the lighter side of those sick, twisted and brilliant scribblers. With frolicking woodland creatures and cheerful voyeurs, his lovely offering can’t help but brighten up your year.
www.golden-cosmos.com

Trodden Under Foot

Graphic designer Maxwell Harrison’s Trodden Under Foot is a fascinating project on Victorian London’s coal holes. Harrison wandered across London taking wax rubbings of these cast-iron plates before developing the designs himself. His mission to document the pavement plates of urban history we so often trample over is admirable. There must surely be dozens of stories accompanying them and it would be fantastic to see the histories and his designs paired.
www.troddenunderfoot.bigcartel.com

This Is The Same Ocean: #3

If you go far enough down a London coal hole you’ll probably end up in Melbourne where, if you’re very lucky, you might meet the team behind the very nicely named risograph photography journal This Is The Same Ocean. Their third edition is a collection of beautiful washed out full-bleed images including, but not limited to: pineapple piles, tattooed guys’ phone calls, motorcycling dogs, backpacking nuns and perfect beaches. There’s some surreal stuff, there’s some banal stuff, and though you’ll be left with ink on your hands, you’ll be grateful for the privilege.
www.thisisthesameocean.com

Studiolo / Edition Patrick Frey: Trix + Robert Haussmann

Finally we come to STUDIOLO and Edition Patrick Frey’s collaborative zebra-clad monograph on the influential Swiss architects and designers Trix and Robert Haussmann. Lavishly illustrated with photographs and sketches of their impressive designs, plus some pretty heavy theoretical essays, there’s also some light(ish) relief in the intriguing “log-0-rithic slide rule” from 1980, a.k.a “a critically-ironic game of words.”
www.editionpatrickfrey.com