Things! The first influx of brilliant post we received this year

Date
31 January 2017

It’s the first Things of 2017! The flow of daily gifts coming through the It’s Nice That letterbox hasn’t stopped since Christmas and in this freezing month of concerning turbulent times, we have been so lucky to receive such an abundant amount of wonderful things. From kids’ magazines to typographic printed beauties or photographs of true heroes, here is how we kick started the year of the Rooster at It’s Nice That.

Neil Krug: Migration by Bonobo

London based record label Ninja Tune sent us a very very special edition of their recent release, Migration by Bonobo. The well-deserved hype around Bonobo’s sixth album has been accompanied by a wealth of art direction of the highest esteem, including videos by Oscar Hudson and Neil Krug. Neil has additionally created all the album artwork for the release, including ethereal landscape photography, inspired by the topographical areas that influenced the album.

Kevin Cummins: David Bowie

Mancunian photographer Kevin Cummins has photographed almost all the musical heroes you could wish for. From Joy Division’s Ian Curtis to Courtney Love, Kevin has instinctively captured them all. This January, on the anniversary of David Bowie’s death, we received a postcard-sized box full of the most charming photographs of David. Taken throughout his career the photographs display the David we all know and adore, the incredible performer, as well as the lovable side, with snapshots of him laughing and taking a cigarette break in the studio. The box even includes a ticket stub from the Free Trade Hall, Manchester gig in 1973, when it only cost £1.25 for entry (including VAT).

Golden Cosmos: 2017 Calendar

Illustration and design duo Golden Cosmos are a big favourite in the It’s Nice That studio. On one of the coldest mornings of January, a beaming yellow envelope slipped through our letterbox and inside was the brightest, most joyful calendar you could imagine. Illustration that is full of zest is what Daniel Dolz and Doris Freigofas do best and this calendar champions that to the max.

Studio Yukiko: Zeit Leo

Johannes Conrad and Michelle Phillips from Berlin-based Studio Yukiko sent us some super-fun issues of Die Zeit’s children’s magazine, Zeit Leo. As Johannes and Michelle begun the temporary art direction of the magazine at the tail end of last year they sent us a couple of back issues and one brand new edition of the endearing and educational publication. Despite the language and obvious age barrier, Zeit Leo is a joy to flick through, with consistently prominent illustration commissions; this magazine will make you wish to be under 13 again.

Zak Jensen: Humans Being Human Beings

Graphic designer Zak Jensen sent us a personal project of his, Humans Being Human Beings. Cased in an archival plastic bag, Zak has created a typographically-led poster which showcases his simplistically slick approach to design. In an edition of 1000, the package includes one fold-out poster, offset printed on white 50lb newsprint, accompanied by two digitally printed postcards repeating the saying. As a whole, Zak’s project showcases the designer’s typographic temperament, with a bold and considered approach to layout.

André Hemer and Anne Büttner: Painting Regarding the Present

Painting Regarding the Present is a collection of the finest painters of the moment. The publication from Naives and Visionaries includes 27 artists represented by a single painting made last year, “best described as an esoteric yearbook of painting practice”. Including artists Guy Yanai, Alice Browne and Cornelia Baltes to name a few, the publication is edited by André Hemer and exceptionally designed by Anne Büttner. As André writes within the publication, “…for the individual painter now, the burden is to claim something meaningful and lasting within this network and beyond. Not to extradite oneself entirely, but to at least subconsciously try to pursue an individual act of creation. Everything else in the moment is just noise – of youth and so much (too much?) culture, post-internet et al”.

Somesuch Stories: Issue Two

Somesuch, the London-based commercial production company, has a knack for storytelling. Whether it be in its own team or the talented pool of directors it represents, the short films and adverts it produces are consistently enriching. Alongside its films, Somesuch also produces a literary publication Somesuch Stories, and its second issue is a treasure to hold and delve into. Editor Suze Olbrich’s curated collection of shorts and essays work both as a compendium but with writers such as Kieran Yates, Philippa Snow and Jen George, they’re sweet nuggets of literature too.

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About the Author

Lucy Bourton

Lucy (she/her) is the senior editor at Insights, a research-driven department with It's Nice That. Get in contact with her for potential Insights collaborations or to discuss Insights' fortnightly column, POV. Lucy has been a part of the team at It's Nice That since 2016, first joining as a staff writer after graduating from Chelsea College of Art with a degree in Graphic Design Communication.

lb@itsnicethat.com

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