Bods, zig-zags and rude toast... it's the February edition of THINGS!

So many great books, prints and cards have been flying through the letterbox that we got kind of distracted reading and forgot to post any of it last week, so here’s a slightly belated round-up of quality publishing in various shapes and sizes. Keep ’em comin’!

Annu Kilpeläinen: Prints

Finnish-born illustrator Annu Kilpeläinen has a knack for slow-mo scenes of long hot, endless summers. She’s sent in some great new prints documenting everyone’s favourite time of year. Look at those socks and sandals, frolicking through the long grass, and that tangerine butt enjoying a day out in a string vest. I think the woman in the polo-neck might have that dressing-like-winter-in-the-summer thing, y’know like when people wear bermuda shorts in the snow, or salopettes to the beach.

Anyway, Annu’s work brings hope to these short days and long months of long-johns, reminding us that one day, not that far away, we too may get sunburnt whilst drinking cans of g&t on a kerb.

NB: 8-Ball, “Beer” candle, fizzy drink and prize not included.
www.annukil.com

Mr Bingo: Stickers

Mr Bingo came in the other day and gave us these lovely stickers, encouraging us to “not forget to have fun” whilst sticking cats in corsets to anything with a surface. There’s also children walking on human skulls, a squid throwing V’s and some just delightful “fuck you” toast. Cheers Bingo.
www.mr-bingo.org.uk

Ross Mantle: A Map with Open Space

A Map with Open Space is a photographic essay documenting New York’s “open space” as described by the index in the 5-Borough Map. According to the map’s publisher “Open Space” is defined as spaces of recreation that do not befit other definition due to their scale, placement or nature; parkways, nature centres, small preserves or small wildlife areas.

Ross photographed these areas, which in a city as densely populated and built as New York, seem nonsensical in definition and in their reality, absurd. There’s a tree standing autonomously in the middle of a city road, a lawn between two 6-storey walkups, trees growing on a disused railway track and a narrow, tree-lined paving between a concrete wall and a busy street.
www.rossmantle.com

Leeds College of Art: NEST Magazine

Hung on the theme of the letters “N” and “E,” (possibly, probably inspired by all time great Sesame Street) Nest covers North-East American tourism, extinction, Nests and Erik Kessels. The editors, designers and contributors are all students at Leeds College of Art, it’s printed incredibly well and the quality manages to be both fresh and well-versed. The design of the short-fall alone is enough for me.
www.twitter.com/lcasu_magazine

Jean-Baptiste di Marco: La Ligne Blanche

Produced for Carnet Ivoire magazine, Jean-Baptiste Di Marco’s Ligne Blanche is a Tippex-white vinyl album, with what looks like a graphic score on the back and a photograph with a “scratch card” front. The photo of a woman peeling off a multi-coloured stripy top has what initially looks like a grey strip concealing her modesty, but if you’ve got a two pence piece and a couple of spare minutes, is actually an invite to free the nipple.
www.molochandi.tumblr.com

Elliot Kruszynski: Print

London-based illustrator Elliot Kruszynski has got lots of great new work on his website, and to celebrate, he sent us this portrait print. Look at that pose, such confidence to that hand gesture and executive style. Elliot’s work has been in Wrap, Anorak magazine and on Airbnb, long may he continue.
www.elliotkruszynski.co.uk

Stephen Rose: Dance Craze & Leg Show

New York-based photographer Stephen Rose sent in his publication Dance Craze & Leg Show, an ode to 70s furniture design, dancing and various stages of nudity. A zine of sorts, it’s got cut-up quotes and adverts from dirty magazines of bygone eras, people interacting very closely with chairs, lots of beards and dad dancing. Why not, right?
www.stephenrosephotography.com

Marta Monteiro: Edward Lear, Limericks

Portuguese illustrator Marta Monteiro has illustrated a series of Edward Lear’s limericks, letterpress-printed in two colours by Valencia’s Obsolete Letterpress. Marta’s drawings are funny and well-composed and the printing is incredibly well done. The overset colours, de-bossing and just-right level of imperfection makes for a really nice object. Edward Lear’s limericks are obviously great reading and Marta’s illustrations bring a new lease of life with their poised characters and expressive faces.
www.martamonteiro.com

Hato Press/LCC: Staging Disorder

Designed by Hato Press using Metaflop, a free web application that allows you to modulate your own fonts, Staging Disorder is the publication accompanying an exhibition of the same name. Held at London College of Communication, the exhibition explored representation in contemporary recordings of conflict through sound, moving image and photographic works. The typography is somehow both awkward and very readable, striking the difficult balance of effective play and vanity design.
www.hatopress.net

Iceland Academy of the Arts: Publication

I have absolutely no idea what this is, but it doesn’t matter because it’s beautifully designed, illustrated, bound and whoever said you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover had clearly never seen this one. It’s just great. Published by the Iceland Academy of the Arts, the type is set on both the horizontal and vertical, there are lots of different paper sizes and stocks, it smells lovely and each section is separated by an elastic band. Can anyone speak Icelandic? If so, get in touch, we’d love to know what it says.

We want to see what you’re making! If you have a project or a piece of work you’d like to be considered for our Things feature, send it through to Things, It’s Nice That, 21 Downham Road, London, N1 5AA. Please note that due to the quantity of work we receive we are unable to return submissions.