Like a crumpled tenner down the back of your sofa, it's the Weekender!

Date
15 May 2015

This week has been a whirlwind, one minute it’s sunny, the next it’s raining. It’s an emotional weather-coaster as they say. BUT fear not, because the one thing that will never let you down is the Weekender. That’s right, no matter what, we’ll be there. Huzzah! So pop on your comfiest trousers and crack open the beers, it’s Friday and it’s time for The Weekender.

Above

Polly Brown: Little Deaths

– Remember Polly Brown of plants in offices fame? Her new project looks at some of the most unusual places people have had self-induced orgasms, and it’s a complete joy to behold.

– Faye Toogood shows us around her bookshelf this week, demonstrating a love of materials and artisanship which echoes through her work and her reading habits.

Above

Elizabeth Renstrom: Dickie shot for Bloomberg Businessweek

Bloomberg Businessweek has become synonymous with first-rate creative work, so we caught up with its commissioning editors to find out exactly what it is that they’re looking for in an illustrator or image-maker.

– Grant Gronewold AKA HTMLflowers spoke to print editor James Cartwright last week for a frank, touching chat about his newest book Virtual Candle and the reality of being a Tumblr celebrity.

– Elise By Olsen is the 15-year-old editor-in-chief of Recens Paper, a publication dedicated to today’s youth, and she’s getting ready to take over the world.

Above

Ai Weiwei: Sunflower Seeds

– The Tate Modern turns 15 this week! We can’t take it out for an illegal Strongbow in the park to celebrate, so we thought we’d compile a list of all its best moments from the past 15 years instead.

– If you’ve never plunged into an icy cold pond before 9am before you might like to spare a moment’s thought for online editor Emily, who froze to the bone for a story about King’s Cross’ new art pond this week. Jus look at her hands! Purple, I tell you.

– Director Will Hudson was part of D&AD’s Black Pencil jury this week, plucking the wheat from the chaff ahead of the awards next week. Here he reflects on how the process changed his mind about creative competitions.

Above

Alex Chinneck: A Bullet For A Shooting Star (For Knight Dragon, image courtesy of the London Design Festival)

– London Design Festival has announced the line-up for this year’s festival, starring yet another wonder by Alex Chinneck (this time an upside down electricity pylon) but perhaps it could do more to support London’s graphic design scene, editor-in-chief Rob Alderson argues in this Opinion piece.

– We had a chat with Seoul-based design studio Ordinary People this week (named after the John Legend song, of course), to find out about South Korea’s burgeoning design scene and the trouble with “Google Translate” design.

– Visual and aural culture go hand in hand, as our Art + Music feature taught us, so it’s little surprise that some of our favourite creatives are image-makers by day and performer by night. Here are a few!

Above

Banned Ads, via Dazed Digital

– After a Miu Miu campaign was banned by the Advertising Standards Agency last week, Dazed Digital has done a brilliant history about banned ads.

i-D takes a look at the coolness of music photography pre-Instagram days. Ah, the memories…

Above

Harry Shearer

– This week the news spread that Harry Shearer won’t be returning to the next season of The Simpsons. Wired discusses why it’s the programme’s biggest challenge yet.

– Even if you’re not going to Cannes this year, live vicariously through AnOther’s pick of the films to look out for.

– Hold the phone, an exam board doing something relatively funky? Mixmag tells us how DJing could become part of the music GCSE course after AQA call for it to be included in a revamped exam.

Rob Alderson

I seem to have read an awful lot of good longread articles this week but they all pale to nothing compared to this. Matthew Teague’s account of his wife’s death and his subsequent salvation thanks to his closest friend is brutal in parts, compelling throughout and ultimately very, very important. A new contender for the best thing I have read this year.

Above

Fox News

Maisie Skidmore

I’m right up there on the front lines of the internet with the best of them when it comes to arguing about digital censorship and #freethenipple, so you can imagine my bemused delight at seeing the wrecking ball swing in completely the opposite direction this week when Fox News censored the breasts of Picasso’s Women of Algiers. Next up: spherical objects, balloons, hot dog sausages, and the Gherkin.

Above

Cheeky Nandos

Beccy Fulleylove

Childish I know but I couldn’t help but laugh at this Buzzfeed piece that examines Tumblr’s latest annoyance, “what is a cheeky Nandos?” Many of us Brits will know exactly what a cheeky Nandos is and the joy it can bring, but our American pals are struggling with the concept. Cue an onslaught of “lads” explaining a time when their “top mate (probably called Gaz)” suggested going for a “cheeky Nandos” and it led to the “banter train going full steam ahead.” The rage and confusion in response is hilarious.

Emily Gosling

In last week’s Weekender I talked about PJ and Duncan. This week, I’m trying to claw back some cool points by posting about everyone’s (The Quietus’) favourite Throbbing Gristle-inspired, industrial-esque noisy trio Factory Floor. Well, two thirds of them, in the shape of Gabe Gurnsey’ and megababe Nik Void, who’s made this rather brilliant track Falling Phase. MY GOD it’ good. If you want to know more about it, NOWNESS had a chat with Gabe right here.

Alex Hawkins

Have you ever imagined what Pinterest would be like as a person? Don’t worry if you haven’t, Monica Heisey has summed her up in The New Yorker as a neurotic craft-addict who smears her face with coconut oil and throws darts at pictures of Gwyneth Paltrow in between repurposing chandeliers and making teepees. It’s perfect.

Share Article

Further Info

About the Author

It's Nice That

This article was written by the It’s Nice That team. To find our editors and writers, please head over to our Contact page.

It's Nice That Newsletters

Fancy a bit of It's Nice That in your inbox? Sign up to our newsletters and we'll keep you in the loop with everything good going on in the creative world.