Giles Hoover

Photography and design for print production

Author: Giles Hoover

  • Beautifully Briefed, Holiday Edition (Late December, 2022): Nick Heer, Jason Kottke, Stealing Sheep, a Landscape Photograph, and Some Old Logos

    Beautifully Briefed, Holiday Edition (Late December, 2022): Nick Heer, Jason Kottke, Stealing Sheep, a Landscape Photograph, and Some Old Logos

    “The Bleak Cycle”

    I don’t usually think it’s fair to quote another blog post in its entirety, and I certainly won’t make a habit of it. With that out of the way, the always-interesting Pixel Envy, written by Nick Heer, hits us with a doozy — one that, due to its length and depth, requires the complete quote:

    The Bleak Cycle

    It’s a cycle. People create something, together, that reflects their energy and weird work; that thing becomes compelling as a result, and that makes it valuable, and at some point someone puts a price on it and someone else pays that price. It is at that moment that the thing begins to change. The new owner will almost always decide that what is most interesting about this thing is not the human essence that gave it value, but The Owner Himself, and will act accordingly. People will come back for the valuable stuff until the owner succeeds in crowding it out; when that crowding is done, the owned thing dies. Until then, what’s left is just what’s valuable—the humanity and brilliance and unpredictability and fun that all that cynical and idiotic and self-serving wealth is always and everywhere busy replacing with itself. There’s nothing to do but look for the good stuff until the looking becomes too challenging, or until it’s gone.

    David Roth, Defector

    Heer writes in response: “You may disagree with Roth’s headline thesis — ‘everything is Silicon Valley now’ — or his tie-in with the story du jour, Twitter, or his analysis of baseball’s problems. But the paragraph above? That is something to keep pinned in your brain. For most of us, it is a reminder to be wary of how things are changed in exploitative ways; for those in power, it should be seen as a cautionary pattern.”

    Pinned.

    Kottke is Back!

    After a few months off, Jason Kottke is back in the blogger’s seat to enrich all of our lives. As someone who’s been reading for years — he started in 1998, and I’m certain his site was in the blogroll of the old Foreword, back in the Aughts.

    Fine hypertext products indeed: Kottke.org, December, 2022.

    We might be waiting a while for his so-called “comically long what I did on sabbatical post,” but his Sabbatical Media Diet post is a gold mine of to-read and to-watch items.

    Welcome back, sir. May you blog for many seasons more.

    Stop Stealing [Free] Sheep

    No, not that — the type book:

    From Kottke, while we’re on the subject, one of his Quick Links from Dec 20th: “Google Fonts is offering a free download of the newly updated 4th edition of Erik Spiekermann’s Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works.” It’s a PDF, available now.

    9th Annual Landscape Photography Awards

    It’s fair criticism to say that I both decry photography contests and yet sometimes celebrate the results. But…:

    “The Winding Journey” by Max Rive, Border Between Chile And Argentina, Patagonia

    Wow. I couldn’t not highlight that photograph.

    Many more at the source. (Via DPReview.)

    Oldest Logos Still in Use

    Image Relay has an interesting item showing how long some familiar logos have been used — and, yeah, there’s a reason they’re familiar!

    The black triangle is when the company was founded, and the bar indicates how long a logo with elements still used today has been around.

    That’s but a sample of the complete listing; shown are nos. 3–8. Coca-Cola, the company I’d probably name if asked for the oldest logo, is no. 12. Click through for the rest.

    That’s it for this year

    Foreword will be back in January with our annual first-of-the-year best-of: my favorite book covers of 2022. Happy holidays, everyone!

    Top image: Tree Lights, December 2020, downtown Macon, Georgia.

  • Gallery Update: Dublin

    Gallery Update: Dublin

    Named for the city in Ireland, Dublin in Georgia is an hour or so southeast of Macon. It’s my third trip there, and, like last time, I enjoyed Gerald’s company.1He seemed to enjoy the trip, rain notwithstanding, but apparently the creative juices didn’t flow. (Sorry, man.) Details here.

    It has a photogenic downtown, too:

    Corker (of a) Building, W. Jackson St.
    Fountain and Holiday Tree, N. Monroe St. and Bellevue Ave.

    The Welcome Park includes a clock and bell complete with clover, reminding visitors that the name is, in fact, a tribute:

    Dublin Welcome Tower #1

    As has become typical, my favorite — “best” is debatable, of course — shot is a close-up that’s almost an abstract. In this case, a turquoise box car in the appropriately-named Railroad Park:

    Pull Down for Camel, Dublin Railraod Park

    Just off the main drag we found an item thankfully not yet painted over:

    Aqua Fox, Jefferson and Madison

    . . . Which may, in fact, be a holdover from a bygone era. In fact, I’d be remiss if I didn’t call this subject out:

    Laurens and Dublin Mural (No Biases Shown), S. Lawrence St.

    The only people of color depicted here are Native Americans, relegated to viewing (probably from afar), and two Blacks, very much shown “in their place.” (Dublin still prominently features a Confederate memorial, as well.) Let’s hope that this small city continues its journey into the 21st century, one step at a time.

    See the updated gallery here. As always, once in the gallery, click on any photograph to start a slide show.

    • 1
      He seemed to enjoy the trip, rain notwithstanding, but apparently the creative juices didn’t flow. (Sorry, man.) Details here.
  • Beautifully Briefed, Automotive Edition (December 2022): Audi, Lancia, Kia, and Mercedes-Benz

    Beautifully Briefed, Automotive Edition (December 2022): Audi, Lancia, Kia, and Mercedes-Benz

    This time, it’s three automotive logos . . . and Mercedes’ accounting department, plus a holiday bonus. Joy to the Auto!

    New Audi Logo Falls Flat

    Audi’s “Four Rings” have been around for a long time — since Auto Union was formed, ninety years ago:

    Now Audi follows the pack (see VW, Mini, Volvo, etc.) and converts their logo from three-dimensional to two; the rings now are either white and framed by a thin black border or dark grey with black borders.

    Four-ring closeup. (It’s hiding sensors, too.)

    Not an improvement, IMHO. One of the articles mentions the concept of “a consequence of digitalization,” and think that’s about as good a description as you’re gonna get.

    The change will roll out starting with the updated Q8 e-tron — which, thankfully, still looks good:

    Even better in Sportback form:

    Dezeen has the best coverage of Audi’s new logo, but see also Motor1 and CarScoops for more pictures.

    Lancia Debuts … a Mouse

    Okay, it’s not really — it’s a conceptual sculpture, titled “Pu+Ra Zero,” that represents their rebirth:

    They call it a “a three-dimensional manifesto,” and no, I don’t get it either. (The light signatures and, apparently, the circular sunroof will carry through to the new models, however.) The logo, their eighth in 116 years, is new as well:

    I didn’t know Lancia well (only in passing? Eh. —Ed.) until the famous Top Gear segment naming them “the Greatest Car Manufacturer of All Time,” although I knew of the Delta Integrale — and think that the Fulvia is one of the prettiest sedans ever:

    The 1972 Lancia Fulvia

    Let’s hope their new models, and conversion to an all-electric manufacturer, lives up to their past achievements. Meanwhile, The Autopian has the best roundup of the new Lancia.

    Kia, KN, and … Wait, What?

    30 thousand folks a year are doing Google searches for “the KN car.” Why? Kia’s logo, of course:

    Thankfully, the Autopian to the rescue:

    I’m not a huge fan of the new Kia logo — and can absolutely see the “KN problem” — but I think it speaks more to modern society that this is a news item than anything related to graphic design. Willing to be wrong.

    Mercedes: $1200/yr for Full Output

    This subscription thing has gotten seriously out of hand: Mercedes-Benz USA, in an effort to further bilk their customers — ’cause, y’know, MBs don’t cost enough — has decided that the last 60-110 horsepower available on their 2023 electric vehicles are only available for a yearly fee.

    The MB EQS gets even less attractive.

    Gak.

    Holiday Bonus: Free Online Automotive Design

    Interested in car design? Happy Holidays.

  • Beautifully Briefed, Thanksgiving Edition (November 2022): Book Sculpture, Architectural Arcades, and Artists Sunday

    Beautifully Briefed, Thanksgiving Edition (November 2022): Book Sculpture, Architectural Arcades, and Artists Sunday

    This time, art from old encyclopedias, architectural art, and an appeal to add art to your post-holiday shopping and giving plans.

    Books as Art — In a Different Way

    Cara Barer says, “Books, physical objects and repositories of information, are being displaced by zeros and ones in a digital universe with no physicality.  Through my art, I document this and raise questions about the fragile and ephemeral nature of books and their future.”

    It’s more than that, though:

    As This is Colossal puts it: “With cracked spins and crinkled pages, the manipulated objects reference the relationship between the natural and human-made as they evoke flowers at peak bloom.”

    As a book designer, I’m glad that the titles used aren’t something a designers labored over but rather mostly instruction manuals and old encyclopedias. Either way, they’re a beautiful way to make commentary.

    See more at her website.

    “Photographic escapades in arcades and colonnades”
    Liberty Station, San Diego by Keith James

    Few scenes set my photographic heart aflutter as does the view down a long covered walkway towards a distant, barely visible vanishing point. As a self-confessed symmetry addict drawn to architectural images in black and white, photographing these vistas scratches a deep creative itch.

    Keith James, MacFolios

    His article is well-illustrated, informative, and speaks to my heart: I love a good arcade — although, in some cases, I feel like an entry or exit makes the point:

    Vassar College Chapel Arcade, September 2021

    This is not the first time I’ve admired Keith’s work. His “Architecture Meets Sculpture in Black and White: the Interplay of Light and Form” was great work. Both articles are highly recommended.

    Artist Sunday

    For those of you in the United States, this weekend is the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s also that most American of traditions: a shopping weekend. I have spent recent years boycotting Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and am encouraged by the emergence of Giving Tuesday. Here’s something to add to that list:

    Photographer Chris Sherman developed the concept of “Artists Sunday” in 2019, after noticing a bump in sales on that day in November. “The idea struck,” Sherman told Hyperallergic. “What a great time to patronize artists — during the busiest shopping weekend of the year.” 

    In 2020, Sherman launched the project alongside Cynthia Freese, a fellow artist who has also spent extensive time on the boards of arts nonprofits. On a dedicated website, Sherman and Freese provide artists and arts organizations with free marketing materials to promote the event. Now in its third year, over 4,000 artists and more than 600 towns and cities across the country have signed onto the initiative, which takes advantage of special events and partnerships (with nonprofits, individual artists, and businesses) to spread the message.

    Happy Thanksgiving.

  • New Gallery: Fickling Mill

    New Gallery: Fickling Mill

    An unintended postscript to the recent photostroll, and another in the lengthy list of places you pass through without stopping — except, this time:

    Signs of White Flash
    Shell Motor Oil

    While tiny, Fickling Mill in 2022 is eye-catching, thanks to this building at the water crossing, and likely represents exactly what the name advertises — the location of a former mill of some sort, driven by the power of the water of Patsilinga Creek.

    Patsiliga Creek Over the Fickling Mill Dam

    We were there late in the day, hence the fading-yet-still-golden light:

    Windmill Decor and Patsiliga Creek

    Only nine photographs, but posted as a dedicated gallery. Enjoy your virtual photostroll — and thanks for visiting.

  • New Gallery: Talbotton

    New Gallery: Talbotton

    The county seat of Talbot (Wiki) was the primary destination of our recent photostroll, another of those places that are often passed through without stopping. A small, poor town — and county — its rich history absolutely deserves a home here amongst the galleries of Georgia.

    Monroe Street Storefonts, Downtown

    Founded in 1828, Talbotton was a center of education for the area; its architectural splendor reflects a wealth no longer present. Even the later courthouse (1892) is a beautiful structure:

    Talbot County Probate Court, 26 Washington Ave.
    Talbot County Court Tower #3

    There was one structure in particular that I wanted to visit: the Zion Episcopal Church, an 1848 wooden item, painted dark brown with white shutters:

    Historic Zion Episcopal Church, Circa 1848

    Unfortunately, Georgia’s early- and mid-century legacy survives intact. From the Zion Church’s Historical Marker:

    The choir loft at the east end of the structure opposite the sanctuary, above the narthex, is flanked on each side by a gallery, where slaves worshipped prior to the conflict which many believed temporarily destroyed Southern culture.

    Georgia Historical Commission, 1955

    The church is still beautiful, it’s still beautifully preserved and maintained, and I’m glad that we can, in 2022, look at it in the historical context it deserves.1Read more about Zion Episcopal and its place in Talbotton here.

    Zion Episcopal Church (Window Detail #2)

    See the church and all of Talbotton — 34 photographs in all — in the new gallery here.

    Thanks to Gerald for a pleasant Sunday of fine photography.

    • 1
      Read more about Zion Episcopal and its place in Talbotton here.
  • Updated Gallery: Thomaston

    Updated Gallery: Thomaston

    Despite the leaves pretty much, well, leaving us, yesterday was too nice a day to not do a photostroll — or three, in our case. First up: Sprewell Bluff Park. Located in rural Upson County on a lovely bend in the Flint River, the park has long been one of those places that was driven by and not visited.

    Flint River from Sprewell Bluff #1

    Glad to have fixed that! Better still, it’s more than just a bluff with a view:

    River and Tree in Afternoon Sun, Sprewell Park (#2)
    Cairn on the Riverbank, Sprewell Park
    Flint River Shoals at Sprewell (#2)
    Bluff Base, Flint River

    As it’s technically located there, the Thomaston gallery has grown by nineteen photographs — check it out. (As always, once in the gallery, click on any photograph to start a slide show.)

    Stay tuned for Talbotton and Fickling Mill, which will be posted as soon as possible.

    Thank you!

  • Architectural Photography 2022 Awards Shortlist

    Architectural Photography 2022 Awards Shortlist

    As most of you know, I’m not a huge fan of photography competitions. Like I did last year, though, there’s an exception for this one: not because it’s better than some — there’s still the problem with rights, methods of compensation, etc. — but because it’s so up my alley. (Pun intended.)

    If you’ll pardon the cliché, great architectural photography is more than the sum of the building’s parts. These great shots show just that:

    Cycling Under the Circles, Berlin, Germany, by Marco Tagliarino (Exterior)
    Shapes of Soul, Milan, Italy, also by Marco Tagliarino (Interior)

    Entry photographs are divided into six categories: Exterior, Interior, Sense of Place, Buildings in Use, Mobile (with Bridges being this year’s theme), and Portfolio (focusing on the theme of Transport Hubs).

    Glass Floor, Tokyo, Japan, by Tom Ponessa (Buildings in Use)
    Architecture 1, location not listed (but pretty cool, IMHO), by Stephane Navailles (Bridges)
    Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, China, by Kangyu Hu (Transport Hubs)

    There are many more to be enjoyed: ArchDaily has an article and gallery up, and the Guardian has a gallery, too. Enjoy.

    The post’s featured photograph, top, is Nest, Dali, China, by Alex Chan, from the Exterior category.

  • Updated Gallery: Milledgeville

    Updated Gallery: Milledgeville

    The small city of Milledgeville, on the banks of the Oconee River in nearby Baldwin County, is a favorite for photography. In this case, Gerald and I stopped on our way home from Sandersville, and spent some time wandering the historic district.

    Aged Signage, 101 W. Mcintosh St., Circa 1911
    Fall Color, First Presbyterian Church (#1), S. Wayne St.
    (Extended) Weathervane, Old Courthouse Building, 201 W. Hancock St.

    I especially liked this gate:

    Gate and Stairs (Going Up), 129 S. Wayne St.

    We were these the day after (part of) the Deep Roots Festival, which meant some street decorations lingered:

    Deep Roots Festival Balloons, S. Wayne St.

    Oh, and happy Halloween:

    Happily Haunted Window, S. Wayne St.

    See all my photographs from Milledgeville in the updated gallery. Thank you for visiting. See you in November!

  • Beautifully Briefed, Late October 2022 [Updated X2]: Translucent Hummingbirds, Honda, Landscape Photography, and … Vampires!

    Beautifully Briefed, Late October 2022 [Updated X2]: Translucent Hummingbirds, Honda, Landscape Photography, and … Vampires!

    In this edition: Hummingbirds, the UK’s 2022 Landscape Photography of the Year 2022, a potential new logo treatment from Honda, and something just in time for Halloween.

    Who Knew: Hummingbird Edition
    Wow.

    Taken when the creatures are mid-flight and beating their wings at incredible speeds, Spencer’s striking photos capture sunlight as it filters through their feathers, emitting a full spectrum of color. The opalescent phenomenon is caused by diffraction and transforms their limbs into tiny, ephemeral rainbows.

    This is Colossal

    Let’s set aside for the moment the time and energy get these photographs and just celebrate that Australian photographer Christian Spencer worked to get these shots. Better still, there’s a book:

    Like the typography in addition to the photograph, too. Thanks to This is Colossal for pointing us in this pretty wonderful direction.

    New Honda Logo?

    This hasn’t been reported anywhere, so I don’t know whether there’s a shift ahead for Honda (pardon the expression), but…:

    This is a photograph — well, graphic — of the 2024 Prologue EV. Note that instead of the classic “H” seen on every Honda since I don’t know when, the name is spelled out.

    Maybe it’s because this is a rebadged GM?

    Either way, you heard it here first. (Read more about the Prologue on Motor1.)

    Update, 29 October 2022: Motor1 has another preview, this time of the upcoming 11th-gen Accord, the rear of which uses the usual “H.” So, electric-only? Models from 2024?

    Update, 7 November 2022: Here’s a future Honda model for China with the name spelled out. (Here’s the Motor1 story, and a second, better article from Autopian.) So … maybe?

    2022 Landscape Photography of the Year

    These haven’t gotten much press here in the US, and they deserve better:

    Windmill in the Mist, Itay Kaplan – winner, historic Britain
    Loch Awe, Damian Waters – winner, lines in the landscape

    My personal favorite is this stunning shot:

    Ascension, Demiray Oral – winner, classic view

    The Dragon’s Back.1The aptly-named Dragon’s Back is in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Black Mountains, Wales. Take a walk. Thanks to The Guardian for the slideshow. See the entire list of winners on the official contest website.

    Vampires!

    Speaking of slideshows on The Guardian, they had a great subject just in time for Halloween: “Cinema’s unquenchable thirst for vampires celebrated in posters.”

    A classic.
    A future classic — scary-great.

    Unquenchable thirst, indeed. Enjoy.

    • 1
      The aptly-named Dragon’s Back is in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Black Mountains, Wales. Take a walk.