designer road trip

Yesterday's walk was a designer's road trip to New York. My colleague Kristen and I went to see "Aldus Manutius: A Legacy More Lasting Than Bronze" at the Groller Club on 60th street and planned several more stops to make it a road trip.

We caught the 7:20 bus into the city. I couldn't figure out why it was empty. Oh yeah, Good Friday. We arrived at about 9:20---it was the stop several times bus--and headed out.

Kristen has never taken the bus into the city, so she never saw the NY Times building. The blackletter wordmark in 10,116 points.  Now think about how big your fonts go on the computer. 72. That's an inch. Impressive even if you are not a type nerd

We headed out 8th to what I thought was 60th, and headed right. We got to Madison and no club. Then Park and no club. That's when I realized we were on 59th. We went over to 60th and there it was.

The exhibit was spectacular. We started backwards in the late 1500s and moved into the 1400s. Most of the texts were in Latin or Greek. The illuminated letters, the printing techniques, the bindings ... OMG the bindings ... I was in hog-heaven. I tried to take pixs, but it was hard thru the glass. What shocked me the most was the small size of the volumes.

By the time we came out it was raining. We came prepared. The next stop was 63rd and Lex for the Society of Illustrators. The show was all underground and alternative comics.

Kristen insisted on "Dirty Dogs" for  lunch, so we ate at a street vendor—my first time buying something other than a bottled beverage—and walked and ate.

Then it was back up to Columbus Circle. But first we had to pass Central Park. Gotta tell you the hawkers were crazy. Pedi cab rides and carriage rides. You said no to one and the guy next to him asked you. Plus the bus tours. to quote Charlie Brown: "Arrgh."

This large group of spools was on one corner. It was massive. The rope measured distances throughout NYC.

And a carriage horse taking advantage of his break.

When we reached Columbus Circle we went to the Museum of Art and Design (MAD). Six flors of art. One floor was all uncomfortable chairs. But most we beautiful.

One floor was on making Ralph Pucci mannequins. Not just stick skinny ones but ones of all shapes, sizes, genders, and species.
I love this one by a Cuban artist Angello Garcia Bassi. He calls these paper creations Cubotoys and some are available for download free on the web so you can make your own.

The rain had slowed and we we a bit early (the lunch break took no time) so we ventured to the craziness that is Times Square and went to the Disney store. It was there that I noticed they have one template for the handsome prince. They almost all look alike! We also went to the M&M store.

Only in Times Square would you see this.

By the time we returned to the Port Authority we had clocked over eight miles. The 21 year old was exhausted. But I'm the Energizer Bunny, I just keep going and going and going.