CHIESA DI SAN FRANCESCO AL PRATO

This tiny church in Perugia, Italy is amazing. It dates back to the 13th Century, and whilst the interior of the building is fairly plain, the fresco adorning the front entrance is of particular interest. The vibrant turquoise colour is the result of copper sulphate that was incorporated into the render, as this colour paint was unavailable at the time of construction.

Sachsenhausen

I came across this photo whilst trawling through my photo library, trying to catch up with some work. It was taken at Sachsenhausen concentration camp, Berlin, last Christmas. 'ARBEIT MACHT FREI' translates as "work brings freedom" or "work shall set you free" which I thought was particularly ironic as I about to admit defeat for the day! This iron gate adorns the entrance of the concentration camp, and was passed my each and every prisoner on arrival at the camp. Even the structure of the lettering seems to reflect the regimented, military nature of the camp, and the harsh, impersonal characters of the camp officials.

Type Club

This image is from an article featured in grafik magazine. Type club is all about getting your hands dirty around the cutting table for 'a dose of communal type-related bonding!' I really like this idea, as it certainly beats reading book after book about type, as opposed to really experiencing it.

Background:
RCA students Ben Freeman & Annabel Fraser began type club earlier this year. It has been a weekly event for several months, but really came into its own at the RCA graduate show, where it ran a series of events in the Big Top atmosphere in Hyde Park. Type club aims to educate anyone with an interest in typography and type design through accessible workshops. Past guests have included Jeremy Tankard, Apfel and Abake. For more info visit www.ben-freeman.com

Pantone Mugs

I first saw these at a design agency in Leeds when I went for an interview. They were also advertised in S magazine a few weeks ago, and have apparently become very popular! If you really want one check out http://www.londongraphics.co.uk/acatalog/Pantone_Mugs.html (£8.50 each)