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The Fundamentals of Graphic Design

Bloomsbury Publishing

What do you associate with “Graphic Design”?

Aestheticism?

Form vs function in the two-dimensional space?

A realm of individuality?

Eccentricity?

Ornamental crinkum-crankum?

Whatever your personal interpretation is, here is finally an introductory book to the world of Graphic Design that will make sense to both the merely curious as well as the ones dedicated to the discipline looking to get an overview on the lay of the land.

In the most approachable and accessible manner, the recipient is guided and inducted into not only what the profession entails, but also educated on the history of design to more elaborated and intricate chapters zeroing in on the process of designing, a detailed glossary of the vernacular, the historical context and the way production is and has been handled.

While this might be pretty elementary to luminaries, the number of times I went “ah!” after learning e.g. about the exact nature of a font and why it is effective in exactly the place it is used in and having epiphanies, cannot be counted.

Accompanied by hundreds of explanatory and descriptive illustrations, the content is engaging to the point where one feels prompted to go down the rabbit hole and find out more granular details on how to apply some of the graphic design techniques, which is partly due to the hands-on way Gavin Ambrose, Paul Harris and Nigel Ball, two of which are accomplished graphic designer themselves, structure their approach in a relatable manner.

Luminous World

Light.

Nuances.

Shadows.

Endless variations and spectra.

The perception and (dis-)appearance of contours.

Wavelengths.

The intersection of the spiritual and the mundane.

Enlightenment.

Seeing the light as the ultimate spiritual experience.

Light can be many things and exists in manifold incarnations, no matter if it is absorbed, reflected, transitioning or else to shape and bend our perception.

Luminous World is a beautiful tome that accompanied the exhibition of the same name and presents a compendium of different media ranging from sculpture via paintings to photographs with the common denominator being that they are based on how contemporary artists either use or revel in the phenomenon that is light.

Curated through the Wesfarmers Collection over three decades, it is interesting to see how perception and interpretation has changed throughout the years, despite chronological order not being the red thread as far as the arrangement of the book is concerned as  the sequence follows more the ‘dusk to dawn’ principle.

It gets specifically interesting when our mundane spheres are left behind, and the respective artists takes a couple of steps back to look at culture at large and our cycle of life. The accompanying essays help to frame and embed the artworks as they add a philosophic angle and a depth that often inspired me to revisit some of the works.

Given that over fifty indigenous and non-indigenous artists and their works are represented, quite a bit of diverse territory is covered and there is a lot to discover – intellectually as well as in an experiential manner.

Light

Let’s stay on topic, shan’t we?

Compared to Luminous World, Light is more of a visual monograph to the photographer Christian Fletcher, whose focus is firmly set on capturing images that highlight the different facets the Australian landscape has to offer.

If you have ever had the privilege of experience the more remote parts of Australia and the awe they inspire, you would need no convincing to grasp that channelled through the lens of a professional with more close to three decades of experience, there is eye candy galore.

What Fletcher manages to portray is not merely the depiction of great motives, but his photography highlights the connection each and every one of us has with our natural surroundings.

Having honed his photographic skills in an analogue age, Fletcher has experienced the rise and evolution of digital media and perfectioned the interplay composition, colouring and post processing.

There is a lucidity to the photographs and Fletcher’s discernment elicits nuances that invite to reinterpret what we perceive to be set in stone.

Homemade

Anna Gare

Yup, Fremantle Press covers quite a range that goes beyond the realms of art, with accessible cook books being a dedicated category. Homemade is one of those ones that will make you hungry instantly as it is not only illustrated in an appealing manner but offers simple, easy-to-follow recipes that even the most luddite can use and modify to whip something palatable up in no time.

Anna Gare’s family friendly recipes are organised in a loose manner, giving attention to both sweet and savoury dishes with affordable ingredients that can be easily sourced and the way it is presented makes you want to get cooking straight away.

Water of Life – Bladnoch x Boilermaker House collaboration

If you follow this series, you would notice that the term “boilermaker” makes frequent appearances. Pretty simple in nature as far as the concept is concerned, in essence and in this context, it usually refers to the pairing of a brew with a dram of whisk(e)y.

Word around the campfire has that etymologically “boilermaker” has its origins in blue collar workers looking for a liquid bookend to a long, hard day of work, however, there are other amusing anecdotes that people see as the reason for the name, one of which includes the negligence of a locomotive operator whose indulgence was blamed for the steam powered vehicle to catch fire.

Whatever it may be and however you enjoy it, the beer and whisk(e)y pairing is a damn fine combo in my book – as long as you refrain from the abomination that is to drop the dram into the beer.

Given my preference, I was quite delighted to see the opening of watering hole in Melbourne whose telling name “Boilermaker House” indicated that their focus was firmly set on refining the art of pairing brews with the water of life. I got even more excited when I learned about Boilermaker House’s endeavours to collaborate directly with distilleries to bottle their own expressions.

In Boilermaker House’s case, a collaboration with Bladnoch was natural, as the southernmost Scottish distillery, which is named after its water source the Bladnoch river, is Australian owned.

The expression that was agreed on became the limited Bladnoch x Boilermaker House Select Cask 18-Year-Old, which had Bladnoch’s Master Distiller Dr Nick Savage hand select the what was proffered to the Boilermaker House team in a private tasting.

Clocking in at 48.3%ABV, the aromas already hint at the impact the maturation in Muscatel casks had in the maturation process, as what stings the nostrils is pervaded by fruity sweetness with syrupy highlights.

What materializes on the palate is a seamless continuation of what the nose promised, however, things get interesting as the nuances of stewed fruit rest on a foundation of oaky caramel, which adds depth and character.

The elongated finish is an exercise par excellence in well-calibrated sweetness reminiscent of dried fruits, cinnamon and more caramel.

In a bid to compliment Boilermaker House’s exclusive bottling, they developed their own limited brew with the name being a pun on the collaboration, i.e. “Noch Out”. While the name might suggest a heavy hitter, the reality could not be more different as the beer is a finely refined melange of citrus, stouty chocolatey notes and a freshness imbued by Amarillo hops. The kicker and what makes Noch Out the predestined companion to Bladnoch’s 18 Year Old Select Cask is the addition of interesting spices like cardamom, wormwood and liquorice root, which aid in not only complementing the flavours of the whisky but create an interactive crescendo of cross-pollinating flavours with every sip yielding a differently coloured result.

With Bladnoch Distillery having over two hundred years under its belt, it is not further wondrous that they have a well-distinguished portfolio of core expressions, which should offer something for any aficionado.

In a bid to appeal to a younger crowd, Bladnoch reinvented itself and now complements their core range with two new blended Scotch whiskies.

Based on a foundation of aged grain whiskies, the newly incepted Pure Scot Blended Scotch Whisky range is taking the DNA of what has firmly been established as Bladnoch and blends it with drops from the Speyside, Highland and Islay regions, the latter of which makes it particularly interesting for me.

The relatively low ABV of 40%ABV already indicated that this is an everyday sipper, an impression reinforced by the charming vanilla and butterscotch aromas that much to my delight are topped off with the most subtle hint of smoke.

Malt is prominent on the roof of the mouth, with welcome nuance of peat that trail off via detours into stone fruit and spicy, gingery territory.

I would not call the finish elongated; however, it has its moments as it continues what was first promised on the palate with nuances of hazelnut.

An edition to the portfolio that makes sense and cements that Bladnoch knows what they are doing when it comes to channelling their alchemy of distilling.

Water of Life - Spring Bay single malt whisky

Having had a firm focus on the distilling scene in Tasmania for the longest time, I feel borderline embarrassed to have missed out on one – a feeling that is counteracted with sheer delight when I get to sample a fantastic drop and discover a distillery that so far had not been on my radar.

Case in point: Spring Bay Distillery.

Now, early experimentation of Tasmanian distilleries and Australian ones at large, were a bit of hit and miss, however the ones that managed to calibrate the maturation, produced some phenomenal drops.

Spring Bay can definitely count itself to the second category, which is partly due to its founders, i.e. Cam and Suzy Brett, having a very distinct approach to distilling to achieve desired outcomes, which in terms of nuances takes things to another level. There is always Tasmania’s distinct climate that gives whiskies from the region an idiosyncratic edge, however, with the Spring Bay Bourbon cask a facet of sea saltiness is added that I would have attributed to the complexity of a dram originating from the Campbelltown region in Scotland.

Needless to say that with a telling name like Spring Bar, the local water sources contributes a distinctive note – a factor that many distilleries talk up but a factor that does often not contribute significantly to the overall character.

Clocking in at 46%, what caresses the nostrils is a melange of sweet fruity vanilla that is punctuated in the gentlest manner by the aforementioned sea saltiness. Just when you thought it had peaked, it takes a slight left turn, floral night waft in to culminate in honeyed aromas.

Now, I do like pairing whiskies with chocolate and immensely enjoy the cross-pollination of flavours, and Spring Bay’s Bourbon Cask enhances that experience immensely with its creamy texture that follows what was promised on the nose and accentuates further with savoury oak notes, vanilla chocolate and, again, the beautiful sea salt highlights.

The warming, elongated finish culminates with a smooth mouthfeel in nutty, wakame and oaky woodiness with a saline tang.

Cannot wait to try Spring Bay’s other expressions.

Thus Let Us Drink Beer – Tallboy and Moose Brewery

Quite an extravagant name, you might quip when you pick up a can that emitted from the Tallboy and Moose Brewery. Then again, after a bit of research and learning more about both the physical features, i.e. height, and cultural background, i.e. underneath the sign of the maple leaf, the moniker does not exactly constitute a stretch and a quite obvious choice.

With a passion for being the common denominator amongst the two, specifically when it came to Australian craft brews, they both entered the world of commercial beer distribution before trying their hand in the alchemy of brewing hops.

What started as a hobby eventually morphed to full scale operations in 2016, which had its focus firmly set on the creation of exquisite craft brews.

If you enter an Australian bottle shop, especially ones that have a bit of variety, the craft beer section resembles a colourful candy store, however, even amidst the most curious cans, chances are that you will find yourself intrigued by the design of the Tallboy and Moose cans.

Take for example the Lightning Axe 2020 expression. Yup, again a telling name, i.e. a beer infused with a Norwegian yeast strain, which after its initial incarnation was tweaked further and ended up as a refined Hazy IPA variant, which despite its Nordic DNA in terms of flavours is rooted in tropical territory. Think citrus, orange and what seems like a lactose heavy hybrid of mangos and pineapples, pervaded by just the right amount of spicy notes and an elongated finish, where bitterness puts its mark on the exit.

While the Lightning Axe Kveiik is an accomplishment is altering the DNA of what is commonly labelled as a Hazy IPA, their double IPA variant knocks the ball out of the park in terms of getting the best out of the cream of the American crop of resinous hops, i.e. Centennial, Cryo CTZ and Simcoe. What leaves me lusting for more is what culminates in a particularly dry finish after a crescendo that zig zags between fruity and pithy nuances.

Word around the campfire had that Tallboy and Moose are not only in the process of creating more experimental variants, but already have released ones that I definitely need to check out, such as one that is said to be a liquid homage and beer equivalent to cookie dough.