Month: January 2008

Ron English Latest Book Releases

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I can’t imagine that many of you haven’t already heard of Ron English (at least those that visit for the art links) but I’ve just realised that not having his work linked up on Ektopia is a serious crime! He’s a serial billboard liberator, a serial offspring painter, an established fine artist and many other things. For those that don’t know him by name, you may still know his work from the movie Supersize Me. Here are some photos from his recent exhiobition at the Opera Gallery in NY, here’s an amusing interview and here’s a couple of link to his latest book releases – Son of Pop: Ron English Paints His Progeny, which is a collection of paintings that he’s done of his children, and Abject Expressionism: The Art of Ron English, which is a 200 page retrospective of English’s work to date. I have both books and they are both beauties.

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Bottled Stories

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Bottled Stories – Michael Swanwick writes a small story before signing and sealing it in a bottle with sealing wax. The artefact is then given away and the new owner can keep the bottle as it is or open it up to read the story. However, the owner can’t do both as once the bottle is open it’s open and the object is left in its tampered state. [via]

Interrobang Appreciation Society


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interrobang

The Interrobang (the mutation between an interrogative point and a bang/exclamation mark) could be the most useful punctuation mark that you don’t use. It was invented by Martin K. Speckter in the 1960s and was designed to be used in a few ways – “(1) asks a question in an excited manner, (2) expresses excitement or disbelief in the form of a question, or (3) asks a rhetorical question”. I often struggle with what to use in such instances and often use a “!?” or “?!” and even miss them both out sometimes when I’m really troubled by what to do! While the “!?” and “?!” are semi-acceptable in informal writing I’ve always felt a little embarrassed when I’ve use them. Not any more though.

I propose that an International Interrobang Appreciation Society (IIAS) should be created to force all typeface creators to include the useful mark and also keyboard manufacturers to include one – maybe in place of the tilde and preferably on an Ektopia Modified Quektopia keyboard. Anyways, I don’t have the time or know-how to save the interrobang (apart from use it here and everywhere else I can) so I offer you the International Interrobang Appreciation Society (IIAS) to use as you will. The International Interrobang Appreciation Society (IIAS) is licenced under a
Creative Commons Licence so use the interrobang, create websites, print t-shirts, publish books, hold conventions, protest peacefully or do anything else you feel is fit for getting the interrobang back in business. Good luck…I have a feeling we’ll need it!