Earlier this month, the English artist's book publisher Visual Editions got a strange message from its printer. One of its more ambitious upcoming titles, a book containing 16 individual maps with extensive hand folding work required, faced production delays of nearly a month. What's worse, since receiving the news, Visual Editions discovered that a slightly larger British operation, the boy band One Direction, had plans for a book with the same title. To prevent a much different book getting lost in a sea of SEO doom, it tweaked the title to Where You Are.
Outside of the unpredictable title change, these delays are nothing shocking for a publisher of visual writing. In recent months they've published Tree of Codes from Jonathan Safran Foer with intricate die-cut pages, reissued The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman with an entirely new visual layout designed by A Practice for Everyday Life, and coded an accompanying iPad app for another visual retelling of Composition 1, a 1960 work from Marc Saporta, whose physical book takes the form of a case of printed cards.
If you're still foggy on the meaning of visual writing, Visual Editions' own definition is a good starting place: "…visuals aren’t gimmicky, purely decorative or extraneous, but are key to the story they are telling. And without them, that story would be something altogether different."
Upcoming titles from Visual Editions include a visual retelling of Don Quixote and work from Tao Lin, Sheila Heti, and Adam Thirlwell.
When Stones Throw issued Jonwayne's Cassette, Jeff Jank's design, which borrowed elements from Marlboro's logo, landed the label a cease and desist from Philip Morris, which the label published. To appease the lawyers, and probably earn another cease and desist, the label let volume one go out of print, and issued Cassette 2, complete with Coca-Cola influenced artwork. The third and final installment in Jonwayne's Cassette trilogy also borrows imagery from another mega corporation, this time recreating the original iPod.
Read our interview with Jeff Jank, and pick up Cassette 3 from Stones Throw.
By eliminating the frame which pop tents require, "Walking Shelter" from design collective Sibling is quite portable. So portable, in fact, that it fits around a pair of sneakers. When the wearer requires some protection from the elements, the tent is removed from the elastic netting around the heel of the sneakers, pulled over the head and shoulders, and zippered in the front to protect from rain, snow, or sun. Sitting on the ground completes the pop tent effect by using the human form as a support system. 
At this point in the summer, collective groans begin and people start saying things like, “Summer’s almost over, man.” Ignore the buzz kills, summer winding down is all the more reason to spend every second possible outside. And if the humdrum of the fluorescent light is tying you down, it’s time for a little motivation.
Luckily, we’re #soblessed to live in a world where inspiration is just an infinite scroll and double tap away. Follow these brands (the majority of which, we noticed, originate in the Pacific Northwest) if your life could use some fresh air.
Juniper Ridge @juniperridge
If you call the trails of the Pacific Northwest your “office,” chances are you’re going to have some views to share.
Teranishi Brand @teranishibrand
Beautiful shots of Vashon Island interspersed with behind-the-scene shots into the leathercraft of Teppei Teranishi.
Almond Surfboards @almond_surfboards
The lifestyle brand out of Newport Beach, California exemplifies the laid-back beach life.
Herschel Supply @herschelsupply
The travel goods brand does a fine job curating customer photos and gives good reason to pack up your things and hit the road.
Wood & Faulk @woodandfaulk
In addition to documenting his craft, Matt Pierce offers clear, crisp, and relaxing captures of some of the best views Portland has to offer.
Topo Designs @topodesigns
The Colorado company’s photo feed is filled with images of its gear in use all over the world, and they’re always equally colorful and vibrant.
Best Made Co. @bestmadeco 
Best Made Co. is constantly releasing well-designed camping stuffs in addition to its signature axes. And they’re not afraid to take pictures of 'em.
Mission Bicycle @missionbicycle
Non-stop photos of custom bike builds will make you want to hop on your own two-wheeler.
Poler Stuff @polerstuff
The travel enthusiasts at Portland-based Poler Stuff hold one of best hash tags on Instagram: #CampVibes
Patagonia @patagonia 
Live some real adventure vicariously on the outdoor brand's feed.
Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano, more commonly known as LAB, was Bolivia's oldest airline before it was ordered to close by the Bolivian government in 2007. Once a much larger operation, the airline and its dilapidated headquarters are now manned by a single employee.
Photographer Nick Ballon first came across LAB's strange story after noticing one of their disused buildings while waiting for a flight out of Bolivia. Instead of trying to track down whomever was left in charge with a series of emails and phone calls, he simply knocked on the closest door he could find. According to an interview at Creative Review, within minutes, he was speaking with the CEO about LAB's story.
Ballon's research, which falls under the larger umbrella of The LAB Project, has led to a book, a gallery show, and countless documents and photos on his LAB Project site.
Photos from The LAB Project will be on display at the KK Outlet in London for the entire month of August.
Roll-out garden planner The Nourishmat takes a bit of the guess work out of starting a new garden. The mats come with irrigation systems to regulate water, a weed barrier to reduce maintenance, and room for up to 19 types of vegetables arranged for complementary growth. Instead of regular seeds, the Nourishmat uses seed pods which require less refined soil. The designers estimate that one mat can produce an impressive 30 pounds of food per season in just a 4' x 6' space.
The Nourishmat Kickstarter campaign is just short of its goal. Mats with seed pods start at $55.
Artist Walter de Maria, who died at the age of 77 last week, was best known for his massive-scale projects and frequent collaborations with the Dia Foundation. We've collected five of his projects to revisit.
The New York Earth Room
In 1980, de Maria brought his "Earth Room" to New York for a permanent installation. The materials alone, which involve 3,600 square feet of soil, weigh in at 280,000 pounds. In an anecdote at Vulture, Jerry Saltz profiles the long-term caretakers of the installation, the Dilworths, a married couple that rakes the dirt once a week and attends the information desk.
The Vertical Kilometer
The period of 1977-1979 saw de Maria work with a kilometer of polished brass metal in two very different ways. In Kassel, Germany he installed "The Vertical Earth Kilometer," in which a kilometer-long brass pipe was inserted entirely in the ground. Only the top ring of the pipe remains visible.
The Broken Kilometer
Two years later in New York City he installed "The Broken Kilometer" at 393 West Broadway, a companion piece to "The Vertical Kilometer" which was a series of meticulously spaced brass pieces with the collective length equal to a kilometer.
Time/Timeless/No Time
The Benesse Art Site Naoshima, the museum on Japan's Naoshima Island that houses this 2004 de Maria work, aims to provide a space for contemporary art in the natural context of the island. Instead of a landscape, de Maria's "Time/Timeless/No Time" sculpture is manipulated by the changing natural light on the island.
High Energy Bar and Certificate
The process and documentation of de Maria's High Energy Bar and Certificate series reveals more about the motives of the project than the perfect rectangular shapes do. In order to separate his series from the idea of "multiples" in sculpture, an idea that he despised, de Maria wrote a series of rules and conditions for each High Energy Bar. The list starts with his declaration that the bars are not a limited edition, and will continue to be made for the rest of his life, he connects himself to each bar with a printed certificate, and declares that the bars are non-transferable. Even if a bar is gifted or sold, "that new person would have the first person's bar—he would not have the bar for himself, i.e., it would not be his bar."
What do Brooklyn chocolate makers, Dutch car designers, and a food grade cosmetics company in San Francisco have in common? They all deal in the medium of made goods. MADE Quarterly, a new magazine from the Australian press Published by Process profiles makers and small scale manufacturers from the United States, Europe, and Australia in glossy quarterly editions. The new issue, just the second yet, features interviews with the folks behind Best Made Co., Earth Tu Face cosmetics, the watchmakers at Uniform Wares, and Mast Brothers chocolate in Brooklyn.
Order a copy of the latest issue directly from Published by Process.
Just when you thought the Clarks iconic desert boot couldn’t get any more desirable, it went ahead and tapped Chicago’s Horween Leather for a refreshing upgrade. The fall release features the casual boot silhouette and wedge sole outfitted with leather uppers from the famed leather tannery, in your choice of pebble-grain, dark green, or burgundy.
If you’re more of a Wallabee kind of guy, don’t fret. Clarks Originals is offering the much loved moccasin-style boot in full Horween leather uppers, as well.
Visit End Clothing to order your pair. Desert Boots and Wallabees start at $119.
The New York team at ONLY. appears to be weathering the ups-and-downs of trend-driven streetwear culture with its reputation intact. Driven by simple graphics and nautical-themed prints or patterns, the ONLY. summer 2013 collection has us sporting casual cool and prepped for beach or boat life. Is once gritty NYC a good place for boating? We have no idea. But with ONLY. light weight coach jackets, quirky socks, and versatile snapback or camper hats, we think this summer breeze can easily flow well into early fall.
