These posters by Jonathan Guy have been making the rounds — an ode to the lovely Subway Font!

I like the aesthetic of the black and white ones, but love that the colour poster documents the station signs still using the original typeface.  The history and mess of typography in the Toronto subway are detailed in this excellent paper by Joe Clark, Inscribed in the Living Tile.

Now in Vancouver flavour!  Portland is hanging out in my living room, and Toronto is still awaiting a frame (I really do need that IKEA trip, pronto) — I feel like I should get this one, out of fairness.  Too nerdy for the office, you think? 

The blue print is a winner — seems the most Van-like to me.  Though truthfully it’s not the most interesting of the designs.  Toronto comes out much nicer.  But if you’re not stuck on hometown (or current-town, or nice-town-to-visit) pride, I’d go with Brooklyn. 

They unveiled a new neon sign for Chinatown last night —

One step closer to the glory days: http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/chinatown/program/neon.htm

Martin Creed’s neon installation on the old (now Rennie-renewed) Wing Sang building in Chinatown.

Let’s face it, developer-commissioned public art for the DTES begs to be greeted with skepticism.  But in this (and to a lesser extent, the giant Stan Douglas photo re-creation of the Woodward’s riots, for the lobby of the new Woodward’s building), at least the mood feels right — half-determined, half-despairing message, spoken through gritted teeth. I think it’s actually quite beautiful.

to me via blownspeakers and frances bula.