MY SPACE: JOSH RUBIN
August 2, 2011
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VICTOR VASARELY SCULPTURE"This sculpture is by Vasarely. We got it in a Swedish auction in 1999. I love the form of it and I love the type grid"SONOS SPEAKER"It's a wireless music system that lets you play your own music, as well as Pandora. It has a great remote and iPhone application that you can control it all from"CIRE TRUDON NAPOLEON CANDLE"The grey bust of Napoleon is a candle by Cire Trudon and it's just funny. I like the tension of whether or not to light his head on fire"PHOTOGRAPH"This is a photograph by one of our favourite photographers named Lisa Kereszi. This one is a firework going off in a parking lot and I like it because you don't actually see the firework - only the initial launch, which gives it a behind the scenes feeling"2008 WEBBY AWARD"In 2008 we received a Webby Award for Best Online Video Series. At this point, we have done 200 mini documentaries where we go into the studios of creative people and find out what inspires them, what they do, and how they do it"TATTOOS"David Sena has done the majority of my work. He is a fine artist. I'm a tattoo collector and saw his work several years ago. I love working with him because he starts by drawing on the body and figuring out basic shapes. His work is tailored to the individual's form"NEST MAGAZINE COLLECTION"Nest magazine was published from 1997 to 2004 and in addition to always having creative and inspiring content, the team always went out of their way to present it in a fun and interesting way"
For more than eight years, Mr Rubin has been feeding his website, Cool Hunting, with content that he deems creatively noteworthy from around the globe. It is a platform that is "synonymous with seeking inspiration", and in Mr Rubin's eyes, "cool" is everything from chocolate covered crisps to stick-anywhere toiletry containers. Here, Mr Rubin shows us around his base camp and talks about what he calls "occasionally organised mayhem".
How would you define cool?
For us, it is about an interesting mix of innovation and creativity. A lot of people think about cool as something that is new, and honestly, I don't believe there is anything new any more. I often say there are no new ideas just great executions. It's an emotional response to something that you haven't necessarily seen before. It can be fleeting though. Something can be cool for a few seconds and then that feeling can pass.
Do you think it is more of an emotion?
Definitely. It's entirely subjective. But I believe there are a lot of people who trust their gut response to something and just go with it, while there are others who trust their peers to tell them what is cool.
How would you describe the aesthetic of the office?
We spend a lot of time here so it is intentionally a bit homey. And we love green. We call a certain tone "Cool Hunting green".
How many tattoos do you have?
When you get to a point in coverage you don't really count them as individuals. If I had to count them as individuals, I'd have to say around 12 or 14.
Did you design them?
No, I collect them. I look for artists who have a style that I like and I commission work. I creatively direct them.
THE DETAILS
MoMA BOOK AND MERLIN HAND-HELD GAME
"It's a catalogue from a MoMA show called The Machine that was published in 1968. We look for things that are interesting and creative. Merlin was a game from the 1970s. It was probably my first digital toy"
IPAD CASE
"As we all know, the iPad is magical and revolutionary but really high tech and shiny. The contrast of a handmade raw leather sleeve for my iPad makes me really happy. It will get more beautiful with age"
JAPANESE GREEN BOX
"I am always inspired by Japanese design, art and texture. Green is one of our key colours and is one of my favourites - so the combination of our anchor colour with this beautiful Japanese pattern is perfect"
ESQUE SKULL
"The skull is from Esque. They are a glass blowing duo based in Portland, Oregon. We did a video with them a couple years ago"
What do you never leave home without?
I never leave home without a camera. I try to shoot something every day. I love Instagram and am constantly putting stuff up.
What's the coolest thing you've seen in the past week?
I was in Stuttgart on a trip with Mercedes-Benz. They have a bunch of old prototypes that were never built. My favourite was the C111 from 1970.
What's your approach to getting dressed?
My style is simple. Getting dressed usually starts with the one thing that I want to build everything around. Sometimes it's shoes, sometimes a shirt. It doesn't really start with an accessory. But I have a mental timer. If I can't figure out what I am going to wear in a very short amount of time, I just wear jeans and a white T-shirt.
Any travelling planned for this summer?
We are going sea kayaking in Hawaii for five days and then checking into a hotel for four nights. There will be no electricity and no mobile phone service. I'll be completely disconnected.
Are you fine with that?
Conceptually.
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