A few days spent with @undermanager and I’ve started to see old things in new ways. Again.

First up, a visit to the Barbican to see the World of Charles and Ray Eames:

‘Charles and Ray Eames are among the most influential designers of the 20th century. Enthusiastic and tireless experimenters, this husband and wife duo moved fluidly between the fields of photography, film, architecture, exhibition-making, and furniture and product design.’

It’s a fascinating hour, but the highlight is their work for the IBM Pavilion in 1964 and in particular the use of seven screens to give a surround effect. The 10 minute looped film which extols the value of data and how computers will become part of every facet of our business lives. The genius is the simplicity, a lesson for more modern big data marketeers.

And speaking of modernity, a new magazine subscription appeared on my doormat alongside a Letter from America.

For those of us rampaging into middle age, magazine subscriptions are an ideal gift. The Modernist is a work of much beauty and inspiration, and the highlight of my first issue is a review of Space Hope and Brutalism by Elain Harwood. By the time the next quarterly edition is delivered it will be a delightful surprise.

Thanks, Russell.