I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Marlow Moss until this week. While waiting for the Knicks game to start, I went down a rabbit hole about Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. As a fan, I was curious where I could see the largest collection of his work outside of the Netherlands (the answer, as I should’ve figured, is the MoMA). But what caught my eye during my reading was an errant reference to an artist whose style deeply influenced Mondrian: Marlow Moss. Moss was a male-presenting British abstract painter who studied under Léger and beat Mondrian to the double-line by a full year. Her work, or what survived destruction following the occupation of her Normandy studio by Nazis in 1944, is stunning. I’ve since gone down an even deeper rabbit hole into Moss, and eagerly await this short book about her life and career. And of course, because life is full of happy coincidences, I found this Guardian article about Moss from just a few months ago. It’s a shame it’s taken me so long to discover her.
-DW
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It’s been a bumpy month here at Gossamer, and my attention has been scattered. We’re finishing up the art and design of our forthcoming book about psychedelics (Tripping Point, out next year!), while simultaneously navigating regulatory updates and having our ad account disabled by Meta. (If your eyes just glazed over, I’m sorry. But for everyone else: if you’ve got a contact that might be able to help us get it back, you know where to find me!!!) In many ways, this is all just par for the course—in this category, creative fulfillment comes with a heavy side of operational frustration—but that doesn’t make it easy. Off hours Cherry Limeade Focus gummies have genuinely saved more than a few of my days these last weeks. I like to take just a nibble—maybe 1.5 to 2 mgs worth—when I’m feeling particularly stymied by my to-do list. It hasn’t failed me yet!
-VvP
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You’d be forgiven for assuming that this new six-part podcast series about OnlyFans is about sex. Instead, inspired by an unexpected conversation with his sister, Leon Neyfakh (formerly of Slow Burn and Fiasco) and his co-host Gracie Canaan explore the strange emotional economy of the platform, where loneliness, performance, desire, and intimacy all have a price. I’ve been increasingly curious about OnlyFans, in as much as it seems like a place where the general commodification of being a person in the world (social media; data harvesting; dating apps) has been codified into literal product-for-payment transactions. I’m only one ep in (though the full series is available on Audible) and looking forward to listening more.
-VvP
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Is it the prettiest pipe in the world? Definitely not. Is it the most affordable? Again, no. But is it the pipe you need for hot days at the beach this summer? Only you can be the judge of that.
-DW
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I first encountered Mother Tongue and its founders when we were both presenters at MagCulture Live in Brooklyn almost four years ago. Mother Tongue spoke either just before or just after me, and I’m grateful I was able to see them speak... They had just released their first issue and I was impressed by their approach to the topic and community that is “motherhood.” It was inclusive in its definition and scope, visually inspiring, and extremely intentional. I immediately purchased a copy for my sister, and suggested she get a subscription as an upcoming present for one of her best friends. Fast forward and Mother Tongue is now onto Issue 10, which features Lucy Liu, Jenny Slate, Tracy Emin, Erykah Badu, and, perhaps most importantly (to me, at least), one of my oldest and closest friends, Poppy Harlow. In her piece, Harlow reflects on what it means to live urgently and fluidly, especially at a time when change seems to be coming at all of us from every direction, both internal and external. Most independent print magazines don’t make it past their third issue. Here’s to celebrating 10!
-VvP
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There’s a good chance you saw the news about Swatch stores around the world getting overrun by people desperate to get their hands on the new hideous Audemars Piguet collaboration. But what you probably didn’t see was the fiscal earnings report of fellow—but much cooler—watchmaker, Casio. As it turns out, Casio is having a moment with young people. And while I’m as far from a “watch guy” as possible, I wholeheartedly agree with the youth, for I, too, am a Casio guy. The only two watches I own are the same Casio model: the vintage-looking MTP-1302. One brown, one yellow. I love them. I went basically my entire life without wearing a watch, but as part of a recent attempt to look at my phone less, especially in front of my son, I decided to plunk down the very reasonable price of $60 for one (and then the other). I never thought a cheap watch, let alone a Casio, could give me the joy I feel checking my wrist with a glance. I still loathe what collecting has become among the rich and the wannabe rich, and I still think 95% of the watches I see look absurd and like a waste of money, and I still can’t believe I share such a strong passion with Gen Z, but I can’t deny that I’ve been bitten by the bug. Casio—who knew?
-DW
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