This post will fall short of attempting to summarize Remo Giuffré. Just know that going in. I've had my coffee, all four shots, and I'm running on a solid night of sleep, but I'm still coming at this from a less than impactful angle. I am down below, h…
This post will fall short of attempting to summarize Remo Giuffré. Just know that going in. I've had my coffee, all four shots, and I'm running on a solid night of sleep, but I'm still coming at this from a less than impactful angle. I am down below, he is up above, and I don't say this to ingratiate. No, we are past that. Several years ago, I was dispatched to Australia by the founder of Blurb. My assignments were numerous, but buried in the list was an unfamiliar name. Remo Giuffré. Besides wondering where the heck that name came from, I also wondered why he was on my list. It wasn't long before that answer was abundantly clear.
We landed in Sydney and I began to get my footing. I had other people to meet, to film, and to try and make sense of. (Carby Tuckwell, Zoë Sadokierkski.) (You might know Carby from Deus ex Machina motorbikes and Zoë from AG23.) Australians are an interesting sort, similar in ways to some of my friends here in the United States, but coated in a uniqueness I instantly found alluring. A half day in, my California-loving wife asked "Why don't we live HERE?" Remo was in Bondi. He asked if I wanted to meet at the pool near the ocean's edge, Bondi Icebergs. (Now a film!)
Remo in the fast lane.
If you don't know about Bondi, just know there is a reason why so many people want to live there. Bondi, at least to an outsider, feels like it has real community. And yes, the oceanscape and integration with the sea is what makes Australia, Australia. Remo knew everyone and made us feel like long, lost friends. Remo's wife is a popular Bondi Blogger. His son is an artist and his daughter a designer.(site coming soon.)
My goal was to photograph, interview, and film Remo, which I did, but in the process I mentioned I was interesting in meeting more Australian creatives. Within about an hour, I had appointments with at least six other creative locals. We were invited to a book launch event, the afterparty and the after/after party dinner. Remo opened the door to Remo-World and we stepped inside.
During this same time, Remo made a book with Blurb, a book that sits on my desk all these years later. General Thinker is a perfect blend of ingredients, but the story inside this book is what is so inspiring. (More here.)I can't fully comprehend what I'm about to write, but know that Remo seems to make something every single day. Could be a drawing, a sketch, a chart, a map, a written piece, or a photograph. AND THEN HE SAVES ALL OF THEM. And has for his ENTIRE LIFE. And what a life it has been.
There is simply too much for me to detail here, and that isn't normal. I can't sum him up, and I'll bet you can't either. I was about to say he was known for "X," but that isn't necessarily true. I'll let you decide. The reason for this post is because he is back with new books, and in typical Remo fashion, they are damn cool. Meet Remorandom.
And I already make a lot of things. Remo reminds me that the quiet parts of life are just as important as the splashy parts. And he reminds me to record and preserve. You just never know. I already know I'm going to pitch Blurb on a move to Australia. Nothing long term, but at least two months. Historically, a great market for our company, but also a great country for our Creative Ambassador, me. I'll need to hone some new skills. Dealing with speedo tan lines, that wrong side of the road thing, and being reminded of how much I have to learn.
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