Sara Hartman and John McCusker met in New York City during an altercation at a baseball match in Yankee Stadium. As John leaped into a celebratory fist pump concluding the end of the winning game, he accidentally flew his warm beer into an unsuspecting Sara. After a few apologies and a few laughs, the two fell in love. Or maybe they met in Berlin? Maybe at Oktoberfest? Yes, I am sure of it. Sara was out celebrating a friends birthday at Oktoberfest when John sent over a yard of ale to their table. He meant the drink to be delivered to the birthday girl, but it was mistakenly given to Sara, luckily. In return, Sara gave him her number, followed months later with her heart… Alright, well, maybe that’s not it. Who knows how Sara Hartman and John McCusker met? The internet, our trusty internet, the single largest source of information remains rather vague on these two. It’s fitting really, as all we know about the duo is that they run the design studio Vaguely Contemporary.

I came up with their potential origin stories from the few information they divulge via their website. Vaguely Contemporary operates in Berlin and New York. Perhaps one resides in either city, or they travel between the two? Together? Alone? Have they even met before? Who knows? It’s just all so vague.

Not much information about their projects is provided either. The duo (I assume) work primarily within graphic design and photography; their work is a hybrid of the growing vogue in contemporary design with something sixties, something unconventional. I don’t know, maybe the image of Andy Warhol and the Velvet Underground is blurring my vision. All I know is I like what I am seeing. It’s that dash of vibrant colour with skewed Photoshop, aka when Photoshop goes (often purposefully) awry; an interesting mix of choices and twists. You know what I am talking about.

As annoyingly vague as the two are, I can’t help but admire what they’re producing. I guess it’s the mentality of wanting to know what’s within a box. If there’s a box in front of you, you’re going to want to look inside it. Though what you suspect is in the box is usually much grander and more creative then what is actually it in it. Maybe that’s why the duo remain so vague? Maybe they have a horrendous first meeting story that should remain boxed up? Maybe that’s why they’re so vague… I guess we may never know.

But that’s Vaguely Contemporary for you…