Munchkin-Factory

Marc Craste

2010-01-26T12:34:00.002Z

Creative agency RKCR/Y&R briefed Marc Craste to direct this short animated film for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Jake Walters

2010-01-17T09:43:00.004Z

There's something so beautifully fluid about Jake Walters photography, in particular his fashion collection which can be viewed on his website.
It is pure aesthetic genius.

Andersen M Studio

2010-01-02T21:31:00.002Z

Absolutely astonishing.

Colour Photography

2009-11-14T13:53:00.014Z

The young Brazilian photographer, Gabriel Wickbold has an amazing portfolio.

Portfolio:
gabrielwickbold.carbonmade.com

And a very similar style of photography by Iain Crawford, a London based photographer who also has an extremely bold, vibrant and colourful portfolio.

Portfolio:
www.iaincrawford.com

Two fantastic finds so be sure to really take a look at their work!

Super-Bastard Box Art Characters

2009-10-24T11:59:00.007+01:00

Super-Bastard Box Art Characters are a set of paper toys created by Malaysian designer Undoboy. Extremely creative and well illustrated with well known characters amongst the set.
Consists of 16 unique toys in one set, with 4 unique characters on each face of the box. Collectors have an opportunity to collect all 16 toys/64 characters in the series. Each toy is individually placed in a sealed box (blind assortment).

They are produced in a limited edition with only 1000 copies of each toy on the market.

Each toy is made with heavy card stock plus matt lamination and stands 4” in height.

Characters include Uncle Sam, George W. Bush, Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Queen Elizabeth II, Mother Teresa, a mummy, a Japanese wrestler, a cave man, dominatrix and so on.

The head and pants are detachable, so you can mix and match the characters to create some hilarious outcomes!

Sprint: Plug into Now

2009-10-14T15:56:00.005+01:00

This widget based website for 'Sprint' is well worth a look, featured in this years D&AD, brilliantly designed.

Françoise Nielly

2009-10-04T10:08:00.006+01:00

Françoise Nielly’s gigantic and immensely colourful portraits are mesmerizing. She paints on canvases with dimensions as large as 78 x 25 inches (195 x 62 cm) from black and white photos/images which only adds to the emphasis of her ability to decipher light, shadow, hue and tone by applying vibrant bold strokes with a palette knife to her blank canvases.

The following excerpt is taken from her personal website which I really hope you visit as there's a huge array of artwork available for viewing as well as a video demonstrating her methods as an artist.

"Françoise Nielly's painting is expressive, exhibiting a brute force, a fascinating vital energy. Oil and knife combined sculpt her images from a material that is, at the same time, biting and incisive, charnel and sensual. Whether she paints the human body or portraits, the artist takes a risk : her painting is sexual, her colors free, exuberant, surprising, even explosive, the cut of her knife incisive, her color palette dazzling."

eins: eins

2009-10-04T09:58:00.000+01:00

When I think 'office job' I imagine brown painted cubicles arranged in drone lines, minimal space, suspended ceilings, much like the setup in Ricky Gervais' 'The Office'.

Hamburg's Syzygy have shown that with a fair budget, new jazzy desks, excellent architectural and interior skills, the overall ambience of office space can be transformed in to a far more enjoyable environment.

This isn't the box standard office job however, this is creative space and to reflect the creative nature of the work and staff, the space in which Syzygy work to design adverts and interactive campaigns for clients such as Chanel, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda and Fujitsu.

The office of Syzygy Hamburg was created by Christoph Roselius and Julian Hillenkamp, the two founders of eins:eins architecten in Hamburg who also have offices in London and Frankfurt.

The sleek, white cubicles may appear rigid and inflexible but in actual fact the various configurations and flexibility of the space is endless. The desks always join together and form a whole unit which strengthens the essence of teamwork and close cooperation.

White allows for light to bounce around the space which in turn will affect the working conditions for the work force by positive means and the space is extremely economical, utilizing the space in to this positive working environment.

James Jarvis

2009-10-04T07:15:00.000+01:00

Possibly one of my all time most inspiring illustrative animations. Credit where credit due!

Weapons of Mass Communication

2009-10-03T11:43:00.000+01:00

The first responsibility of any leader during times of conflict is to win the minds, body and imagination of the people - see President Obamas' branding campaign. Since World War 1, 1914, the weapon of choice has been the poster.

Investigating the power of the poster was exhibited at The Imperial War Museum which ran from 04 October 2007 - 30 March 2008, a fantastic demonstration of propaganda that I felt was worth noting.

Weapons of Mass Communication: War Posters featured hundreds of iconic posters exhibited across the walls in their bulk. The designers and advertisers of the day were employed to influence the wills of civilians and soldiers, the most successful were memorable, direct and strikingly beautiful, disguised to carry the government message.

The iconic images of Alfred Leete’s Kitchener recruitment poster, the pioneering designs of Julius Gipkins and Abram Games were on show as well as the influential graphics of Peter Kennard and David Gentleman.

Truly a fantastic exhibition and one I'd recommend to anyone, artist or otherwise if they display the posters again.

The principle of propaganda I find fascinating and ultimately terrifying, but above all this is history and evidence of the socio-political times as well as a reflection of people as a whole; ...how our minds were easily influenced, how culture dictated, how far through freedom of speech, woman's rights etc we've developed and grown as a race.
These posters are what made us who we are today and without a doubt should be appreciated.

Lernert & Sander

2009-09-30T11:13:00.005+01:00

Love these guys, they bring something amazingly unique and fresh to their short videos.
The continuity is precise, their formula is to use colour to focus eye by creating a canvas of items coloured identically with the protagonist piece to be of a contrasting colour. Cleverly their underlying concept is to in effect play on the emotional response of the viewer.

The 'Chocolate Bunny' reminds me of a real life production of Andy Riley's 'Bunny Suicide' books (see previous post) mixed with the childhood memories of Watership Down, Donny Darko and the confusion of Cadbury's purple which those of us who love chocolate have come to associate with enjoyment, warmth and safety.
The soundtrack is a creepy repetitive piano track accompanied by childlike vocals written by Nathan Larson which takes the video to the next level and encapsulates an almost haunting atmosphere of solitude.

In the last two years the two have collaborated on videoclips, short art movies and various television programs with their ‘Chocolate Bunny’ (see video above) becoming an instant internet hit in 2007 and as a result has been shown at the Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Chicago Motion Graphic Festival, Lumeneclipse (US), Resfest and Cinedkid.

Below is another series of short videos titled 'Revenge'

KOZ Architects

2009-09-29T15:43:00.007+01:00

The design of this school is quite frankly gorgeous. Toys and childhood play culminated in this imagination extravaganza were the guidance to this recently completed children's recreation and sports centre in Saint-Cloud, a wealthy community located in the metropolitan area of Paris (approx 6 miles from the city centre)

Designed by Paris-based KOZ Architects, the 1,600 square-meter facility is an unexpected addition to the area using vivacious colours both inside and out - It's like walking in to a Uniqlo clothes shop!

KOZ Architects have an amazing portfolio packed full of contemporary cutting edge designs. Pépinière d'entreprises à Amiens is fantastic, as is Pépinière d'entreprises à Chaumont.

Wake Me Up At...

2009-09-29T13:24:00.012+01:00

"I Saw It First" have produced stickers which prey on the kindness of those in the vicinity to wake you up at your Tube station and save you waking up at completely the wrong end of the line.

Quite a quirky idea however sadly, as sometimes experienced, tube traveling is a solitary method of transportation, no one dare make eye-contact or heaven forbid approach someone and make small talk. In effect, these stickers may be a waste of your £4.

Love the little diagrams on the back of the packet though (image above). Perhaps worth purchasing just for that. Stumbling on to the tube, dreaming of juicy kebabs, wiping away the dribble as you exit. Funny stuff.

Certainly these stickers are a little more realistic than the Japanese subway sleep mask which didn't work and when you see the video, you'll realise why! The passengers let the poor guy sleep on, never waking him. At least these stickers will look a little less weird.

Woman as Design - Stephen Bayley

2009-09-28T11:34:00.020+01:00

Putting aside the fact that I am in fact female, Stephen Bayley's account of 'Woman as Design' is expressed in such a patronising and flawed manner. The back cover blurb states, "Stephen Bayley discusses how the female body works as a sign, a symbol...as a designed object." Anyone else find that a tad offensive?

Bayley explores the female body and its relationship to design by addressing feminine curves, proportions, fissures and orifices and insisting that they have acted as inspiration over centuries for designers, architects and even car-makers.

BBC Radio 4 - Stephen Bayley and Vicky Richardson (the editor of the architecture and design magazine Blueprint) join Jenni Murray to discuss the arguments.

My favourite quote from this interview asks as the opening line of debate: "has he reclaimed images of the female body, or produced a coffee table playground for perverts?".

Bayley insists that his intention for the book did not diffuse from a sexist gorilla point of view but in fact a 'romantic appreciation as a robust heterosexual'
Vicky Richardson in turn addresses the uneasy first response that a book of this calibre stands to break the rules of political correction and that the feminsts amongst us will no doubt hold serious issues with the content.

The language is a confusing mixture of medical literal description with pornographic insinuations, even though he appreciates Andrea Dworkin's stance as a radical feminist, the imagery used could be described, out of art circles, as semi-pornographic.

How influential is the female form in ever day...?
Bayley seems to see sex everywhere and in everything, somewhere in the literature he refers to the number 3 rotated 90 degrees as a reflection of the female form. As he discusses, female symbolism is in architecture, and uses Vitruvius as an example, even pointing out the theory of antiquarians in that the initial plans of the Christian church revolve around the diagram of the female reproductive system; the porch as the entrance, the nave as the birth channel and the apse as the womb.

The human form is of course central to design as design is essentially created for humans and the argument that artists have long used the female form as a basis is a little narrow minded in my opinion as La Corbusier, Leonardo Da Vinci used humans as starting points but not necessarily and specifically the female form.
The overall theme is that the female form is perfection and modern product design cannot replicate the magnificence of it, he even questions: 'Could a modern day designer handle the complex area between a woman's legs...?' The innuendo is of course intentional.
This is a strong movement in design biomim icry, as human beings we can never come close to the perfection of nature which is becoming a huge issue as we try to improve on nature itself.

The female form isn't flawless and perfect so I find it tricky to comprehend Bayley's arguement that the childbirth, sex, urination and varying amount of wobbly bits is perfect design.

Post feminist awareness allows the once perceived wickedness of men objectifying the human form to be dull and Bayley arrogantly states that as a society we are now sophisticated in our interpretation of women and so not a bad thing in this day and age. Generously he devotes 10 lines at the front of the book to significant female artists such as Frida Kahlo and Paula Rego.

The image that provoked the most reaction (the shock image) was the juxtaposition between the Ford Edsel motor car (see right) and the vagina which pretty much sums up the basis of this argument.
Although the images are lavish and the high production finish of the book is quite sublime, the juxtaposition between the images and female form undermines the humanity of great art and just sees sex.

To close this review and sum up the general reaction I received from this book I'll leave it up to Stephen Bayley to articulate this:
'It was Simone De Beauvoir (reputation as key figure in feminist awareness) who pointed out that Brigitte Bardot has had as much positive influence on the French economy as the Renault cars.'

100% Design

2009-09-25T13:33:00.002+01:00

Earls Court London showcased a fantastic array of the UK's leading architecture and design; everything for the modern building and interior.
100% Design London features world-class interiors show 100% Design, innovative and sustainable architectural products event 100% Detail, cutting-edge materials exhibition 100% Materials and emerging talent showcase 100% Futures.

Apologies for yellow tinted images, was the best my phone could take!

Andrew van der Merwe

2009-09-24T11:48:00.013+01:00

Andrew van der Merwe, calligrapher and letterer from Cape Town, creates the most precise forms of sand lettering - they really are beautiful.

"Scratching in the sand with a stick, however, has proved less than satisfactory because it

makes more of a mess than a mark. This has led me, over the past seven years, to develop various instruments which mark the sand in less messy ways, and ultimately to a kind of scoop which leaves neat V-cut letters of the sort one gets in stone carving."

Andrew van der Merwe

Staple Design NY

2009-09-23T13:12:00.004+01:00

This is Jeff Staple at Staple Design New York talking a little bit about the company, himself, inspiration and the Kia Soul Collective.

With regards to the car design, the concept is commendable where it relates back to Predator with the notion of camouflage, however the end design is disappointing - It's actually the most conspicuous car I've ever seen!

Jeff Ng' (aka JeffStaple) career progression is note worthy. College, to internship, to big break - it's the pattern every young designer wishes to emulate.

Staying very firmly grounded to the values in which the Staple brand was created–sticking to the basic necessities needed in life, Staple Design has also created design work for Burton Snowboards, Converse, The Gap, HBO, Housing Works, Levi’s, LVMH, New Balance, New Museum of Contemporary Art, Nike, NYC&Co., Puma, Timberland, Uniqlo and more.
Eleven years since Jeff received his first T-shirt order, with an international following and a high respect from his peers, Jeffstaple himself, has become a brand.

The London Design Festival

2009-09-21T18:05:00.004+01:00

I do love this time of year in London - Art show after art show after art show.
The London Design Festival is the UK’s biggest annual celebration of design made up of a range of design disciplines. The wide array of new ideas and activities which have made each Festival dynamic, different and uniquely London - supported by the government and leading well known businesses, the Festival offers a platform for the best design talent.

Goldsmiths : Make Believe
Goldsmiths, University of London have put on an exciting and innovative showcase of emerging design talent titled 'Make Believe' including the majority of projects from the Design Master programmes; MA Critical Practice, MA Design Future, MRes in Design and the MA Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship alongside work from third year BA/BSc Computing & Interaction Design students.

"Paint has the potential to create worlds of make believe. Design has the potential to create worlds for us to believe in."

The work focused on the socio-cultural issues through a lens using developed and practiced means which in turn became the paint in which designers create the worlds for us to believe in.

It was hosted by Kinnarps at Covent garden and was open from 19 - 27 September

Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design
'Up All Night' was the annual showcase of post graduate work from Saint Martins and to be completely honest I was a little disappointed.

The design outcomes are wide and varied and explore elements of sensory and problem solving design, ranging from chocolate switches and flocked tiles to photographic Trompe L'oeil wallpapers.

Clearly accomplished young designers yet it was all very surreal and the purpose was very difficult to comprehend.

Kazuki Takamatsu

2009-09-19T12:12:00.030+01:00

I've always had a fascination in Japanese art, their culture and philosophy and wish to one day visit the country itself once the pennies have accumulated.

The interest culminated from devoting a vast quantity of my youth to the Final Fantasy games, the computer graphics I can only describe as being lush - the multitude of vibrant colours are quite frankly beautiful and the textures silky smooth.

(Final Fantasy X:

See the image on the left).

As an art student my focal point henceforth shifted from pencils to a want to emulate such art on a computer.

The heart of this account is not however Japan, nor Final Fantasy or my own history but an artist I recently came across who encapsulates everything I love and then some.

Kazuki Takamatsu creates works which your natural reaction will say 'are digitally painted'..if you do, you'd be completely wrong. He uses gouache, hand painted, monochromed based

usually depicting a young female character, buildings, plants etc giving a real sense of surrealism and astonishing depth.

He's taken the path that contemporary artists have discovered and reverses it somewhat. To me it's as if he's in a world where computers existed before traditional art and he's moved forward to replicate a digital creation via traditional methods.

Whilst visually unique, on closer analysis the theme of his works are melancholic and depict a sense of despair as you can see in the image above titled:

"Without Even Knowing What It Is I Should Be After".

Quite ghostly, the hands reaching out, the mass of dismembered bodies gathered for warmth or protection..it's open to interpretation.

That head just floating at the bottom of the image with the hand resting on it is unsettling.

Kazuki manages to pack in an enormous amount of atmosphere.

Some of his works are actually quite violent with the use of weaponry and figures pleading for their lives. Sections of limbs missing, possibly a method to avert the eye to key components of the art, a solid figure would have a completely different effect but this use of the negative space allows the viewer to take in more detail.

Certainly visit the website. It's all in Japanese but his gallery is worth a look...or two.

http://kazukitakamatsu.web.fc2.com

Heart of Design

2009-09-18T10:00:00.013+01:00

If you're a lover of architecture set your eyes on this beauty!

It is in fact the School of Art, Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and this is the new section completed back in March this year by CPG Consultants.

The roof is covered with green turf to blend in with the environment and act as a recreational area, much like we use the grassy areas in our own university or Hyde Park for instance. The roof is so unique, it flows elegantly down to ground level making easy access and putting to use the space available.

Technically revolutionary as the turf insulates the building, collecting rainwater to irrigate

itself and the surrounding landscape and what's more is that the the glass facade provides an astonishing amount of daylight for studios and lecture theatres whilst simultaneiousy cutting off the heat.

As an outer structure the curves create a form similar to that of an atrium in the heart forming the concept that this design building is the heart of the university.

The Mouse is Mightier Than The Pencil...?

2009-09-17T11:21:00.018+01:00

--->>View the film here <<---

The subject matter of my dissertation revolves

quite heavily around the use of computers within the school environment, specifically primary.

It’s quite extraordinary how far school’s have developed in the way of introducing technology to aid and progress the potential of these kids.

As I recall my primary school experience, there was one computer between three or four classrooms. Now the incorporation of Nintendo DS, state of the art digital cameras and Macs in the curriculum, which you’ll see in the video, are becoming a staple part of primary school life and transforming education completely.
For the better is debatable, but certainly the Shropshire school kids have benefitted enormously and really prepared and given them a head start for secondary school.

So. Is this the end of jotter books and poster paints…?

What is stressed by the headteacher Mr A. Davis, is the word balance. Allowing the children to use traditional media in lower primary and in a sense weaning them away as they approach key stage 2. My own opinion and that of the research I’ve been carrying out is that traditional media and technology should be taught hand in hand and that one should not eliminate the other. It’s impressive to have the facilities to take advantage of technology yet I feel it’s still necessary to incorporate traditional media, e.g. scanning a hand-drawn image and finalising it on the computer.

Environmentally friendly…

Certainly eliminates the necessity to use paper for writing etc which is a huge plus, however it also removes the hands on portfolio that you build up over your school life. Yes it’s available on a CD, yet can you imagine at the age of 19/20 finding your hidden year 5 art projects on a CD? You can’t flick through the pages, you have to take the laborious task of cleaning the disk and then slapping it in an available computer only to find that the disk is scratched…or unreadable for whatever reason.

It’s a tricky concept to grasp being an 80’s baby and all, I can’t imagine that my year 4 Lowry sketches would have the same visual effect computer drawn. This is art, where shading and texture are necessary in a sketch. The same effect cannot be duplicated on a computer, it can be closely emulated using wireframes, shading etc but it’s still a 2D creation. There’s no charcoal smell or pencil scratching sound, the sense you have is purely visual which is the basis for my reasoning that computers cannot replace traditional methods and a balance should exist within primary school education.

Not every school has these facilities…

Which disrupts development across the board. This is perhaps irrelevant to my argument, but needs to be said that all schools should have access to the same facilities for equality’s sake.

Your job…

This is always the case. Our generation have made the older generations really knuckle down and advance from their initial traditional methods to computer based production in order to sustain their career role. This is the age we live in where technology is constantly improving and as a result we have to keep on jogging to stay in the loop.

The primary education curriculum incorporating ICT to such an advanced stage, to me, is quite scary. These kids are utilizing the equipment and producing work to a standard I could quite confidently say wasn’t expected in my year 11; Granted it was at least 5 years ago, yet still a massive leap.

When these children are leaving university, pursuing a career in graphic design, web development, copy-writing, whatever it is that you do…better keep on your toes as they are going to be hot to trot.

In-B-Flat

2009-09-16T17:16:00.009+01:00

This is a great idea and works really well.

Check it out here or by clicking on the image above.

What I really love about it is that it really enforces the capabilities of online expression; a community, bringing together an accumulation of different outputs which result in harmony. It's about being part of something collaborative, and you the user are able to control it.

The fantastic Kutiman Thru-You created something similar, different but along the same lines.

Great Lies to Tell Small Kids

2009-09-16T15:10:00.023+01:00

Absolutely adore the Andy Riley 'Bunny Suicide' books - I even have the postcard boxset!
A year ago I was given his newest edition titled 'Great Lies to Tell Small Kids' and ridiculously enough it has been sat sandwiched between Philip Pullmans' 'Northern Lights' and a Tim Burton biography ever since. Tragic I know.
After a quick dusting, low and behold the magic of his illustrations was uncovered and I haven't been able to put it down.

What I didn't know was that Andy Riley has contributed to some fantastic television series; 'Smack The Pony', 'Black Books', 'Trigger Happy TV' and 'Spitting Image'.

It's dark humour at its best. Those of you who won't enjoy it or understand the concept, you'll have to excuse my twisted humour.

I can't help but express giddy excitement when showing someone the sketches as I wait in anticipation for their response; Good or bad - The response will always be priceless.

Be sure to check out his website: here

Social Media Perspective

2009-09-14T09:39:00.006+01:00

Returning to familiar ground, previously seen in Munckin-Factory's initial post; Social Media For Social Good, here are a few interesting facts to dip in to your coffee this bright yet very cloudy Monday Morning.

Firstly the official definition of 'social media' is "an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio" - Wikipedia.

In other words, it's a way to describe the billions of conversation that people are having online every day.

The Facts*

13 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute
100,000,000 YouTube videos viewed every day
13,000,000 - the number of articles on Wikipedia
3,600,000,000 photos archives on Flickr.com as of June 2009. Roughly one photo per every two people on the planet!
3,000,000 Tweets per day on Twitter
1382% - the monthly growth rate of Twitter users from Jan-Feb 2009
If Facebook were a country, it would be the 8th most populated in the world - just ahead of Japan.

*Facts acquired via a Design Week supplement.

Product trickery

2009-09-02T09:46:00.005+01:00

So there I am carrying out the weekly shop at Sainsbury's, perusing through the spice section in search of ground cinnamon that will be joining an array of ingredients later on that day - baking session. Debating whether to purchase the well known Schwartz brand, or indeed Sainsbury's own make.

Sainsbury's Ground Cinnamon: £0.79/unit......£0.17/10g

Schwartz Ground Cinnamon: £1.40/unit..........£0.42/10g

It was at this pinnacle point in the short story that a lady working in this section approached me and brashly stated - 'I used to work at the Schwartz factory and the spice in that Schwartz bottle is the same as the spice in that Sainsbury's bottle. They're identical. Schwartz handle Sainsbury's spices, they just slap on a different label and charge less.'.......I made a hmmming sound......'So buy Sainsbury's' she continued.

How has this become morally allowed...charging someone far more...just for a label? Fashion. Computers. Food. It exists in everything. Such greed.

The more I witness branding in this context, the more I dislike it. Branding to manipulate people in to forking out extortionate prices for an item of the same calibre less than half the price sitting right next to it.

I wonder if the fat-cats sitting in their watchtowers snigger down on our capitalist society, rubbing their hands together and planning their next move in an almost Mr Burns from the Simpsons type manner.

Bombo!

2009-08-25T12:43:00.024+01:00

Bombo!
(Santucci)
resides in Barga, outside of Lucca, Italy, writing as well as illustrating short coming books. Absolutely adore his style!

Client list:
Atypica
Rolling Stone
Internazionale
Vodafone
Giunti
Sinnos
Newton&Compton
Tunuè

The Brighter Side

2009-08-22T21:42:00.011+01:00

BBH have created the 60 second TV ad for ITV.

First saw it on the big screen before the recent Harry Potter film and it blew me away.

Such a lovely concept.

The campaign introduces a new positioning strategy and brand line, The Brighter Side, which defines what ITV1 stands for - optimistic, entertaining and upbeat.

View the ad in full here

Existentialism & Humanism

2009-08-14T19:47:00.011+01:00

From the initial outset my intention was to review each article from an unbiased standpoint, however this is a little tricky when it comes to literature.

I have always found grasping the notion of existentialism difficult, more so for the pessimistic outlook I have previously associated it with.
So, a little light holiday reading in the form of Jean-Paul Sartres’ ‘Existentialism and Humanism’.

I respect and adore Sartres maintained confidence in his own adopted philosophy and found reading the script bizarrely enjoyable and challenging in regards to testing my own life ethics. The starting point revolves around the discussion of the basic concept; that existence precedes essence – or in Sartres’ words “Not only is man what he conceives himself to be, he is also only what he wills himself to be.” The logical conclusion amounts to man, individually and collectively being responsible for his own choices and actions. Throughout the rest of the book Sartre covers topics such as Atheism, Communism and serves to defend existentialism with a quite solid and intelligible defence.

The outcome of this read was one of contemplation. A clearer understanding of Existentialism, firmer confidence in my own beliefs and a want to expand and progress this insight by seeking out other books focussing on a similar channel of thought.

Perfectly Balanced

2009-08-14T11:47:00.011+01:00

Nike Air Max ST ‘Perfectly Balanced’ campaign

Mark from Rosie Lee states; “The concept shows the original stability and cushioning by talking about balance, as an overall theme.”

The images were shot by the excellent Jason Tozer.

Jason has previously collaborated with brands such as Playstation, Gucci & Puma.

Definitely worth a browse through his portfolio as he has some immense photography.

Check out the Zero Project for DixonBaxi located;

www.jasontozer.com > 'People and Animals' > Bottom Right

Burak Kaynak

2009-08-04T10:35:00.006+01:00

Like the technological concept of Twitter and Facebooks' big question "What are you doing right now...?" but sentimentally you'd prefer to opt for a more traditional method of tracking your daily activity?

...well look no further folks as this small book calendar created by the creative genius Burak Kaynak is where you can write your daily 'status'

Tango With Added Obscenity

2009-08-01T13:38:00.019+01:00

Tango were in a tizzy after discovering their new limited edition 440ml can design spelt out a rude word. The problem emerged with the first letter of each word on slogan Tango With Added Tango.

The question at hand:

Purely accidental or in fact a well thought out marketing ploy?

Wakefield Art Walk

2009-07-29T16:11:00.009+01:00

Art walks in some form or other are becoming terribly popular in West Yorkshire. The last few weeks alone have seen Huddersfield Open Studio Trail, Saltaire Arts Trail, Ways of Looking and Headingley Triangle to name but a few, and of course Leeds’ very own Light Night on October 10th. September saw the last of Wakefield’s three pilot art walks, the organizers now assessing how they have gone and are to proceed. The biggest change since the first walk back in July has been at the ArtHouse. When we first visited, they had been open only two weeks, and were just beginning to sign people up to the studio spaces. Now all long term studios have been rented, and there is a long waiting list. All that remains is to get more people signing up to their short term leases, which can be between a few days and three months. For a venue that has been so long in the planning, it is wonderful to see it fully up and running, and exciting to see what new ideas it will bring to Wakefield.

On then to Interval Café, where artist Paula Tod was showing Scottish landscape-inspired paintings. While on these walks it is important to keeps your wits about you amidst so much complimentary wine, Interval wins in my book for most unusual refreshments with their free haggis.

The Wakefield Art Gallery is the most traditional of the Art Walk’s venues, and the only one to provide a live string quartet in addition to the art itself. The gallery houses an excellent collection of Moores and Hepworths, and were offering visitors an opportunity to explore the forms with coloured torches. It did make for an interesting way to approach the sculptures, though the pieces in the gallery room were somewhat crowded. The effect was better realized in the sculpture garden at the back, where a tent had been erected around a Hepworth piece, to minimise outdoor light spoiling the effect. Being a city art gallery, there is a tendency towards the National Trust effect: unnecessary cluttering up of free space with additional information, and primary coloured activities for children. That said, this was the one venue where I did see families getting involved together, which was great, but it seemed a shame that there was no other noticeable effort to encourage them elsewhere on the walk, it being a great way for parents to introduce their children to art in the city in an uncomplicated and fun way.

The Coach House Gallery is an excellent example of a well planned gallery/studio space. Though the gallery is small, a lot had been fitted in without making it feel overstuffed or claustrophobic. Downstairs was given over to the first full exhibition of Charlie Morris, whose paintings suggest influences of Hopper. Upstairs was a lovely, dance inspired triptych by Kate Marr, who may be somebody to watch out for.

Westgate Open Studios are, we knew from experience, an evening in themselves, so we saved them until last to give ourselves time to explore them at a nice lazy pace. By this point in the night, many of the artists were beginning to head longingly for the pub, but we were still able to catch up with a few. My favourite studio this time around was John Harrison’s (lack of) space, stuffed to the gills with constructivist sculptures and assemblages. Westgate Studios provide large spaces for artists, both private and shared. While working your way up the narrow winding staircase to the top floors can be hard going after a long walk round the city, the art works adorning the stairwell make it worth it.

Westgate Studios will be next open on November 27th, then every eight weeks from 5 – 9pm.

While the Wakefield Art Walk takes a break to evaluate and plan for the future, I am glad that it seems set to continue a regular feature of the city’s art scene. It can be a lot of walking for one evening, and there are problems; some venues such as the Wall Gallery are rather far out which may put some people off, and temporary exhibitions may find it difficult to get publicised if they are not on the map (such as the photography show at Art of Oak this time around). It is, however, a great way to really get to know what goes on in Wakefield, and meet the people behind everything. Look out for the next one, wear some sturdy shoes, and be prepared to meet some strange and wonderful people.

Eureka!

2009-07-26T11:17:00.001+01:00

What can I say...I'm a big kid! I was wary that disappointment would follow after a visit to Eureka! much like the dismay I felt after a recent visit to Tropical World - everything always seems much grander and exciting as a kid. Having not visited for at least 8 years this was not the case & although not a scratch on Magna, it held its own. For an educational environment it was fun and engaging, plus the younger cousins I attended with couldn't get enough of it ...worth the admission fee I'm not entirely sure though.

Everything is easily accessible, brightly coloured and invites a hands on experience where exhibition sets make noises, produce images, provide information and test initiative; emphasis on interactive learning.

What is appreciated is that Eureka! is the complete polar opposite of the museums you'd ordinarily see in the Yorkshire area, Royal Armouries being a good example and the Leeds Museum springs to mind, that is a museum with artifacts encased in glass cabinets.

It ticks all the boxes as a kids science museum, however from an adults point of view it wasn't particularly challenging and was a stretch to keep focus for the duration.

Stimulate Your Senses

2009-07-24T00:03:00.004+01:00

Wrigley's Electro :: 5 Gum

5 Gum is designed to 'stimulate the senses'.
This advertisement titled 'Rain' is 1 out of 3 high quality videos released; 'Elixir' & 'Lush' complete the trilogy.
I admire Wrigley's confidence to embrace the effect of a cinematic experience, it works coherently with the stylish packaging of '5 gum' and attracts the premium audience they set out to pull.

2009-07-23T11:05:00.000+01:00

Yauatcha Atelier collection by Bodo Sperlein. The Bodo Sperlin collection is the latest in a range of stylish tea accessories commissioned by Alan Yau to be produced for Yauatcha Atelier.

The Tea plant has captivated the world throughout history and is an integral part of everyday lives across the global communities. Produced in one of Germany’s oldest workshops established in the 18th Century, the collection aspires to continue the connection between food and design, function and form.

Play More

2009-07-20T14:49:00.006+01:00

Trapped in Suburbia have released this fantastic self promotional notebook.

The notebook consists of one side with space to write on and on the other side ball patterns. Just crumble up an piece of paper and you can play soccer, or rugby, or throw a tennis ball in your waste basket. The idea behind it all was the want to get their clients moving behind their desks.

The young company have won a bronze medal for 'printed self promotion' in 2007 European Design Awards for this design.

Tate Britain; William Blake 1809

2009-07-20T12:47:00.012+01:00

Tate Britain have re-staged William Blake's 1809 first and only solo exhibition, reuniting nine of his surviving works 200 years after they were first displayed.

Tate Britain have culminated this event via loans from the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum, to mark the 200th anniversary of this exhibition that was once displayed at his brother's shop on Golden Square, Soho, in May 1809.

Sadly with many great artists, musicians/performers and authors fame is not apparent till the death of the said individual, Blake was no exception with his original show being poorly attended and receiving one review in the press; negative.

Blake is now recognised as the literary idol of the Romantic Age and viewing these works reminded me exactly why that was.

I note Blake for his 'Songs from Innocence and Experience' prose and illustrations, much of my own personal work to date is heavily influenced by his songs, so my knowledge of his other collections was minimal - I'd read excerpts of 'The Marriage of Heaven and Hell'; 'Prisons are built from the stones of law, brothels the bricks of religion'

The work which stood out for me was 'Jacob's Ladder' (see right image), illustrated beautifully with a heavenly aura. Not religious but immensely interested in religion, how it's interpreted worldwide in particular the stories such as Jacob's Ladder; a ladder to heaven described in the Book of Genesis. Fascinating to see a visual representation.

Although a short specialist collection, it was certainly worth a visit for my interest in Blake however another exhibition currently on at Tate Britain that's heavily displayed is Turner's artwork and future exhibitions consist of Yorkshires Henry Moore and what sounds to be really interesting - 'British Comic Art'

The Blake Exhibition at Tate Britain runs from 20th April - 4th October 2009.

Lost & Found

2009-07-20T00:30:00.000+01:00

Once upon a time there was a boy. One day a penguin arrives on his doorstep. The boy decided the penguin must be lost and tried to return him. But no one seems to be missing a penguin so the boy decides to take the penguin home himself so they set off on a journey to the South Pole.
Once there the boy discovers that maybe home wasn't what the penguin was looking for after all!

Gorgeously illustrated, the story is sweet and simple. It may be a kids book but like many young childrens books nowadays, the illustrations can be appreciated by all ages.

BadHealth - The Game

2009-07-14T12:01:00.017+01:00

Raw have designed this fantastic little game, with the aid of illustrations provided by The Boy Fitz Hammond. It's so addictive!

Sneak preview below; as it's an external embedded link you will have to follow the URL provided in order to play the game!

Click here

Nobody Light a Match...

2009-07-12T11:21:00.025+01:00

Adolescent summers consisted of beautifully crafted origami water bombs. I perfected the water bomb right down to a tee; the size and strength of paper, exact measured volume of liquid - all of which made for priceless moments on impact, flawlessly executed.

When I saw this magnificent paper art, despite putting my efforts to shame, I was so in awe that it actually made me question the authenticity of the work; I initially thought it was a Maya creation in all its computer graphics glory!

The artist, Wataru Itou, spent 4 years hand crafting this paper creation titled "Umi no Ue no Oshiro" (Castle on the Ocean)

Fully functional trains can be seen meandering the carefully crafted pathways, lights set up to create the essential ambience - everything meticulously planned and accomplished to perfection.

The exhibition is in Tokyo alongside a video documenting the 'making of...'

Post-It-Note Fruit

2009-07-10T11:25:00.017+01:00

Kok-design

Swedish Army Recruitment

2009-07-08T23:22:00.008+01:00

One of the most precise and well designed websites I have seen in a long time. The ambience is crystal clear - has a very 'Metal Gear Solid'/'Silent Hill' feel to it.

If you have a spare 10 minutes, flip the speakers on and see if you could make it in the Swedish Army!

'Crank' The Face Off That Type!

2009-07-08T10:54:00.038+01:00

When you notice a small snippet of a design element, whether it be the passing glance of a book cover in the shop window or the brief glimpse of a fantastic packaging item in the trolley of a fleeting fellow supermarket shopper, you want more. You want to understand what it is, why it caught your attention, you want to buy in to its aesthetic attraction – at least I do.
During the regular morning peruse of design news and affiliated scanning of portfolios, I stumbled upon a full rebrand project carried out by the design studio 'Proud'. What caught my attention on this particular occasion was the typography.

Firstly, the 2D representation.

How fluid of a typeface is that...? Each individual letter flows smoothly in to the next. Just imagine placing a ball on the top arc of that 'S' - it would roll effortlessly on to the neighboring 'y'

The font is 'Crank 8', reworked to create the unique and bespoke typeface of 'Syfy'; a science-fiction channel.

The customised typeface is so beautifully balanced. If the letter distance were removed the sandwiched 'f' would just melt in between both 'y's'.

I thought it may be of use to highlight the letter dimensions for closer analysis.
The letter 'f' floats above the baseline, for personal reasoning I believe it allows for that floaty-like/light quality. Had the designers sat it on the baseline the word as a whole would appear heavier and grounded which moves against the ethos of the brief;

"The brief asked for an ownable and distinguishable brand identity; retaining the positive associations from the genre of science fiction, whilst appealing to a broader audience and embracing the benefits of imagination."

The 3D representation.

In context I do feel that the 3D outcome of the brand leans dangerously towards a copycat version of Channel 4's 'E4' brand but this is due to the amalgamation of associated 'E4' deep purple colour combined with the overlaying thick white text.

However, it is visually stunning and as a television ident it will no doubt be easily accepted and appreciated.

Blue Crystal

2009-07-07T10:52:00.000+01:00

A growing trend in Dubai architecture seems to be the creation of not only the utmost in luxury, but of the impossible, improbable, and downright crazy!
The German design duo Frank and Sven Sauer claim that Blue Crystal will harness the world’s natural energy sources, keeping it self-sufficient. It will supposedly be powered by solar cells embedded in the icy facade and employ an ‘energy recycling system.’

Social Media For Social Good

2009-07-06T23:57:00.029+01:00

Media channels for years have funnelled through selective articles, whether it has been editorial based (newspapers, magazines) radio or television broadcast. Headlines that sell saturate the media in immense quantities, the recent tragic death of Michael Jackson being a fine example; coverage still remains five days on. Forget landmine attacks and Iraq bombings, they take a back seat and slip silently through the media net.

The internet has increasingly become a platform renowned for its limitless capabilities

and with strengthening networks such as Twitter surfacing, the public are taking control of what they’re exposed to and repositioning the social sector as it stands.

People crave involvement. They wish to be engaged and experience growth. With online brand interaction people do so to fulfil their own needs, rather than the need of the brand. Whereas with non-profit organisation interaction, which is where my personal interest lies, whether it is the more renowned Oxfam or to a lesser degree Charity: water, users interact to support a cause aiding its success and enhancing the Viral Effect.

The case study which initiated this entry is in fact the non-profit Charity: water; bringing clean water to those without.

Click the article image below to view further information.

Having cottoned on to the vast potential of social networking, the organization held a ‘Twestival’, raising more than $250,000 whilst bringing worldwide public awareness to their charity. The event was managed via Twitter enabling local Twitter communities to funnel their passion for the cause offline, collaborating locally on an international scale.

Truly an astonishing outcome! An unknown organization gaining such rapid credit through the usage of an online tool.

It’s apparent that campaigns with the most impact are the ones utilizing the online social networks to supplement their offline strategies.

So social media is a positive movement?

Potentially a flat out yes for non-profit organizations, however as with all debates there is the opposing side to consider and by applying social networking to alternate outputs, the response differs.

As a device, it’s incredibly fascinating to witness public control over previously distance organizations.

By channeling the energy of mass crowds (people passionate about a cause, organization, topic or company) social networking has enabled people to project their voice resulting in positive sustainable difference.