Thursday, October 29, 2009
MARILYN MANSON
(Top to bottom): Inner-Self Portrait, I, Perou
Didn't know Manson is also a painter? The above watercolors are just a few of a collection of portraits that can be viewed on his site (Turn up your sound. Brace yourself.)
I discovered his paintings a few years ago, and haven't been able to forget the saturated colors, exaggerated features...
Spooky and twisted. But of course.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
STEPHEN WILTSHIRE /
A BEAUTIFUL MEMORY @ PRATT
Unfortunately, when I tried to check out the show yesterday at Pratt, they had already closed down for the day. I saw a piece on the Early Show about Stephen, and I HAD TO MEET HIM.
Born in the UK, Stephen was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3, and was mute as a child. At the age of 9, he spoke his first word – paper – when teachers encouraged him to talk by taking away his art materials. Very early on, he showed a talent for drawing (cityscapes in particular). It soon was discovered that he had a photographic memory, for he could draw an entire city just after viewing it briefly. Every building and its relation to the surrounding ones, the number of windows in each building, architectural flourishes, plazas, streets, trees...e-v-e-r-y detail.
INCREDIBLE....
Now, at the age of 35, Stephen has traveled the world performing the feat of recording these panoramas: Tokyo, Rome, Hong Kong, London, Jerusalem, Dubai, Madrid, Frankfurt and now his last, New York. With pen and ink, he's drawing on an 18-foot-long surface, and can be viewed while he works until Friday, 10–5.
By the way...the research he did to complete this task? A 45-minute helicopter ride over the city.
I'm heading back there either tomorrow or Friday...this is NOT to be missed.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
GUTS, we miss you...
Grace Jones' album packaging (various)
Frankly, her music scares the bejeezus out of me, but LOOK AT HER IMAGING. Raw. Uncut. Uncensored.
My faves are:
My Jamaican Guy (center column, bottom row) and
Living My Life (top, center)
Nope! Doesn't get better!
Take a look at her 2008 video, Corporate Cannibal:
Labels:
Graphic Design,
Packaging Design,
Typography,
Video/Film
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
SIDEWALK FINDINGS:
GOWANUS EDITION
So, the sun decided to show itself today, and I was SO grateful. I celebrated by starting off with a "nature-walk" through Prospect Park, and ended up walking through Gowanus towards Carroll Gardens, after grabbing a FANTASTIC lunch at my favorite restaurant, Al Di La.
In an attempt to walk off the sauteed mushrooms and polenta, I strolled along Smith, and discovered a tiny store named Mongo. In the window were these SWEET little salt and pepper shakers that I immediately fell in love with. All shades of pastel blue and green, possibly 50s era and made of bakelite or glass...my favorites were the ones with tiny fish designs.
If I'm still day-dreaming about these beauties tomorrow, I'm heading back for a pair!
Friday, October 23, 2009
NOT YOUR GRANDMOTHER'S STAINED GLASS
Lava Flow (top) and Space Walk Mobile (bottom) by Gary Ruvo.
Check out these beautiful stained glass mobiles! Cool and modern...a bit Alexander Calder-esque, no?
I love the simplicity, the shapes, the translucent nature of them. Imagine the shadows they would cast if placed near a sunny window? Love them!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
THE MATCHBOX PROJECT
Born in 2007 in Australia, The Matchbook Project has taken flight over the past couple of years, gaining momentum and buzz along the way.
Its initiator is a 24-year-old part-time journalist. Her mother collected matchboxes from her travels for 40 years. Seeing the collection inspired her to begin this project. She began decorating matchboxes and inserted unexpected miniature surprises. She anonymously sent them to 20 friends, and then decided to keep the project going my leaving them in public places for other people to discover.
Since then, her matchboxes have popped up everywhere from Melbourne to Dubai to Los Angeles. You can track the matchbox findings here.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU...
I came across this image today while researching ancient Etruscan art for a project I'm working on.
Drooling, aren't you?
It's a gold fibula that dates all the way back to the 7th century BC. Five lions, their style inspired by the Orient, adorn the center of it. They're framed by two bands of interlocking patterns.
Pretty ostentatious. And pretty fabulous.
This particular one is housed in the Vatican Museums in Rome, but the next time you're at the MET, check out their collection of ancient metalwork and jewelry. It's super-extensive...and SO inspiring.
Labels:
ANCIENT ART,
Jewelry Design,
Metalwork
Sunday, October 18, 2009
NANCY HARRIS ROUEMY / NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE
So, the revitalization of "Project-Reorganize-My-Apartment/Office/Entertainment Space/Youth Hostel-So-I-Can-Regain-Control-Of-My-Sanity" officially took flight tonight, with the installation of Ikea shelves.
Currently, I'm hiding out in the bedroom, trying to shield myself from the tornado that has become my living room. I have a pretty large collection of art books and magazines that I can never seem to trim down, and they're all strewn about my apartment at the moment, as I decide what goes where. I always feel like I want to hold on to these reference pieces for future inspiration. Tonight, I unearthed an old issue of the NY Times Magazine, from December 2008.
This luscious cover design was illustrated by Nancy Harris Rouemy, and the actual typeface design was created by Patrick Griffin/Canada Type. Once I pulled it from the pile, I was reminded why I decided to hold on to it in the first place.
The colors...the letterforms...it's whimsical, yet very sensual. I mean, take a look at "Heston" in the middle of the page. WOW-ee! And don't even get me started on the "A" in "Agee". If I could cat-call, I would!
Labels:
Graphic Design,
Illustration,
Typography
Friday, October 16, 2009
(CLICK HERE to watch the video on YouTube.
Do it! You won't be disappointed!)
DAVID ELLIS / MOTION PAINTING
This is a MUST-SEE. (I know, I know, I always say that. But this time, it really is!!)
Love, love, love:
Drippy orange paint (0:27)
Peacock (0:35)
Black cloudy mass (1:00) (Oooooohhh. Love.)
OKEYs (1:40)
Squishy sound effects (throughout)
It's crazy how through stop-animation you can actually see how paint transforms as it dries.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
ROLLING STONE / VOL. 224
Typography by Elizabeth Paul
October 21, 1976
Ooooo, yummy yummy type. Why can't more modern-day magazines/newspapers come up with memorable and striking cover designs, such as this one?
But then again, if what you're selling is a collection of Avedon photos, bells and whistles kind of ruin the party.
By the way, I'm aware that this is the 2nd time I've posted about Avedon. Trust me, it won't be the last.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
CREATE, CREATE, CREATE
I worked with Crush last year...they illustrated a compilation cd for Epic Records that I art directed. See the cover here.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
LIESBET BUSSCHE / URBAN JEWELRY
Belgian artist, Liesbet Bussche creates oversized jewelry and incorporates them into city-scapes and street fixtures.
Post earrings made of concrete boulders, necklace clasps made of sand....what other-worldly giant Barbies could have left them here??
Her playful sculptures can be seen on the streets of Amsterdam. If you happen to be traveling there, her work will be on display as part of the What's New exhibit at Galerie Sofie Lachaert until November 8, 2009.
Here's another favorite:
Labels:
Exhibits / Shows,
Jewelry Design,
Metalwork,
Sculpture
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
I'M IN LOVE WITH PETER BEARD.
Fun fact: During his career, Beard has been painted on by Salvador Dalí and has journaled with Andy Warhol.
Today, while strolling downtown on Lafayette, I came across a tiny photography bookstore called Clic. Inside, I found a Taschen Peter Beard book that literally left me breathless.
S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G.
Born in 1938, Beard began creating collaged art journals/diaries at the age of 11. He layered hand-drawn elements, photography, type....basically any and everything. He traveled to Africa in 1955, inspired by reading Out of Africa, by Karen Blixen. There, he continued the creation of his journals by incorporating his own photography and layering it with animal blood.
The Taschen book is a documentation of Beard's life in Africa. The collages are SO incredibly detailed–layer upon layer upon layer upon layer of heart wrenchingly beautiful imagery.
Labels:
Book Design,
Collage,
Mixed Media,
Photography
Friday, October 9, 2009
FUNKTIONIDE / STEFAN ULRICH
Using artificial muscle technology, German designer Stefan Ulrich created the Funktionide. The device is an amorphic object that's designed to relieve a sense of loneliness.
Ulrich believes that in the future, humans will turn to robots to satisfy their emotional needs. The shape-changing object simulates breathing, reacts to human touch, and imitates human/animal movements.
You MUST view the above video. How strange!
"It's the end of the world, as we know it..."
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