Imagining the Tenth Dimension - Rob Bryanton

This information may save your life (if you accidentally find yourself in the wrong dimension).




This video proves my hypothesis...that composers/sound designers (thanks for the correction Mr. Bryanton) are just as obsessive as graphic designers.

Three Cheers for Adam Elliot

Here's just a couple of Austrailian Academy Award-winner Adam Elliot's brilliantly tender tales of mishappen family members. The animation style, the story, and the narration align perfectly to deliver simple and candid characters, in all their exquisite quirkiness. No doubt, you'll want to adopt each one . . . but you'll have to get behind me.

The art of Samurai Jack

First of all, I am a big fan of Samurai Jack. After watching an episode, you will agree it has all the right ingredients to leave you well nourished: great style, animation, interesting story, humor, and not to mention it even reminds you the importance of being a good person. I, however, will focus on none of that—just the breathtaking artistry and skillful technique of those who collaborate on the background art of Samurai Jack. One person in particular who creates some of the most dynamic backgrounds I have ever seen is Scott Wills (can't find a website for him though. Scott, give us a call... we will make you one).

Full team of contributors:
Bill Wray
Dan Krall
Jenny Gase-Baker

Touched Echo rocks you to the bone

On February 13, 1945, Dresden, Germany's Brühlsche Terrasse was the site of a controversial air raid by the British Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force.

Berlin-based artist Markus Kison jolts poeple back to that time via this unique sound memorial that it requires the participation of your body.

Leaning on the railing while covering the ears, one can hear an oral simulation of the airplane attack that has been called "one of the worst examples of civilian suffering caused by strategic bombing."

The bone conduction picks up atmospheric sounds, like car traffic, which are accentuated by sound conductors built into the structure for this purpose.

The participants themselves re-enact the actions of the Germans who experienced the roaring B-25 bombers and explosions—the ones who stood in this very spot covering their ears over half a century ago.

Bravo to an eloquent vehicle that successfully elicits empathy no matter which side of the contraversy you are on.

Vania Zouravliov

If you haven't yet checked out Russian-born artist Vania Zouravliov's artistic monograph (published in September), please do. This guy, a member of London's Big Active, generates work that so acutely epitomizes the phrase "hauntingly beautiful," it's sure to send you on a heart-felt expedition of delicious melancholy. Admit it, there's a goth inside us all.




Vania was also a part of the collaborative illustration effort Poe: Illustrated Tales of Mystery And Imagination, a.k.a. some of the best Poe-inspired art that I have ever seen.

Western Spaghetti by PES

These folks know how to rock the stop motion around the clock.

You can check out a hi-res version of western spaghetti or see more great work at their website: here

Tasty stuff, thank you PES.

Designed to Make Us Smile

Paris-based company Atypyk graces us with these ingenious takes on familiar everyday products . . . because there's almost always a humorous side to everything.

Pencils with various moustache options (Clark Gable, Burt Reynolds, Salvador Dali, etc.) for those moments you rest yours on your upper lip

Kite

Pizza Plate

Drink Coaster

Secret Agent Umbrella

Bookmark

WoooHoooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Poster by Shepard Fairey

Helios House

I was driving through LA recently and happened upon this shocker of a gas station (on the corner of Olympic and Robertson). It's a British Petroleum venture to enhance the gasoline consumer experience and to showcase some overall functional and structural sustainability. The design strategically selected materials, lighting and plumbing methods to limit environmental impact. Helios House exceeds current environmental standards for on-site water collection and uses 16 percent less electricity than traditional stations, says BP.

Coined a “living laboratory,” this spot also serves as an educational center, in which specially trained employees actually distribute to the unsuspecting driver guides to greener living. Not a bad way to spread the word!

Os Gemeos

From the womb to age 34, the members of Os Gemeos have shared a conscience—both figuratively and literally—winning the world over with their graffiti in a tight collaboration granted to them by their matching DNA. Brazilians Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo are identical twin brothers who have created art together ever since they can remember, a living monument to the meaning of brotherhood. Always in visual harmony with their environment, their characters feel as if they really belong in the spaces where the twins paint them. The work is heartfelt, relevant and beautiful—
so deeply regarded that the pair have been beckoned internationally to paint walls, trains, even a castle.

Barcelona, Spain

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (I think)

Kelburn Castle is a large house near Fairlie, North Ayrshire, Scotland

"When we dream, everything we dream has yellow tones. This is something of ours, myself and my brother. We use it in our painting. We can't use another color. We have to use yellow."

Pocoyo

I know I know, I don't have a kid nor am I one, but I love this Spanish/British pre-school cartoon that I just discovered. Pocoyo art, created with Softimage, is delightfully simple and if you can get over the whole call/response bit, the jokes are pretty funny on an adult level, too.

Accessories for your pet!

I am currently in the process of getting a puppy. It has taken several month's to pick the actual kind of puppy that was right for me and my partner. We decided a Japanese Spitz is the one.

Now, of course our little dog needs to have a bed... I had no idea how much accessories there are on the market for pets! A Londonbased designer called Kim Bull are designing these slick dogbeds for over $1000.

A New Beacon on the Map!

Fellow citizen of this creative world, Krista Figacz, has just become a Hunters & Gatherers contributor. As a photographer, she offers yet another aesthetic eye and churning mind, along with her unique perspective from her city of residence, Berlin. Welcome Krista!

Looking Good while Being Good

For LA's Fashion Week, soy bean enthusiast SoyJoy and Gen Arts gave four emerging fashion designers a platform in sustainable fashion show Fashionably Natural, presented yesterday. The Battalion, Brigid Catiis, Popomomo, Velvet Leaf offer eco-garment alternatives using sustainable materials, organic, raw textiles and recycled vintage fabrics. Pretty cool.

Another notable SoyJoy project is its Art of Optimism Tour, where they promote fine art across North America as a means of lending hope.

War, what is it good for?

The work of Polish artist and animator Tomek Baginski is the perfect answer. Compelling and fresh, this is Fallen Art:

White Bike Ceramics

I was just browsing and came across with this beautiful ceramic collections by White Bike Ceramics. These ceramic wares are all hand made by Lauren Adams, and I absolutely had to share this with you all. I love the fact that she uses such simple yet delicate and sophisticated patterns to create her amazing pottery. So Beautiful! Be sure to visit her website to see all her wonderful creations!

Designing babies?

Today MSN covered the American Society for Reproductive Medicine's conference in Washington D.C. At the same time there has been a conference here in Europe called R.E.S.C.U.E.S that was organized by The European Stem Cell Science and Eucation Society.

The ASRM conference focused on designing babies, while RESCUES focused on non-embryonic reproductive developments as well as same-sex reproduction.

I'm not sure if all of you are interested in stem cell research,but I read absolutely everything I can get a hold of in this topic. Perhaps therefore I found it a bit disappointing when I discovered that ASRM covered the topic of "designing babies". However, it makes for good conversation for us "designers".

I wasn't able to copy the video link so here is a link to the website:

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/HomeMortgageSavings/designing-the-100000-baby.aspx

Another Way Design Makes Life Easier

The UK brings us these clever kitchen tools designed by Morph for Joseph Joseph, a company founded by twin brothers with the surname of Joseph).

Nest measuring cups and bowls

Cut & Collect chopping board

Index chopping boards

i want you to want me

I can't remember the last time I was actually floored by a work of art—I mean floored, effected in every conceivable way. I recently came across one of the most moving pieces of technology art/information architecture that I have ever seen. What is unique about it is that not only is the gathered data fascinating, the delivery is quite beautiful. I mean, yes technology art usually looks interesting with its random visual output, and information architecture is quite appealing in a black and white sort of way, but I tend to miss the poetry. This piece has the graphic design know-how needed to carry its message closer to the heart.

Take a look at Jonathan Harris & Sep Kamvar's I Want You to Want Me, (featured at NY MOMA last spring). It's a powerful soliloquy, real expressions of desire and loneliness orchestrated into an interactive installation that speaks of our human need for company and sense of self. This ode to humanity reveals how we see our selves, how we represent ourselves to the world, and our struggle to find a perfect match. Across time and cultures, methods and technologies vary, but this need is always universally the same in its urgency.


Perhaps, the work can be best described as a tracking device on the human quest for love and a chronicle of the phenomena that is online dating—what it says about us, and how it reveals our ultimate solo essence.

Finding a Canvas in Everything

House Industries (yup, the font people) produces this scrumptious alphabet block set, featuring the art of the great multi-versatile designer Alexander Girard, famous for his work with Herman Miller and La Fonda del Sol, a restaurant he dressed from head to toe: matchbooks, dinnerware, linens—everything he could get his hand on. It's lovely to see all the iterations of his design in items one can use in daily life, but I do appreciate an item such as this, that has no utilitarian purpose but to delight. And I would have to agree, after designing in every other medium (airplanes, sugar packets, bags, dolls..), AG probably would have eventually made his way to blocks. Yummy.


You can find more Girard products here. This little number retails at $100 USD. If you're on a budget, Chronicle Books offers a boxed notecard set for $13.95 USD, and a new set, one showcasing La Fonda del Sol, will be released in Spring 09.

Also, if you should find yourself in Santa Fe, NM, the Museum of International Folk Art has an entire wing dedicated to Alexander Girard.

Chemical Party

I absolutely love this video. I want to make short films like this. Please watch and just try not to smile :) ........or comment!

(video pasted along by Jessie, thanks buddy)

Offensive?

I'm curious to hear your opinions about California-born artist Douglas Stanley's Twin Tower version of the classic arcade video game Space Invaders. It's a multi-player game that requires individuals to work together to fend off the invaders. With some work, a team can actually beat the game.

This piece offended so many people that the artist decided to take down his installation at the Leipzig Games Convention in eastern Germany last month; and Taito, the creator of the original Space Invaders, is considering a lawsuit. . . which begs many, many questions. Among them: When is it not too soon anymore? Is there a calibur of tragedy in which it will never be okay to make art that is less than mournful? And, whose measuring stick do we use?

Creative Reuse: Good Design for Do-Gooders

These handmade products are the harvest of an earnest set of environmental ethics combined with aesthetic sensibilities and a nomadic lifestyle. Skinwalker (one-man production line, Bryan Kwee) takes his craft as seriously as his eco-friendly lifestyle, gathering scrap materials from the places he roams and meticulously transforming them into these fine creations. With a good deal of imagination and elbow grease, he turns one person's waste into another person's bounty—proving that less is definitely more.


Wallet made from salvaged sushi boxes, bicycle inner tubes, transparent packaging material, and keyboard circuit boards.

Wallet made from keyboard circuit boards, aluminum foil, frosted white binders, bicycle inner tubes, & a trade show exhibitor badge.




Check out Skinwalker's complete portfolio and etsy shop.