Monday, 24 November 2008
Up-to-date way of problem solving
Monday, 3 November 2008
Flying Barn?

Sunday, 2 November 2008
Illustration within design

4 Elements through music

Memory and Humanity - Album Art

Gorillaz animate
Gorillaz - Jump The Gut
The animations the Gorillaz have created are stylised in the fact they use 2D, 3D and real footage to form unique environments. I really like how 2D characters are implemented into 3D environments which helps to allow fans to relate...it's as if these characters are actually alive somewhere in the world. They have broken down a certain barrier and a part of us kind of believes they're real, or atleast wants to, which works in terms of this 2D bands' success I imagine (it also has a lot to do with their talent in the music world obviously).What makes good design enjoyable?

I think it works well as we notice a depth to the work that is usually not apparent in lesser design. We know just by looking at a piece of work that a lot of thought has gone in to it. We respect that the artist has taken the time to turn away from the norm and strive for the new. I think we also like it because it teaches us something in a way. It becomes a simple message showing us a more interesting side of an object that we thought to be plain and unmoving. Thus opening our eyes for a second and allowing us to crawl out of the midset we are in day-in, day-out. An original piece of design becomes something that expands the viewers mindset, shows them a new perspective, allows them to be impressed, and for a second, makes them think they know a little bit more about the world.
Still, it's not an easy thing to achieve...
Does unoriginal play a part in the creation of original?
The combination of a bookshelf and a staircase created this hybrid-sort of design, the library staircase. If you have a problem the design solution is usually found using inspiration from other existing ideas. As a designer I naturally take inspiration from things around me and apply my perspective to come up with a solution. Realising this may improve the way I approach problems and come up with answers. The challange to come up with a unique idea may be overcome in this way. By using unoriginal ideas to create something original.
(This also relates to what Roland Barthes was researching. The idea that original writing may never be achieved due to the material used being unoriginal.)
Friday, 31 October 2008
Mr. Toledano will see you now

This website is the nicest one I have found in a while. It's so easy to navigate, the work is displayed professionally and there isn't a bundle of writing to confuse you.
View the Website
Chucky for Halloween

Wednesday, 29 October 2008
Future Architecture in Paris

Grand Palace Thailand


Roland Barthes

Emperor's New Clothes

A well known fairytale where an Emperor has requested a new set of clothes. The two who produce his new clothes make it from a magically invisible material that only one worthy of being Emperor can see. The Emperor pretends he can see it to not feel stupid and ends up parading through the streets with his head held high. A boy notices he is naked and points it out to the crowd...
This has similar themes to those that rise with Marcel DuChamp. The notion that if you believe something to be one way in your mind other people may not necessarily see it that way no matter how much you are persuaded it's the truth. Perspectives are always different and you need to take this into account when parading around your work...or simply parading around naked. Yet another fairytale with all the wisdom of the world condensed into a story understandable to any age.
Guiness Advert
Guiness have a simple yet perfect concept it seems. Always playing on the quality inside the pint and that it's worth waiting for. However I came across this advert which is so ridiculous and isn't what I'm used to seeing from these guys. The music created is just as splendid, love it! ...just watch:
Conceptual Thinking

The fountain is one of a series called the readymades which challange the idea of what makes something a piece of art. Marcel DuChamp came to the conclusion, of sorts, that the difference between art and not art is simply the artists choice for it to be so. The fact that this toilet was in a gallery makes the public view it as a piece of art. It challanges us to view things differently and re-assess what we think to be original. Can we change what we already know to come up with something truly original?
Computers effecting how you think
Keep clicking and you’ll be a snappy thinker
The net is making us good at quick decisions – but there is a cost
Write Helen Brooks and Brendan Montague
It's an article about how long term use of a computer can effect the way you think and interact with other people. There are positives and negatives as with all things. It states how those who naturally adapt successfully in the next generations may be the next evolution of our race and be more successful economically,(also mentioning Darwin's Theory of Evolution). Long term computer usage has proven to increase decision making time but limit other areas such as abstract thinking.
As a graphic designer it makes you wonder whether you are being subject to a bigger change than the rest of the population. Let's face it we spend a hell of a lot of time on these computers, change is inevitable it seems, but will we be at the forefront of this change or are we on a different track completely? It just got me thinking that's all...
Read the story yourself here
Poster for EventBrand.net

Dinal Kryvoruchko works in Moscow and his work is visually stunning. He has done work for EvantBrand (featured above) and a campaign to advertise MTV Russia Movie Awards 2008 depicting a creature with one eye and two pupils. As you look at his work the ideas are complex and impact is always there. He must spend a massive amount of time on each of these to keep this standard up. A good source of inspiration.
Check his work out here
Toyota, Lower Emissions
The Limerick Animal Welfare (L.A.W)
I thought this was a very clever campaign. The message is simple. It encourages the need for action by the receiver and the tone of voice depicts the suffering of animals. The concept is clear and it hits the audience where it should, their hearts.
Surfing
From this I watched a documentary The Billabong Odyssey which features some of the worlds best surfers chasing the biggest swells in the world. The sheer scale of these waves is god-like compared to the tiny man surfing the front of it. It's mesmirizing to think that a wave so big is not only real in the world, but can be ridden on a surfboard. These guys, and girls, really are living life on the edge. Check out this video and tell me you're not in awe:
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Concept Art Community

Monday, 27 October 2008
Food for Giants
Food is the thing we all have in common. Giant food however is limited to a small community it seems, and no these aren't giants, these are ordinary people who like to pimp their snacks to the max.
Featured above is just one example of a growing list showing snacks that have been recreated to high detail, the only aspect that is different is that they are bigger...much bigger. There is definitely an emphasis on size, effort and style when it comes to creating your giant snack. This website gives you step by step guides to allow you to follow along if you feel it necessary. It is very easy to navigate but the layout is in need of a face lift to make it seem more applicable to the target market.
Could these larger scale pieces of food double as art? They are certainly entertaining to look at when compared to their smaller cousins. The amount of effort required on the creators part is also relatable to that of an artist. The imagination applied is in how you get the end result, the process, not in what form you want to achieve at the end...although there are some examples of this. Either way they are visually entertaining.
Here's the website if you're interested in creating huge snacks yourself:
There is also a Skoda advert which uses a concept similar to the ideas on this website. It can be found on youtube and is definitely what I would class as a piece of art.
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
Trogdor!!
Rough Hands
Rough Hands - Alexisonfire
This song will obviously not be liked by everyone but for a moment just forget that you hate music like this and then look again.
Songs that capture moods and enhance them through a short experience, such as this, are works of great creativity in my opinion. It's really difficult to create good lyrics, create matching melodies and deliver them successfully. The fact that this song has found a concept and delivered it well makes it stand out in my opinion. I am obviously biased towards liking it as I like the band but this doesn't mean I'm wrong. If you read the lyrics (which you have to due to it being difficult to hear) you find that the mood of the song matches the ideas within it.
Rough Hands, taking the term literally, could be considered a symbol of a person becoming old or a hint that a person has been through a lot of hardship. The way simple things are interpreted and expanded upon to explain strong concepts in music is one that is similar in visual media. The link is very close and when the application is acheived successfully it tends to make the work stand out.
Other songs within their repitour have similar standards of creativity and depict images through crazy lyrics like:
The sky's a brick wall. The ground's a juggernaut. Each day they get a bit closer. Between them, i am caught.
This is taken from the song This could be Anywhere, which creates a dark image of a city and its inhabitants, a gem of a song in my opinion. The creative approach to these visions is very inspiring and the way they paint such a good image in your mind is perfect. If you can handle the screaming and darker side of their music then there is a lot of inspiration to be absorbed in how they translate their ideas across.
Monday, 20 October 2008
Tim Burton
A lot of his films tend to take on a Gothic style for the most part. The sets' which he produces are a slice of imagination pie that people can get lost in for a delicious moment... Aside from this the casting is also a vital part of his success. Batman Returns is a prime example. The characters are really brought to life in this film, albeit a bit unrealistic but that's what we want in his films, a bit of fairytale, they show you a new side to an actor that you had previously not considered. Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Cat Woman bring the characters to life and really explore their personalities. I don't know if this is a result of Tim Burton's vision and grooming or a projection of the actors' abilities but it becomes a regular phenomenon within his movies making them ever more pleasing to watch.
Tim Burton has a talent to completely open the viewers mind to his vision through the lens. Every aspect of the design, from visuals to soundtrack, casting to set, seems to be focused on presenting his idea in the clearest way possible. His ability to translate his vision from imagination into these well-rounded movies is a talent that one can only be jealous of.
I recommend getting lost in one of his worlds for a few hours...
Rodolphe Simeon
Rodolphe Simeon has conjured up some moving photographs on his website which make up some inspirational portfolios. The photo featured above is one that particularly caught my eye. It not only shows the figure above the bottom edge of the photo, (that we usually assume to be the ground), suggesting they are floating and therefore nearer to heaven, but it also hints that the person has recently passed away. This covers the caption in two perspectives using a simple composition. Very cleverly applied, effective and clear to the observer.
Also present on the website are portraits which pose the characters to be almost fairytale like, especially apparent in the M-People and some of the Women portfolios, which have an underlying darker attitude when compared to the more subtle The Street portfolio. This reminds me of Tim Burton who has a similar style.
It impresses me how so many emotions can be created through the face of a person. Some of these photos only use a minimal amount of "special effects" in order to generate a personality from the subject material. The possibilities available from something so common to us all is really quite amazing. I personally think it's a wonder how we never get bored of looking at faces and their ever changing configurations. If you can do so much with just a face then the scope for creativity for an artist is huge.
Website is below:
http://www.m-peoplephotography.com/index.html
Thursday, 16 October 2008
Old people raving in slow motion!
When you take things out of their normal environment they become funny, with a bit of help from music, costumes, slow motion and "caption-ous maxim-ous", that is...
Hell is for heroes album art
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
Optical Illusion
Link below if video doesn't work.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vzSRVgF501M
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
"I gotta have more cowbell!"
Tree art

Monday, 13 October 2008
Amazing Illusions

http://amazingillusions.blogspot.com/2007/07/funny-family-illusions.html, uses optical illusion to create these quirky pieces. They look like family portraits in a way due to the composition and the casual clothing used. I admire artists who think of new ways to show something you are exposed to everyday. It's not the first photograph to display this technique but the use of perspective and blank landscape help to emphasise the difference in size.
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
Natural Born Killers

Subtiteled words are projected onto the bodies of Mickey Knox and Mallery, played by Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis respectively, which interested me as it was a technique I haven't seen before. Short old film clips are also played in the background of certain scenes. I don't know if this was intended to be a projection of the serial killers mental state or just done for visual effect, either way, it worked to the films advantage I feel. The distraction makes you concentrate more on what's going on in the actual scene. The set is used to the fullest ability. If you get bored of the film you can just look at the pretty scenes and camera angles/lenses used. I doubt you will though with this film.
Throughout the film it uses commercial style footage to explain how Mickey and Mallery got to the mental state they are in. It coats the evil of their past and present in a sort of cheesy comedic romance and displays this visually through various techniques. Examples through media and sit-com style footage are used to great effect.
Aside from all the visual goodies in this film it is well worth the watch. One of those films that makes you think and keeps you entertained throughout with characters that grip you. See it if you haven't done already.
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Photo of the day

http://photo-of-the-day1.blogspot.com/
Monday, 6 October 2008
Erawan Museum - Bangkok

Friday, 3 October 2008
Chris Boyd
He has also produced a cryptic video, supposedly with a message, but I haven't figured it out. It sparked my interest in a band named the music's new album as it is closely linked. The video was released before the album and I thought this was a clever media tool in order to market it. Whether this was the intention or not I don't know. I expect it worked positively as it seemed to keep their fan community interested and is continuing to do so.
It can be found easily on youtube if you want to try and figure it out. (search Solving Sarg Tmt)
Laurent Briet
Laurent Briet directs videos for a range of genres in music. One that stands out to me is the song What Sarah Said by a group called Death Cab for Cutie. The way in which the visuals emphasise feelings in the viewer compliments the song. Generating an emotional reaction to a video is something I find Laurent Briet accomplishes easily. The videos are ingenious and techniques used are cleverly applied.
Fashionably Uninvited by Mellowdrone was another example that impressed me. A completely different mood and style which shows the directors flexibility.
See blog: http://www.laurentbriet.com/