One Wish to Change the Wrold

            TED describes itself as "a small nonprofit devoted to ideas worth spreading." Actually, it's anything but small. Five years ago, it started giving a handsome annual prize to "exceptional individuals" devoted to changing the world. The TED genie grants those prize recipients One Wish to Change the World— as well as $100,000. This year, the prize goes to an anonymous street artist, who goes by the diminutive name JR.

            The Paris-based artist, who calls himself a "photograffeur," combines photography and graffiti in a distinct form of public art. Although his work lives in the streets, it has already been recognized by museums like London's Tate Modern— and he's only in his mid-20s. JR's projects vary but have one underlying cause: Provoke change by fostering community. “Portrait of a Generation” showed giant photos of suburban "thugs" outside Paris. “Face 2 Face”, which "some consider the biggest illegal photo exhibition ever," explored Israeli-Palestinian tensions. "Women Are Heroes” was an effort to empower women by showing their faces.

            JR exhibits his photographs --printed on waterproof vinyl, which double as new roofs for ramshackle houses-- in the biggest art gallery on the planet. His work is presented freely in the streets of the world, catching the attention of people who are not museum visitors. The artist makes these enormous installations in towns and cities that have virtually nothing. People come out of the woodwork to help. They start talking. Suddenly there's a sense of community and a cause. At least that's the idea. JR’s work is about social justice and creating connections between different people. His work mixes Art and Action; it talks about commitment, freedom, identity and limit. He creates persuasive art that spreads uninvited on buildings of Parisian slums, on walls in the Middle East, on broken bridges in Africa or in favelas in Brazil. People in the exhibit communities, those who often live with the bare minimum, discover something absolutely unnecessary but utterly wonderful. And they don’t just see it, they make it. Elderly women become models for a day; kids turn into artists for a week. In this art scene, there is no stage to separate the actors from the spectators.

         JR has a thing for eyes and noses and mouths. “Normally,” says JR, “you have to be very famous to have your picture blown up so big. But these are just ordinary people, with everyday stories.”

Objectified

            From telephones to toothpicks, nearly everything that fills our world is designed. Objects look and work the way they do because someone made them that way. Director Gary Hustwit examines industrial design’s sweeping cultural impact in his documentary, Objectified. Many of the movie's subjects are well known in the design world -- they include Dieter Rams, formerly one of the chief designers for Braun, and Jonathan Ive, of Apple. Those people may not exactly be household names among us mere mortals, but as "Objectified" makes clear, they've made their presence, if not their names, known in our households. Hearing them talk about what they do puts everyday objects into fresh perspective and one can’t help but wonder, in an age where forms cannot possibly resemble the myriad of functions they now perform, what will our world look like? How does design’s drive for “new and improved” reconcile with environmental sustainability? And how do individuals express themselves through mass-produced “stuff”? Objectified is a fascinating look at our relationship with objects and the people who design them. 

 

            Thinking too hard about the power, mystery and beauty of everyday things can give you a headache. That headache can blossom into a migraine if you consider that everything around you was, at some point, designed by someone, badly or well or possibly just indifferently. Have you ever wondered why the handle of your potato peeler is shaped the way it is? Well after watching Gary Hustwit’s documentary Objectified you won’t be able to stop thinking about it. You’ll also start looking at all the everyday things that surround us in our lives, questioning whether or not they are useful, and asking how we got so attached to them in the first place.

            "Objectified" helps takes design out of the conceptual realm and into the practical world. One of its best moments is an interview with Parisian designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, who speak with great eloquence and sophistication (in French, no less) about design and then start fluttering around a certain chair, pointing out its attributes. They look at it this way and that, pointing out the curve of its arm and the shape of its back. Then they come around to what may be its finest attribute, its sturdiness: "So Australians who have drunk a lot of beer can plunk themselves down in it." The language of design, at its best, is just that plainspoken.

            Objectified is a movie that will open your mind to the hidden world of design that influences virtually every aspect of our lives. It’s a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. It’s about the designers who re-examine, re-evaluate and re-invent our manufactured environment on a daily basis. It’s about personal expression, identity, consumerism, and sustainability. Gary Hustwit has taken a mundane concept and made something both compelling and artistic out of it. If you’re at all interested in design, this is a must-see film.

Life Is Art

      Nonprofit arts groups tend to spend much of their time scrounging for grants and praying for corporate largesse. But one art foundation taking shape on 120 acres in the high oak chaparral of Sonoma County has different kinds of worries these days: spider mites, bud rot and the occasional low-flying surveillance visit from the local Sheriff’s Office.

      This is because the foundation, based out of Santa Rosa, CA, called Life Is Art, recently began to reap a new kind of financing, in the form of tall, happy-looking marijuana plants. Late this month, with some help from the sale of its first small crop, grown under California’s liberal medical marijuana laws, the group plans to present an inaugural exhibition on its land, of sculpture and installation work by more than 20 visiting artists — some of whom will have helped bring in the harvest. The foundation’s hope is that income from succeeding crops will fully support such projects, in perpetuity, creating a kind of Marfa-meets-ganja art retreat north of San Francisco and a new economic engine for art philanthropy.

“Comparison and Contrast”

            Every year Interbrand releases its annual list, rating the most successful organizations and valuable brands from all over the world. Over the past several years, the brand at the top of the list has been Coca-Cola. Given the amount of money and effort they have put in creating the brand, it’s not surprising.

Surprising is the fact that Pepsi also spend just about as much money on branding as the Coke and sell almost same amount of products but still Coca-Cola is more valuable brand then Pepsi.

            Over the years Pepsi has displayed signs of chronic logo redesign vs Coca Cola, who has stuck to preserving its brands’ integrity. Now, I am not against updating corporate logos every once in a while, as long as the change brings value to the equation – maybe the old logo was too flat or austere, maybe it needed to have some life or positive energy injected into it – but all too often, companies fall prey to some creative agencies’ claims that in order to refresh their brand, they need to refresh their logos as well. 

 

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs5/i/2004/333/6/4/Pepsi_vs_Coca_cola_by_Attarzi.jpg

 

            I am not saying that Pepsi’s choice to change its logo on a regular basis is a bad thing. I am simply using Pepsi’s M.O. as a conversation catalyst. In a way, there’s something kind of cool about a company that changes its logo every decade or so: Each new logo is like a cultural milestone – a snapshot if you will, of that decade’s graphic flavor, and how tastes change over time. But I guess once you get past the cool time capsule thing, you kind of have to wonder: Has each change in logo actually resulted in some kind of benefit for the Pepsi Cola company? Has the Pepsi brand been strengthened by every new logo design? Has each new logo helped boost sales of Pepsi Cola over time? Has the company’s chronic change of emblem and packaging art had a measurable impact on the company’s bottom-line? Perhaps it has. I don’t know. It’s an open question, and one which probably cannot be answered without also looking at

  Consumers like familiariity. So one can’t help but wonder, is Coca Cola more successful maybe because they keep their logo and packaging more consistant?? Something to think about.

“Design as Conversation”

     Design is everywhere. And now, more than ever, it is taking on new forms all around us. For example, we saw a great rise in campaigns using design to speak to the public- design as conversation. 

     It all began with the LIVESTRONG bracelet. A yellow silicone gel bracelet launched in May 2004 as a fund-raising item for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The bracelet is part of the "Wear Yellow Live Strong" educational program. The program is intended to raise money for cancer research, raise cancer awareness, and encourage people to live life to the fullest. The band became a popular fashion item in the United States by the end of the summer of 2004, and soon after gained popularity worldwide. Other charities were inspired by the success of the LIVESTRONG band, and many developed their own bracelets for raising money and awareness.

     Then there was (PRODUCT)RED, which was founded in 2006 by U2 frontman and activist, Bono. It is a brand licensed to partner companies such as Nike, American Express, Apple, Starbucks, Converse, GAP, etc. to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Each partner company creates a product with the Product Red logo. In return for the opportunity to increase its own revenue through the Product Red products that it sells, a percentage of the profit is given to the Global Fund.

     Fast forwarding through numerous other wonderful foundations and  campaigns, we come to the NOH8 Campaign.

     On November 4, 2008 Proposition 8 passed in California, amending the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. The defeat provoked a groundswell of initiative within the GLBT community at a grassroots level, with many new political and protest organizations being formed in response. The NOH8 Campaign is a silent protest photo project against California Proposition 8. The campaign features photographs portraying people in front of a white backdrop wearing white t-shirts, their mouths duct taped shut and "NOH8" painted on their cheek. The campaign was created on February 1, 2009 by photographer Adam Bouska and Jeff Parshley. Nearly two years since its inception, the NOH8 Campaign has grown to over 5,500 faces and continues to grow at an exponential rate. The campaign began with portraits of everyday Californians from all walks of life and soon rose to include politicians, military personnel, newlyweds, law enforcement, artists, celebrities, and many more. The photo are also available for purchase, with proceeds going towards the organization for awareness.

The Petronas Twin Towers

Recently my Uncle announced his engagement to his soon to be Malaysian wife. The wedding is in April, in Kuala Lampur, and the entire family will be attending. The entire family, besides me that is. Unfortunately, due to my academic demands, school will not allow for a week long absence. But this got me thinking about the my first visit to Kuala Lampur and my first associating thought with it: The Petronas Twin Towers. In my opinion, true architectural wonders.

Petronas Twin Towers, pair of skyscraper office buildings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, are among the world’s tallest buildings. The Towers, built to house the headquarters of Petronas, the national petroleum company of Malaysia, were designed by the Argentine-born American architect Cesar Pelli. The 88 story structures, linked by a bridge at the 41st floor, are identical and were completed in 1998. 

To express the 'culture and heritage of Malaysia', classic Islamic motifs such as,  arabesques and repetitive geometries, characteristic of Muslim architecture, have been evoked in the overall construction of The Towers. An 8-point star- reflecting unity within unity, rationality, stability and harmony- formed by intersecting squares is an obvious reference to Islamic design; curved and pointed bays create a scalloped facade that suggests temple towers. Radiating structures, rhythmic patterns, and organized columns have also been a significant feature in the towers. Influences arrived from old Hindu and Buddhist temples have also been incorporated in the construction.

In both engineering and design, the Petronas Towers succeed at acknowledging Malaysia's past and future, embracing the country's culture while proclaiming its modernization.

These Towers are an indescribable site definitely worth seeing!

Stone Soup

In last Tuesday's Design 001class, our groups took part in a "Stone Soup" activity. We were all instructed before hand to bring about four items to contribute to the project. These items could be anything from recyclable trash to actual tools to help us put the "Stone Soup" together. Our group had a great range of items- boxes, tape, cutting tools, colorful tissue paper, a big stack of paper plates, acrylic paints, and much much more. 

For those readers who may not have ever heard of Stone Soup, it is an old children's book written by Marci Brown in 1947. In this tale, villagers are tricked out of their greed and fear into sharing and enjoying life with their neighbors. With every villager donating one item to the soup, they soon have a delicious soup that every can all enjoy together.

Our version of Stone Soup started with all of us throwing our items in the center of our circle and brainstorming on different ideas of what we could create. Everyone shared an idea and as a group we agreed that the box would be the base of our creation. Then we got to work. Some started painting plates, some started creating tissue paper flowers, and others did little random things, which did give the piece a unique personal touch. 

I think it is safe to say that every group member enjoyed themselves during the course of this project. It gave everyone a chance to express their idea and add it to the piece, while still working on a collaborative art project. It taught everyone to listen to one another and work with each other and how to build on each others' ideas without one person over powering or over shadowing others or the project itself.

Creativity From Without

           A good meal can be considered to be a work of art unto itself. Food is a vital necessity for all consumers to live, but human beings have a way to harness their thinking abilities and skills of agility to heighten culinary experiences. Taste buds have a practical use as being a way to determine if a certain food is spoiled or rotten before we actually ingest or swallow the bad food which would make us sick. However, they can provide a very uplifting experience on their own by being provoked in just the right way according to our own personal tastes. Chefs around the world have worked for centuries to please the mouths of those who paid for their services. Countless cookbooks and online recipes in addition to specialty food magazines are all in place to help regular people to achieve the perfect euphoria that is associated with a food combination or complete meal which makes their taste buds sing in delight and yearn for more even when their stomach is totally stuffed and cannot hold another bite. The interesting aspect comes along when our visual senses get involved. Every good chef will tell you that presentation is truly half of any good food. Recently though the food world has taken presentations a step further to create “food art.” Chefs and artists come together and cross sides to make awesome pieces of edible art that look too amazing to eat. 

            The collaborative team of Joost Elffers and Saxton Freymann are some of the most infamous artistic chefs as they have worked together to write over a dozen books that show you easy ways to create amazingly cute animals and several human like kid favorite characters out of everyday fruits and vegetables. This duo want to make eating healthy foods fun for kid consumers by turning them into toys that children can play with while they get a nutritional boost. Their creations are meant for all ages and can be used for daily snacks and sides for meals or as special munchies for a sleepover or party with a healthier twist than soda and potato chips!

           When i came across the work of Elffers and Freymann i couldn't help but smile and found their work just absolutely priceless. I think their vision is truly unique, for when you see their fruit and veggie carvings, you ask yourself how didn't I ever see that? To take your everyday food and turn into adorable edible art... If only someone had put healthy food like this on my plate when I was little! :)

http://verybadfrog.com/6451/art/food-sculptures-by-saxton-freymann

http://verybadfrog.com/6451/art/food-sculptures-by-saxton-freymann

 

 

 

 

http://stomachsonlegs.blogspot.com/2008/05/saxton-freymann-inflicts-world-of.html

http://stomachsonlegs.blogspot.com/2008/05/saxton-freymann-inflicts-world-of.html

ICONS

For many years I worked in a lovely little shoe store called Solemates. Season after season, I would watch countless numbers of shoes come in and go out. But nothing truly caught my eye until a new line we had picked up finally made its way on to our shelves. The company was called Icon. It was new, it was fresh, it was... Copied?!
ICON is a California-based company that was formed in 2001 with the "sole" purpose of showcasing art on shoes, then later handbags, wallets, and other accessories. They incorporate images from all walks of art: Renaissance masters to early modernists to contemporary artists. The artists’ images are bonded to the leather of the shoes’ uppers, which makes for some very accurate reproductions of the original images.

 

Although the shoes themselves are not exactly what I would call My style, I fell in love with their originality. I have always had a love for the arts (and shoes), so naturally I instantly fell in love with the idea that you can so elegantly wear art and history on your feet, and share that art and beauty with the rest of the world by simply stepping into your shoes and out of your house.

Coco Chanel Red

 I would not say that Christian Louboutin is a popular household name, but it should be. Granted, on average a single pair of Louboutin's will run you at least $500, up to several thousands of dollars, depending on the style, they are so much more than just shoes. Many believe, myself included, Louboutin's, with their sexy red soles, to be art forms in their own right.

From a very young age I developed an obsession with shoes. Now I'm sure anyone reading this is thinking, "Another girl, writing about her love for shoes. How generic and cliche." But my love is not just for a shoe, it is for the art. And that is exactly what Mr. Christian Louboutin does; He designs art. Trademarked for his infamous red soles, Christian takes inspiration from everything he sees-- furniture, buildings, vehicles, food, and everywhere he goes, whether it be Europe, a restaurant, the beach... anything and everything. He is a true designer who looks beyond what meets the eye and finds the beauty many of us do not see.

Louboutin's designs are truly unique and unparalleled. He aspires to not just make a shoe, but to create a piece of art with every pair. The designer once said his goal was to "make a woman look sexy, beautiful, to make her legs look as long as [he] can... and wanted to create something that broke rules and made women feel confident and empowered." Well ladies and gentlemen, that is exactly what he did. His innovative designs have changed the way women look at shoes. A girl can walk in a store with her flip flops, and walk out a woman with her five-inch Christian Louboutin's. With art on your feet and a red hot sole, how can you not feel confident and powerful?

Oh, and for those wondering, "What's the deal with the red soles?" Well...

"In 1992 [Louboutin] incorporated the red sole into the design of [his] shoes. This happened by accident as [he] felt that the shoes lacked energy so [he] applied Chanel red nail polish to the sole of a shoe. This was such a success that it became a permanent fixture."

Sharing my shiny scales with you

I think it goes without saying that almost every child has read or at least seen the eye catching cover of "The Rainbow Fish" by Marcus Pfister. I first remember seeing the colorful, sparkling fish in elementary school, as I'm sure every elementary classroom in the United States has a copy of the classic children's book sitting on their bookshelf. Although inside was a great story with a strong message, for me it was never really about the story. It was about the pictures, the colors, and the beauty. 

From the moment one picks up "The Rainbow Fish", cover to cover, the pages are flooded with beautiful colors and underwater images. There is a great, tactile, quality to the artwork; foil scales are inset into the watercolor illustrations – adding sparkle and collage interest to each page. The blues, the violets, the greens... all mesh together so perfectly, one can't help but feel sheer happiness at the sight of it. It's like an instant smile painted on every page.

Although my first encounter with "The Rainbow Fish" was at a very young age, before I really knew anything about art, or color, something about it just spoke to me. Maybe it was the illustrations, maybe it was the colors, but most of all, I think it was the foil scales. The shine and sparkle had a way of making me feel good and joyful every time I flipped through the pages. The book just spoke to me and I'm convinced that it was during that period when my love affair with art, design, and color really began.