Lastnightstony

Change is Overdue

8 years after the theft of a nation happened in Florida we are on the verge of a new reality. I remember rolling up Polk street and when I got to the intersection of Bush I noticed the street signs had been changed to say “Puppet”. It was done with the same font that the street signs use and looked as if it had been officially changed. Now after 8 years of a bullshit war on terror and the dignity of a nation thoroughly dragged through the mud, it is time for change. 

Sheppard Fairey has exploited propaganda and the graphic style of it for years. His first candidate that he supported was Andre The Giant. The phenomenon that was “Andre the Giant has a Posse” has literally became a cultural movement.  Starting small and making it big is the whole story of Obey in a nutshell. With a crappy little sticker to an evolving graphic style to the incredible zenith of entire gallery shows selling out before the openings, Shepard’s work has come a really long way in a relatively short period of time, and spurred by a fictitious client. With the Hilary and Barrack hitting the campaign trail hard for our votes, picking teams is now serious business. Sheppard Fairey has made a series of posters that have caught on fast with people. Street level communication can create change and inspire people to take action. If you are in the Portland area in the next few days, so will Mr. Obama. And if you so happen to be at work on Friday, there might be the next President of the United States available to give you a bit of his time. Just maybe.

Hot Potato

Percy Spencer invented the microwave. Mary Quant invented hot pants. Mandy Smith and Sarah Ginn have invented TEMPlate? Allow me to explain.Mandy and Sarah are a couple of young hot creatives at WK London. When not dropping big ideas for global clients like Nokia, they are part-time inventors with full-time brains. They have come up with a plate that stays heated around the center and not around the edge. I think they can explain it better than I can.

“TEMPlate™ is a temperature controlled ceramic dinner plate that following removal from the oven or microwave remains cool to the touch around the rim and underside, whilst heating quickly in the centre to keep food hotter for longer. We now have UK and PCT patents on TEMPlate and have been approached by companies such as Tefal, Villeroy and Boch and Lakeland who are interested in producing it.”They are spending their weekend at the Ideal Home Show in London presenting their plate along side the several other concept and design submissions.

“Yet again this prestigious competition has attracted Britain’smost promising young design students. Here are the 31 finalists (selected from thousands) that will all be on display at the show. We are asking visitors to both the website and the show to vote for the one that they think is the most innovative and crown the winner of Concept Products 2008! Help nurture great British talent this year. The winner will win £2000 presented by TV Scientist and invention enthusiast Adam Hart-Davis, publicity for their product and maybe even a place in future homes of Britain too.”

It appears that this competition is based on votes off of the website. Sounds like an contest that could be rigged by some one sitting at home and voting a million times. Or, you could get your friends to vote and when you win, throw a kick ass party where you fly your friends over to London with the prize money! Count me in. 

Not Bad For A Girl

My friend Karen in London has her own brand called Not Bad For A Girl. She makes her own prints on hoodies and T’s. Great stuff and reminds me of Benny Gold in SF. Karen is also a designer at WK and here is some of her recent work for Nike Women. Cheers K! You think I could rock a girls hoodie and not look like a ponce? I guess we will find out.

No place in Portland like Kleveland

Went across town last night to the Tonic Lounge on Sandy blvd. Pretty ordinary Friday night in quiet Portland. This weekend, going out to see good music anywhere in the country is going to be a bit hard. With SXSW absorbing every new band in the country, seeing something special was going to be a tall order. That was until Kleveland went on. With driving beats and and spitfire guitars, this band is one to catch if you into making your ears ring. Stephanie Smith, singer/songwriter, has great energy and a lyrical tongue as sharp as Lynee Breedlove’s switchblade. The video I took, the sound is all blown out and would not serve any purpose. Here is one off of their site.[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQr2-jQrq-k[/youtube]Support local music. 

Rapha Roller Races Portland

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CccMwodeV8[/youtube]Here is the video of the Rapha Roller races that featured cyclists from around the world and was an event that was held in tandem with the North American Hand Built bike show. Alas, I was not in attendence for this event. I was unfortunately in Paris, France. Ohhhh Bollocks. You might remember when I saw the Rapha boys over in London. Cheers for the vid Erik. 

What’s inspired you lately?

I find that right when I get frustrated with things or the hick town I live in, that is the moment that inspiration pays a visit. Today it was simple really. My friend Ben in London sent out a link to view stills from a video Bjork is working on.  Upon further investigation, I came across a few good links from the folks who are making this 3D video. First is Jeffery Deitch Gallery. A great gallery space that has some really great artist events. Check out the Artist page to see info about recent Sagmeister events or learn about the electric fountain in front of Rockefeller Center. The other is Encyclopedia Pictura. A Funky group out of SF with abstract videos that a full of color and fun ideas. All of this is coming off of Computer Love.
A little clearing house of stuff that is enough to fill your belly ’til lunch.
Thanks Ben.

Holy Shit Balls

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36w-CyqCO1A[/youtube]

Lunchtime Roll

Whew. What a slog of a week. I have been sick since coming back from London and today is the first day that I have felt good enough to get out and run some errands. This is also my first opportunity to see portland with my new eyes. Left my desk at work for a bit of a roll around downtown at lunchtime.Trusty 29er single speed. I love this bike. I got huge tires on it which give it a ride similar to a Cadillac.  I’ll spec it at a later date.Escalator hell at Pioneer Place.A tick of cement between merging traffic is a good a place as any to practice your trumpet chops.Portland will forever been known for it’s architectural sameness. As if just one contractor built the whole city.Across the tracks and over to Montage. The place to go for late night Creole grub. The River city bikes to get a new bottom Bracket installed. This is probably the finest bike shop in Portland. Not to say that all of the others pale in comparison. Portland is full of shops that all have their own niche. River city is a good place to catch the eye candy.Back over the Steel bridge in a matter of minutes. Looking forward to the weekend and getting to go out and explore the hills and other parts of the Rose City.

CMY(W)K’d

After much deliberation in my head about what single piece of printed communication most profoundly changed me, I have arrived at my submission. Ralph Steadman’s original sketch for the book by Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.  This image is not the most technically refined. It does not have any color. Nor does it have any major impact of social relevance. This depiction of Hunter S. Thompson and his attorney Dr. Gonzo speeding through the desert on a hell-bent narcotic infused mission does not evoke glory or honor in the way that men have died on battle fields does. Nothing that will evoke crowds at the Louvre or cause a whole social outcry like Marcel did with his damn toilet. 

Nope.

None of that here.
This is an image that is of just two guys, Ralph Steadman; Illustrator and Hunter S. Thopmson; Journalist, getting together to do something that is seemingly simple.

Tell a story. 

CMY(W)K pt.4

How many times in the last two years have I tried to make posters look like a Hatch Show Print poster? Hundreds. The Hatch family have been letterpress event bill makers in Nashville for generations. All kinds of music posters in the home of country music. I can’t stand country music, but there have been some great posters.This Johnny cash poster is great. Yeah I could fake it in Photoshop which is one thing. It is the value of letterpress limitations that opens the door for good compositions.