It was my 43rd birthday on Sunday, I know, I’m looking good for my age, and my darling other-half surprised me with a present of this brilliant cushion made by an anonymous prisoner currently residing at Her Majesties pleasure somewhere in Scotland. It’s entitled Moustaches – for obvious reasons – and features surface embroidered bushy moustaches. You can see the entire range of products from Fine Cell Work here.
Whilst trawling through the internet trying to find the website I came across this site which demonstrates prisoners’ incredible ingenuity when not guided. Unfortunately these are not available to buy on-line.
Nathan Usmar Lauder
Posted on Thursday, 10th of December 2009 Permalink Comment (2)
I was pleasantly surprised to see that from the 23rd of October to the 5th of December this year the Zach Feuer Gallery in New York had a retrospective exhibition of works by the Pop artist, teacher and nun Sister Mary Corita.
One of my all time favorite image makers who sadly passed away in 1986 spent 30 years practicing as a nun at the Immaculate Heart Convent in Los Angeles where she also had an art studio and used her time to create screen prints and serigraphs.
Her work features a beautiful mix of type and image usually in bright or fluorescent colours. Newspaper photos, chopped up slogans and quotes, advertising images, jingles and hand rendered type all came together to illustrate political and world issues she felt strongly about with a great sense of playfulness and freedom
It has been said that she is “responsible in part for advancing the silk screen process as fine art”. I can only hope one day to see them with my own eyes. Maybe next time…
Alex Geoffrey
Posted on Thursday, 10th of December 2009 Permalink Comment (0)
If it wasn’t for Clerkenwell based hair salon Fourth Floor most of London’s designers would look like badly styled hippies. If you’re in the industry you’re sure to know someone who’s been there at some point over the years. When you walk out of their old school lift into the impressive warehouse space, you can’t help but admire their eye for great design, especially their postcards and the packaging for their product range (these and their identity were created by London based agency North. Now long time manager of Fourth Floor, Conor O’Brien, has taken this admirable creative eye to Norwich and has set up his own salon Flint. A great name derived not only from it’s obvious blade sharpening ability but also from an historical flint wall opposite the premises. Biblioteque partner Mason Wells has created the identity. If you’re in Norwich pop by for a chop and also to admire the creative surroundings.
Dave Brown
Posted on Wednesday, 9th of December 2009 Permalink Comment (0)
Thank you to everyone who sent in their entries for the free tickets to Brussels competition. After much deliberation we have found a winner in this excellent reproduction of Magritte’s High Society 1966.
A special thank you to Sarah at We Are Social and Eurostar for offering our readers this great opportunity
Alex Geoffrey
Posted on Thursday, 22nd of October 2009 Permalink Comment (2)
Stephen Powers is a New York based artists who during his youth wrote graffiti under the name ESPO (Exterior Surface Painting Outreach). Powers work has always blurred the lines between graffiti and graphic design by producing murals influenced by advertising and sign writing, his public work often appearing to be legitimate billboards.
Today Stephen’s work is as intelligent and engaging as ever. For his latest project ‘A Love letter For You’ Stephen Powers has traveled back to his home town of West Philadelphia, this time with the funding and backing from the local authorities, to paint a series of murals on the rooftops where graffiti once stood visible from the elevated train lines. Sadly the original 1980s graffiti went unnoticed by the public and were all painted brown sometime during the mid nineties. Powers feels that the original more ‘traditional’ graffiti was alienating and that by creating work which is understandable and readable by all it will ultimately result in a greater acceptance from the general public.
The ‘A Love letter For You’ project is still in production. For the latest murals, info and pictures straight from the rooftops of West Philidelphia check out the blog here
Alex Geoffrey
Posted on Tuesday, 20th of October 2009 Permalink Comment (3)
Way back in 2006 Gary Butcher blogged about some lovely cycling posters he’s spotted in San Fran link. A few years later, Jon Lee, Creative Director at London design consultancy 20.20 spotted them on 30gms. He loved them so much he hunted down the illustrator Tavis Coburn and commissioned him to do 8 giant banners for their client Arsenal Football Club’s Emirates Stadium. The banners show Arsenal legends past and present huddled together, as they do on the pitch before each game, circling the stadium perimeter. A great concept, beautifully executed, I can’t imagine it’s easy getting players likenesses and character spot on from behind! probably not easy printing and hanging them either, but hats off to all involved because they really are very impressive in situ and thoroughly worth a visit, even if you’re not an Arsenal supporter, well, maybe not if you follow Tottenham, ironically, like Gary does!
Dave Brown
Posted on Monday, 12th of October 2009 Permalink Comment (1)
Arch minimalist John Pawson would probably never hold a yard sale but if he did, I imagine it would look a little like Absolute Sellout. Forget boxes of dusty VHS tapes, think one VHS tape surrounded by white space.
According to Josh, they “curate rare and often overlooked items from the past century—occasionally repackaging, restructuring, or rebranding these items”.
Unfortunately Terence Conran’s 1974 House Book is sold already but there are plenty of other gems if you’re quick.
David Rainbird
Posted on Friday, 2nd of October 2009 Permalink Comment (0)
Don’t forget to send us your entries for the free tickets to Brussels competition!
In order to show you how simple it can be we thought we would have a go at reproducing our own Magritte here in the Fibre studio (no this wasn’t an entry for the National Giant Fruit Championships). For anyone who already sent in, or was planning to send in a version of this painting you will now have to think about a different solution. Full competition info here.
Alex Geoffrey
Posted on Tuesday, 29th of September 2009 Permalink Comment (1)
Everyone by now must have seen Muto the epic eight minute stop frame animation from Italian artist Blu. Well, to my delight he’s just completed a new film as part of the Fame festival which kicked off in Grottaglie Italy on the 19th of September this year. It’s called Combo and this time it’s a collaboration with David Ellis who has been making similar animations as part of Barnstormers since 1999.
Alex Geoffrey
Posted on Tuesday, 29th of September 2009 Permalink Comment (0)
While leafing through The New Yorker or The Economist over the past few months I’ve stopped to admire advertisements for IBM’s Conversations for a Smarter Planet. It’s a series of ads that tries to position Big Blue at the forefront of technological thinking, albeit through some quite retro design.
With the Swiss typography, white space and Rand-inspired iconographic illustration, these ads have more to do with IBM ads from fifty years ago, perhaps evoking a time when IBM were thought more progressive than they are now. They might be talking about the future but their design evokes the 1960s.
David Rainbird
Posted on Sunday, 27th of September 2009 Permalink Comment (0)
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