Galaxy is to stationery what Waitrose is to me for food; Six endless aisles of anything and everything you can imagine, stationery-wise.
Today I bought two boxes of ‘Flying Gliders’, a stapler, staples, 300 felt tip pens and a date stamp and not forgetting this amazing paint set for Enzo for £1.20(!). I would say retro but it’s been on their shelf all this time, like a timeless (staionery) vortex:
All this for £25. Amazing.
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This is a sneak preview, but I am quite excited about this new project… This is the logo I just designed tonight… more soon.
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My first ever solo show has come and gone. Thanks to all of you who made it down over the past few days. The exhibition is now down, but I will be taking it on tour, soon. For now, you can buy editions here: www.thisisdemocrazy.com. Or (if you are interested) you can download the press release here: Democracy 2.0
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There is something that felt wrong about this sign. It read, and still reads (to me) like it is informing me of how people feel when the green man is displayed. I know it’s not wrong, but it amused me.
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Crackunit/PencilTalk/AceJet/TodayandTomorrow/Life/Picasso
Having just written another rather self-centred entry I was also looking at various other favourites of mine. Including Mr Tait’s Crackunit, not least because last night I read (on Twitter) that he had over 45,000 hits in one day. One Day! Amazing. Anyway, he alerted me, as he usually does, to other great stuff out there and one of those sites was PencilTalk; a site about pencils written by a man who loves them. Then there is AceJet, a site I know, but hadn’t looked at in a while and something caught my eye. I linked to TodayandTomorrow (another great site), and there it was.
These are what my former business studies teacher (The Twat) would have described as ‘a bloke just doing squiggly lines, anyone can do that’. Well yes it is a man using a torch whilst being photographed via a camera with the shutter open on high grade film. But this isn’t just any man is it, this is Picasso:
In 1949, LIFE photographer Gjon Mili visited Picasso in Vallauris, France. He showed Pablo some photographs of ice skaters with tiny lights affixed to their skates jumping in the dark. Picasso was immediately inspired, these photos were the result. You can see more of these in this LIFE gallery.
Not his best work, but arguably striking and stunningly captured. Sometimes I see things and it stops me in my tracks. It slaps me around the chops and feels almost as if my creativity has been sucked out and blown back in to my body in an instance. It puts things in perspective, and made me and my exhibition feel ever-so-slightly smaller.
Overall another reason why sometimes I ♥ the internet. My thanks to all the aforementioned sites
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I am conscious that I’ve left my blog dormant over the past week or so. I’ve been preparing for my first ever solo exhibition, not to mention my V&A Summer fete stall and a couple of new projects.
A collection of sixteen new sociopolitical, satirical and ‘reminder’ screenprints. Inspired by the Guardians G2 supplement cover from November 8th 2004 (the day after Bush was re-elected) I’ve been designing my own commentary on events, people, political happenings and social developments. These represent but a few of my ramblings.
The design is meant to be simple, challenging; tweaking words, or the subtle use of symbols to present my interpretation of the true meaning.
I am exhibiting this weekend from Thursday 9th July – Sunday 12th July. For more information click here:
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It’s hard not to feel alittle affected by Michael Jackson. I remember vividly watching the Billy Jean performance at the Motown 25th Anniversary; the day I started to try and moonwalk. Anyway in light of my forthcoming exhibition I was wondering whether these should be added, what say you?
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I have already written quite a few words about my ♥for iPhone. Truly, madly, deeply; and all that. But recently I’ve been thinking about their ‘Apps’ and how it feels that either companies/big brands are missing a trick, or they are just missing little old me. One is bad, the other I’m sure they can live with.
I’ll give you an example of how dependable I’m becoming (or would become, given the opportunity). The other week I was interested in what our local Odeon had on and rather than open the Safari App (I’m not quite a fan of actual surfing on my iPhone) I checked the App Store. Surely Odeon have released an App for me to use? A listing service for all their cinemas? Possible even a booking service linked to the map system to help guide my lardy, popcorn eating ass to the seat?
Nope. Nada. Zilch. Zip. There appear to be cinema listing Apps, but all look and sound as shit as their *quirky* iPhone App created name. Missed a trick?
I was talking to a friend about some of the services that Waitrose offer their customers in-store and how their recipes could be turned in to an iPhone App. The application would suggest daily, weekly or perhaps (aswell as) seasonal options and recipes? You could cater the App to service your culinary interests, suggest new items to add to your shopping list for your next trip?
Then I realised that all this would be to service my life. My needs. Just little old me. Oh, sure, others would surely download the App’s but maybe not in their millions? But then again, no. Wait. The cost of creating an App for the iPhone isn’t that expensive, depending on the complexity. They aren’t cheap either, but for the investment, what could they hope to gain? Well, doing a little research (Google, obvs) I found out a few interest facts:
1 Million iPhone’s sold in the UK (Mar 2009)*
800 Million App downloads
56% accessed news or information after downloading an application
75% of iPhone users are male between the ages of 18-45
I also found out that HSBC are the first bank (in the UK) to offer business banking on the iPhone and iPod touch handsets. According to HSBC, 70 percent of their business banking customers choose to use internet banking and combined with their BlackBerry access they are the first bank to offer cross-platform access. Why? Because it suits their customers needs, if they so desired. Hear that Natwest? (N.B. I just did a search for HSBC Banking on my iPhone App store and nothing, pah!)
So out of 60million+ people in the UK let’s say that 40million have mobile phones, all of a sudden 1million iPhone users (this figure was announced in March 2009, so I am sure this figure is much higher) doesn’t sound that high, or worthy of mass investment, but one thing is for sure; out of 25,000+ App’s, 800 million downloads is not to be sneered at.
It’s like the BBC. I had a sports App that was promoted as the BBC. Lovely little yellow icon. That;s now been changed, and the BBC name is no longer there. I looked the other day and realised you can get radio stations on your iPhone (I know I am slow), I can get LBC but no BBC channels. This is obviously something to do with licensing, but I can listen to them ALL online, so what is the difference if I listen to them via my iPhone? I’d like that if you could BBC. Shall I write to Jim’ll Fix It?
From my own experience the iPhone was much like any other new toy, the euphoria surrounding it meant I too downloaded lots of App’s that infact I’ve never used and have since discarded. I’m now more selective, and I can see the real potential for these to work for so many companies for so many reasons. If good branding is about engaging people then, my friend, iPhone App your ass in to my life.Why? Because, like many other people I know, I rarely take a magazine to the toilet with me these days – sick, but true.
* thanks to Reuters for their facts
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I ♥ Winkreative. They have a new web site. A huge array of projects spanning the globe, all with their exquisite delivery and elegance. Yes, for those few that have commented before about my highlighting agencies I admire as simple hints of wanting to work there, I would if Wink asked me.
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Dear Crap,
June 29, 2009 · 2 Comments
Last night someone called ‘Crap’ (crap@crapdesign.co.uk – subtle I know) decided to comment on my recent entry. I got the email this morning to accept or decline it:
I accepted it, I even created a new catergory, so thank-you Crap. As I have said before, when you decide to produce a blog of any description you have to accept that there will be good and bad comments. I decided I would publish all, good, bad and indifferent. Including this recent scathing comment from Crap. But so moved was I by his/her comment that I felt it necessary to dedicate a whole entry to Crap, so here is my response:
Dear ‘Crap’,
I suspect that ‘Crap’ is not your real name, but since you decided to remain anonymous I shall use it to address you. Ironically your name sums up your recent comment, opinion and overall approach quite well. Maybe ‘Crass’ might serve you better in the future – just an idea.
What I find interesting really interesting is that those (like you) who decide to leave scathing comments never, ever have the courage to sign it with your own name or web site; so that I/we might (at least) be allowed to take a bearing on whether your opinion is a worthy or constructive one. Furthermore I was always taught that if you’ve nothing good to say then say nothing at all.
However I shall respond to answer your comment/questions:
‘this is not design, this is just re-printing someone’s lyrics. pathetic‘
The subject was really a dead give-away; ‘MJ Tribute‘ as in ‘my’ tribute; I’ve underlined the word this time, just in case you missed it. Or by dictionary definition; a gift, testimonial, compliment, or the like, given as due or in acknowledgment of gratitude or esteem.
I never suggested that these pieces were examples of ‘design’, but then that clearly raises the question of what you define as ‘design’. Yes these would be prints that quote lyrics, but re-prints? Where have you seen prints that are the same as this: 210 x 270mm screenprinted on 350gsm Cyclus using ‘Anthracite Black’ Lascaux paint? Are they not typeset? Are they not presented in the same style as my other pieces? Whether you like them or not is your personal opinion and no-one can take that away from you, I accept that.
‘what are you trying to say with this?‘
These are not in the final show, but they were considerations. The lyrics represent some of my favourite songs from Michael Jackson (except Man in the Mirror, which I accept is alittle ‘obvious’), and arguably my most vivid recollections of his performance, e.g Billy Jean performance from the 25th Motown Anniversary.
They, like the rest of my collection, are very basic white text reversed out of black in boxes inspired by the cover of former Guardian G2 Supplement on 4th November 2004. The MJ Tributes (attempt to be) poignant reminders of the artist, his talent and to serve as my own tribute to him. The mere fact that you knew whose lyrics they are means that the ‘design’ already served part of its purpose.
‘where and what is the message?‘
Do you really need a message with everything? Must everything you see and read need to communicate a precise message? Perhaps the message serves only to spark a sense of nostalgia, to remember and reminisce over the lyrics or the memory of the man who wrote them? Perhaps it might remind you of the exact memory you have from the lyrics. These pieces are someone elses lyrics, but as with all tributes it is about how you choose to acknowledge that memory and gratitude.
This whole collection is a non-commercial experiment of mine to explore screenprinting again; to explore how I can put forward my own interpretations of social and political happenings by combining my love of design and communication with a simplified printing form of presentation.
I hope I have answered your questions and that the reasons for this work are now clearer? Love or loath it; that is your prerogative, but by all means show me your work or better still, come to the private view and we can talk about it further, here is the invite:
→ 2 CommentsCategories: Commentators · Design