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In 1999, a leading designer with an international reputation was invited to a give a lecture near Detroit on behalf of AIGA, the professional association of design in America. He was also asked to design the poster for the event. How could he visualise for people the pain and suffering he put into every single design project, the kind of effort he believes to be part and parcel of the creative process? Simple: he got his assistant to carve the lecture details into his skin with a knife.
Such is the life of Stefan Sagmeister...
Continue reading BLEEDING FOR DESIGN.
Just the other day I came across a copy of Colors magazine. I’d never seen it before. Strange, because it was launched in 1991, and has been published quarterly in multiple languages ever since. Shame on me. Anyway, each issue is dedicated to a particular subject. It was Colors that was responsible for famously doctoring the face of the Queen to look like a black woman in its issue on race in 1993, and it was Colors that caused uproar when an issue on AIDS discussed the disease in the kind of blunt and forthright manner that no one else dared adopt; a picture of US president Ronald Reagan engineered to look like an emaciated AIDS sufferer reflected their approach.
The latest issue is about money. As usual, a new micro site has been constructed online to introduce readers to the subject. Go to www.colorsmagazine.com, (make sure you do) and you’ll be presented with some graphic copy on money and how it forms the subject of this month’s magazine. Of course, they don’t tackle the issue of money as you might expect them to. Instead, they had some bank notes analysed to see what substance they could find. Some you’d expect, and some you wouldn’t, but each discovery corresponds to a different section in the issue, and the result represents a crazy reinterpretation of finance today. It's clear from issues both present and past that whoever conceived the original concept for Colors was either a) dreaming, or b) an impossibly imaginative, creative and determined individual.
The beauty of Colors is that it’s a socially conscious publication dedicated to the world. Sounds a little inflated, no? Yep, but it succeeds by looking at things in an entirely different way to everyone else: by harnessing creativity. Issues that bore us to death on a day to day basis are here reinterpreted and presented in a way that captivates the mind. Hell, just the idea of dedicating each issue to a different topic had me sold. Colors takes a simple idea - dedicating each volume to one subject - and uses it to discuss and raise awareness of globally prevalent issues impacting on the world around us. And, as Reagan and the Queen have shown, they aren’t afraid to put their necks on the line.
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Last month, Colors was dedicated to the blind and visually impaired. Why? Because there are over 40 million blind people in the world. That’s a huge number. Again, it’s about finding a way to talk about things that we’d all rather not talk about. The magazine was packaged in a braille front cover and printed in black and white from beginning to end: Colors without colour, if you will. It also came with a CD containing all content recounted in audio in four different languages, inspirational stories of people who have made something of their lives despite visual impairment. People like Tcha Limberger, the blind violinist who’s short piece moved me to the point that I promise (to try) to never moan about a lack of resource ever again, because we have everything we need. An extract from Tcha’s piece makes the point, I think. Look out for future issues...
“I was born blind and, like my brother, premature. My parents used to give him lots of attention so I became independent. My mother insisted that I study in a normal school. I took up violin when I was 17. It’s a ruthless instrument. It either sounds right or totally wrong. I am constantly researching. I experiment. I try different instruments and styles of music. What matters is to share, to meet other people. I’d like my music to be therapeutic. If I’m not able to find solutions for other people’s problems, my role is to recharge them so they feel inspired to continue in whatever they must do.
“My body is an instrument that allows my soul to express itself. I try to play authentic music with a personal touch. Jazz is music to be worked on. One always has to try to improve his knowledge and skill. I am in a perpetual self-construction process, I don’t want to stop and tell myself I have achieved something. I don’t have a specific goal. I only want to let my music grow. Some people say, “Tcha doesn’t play music, he is music.
“Being blind makes it easier for me to concentrate. I don’t know what kind of musician I am. I play the music I like and that’s it. If I were told that I could recover my eyesight, I would refuse. Learning to see would be too complicated. I don’t feel like I’m missing something.”
Some things need no explanation. Things like this. But what are they for? All will be revealed.
There's another one below right in the thumbnails. Such lovely family pics these...
There's another one below right in the thumbnails. Such lovely family pics these...
Just as a little side, we headed down the road recently for a little kickabout and for some reason one of us decided to film the whole thing. It’s just a few keepy-uppies and training drills really, nothing much at all. Standard fare in fact.
You’ve got to love adidas’ new ‘Basketball is a Brotherhood’ campaign. If you haven’t seen or read about it yet (and why would you - it’s happening in the States) then it’s a cool idea that will hopefully start to dispel some of the ego-centric traits which are affecting more and more sports these days. Think of our footballers here in the UK - sorry, here in England I should say. Do they know the real meaning of teamwork? It certainly doesn’t look like it from where we’re sitting. Determination and togetherness, as we’ve said before on here, are not qualities you’d normally associate with any recent England teams. Who knows what will happen under Capello.
Anyway, here’s to adidas reminding us all what it really means to play, to be in a team, to work together for something on and off the court, pitch or wherever it is you choose to do your thing.
Anyway, here’s to adidas reminding us all what it really means to play, to be in a team, to work together for something on and off the court, pitch or wherever it is you choose to do your thing.
Magenta. We love it. It’s had something of a renaissance these last few years. It’s like those batwing tops women are wearing again which enable them, in tight situations, to jump off buildings and float to safety like the Dark Knight himself.
Yes, Magenta is back, and has been for some time now. But there’s a chance it will be taken away from us by that malevolent b*****d T-Mobile. They claim ownership of the colour in Europe. No one else can use it, they say. Ban us from using one of our most beloved creative tools? O2 monopolise the iPhone, and now this?
We will not be moved. Rebel here.
Yes, Magenta is back, and has been for some time now. But there’s a chance it will be taken away from us by that malevolent b*****d T-Mobile. They claim ownership of the colour in Europe. No one else can use it, they say. Ban us from using one of our most beloved creative tools? O2 monopolise the iPhone, and now this?
We will not be moved. Rebel here.
This is the Reebok Miami Vice limited edition. Why? Good question. Well because this was one of the early examples of the worlds of Miami Vice and trainers colliding and any excuse to feature a pretty disgusting bit of footwear is not to be missed. Michael (Miami Vice, Collateral, Heat) Mann has directed a new commercial for Nike, thus generating another collision between 'the Vice' and the shoe. It's work so good, it almost makes me want to roll the sleeves up on my jacket in homage to the mighty Crocket and Tubbs. More than this, Mr Mann has managed to get us excited by American Football, making it look more than just a turgid stop/start,stats laden romp between men in tight trousers and pads. Anyway, check out this awesome piece of work from a master of cinema and never buy shoes with palm trees on them. Ever.
Orange have a new website to support their unlimited text promotion.
http://unlimited.orange.co.uk
They say you can get to the bottom. Apparently there’s someone out there, somewhere, who did it. Once.
It’s digital at its most imaginative. It plays on your mind. It’s sick. It made me spend half an hour scrolling and scrolling and scrolling... and scrolling. I gave up. Where was my determination when I needed it most? Whoever created that site had plenty - the range of little Flash games and widgets is just mind boggling, and every one of them is a little world of imagination and creativity in itself.
As a whole, the site is pure digital mastery.
