shoes as art
Designer Marloes ten Bhömer has realized shoes in a whole new way. Part art, part experiment, soon her shoes will be open to the public, for sale. Your wife is going to love those blocky clunky clunks, for her anniversary.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 6:54 AM
0 comments
stuff in the cracks of the walls
Check out the work of Jan Vormann. Really interesting work that explores human interaction and our environments. Cool. From Hip.Young.Thing.
Labels: architecture, art
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:41 AM
0 comments
art museums: not all are stuffy.
Check out this cool series of print ads for The Power Plant, a contemporary art museum.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:08 AM
0 comments
i see dead people.
Walters Schels and Beate Lakotta have produced a most unique exhibition. They've interviewed and photographed people whose lives were coming to an end. And then, photographed them after death, too. Like Heiner Schmitz, an advertising executive, pictured above.
At first, this is uber creepy, but then you realize that it's a window into the thing so many of us fear most. All of the subjects agreed to participate in the project, and wanted to share the story of their death.
An excerpt from the introduction on the website:
The majority of the subjects portrayed spent their last days in hospices. All those who come to such places realise that their lives are drawing to a close. They know there is not much time left to settle their personal affairs. Yet hardly anyone here is devoid of hope: they hope for a few more days; they hope that a dignified death awaits them or that death will not be the end of everything.
(Sorry to be such a downer.)
Labels: art, http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif, photography
posted by darryl ohrt @ 5:43 AM
1 comments
pixels are the new black
Pixels rock. And everyone says so. So, you should go out and get all pixeled up, right now.
If you're not man enough for a pixel tattoo, then check out the sweet pixel jewelry. Who cares if your mom doesn't understand it? That' the coolest mom's day gift ever. Or just enjoy the pixel perfect collection of pixel goodness that BuzzFeed has assembled for you. Mmmm. Pixels.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, pop culture, trends
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:31 AM
0 comments
please, don't let this be true
The Animal reports that Shepard Fairey may be losing his eyesight, due to Diabetes. They claim that he could be legally blind by the end of the year.
Shepard's work is polarizing. He's been heralded as this generation's Andy Warhol, and he's been labeled a fraud, by people who believe he's borrowed elements of art from existing media.
He's garnered a new level of publicity this year, as he designed some of the most beautiful political posters that you ever laid eyes on.
And now, his own eyes may be failing. This would be sad news. Although if true, I know that Shepard's got a plan. He'll see things in different ways, crank the Obey machine into high high gear, and turn it into something that none of us can see today.
All the best, Shepard.
(photograph by Elizabeth Daniels)
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:30 AM
2 comments
what if everything were made of pixels
Or what if it already is, and we just don't have the resolution to see it?
Really cool pixel graffiti, found in NYC. Ironically, tagged later by another graffiti artist.
Labels: art, newyork, streetart
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:46 AM
2 comments
embrace your inner dorkness
Dorks just became really cool. Geeks have had their day, and remain awesome, but dorks are the new hot. And it all happened thanks to the release of Dork Magazine, an online publication dedicated to art, habitat, and people.
The current issue is really good. If you enjoy BrandFlakes, you're going to love Dork. Issue #5 includes articles about Nike, Uniqlo, SmartCar, the Murakami show in Brooklyn, and sooo much more dorkaliciousness.
Labels: art, fashion, pop culture, publishing, trends
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:29 AM
0 comments
what to do with that useless watch
The Naughty Secretary Club has a fun DIY project for those old, broken watches. Paint them in florescent colors, and make them the hottest fashion accessories. Such a cool idea. You should even do it to that brand new watch. Everyone knows that watches are so old-school, and nobody needs them for time anymore.
This might also be great for sneakers. I've seen a famous Plaid employee paint some sneakers silver once, and they rocked.
Found on BoingBoing. (They don't need the link, and I'm too lazy to go find it right now. You know where to find them.)
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, fashion
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:40 AM
1 comments
the cool kids have needle and thread
If I knew how to use a needle and thread for something other than poking myself or my friends, I would be a famous embroidery graffiti artist.
I'd leave my tag sewn everywhere. Even on clothing for sale at retail, so people could purchase it unknowingly, and wear my tag around. But I only know how to use a needle for poking. What about you?
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:07 AM
0 comments
cities realized in type
File under "wish you thought of this." Ork Design has created typographic city posters of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. Even better - you can afford them on a creative person's salary. Awesomely delicious. Has me singing "We built this city...on typo o graphy...."
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:45 AM
0 comments
what you can do with wire and tape
Just a little bit of duct tape can create a whole bunch of wonderful. Awesome street art project that utilizes an ordinary chain link fence and some tape. I sooo want to run out and do this today. But I'll probably just sit in front of the computer, instead.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:39 AM
0 comments
street art animals feed on subway air
Someone's creating plastic bag zombie animals, that come to life with the fresh air of a subway grate. They lie dead on the sidewalk, until the train passes through and pushes the air up, bringing the bagged beast to life. So awesome. Can only imagine what that looks like at 3:00 in the morning, on an empty street.
Labels: art, newyork, streetart
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:33 AM
0 comments
aaaaahh! i just went blind.
Ummm...and I don't think I can speak for the rest of the day. I'm too embarrassed after visiting the Tampon Crafts site. An entire site devoted to crafts that you can make with...tampons. Someone needs to turn this internet thing off.
(Just so you don't think I'm Googling "tampon crafts", I found this on Sk-rt. Equally embarrassing, I guess.)
Labels: art
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:48 AM
2 comments
the store for tomorrow
Wolff Olins has created a cool project in London and New York titled BrandNext. The show takes place at The Store for Tomorrow which explores the idea of brands as platforms for action, and inspiring people do more and do better.
An exhibit where the people attending are a part of the show. The New York 'store' opens later this week. From Brand New.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, inspiration, retail
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:55 AM
0 comments
viral paintings
If we were one of those massively humongous agencies, with cash flowing out in wheelbarrows, I'd build an art gallery wing off our office, purchase every piece of Jeremiah Palecek's work, and place them on permanent display.
Absolutely amazing. Artwork inspired by internet memes. These need to exist all together, in one place. From Boing Boing.
Labels: art, social media, viral
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:22 AM
0 comments
how to find your way around middle earth
Since it's not available yet on Google maps, how are you supposed to find your way around Middle Earth, while on vacation?
I'm pretty sure that GPS units don't work there, either. Thankfully,
Chris Taylor has created a scalable, vector-drawn map that you can print - as large as you can imagine. For your navigating and adventurous fun.
If you're going, you might want to wait. This week is spring break, and it can get kind of crazy there.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:40 AM
0 comments
a bunch of wood and stuff painted white
Amazing art film of some beatious art. Watch as Gerry Judah transforms nothing into something. Thanks Devon!
Labels: art
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:32 AM
0 comments
visual pollution or killer street team tool?
Oh, the fun we could have with projectors in our pockets. So many possibilities.
Labels: art, outdoor, streetteams, technology
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:48 AM
0 comments
twitter at the moma
Twittervision, the totally addicting Twitter mashup has been included in the "Design and the Elastic Mind." exhibit at the New York Museum of Modern Art. Finally, a reason to leave your computer, and go outside.
I want to go to the exhibit, and then tweet my friends while watching it. The show runs now through May 12.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, social media, twitter
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:08 AM
0 comments
identify yourself with a barcode
Maniacal Rage points to a really useful tool. A personal barcode maker. How many times have you been at the checkout register, questioning your self worth? Now you can create your own personal barcode, and carry it around with you all the time. You'll always know your current retail price.
Mine is pictured above. (I think I'm about to be marked down.) Please don't steal my barcode and clone me into an army of internet barcode bots. That's not how I want it to go down.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:48 AM
0 comments
incredible (and sad) info graphics
Who thought statistics could be so engaging?
Chris Jordan has produced a stunning series titled Running the Numbers, An American Self-Portrait that portrays the quantity of something. Like the piece above, which depicts two million plastic beverage bottles. That's the number of bottles used in the US every five minutes.
This is amazingly scary - definitely click through and see the zoomed versions of these works.
Labels: art, photography, trends
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:03 AM
0 comments
what can you do with a ballpoint pen?
Artist Juan Francisco Casas creates stunning, larger than life pieces of art using a ball point pen. The image above is not a photograph - but a drawing, using a standard blue ball point.
Hello Bic - this is an incredible opportunity - an easy sponsorship deal, just waiting to happen. What better way to position a product and show what's possible with a device that is otherwise taken for granted?
Are there people using your products in unique ways? Show the world!
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, illustration
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:39 AM
2 comments
what to do with your old records.
In the olden days, before the system of wires and tubes that we call the internet existed, people saved their music to large vinyl discs. Cooler people even called it 'wax." And instead of iPods, they carried these disks around in milk crates. The problem is, many old people have basements and closets full of these black discs, and have nothing to do with them. What to do? Put the old people to sleep? Or find a safe place to put the black plastic discs?
Artist Carlos Aires has found a solution. Laser cut (I assume) art made from old records. I sooo want many of these. Found on NOTCOT.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:46 AM
0 comments
meet chumby.
A few weeks ago, we purchased a Chumby, for our office. We were intrigued by the buzz this little device has been getting.
What's a Chumby?
It's a streaming internet player in a plushy shell. You program your Chumby channel, picking from a variety of RSS streams and widgets. Stream your Flickr photos, Facebook newsfeed, YouTube videos, local weather and so much more.
Chumby also has a touch screen, and motion sensors.
So, why do you need a Chumby? You don't...but you might enjoy it, if you do. We've got a couple of fun ideas, that might be good for your brand:
+ As a door opener for sales calls and promotions. Sure, it's expensive, but if your sales leads are few, and your average sale is big, the investment would be worthwhile. Imagine having a cool device sitting on your potential client's desk that's streaming videos of your product or event, photos of your product, or a live webcam from your event.
+ As a retail display device. Get a few Chumbys, and put together an interactive display that enhances your brand. Utilize the touch screen to create a fun Chumby application that customers can interact with.
+ As an employee motivator or informant. Place Chumbys around your office, and program the Chumby channel to feature company photos, your company's YouTube channel, or webcams from field offices.
Rob and I do our best to show you the Chumby and talk through these ideas, in the video above. (Oh yeah, don't worry - I got a haircut this weekend.)
How could you use a Chumby?
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, technology, webdev
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:25 AM
1 comments
slowing down grand central station
Improv Everywhere has pulled off another wonderful performance. A while ago, they did the people freeze thing at a Home Depot. But it's sooo much better at Grand Central Station.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, newyork
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:35 AM
1 comments
brooklyn gets covered in green
Street artist Edina Tokodi is installing art throughout the Williamsburg, Brooklyn neighborhood. Only instead of paint or pasted paper, she's using moss. Cool.
Labels: art, green, newyork, streetart
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:38 AM
0 comments
shepard fairey endorses obama
Wow. I won't take political sides on BrandFlakes - but take a look at the brand power here. Legendary artist Shepard Fairey has created a series of prints of Obama. And completely endorsed him. This is interesting.
+ It's rare for a brand like Obey to take specific political sides. Certainly commonplace to take a stand against the status quo, against the war, etc. But for a brand or artist of Shepard's notoriety to endorse a particular candidate, this early in the game is unique. Creating a line of 'products' centered around the candidate is unheard of, I believe.
+ Posters of Obama. Can you remember a candidate that has carried the brand/star power worthy of posters that people would want to hang in their homes? Not since Kennedy, in my opinion.
Say what you want about candidates - but Obama has unbelievable brand power. Brand Managers, watch and learn. Found on Notcot.
Labels: art, politics, streetart, youthmarketing
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:45 AM
3 comments
after the dinosaurs died, there was ansi art
Geek goddess Irina Slutsky stops by the coolest geek art show - an entire gallery show devoted ANSI art. This is a wonderful tribute to the artists of the earliest days of the world wide interweb - who typically used this art as headers to their bulletin boards. It's especially inspiring when you learn how time-intensive the production process was.
That's what the internet was like, before there was internet, and when we all lived in caves. Without wifi.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, technology
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:33 AM
0 comments
furniture made from melted rope
In all of my teen years of lighting plastic rope on fire and watching the flaming plastic drip off like fireballs, I never imagined that you could build furniture using the same technique. The chair pictured above was crafted from one giant ball of rope.
You can watch a video on how it was made here. The feature site is down now, thanks to the massive traffic of the original BoingBoing post. I need some matches.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:50 AM
0 comments
waterfalls on the east river!
This spring will bring possibly the coolest art exhibit ever to the East River, in New York City.
Artist Olafur Eliasson plans on creating A 60 - 70 foot waterfall. While his 20 foot waterfall in Scotland is really cute, I'm sure that's nothing compared to a 65 foot tower of sculpture, spewing water, sewage, junk and bodies through the air. How romantic.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, newyork
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:03 AM
0 comments
sign language, told with matchbooks
Here's the entire sign language alphabet, done in matchbooks. Just in case you have the need to strike up a conversation. Hardee harr harr. From Urban Outfitters Blog.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, typography
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:36 AM
0 comments
something that would look cool in your front yard
Photographer Jan Kempenaers has some amazing shots of some communist monuments that look as if they're right out of Second Life environments. Or somewhere other than earth. From Boing Boing
Labels: architecture, art, photography
posted by darryl ohrt @ 2:42 PM
2 comments
wow.
That's the sun! From NASA!
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, holiday, photography
posted by darryl ohrt @ 10:06 AM
0 comments
have a red christmas.
Look! A super sweet collection of Soviet Santa art!
posted by darryl ohrt @ 9:34 AM
0 comments
top rock posters of all time
Billboard Magazine has picked their top 25 rock posters.
I'm not sure what pool of posters they pulled these from, but it seems like there's quite a few missing. But that's just me, and I'm all pent up with rage. From designboom.
Labels: art, design, illustration, youthmarketing
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:04 AM
1 comments
a relaxing billboard
Immediately calming. You can't say that about many billboards. This is the work of Helmut Smits, for an exhibition titled Rock My Religion.
Don't you just want to park a lawn chair in front of it, and relax?
Labels: art, outdoor, streetart
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:00 AM
0 comments
historic graffiti wall uncovered in construction
Real estate developers uncovered a wall featuring historic work by graffiti artists Fab Five Freddy, Futura 2000 and Jean-Michel Basquiat while converting a building to luxury condominiums. Don't worry, I'm sure it was quickly covered in granite or elegant wood paneling.
Labels: art, newyork, streetart
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:46 AM
0 comments
what to do with all of those business cards from the trade show
Artist Sharon Mount creates wonderful buildings out of paper and card stock. Things like business cards.
If that wasn't enough, she creates a blog entry for each piece, detailing the background of the building or place it represents. Awesome. From swissmiss
Labels: art, creativeinspiration
posted by darryl ohrt @ 8:03 AM
0 comments
the wonder of branding
A cute slide show of oddly branded items. Awesomely illustrates the power and value of brands in our heads. Not that there's anything wrong with a Hermes mud flap. (My wife is totally going to dig that tape measure, for xmas.)
Found on Urban Outfitters. Blog.
Labels: art, branding, pop culture, productdesign
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:32 AM
0 comments
threadless turns merchandising into art
Threadless is having another one of their fab $10 t-shirt sales, and in the email announcement, I noticed something even cooler.
Every week, their in-house artist/musician/snowboarder Joe Suta creates an original painting that's a mashup of the week's winning t-shirts. The painting is used for display in their Chicago store window. At the end of the week, when the display comes down, they sell the artwork. Which has created a wonderous collection of one-of-a-kind pieces of art. Every week.
What an excellent example of doing something local and growing it into something more biggerer. The Chicago storefront is by its nature only viewable by a limited audience. People in Chicago. But by adding the paintings to their retail internet site, they've shared them with the world - all while helping to offset the cost of the process.
An awesome example of creativity, art and commerce working together. Other retailers should take note.
Labels: art, fashion, mashup, retail, streetart
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:24 AM
0 comments
flash as a fine art tool
Think Flash is just for animating flying cows? Artist Erik Natzke uses it to produce some beautious artwork. Not that flying cows aren't beautiful. In their own special way.
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:30 AM
0 comments
meet the next generation of social media stars
Here's a wonderous collection of laptops, as realized by a bunch of 7 - 9 year olds. It's great to view, and there's some nice insight into a new generation of kids that have had laptops and the internet since birth. Reflective not only of technology, but also pop culture.
I'm thinking of having a "barbie" button installed on my laptop. And I'm kind of wondering what that might do, when pressed...
Labels: art, youthmarketing
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:31 AM
0 comments
fonts by people, for people.
Check out this awesome collection of human crafted fonts and typography.
Found on Core 77.
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, design, photography, typography
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:38 AM
0 comments
weapons of mass communication
What's going on in London?? Here's another show that you can only go to if you live in the place that Johnny Rotten lived, before he got fat and appeared on the Tonight Show.
The show is titled Weapons of Mass Communication, and features a collection of war posters that explore how designers and advertisers have attempted to affect public opinion. From Coudal Partners
Labels: art, branding, creativeinspiration, politics, pop culture
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:55 AM
0 comments
shepard fairey show in london
Shepard Fairey awesomeness comes to London in a show titled Nineteeneightyfouria. How cool is it that Shepard spun records at his own opening?
To our friends in London: Please go to this show. If only to rub it in our faces, that we can't go. And then take pictures, and swim in the awesomeness. And then tell us how great it was. And that all of the cool people were there. And that you can't believe we're not living in London. And that everything in the U.S. is so lame. (Can you say 'lame' with an English accent? I don't think it would have the same impact.) Ha. You get the Shepard Fairey show - but we still own "lame."
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, streetart
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:38 AM
1 comments
spam. redesigned.
What if you redesigned all the spam you received as wonderful art? Would love to see some of my spam done like this...
Labels: art, creativeinspiration
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:46 AM
0 comments
artful japanese manhole covers
Cool collection of Japanese Manhole Covers
Labels: art, creativeinspiration, japan, outdoor
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:33 AM
0 comments
text the dead
First Johnny Depp, now this. Why does France get all of the cool stuff?
American artist Paul Notzold has been traveling the globe with his magic text projection installation thing. And the lucky people in France got to add their text messages to Night of the Living Dead. So wish this was projected outside of our building, and that I could just text to the dead all night long.
Labels: art, outdoor, social media
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:55 AM
0 comments
shop topless at ambercrombie
Oh, how I so love this. Improv Everywhere's latest stunt put hundreds of guys in Abercrombie & Fitch, and had them take off their shirts.
The Abercrombie greeter has no shirt, their 16 foot high point of purchase graphics have no shirts, so why not the customers? Hilarious.
Labels: art, fashion, newyork, parody, retail
posted by darryl ohrt @ 7:35 AM
0 comments
something to put on your screen instead of work
This is cool. The original ZoomQuilt, released back in 2005, wasn't animated like this (if memory serves correct. And it usually doesn't anymore.) Anyway, check out ZoomQuilt II, and be totally mesmerized. Thanks Druyff!