Tuesday, 18 October 2011

Steve Jobs Tribute Artwork

I have just read a really great article in designmag regarding the life of Steve Jobs and tagged onto the end is tribute artwork from various artists which I couldn't help but show on here.

A wonderfully supportive and peaceful tribute to the man who has revolutionized the digital industry. What he has left behind is both legendary and forever immortal in time.

I hope you like the ones I have selected as much as I do - well done to all...







The artists I have listed are as follows (top to bottom: Alfredo Caceres, Ben Vista, Seto Buje, Greg B, anonymous)

Convocation Day at Zayed University

I have been a little quiet of late on here in terms of posting up things that I like or are happening in my life so I felt the need to throw in a few images of my new place of work (Zayed University - Abu Dhabi).

The ones below were taken before students actually started at the brand new facility.

It is an amazing campus with state-of-the-art facilities. I wish my University was like this when I was studying those many years ago!

The library images here are for Danny (I know your love and appreciation of a good library!)





Enough said!

Thursday, 6 October 2011

R.I.P. Steve Jobs


Steve Jobs, the demanding visionary who understood before anyone else how deeply we would live our lives through our devices, died today at the age of 56, only weeks after resigning as chief executive of computer giant Apple Inc. as he battled pancreatic cancer.

THE NEXT GREAT GENERATION R.I.P. Steve Jobs
“The world has lost an amazing human being,” wrote Apple chief executive Tim Cook in a message to employees. “Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”

Jobs was “among the greatest of American innovators,” said President Obama in a statement posted on the White House blog. “There may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.”

Jobs revitalized Apple by transforming smartphones, computers, and media players into objects of desire. He insisted the company put the human experience first, focusing on design as well as technological prowess. Fifteen years ago, Apple flirted with bankruptcy; today, it is one of the most successful companies on earth.

Jobs’s rival, Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates, issued a statement saying, “The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had.”

Gates closed his statement by writing, “I will miss Steve immensely.”

John Sculley, Apple’s chief executive in the mid-1980s, and the man who once had Jobs kicked out of the company he’d co-founded, said Jobs “taught all of us how to transform technology into magic.”

After he was ousted, Jobs endured a decade of exile. But the experience taught him lessons that would, once he returned, help him lead Apple to unimaginable heights of achievement.

“Steve’s big contribution to the computer industry was to take it away from the nerds and give it to the people,” said Bob Metcalfe, co-inventor of Ethernet networking technology and a professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

Jobs was born in San Francisco on February 24, 1955, to Syrian immigrant Abdulfattah John Jandali and Joanne Schieble, both graduate students at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

It was brought home to me over the weekend how fundamental he was in my career as when I spoke to a very close friend of mine we reminisced about how we made the transition from CS10 and drawing boards slowly to using the Mac - I commented that "we were his test pilots" and without us "long in the tooth" designers learning the trade in a totally new way (using the mac - a II Ci to be precise) who knows were Apple would be now?

Without people like Steve Jobs the Design world that I live in today would not be as happy a place thats for sure.

Thank you Steve for your vision and passion for what you believed in - you will be sadly missed but your apples will be a constant reminder of your short existence on this earth.

Wednesday, 5 October 2011

CHRISTO IS COMING TO UNIVERSITY!!

On November 16th 2011 Christo the "Wrap" artist will be visiting our University (Zayed University, Abu Dhabi in the UAE).

Christo (born Javashev Christo) is best known for producing enormous packaging projects: he wraps parks, buildings, and entire outdoor landscapes. Christo has collaborated with his wife Jeanne-Claude for over 40 years on these projects. The two earn the huge amounts of money required to execute their monumental works by executing and then selling preparatory drawings to collectors and dealers.

Believing that people should have intense and memorable experiences of art outside the institution of the museum, Christo typically creates temporary wrappings -- generally lasting several weeks -- on a vast scale. Borrowing land, structures, and spaces used and built by the public (and, therefore, already laden with a history of associations and connotations), he momentarily intervenes in the local population’s daily rhythm in order to create "gentle disturbances" intended to refocus citizens' impressions. Such disturbances force each local participant/viewer to examine the way that social interaction becomes entrenched in routine and is consequently deadened.

In such installations as Wrapped Coast -- One Million Sq. Ft. (a 1969 fabric covering of Little Bay in Sydney, Australia), and Wrapped Floors, Wrapped Walk Ways (a 1971 intervention onto and into a house designed by Mies van der Rohe), traditional aesthetic criteria such as line, shape, form, and color are coupled with the immediacy of nature. Some wraps such as Valley Curtain (Rifle, Colorado, 1972), and Running Fence (California, 1976) are titans of dramatic effect, while others such as Wrapped Walk Ways (St. Louis, 1978) exude a romantic, bucolic, and elegant feeling. Regardless of effect or locale, the extensive lines of fabric running along sidewalks, across lawns, and over walls give the environments a renewed sense of intimacy. Although the sense of enclosure and specificity is temporary, it permanently alters the way people experience a given locale.

You can get more info on the artist and more of his work here...
http://www.christojeanneclaude.net

Below are some of his art works...




Wednesday, 15 June 2011

TYPE MEDIA by ROYAL ACADEMY of ARTS

I was having a browse through "vimeo" as you do when you are killing some time and came across this great experiment with type. It was was produced by some clever people from the Royal Academy of Arts (KABK) in the Hague.

You can catch the video on the link here: http://vimeo.com/17692718

I have also taken some snap shots of the film to give an idea of what they were doing.

Can't wait to have a go at something like this!!!




Thursday, 9 June 2011

KATE MCCGWIRE

I watched Spring watch on BBC2 the other night and was amazed to see some of the work from sculptor/artist Kate MccGwire. The work she produces is very striking and makes you double take what medium she is using.

Kate MccGwire's practice probes the beauty inherent in duality, exploring the play of opposites - at an aesthetic, intellectual and visceral level - that characterises the way we conceive the world. She does this by appealing to our essential duality as human beings, to our senses and our reason, and by drawing on materials capable of embodying a dichotomous way of seeing, feeling and thinking. The finished work has a consistent 'otherness' to it that places it beyond our experience of the world, poised on a threshold between the parameters that define everyday reality. Her web site can be found here: http://www.katemccgwire.com




Tuesday, 24 May 2011

JOHN SIBBICK’S FLESH & BONES

Flesh and Bones is John Sibbick’s first collaboration with NoBrow. Many of you will have grown up leafing through John’s meticulously illustrated natural history and dinosaur books, in fact, John is probably responsible for what you think a dinosaur, or dinosaurs in general, look like in their general outward appearance.

This beautiful concertina book, on the other hand, gives you an intimate look at what animals you may have actually seen or at least have seen photographs of, look like on the inside. In the great spirit of those diagrammatic natural history books we all loved as children, Nobrow and John bring back the sense of wonder the natural world holds in all its awe inspiring complexity. Flesh and Bone folds out to a stunning 136 cm double-sided panorama, one side displays the animals as they appear in nature (with some playful twists) and the other side shows those same animals stripped down to bone. Only an experienced artist with as intimate a knowledge of animal anatomy as John, who clients frequently include National Geographic and Puffin books, would be capable of such feats of visual dexterity.

The concertina can be coloured in, left as is, read or folded out and displayed on your mantle peice, Flesh and Bones: A Colouring Concertina is a great gift for a kid as much as it is is for a student of nature, draughtsman in training, or any illustration afficionado. The pre-order will ship with 5 free postcards on 31st May.

John Sibbick trained in Graphics and Illustration at Guildford College of Art in the south of England, followed by four years in design studios in London before becoming a freelance illustrator in 1972.

He has covered a variety of subjects ranging from educational to fantasy. He is probably best known for his prehistoric reconstructions in books, magazines, museums, television and other media.

John has designed a number of dinosaur exhibits for a variety of prestigious National institutions including London’s Natural History Museum, the Museum of Scotland and The Gamagori Museum in Japan and has worked as an illustrator for a number of respected publishers of natural history books including National Geographic, Kingfisher and Puffin.


P&C WEBSITE

I recently came across this nifty little web site that sells all manner of quirky office and craft based products.

http://www.presentandcorrect.com/index.php

There about us page says:
Since 2003, when we were not being graphic designers, we have been cutting and pasting from our front room in London. Making paper goods and selling them far and wide. It reminded us of being small; sticking tin foil to cereal cartons and the dog, but hopefully with more professional results.

A long-term obsession with stationery has culminated in a constantly evolving store. A selection of P&C products mixed up with handmade goods, vintage items and work by designers from all over the world.

Sourced from Seoul or picked up on the bus from Peckham: we hope that our designs, and finds, bring some fun to your desks, walls, friends and children. It might spark a distant memory, make you smile or look at the most mundane in a new, and fonder, light.



LETHA WILSON

Letha Wilson's photo sculptures remind the viewer of the potential betrayal of photography as a replacement for an actual experience.

Her work is very thought provoking and reminds me so much of the work that I undertook when completing my Masters at the University of Salford.

Letha was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and raised in Greeley, Colorado. She currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.



Friday, 20 May 2011

DARREN'S GREAT BIG CAMERA!

I was doing my usual catch up with some of my favourite web sites this afternoon and came across this great page on "Beautiful Decay".

This short documentary follows Darren Samuelson as he ventures out to San Francisco’s Lands End to try his giant homemade camera.The camera took over 7 months to build, shoots 14×36inch x-ray negatives, and stretches out to 6 feet in length! Watch the full documentary after the jump!

Some amazing images have been created from this home built piece of kit! - I want one!!


Darren's Great Big Camera from SULTAN on Vimeo.

Friday, 8 April 2011

PUPPETRY ON A WHOLE NEW LEVEL

I have just had a quick browse through the "Itsnicethat.com" web site and came across this amazing video that has been posted on YouTube from Royal De Luxe.

Tuesday, 1 March 2011

THE FUTURE OF OUR BOOKS

Just watched this great half hour programme on the future of the book and the influence that Graphic Design has had on its existence...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00z1z0d/The_Beauty_of_Books_Paperback_Writer/

A great piece of TV and if you have 30 mins spare well worth a watch!!!

Thursday, 3 February 2011

iPHONE 4 VIDEO SAMPLE

I have just found this link on vimeo - some guy in New York has done what I am planning to do next week and used the "8mm App" to film a day out in Brooklyn.

Some really cool effects and it has given me some inspiration for what I want to try and achieve with the same app on my iPhone.

NY8MM: #01 from cycleangelo on Vimeo.

Wednesday, 2 February 2011

LEGO - ALBUM ART QUIZ


A bit of an unusual blog to post here but I thought it may be a bit of fun!

Out of 26 pieces of album art I scored 22 - now lets see if you can do better (without cheating!!!)

ENJOY...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/8296237/Lego-album-covers-quiz.html

YOU ARE EVERYTHING - EMMETT WILLIAMS

Just been browsing YouTube for inspiration and came across this little music video.

Great use of the Super 8 Cine film - looking forward to using the cameras whilst in New York and Chicago next week.

ANDREW BYROM'S RECYCLED BUSINESS CARDS

When graphic and type designer Andrew Byrom decided it was time for a new desk, he thought of a rather novel way to recycle the old one...

"The [veneered chip board top of the] old desk (see below) was cut into 3.5 x 2 inch blocks," explains Byrom, "then the text, set in my newest typeface Byrom Sans, was silk-screened onto each block in white ink."

OK, so these business "cards" won't fit in your wallet, but the chances are they'll sit on recipients' desks more prominently than any other contact cards.

Love this idea and its inspirational for a couple of projects that I am looking into at the moment.

Check out the images below and watch this space....



Friday, 28 January 2011

DNA PORTFOLIO SURGERY

Yesterday afternoon I was asked to attend the DNA portfolio surgery at the Soup Kitchen, in the Northern Quarter by University of Salford, were I had the opportunity to look through some up and coming students design portfolios.

Some really great work was on show from some very talented students. The turn out for the event was fantastic and the Designers Northern Alliance (DNA) should be very proud of their achievements in putting this event together.

It was a fantastic opportunity for design students to have their portfolios viewed and commented on before they go out into the big bad world of industry and start attending interviews for real.

I was lucky enough to be one of the "Surgeons" commenting on the work being shown and it was encouraging to see some of the creative work that the students are going to be armed with on their quest to find gainful employment over the coming months.

If you want to find out more about DNA check out their site at: http://www.designersnorthernalliance.org/




Saturday, 15 January 2011

8mm iPhone app

Recently downloaded a great app for the iPhone - 8mm. This is something that I was looking for early last year to help achieve a feel and look for part of my MA project.

I have just started to experiment with it and although it isn't a replacement for the actual thing (real 8mm/16mm cine camera, film) it is a much easier and less cumbersome way to achieve a grainy, old, dirty feel to a moving picture.

Check out their website if you fancy having a go yourself... http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/8mm-vintage-camera/id406541444?mt=8

Friday, 14 January 2011

TRIP TO NEW YORK




Next month sees me taking a trip out to New York and South of Chicago for a 10 day recki to find out what is going on in the world of Education at the CAA (College Arts Association) conference: http://conference.collegeart.org/2011/

I have just been taking a look on the Creative Review RSS feed (which can be found to the right of the blog and spotted some really neat photography: thewappingprojectbankside.com.

It has got me all fired up to take my cine camera along with me and get some more filming done.

Watch this space for some uploads towards the beginning of March...