Category — art & design

I saw a feature on BBC’s Culture Show about irish animator Johnny Kelly and was reminded quite how good and funny his film ‘Procrastination’ actually is.

I thought it was worth sharing… One half of the very talented Mickey and Johnny, his animation talents have now been brought on board to create a short film for the United Nations.

Great stuff. I look forward to seeing more in the future.

This is pretty crazy, the biggest drawing in the world!

An artist called Erik Nordenankar, gave DHL specific instructions to ship his case, containing GPS equipment around the world, tracing a world sized self portrait of himself!

Debate has started as to the authenticity of this work, and in the process DHL get alot of namechecks. Could be a viral advertising hoax, could be the first GPS earth sized drawing mankind has ever known!

Either way it’s worth checking out.

NEWS JUST IN 28/5/08

Erik’s come clean saying this is a fictional work, for his graduation project!! He deserves high marks for this…

Also he states this project was already underway before The World is my Canvas went live… over to Stavros…

got their shoes in the end!!

Have you heard that expression? The Cobblers kids? They run around barefoot while their Pops makes fine footwear for all and sundry… It can be a bit like that being a designer… you make work for other people all the time but work for yourself can end up being last on the list…

Well, EVENTUALLY, and I really mean EVENTUALLY!, I’ve got my site online, with a selection of works from my portfolio. It’s mega clean and hopefully very straightforward to navigate, if you fancy checking it out please go right ahead…

are exhibitions by my über-talented friends. 

Down ’sarf’ in fancy London at Stolenspace the one and only Will Barras - Halseowen’s finest has a solo show called ‘La Paz’. Will’s work has always been amazing but these new work’s mixing washes with his unearthly drawing abilities create something truly magical.

Then, all the way over in the US of A, Lucy Mc is spreading her organic visual goodness to the good folks of San Francisco. Her first US solo show show is called ‘Restricted Freedom’ and is at Upper Playgrounds FIFTY24SF Gallery. Following on from her amazing show at London in December, Lucy has once again (judging by the pics) done the business!

Great stuff.

I saw a link to this site today on the excellent Made in England blog.

 It makes so much sense! They paint pictures of things they want, and sell the paintings for the amount it costs to buy the thing they want! Simple yet so effective - Seems to be working too! 

Today, (like so many other day’s) I went to Google and saw that their name was built of Lego? Hover over the image, and up pops the alt tag… Happy Birthday Lego! 

You’ve nurtured many hours of… innovative,

creative,

and hmm… ‘devoted’ (?)

hours of play!

Building stuff up, and then knocking stuff down… 

LONG LIVE THE BRICK!

Also, while I’m talking about building stuff up… today I see that the Created in Birmingham blog is a joint winner in the Media Guardians Innovation Awards, which is great news. 

OK, I know all over the globe there are those of us that love a bit of Zep, but I spotted this in Birmingham a few weeks ago and it got me wondering…

Would Zep fans take the time to cut intricate stencils, to then spray around the city? hmm… or is this the work of a ‘record company sponsored’ street teams ambient marketing campaign? - taking it’s lead from the designer of the newly issued Mothership collection - Shepard Fairey - Obey - Manufacturing quality dissent since 1989! Some truly great work here.

Recent browsing unearthed this photo of the face that started it all for Obey - Andre the Giant. It’s quite strange seeing his iconic face on his person, rather than a sticker or poster! 

Andre tossing Mr Fuji. Ted Pushinsky © 

Chatting with my friend the inimitable Mr Jago, the other day, he told me about an exhibition he was involved in Bristol in December.

Mr Jago at Opus Undergrond ©

The 12 Days of Xmas show involved ‘more than 70 of the world’s most loved & loathed contemporary urban artists’ and took place in the ‘The Old Bridewell Police Station in Bristol City Centre’. It sounds like it was a really good show with some great artists involved, several of whom I’m sure were chuckling to themselves as they brought their art to the Police station - a welcome alternative to their art bringing the Police Station (or it’s staff at least) to them!

The site has a full list of artists involved and their is a good Flickr set of images from the show.

Plenty of great stuff including the funny Obey pastiche - Tinker has a Posse. I’d been given some of these stickers in Bristol in the Autumn and was baffled but amused. I had no idea how big the Posse actually was!

The Royal Mail is Tinker’s Posse

I’ve just read that 2008 will see the release of a movie version Maurice Sendak’s absolutely classic illustrated book, ‘Where the Wild Things Are’. As if that’s not great news by itself, the director is non other than Spike Jonze . You’ll know his genius promo work for Sabotage by the Beastie Boys, Drop by the Pharcyde, Praise you by Fat Boy Slim, as well as the delightfully insane movie Being John Malcovich.

Where the Wild Things Are, is my default gift choice for the youth of my friends, it’s a book that no kid should be without, with some of my favorite illustrations ever.  Hopefully Mr Jonze will do it proud on the silver screen…It’s not due to be released until Oct 2008 (US) so hopefully we’ll get to see it before the end of next year.

and this morning I got a lovely one…

Copyright © 2007 Meisai. All rights reserved

My friend Lee sent me a copy of his first edition self published book “Breathing In/Breathing Out”. It was created to coincide in with his recent exhibition in Osaka, Japan. Lee’s work was exhibited at VADE MECVM in Osaka, after previously showing in Tokyo, at Adam et Ropé. Those of you in Brum, will no doubt have seen Lee’s work before in the brilliant publicity materials he’s designed the annual Fierce festival amongst many other things created in his role as designer at the mighty Fluid.

I’m a huge fan of his work, and seeing this awesome little book, I really hope it’s the first of many…

hai hai Mr B!!