ARTY ATTIC

Joey Wozniak

2009-07-06T01:31:00.000-07:00

Artist Joey Wozniak unleashes spiritual energy, layering color and shape against compositional agitation and pulsating forces. Using thickly applied oil paints, Wozniak pulls, scrapes and layers vibrant colors to create densely rendered tapestries that expose an underlying energy bursting below the surface. Flowers strewn through his work evoke Dionysian rites of fecundity and fertility, while also serving as the purest signifiers of beauty. Forgotten gods, gigantic flowers, misty cities, fading landscapes, fantastic creatures, and costumed characters misplaced in time often populate his paintings. Rich with references to both classical art and tribal imagery from a wide sampling of cultures, Wozniak constructs his own unique post-modern vernacular. Bridging a physical approach to the material of paint with a masterful understanding of the stimulus of color, Wozniak creates singular visions of beauty and emotion.

Artist Frank Fruzyna

2009-07-06T01:10:00.000-07:00

Artist Frank Fruzyna uses lush brush strokes and a nuanced sense of color in his richly painted abstractions. Movement and space play out with a masculine assertiveness in his work. The surfaces roil with barely contained energy which seems to break through the physical materiality of the canvas and leap directly into our vision. Fruzyna's strong mastery of his materials is evident in work that binds pure abstraction to emotional abandon.

Heads by artist Joey Wozniak

2009-07-06T00:55:00.000-07:00

Mind-Boggling Art

2009-07-06T00:35:00.000-07:00

Triangels

2009-07-01T22:20:00.001-07:00

Triangels Postcards are available at:
http://http://runrave.com/shop/arty-attic-stationery/postcards/triangels/cat_112.html

Legends of the Triangels
Origin: Italy
Background: In ancient Greek mythology, the little angel Cupid has two arrows, one is gold and one is silver. The gold arrow is used to create fate between two mortals, and the silver arrow is used to destroy fate. However, due to the playful nature of the Cupid, he sent out the silver arrow to destroy fate for fun. The Greek goddess Aphrodite, the goddess of love, does not want any fate/destiny to be destroyed, so she sent out this Triangel, love/fate angel to lead fate to mortals.
Usage:To protect love and bring good fate It symbolizes the Guardian Angel of Love.
The doll's head, hands and foots are made by high quality porcelain while the facial part of the doll is made by hand. The limbs of the doll can be twisted into any direction. Each product is handcrafted with sophisticated design.
Story of this doll:The Triangel originated from a famous Italian allusion. In the times of ancient Rome, there was a kindhearted lady falling in love with a young man who was witched to be indifferent to the lady. The lady was so depressed and sit in front of the window crying day and night. Finally, her love had touched the Gods. They sent the Triangel to the lady which could make the witch appear in front of the young man. The young man realized that his true love was the lady and they fell in love again!
Now, in Italy, girls like to place their Triangels in their rooms and let the Triangels bless them. Do you want to have the taste of true love? This Triangel will bless you and your beloved. It is a superb gift to keep or to give as a present to your sweetheart

Sonny-Beautifully shot fashion photography

2009-06-30T01:53:00.000-07:00

For Karen Magazine

Anton S Nelson

2009-06-26T22:44:00.000-07:00

Courtney James

2009-06-26T22:27:00.000-07:00

Stefan Lucut

2009-06-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

Romania-based designer, Stefan Lucut’s work is a mix of type, photography,
and vector elements, infused with a modern, contemporary feel.
He mixes vibrant colors, seriffed typography and primitive shapes to create
imagery that is both bold and strong.
Despite the minimalist nature of his site, it does not take long to recognize the maturity and imagination that comes through in his work

Alberto Seveso

2009-06-26T21:35:00.000-07:00

He did not study design, but has had a passion for the subject since, at 15, he discovered Photoshop.His only rule of thumb is that "I use Photoshop to mix everything".He seeks inspiration through music,saying,"I cannot work without my playlist",but he avoids using the work of others as a source of ideas:"It makes one's own goals weaker, and causes your work to lose its value."

Get your creative cogs whirring

2009-06-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

Design isn't actually about design. It isn't wholly about creativity, style, skill or innovation. For the consumers and the clients of the work you create, the main part of what you do~ and what they see - is the idea.Because without an idea, design is simply art.
Design as opposed to art, is the lubricant that helps spread your idea.It can be extremely well executed, it can use every feature found in your creative weapon of choice, it can be broadcast across a range of media.But, the idea is what forms the heart of any idea.
But nailing down an idea can be tough.Before a morning caffeine fix, they're as slippery as eels, and even afterwards chasing that eureka moment can be hard.
Tackle the ideas head on, find the inspirations and get your creative cogs whirring.

Ben Shaper - Watchworks

East Bay artist Sarah Applebaum's "21 Gun Salute"

2009-06-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

Green Day — 21 Guns lyrics

Do you know what's worth fighting for
When it's not worth dying for?
Does it take you breath away
And you feel yourself suffocating?
Does the pain weight out the pride?
And you look for a place to hide?
Does someone break your heart inside?
You're in ruins

One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky
You and i

When you're at the end of the road
And you lost all sense of control
And your thoughts have taken their toll
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul
Your faith walks on broken glass
And the hangover doesn't pass
Nothing's ever built to last
You're in ruins

One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky
You and i

Did you try to live on your own
When you burned down the house and home?
Did you stand too close to the fire?
Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone

When it's time to live and let die
And you can't get another try
Something inside this heart has died
You're in ruins

One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky
You and i

Do you know what's worth fighting for
When it's not worth dying for?
Does it take you breath away
And you feel yourself suffocating?
Does the pain weight out the pride?
And you look for a place to hide?
Does someone break your heart inside?
You're in ruins

One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky
You and i

When you're at the end of the road
And you lost all sense of control
And your thoughts have taken their toll
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul
Your faith walks on broken glass
And the hangover doesn't pass
Nothing's ever built to last
You're in ruins

One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky
You and i

Did you try to live on your own
When you burned down the house and home?
Did you stand too close to the fire?
Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone

When it's time to live and let die
And you can't get another try
Something inside this heart has died
You're in ruins

One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky
You and i

Steve McCurry

2009-06-24T03:25:00.000-07:00

"Most of my pictures are grounded in people.I looked for the unguarded moment, the essential soul peeking out, experience etched on a person's face. I try to convey what it is like to be that person, a person caught in a broader landscape that I guess you'd call the human condition."
~Steve McCurry

"Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment.We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society , a life free of violence and fear."
"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way it in which it treats its children."
~Nelson Mandela

Robin Street-Morris. Rose-Pink (Sabatia angularis). 2008.

2009-06-23T02:18:00.000-07:00

Watercolor and pastel on 300Ib hot press paper

FFFFOUND! Graphic Everywhere

2009-06-23T01:26:00.001-07:00

Dropular : Media Bookmarking

2009-06-23T01:18:00.001-07:00

Digital art selected for the Daily Inspiration 219

2009-06-23T01:10:00.001-07:00

60 Most Stunning Typography Inspiration of All Time The Design Inspiration

2009-06-23T01:07:00.001-07:00

Via Kukulaland

2009-06-23T01:03:00.000-07:00

Can't See The Forest But For The Socks by Graye Smith

2009-06-23T00:51:00.001-07:00

By Aurora93

2009-06-23T00:42:00.000-07:00

Tatiana Arocha

2009-06-23T00:12:00.000-07:00

Tatiana Arocha is a versatile and accomplished artist, graphic designer, director, photographer,and illustrator from Bogota, Colombia living in New York City.
After contributing to many award-winning projects at several top design studios in New York, Tatiana became an in-demand freelance designer and creative director. With a personal client list including Wieden + Kennedy, Sundance, Vh1, and MTV, Tatiana made her mark on the burgeoning motion-graphics industry and was recognized as an icon of the design world by ResFest.

Under the moniker T&A, with musician/filmmaker Alex Moulton, Tatiana has directed music videos for Funkstörung, Tosca, Mocean Worker and others. Her photographs have been published in magazines such as Fader, XXL and the cover of The Village Voice. Tatiana’s illustrations can be found in close to a dozen books (most recently Die Gestalten’s ‘Illusive 2’ and Victionary’s ‘Fashion Wonderland’), and have been incorporated into a variety of mediums, from apparel for Burton Snowboards to her own line of products for Nookart.Defying artistic categorization, Tatiana’s range continues to evolve. In 2007 she was commissioned by Sundance Channel to create an animated art piece based on her illustration series entitled, “Rainforest Sanctuary.” In 2008 Yale University requested she show the expanding series of work to coincide with the International Society of Tropical Foresters conference and the subsequent United Nations-hosted Conference on Environmental Governance and Democracy.

In addition to commercial-oriented work, Tatiana is heavily involved in the arts community as a curator. Her online gallery Servicio Ejecutivo is a forum she initiated to support other artists who share her passion for exploring new modes of communication. Since 2001 she has curated over eighty exhibitions.

Wendy Plovmand

2009-06-23T00:04:00.000-07:00

Her clients include
•Topshop
•Selfridges
•By Malene Birger, Danish fashion brand
•Bruuns Bazaar, Danish fashion brand
•Mads Nørgaard, Danish fashion brand
•Philip van Heusen, NYC fashion brand
•Organic Pharmacy

Tim Bradford

2009-06-22T23:37:00.000-07:00

I'm a writer, cartoonist and artist. Wherever possible I'll try not to talk about myself in the third person. That's always a sure sign of impending madness. No, Tim Bradford won't be going down that route.

Dean Gorissen

2009-06-22T23:18:00.000-07:00

Dean Gorissen has been illustrating professionally since 1992.

His editorial work has appeared in a variety of newspapers and magazines, and he is a frequent contributor to ‘The Big Issue’.

Commercially, he works in a range of techniques and approaches, enabling him to provide a tailored approach for a variety of corporate, retail and packaging clients.

Among other awards, his work has appeared in Communication Arts Illustration Annual, The Australian And New Zealand Illustration Awards and the MADC. Additionally, Dean has produced character designs for major food and beverage brands, as well as adapting his own character designs for Penguin’s best-selling 'Deadly' books by Paul Jennings and Morris Gleitzman for the Deadly animated series.

His children's book 'I got a Rocket!' written by Matt Zurbo and also published by Penguin, was short listed for the Crichton Award for Book Illustration and has also recently been produced as an animated television series with SLR productions and Taffy Entertainment. It airs on Network Ten Australia.

As well as other book projects, Dean has illustrated 'Ten Little Elvi' a counting book based on the "lives" of Elvis Presley for US publisher Tricycle Press.

Rose

2009-06-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

Growing older is mandatory, growing up is optional!

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.

She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?"

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze. "Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked.

She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel."

"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

"I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me. Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed, she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know."

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began:

"We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success."

"You have to laugh and find humor every day."

"You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!"

"There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change."

"Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose." She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.

We send these words in loving memory of Rose.

Remember:

--Growing older is mandatory, growing up is optional! ~Author Unknown

Shape of Things

2009-06-16T00:24:00.000-07:00

With his digital notebook, Shape Of Things, designer Eli Carrico is stretching his creative boundaries beyond the commercial brief.

The Ex-Boyfriends Gig Poster Set

2009-06-15T04:33:00.000-07:00

Canada has such a rich scene of illustration and print. Perhaps it is the strong historical base of talent in the country, or the way that digital practices have eased the use of illustration, increasing its use and application, or maybe that a new generation, via music and online harvesters like FFFFound, are gaining appreciation for the medium. In the end, this perfect storm of reasons has produced a wave of talent that just keeps producing outstanding examples for us to bring to you via the Canadian Design Resource.

Tim Huesken is a newcomer, although his fat portfolio would suggest otherwise, with a body of work that feels stylistically honest to MAD magazine and Ed Roth. Lighthearted and funny with tones of cultural critique laying beneath the simple cartoony illustrations. This set of gig posters for The Ex-Boyfriends keeps this feeling going, with a “funny ’cause it’s true” tone and layout that gives the band new content, and a graphic lever to reach the public. Sound, and solid work from a real illustration firework.

Design: Tim Huesken

Fashion 1 and 2

2009-06-15T04:31:00.000-07:00

Design/Maker: Paul Butler

Holy Fuck w/ Crush Buildings & Squelchbox Poster

2009-06-15T04:25:00.000-07:00

Luminato 2009

2009-06-15T04:20:00.000-07:00

Toronto's international arts festival in pictures
Artist Laurel MacDonald watches her video installation titled If I Love You If You Love Me, screening as part of the Luminato Box at Sam Pollock Square, Brookfield Place. The exhibit consists of sequenced images of hands using sign language to express a universal human message of love.

A visitor looks at one of a series of interactive media pieces titled The Shadows of Burden (Doublespeak) at Commerce Court West. Each piece, created by Studio F-Minus (Brad Hinson and Mitchell F. Chan), consists of encaustic painting on linen with bent wire and rod protruding from the surface of the artwork. Light mounted on the painting's frame is activated by a viewer's presence, creating shadows that move across the paintings.

Margarita Ramos encounters the long wave art exhibit, which consists of 64 red spheres hanging from the ceiling inside the Allen Lambert Galleria in Brookfield Place. Rokeby's long wave is representative of a modified sine wave, the basic structure of modern wireless communication.

Janine Vangool

2009-06-15T04:17:00.001-07:00

Design/Maker: Published by UPPERCASE , Designed and written by Janine Vangool

Bark, scratch, sniff by PopDogPress

2009-06-15T04:16:00.001-07:00

Laura Ljungkvist

2009-06-15T04:06:00.001-07:00

Spam One Illustration

2009-06-15T03:56:00.000-07:00

Created using the language and copy of popular spam emails that are littering the internet, this work re-presents this common transaction, giving us a chance to see this junk mail as art.

-Todd Falkowsky

Aleksandra Waliszewska

2009-06-15T02:28:00.000-07:00

Olivia Jeffries

2009-06-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

After

Remember to Breathe

Words Don't Seem Right...

Stand Tall
Drawing on love letter

Hurry Up, I'm Slipping...

Lost For Words

Candid Rear View

Barely Able To Draw Breath,

Making The Change

Jennifer

Just Let Loose, Don't Lose...

Michelle Caplan

2009-06-14T22:23:00.000-07:00

Mixed media collage artist

Posters by Justin David Cox

2009-06-14T22:15:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy these simple & smartly designed posters by Justin David Cox.

Au Revoir Simone

Andrew Bird

Emmanuel Polanco

2009-06-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

i think i just found another favorite artist. how many favorites is one able to have? his name is emmanuel polanco out of paris, (ile-de-france) and he's up there in the edwardo recife land if you're asking me. beautiful hand-lettering along with intricate and mysterious illustrations against vintage ephemera backgrounds.

Eduardo Recife / Misprinted Type (2002-2006)

2009-06-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

Maguy CARPENTIER

2009-06-14T21:56:00.001-07:00

Originally from Quebec, Maguy CARPENTIER obtained a certificate of visual arts at the University of Québec in Montreal in 2000. She decided to further her studies and complete a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with honours, majoring in painting and drawing at Concordia University in 2003. In order to deepen her cultural and artistic knowledge, she obtained the Millennium Grant and embarked in an international exchange of one year at the University of Provence AIX-Marseille I. Since 1999, she has participated in several events and group exhibitions in both Canada and Europe.

Maguy CARPENTIER’s artistic practice exploits the theme of reminiscence. Touched by her own family’s moments of loss and grieving, she proposes links that emerge between memories that are sometimes imprecise and those from her subconscious. She is fascinated by the phenomena of ‘déjà vu’ and reconstructs her memory by using old photos of her family. In essence, she works in collaboration with her ancestors who originally took the photos and seeks to revive them in her paintings. Humanistic and familial feelings transmitted over time take place in different ways, like the inescapable filiations of ones ancestry. Internal spaces composed of fragments open the door to reminiscence, bringing to one’s memory what was once forgotten or even too present to be understood.

The artist’s creative process involves layering different mediums in the same manner one attempts to reconstruct memory. She uses photo transfers as a means to borrow identities in order to build her compositions. The graphite she uses demarks the edges of the original image which she attempts to reinterpret. The ink used represents the souls of past ancestors and the essence of family. The mediums applied come together to form a united visual network. The acrylic and oil pastel are the final layers applied, producing visual contrast while drawing importance to certain parts of the image.

Kimberley French "surface revisted"

2009-06-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

"I began making the photographs I call "surface" five years ago and this body of work continues to evolve. Within cityscapes and landscapes, I attempt to capture that elusive light, the ethereal image that strikes a visceral cord in me. The inclusion of movement is a crucial element in my work, emphasizing vivid overall effects rather than details using techniques such as blur, reflection and large grain. The images do not look like traditional photographs; they are rather like paintings. My tools are both 35mm film and digital cameras."
- Kimberley French

Kimberley French is one of Canada's leading still photographers. Her images from movie sets have been seen around the world. Among her notable work were all images from the acclaimed "Brokeback Mountain" and "The Assassination of Jesse James." She is currently working in Vancouver on "New Moon," the second film in the Twilight saga.

A native of Gander, Newfoundland, French moved to Calgary in 2003 after growing up in British Columbia in the Kootenay region and in Vancouver. Her passion for photography was ignited at the age of seven when her grandmother gave her an Instamatic camera.

French loves the art of photography. Her personal work, which is emphatically on display in this exhibition, gives her the freedom to display her own visions, differing from her feature film work, where she specializes in capturing the visions of world-class directors.

Designspotter

2009-06-14T21:26:00.000-07:00

Tree of Death
Nice project from slashthree.com. Directed, designed, composed and animated by myaka, with music by NEO.

Tree of Death from myaka on Vimeo.

Radiola by spacejump
Radiola is a video clip for Russian post-rock band Sistra, realised by the multiple award winning galaxie creators space jump who are located in Khabarovsk/Russia.

Radiola from myaka on Vimeo.

L´homme 100 tetes
For the contest « Transformation : Live-React » Julien Lassort and Matthieu Burlot explored the human face, the most exposed and personal part of the human body. Their dynamic portrayal of “1000 and one faces” is a mosaic of portraits and emotions that plays off of the power of faces seen close up.

Invader - Binary Code Street Art
The street artist Invader came from France to L.A. recently and took a minute to explain his new Binary Code street art. This new media utilizes hi-tech Binary Code technology combined with his trademark lo-tech ceramic tile work as seen in urban centers all around the world.

INVADER- Binary Code Street Art- Part 1 from Jet Set Graffiti on Vimeo.

Occidorient by François Mangeol

Public Stairs by Alvaro Uribe

the peep show : cabinet of curiosity

Featuring Will Bryant

2009-06-14T21:17:00.000-07:00

We got us some mail!

ART against FGM

2009-06-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

Internatonal protest against female genital mutilation

Visit http://www.art-against-fgm.com/start.htm

Seen On The Streets Of Hoorn the Netherlands

2009-06-14T19:18:00.001-07:00

Neglected children...

2009-06-14T19:16:00.001-07:00

Seen On The Steets Of Brsitol

2009-06-14T19:15:00.001-07:00

Walrus TV Features... Swoon

2009-06-14T19:14:00.001-07:00

Upper Playground's Walrus TV has posted another interview from their "Run Up" DVD up on Youtube. This one features Swoon and is absolutely terrific...

"If I gave you $50 today, with the condition that you had to spend it on "art", what would you do with it?"

2009-06-14T19:06:00.000-07:00

"If I gave you $50 today, with the condition that you had to spend it on "art", what would you do with it?"
One response came from Ché Francisco Ortiz. He wrote:
"Buy a ton of sidewalk chalk and give it out to every kid i saw at the park or boardwalk." So that night Woobster sent Che $50 to buy his chalk via Paypal.
This past weekend Che bought the chalk and headed to the boardwalk.

Filthy Luker Hangs Out His Clothes Over the M32 in Bristol

2009-06-14T19:03:00.001-07:00

From Filthy Luker: "The M32 motorway aggressively divides two communities in Bristol with a torrent of danger, noise and pollution that must be confronted daily by many. Hanging out my dirty linen in public i am making the statement that WE LIVE HERE and don't forget it The washing stayed out for a few hours, til it dried. it will come out again next time i get filthy"

Video Of Bill Brand's Subway Animation "Masstransiscope"

2009-06-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

The animation in the video was created by film and video artist Bill Brand. Bill's currently a professor at Hampshire College. The recently restored piece was originally created 28 years ago in 1980. It's called "Masstransiscope" and is indeed absolutely amazing.

Seen On The Streets Of Skala Eressos in Lesvos

2009-06-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

Profile of a homeless comic artist

2009-06-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

Inked in sinister form, the dark anti-heroes Maurice Booker creates don’t look like traditional champions of justice. For the 28-year-old artist, being young, male, African American and homeless has provided its own perspective on injustice.

… As a boy growing up among the devastation of crack cocaine in Nashville’s housing projects, Booker said he knew he wanted to work in the comic book industry at a young age. Achieving that goal hasn’t been as simple as putting pen to paper, and two years after coming west, Booker sleeps in abandoned buildings and spends his days at the public library, where he chases job prospects and maintains an online gallery of his art.

…”When crack came into the projects, it came in like a nuclear winter,” he said. “It left people stumbling around like black zombies.”

Drawing People for Fun

2009-06-11T18:57:00.000-07:00

Illustrations from Roger Vernam’s 1943 art-instruction volume.

Michael Angelo Woolf

2009-06-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

A look back at the art and career of the 19th-century artist, whose drawings for Life and Harper’s presented a sometimes melodramatic look at life in New York’s tenement slums.

A drawing from 1897, source unknown

“Funny Films” from Thimble Theatre

2009-06-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

A sampler of cut-out activities from E.C. Segar’s revered strip, circa 1933-34.

The market for something to believe in is infinite.

2009-06-10T23:59:00.000-07:00

Fresh from the framing store, it’s one of just 85 signed Hugh MacLeod prints from the first in a series of limited edition prints he’s doing.It pretty much sums up how I feel generally. And I love the wildly optimistic yet utterly truthful tone. The text reads: THE MARKET FOR SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN IS INFINITE.
Gaping Void: the new small print series

Art versus Myth - Hugh Macleod

2009-06-10T23:40:00.000-07:00

The way artists market themselves is by having a great story, by having a “Myth”. Telling anecdotal stories about Warhol, Pollack, Basquiat, Van Gogh is both (A) fun and (B) has a mythical dimension… if they didn’t, they wouldn’t have had movies made about them. The art feeds the myth. The myth feeds the art.

We all know how mythologies build up around art and artists, that over time informs the artist's work itself.

Warhol's weirdly destructive social scene at The Factory in the 1960s. Pollack's excessive drinking. Van Gough's descent into madness. Keith Haring's wild party times in the New York gay scene...

Let's say you spent a sizable chunk of money on a work by an artist you love. Let's just say you couldn't really justify it financially, you probably couldn't afford it, but dammit, you just HAD to have it.

Let's say you're showing off the work to a friend, which is now proudly hanging in your office. Let's say your friend never heard of the artist before.

"What???" your friend says, "You spent HOW MUCH on that? But it's only some green and blue blotches!"

So you give your friend some background information. You tell him how famous the guy was back in New York in the 1970s, how "Breakthrough" his work was at the time, how he was influenced by Famous Artists A, B and C, and how he went on to influence Later Famous Artists X, Y and Z. You tell anecdotal stories about his tumultuous marriage to a famous, Japanese novelist [who's work is also now making a comeback], and his up-and-down, booze-soaked relationship with Famous Artist K, his brief, heartbreaking love affair with Famously Tragic Socialite P, his battle with alcohol and drugs, and the old farm he retired to up in Woodstock, New York.

Hopefully by the time you are done with your story, though he may not end up being a collector of the artist himself, he at least will understand more clearly the work's resonance, and why you made the purchase.

And of course, so will you. Because it wasn't just your friend who needed to hear the story. You needed to hear the story, as well. You needed to be able to tell yourself that story, that story NEEDED TO EXIST, or else you simply would have not bought the painting in the first place. Without the story, without the "Myth", you could not have justified purchasing the work to yourself [let alone your wife].

We don't just do this for $40K works of art, we use the some mythological techniques when we buy computers, breakfast cereal, or bars of soap. Our lives are only as meaningful as the myths we can create for ourselves. And we like to create myths around the objects that fill up our lives. That's what "Branding" is all about.

The more I think about marketing art, the more I think how what I'm learning applies to marketing everything else. Because art is not particularly utilitarian, the myth is key.

And unless you can understand the myth that informs whatever product you're trying to sell, the harder your job will be. The more you can TRULY understand the myth, the bigger an edge you will have over your competition. I am right on this one.

AlmapBBDO

2009-06-10T22:40:00.001-07:00

AlmapBBDO
These images were used in a billboard ad campaign for the Brazilian magazine Veja. They were made by the agency AlmapBBDO and won silver and gold medals on the 2005 Clio Awards.
The face of George W. Bush, made from the words PEACE and WAR.
The face of Osama Bin Laden, made from the words DEAD and ALIVE.
The face of Saddam Hussein, made from the words THREAT and PRETEXT.
Read both the word BOMB and BLUFF. An ad for Veja magazine, the subject was North Korea.
Read both SUCIDE and RIGHT TO DIE. The subject was on euthanasia.
Showed both the words HEAL and SIN. Subject was on stem cells.