“Founded in 2007 by Christopher Sleboda and Kathleen Burns, Part of It works with artists to create products for causes they are passionate about. Sales from products benefit charities chosen by the artists.
Part of It stems from our belief that artists (and conscientious consumers) can make a positive difference in the world by supporting causes close to their heart. Expressions of protest, simple declarations, moving graphics that encourage conversation and dialogue—there are many ways to enter into and encourage civic discourse. We believe activism can be fun, personal, beautiful and engaging; we can all play a part in making a better world for ourselves, for our communities, and for future generations.”
There are some nice things for sale crafted by some very talented people at Part of It. Do your concience good while supporting artists that you appreciate.
Steve McCurry is a remarkable photographer who has won some of the biggest photography awards on the planet. You may recognize some of his work from the pages of National Geographic. He has some amazing photos in his portfolio and browsing them is akin to taking a tour to some parts of the world few of us will ever visit.
Subblue is the experimental generative art of Tom Beddard. He has some real mind-bending work in his portfolio and whenever possible shares the source-code from his interactive experiments. He is an ex-physicist and currently works as the technical director for the Scottish digital branding agency Tictoc Family, building Ruby on Rails based web applications.
Creative representation agency Monsieur L’agent has updated with a new website that offers up some new work from it’s all star roster of illustrators, designer, art directors, photographers and set designers. There is some really remarkable work on the site. It takes some time to dig through a lot of it but think of it as mining inspirational gems.
Leeds-based photographer Jon Stanley Austin has some beautifully composed images in his portfolio and has managed to gain commissions from some trendy clients.
Shepard Fairey collaborated with Studio Number One’s Cleon Peterson and Casey Ryder to produce this print for Artists for Peace and Justice. If you are looking to get your hands on a new piece of art and also do your conscience some good, this is a win win. I have been in the throes of starting my business, continuing some ongoing project work and preparing for an upcoming show. I have been trying to make time to lend my hand to some relief effort for Haiti. I hope to do something very soon. It’s been great to see a lot of the creative community getting in line to lend support. If you have any suggestions as to something we could do together, drop us an email through the contact section.
Here is the latest video for Mia Doi Todd for the track ‘Open Your Heart’. The visual feat was achieved by director Michel Gondry who continues to cement his reputation as a true artist behind the camera.
This is the video that was released several months back for the single ‘Desert Song’ from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. The video is part of a 12 part rock opera video series released by the band entitled ‘SALVO!’ The videos are directed by Benjamin Kutsko and Cory Marrero. These aren’t new but I only recently was turned onto the band and I seriously just can’t stop listening to them. They are fantastic and worth looking into if you haven’t yet.
ARTIST: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
SONG: Desert Song
ALBUM: Up From Below
LABEL: Community Music
DIRECTED BY: Benjamin Kutsko and Cory Marrero
PRODUCED BY: Alex Ebert
DP: David Myrick
EDITED BY: Brandon Driscoll-Luttringer and Alex Ebert
VFX: Benjamin Kutsko and Casey Allen
WARDROBE BY: Cassandra Kellogg and Amanny Ahmad
MAKEUP: Sarai Fiszel
Remed is originally from France but has traveled as a street artist and spent a little time on the ugly but urban art acclaimed streets of São Paulo. He has a touch of Picasso in him and is versed in several styles and mediums. You can peep his inspiring exploits in his Flickr-folio.
A little from the artist in his words:
:I discovered the art of painting in an atelier of my city, Lille, in 1995. I have worked at home for a wide, exploring various techniques on any kind of supports. After this i wanted to cross over the limit imposed by the frame. So, I ve started to interact on my environment pasting stickers, then painting my ideas, messages or “witnesses” over Lille..s walls, with the consciousness of the context my “traces” will evoluate in. On the other side of this work, i ve kept on working on canvas, always mixing text and visual, i interpret or create icons that take sens beside letters and words. That’s how i compose the canvas, as long as the ideas are being drawn, they have in them, the seed of the ones that will follow. I make rimes with colors, shapes and sounds in order to express a feeling, or the evolution of a thought…always tending to evasion, infinity, or rebirth.”
“House of Aroha is a retail store based in Napier, New Zealand showcasing design, art, music and what we love.” The love shows as they have some fine little finds available to add to your personal stash of art treasure.
Artist Nick van Woert produces the kind of ‘reexamination of pre-existing/accepted western cultural art norms’ that could be described as trendy but forces you to reconsider something old as something colliding with the new. It’s the kind of art that is clever enough to make it into the highly curated postings of But Does it Float (damnit all that blog is cool). It’s also the kind of art that as an artist you look at and think, ’shit that’s brilliant, why didn’t I think of that?’ Well, Nick beat you to it. Lastly, it’s the kind of sculptural art that could only be realized in a post pop art-modernism society. Placing one of Woert’s sculptures in your home would most certainly spark a conversation. One that would no doubt start with, ‘…well this is interesting’. Woert currently resides in Brooklyn which if you’ve been paying attention to all of the ‘it’s the kind of art that’ sentences in this post shouldn’t really come as a surprise.
It was only a couple of months ago that I mentioned illustrator Ricardo Fumanal but he has been busy since. His already smooth fashion-related/inspired drawing work continues to get even silkier (great adjective that’s so rarely called for). Fumanal was ‘born in Huesca in 1984 and moved to London after cultivating his youthful spirit in Barcelona and Madrid’. Damn that sounds cool doesn’t it? I was born in Nebraska and cultivated my spirit (whatever the hell that means) in Denver, Colorado. It just doesn’t have the same ring to it does it? I spent a week in Barcelona and a couple of days in London a few months ago, and all I can think about is going back (any projects in London/Barcelona anyone?). Fumanal’s coolness translates into his work as it is expertly executed and manifested with a sensitivity to craft that maintains a dash of fine art (all kidding aside).
Philly-based and PA native (and UO Inc. employee [who’s happy to pick up a freelance gig or two (wink, wink)]), Elysse Ricci does the kind of ’stupid-simple’ design that I occasionally hear people bitch about. They say things like, ‘man, that helvetica design stuff is bullshit’. But you know the funny thing is, the stupid-simple work just comes off so clean and looking at it and liking it makes you feel smart.
It’s a lot like cooking, you can analyze it and over season, but it really boils down to fundamentals. It’s about color, font selection, positioning, form and a little bit of intuition with a sprinkle of talent. Cool heads prevail in design/advertising and you always have to be prepared to take off the apron and go burn off some steam (just like a chef). Yes, I am over simplifying but you get the point. I have worked in advertising now for a while which gave me an enormous appreciation for the power of concept, but I now spend way way way too much time over analyzing some of my own design work. I am beginning to realize that their is a kind of beauty in people enjoying a nice steak with a side of fried potatoes. You just know it will taste good and you feel great eating it. Is that so bad? Everything in moderation.
I gobbled up Ricci’s work, and I think it looks delicious. I hope I can produce something as delectable. Is going minimal trendy or is it a staple? I think it might just be a staple. It won’t go away and it always pleases.
At some point in the not so distant past it appears illustration/design powerhouse Vault 49 has updated with what looks like both a new website and several new projects. All of which looks pop-o-liscious.
I am really digging both the video and the song ‘Heaven Can Wait’ from Charlotte Gainsbourg who sings in duo with Beck (who looks like he could use a little sun and an extra meal or two).
Amsterdam-based digital agency Momkai has worked for some big-named clients. It is easy to see why just by the slick presentation of their work alone. They have some excellent examples of digital design in their portfolio and browsing it is a joy in and of itself.
02/04 LINGERIE FOR KIDS Singer Miley Cyrus’s 9-year-old sister Noah Cyrus has teamed up with friend Emily Grace to launch a line of lingerie for kids called ‘Ohh! La, La! Couture‘. In other news God has finally decided to destroy the human civilization (perfect timing).
01/31 BAILOUT BONUS Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs is expecting a record breaking $100 million dollar bonus this year in the wake of American economic ruin which finally answers the question as to whether or not Goldman Sachs helped engineer our current demise for their own benefit.
01/27 CASH FREEZE In his State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama pitched a 3 year spending freeze to trim the current 900 million gagillion googleplex deficit. Bonuses for Citibank and Goldman Sachs are excluded of course.
01/24 THE HOUSE LOSES Ever wondered how to beat the house in Vegas? Maybe you could learn something from the top ten gamblers of all time who single-handedly beat the Vegas’s biggest casinos.
01/22 MOVE TO AMEND “On January 21, 2010, with its ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations are persons, entitled by the U.S. Constitution to buy elections and run our government. Human beings are people; corporations are legal fictions. The Supreme Court is misguided in principle, and wrong on the law. In a democracy, the people rule.”
Do America a favor and sign this petition NOW.
