9/30/09

Inpirations, cool stuff, art, etc #12

Somehow, while on the verge of a nervous breakdown, I found some neat things to share.

Good Idea Sticky Tape sticky tape with printed advice on it.

Random Idea Generator flash interface to randomly generate relationships.

Shark Water film trailer and site.

The Meaning of Photoshop
interesting thoughts on the possible impacts of Photoshop.

9/28/09

Free film showing of "DON'T NEED YOU:The Herstory of Riot Grrrl."



Tuesday, October 13th

6PM Potluck
7PM Film Showing
Discussion to follow.

At Gallery5
200 W. Marshall Street
Richmond,VA 23220

Description:
Once upon a time girls rallied together to publish their own zines, make their own bands and there was a declaration for "revolution, girl style now!" However, a decade and some change after riot grrrl occurred why are so many women reluctant to declare themselves as feminists? For girls living after the rise and fall of riot grrrl, in a so--called "post feminist" world, what is our agenda today? Are there women still yearning for something more in the underground.

Kerri Koch's documentary "Don't Need You: The Herstory of Riot Grrrl" sets out to chronicle a DIY movement which created a community for women, coast to coast, to make themselves heard. Tired of being eclipsed by boys in the hardcore and punk subcultures, women rallied together and began forming their own bands, publishing their own zines, running art galleries and overall establishing a community accessible and safe for girls.

Koch explores the origins and evolution of riot grrrl through interviews with those involved including members of Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, and Heavens to Betsy. A need for a safe and equal space for women in a subculture tinged with violence and gender discrimination is reiterated by almost every interview. The explosive force and growth of the community soon gained national attention and misrepresentation of riot grrrl came along with it. Mainstream media outlets portrayed riot grrrl as a novelty and used the popularity of feminist ideals in the underground to market products and a lifestyle to women. The exploitation of its original sentiments would eventually lead to the dissolution the movement. The film concludes by acknowledging that while riot grrrl dissolved almost as quickly as it began, it's influence (and perhaps need?) is still felt by young women today.

9/26/09

"Freedom On The Fence" a Documentary on Polish Poster Art

Freedom on the Fence - Trailer from Xavier Encinas on Vimeo.


Freedom on the Fence, a documentary film about the history of Polish posters and their significance to the social, political and cultural life of Poland by Andrea Marks, an associate professor at the Oregon University.

Bloggers Unite!


Oct. 15th is National Blog Action Day. Goto www.blogactionday.org for more info.

9/24/09

Carnival Poster Finished!


I designed this poster to promote Gallery5's opening reception for the Carnival Of 5 Fires. The actual 3-day festival will be held on Halloween weekend. More info about the event can be found here.

9/23/09

The Smoking Plant


Ad agency Fischer and ditial agency PIX, documented an installation “The Smoking Plant.” The installation consisted of 2 separate plants in glass cases placed side by side. One plant function as a control the other was exposed to cigarette smoke. The whole experiment was available live on the Internet the past 2 weeks, with results shown in the video above.

9/21/09

Health Care Deprivation Poster on tour!


My Good 50X70 health care deprivation poster is touring the world - in the Netherlands, the US, Italy and book stores in between!


Italy

The activities will kick off with an exhibition in Latina, the first after our Gala opening in Milan in June. We're the guests of ReCreativity, a graphic design project organized by ThreeType. The exhibition opening has been yesterday, on Wednesday the 16th at 6p.m. in the Arena in front of the Cambellotti Museum in Latina. We’re very happy to return after a successful launch in 2008.


United States
The second event is Good50x70’s first activity in the United States: an exhibition and workshop in Bozeman, Montana. We're guests of the Montana State University, where we'll have the chance of holding a workshop with design students.

The exhibition will open on the 25th of September and will be split between the Montana Hall in the university campus and the Ellen Theatre in downtown Bozeman, where we've been asked to hold a presentation about the project.


The Netherlands
Last, but not least, we’re launching our first ever local activity in Amsterdam on September the 30th. The ideas is based upon local people making posters for Amsterdam charities with local designers.

The project is called GoodAmsterdam and is officially launched at the Pakhuis de Zwijger on September the 30th – an event which will also see the world premiere of the Good50x70 global catalogue (published by Bis). The 15 posters produced by GoodAmsterdam will be hung throughout Amsterdam by BizonBuitenreclame and collected in a special edition of the homeless magazine Z, with all the proceeds going to the vendors and the Z foundation.



You can find out more details about all these activities at good50x70.org

9/18/09

New work...


Finished guitar lessons flier designed to reference the popular guitar simulation game.




Two of five "freak show" banners, designed to compliment Amanda Robinson's sculptures, for Gallery5's "Carnival of 5 Fires." They are purposely made cheesy and not to reflect the sculptures. The final manifestation of the images will be on printed canvas with some sort of aging technique. Images of the banners with completed sculptures will be posted within the next month.

9/17/09

An Eye For An Eye by Valeria Fonseca


An animation by Valeria Fonseca presenting a satirical view of the orgins of the "war on terror" as well as the results.

Dr. D has a "thorn in his foot"


Dr. D has a "thorn in his foot" that fuels is subversive street art.

"It's not street art. Its art on the street." Dr D

9/13/09

The Antaganist Art Movement

The Antagonist Art Movement - For Dummies from Anthony Ferraro on Vimeo.


This is an arts movement with a mission statement that seems similar to the origins of Gallery5 (I can't be one hundred percent sure. I wasn't there.) - before loans, bills, non-profit status, building repairs, etc. forced the gallery to adapt into a different kind of entity. Unlike this particular movement, Gallery5 is bound by expenses as a physical space. I am not sure if the changes made to Gallery5's operations have been positive or negative. However, after having been more involved, I do appreciate both the energy of the past and the present.

9/9/09

Inspiration, cool stuff, etc #9


Dutch politician Jan Pronk, Netherlands Peace Activist, reveals his past as Mexican Wrestler and encourages the next generation to fight for peace.


National Bestseller - street art by Judith Viorst.

Agitate! Educate! Organize!: American Labor Posters article on the Design Observer

We Commune article on community and facebook.

Art and Copy a documentary on the advertising industry.

Result from the designing a Better Classroom Competition.

Stimulus Funding Map on Flowing Data.

Typophile Film Festival opening titles.

Beautiful new illustrations by Barry Bruner

9/6/09

You still have a chance to win a DINO prize!


We wanted to thank everyone for participating and to let others know that it isn't too late to win a prize. We are extending the "WHEN DINOS RULE RVA!" project to the end of September so keep an eye out for maps and bones.

Also, shirts and prints are available at GallowLily's, the Gallery5 store. All proceeds benefit the T.O.W.A.R.'s Public Art Collective so that we can produce more work for all of you to participate in.

If this is confusing; check out this past blog entry for more details on the project.

9/4/09

Citizen Gallery


A selection of posters were taken from the Power To The Poster project - including my own. Selections were made by a group of judges including: Zara Arshad , Stefan Bucher, Glória Costa, Sue Garibaldi, Ken Hashimoto, Ben Jones, Patrick Jones, Brad Kindler, James David Morgan, Megan Patrick, Magalie Pedrono, Noah Scalin, Ryan Sorensen, and Beth Stone.


This online gallery of 30 posters is a selection of the most moving designs from PowerToThePoster.org. A panel of designers and activists offered insight on the work that was the most compelling and those posters are now being offered to the public as 15×24 and 24×38 prints.

The posters are digitally printed at photographic resolution by Elevate Printing in Chicago, Illinois. Poster sizes are 15×24 inches and 24×38 inches to strategically minimize waste in the production process. The posters are printed on HP Coated Paper using water based archivable, photographic inks to achieve the best colors that will last for decades.

The project is a collaboration between theMatchFactory, Elevate Printing, our gracious panel of design activists and the many citizen designers who took it upon themselves to make bold statements with their designs in an effort to help make a better world.

The price system for the 30 posters you can purchase through our online store is 1 part Artist, 1 part Printer, 1 part Cause.

9/3/09

Help me decide


Don't know whether to use hand done inks or illustrator for my outlines in a comic. So I did a portrait for the "about the author's" section. Left or Right?

Pros for illustrator: cleaner, editable (both lines and thickness), more potential for future animation.

Pros for hand inked: more expressive, visceral, much MUCH faster

9/1/09

Finished guitar lessons illustration.


Just finished this image to be used on a poster advertising private guitar lessons.

FREE PIE!


On August 29th, at 11am, a group of friends got together and handed out 13 freshly baked pies to passer-bys... for free. Why? Why not! We just wanted to put a few smiles on strangers faces while having some great conversations all over a slice of pie. The Free Pie Movement is founded on the idea that simple gestures, like giving away free pie, can unite communities and spread joy.

Check out free-pie.org for past Free Pie Day events from other parts of the country. View photos from the Free Pie Day: Richmond event here.

From Marc Obrien.