Quick Links: Weekly Notables

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1. Interview with illustrator Andy Smith, via Shiny Squirrel

2. Life sized camera obscura as wallpaper, via Design Boom

3. Ryz and COLOURlovers patterned shoe design contest, via Colour Lovers

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4. Moroso’s M’Afrique collection and other african/african inspired designs, via Yatzer

5. Furni’s artist enhanced clocks, via If It’s Hip It’s Here

6. Wonderful blackboard style packaging of Kaffe coffee shop, via The Die Line

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7. Modular light wall tiles give a stained glass effect to your work, via Yanko Design

8. Not your typical boutonnieres, via Design*Sponge

9. Interview with Phil Dunne, via Abduzeedo

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10. Some amazing street art up for auction at Paris’ Art Curial, via Arrested Motion

11. A collaboration between Missoni and Converse, via WWD

12. Beautiful modern prints and patterns from Cristina Londoño’s Wallnut
Studio, via Print Pattern

By: Emily Gup

June 28, 2009 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Crayon Colored Balloons

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Summer’s finally here and balloons appear to be the signifier of the season. Be it literal or interpretive, pastel floaters have gained an inspirational edge, as it’s hard to resist a balloon’s youthful, colorful zeal. Artists and photographers seem to be using balloons to convey messaging representative of our time, mixing hopeful optimism with realistic and momentary pleasure. Tiara Mia of Turkey has photographed an incredible layout, using a string of vibrant balloons to convey color, mood and atmosphere. Dipping into the Vogue archives, Dolce & Gabbana have recently curated the exhibit, Extreme Beauty in Vogue, in correlation with the launch of their latest makeup campaign. This June 1949 photograph by Clifford Colin glorifies the swimming cap while reminding us of this familiar prop.

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In conveying hope and wonder, Disney Pixar, Bloomingdales and Dior have all devised their own interpretations of the familiar phrase, “up, up and away.”

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Sliding into the figurative realm, the Kyouei Design team of Japan reference balloons (as well as wine) with their “glass tank” prototype. This light filled spectrum beautifully displays opaque and transparent qualities similar to it’s balloon counterparts, while this ampersand pattern from ffffound cleverly displays floating typography.

Additional contributions by: Emily Gup

June 24, 2009 | By: Shayna Kulik

Interview: Emil Kozak

Influenced by skateboarding culture, his homebase of Barcelona and a healthy dose of creative irony, Emil Kozak has become a leader of what’s relevant in today’s graphic market. Devising obscure references through words, objects and codes, Kozak has produced artwork for clients ranging from Vans, Element, and Burton, to Nike, Lab Skateboards and Uniqlo. “I hope that my work can remind us that imagination can defy gravity and bend time.” Kozak’s mantra is yet another example of trends in design bridging both space and time. Check out our Q+A for a glimpse into the world of this vector wunderkind.

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PP: What websites do you generally start your day with? Do you have a daily routine for news/blog/information consumption?

EK: I check the wave forecasts first thing when I wake up. Sometimes I check the news, but usually i just get started on working.

PP: As a designer, how did you discover your talent and how has it evolved over your creative career?

EK: When i was a kid I was really into Lego and making things out of wood. At my parents house there is still all my homemade pinball machines, pirate ships and what not. When I got older, I started making tape-covers for mix tapes and the demo-tapes for our punk-band on the Xerox machine at my dad’s work. When I finished High School, my mom gave me the idea to try out a graphic design education. I did and was hooked.

PP: Do you discuss your work with other designers? If so, how does that impact your creation process?

EK: Yes, I have friends with similar professions and we always help each other out, when the eyes give up… It affects more of the final decision making concerning colorways or small variations. Conceptual work etc. is between my notebook and me 🙂

PP: Where do you usually work on your patterns and what is your preferred method of creation + execution?

EK: First I sketch with pencil and paper. Then I scan and finish it on computer.

PP: When is the last time you took a professional/creative risk??

EK: I guess I take small risks on a weekly basis, but the last major one was deciding to go freelance, and start up my own studio.

PP: Do you incorporate commercial trends into your work and if so, is this a factor that drives your design?

EK: Sure, I’m just as much a product of my environment as anybody else. Zeitgeist and the contemporary is a powerful thing. I actually think it’s kinda cool that we are all in this boat together somehow with shared beliefs and a collective consciousness.

June 23, 2009 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Framing the Conversation

Frame art has gotten a lot of airtime over the past few years. From global recognition in the fashion world (see Tokyo streets and London runway), to providing a polished edge in home decorating, the familiar gilded border is experiencing a welcome role reversal.

A recent New York Times discussion of the Met’s current exhibition, The Pictures Generation (1974-1984), recognizes that Allan McCollum’s installation, Collection of Forty Plaster Surrogates, heightens a viewer’s awareness simply by highlighting the unexpected. “McCollum’s works were not presented as decorative accessories or social commentary but as physical signs of the mechanical drives of existence—of repetitious behaviour and patterns of market-based relationships.”

Drawing inspiration from this trend, Lisa Rengtsson, a young designer from Sweden, has created wallpaper designed to frame personal moments and details from everyday life. Entitled, Familjen,this pattern provides the structure for artsy types to create their own visual diaries.

Furthering the concept of the visual diary, this examination wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of Todd Selby, the extraordinary photographer and illustrator behind the website, The Selby. On a weekly basis, Selby profiles interesting people within their own creative spaces. This photo, for example, highlights Francois Curiel, the European Chairman at Christie’s Auction House.

Additional contributions by: Nicoletta Granati and Jennifer Machiavera

June 22, 2009 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Diamonds are Forever Changing

Apparently, diamonds don’t have to sparkle in order to shine. Diamond contours are surfacing everywhere. We first noticed interesting uses of the infamous pyramid on the streets of Paris back in November and have continued to spot creative variations across the Atlantic. From Mike Perry’s vector repeat to this Parisian jewelery display to this remarkable 3D installation by Kirsten Hassenfeld, all of these interpretations glorify the geometric intricacies of the world’s most famous carbon.

While shopping in the trendy Palermo Hollywood district of Buenos Aires (yes, it’s named after Hollywood, California), we sensed this trend emerging on the tails of ArteBA. The graffiti-culture shop, Sixfeet, is covered in diamonds, most notably on the back wall, which is strategically complimented by several colorful diamond hoodies for sale on the floor. Back in Boston, the creative geniuses at AdamnCompany designed this abstract illustration, replacing stars with sparkling diamonds. Focusing solely on angle and color, Susann Johansen’s color prisms celebrate light and repetition.

This watercolor repeat by Eika Dopludo is a beautiful departure from it’s angular counterparts, while this metallic Moschino display in New York’s meatpacking district currently presents a mirrored platform for their summer shoe collection. Moving into the realm of online retail, we quickly discovered this trend’s reach on etsy.com. The artist, lanydevening, creates small heart-shaped wooden wall hangings covered in a similar diamond motif. The heart paired with vibrant diamonds is a fresh take on an otherwise clichéd romantic combination.

BA coverage by: Rebecca Silver

June 18, 2009 | By: Shayna Kulik

Art: Paper Perfect

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Patience, an exacto knife and creative vision: just three of the ingredients required to concoct a paper masterpiece. While the simplicity and accessibility of this material levels the playing field, the intricate layering and precise cutting done by today’s featured artists elevates the medium beyond the realm of arts & crafts. Jen Stark, an artist from Miami, has recently exploded onto the creative scene with her vividly geometric sculptures. Starting off in Paris while studying abroad, Stark’s exploration of budget materials paired with an interest in nature’s microscopic patterns has led her on an creative path of 3D metamorphosis. Dabbling in the commercial world of collaboration, Julien Vallée, of Montréal, has managed to merge art, sculpture, motion and technology to create his highly tangible (not to mention playful) paper masterpieces.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYf5UqJa_O4] For a bit of insight into how Stark got started, check out this video entitled, Paper Constructs, by Andrew Hevia.

June 15, 2009 | By: Shayna Kulik