Zine Review: Our Show with Elliot Aronow

In his 8 years living in New York, Elliot Aronow has made quite the name for himself as a Creative Director, TV and radio personality and a well-respected scene maker & cultural hustler. Elliot is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of RCRD LBL, the world’s first free and legal curated download site. He currently produces and hosts a talk & variety show called OUR SHOW with ELLIOT ARONOW that has featured James Murphy/LCD Soundsystem, Vampire Weekend, Das Racist, TV On The Radio, and many more.

Aronow made a bold step last winter and turned his digital show into a seasonal arts & culture zine. An interesting mix of design, food, fashion & advice, Our Show maintains an inclusive, personal voice and pleasantly practical vibe.

“Brands are still having a really hard time talking to a guy like me–they’re addressing either the millionaire, up-in-the-sky, über-luxury guy alienating culture, or it’s total schlock… The era of quick-buck, over-saturated lifestyle marketing is coming to an end. The people they’re trying to reach are pretty damned sophisticated by this point; we’ve been messaged for almost a decade.” (fastco)

Elliot enjoys the tactile component of the zine and how you can flip through it with your hands and pass it through a network of friends. Unlike the internet, which can promote a passive sense of absorption and interaction, Our Show the zine invites itself into your life and circle of friends in real time.

July 25, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Circumsolar and Fragments of Dying Light

On a personal level it’s very exciting to share this video. We’re always rooting for our friends to succeed and when collaborations occur combining various parts of our past and present lives, it’s all-the-more charged. In this case, I’m completely blown away by the moving parts from Sruli Recht‘s SS2013 presentation, Circumsolar and Fragments of Dying Light which debuted in Paris in late June.

Combining the talents of his friends and colleagues, Recht’s show is scored by Nico Muhly and the live penwald drawings are by artist (and model) Tony Orrico. The execution is beautiful and a balance of complimenting components.

His menswear line feels appropriately Icelandic, using a natural palette and complex engineering- evident in the folds, fabric and draping. A commanding effortlessness, you might say, something we all strive for. Congrats to all involved!

July 13, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: Chaotic & Melodic

Today’s feature is all about the crazy. Organized chaos will forever be a part of the design process. When I think the number of versions that get made before that final goes up and out, it’s remarkable. The artists and designers showcased today have honed their style documenting energy and movement through texture and while some of the pieces may look like a work in progress, they’re final, and in my opinion, beautiful.

Emulating musical notes, Tom Phillips reveals a love of mixed-media which reminds us a lot of Kandinsky‘s later work. Bringing a street angle to the mix we have Ben Quinn‘s graffiti markings. Translating that energy through embroidery, print and fashion, we have Isabel Marant’s SS12 shorts and a recent instagram of a worn and torn rug from Of a Kind‘s new Downtown office.

June 18, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Making Music Videos with Lesley Morphy

In this cultural movement we call DIY, we’re constantly tasking ourselves to do more with less. The race to showcase wit, creativity and innovation through basic, everyday materials is evident throughout the web. Today we continue with Lesley’s adventures in set design. As you’ll see, she’s mastered various backdrops using materials anyone can pick up at the local market or hardware store. The magic is in the details, the lighting and the application.

From Lesley: I’ve Art Directed multiple videos for Clifton Bell (The Ghettonerd Company) and most times I need to be innovative. One department will get the majority of the funds and it usually fluctuates from one video to the next.

Even if your budget isn’t huge, if you’ve got an amazing director, crew and talent, it’s often worth taking the project, as it can be very rewarding, and you’re forced to get creative.

Usually the challenges are pretty big, as you have a single day to set up and shoot multiple sets. You have to work in overdrive and it’s usually a 16-18 hour day.

I’ve been lucky to work on major events, but with the music videos, you literally have to create art while the camera and lighting crew is trailing behind you. I’ve resorted to borrowing hair dryers from the stylist to dry the wet paint on the ground before the artist steps foot on set.

Coverage by Lesley Morphy

June 15, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

New Aesthetic, PBS & Holograms

I’ve grown to really enjoy the PBS Idea Channel. A thesis relating to popular trends is formed, dissected, and illustrated by the animated host, Mike Rugnetta. Today he discusses a movement called New Aesthetic, characterized by the notion of nostalgia and it’s translation through artistic digital media. To illustrate his point, he weaves the music industry’s recent fascination with resurrecting dead stars through holographic imagery to Japan’s Miku Hatsune. Have a watch, what do you think?

June 1, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Artist Profile: Peter Crawley

Last week we shared some beautiful stitch work from Custhom. As a result, we got a nice tip from Ben Frost, pointing us in the direction of Peter Crawley. Adding layers of complexity while keeping the execution clean and graphic, his Audio Visual Series is a stunning interpretation of music vibrations.

Peter’s illustrations are created by hand piercing various stocks of paper with a pin and then stitching the paper with a needle and cotton thread. The first piece was inspired by a road trip across America, and a desire to illustrate the journey. Rather interesting to see the juxtapose between machine and hand-stitched illustration, isn’t it?

May 24, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik