Joel Speasmaker, also known by his studio moniker Forest, just updated his website with a big pile of great design. You may know of Joel’s pursuits through the early 00s magazine The Drama, or through more recent work as Editor of Swindle, Art-Director of Anthem, or on a more personal level through his series of zine editions: Forest Small Books. Joel continues to work hard and is always keeping it moving, so pay his new site a visit! (more…)
Magnus Voll Mathiasson is a co-founder of Norwegian powerhouse design firm Grandpeople. His personal work, however is equally as powerful and intelligent. MVM’s illustrative designs hold warm bodies of smooth color, crispy textures, and a rich sense of volume. Although initially appearing heavy on abstraction, Magnus claims that his focus is on research driven work, and that “A strong conceptual foundation is important to secure strong aesthetics.” I’ve included details from some of his recent projects.
I just stumbled upon this iphone app that contains a checklist you can bring to senior year critiques / design degree shows. I have to admit it’s a little cruel, but hopefully you’ll get a good chuckle along the way.
Original Royal Blue Coach Services poster illustrated by Daphne Padden
Recent renovations at the Notting Hill gate tube station have uncovered these mid-century posters. The posters were located in a non-public area and date from c1956 - 1959 when the station’s lifts were removed and replaced by escalators. Mike Ashworth, who is the ‘Design and Heritage Manager’ for London Underground, has more images at his Flickr account.
Makedonium monument in Krusevo
I recently stumbled upon a slideshow of modern memorials in former Yugoslavia over at Robert Burghardt’s FZZ Fanzine. The memorials date back to the early 1960s following Yugoslavia’s emancipation from the Soviet Union. In the preface to the slide show Robert mentions, “These monuments belong to the most important witnesses of Yugoslav memorial culture and stem from the most active period of Yugoslav modern art which has been described as socialist modernism or socialist aestheticism. As War-monuments they are unique: They do not express the fighting and death, but life, resistance and the energy by which they were carried. They are directed forward while they mark the starting point for a new society, whose products they are.”
The opening film sequence for Up in the Air (2009) takes the viewer on a journey through the clouds and across the abstract landscapes of America. Each still is like a vintage postcard. The moving sequence is inter-cut with slides of lush greenery, dusty canyons, and intricate cityscapes. And the cherry on top? Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings’ “This land is your land” is the soundtrack behind the film edits that make the images float, glide, spin across the screen. It kicks the sleepiness out of the aerial footage and gives it a boost of vibrancy. The studio responsible for this, Shadowplay Studio, also made film titles for Juno (2007) and Thank you for Smoking (2005).
Geoff Mcfetridge and some of the concepts for the final credits for the upcoming “Where the Wild Things Are” film.
I know i’m not the only one excited about the upcoming Where the Wild Things Are film directed by Spike Jonze. The film is based on a book of the same name published in 1963 by author/illustrator Maurice Sendak. I remember staring at the book for hours when I was a kid. It’s still one of my all time faves.
Jerry Fujio and Jo Shishido in A Colt is my Passport c1967
I had a chance to check out a few films from the No Borders, No Limits: 1960s Nikkatsu Action Cinema series this weekend. These super stylized films produced by the Nikkatsu film studio were heavily influenced by Hollywood and the French New Wave. The Seijun Suzuki films re-released by Criterion are part of the Nikkatsu catalog. If you’ve seen any of Suzuki’s films, it will give you an idea of the films featured in the No Borders, No Limits series.
The series focused on some of the more obscure films to come out of the Nikkatsu studio. All 3 films I saw were great. I just wish I could of seen the other 3. You can find out more about these films at Outcast Cinema.
Many thanks to Laurent for sending me this animated short. After watching it, I couldn’t believe that it’s a student film. It looks like something straight out of PIXAR. Laurent mentioned that films, cartoons and design from the 1960s were the inspiration for the project. Excellent animation and great use of James Bond soundtracks to set the atmosphere.
View Zoudov on Youtube or check it out on the official Zoudov website.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Speaking of which, after getting a tip from my friend Wes I decided to rent “King of Kong”. Thats on the playlist for the weekend. Anyone else seen this?
