Museum Day: September 25th, 2010

This Saturday, Septermber 25th,  is National Museum Day. Museums across the country are granting free admittance! Go, be inspired, take your family, or just take your self. I’ve booked my ticket’s to LA’s Skirball Cultural Center, because they have a children’s play space called the Noah’s Ark exhibit.

“Mingle with hundreds of fancifully handcrafted animals—from cuddly companions to life-sized puppets—all crafted from recycled materials and everyday objects, including bottle caps, bicycle parts, baseball mitts, croquet balls, mop heads, and rear-view mirrors.” Ought to be a blast.

You can find a list of participating museums at the Smithsonian Magazine’s website. There is a required ticket, that can be obtained from the website in order to get free admission. As you can tell from the map below, there are tons of participating museums.

Chalk Board Animation

I stumbled across this amazing chalkboard animation this morning, and thought it was worth sharing. Since we’ve been dealing with chalkboards a lot the past few years, with The [ b ] School, this earned special spot in our hearts here at Reddoor. It just goes to show you that everything doesn’t have to be digital these days. It’s not super new, but it’s new to me. So, take a moment to enjoy some hand-crafted video delight!

Firekites – AUTUMN STORY – chalk animation from Lucinda Schreiber on Vimeo.

Co-director: Linda Schreiber
Co-director: Yanni Kronenberg

Is This The Future of the Web?

One of our dearest and most creative friends sent us this link to a web video called The Wilderness Downtown. It is a web only music video, it’s interactive and was created by Chris Milk on behalf of the indie super band: Arcade Fire. We’re big fans of Arcade Fire here at Reddoor, so whilst creating this post I’ve been listening to their new album called “Suburbs” on myspace music. I’m particularly enjoyed the song in the video, We Used to Wait. By the way, Suburbs, is a little bit more mellow than the other Arcade Fire albums that we have on regular rotation: Neon Bible and Funeral. Give them a listen, if you never have, I think you’ll like.

Anyways, back to The Wilderness Downtown. The video is incredible. Not because it is shot so beautifully, but because it is highly interactive. You begin by entering the address of the street you grew up on. Your browser uses that address and creates a completely custom music video experience, just for you. The video aggregates and choreographs footage from the street you grew up on, and does it all to some tasty music. It makes me feel like we’re on the brink of major shifts in the direction the web is going. This “experimental” music video isn’t super polished, but it makes you wonder what will be possible (and commonplace) on the web in the next year? the next 5 years?!?

From everything I’m hearing and reading HTML 5 is the vehicle on which the current web revolution is riding. The Wilderness Downtown was created as an experiment specifically for Google’s Chrome browser using HTML 5. I first watched my custom music video on a Firefox browser, but I wondered “am I missing anything by not viewing this on Chrome?” So in precisely 10 minutes (I timed myself) I downloaded Chrome, installed it, made a shortcut on my toolbar, launched the browser, imported my preferences from Firefox, input my childhood address, and watched the music video. Not too shabby. I can’t vouch for Google’s Chrome browser just yet, but it’s been smooth sailing thus far.

Here are a few screen shots I took from my music video. These don’t really give the video experience any justice, so you have to visit The Wilderness Downtown for yourself. Like I said, this video is a ways from an incredibly smooth user experience, but it feels like you’re dipping your finger in the “future batter” of the web. It makes the webistes of the 90′s with flashing icons, look like ancient history.

If you simply want to see the video of my hometown you can do so here. However, I suggest you create a video of your own. If you’re feeling adventurous, install Google Chrome, and see how this video is meant to be seen.

Sidenote 1: The video did load ~5 times faster on Chrome.
Sidenote 2: I couldn’t get this video to work on the iPad, plus you can’t run Google Chrome on an iPad.

You can read more about this particular Google Chrome experiment here: http://www.chromeexperiments.com/arcadefire/

One cool discovery I made while poking around Arcade Fire’s most recent website was in their lyrics section. Have a look and play around with it for yourself. You can literally make the lyrics come to life. A couple screen shots of my discovery. Before “clicking”:

—————————————————————————————–

After “clicking:”

Visit this address to taste for yourself: http://www.arcadefire.com/lyrics/

Chuck Close: Painter and Photographer

I was watching the Colbert Report (pronounced “repore”) recently, where one of his guests was artist, Chuck Close. I was vaguely familiar with his paintings, but found out he dabbled in photography too. I wanted to know more. He is an artist who began painting portraits in a photorealistic or hyperealistic style. His work has evolved, now he experiments with varied grids or cells, and creates mini abstract images that work together to convey a larger image. His paintings are large and in charge. When I say, large, I mean it. See below! In the Colbert interview, he said he gravitated toward large canvases because they take longer to walk by, so they have a better chance of being noticed. Nice work Chuck, you’ve got my attention.

Here is one of his first self-portraits. “Big Self-Portrait,” 1968. It measures 108 x 84″, unframed. Dang!

“Mark,” 1978-1979, 108 x 84″. This painting took 14 months to complete.

“Frank,” 1969, 108 x 84″

Chuck Close, self-portrait, 1997

Detail of the above photo.

Bill Clinton’s portrait by Close, is on loan to the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C.

This photo of Kate Moss by Chuck Close is a Daguerrotype, which was the way the first successful photographic process. A Daguerreotype is a method of creating photographs that is no longer in general use. A man called Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre invented the daguerreotype process in France in 1839. The new type of photography became very popular very quickly as it was capable of capturing a “truthful likeness.” By 1850, there were over seventy daguerreotype studios in New York alone.

However the popularity of the daguerreotype was short lived as other cheaper processes were invented. By the late 1850s faster and less expensive processes such as the ambrotype, became available. A drawback of the Daguerreotype was that there was no negative from which to produce lots of images. Each picture was therefore unique, the only way to get a copy was to rephotograph the image.

Kate Moss was photographed here in 2005. Close reports that “She wore no makeup; she hadn’t combed her hair and she never even glanced in the mirror…”

“I’ve had enough pretty pictures made of me.” says Kate.

Very interesting and inspiring work.

Icons of Design: Milton Glaser

MILTON GLASER
Principal, Milton Glaser, Inc. New York

Milton Glaser has been a seminal figure in graphic design for over fifty years. He was one of the original founders of Pushpin Studio, which was instrumental in shaping the modern graphic design genre. Glaser currently heads the multi-disciplinary design firm, Milton Glaser, Inc. He draws on our entire visual history to create contemporary solutions applied to two and three-dimensional projects and web sites. His work has been exhibited worldwide. Glaser is a member of the New York Art Directors Hall of Fame and received the AIGA Medal in 1972. (source: Icons of Design, Sibley Peteet Design, Dallas)

On Feb 25th, 2010, Milton Glaser received the The National Medal of Arts. The award was presented by President Obama at The White House. Glaser was the first designer to ever receive the honor.

Here is a small sliver of some of the more recognizable pieces from his huge body of work.

Update, post 9.11

Etched Leather Art

Who says leather is only for bikers chaps, and Adam Lambert?

Take a look at this incredible artist: Mark Evans. He uses leather on a grand scale to create massive and beautiful art. It looks like a pain-staking process, but the result is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I bet is smells nice too? Enjoy.

If I was a bachelor and needed to class up my high-ceiling, modern loft I’d consider the Planet of the Apes full wall leather carving… who wouldn’t?




What artist’s portfolio would be complete without the late, great rap legend Biggie?

Check out his site, his story and his art: www.markevansart.com

Armani Hotel in Dubai

Giorgio Armani made a grand entrance into the the world of hotels this week by opening the Armani Hotel Dubai. Very interesting. I bet the robes will be nice. Since I’ll never be staying at one of his hotels, and chances are you won’t either, I wanted to share some of the beautiful design that lies within…

“John Rushworth and his team at Pentagram have been responsible for the naming, identity, visual brand positioning and marketing collateral to bring the distinctive Armani philosophy and style to this and three other hotels due to open in Milan, London and New York. Designer Giorgio Armani is looking to build ‘the Armani universe into a comprehensive lifestyle brand.’ ”

See Pentagram’s press release for the Armani brand and identity here. The Dubai Armani does a fabulous job of saying elegant, tasteful and expensive. Check out some of the  materials created by the Pentagram design team for the launch of hotel and residences.

I’ll tell you what, if I got this invite in the mail, I’d go.

Oh, and did I mention that the Armani Hotel and Residences happens to be in the tallest building in the world? It occupies roughly 10 floors of the 160 available. If you’re a geek for tall buildings check out the Burj Khalifa’s resume here. It is the tallest building in the world (160 stories/828 m/2717 ft), has the fastest elevator in the world (40 mph), the world’s highest mosque and the highest swimming pool in the world. Dang!


The hallways alone are enough to want to make you stay a night.

Vanity Barcodes

I came across this site the other day, and it makes me wish I had a barcode to put on something. If you do, maybe you’ll be brave enough to use one? You can see their full offering here: vanitybarcodes.com. We use barcodes for clients so infrequently that these haven’t been an option…yet. I can’t wait to suggest the underwear shaped bar code… to the appropriate client, of course.

Here are some of my favorites:

Heinz Ketchup Package Redesign

Do you dip or squeeze?

I’m generally a ketchup dipper, if I can get a small paper cup, my ketchup feels completely at home. There is, however, one exception to that rule: Chick-fil-A french fries. They’re waffle criss-cut fries, and they always convince me to squeeze my ketchup rather than dip. I’ll blame a close friend, for converting me to a waffle-fry-ketchup-squeezer. I don’t know what it is, I guess that waffle fry platform just begs to be drizzled in ketchup rather than making the plunge? Well, enough of my personal ketchup confessions.

I was watching the news the other night, and the anchor mentioned the redesign of the Heinz ketchup packet. I had to know more. Has anyone seen or used one yet?

Heinz says: “A true packaging breakthrough, the Heinz Dip & Squeeze dual-function package gives ketchup lovers two ways to enjoy Heinz Ketchup: either peel back the lid for easy dipping, or tear off the tip to squeeze onto favorite foods. The new package holds three times as much Heinz Ketchup as the traditional packet.” Read more than you could ever want to know about ketchup in this Heinz press release.

Obviously, this hand model is a dipper…

And this hand model (I have suspicions that it’s the same one) is a squeezer…

The new Heinz Dip & Squeeze product marks the first ketchup packet makeover for the food service industry in 42 years. Whoa.

Lastly, a shirt for all the ketchup lovers out there

One last confession, my wife actually would put ketchup on her ketchup. She loves it more than anyone I know.

Killer Jellyfish of Graphic Design Favors

This is surely funnier if you’ve ever been asked to do these things. Behold the Killer Jellyfish of Graphic Design favors. For all the photographers… maybe there’s a “Killer Jellyfish for Photography Favors” poster out there???

Came across this poster on Clients from Hell.

See the full size image on Flickr. By the way, this Lunchbreath guy is pretty stinkin’ funny. See more posters/illustrations here.