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Posts tagged with politics

January 8, 2009 | Trends | by Gerry Mak |

Russian political science professor Igor Panarin recently caused a bit of a stir, predicting that the US will break apart in 2010, when the current financial crisis will have resulted in social crisis big enough to tear the Union into six pieces. Kevin Kelly, Editor-At-Large for Wired Magazine, has posted a discussion on the likelihood of Panarin’s prediction coming true.

December 16, 2008 | Design | by Gerry Mak |

The Obama campaign was one of the most visually effective in recent history, brilliantly tapping modern marketing concepts and design to get its message across. The deceptively simple logo they chose stemmed from an amalgamation of a lot of different concepts the Obama designers came up with. Logo Design Love just posted all the different looks that weren’t used.

November 21, 2008 | Trends | by Francis Andrews |

Obama’s election campaign was something of a celebrity fanfare not seen since Reagan took up the seat back in the 1980s. While we’re yet to see whether the hype that surrounds his name is followed though, there is no question that his calls for ‘Change’ have already injected a new sense of political zest both into the US and much of the rest of the world. Politics has suddenly become exciting, and his unprecedented tactics for private fundraising have made his supporters believe that they have a personal stake in the government. So how appealing is political participation now? Read more

November 19, 2008 | Websites | by Gerry Mak |

As Internet-savvy as President-Elect Obama is, I wonder if he’s played the hilarious flash game, Super Obama World, a Super Mario-esque spoof in which Obama must defeat lipstick-sporting pigs and money-hungry lobbyists roaming around the icy tundras of Alaska while collecting flag pins.

November 10, 2008 | Websites | by Gerry Mak |

In the wake of America’s historic presidential election, nearly two years of divisive campaigning, and eight years of a controversial administration, the nation is in desperate need of healing. Beloved Internet personality Ze Frank started From 58 to 42 with Love where contributors use their webcams to post messages reaching out to the side of the country that didn’t vote for their guy. It’s saccharine at times, and there are one or two borderline nasty posts from people that don’t seem completely onboard with the project’s objective. But overall, it’s pretty effective and moving. I’ll admit I needed a couple tissues while reading it.

November 8, 2008 | Trends | by Zolton |

While the rest of the world spent election night biting fingernails whilst glued to the TV set, it’s kinda nice to know that President Elect, Barack Obama, was doing exactly the same thing, as these wonderfully low-key insider snaps from David Katz reveals. Read more

November 1, 2008 | Design | by Yuko Shimizu |

I saw these W faces stuck onto the movie poster of W on the Upper West Side of New York. They’re so cool looking, I just had to take a photo.

October 31, 2008 | Illustration | by Francis Andrews Highly recommended by the LAEM team. |

Guardian newspaper cartoonist Steve Bell is a bit of a household treasure in England: a very astute political observer who picks up so well on the little nuances in speech and image that are key to good cartoonists. His work is nothing short of hilarious. So he must have felt like a present landed on his lap the day Bush came into power — depictions of him as a monkey, a lame duck, his ’special relationship’ with Blair, and so on, are some of the best I’ve seen. No-one gets an easy ride: he’s now having a whale of a time with Palin.

October 28, 2008 | Video | There's video in this post. by Yuko Shimizu Highly recommended by the LAEM team. |

My friend and artist Emily Gearhart just sent me this video. It’s probably the funniest video I have ever seen. Oh, what a great way to remind your friends to vote. You can customise it with your friend’s name and then send it out them. Fun, fun, fun.

October 17, 2008 | Film | There's video in this post. by Xavier Toby |

Recent developments in technology and communication mean that the critiques of any event hit the news faster than ever before. This allows artists to react while events are still happening. Redacted is one brilliant example. The film industry is producing a raft of films around the ongoing ‘War on Terror’, but none reproduces the reality of the Iraq conflict with more honesty. Read more

October 9, 2008 | Trends | by Casper Johansson Highly recommended by the LAEM team. |

Spelling Change was developed by a group of creative professionals to spread awareness and passion about the Obama campaign. Its goal is to encourage one-to-one communication by creating tools that help people get out the word on issues that are important to them. Artists and designers were asked to create a letter of the alphabet inspired by the Obama campaign. These letters were then printed on t-shirts and distributed to photographers, who shot Obama supporters from all walks of life wearing them. The result is a living alphabet that shows the incredible breadth of Obama’s appeal and a widespread desire for real change in Washington. Read more

October 6, 2008 | Video | There's video in this post. by Yuko Shimizu |

I love Sarah Silverman’s borderline offensive dark and bold sense of humour. Marcos Chin sent me this short video on The Geat Schlep site, which makes me want to vote and convince my grandma to vote too. Well, I am not Jewish, not a US citizen, and my grandma is not in Florida. But at least you should watch. And vote.

September 29, 2008 | Design | by Zolton Highly recommended by the LAEM team. |

Illustrator Hope Gangloff has a stack of her ‘election’ tees from the previous US election available for sale which she created with the talented New York-based artist (and her hubbie, no less!), Ben Degen. Even though they were done to mark Bush’s reappointment, they still kinda sum up her mood on the tussle between Obama and McCain. ‘If the election gets stolen’, she says. ‘What say we burn down the capital instead of blogging about it?’. Hmmm, now there’s an idea.

June 5, 2008 | Products | by Joy Andrada |

With President Bush’s exit from the White House just months away, commemorate our 43 head of state’s illustrious eight years in office with the George W. Bush coloring book! Yes. These books have memorable illustrations with quotes to remind you of all the notable remarks he made regarding race, international affairs, economics, religion, and more. No need to color in the lines, this is a great way to show your respect to the leader whose tenure produced the Iraq War and the Patriot Act. Illustrator Karen Ocker took pains to capture the look of courage under fire and sought out quotations to exemplify Bush’s legacy.

 

The work of Washington DC-artist Michael Dotson goes a ways to satisfying my insatiable colour sweet tooth. His work makes my eyes light up. Colour aside, Dotson’s cleanly simplified, geometric renderings of various spaces are a treat. Often abstract to the extent that it’s difficult to truly interpret the space, it ultimately leaves the imagination with something to chew on. Read more

Joe Coleman’s paintings are a feverish cross between Ivan Albright-inspired grotesqueness and R. Crumb-like pop-social critique. Read more


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With rising fuel prices dominating the news and affecting every level of the global economy, some solutions to fuel-efficient transport aren’t necessarily hi-tech ones. Read more


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If Pharrell’s calling these guys ‘geniuses’, you’d better watch out! Chester French are Ivy League prep boys from Massachusetts who have mastered an interesting Beatlesque sound tinged with Motown influences. When, in May 2007, the duo — D.A. and Max — completed their recording and their degrees (in African American Studies and Social Anthropology respectively), they were snapped up by Pharrell Williams’ label Star Trak.

DJ Spooky — That Subliminal Kid — is just about the deepest crate digger around, trawling the barrels of long-lost record stores for choice vinyl to spin in his wickedly dubby sets. He gave us the inside word last week on his eight favourite songs right now via our sister website, My Secret Playlist. This is what he had to say about Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s Panic in Babylon: ‘If there’s anything that the twenty-first century has told us, it’s that dub is the real original hip-hop. Lee Scratch even had to make it clear in 1965 by adding “Scratch” to his middle name. Take that, Grandmaster Flash!’ Read the rest of DJ Spooky’s Secret Playlist.

You heard it here first. Singer-songwriter Julian Perretta might just become the most exciting new artist of 2008. Read more

I was initially drawn to Belgium-born Christophe Coppen’s jewellery before discovering that he produces two mens and womens collections each year, consisting not only of jewellery, also of but couture pieces and home accessories. With seven interior collections to his name, and a past history as both a theater director and an actor, his work is an expression of his creative brilliance.

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Alex Trochut

Freelance designer Alex Trochut uses typography, illustration and a solid idea to create works that communicate to each brief. He states that he doesn’t want to choose a particular style but instead enjoys ‘expressing himself and communicating though the needs of every project’. And his formula has worked: his clients include The Guardian G2, Nike Football, and my pencil-case favourite, Faber and Faber.

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Austria’s Wotruba Church

No, this is not a still from a Dr Who episode. It is, instead, the facade of the Wotruba Church, built between 1974 and 1976 and located in the beautiful Austrian suburb of Mauer, the 23rd district of Vienna. Now, if only all religious buildings were so damn adventurous. It would kinda make Christmas mass more enjoyable. Read more

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Petra Stefankova’s 3D automatic drawings

Petra Stefankova is a Fellow of RSA in London, a Channel 4 television Talent Award winner, and an artist in her own right. Phew! Her digital work is based on the surrealist technique of automatic drawing, which is then transformed into 3D CGI space. Read more

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Andy Espinoza

Florida-based artist, Andy Espinoza, studies at the Ringling College of Art and Design, majoring in Illustration. His paintings are beautifully conceptualised, rich in narrative and technically impressive. Of his work, he says: ‘I see each human figure as a unique challenge. I am coaxed to find the unique relationship between the shapes and tones that give the particular subject its subtle appeal and unrepeatable vitality. My paintings are not photographic representations of my subjects, but rather are my elaboration of what I find to be of value in them’. Read more

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Julian Beever

People are always looking to push the boundaries of street art, perhaps fed up with seeing the same (wild) style of graffiti over and over again. So, like Blu and Dan Witz, Julian Beever came into our lives like a breath of fresh air. His work is stunning, mind-boggling stuff: he manages to create a world ‘inside’ a pavement with his 3D pastel illustrations, tricking the eye into believing a dimension exists right below our very feet. Read more

Your enemies can always be counted upon to be just that. Unfortunately, your friends sometimes cannot.
Created by graphic-tee fashion label, the-affair, and printed on beautifully soft American Apparel in a limited edition of 200. Purchase now. Read more

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