Outside of Sorts: Call for Submissions

by Ami Kealoha

When I ran into jewelry and furniture designer Kiel Mead this weekend at The Future Perfect, he told me about his latest project, The American Design Club. With the sole purpose of putting on regular exhibits, Kiel's taking his passion for design and his links to the Brooklyn design scene to further the cause of American design. It picks up a thread he and I discussed earlier this year (when shooting our video on him) and is an idea that we couldn't get behind more.

The inaugural show takes on the theme of "outside" and the Club's currently accepting submissions. To apply email info [at] americandesignclub [dot] com. The deadline is 27 August 2008.

Vans Lacey

by Tim Yu

A hybrid slip-on/boat shoe, you get the best of both worlds with the Vans Lacey. Although I haven't yet tried them on, they look super-comfortable like most Vans. The easy-on and off is always a big attraction and I like that if I need more security, the wrap-around laces can be tightened up with a quick pull—for outrunning the fuzz or what have you. They're based on a vintage Vans model and come in a few different colorways. I like the way the black-on-black has an understated appeal that subtly plays-up the offbeat detail.

The Black Vans Lacey is available at Beams for ¥8,190 or check your local retailer.

via Hypebeast

Earth Art Exhibit: Nils-Udo

by Ami Kealoha

by Kyle Small

Part of the Earth Art Exhibit at The Royal Botanical Gardens in Canada, the work of German artist Nils-Udo caught CH's eye. His installation consists of a grass-based ramp (or is it a bridge?) leading into the verdant forest of the Ontario backwood. It's a clever example of the intersection of nature and a constructed reality, revealing some of our conceptions of both. The sod pathway to nowhere makes us think for a minute, which is what we like about it. (See install shots below.)

Nils-Udo's work is only one of ten different international and local artists at the Earth Art Exhibit. We think they're all awesome and if you're an Andy Goldsworthy fan at all, you should definitely check out the rest of the exhibit.

Earth Art
Through 13 October 2008
Royal Botanical Gardens
680 Plains Road West
Burlington ON L7T 4H4 map
Canada
tel. +905 527 1158

Branislav Kropilak Contemporary Photography

by Brian Fichtner

Branislav Kropilak's portrayals of modern technology and industry are far too alluring to be considered dystopian. And yet, if one were to seek a literary correlate to his photography, one might readily find the work of J.G. Ballard a suitable mirror. Achingly beautiful and hauntingly perfect in their composition, Kropilak's digital depictions of airplane landings, lobbies, parking garages, billboards, and factories question the psychological impact of progress on the human condition. Recently, we had the opportunity to ask Branislav some questions via email. Click through the slideshow for a selection of his recent projects and read below for some insight into his work and process.

How did you first get involved in photography?
As a kid, I used to mess around with my parents 35mm.

What lead you to choose digital over film?
The flexibility of the format and my love for colors.

Your website C.V. alludes to something others have noted, namely how your experience working in advertising has influenced your photography. What was your experience like working in advertising, and how has it shaped your work?
Definitely, the best thing I gained from working for the creative industry was the insight and practice in various fields at the same time. While they'll teach you all sorts of theories at school, you'll never get the chance to handle a 50 people film crew on your own, having to shoot two spots in a single day with 10 football mega stars in the main cast if you know what I mean.

Your photography projects focus on industrial, urban, and corporate landscapes largely devoid of the human presence. Are you, in any way, trying to document the alienation inherent in these topographies? Or, are you simply more interested in their formalistic qualities?
It is true that I often prefer to focus on the subjects in their purest forms, but it really depends on the series and its concept. In 'Garages' for instance, the lack of human presence is clearly intended, the series illustrates the utopian image how these places would look if society wasn't bound by the consumption mechanism.

The colors in your images are vivid, brilliant, often saturated. The compositions, flawless in their geometries. How do you achieve these effects?
Well just as it is crucial to get perfect material out of the camera, post-processing is just as important. I couldn't generalize how I achieve that specific look of my work, but I basically start by removing all kinds of distortions like lens, perspective, etc., clean the images of dust or anything that interferes in the composition and at then I just gently play with colors to match my initial view of the subject.

Have you ever encountered difficulties with private companies while documenting their industrial facilities? Ever been detained by local authorities for trespassing?
Actually, I have regular encounters with security guards, police officers, etc. The thing is that I often go where I shouldn't, usually very late at night and I might have jumped a fence or two in my life to get a good shot. But honestly, I can't say I dislike having some thrills while working, it gives you an indescribable feeling of satisfaction once you've got the imagery in the box.

What subjects are you looking to document next?
To tell you the truth, I have so many ideas in my sketchbook that I'd love work on. Unfortunately, many of them are infeasible at the moment as they are 1) 0ut of my geographical reach; 2) would require lots of assistants and/or special technical equipment; 3) are too dangerous or impossible to shoot.

JR: "Los Surcos de la Ciudad"

by Tim Yu

by Kyle Small

The 25-year-old Parisian street artist is at it again. JR, the man best known for his his active combination of photography and social commentary, recently hit Carthagena, Spain to tell his newest story.

Called “Los Surcos de la Ciudad” (the grooves of the city), it's the result of three days JR spent photographing Carthagena's oldest citizens in an attempt to examine the history behind the ancient port town. By pasting blown-up versions of these pictures on different building all around the city, JR juxtaposes the new and old, what is changing and what is staying the same. Using the city as his gallery, he's once again effectively asked questions about both spacial and temporal existence while also commenting on the social issues surrounding the world today through his underground and highly controversial art style.

via Wooster Collective