The Tastemakers Society

 

When you take photos like Phillip Toledano you can begin to refer to yourself as Mr. Toledano, as when James Bond says “Bond, James Bond”, you earn those type of titles. Toledano’s photos are remarkable in the sense of how broad of a range he can shoot, his style seems to be almost not a style in many ways, which gives his work a different look when doing different types of shoots but still making all his portfolio work flow as one. He has a section on his site entitled hope and fear, which is his way of epressing what he sees as Americas internal desires and paranoia, its a great arrangement of photos, taken in a very unique and creative way. I love how he took it the images just a little step further than what you and I would have probably expected.

 

Art is easily becoming a bigger part of my life I wonder why it took me so long to get this into art, before I just liked it a little nothing really special, but now I’m a gallery going enthusiast. On my random searches to find some artist today I came upon Marion Peck who’s work I must say I enjoy. It’s not huge on the imagination factor which tends to draw me in a lot but her technique and style just stood out to me, her approach seems to be more on the relaxed side. She has a calming feel to her work, like placing it in a quiet room is what’s expected of you.

Marion Peck

 

Art talk, well that’s what I like to call it now so I can sound cool, yep cooler than you. And no you can’t use it, ok maybe you can, I don’t mind, me casa es su casa, ok maybe not that far but you get me. Ok onto the Art talk, Mark Ryden is an amazing unbelievable artist, he has that for sure feel to him, the feeling you get when you know for sure the second you laid eyes on this certain artwork you’d fallen in love with this artist work for a lifetime. Mark will give you that feel the moment you see his work, its like no turning back, your a fan now if you like it or not. He paints cute female images and mixing them in a plotted out crazed state with so much more going on them the main focal point or image itself is captivating at first glance, but when you stop and look you’ll see all the caos worked within the piece is really what makes it so special, what grabs you. What I like the most is his pure imagination, he uses his imagination to it’s highest level and then releases it through his paintings. Mark helps you escape to fantasy land the place we all frequented so well when we were children but have lost its address since becoming adults. Mark’s paintings will help guide you back to that fun place to the place where any and everything could happen, where all you did was enjoy life, now let Mark take you back there, use his work like mapquest and your guaranteed not to get lost.

I was able to get Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide, of Saatchi & Saatchi to give me some answers to a few questions I had while reading his book ‘Lovemarks, the future beyond brands‘.

 

What made you want to write a book about Lovemarks and being beyond a brand?

Fear. Naked fear. I was terrified brands had run out of juice, no logo / private labels were growing….where would it all end? And what would Saatchi & Saatchi’s role be in a no brand world. Too horrible to comtemplate. So what would come next?

 

Fast Company magazine has a great issue out for October, it’s there 3rd annual ‘Masters of Design’ issue. The 4 main feautres in the magazine are with top designers in todays world who’ve in some way shaped the way we use design or recreated a whole new way of using design. The man who changed Puma from being just a shoe brand and into a full-on fashion label CEO Jochen Zeitz was featured and expressed how he used design to create and mold Puma to what it is today, not just a shoe company. Also featured is the man who designed the offices for the Googleplex Clive Wilkinson and Steve McCallion the Creative Director for Ziba Design. The last of the 2006 FC ‘Masters of Design’ is Paula Scher, partner of the Pentagram a graphic design firm, and the same woman who brought you the simple but very strong image of the red arched line that goes above the “Citi” logo, for Citi Bank. The FC issue also covers some of the hottest design ideas coming out along with the upcoming superstars of the design world. Let me not forget there feature article on electronics company Philips, you should go pick this issue up its a great read. Plus you can use it as a reference point when your going through a rouch creative block.

Fast Company

QuickMuse is a new website that allows poets to write in real time. Created by Ken Gordon, the site gives the writer 15 minutes to write a poem on a specific given topic, and the “play back” feature allows you to see the poem written as it was in it’s actual real time by the author. You’re able to see the writer change there ideas in there piece, fix any mistakes, or rearrage the concept completely all as they did when they were writing, it’s as if you had been sitting write next to them while they were writing. QuickMuse is next in the future of literature and writing by authors it will bring a new element to writing for those who may not be used to writing that way, it’s getting a front seat in the creative process and seeing how someones mind works when faced with a challenge of creating on the spot. I think QuickMuse is a great concept with a new perspective in literature, a new we need.

 

I found this nice feature piece on designer Joris Laarman on the Reluct website. It’s a pretty good short feature on Joris which you can read here.

Coutorture is changing the way we view fashion, they’ve taken fashion media by the neck and wont let go. Julie Fredrickson is one half of the Coutorture team and is fiery, fierce, sweet, nice, focused, pretty and always 2 steps ahead of the rest. She talked to me about her views on fashion, her hate for the ‘passion of fashion’, and everything about her New York state of mind.