Monthly Archives: September 2014

What Iconic Tech Entrepreneur is the Inspiration for the Latest Wave of Street Art Hitting NYC?

Well it’s late Apple Computer co-founder and visionary Steve Jobs, of course. As the father of the much-loved iPod, iPhone, and iPad, Job’s legacy is a kind of ubiquitous presence in our daily lives whether or not we actually own and use an Apple device. iPhones are everywhere. Jobs’ iconic image is the basis of a rash of new street art popping up in downtown New York and Brooklyn this past week by the NYC-based artist who goes by the moniker UnCasso (a.k.a., UnCuttArt). The artworks are illustrated renderings of the photo by acclaimed Scottish photographer Albert Watson, and printed on heart-shaped paper in various colors and wheat-pasted to walls. Steve Jobs has been the inspiration and subject of street art previously, and his image used with other global icons.

In Tokyo … Awesome Ads in the Tokyo Subway, Vol. 2

The second of two examples of recent ad placements in the Tokyo Metro. This one is part of a Tokyo tourism campaign. Clever stuff. In the “You & Tokyo” campaign ad pictured below, a random assortment of common non-Japanese — and mostly Western — names are lightly integrated into the background of design in the top half of the ad around the word “You,” while around the word Tokyo in the lower half are names of various neighborhoods and famous sights around the Japanese capital.

In Tokyo … Awesome Ads in the Tokyo Subway, Vol. 1

This recent indoor billboard ad (pictured below) in Tokyo subway stations is part of an integrated marketing campaign promoting the Tokyo Metro’s tourist information service. It ties in with a television commercial (see video below) that started airing in the Tokyo area earlier this year, and it coincides with a broader series of ad campaigns aimed at promoting Tokyo tourism in general.

Mesmerizing … Steven Soderbergh’s Silent, Black & White Version of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” Paired to “The Social Network” Soundtrack

Acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh (“Ocean’s 11,” “Solaris,” “Sex, Lies & Videotape”) has released a full-length black-and-white version of Steven Spielberg’s action-adventure classic “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in HD. Soderbergh also removed the original soundtrack and dialogue and matched the film to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s soundtrack music from the film “The Social Network.” The effect is mesmerizing. “Raiders” looks magnificent in black-and-white. It’s interesting how B&W makes the film feel like a product of the era in which story itself is set, i.e., the 1930s. Soderbergh mentioned several years ago his habit of watching the movies with sound and color removed as a method to better understanding staging and cinematography.

You can watch here.

“The Mystery of the Flying Kicks” … A Short Film About Those Hanging Sneakers You See on Telephone Wires

From Closer Productions, writer-director Matthew Bate’s amusing short film “The Mystery of the Flying Kicks” explores the various origin stories, myths, and interpretations of the curious global phenomenom of people throwing pairs of sneakers onto telephone wires.

The Mystery of Flying Kicks from Closer Productions on Vimeo.

The New Issue of Acid Magazine Just Arrived …

Issue No. 3 of our favorite Euro-centric, global, artsy, small-format indie surf magazine has just arrived. We love Acid magazine, and this issue is a keeper (but aren’t they all? Yes, they are.) Lots of beautiful photography, essays and art in this one.

The previous issue was pretty awesome, too.

Butterfly Wings Mural by Kelsey Montague at L’Asso New York

A Brief Video Typography Tour of Brooklyn & Queens …

“Water is the Most Essential Element of Life Because …”

This signage made our day. It’s in front of the Jolly Goat, a tiny espresso bar in Hell’s Kitchen, in New York City, and reads: “Water is the Most Essential Element of Life Because w/out water you can’t make coffee.” True.

In New York … Awesome Street Art by Jason Woodside for Mister Spoils

This sweet abstract-geometric mural on Eldridge Street in New York’s Lower East Side is a commissioned street art piece by NYC-based artist Jason Woodside. His work has become part of New York City’s landscape in a series of massive mural projects for the New Museum, British ad agency Mother NY, and at restaurants such as Galli, Rippers and Roberta’s Pizza, as well as in collaborations with Obey Clothing and patrons like Mister Spoils.

Homer Simpsons on Free Fall

This roller-shutter street art depicts a multitude of Homer Simpsons (of “The Simpsons” animated TV series) in a state of free fall. The artwork is by the artist who goes by the name Jerkface and can be found on Eldridge Street, between Houston and Stanton streets in New York’s Lower East Side.

In New York … Viewing Photography by Romi Uchikawa for Japan’s Inu Magazine at Kinokuniya

New Rag & Bone Mural

Cool Spaces … Surfboard and Neon Decor at G-Shock NYC

Street Art … “America” in SoHo, New York

Introducing the Metro Surf Club Project

We’ve been working on a side project here at Global Graphica these past few months. It’s a blog called Metro Surf Club. And since we launched it a few months ago, we’ve been chronicling the surfing days of ourselves and a group of surfer friends amidst the unique, gritty surf culture of New York City. Check it out at www.MetroSurfClub.com

On the Scene … Brazilian Artist Roberto Barr and His Giraffe

On Monday we stumbled upon Brazilian artist Roberto Barr on Ludlow Street in New York’s Lower East Side. He was putting the finishing touches on a couple of new sculptural artworks after they had been brought outside the studio to dry in the sun. One of the art pieces is an eight-foot tall paper-mache giraffe. Barr, who lives and works in Brussels, Belgium, was in New York to create these as part of a commission for the newest downtown New York location of MacarOn Cafe, a cafe chain and French confections company. Camille Cannone, the French chef-owner who commissioned the work, was on hand to watch Barr at work and record video on her iPad.