In honor of Mr. and Ms. Guava’s wedding today. May it be the most beautiful and perfect day, with lots of crazy and kooky things to look back and remember. This is the first time I think I’ve ever said “I can’t wait for line dancing!“
Photo taken in San Francisco’s Mission District with my dear iPhone
In keeping updated with the web world, I have a handful of credible, wonderful sites/blogs I read on a daily basis. One of which is Best Web Gallery. Maintained by the same guy who writes Web Designer Wall, this is a great way to see the latest and greatest in web design. Today, my attention was brought to this site:
Power to the Poster which, obviously, is a well designed site, BUT it’s the mission of the site that pulled me in. Anyone can download their political posters for FREE, and utilize them to make the members of their communities think about the issues we are facing as a nation. I love it.
THEN I stumbled upon Smashing Magazine’s feature for today, which ties into this whole concept of sharing our thoughts or showcasing ideas in a public space.
Although, sometimes grafitti is not always 100% political, I think that the simple act of reaching outside of social norms and utilizing space that is not meant to be utilized for expression is in and of itself making a bold statement. A very brave one, at that.
This idea of rebellion got me thinking of one of my favorite anarchist collectives, Crimethinc Ex-Workers Collective. Although I cannot forsee ever not having a job and being content with that (unless the U.S. decides to provide Universal Healthcare, which it should), I really respect Crimethinc and admire what they do. They’re such a giving group of people. I’ve probably written about them before. They don’t care about profits, or publicity, all they want to do is spread their message of ultimate autonomy. One of my favorite books Off the Map was purchased from their website (for a measly $2, seriously! seriously awesome), and not only did I get a handful of free posters, stickers and zines, someone from Crimethinc wrote me a handwritten message thanking me for my purchase. I can’t say enough good things about them and the work that they do for no money. Again, love it.
Lastly, going with my theme of bad-ass-ness, I think more people should know about the SPRFKR line of apparel. Why more people aren’t as crazy about them as I am is a mystery to me. I am a plain kind of girl, but the only graphic apparel I seem to like and want to support is SPRFKR.
Their illustrations are amazing, and I love that they don’t put their label name all over their clothing. I don’t know about you, but I don’t enjoy paying money to be a walking billboard for clothing companies. And that is why I like SPRFKR. Good design. Smart design. Great conversation starters.
I feel these days that my neighborhood not only consists of the families who live in my apartment complex, or the shopping center across the street, but also (oddly enough) my bookmarked favorites in my internet browser (Firefox, of course). I have come to know these sites so well I feel like we have become very good acquaintances. Actually I know the content of these sites better than I know my actual neighbors (I don’t even know their names. But I do know that they need to keep their cats inside so they can stop pooping everywhere.) Let me introduce you to some of my favorite “neighbors”:
The Feminist Art Project: A site that helps encourage everyone to learn more about feminist art and become more aware of openings and exhibits across the country. Also, I REALLY REALLY love the Timeline.
Guerilla Girls: I think of the Guerilla Girls as kind of the super heroines in the art world. Their posters and other media efforts have helped the position of women and people of color gain more attention and the respect that they deserve in the art world. They’re so effing amazing I can’t even stand it. I’ll be posting an entry dedicated to them coming soon.
A Soviet Poster A Day: – If I could leap atop buildings and scream out loud how much I love Soviet posters I would. But 1.) I am afraid of heights, and 2.) I would probably be 51-50’d to the local mental institution. So, I’ll scream it here. I LOVE SOVIET POSTERS. Why? Well, I’m half Russian, and I feel an affinity towards anything Rooski. Also I love anything constructivist/dada/avant garde. Russians are great graphic designers. So check out this guy’s blog and learn why.
A Public Space: I first came across this publication this past April at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at UCLA. They were an exhibitor, and their mission definitely is something I support. It’s always fun coming across new writers who can challenge literature, fiction and poetry lovers to embrace something new. New styles. New ideas. New stories.
Lastly I want to share my favorite graffiti/street art sites. I got into graffiti by way of researching logos. I don’t have the balls to actually graffiti on walls, but I like looking at it. It’s amazing comparing the different styles from artist to artist and from country to country. If you’re sick of your sterile environment, here are some sites to make your world feel a little more colorful… and badass:
Taiwan: http://taichung-graffiti.blogspot.com/
Lebanon: http://lebgraffiti.blogspot.com/
Everywhere: http://www.streetsy.com/
