Oakalicious

2005-11-26T22:20:00.000-08:00

Design and innovation can be found in all materials around us. It's that distinctive eye and imagination that allows an artist to rediscover and reinterpret a certain medium and it's use. When we think of making sculptures, we often think of commonly used materials like plaster, clay or resin. The definition of the word "Sculpture" according to The Oxford Dictionary though, describes it as " art of making three-dimensional or relief forms". It therefore has no restrictions into what materials Here are some examples of artists who have extended their imagination and broken boundaries of preconceptions towards usage of common materials. The first 3 images belong to Sam Buxton, and his folding metal sculptures called Mikro. His art begin flat and then folds piece by piece into an instant 3d sculpture. Since his invention of Mikroman and MikroWorld, Sam has expanded his explorations into electroluminescent materials and other modern materials. Another interesting piece I have shown in this blog, belongs to an anonymous artist I accidentally came across on the internet. Many artists have used paper to make paper-mache sculptures, and artists like Kara Walker for instance: uses paper cut-outs to explore themes of identity towards colonialism and slavery. This later project seems to marry both attributes and expresses them in a very light-hearted manner. Anything can be transformed into a sculpture, it is more about understanding the medium you use and exploring it's potential.

2005-10-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

Mischa Barton is not only the face of KEDS in the US, but also the new face for Jaspal in Thailand. This Thai clothing comany has been known to use well-know celebrities and super models for their fashion campaigns. Past models that have graced the Jaspal ad campaigns ( at the top of my head) include: Milla Jovovich, Giesele Buchanan, Kate Moss, Linda, Cindy Crawford.

2005-10-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

1) When something goes up, it must come down (unless you are up in space). So, what does a big company do when it has reached it's pinnacle and starts falling? One popular thing to do, is that it looks for fresh new talent to revive it's business.

Samsonite - one of the most well-known companies for luggage has lately been on the downfall. It has been facing turmoil for most of the 80's and 90's and took a major plunge after 9/11. Marcello Bottoli who runs Samsonite, has recently been trying to bring in star designers like Philippe Starck in 2002 to freshen up the it's look. This year (2005) they have recruited another star designer: Marc Newson to design for their Black Label Line. Samsonite, is spreading out to clothes and shoes and the Black label seems to be doing well in Europe.

2) While still on the topic of collaboration, another interesting young brand is Paul Frank. He recently launched "Paul Frank for Andy Warhol" which features Warhol's illustration on a variety of Paul Frank items. He has also worked with Thomas Campbell who is known for his prints of weird-looking sad characters. It seems that the Paul Frank empire is forever expanding, and even has a line for kids now called "Small Paul". I have been a fan of Paul frank for a few years now. Check out his stuff at www.paulfrank.com

2005-09-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

The world around us seems to be falling apart. I don't know if nature is taking vengeance for what we've done to it, or if it's just a normal cleansing process? We have certainly contributed to this chaos though, and much of it has to do with what we create. Nowadays, there have been attempts to produce more environmentally conscious designs like hybrid cars, but how good are these cars really? It seems that whenever a good invention comes along that will help our planet, big corporations will buy it off and close it down. It won't be them that will suffer these consequences, but our children and theirs. Life and technology has offered us abundance, and we have abused it.

A British company called Intelligent Energy has come up with a conceptual design for an eco-effective motorbike. It's full name is the "ENV fuel Cell motorbike". Unlike it' s counterparts: such as the electrical car, or the hybrid vehicles; this car actually creates no pollution at all. It runs by it's core fuel cell that only emits water vapor. The ENV fuel Cell core itself is detachable, and can provide energy for other electrical appliances. Intelligent Energy hopes to manufacture these bikes as early as mid 2006. For further information, please visit their site at: http:/www.envbike.com/

2005-09-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

Who says the french can't have some fun. Violet, a french manufacturing company, has created a multimedia rabbit called "Nabaztag".This nifty character wiggles his ears and lights up in over a hundred shades of color. Nabaztag can tell you tomorrow's weather, warn you about the morning traffic, and even inform you when you have incoming e-mail. Nabaztag has been released early this year in europe, let's see if it will make it here to the States. For more information visit: www.violet.com

2005-09-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

check out the new absolut ads and website at: http://absolut.com/metropolis

2005-09-22T22:38:00.000-07:00

Bangkok, Thailand had just finished it's fashion week. I have some intitial photos from the show. Enjoy!!

2005-09-21T23:02:00.000-07:00

I tried loading my blog last night, and kept getting error messages. So, here is my blog that was meant to go up yesterday. It's for those who love ipods, and have a passion for DJing. From Numark at www.numark.com

Product Description
The iDJ is a 2-channel mixer that enables
mobile DJs and iPod enthusiasts to
seamlessly integrate their portable music
libraries with other music and sound
reinforcement systems-transforming the
iPod from a personal music player into a
source playback device. With its compact
form factor, comprehensive feature set,
and a blue on white aesthetic appeal that
blends perfectly with the iPod, the iDJ
makes the music more accessible and the
party better than ever.

Dimensions:
11.3" x 11.5" x 2.6" (LxWxH)
Weight:
4lbs

Key Features and Benefits
-Two universal iPod docking stations
will accept all model iPods with bottom
connector and charge while connected
- Large iPod navigation controls
- 3-band EQ with gain control on both
channels
- Dedicated microphone input with tone
and level control
- Phono/line inputs for adding
additional devices on both channels
- USB connectivity (PC and Mac)
enables iDJ to function as a
music-loading base
-iPod's recording capabilities supported
by iDJ for voice memos, etc.
- Turntable spindle receptacle enables
placement of the iDJ on a turntable
- Zero tolerance precision
switches/knobs for a tight, precise feel

2005-09-19T22:09:00.000-07:00

I just recently saw a documentary on HBO called "Children of Belsan". The show interviews the young survivors of Belsan, Russia who were held hostage by terrorists at School No.1 for three days. This incident killed 350 innocent people, and shocked the world. It's hard to fathom what these kids had to face, and I couldn't image how this must have changed their young lives. I've never understood the concept of terrorism and I never will. Please appreciate what you have...there are already too many mean and selfish people out there in this world. If you want more information please visit the HBO site at: http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/childrenbeslan/index.html

2005-09-19T19:49:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of design emerging from Thailand whether it be Graphic Design,Fashion, or Industrial design. This company I am featuring is pbb&o co.ltd ( Pink Blue Black and Orange). They are a group of a graphic designers who love functional designs for everyday life. I have seen and purchased many of their products from various department stores around thailand. I like design with wit and creativity, most of all these products are also very functional. Please click on them to see a bigger view or go check them out at: www.pbbando.com

2005-09-18T22:34:00.000-07:00

this picture was taken off the Australian Shores.

2005-09-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

I have just received my first Thai Wallpaper, and I am pretty excited about it. It's the first Wallpaper to be released in Asia, and the second international edition other than in Russia. Thailand and Russia - what were they thinking???

Initially,I thought that all of the content would be from the original UK edition. But, what I later noticed was that we took our own covershots. I also thought that all the fashion pages would be picked-up from the UK edition. It didn't really make sense to do that though, because some of those brands don't have stores in Thailand. I was happy to see that most of the fashion shots were done in Thailand or by Thai photgraphers. We only have the more well-known names like Louis Vuitton's, Prada's , Gucci's or Celine's because they are definite sales; so I was surprised to see clothes by Comme des Garcons or Jil Sander.I later found out you have to go to the Erawan to get those. I would however, like to see more articles on Thai designers. The people who do press check could also do a better job of checking press errors.

Anuthin Wongsunkakon whose typographer in thailand, and is a good friend Christain Schartz who designs all the fonts for Wallpaper UK. It was a natural step to have Anuthin work on the font designs for this thai edition. Anuthin has worked with Blue, Wired, and the New York Times Magazine - he now has his own company in Thailand called Graphic behavior.

Anyways, I think it is a good start. I would love to see this edition bloom and grow. Congrats on your first edition Wallpaper Thailand.

2005-09-16T22:53:00.000-07:00

This morning, I was informed by my friend Toby Farmer about the new control system for Nintendo's upcoming game console. At first site, I was already blown away by the design and it's innovative approach. It states that this controller "mixes buttons and motion sensors, so games can be controlled through a combination of pressing buttons and also waving the controller in the air". Nintendo President Satoru Iwata states that " The feeling is so natural and real" , and hopes that both old and new players would be enticed to pick up this console.

Nintendo is not only one of the most innovative game companies out there in my opinion, but it also has shown true brand integration. This new control system will be incorporated into older Nintendo games like the NES, N64, and the Gamecube. One one does it quite like Nintendo!

2005-09-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

1) Check out this new book called "Limited Edition", contributors include such designers like: DEVILROBOTS, onedotzero, and Anisa Suthayalai. The book includes many outstanding limited edition pieces. This is when a designer really gets to go wild and play. I just wish clients would be willing to try something different.

2) Speaking of Anisa Suthayalai, she was recently featured in PRINT's "New Visual Artists Review" If you can't tell by the awkard last name, she is Thai of course. Anisa graduated from Chulalongkorn University, and worked for Propaganda. She then moved to the US and attended the Savannah College of Art in Georgia. She later moved to Chicago and worked for Carlos Segura, and now lives and works in New York. Her clients are very impressive and range from: PRADA, MUI MUI, KNOLL, Chanel, to Vitra. You may vist her website at: http://www.bydefault.org/

2005-09-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's midnight, and I am still working on the Lambesis Agency Book. I'm going to make this as quick and painless as possible. In my prior blog, I showed you guys some of the "JOE the seacret agent models". I am now determined to make my own models with my cartoon Magenta. There are altogether 4 main characters, plus one robot. I am on a limited budget to make these models, so what are your two favorite characters? Please e-mail me your vote!

2005-09-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

Some days you feel really energized, and some days you don't - and this day is one of them. When you're over 30, your body changes dramatically. Things that never bothered you start bothering you...but that's 30 something year old me complaining to you. Anyways: 1) have you noticed all the excessive designer products out there? Do we really need a gucci dog bone? Another great example of this excessive design for the rich, is the Christian Dior toothpaste. I do not know what Hedi Slimane was thinking. One good feature though, is that you can actually roll the toothpaste up and clip the end while the content is being used up. Did you hear that colgate?

2) Life is already complicated, and the things we use shouldn't add on to that. Leave it to the Japanese to come up with something modern,elegant and simple. While they and many Londoners have enjoyed MUJI products for a number of years now, Moma has only just started selling their products here in the US.

3) Scions are what volvos would look like on a Jetson's TV show. I am not a big fan of this boxy vehicle, but I do admire what it stands for. This new concept car from Scion, called the Scion t2B (Tall Two-Box) was developed by the Calty Design Research company. Inspired by new york urbanites, this car can download songs and games. It also has some cool storage areas, I just wonder if it comes with a hybrid engine or not.

2005-09-12T21:20:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I am an avid follower of cartoons and anime. Four years ago, apart from being the Art Director at an established Fashion magazine, I also got to Art Direct another magazine called "Manga Katch". It was here that I got to meet a lot of cartoonists whom I admire, and still keep in contact with till this day. This specific cartoonist is Mr. Chart and his creation: Joe the Seacret Agent. I decided to show some of his books and models that have been published. I also heard through the grapevine that an animation project is in the works.

2005-09-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

I decided to go to the Wild Animal Park this weekend. It was a very eventful day and the animals were charming as usual. I got to witness the birth of a baby fawn, which everyone on the train was excited to see. Apart from that, I also got to see what rhino-loving was all about. I was informed that it usually takes an hour for the male to finish his dirty deeds, and for all that time, the female has to carry his weight on her. What's more interesting is that while the male rhino is making sweet rhino love to her, the female must always have a girlfriend close by. Kinky some might say, but it is actually a form of protection. She's just looking out for her girlfriend, becasue in that position they are very vulnerable to enimies that might be lurking around. Please scroll down and enjoy some of the pictures I took at the park.