What makes a trend catch on? How do ideas, art movements or fashion statements go from small niche groups to global phenomena? It’s a fascinating question, and one that’s crucially important for those of us with creative pursuits in mind. More than any other book, Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point offers insight into how these things tend to work, and unsurprisingly, the research shows that influencers have everything to do with it. Which is to say, essentially, that sometimes a single person or small group of people can communicate an idea that spreads to millions. Warhol, Zuckerberg or Yeezy might fall into that category, to name a few.
Influencers, a short film by Paul Rojanathara and Davis Johnson is focused around that concept, interviewing figures from New York’s art, fashion and music scene about the figures that shape our culture and why. The film is a dope, if brief look at a pattern we’re all familiar with, but don’t really fully understand. For a deeper look though, The Tipping Point is a must-read. Cop that here.
As you all know, Pharrell’s one of those dudes for me. I use his success for guidance on my own journey, and as a result, I take in his works with a critical eye and ear. The “Hypnotize U” performance on Letterman caught my attention, but anticipating a CD quality song and video to come soon, we passed on it. So now the video’s dropped, and on paper it’s right up my alley. Take a slap, put it in Miami, add a dozen bad ones, and 9 times out of 10 you’ve got me. In theory though, the premise is a little played out. But I’m a guy, and attractive women attract me. Make up your own mind about it, but don’t deny the sex appeal.
“Walk it out like Usher
If you say real talk I probably won’t trust ya. If you wanna go to war, the guns my pleasure.
Even Jesus had 12 disciples on the lever, trigger, whatever. Pumm, you don’t want no dega 3 thou,
I’m like jury duty, you’re new to this part of town
Your white tee, well to me, looks like a nightgown, Make ya mama proud,
take that thing two sizes down. Then you’d look like the man that you are, or what you could be
I could give a damn ’bout your car but then that would be. If it was considered a classic before the drastic change in production when cars were metal instead of plastic
Value is what I’m talkin about
Take two of these and walk it out
You be the reason they talk it out
You can’t be the king of the parking lot, forever…
Not saying I’m the best but ’til they find somethin’ better I am here no fear write me a letter
’til then…”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
I try not to just go off appearances, but for me, graphic design is crucial. Whether you’re talking about marketing a brand or making a classic album, the look has a lot to do with how I’m going to respond. With marketing, I guess that has a downside, but we’ll leave that one for another conversation. Mark Weaver‘s work has a signature style that seems timeless, which gives it the versatility to work for a lot of different things, from advertising to New York Times articles. With an eye for neat presentation, Weaver combines images of nature, adventure and vintage Americana to create these thought-provoking pieces. Pretty wet all around.
Humans have the capacity to do so much. We can wage wars, murder families, and harm the earth, or we can create art, spread love, and do fun things. At the end of the day it’s all about human ingenuity. Whether you’re doing photo shoots, or you’re building human pyramids, ingenuity is key to make things happen. Held in the city of Tarragona, Spain, human pyramids are constructed in a competition of sorts for the Sant Magi Festival in September. Is this not amazing though? How does someone get to the top? “Oh, let me just climb these 12 people real quick…” Pretty extraordinary if you ask me. Thanks Amanda. Gotta love humans.
I want to say we happened upon Theresa by chance, but really it was years in the making. Tiago was learning how to make magic, and his next act was Theresa Marie. She didn’t know what she was in for. The magnitude of the moment only revealing itself with time. We knew we were creating something special. Something classic. Something timeless. It was only the beginning…
I fell in love with the work of Daisy Lew about an hour ago. Inspired by the landmarks that help define New York City, Daisy’s created a series of pop up books depicting these places in all their glory. Capturing the Big Apple, Statue of Liberty and a yellow taxi to name a few, Daisy’s pop ups serve a duel function aesthetically, “Each spread visualizes respective icons from the top view,” stated Lew, “while it also represents urban landscape from the side.” Pretty fantastic if you ask me.
I swear, someday I’ll stop bullshitting and get to Brazil. I feel like every week or so, somebody convinces me again that I need to make that trip. Someday soon though, we’ll be out there with Tiago, getting it in and documenting some memorable moments. Summing up a place as massive and diverse as Brazil is no easy task, but photographer Ren Rox takes an impressive stab at it with Once Upon A Time in Brazil. Among other things, Ren’s catalog includes fashion editorials, photographic essays and portraits of musicians, including The xx, Peaches and Lightspeed Champion to name a few. Not to mention her MJ tribute, Never Can Say Goodbye (too icy). Honestly, she’s one of the more talented photographers or visual artists I’ve come across in a long time. Expect to see her here again soon.
In a city where “everyone’s an actor,” it’s hard to find passion. In Los Angeles you have to search for the real, but once you find it you know it, and it’s a beautiful thing. Reed Windle has it. Taking up acting after being cast as the villain in his 4th grade play, acting, theatre and film have guided Reed’s life to this day. Speaking on his current work, his favorite films and the power of live theatre, Reed’s insight is founded in his love for his craft. Read on for a conversation with Reed Windle.
At the end of the day, a lot of Kanye’s charm has to do with how far he’s willing to take an idea. From the live orchestra strings of The College Dropout, to the eyebrow-raising videos with Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry, all the way up to the bizarre piece of autotuned art-pop that was 808′s, it’s always been clear that Yeezy had a vision all his own. With Runaway, directed by and starring Ye himself, the story is the same. If the end product isn’t flawless, it makes up for it out of sheer ambition.
While I love the art of curating, I hope one day we’re creating artifacts like this. At the end of the day, we want to inspire you to do cool things. Hopefully with your friends. Whether you make art out of beer boxes, or like to paint leaves, there is room for your creativity. Just make sure it comes from within.
From the 50′s to the 70′s, the genius of Verner Panton influenced the realm of architecture and design immensely. Creating imaginative furniture and creative spaces, Panton’s architecture brought life to the rooms he inhabited. The piece to the right, known simply as the Living Tower, was one of Panton’s most popular creations. Designed in 1969, the piece was made of foam with a fabric cover, over a wooden frame. Comprised of four different seating levels, the Living Tower provided a unique opportunity to interact with others in an engaging environment.
A block off the beaten path of Main Street in Santa Monica, 212 Pier offers patrons a relaxing environment to escape for a while. Walls lined with intellectual literature combat the superficial stigma that characterizes much of Los Angeles, while book titles like “Best Short Plays of 1988″ provide endless knowledge for those who dare to seek it. In fact, the reading selection at 212 Pier is a bit intimidating, so I’d suggest pulling the BYOB and bring your own book. A perfect place to relax or do a little studying, read on for a look inside 212 Pier.
