Visual metaphor is not only the staple of advertising but the backbone of all art. James Geary points out in his TED presentation (embedded) that metaphor is when we perceive X = Y. Though, in our struggle to understand visual abstractions, I believe we search for metaphor rather than analogy. We adore closure.
Continue reading...8. February 2010
Just in case you were wondering about my opinion, Volkswagen is the ad winner - for my money (not that it has anything to do with my money) - of the 2010 Superbowl spots and here's why.
Continue reading...1. February 2010
It’s important that we know our best work is yet to be produced. Our best is what is in us now, not what we – or others - admire about the past. Jazz Composer, Maria Schneider, has a story to illustrate this point.
Continue reading...25. January 2010
The committee is usually wrong; yet the crowd is commonly right and incredibly dull. If you’re part of the crowd you’ll be sourced and forgotten. Ji Lee and his bubble project is a good example of how it's done right.
Continue reading...18. January 2010
Evidently neither technology nor egalitarianism does anything to stir the soul, yet, Rauschenberg erases beauty and inspires – or provokes - the heart of an artistic movement. Watch a short video interview with Rauschenberg about his erasure of a de Kooning masterpiece.
Continue reading...14. January 2010
Lately, creative professionals are suffering the heartbreak of a fading uniqueness and coping with the pressure to add value in other ways. Clay Shirky gave his first TED talk in 2005. His institution v. collaboration presentation must have appeared abstract to more folks then than now, nevertheless, Clay’s talk hasn’t faded in value for those of us trying to recover our bearings in a once familiar profession.
Continue reading...11. January 2010
Listening to Ralph Gibson speak, and reviewing his work, something hit me. Yes, his work is simultaneously complex and simple. Its complexity is hidden by simplicity. His chosen frame is the disguise. But moreover, his work over five decades is astonishingly similar and that, to me, is especially remarkable when bearing in mind that I consider changing my approach daily.
Continue reading...28. December 2009
Photography at its root is honest. Its analog legacy is documentary, accuracy and authenticity. Digitally transformed, the honesty of image capture is being questioned. Regarding truth, however, photography’s quality has remained unchanged. Each capture is a story and the storyteller is the purveyor of truth. Compassionate storyteller, Ryan Lobo, relates some remarkable insights in a 15 minute presentation.
Continue reading...21. December 2009
Creativity is principally the domain of an individual enhanced by great relationships, but just as a properly harnessed horse team can pull harder, the right creative team can produce more consistently powerful messages. That said, teamwork isn’t what crowdsourcing stimulates. Consequently, don’t expect a creative product superior to that which you’d get from a reputable individual or strong creative team. Fluffy the cat will probably fetch your morning paper more often.
Continue reading...17. December 2009
“Music is the space between the notes” – Claude Debussy I thought of this quote before discovering someone much more intelligent said it first. I was at a show listening to bluegrass virtuosos play so fast that it was hard to discern a space between notes. It made me realize that there was only one interpretation possible. There were no spaces for me to think or feel anything but the energy of their content.
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25. February 2010
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