Interesting use of a Lighter

Pieter Hugo

I find this photography very inspirational showing a life so foreign to my own. www.pieterhugo.com

Shoreditch Murals

This wall in Shoreditch constantly changes with huge hand painted murals. These are some of the more recent ones that have been put up there. Photo's thanks to flickr.

Madmen

Set in 1960s New York, the sexy, stylized and provocative drama Madmen follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising, an immensly ego driven world where key players make an art of the sale. It's a very interesting incite into how the advertising world may have worked at the time. They have to deal with changing views and information in the world. Most notably the changing views on smoking in season 1 where many ad campaigns are claiming that it's good for you and how they deal with the realisation of the public that it is infact not so. It also depicts the roles of men and women in this era underneath the guise of traditional 1960s family values. I have watched the most part of the first season and would recommend it as some very interesting and entertaining viewing. It's easy to find it online.

Love Letter

Something I found whilst looking at another blog www.hurtyoubad.com, I find this work very inspirational as I'm very interested in hand drawn/painted advertising and this is an example of it on a huge scale. 'Love Letter' is a project that has been produced by Stephen Powers alongside the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. It is an 'ambitous urban beautification' project with messages are about love and reconciliation, something I think is very important in inner city environments encouraging people to feel and respond to it.

"After I stopped writing my name on stuff, I made a lateral move into sign painting. The materials were essentially the same, (enamel on metal), the colors were similar, (bold and garish are best) but the effect was totally different. When you paint graffiti, you are an outsider that is broadcasting your signal to the center of the community. When you paint a sign, you are broadcasting from the center of the community to the periphery. Graffiti is youth testing out a microphone, Signs speak into the mike eloquently and with authority. Even as a teenager I could see a huge difference in how my work was percieved versus the painted signs that commanded respect.

The is an amazing painted sign tradition that permeates the landscape in West Philadelphia. I'll be adding many more pictures in time, but look at these and see the direction we're going to take this project. We'll be reviving the dead arts of sign painting and wall-writing; The bricks were painted 40-80 years ago and they remind us that West Philly was a powerful place of mercantile style and industrial might, and could be again."

Mr.P exhibition

Mr.P is an illustrator who I have paid close attention too since discovering his work a few years ago when studying at LCC. His work has been dotted about over London for a few years now but this is the first time I've been able to see it all together in the form of an exhibition. I feel that many of his influences are similar to that of mine and has a definate influence from cartoonism and street art in London.

Taxi Driver 1976

This 1976 film is possibly my favourite piece of work by M.Scorsese (Goodfellas aslo being a favourite of mine) with a great screenplay written by P.Schrader. It is an incredible incite into one individuals views and perceptions of the world around him. To me it highlights how different peoples perceptions of the world around them can be, which is an important element to consider in design as you need to be able to see through more than just your own eyes.

The almost hypnotic cinematography is one of the most successfull components of the film and you feel that your seeing the harsh and sleazy streets and people of New York City throught the eyes of Travis, the troubled cab driver. Night life in the city has always been of interest to me and this film is a great example of that.