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no.6
the arts issue
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Kemon is not just another Academy, but a new concept of education, based upon the ideals of making the true hairstyling professional. The Kemon Hair Academy’s foundation is established on a “European Education System,” which is being offered for the first time in the U.S. Come join us as we learn how to explore and unlock your own creativity! Call now for information on the school and our trip to Italy! Class start dates: MAY 12, JUNE 23 & AUGUST 11 EVENING & EXTENDED DAY CLASSES NOW AVAILABLE! 704.688.0303 • www.kemonacademy.com 209-C South Kings Drive • Charlotte, NC 28204 A division of the Hairstyling Institute of Charlotte, a leader in hair for over 30 years...
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illustration by irana douer
who is blü founder/publisher/photographer nico amortegui nico@blu-magazine.com fashion editor/creative director camila amortegui camila@blu-magazine.com fashion editor mckinna hahn copy editor laine dedmon contributing writers joey richie matthew brown lina zoo
contributing photographers bethany bandera zach ford meagan long ivy mak andy photography contributing artists bridget stec cover credits irana douer
photo by zach ford
street team/art assistants myk pate meagan long kacey bradford ivy mak
contents
8 local art_josh vanover 12 art_irana douer 16 fashion_la turista Blü Magazine is published quarterly in Charlotte, NC. There are only limited quantities printed of this magazine. We are an independently run magazine, so please show your support by giving us feedback and advertising so we can stay alive. If you would like to be part of our team or submit work, please visit blu-magazine.com for more information. Blü Magazine’s content may not be reproduced without written permission.
22 art_nathan ota 26 art_julien vallée 30 fashion_local wear 34 meet me_local graphic designers 38 cool kids_blü issue no.4 release party at the forum
Issue no.6 April - June 2009 3644 card st. charlotte, nc 28205 www.blu-magazine.com www.myspace.com/bluimage
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contributors
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.01 name: zach ford occupation: musician and photographer hometown: anderson, sc contribution to blü: photo spread favorite color: earth tone burgandy favorite season: summer & autumn hobbies: music, photography, film, painting and drawing what are you currently reading? no book in particular, random lyric sheets, bob dylan biography, verses from the letters of john favorite city to visit? ardore calabria, italy favorite thing about spring? 70's and sun favorite artist? kings of leon, colour revolt, robert francis, ansel adams who or what inspires you? mirjan rooze and a good film any five words? i serve only one master vegetarian or meat? meat water or beer? sweet tea night or day? day favorite item in your house? guitar do you have a blog? yes infact, zachfordmedia.com any last words? love is kind .02 name: bethany bandera occupation: photographer hometown: alexandria, virginia contribution to blü: la turista favorite color: rust favorite season: fall hobbies: exploring new neighborhoods on bike what are you currently reading? grapes of wrath favorite city to visit? san francisco favorite thing about spring? birds favorite artist? gustav klimt who or what inspires you? symmetry any five words? subtle soft sounds swirl around vegetarian or meat? meat
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water or beer? beer night or day? day favorite item in your house? frying pan do you like blogs? yes do you have a blog? no any last words? thanks! .03 name: bridget stec occupation: freelance graphic designer, barista-in-training hometown: covington, va contribution to blu: designs/headline for la turista spread favorite color: way too many. electric pea soup? favorite season: fall hobbies: enjoying ipa's, hand drawn typography, biking, perfecting my icing recipe what are you reading? white oleander, ethnic food lover's companion favorite city to visit? chicago, or anywhere dear friends are living favorite thing about spring? ultimate frisbee in the evening favorite artist? marguerite sauvage--look her up who or what inspires you? movie scores, random meetings, the wind. i'm a sick romantic any five words? indecision is the worst decision! vegetarian or meat eater? at times i really need a hamburger water or beer? isn't beer 90% water? night or day? day--early morning or early evening favorite item in your house? screen printed posters from my favorite poster designers do you have a blog? no, but i got me a website: www.bridgetstec.com any last words? i'm saving them for later
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.04 name: laine dedmon occupation: middle school spanish teacher hometown: shelby, aka, shel-town for the insiders! contribution to blü: interview with irana douer favorite color: shades of dark purple, green and blue favorite season: summer hobbies: reading, writing, sleeping and eating what are you currently reading? eats, shoots & leaves and el informe gólgota favorite city to visit? too many to list – buenos aires, rome, madrid favorite thing about spring? the temperature heating up favorite artist? gaudí, kahlo, and pablo zapata who or what inspires you? my husband, and really any person that gives a shit to do something for others any five words? keen, moderación, quixotic, oenophile, flaca vegetarian or meat? chicken, fish and beef for me water or beer? water please, i never developed a taste for beer – i did try night or day? both, as long as i can sleep past 9am favorite item in your house? the painting my sister did for my birthday of picasso’s quixote do you have a blog? yes, but they are probably not that interesting to people outside my field – they are on the methods of teaching foreign language any last words? peace
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local art
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SPA CEK NUC KLE JOSH VANOVER (SPACEKNUCKLE)
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Can you let everyone know who you are; where you’re from; and what you do? I’m Josh Vanover (SPACEKNUCKLE), a visual artist. I’m originally from Winston-Salem, NC. I make things look ill. Is there a meaning behind Spaceknuckle or do you just like how it sounds? Ha-ha. Well when I was in my last semester (four years ago) at AI, one of the final classes was a portfolio prep class where you had to brand yourself as a designer. I tried and tried to think of a name and I wanted something that would stand out from the standard your-name-here-studio b.s. At the time I was deep into early space exploration, so I wanted something to start with ‘space’. After a few other words, KNUCKLE stuck for the second part. It’s a good description for my work too. Some intergalactic bust-youin-the-mouth type-ish! Plus, yes, it sounds cool. Your work consists of a lot of collage style imagery. How do you go about finding subject matter in your pieces? I just do what comes natural. I do whatever might inspire me at that moment; and of course this will vary depending on if it is an open brief or something specific for a client. What’s a typical day for you? I grind. I grind hard from about 7:00 am to usually 1:00 am without many breaks – daily and weekends too. All of your pieces seem to keep to the same color scheme of black and white. Is this a coincidence? No it’s intentional. It’s just where I’m at right now. I have been doing mainly black and white for the past three years or so. I have been staying in black and white and experimenting with different styles with the limited palette. I’m sure I will gradually progress to some color, but foe now this is what I do. Were you always into creative exploration as a kid, or did you one day just get the urge? I was always creative. I was always drawing or doing something creative; even at an early age I had crazy thoughts and ideas running through my head. As got I got older I learned the technical side of things to be able to get these ideas out and express myself. In your personal creative/design process, do you prefer to listen to any particular music to help spawn ideas? Music is key. You can catch me listening to anything from Nas, Ghost, Black Thought to Black Crowes, Dylan, Cash, Lennon, and a lot of MF Doom, nothing too crazy. Do you adhere to any personal design philosophies or principles? I just try to stay true to myself. I want to create things that I would want to see and hope others enjoy it too. Are there any designers or artists out there that you draw inspiration from? Sure. I’m always looking to Asif Main, Kenjiro Harigai, Eric Elms, Dali and a whole bunch of others, but these in particular I always go back to for inspiration. 10 blü magazine
About how long does it take you to finish a piece? It varies from a few days to a week. It all depends on the project at hand. I remember some of your oil paintings that you had shown us about six or seven years ago, are you still doing any of that, or is it mostly digital these days? (For those who haven’t had the privilege to see any of them, they are amazing.) Thanks, and ‘no’ on just the straight up oil paintings, but I will one day get back to that. What I do now is not always and rarely 100% digital. I love blending everything – paint, digital, pencil, and collage – to make something totally new. Are there design trends that you feel are completely overdone? Sure there are many, but hey what are you going to do? I just stay in my lane and keep doing my own thing. How do you define success? Success to me is building yourself up so that you can build up others that may come (along) with your same struggle. Do you feel that people can learn how to be creative in a classroom, or do you think some people were born with it and some weren’t? You’re born with it. Creativity is a gift; it can’t be taught. Either you got it or you imitate someone who does. Do you force yourself to be creative sometimes in order to complete something within a certain time frame, or do you only work when you feel creative and moved? If I don’t somehow make the magic happen, I don’t eat and my family won’t eat. It is a constant battle to be in that mode. I’m always trying to find some kind of inspiration, but at times things can feel forced. What was the first word that ever came out of your mouth? I really don’t know, probably the standard ‘dada - mama’. Nothing too crazy I’m sure. Are you a good cook? I would like to think so. I make a damn good omelet; but you would have to ask the wife about that. What are your top 5 favorite movies of all time? Gumo, City of God, Taxi, I’m Bout It, Back To The Future, Part II Given this extremely unlikely scenario, if you had to choose to live the rest of your life without either sight or sound, which one would you pick and why? Sound. I’m an artist man, I gotta see. I have to see my kids’ faces. I would rather die than not to. Do you have any last words or thoughts? Thanks for reaching out; I love what you guys are doing. Be sure to check out spaceknuckle.com.
Interview by Matthew Brown
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iranadouer
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art Irana Douer is a young, up and coming artist from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her work features geometric female figures, often with animalistic attributes and lots of hair. Douer recently had her first solo show in the States, which opened Jan. 31 and ran through March 3 at a gallery in San Francisco. Buenos Aires is one of my favorite cities in the world. How has living in such a metropolitan, progressive place affected your artwork? You and I have a different vision of the city! I've never been very fond of where I live. I guess that where I am from and my surroundings do have a certain influence in my work because your environment always affects you and your art; but, I think I'm more in touch with people and art from other cities. When did you start actively pursuing your art as your profession? Art as my profession, a few years ago. Since I started having more interest from other people in my art, I started thinking of actually doing something of it. I have always drawn and painted; I started art school 6 years ago and hopefully I'll finish this year. How many languages do you speak? Spanish is my mother tongue and I speak English pretty well I guess. I went to an English school all my life. I also had French (as a subject) and I can say a few things, but I'm not very good at it – my pronunciation is terrible! Tell us about your role with the online, art magazine Ruby Mag. At first I designed it, but then a friend of mine did the new layout and design. Now, I update the news, upload the new issues and contact the upcoming contributors. I do pretty much everything. I read where you flew to San Francisco for the opening of your first U.S. solo show at the end of January. How did that go? Yes, I was in SF for the opening of Hidden Treasures, which was my first solo show. It was strange being in a city I have never been to before, having no friends around; but it was a good, new experience. How did your artwork develop into a clothing line and where can we find it? A friend of mine has a clothing line called SOMA (www.somaweb.com.ar); she really likes my art and told me she was interested in developing a collection with my work. We talked about it and I ended up designing a few patterns and giving her some of my drawings to be applied on T-shirts and other clothing. You can see the entire collection on the website and you can get it in Argentina, as well as in a few other countries, but I don't think it is available online – sorry! Your art can be described as playful and serious with bright colors, but often dark themes all in one. Where does this balance stem from? I guess the balance comes from my own life. We all have some really great moments and some dark moments. I’m very into the sinister, mystery and magic, and the absurd. It is just a personal interest. And color, well, I believe color is magic and beauty. Much of your work focuses on the female form with lots of hair! Hair has often been viewed as a symbol of a woman's beauty. What is your fascination with hair? I was very obsessed with it some time ago. All of my work focused on that. I always thought that hair says so much about a person, the same as shoes! But the way your hair looks, the way you cut it, care about it, etc. just tells so much. And throughout time hair has been a symbol of power, style, beauty, etc. The variations (of hair) that exist are fascinating. Plus, it has always been a sign of femininity.
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Your series, Portraits of Women with a Broken Heart (Retratos de mujeres con el corazón roto) is quite thought provoking in the way that most women that view it can identify with some portion of it. Did personal experiences inspire these pieces? Everything has to be with personal experiences. So many things can break your heart; it is not just romantic, love-related only. The themes and oddities in your pieces are reminiscent of Frida Kahlo's work. Who are your favorite artists past and present? When I get this question, I never know what to say. I like so many artists! It just varies depending on what I’m interested in at a particular moment. Right now I'm very into nature and gardens, and Japanese crafts. In which way do you most enjoy portraying women – divine, powerful, victimized, struggling? Is this a message you want to depict for / about women? I don't have a particular interest. I just work with whatever is in my mind and whatever interests me at a certain moment. It doesn't have to be something I’m living particularly. I can be super happy and want to talk about sadness. The message I leave to free interpretation. Of course there's a particular message in each image, but I like people to have their own interpretation. Each view will depend on one’s own experiences and it is always amazing to hear what people have to say about how they feel about a particular piece. (Women in particular are not my intended audience); it is for everyone. Tell us about the mediums you like to work with and your process of creating a piece from start to finish. I like working on paper, thick paper if possible. Whenever I start a piece, I do a drawing in pencil. I take my time and draw exactly what will appear as a finished image. I do every detail – everything. I correct what I have to correct and then I start painting. I use acrylic paint and I sometimes include paper cuts. Now, I’m trying to avoid the black lines, but in some of my precious works you can see that all the drawing on top of the paint is done with a black ink pen. What do you do when you're not creating art or working on the magazine (Ruby)? I go to school, which takes a large amount of my time. I spend time with my boyfriend and listen to music. Now, I'm trying to reorganize my house, trying to make it pretty by adding new plants to my balcony. Buenos Aires has so many wonderful art museums; do you aspire to see your artwork in a venue like the MALBA, for example? Hopefully! It is not really my aspiration to have a show at the MALBA (museum) or any museum really, but if it happens it would be amazing, of course! Right now my aspirations are much lower! From ceramics, to shirts, to a gallery wall where do you most enjoy seeing your work? Everywhere really! But it is fun when I travel and I see my art on book covers at a museum store or at a library. I also enjoy when people send me pictures of their tattoos with my art. For more on Irana Douer and her art, visit online at www.keepinmind.com.ar and www.flickr.com/irana.
Interview by Laine Dedmon
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fashion
Photographer: Bethany Bandera: www.bethanybandera.com Art Direction and Styling: Deanna Sadykov for Perrella Management. www.deannasadykov.com Makeup: Jenni Klein for Creative Management. www.jennikline.com Hair: Crews. www.crewshair360.com Stylist's Assistant: Monika Girgiel Illustration: Bridget Stec. www.bridgetstec.com Top: Tony Cohen Skirt: Diane Von Furstenburg 16 bl端 magazine
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Dress: Form Shrug: 10 Feet Earrings: Swarovski
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Bolero jacket: Willow Hat: Victor Osborne Dress: Skaparinn Earrings and necklace: Swarovski
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Pants: Phillipe and David Blond Top: Nobody Shoes: Dolce & Gabbana 20 bl端 magazine
showcase
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Nathan Ota
Born and raised in L.A, graphic designer Nathan Ota shares his work and shows us his humorous side. From his fascinations with nature channels to graffiti and the smell of spray paint, Ota gives us a glimpse into his mind’s eye. Where do you find your source of inspiration these days? It’s very hard to stay inspired, but seeing new art from my friends really gets me going. I guess it's the competitive side of me that gets me right back on track. I try to hit the local galleries and see all the great art that is out there. I also teach art at two colleges and as much as I would like to believe that I'm inspiring them (my students), they are also inspiring me. What do you do to keep your mind fresh? I find that chatting up a lot of complete nonsense with my friends is the way to go to keep things fresh. I also drink plenty of coffee, play lots of golf and wait till spring for baseball season to start. How does a painting begin for you - in a sketchbook, diary, etc? My process of working is starting from a rough idea on whatever surface I can find to sketch on. If there is no sketchbook on hand, anything will do that my pen or pencil can mark on. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it just stays in that stage and gets filed away or revisited later. I save all my sketches because you never know what could happen later. The next stage for me is to tighten up the sketch and work a value study with pencil. I pretty much stick to this process for every painting. You definitely have an eye for the surreal. Where do you think that comes from? I was born and raised in Los Angeles and continue to work there. It can be pretty busy from time to time and I kind of like that sometimes, but my paintings show the complete opposite of that. I guess I paint a place that I would like to be in that is quiet and isolated. Reality can sometimes be so boring. You wake up, make your coffee, drink your coffee, go to work and come home, and then you're too tired to do anything else. I guess you could say that these paintings are kind of like my private reverie. Is there one medium you prefer over another? Why? I prefer working with Acrylics. I like the fast drying nature of the medium. I have struggled with all the media in the past and never quite captured the vision that I had in my head for my paintings. Acrylics just happen to be the choice for me and as my comfort level gets higher with the medium, the more I find myself getting closer to that vision. I know I will never get there, but it will surely be a fun and interesting journey.
Is there a medium you have never tried, but always wanted to explore? I’m pretty much open to try anything. I have painted with acrylics for so long, I'm sure any medium would be like I never tried it before. I think that oils would probably be the medium that I would like to try again sometime. Where did the theme of stripes originate? It is a bit of a funny story. Ever since my days in college at Art Center in Pasadena, my paintings were a bit flat. Whenever I painted a figure with a shirt, it looked too simple and didn't seem to have any form. Once I added some stripes to it or a pattern, the form started turning. The rest is history. It is really more of a decorative element for me. And, the theme of trees? I made quite a turn in my work as a painter. This all came from my fascination and passion for nature and how human-like it can be when you really look at it. I remember reading an old figure drawing book and seeing an example of a tree trunk resembling a human torso and that kind of just stuck with me. I'm also addicted to watching wildlife programs on television. I remember getting my first idea for a painting watching a program on how baby birds first leave their nest. It was so humorous to me, a bunch of baby birds jumping out of the nest and falling flat on their faces. Some actually take off flying and the rest just fall. Being an art educator at two colleges, I seriously couldn't help but think of this as a humorous metaphor for the life of an art student or just life in general. What's the typical time frame a single piece takes to complete? Once the drawing and value stages are complete, a typical painting about medium size (11 X 14), would probably take me about 4 to 5 days painting comfortably. What is your favorite freelance gig from the past? My favorite freelance job was when my friend and I were hired to do graffiti art for a Michael Jackson video, The Way You Make Me Feel. We were paid to do what we would have done for free and to top it all off, we got to keep all the leftover paint. What a job! Do you have any horror stories or weird client requests? I have way too many to choose from, but the one that really comes to mind
Interview by Joey Richey
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"Let's Be Friends" 24 bl端 magazine
"A Really Good Night" turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I was hired to do backgrounds for a video game that took about one year. I painted about 40-50 traditional paintings for that game. I seriously hated it; but in turn, I really got comfortable with the medium and it really helped me with the paintings I'm doing today. If you could do a mural on any building/structure in the world, what would it be? I once remember driving down a street that had a grouping of trees that were huge but trimmed perfectly round. I always wanted to put huge wiggly eyes on the thick foliage so when the wind blew, the eyes would go crazy. That would be something wonderful to look at during our grueling traffic jams in Los Angeles. Another thing I always wanted to do is put undies on some of the trees in the park that I play golf in. I always point out to my friends how human-like the trunks of the trees are and how humorous it would be to put some huge undies on them. I don't really know if that would be considered art or just a prank; but I'm sure people would see the humor in it at least. Was it fun transforming a character from your work into a vinyl figure? It was a complete blast! I am just truly amazed on how they can transform my drawings into a vinyl toy. I am a fan of the vinyl toy phenomenon and to see the process from sketch to clay to finish color sample is an experience I will never forget.
You cite Pushead as what you enjoyed earlier in life, do you have the old Metallica skate deck? No, I had a Powell Peralta Skull and Sword skateboard. Most of my Pushead collections unfortunately were on punk rock flyers. I think I actually had a shirt with one of his drawings on it though. If you could do an album cover for a band, who would it be? I have done several covers for bands, but I think the most interesting ones are the covers that I didn't get. I was in the running for Boys II Men and Kenny Loggins! Do you think someone can simply be "taught" to be an artist? I think that one can be taught to paint and draw technically, but I think to be an artist is to be creative and I don't see that being easily taught. Basquiat, Pollock, Warhol, or none? Love Pollock! I remember sitting in front of one of his paintings for about a half hour and had no idea where the time went. You're stranded on a desert island, once you settle in, what's the first thing you draw in the sand (other than, "Please send help")? Coffee Please!!! For more information on Nathan, visit www.nathanota.com.
art
MTV-One
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Photographer : Simon Duhamel
art
Julien Vallée Canadian-based artist, Julien Vallée is a jack of all trades working on a variety of projects involving art installation, video, graphics, and design. Powered by technology and an inclination toward all environmental aspects, Vallée is bridging the gap between manual and virtual art. How did you decide to be a graphic designer? I was studying multimedia in college until I realized that if I do this job I would only integrate other people’s images online or on an interactive DVD. I think I found it boring at some point, and that it would be better if I could reflect my own ideas by designing and creating the content myself. So I decided to go to university in graphic design, and I liked it. From all your areas of specialty (art direction, motion graphic, print design, art installation and video), which one do you enjoy the most and why? I think it’s the mix of them all. I won’t be able to pick only one because they all involve different ways of working and I like this diversity. To me, motion work involves a lot of time and also a lot of waiting after the machine to make the render. Where do you work on your designs and projects? My studio is based in Montreal. I am usually working from there, but since a half year I’ve been working from Berlin and from Barcelona. I was doing the thinking part of the job and some production in my flat and then moving to a studio for the final shoot. But, I must admit that I am working in a lot of places, as the thinking process keeps following me almost everywhere. When I start a project I hardly disconnect from it. You’ve done a lot of paper installations; is there another medium you’ve explored and would want to explore to make future installations? I think that I like to try different things, and also the contrast of mixing a lot of techniques together. I don’t feel like (one) craft has something special among the other, it’s just that it happens that I had some relevant projects to develop this technique. Paper has unique characteristics and I like to play with it. One of them is the fact that there is this notion point of no return - if you cut it, fold or glue it, then there is no un-do available. I have loads of projects in mind that don’t involve paper at all... I don’t have any specific medium that I want to explore. I just want to discover over and over. If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be? I would be curious to observe the way of working of Michel Gondry and the way he manages his marvelous projects. Whose work or what inspires you most? I think I enjoy the work of a lot of people, independently of the field. I especially admire people that work for clients that they believe in, and also those that keep a personal artist statement behind their work. To name only one, I think Stefan Sagmeister is a good example with his project, Things I have learned in my life.
What have you been working on lately? I have done some book & magazine covers like, Computer Arts in the UK and the book, Tangible about spatial working in graphic design. What music do you listen to? What’s the one song you can’t get out of your head right now? Various kinds of music. It depends on the project, the hour of the day, or the latest show I’ve been to. It goes from old punk, acoustic to electronic, and some stuff from our fellow artists in Québec. For the moment I have an old song from a ska band called Catch 22, the song is Dear Sergio. Why did you choose to live in Berlin? I moved here mainly because of the city and the pace of the art scene in Berlin. I also wanted to come here to take some time to look back at the work I’ve done for the past two years, and think about the kind of projects and approach in graphic design I want to develop in the future. For me, traveling is the greatest source of inspiration because you’re more attentive to the environment. I pay attention to everything that surrounds me, and it’s a very good source of inspiration. I don’t know if coming here directly changed my work, but for sure it affects your opinion on things and enlarges your vision. Tell us five websites you check every single morning. Hum...I don’t have any ritual of websites every morning, but I like to look at motionographer.com; cpluv.com; manystuff.org; formfiftyfive.com8 and itsnicethat.com. I love the 24 x 140 banner for Tactile. Where do you get all the threedimensional objects and products to create those spaces? Are they yours? Yes, they were all from my collection of everyday life objects. From kitchen to living room, toilets to bedroom! What do you want for your birthday? Nothing. I just want to have a nice day, nice weather, nice music and some beers! Last but not least, what is your favorite font and why? Hum, I don’t think I have a favorite font. There is one that I like a lot from Norm, which is Simple Köln. I think she is pretty simple and well designed! Otherwise, it always depends on the project.
For more information on Julien, visit www.jvallee.com. Interview by Lina Zoo
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Photographer : Simon Duhamel
28 bl端-magazine Tangible High touch visuals
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Photographer : Simon Duhamel
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99 Cents Dreams
Elle Decoration UK
Grafika Guide Cover
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local wear
Photography by Zach Ford Styling: Mckinna Hahn Model: Gini Styling assistant: Meagan Long Thank you to Campbell's Greenhouse & Nursery and Saturday Skateboards 30 bl端 magazine
Trench coat: Rag and Bone from Poole Shop. Dress: French Connection from Boris and Natasha. Beads: City Supply and Co. Earrings: Boris and Natasha.
fashion
Jacket: Vivienne Westwood from Boris and Natasha. Top: Annelone from Poole Shop. Shorts: French Connection from Boris and Natasha. Earrings: Boris and Natasha. Necklace: Mckila. Shoes: Diane Von Furstenberg, stylist's own.
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Top: Alexander Wang from Poole Shop. Skirt: 3.1 Phillip Lim from Poole Shop. Shoes: Diane Von Furstenberg, stylist's own. Headband: Lotus. 32 bl端 magazine
www.kitschworth.com
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Top: Organic Cotton from Poole Shop. Pants: Opening Ceremony from Poole Shop. Necklace: Lizzie Fortunato from Poole Shop. Earrings: Boris and Natasha. Shoes: Christian Dior, stylist's own.
meet me l local graphic designers
Michael Gramling thevintageskeleton.com
Where are you from? Albemarle, NC. Where do you work? At home (graphic and web design). Where in Charlotte do you live? South Charlotte. What is graphic design? I believe graphic design is using color, typography, images, and visuals to create a product. How long have you been a designer? About 4 years. Water, beer, coffee, tea or energy drinks? Ginger Ale. Where do you shop? Thrift stores and online. Print or web? Web mostly. Do you have a blog? Yes, it’s called Genesis (thevintageskeleton.com/blog). What are your top five favorite websites that you visit regularly? myspace, facebook, youtube, ffffound!, and lookbook.nu.
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What are your favorite projects? Air War Magazine (airwarmagazine.com). Do you consider graphic design “art”? Why? Yes, but honestly I don’t think anyone can define art. Do you take part in any other art form aside from graphic design? Web design, films and music. Who or what inspires you? All sorts of music and innovative people. What are your favorite artists or art movements? Jesse Kanda (humili.com) and Ronald Ashburn (elecktriksuicide.com). Is there a high demand for graphic designers in NC? Yes and there should be! What are your top three bands that you listen to while at work? Air, Bjork, and Sneaker Pimps. What do you think of the art scene in Charlotte? Do you think graphic designers are a big part of it? I see the art scene in Charlotte as growing and I believe it will become greater. Graphic designers are a huge part of it because we bring an element that brings all into balance.
meet me l local graphic designers
Eric Hurtgen erichurtgen.com Where are you from? I was born in Louisville, KY. I've lived in Charlotte for about 6 years now. What is graphic design? It seems like it's the collision of art and production. If there's an item that gets produced, chances are a graphic designer touched it; from album covers to shoe boxes to TV commercials to highway signs. But it's visual art too. I think a lot of it is how you approach the elements on the page or screen or whatever. How long have you been a designer? I've only been a full-time designer for three years, but I've done freelance work pretty much non-stop since high school. Also, I spent the 90s writing graffiti, so I think my work as a designer has been a kind of natural outgrowth of that. Water, beer, coffee, tea or energy drinks? Water and wine. Where do you shop? Walgreen's on South and Woodlawn, Joseph-Beth, American Apparel and H&M. Print or web? Print, web, broadcast. All of the above. Do you have a blog? erichurtgen.com and adahdesign.com What are your top five favorite websites that you visit regularly? graphic-exchange.com, dropular.net, motionographer.com, wemakeitgood. com, moma.org. What are your favorite projects? The ones where the client gives me a lot of creative freedom. Also, the self-
initiated work that I do on a semi-regular basis. Do you consider graphic design “art�? Why? The designer Paul Rand said it best: "There is no difference between a designer and an artist. They both work with form and content. I try to create art, whether I make it or not is not up to me, it's up to God." Do you take part in any other art form aside from graphic design? Oh yeah, definitely. I try to take part in as many different art forms as humanly possible: painting, mixed-media, photography, music, etc. Who or what inspires you? My wife, my friends, my family. Quiet Sunday afternoons. What are your favorite artists or art movements? My favorite art movements are definitely the abstract-expressionist movement in NYC in the 50s and then the whole graffiti/street art explosion of the 70s and 80s. In the fine art world, I'm a huge fan of Mark Rothko, Edward Burtynsky and Vieira da Silva. In the graffiti scene, I was hugely influenced by guys like Twist and Amaze and then Daim and Neck. As far as design goes, I'm really loving the work of Sebastian Onufszak and Siggi Eggertsson right now. Oh yeah, and the Non-Format; those guys are amazing. What are your top three bands that you listen to while at work? It's always changing, but currently: M83, Santogold, Glasvegas. What do you think of the art scene in Charlotte? Do you think graphic designers are a big part of it? I think the scene is young and growing; definitely it's better than when I first moved here. I don't know that graphic designers are a big part of the art scene here yet, but I think it's going in the right direction.
Joey Richey addjoey.com
Where are you from? A tiny town in western North Carolina. Where do you work? Muzak by day, home by night. Where in Charlotte do you live? NoDa. What is graphic design? Solving problems visually. However, the idea of design and a graphic design are entirely two different things. How long have you been a designer? Since mom bought me my first pack of Lego bricks. PC or Mac? Neither. I choose paper. Creativity is not device dependent! Print or web? Neither. It’s the thinking before the doing that I enjoy most. Do you have a blog? No, but I think I am addicted to Twitter. What are your top five favorite websites that you visit regularly? Everyday I start in this order: Twitter; bikeforums.net; bmdloveblog; sharesomecandy; butdoesitfloat. What are your favorite projects? The ones that force you to understand that no one really has any of the answers. We are all just interpreters of life. Do you consider graphic design “art”? Why? Absolutely not. Design can be taught, art cannot.
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Do you take part in any other art form aside from graphic design? Yes. I consider moving through life as art. So, in this case, we are all artists... and we are all designers. Who or what inspires you? Everyone and everything. What are your favorite artists or art movements? Artists of the De Stijl movement are dearest to me. If I had to choose one, it would be Piet Mondrian. Is there a high demand for graphic designers in NC? Certainly, and it will only grow. What are three top bands that you listen to while at work? Autechre, Sigur Ros, Sunny Day Real Estate. Water, beer, coffee, tea or energy drinks? All of the above, minus the tea. Where do you shop? Almost every purchase I make is online with one exception: Target. It’s the best store ever. What do you think of the art scene in Charlotte? Do you think graphic designers are a big part of it? It’s budding, but I think there are not enough contemporary thinkers for it to thrive just yet. And sadly, designers around town don’t participate in the art scene as much as they should. I am as guilty as the rest of them. We all need to try harder to support each other.
Kevin Taylor imekdesign.com Where are you from? I grew up in Roanoke, Virginia. Where in Charlotte do you live? I live in NoDa. Where do you work? I work in-house at Parker Poe, doing a lot of freelance work (IMEK Design) and work on art/music related events (Kitschworth). What is graphic design? I think design in general is solving problems and communicating a message. How long have you been a designer? I've been making a living as a designer for 8 years now. PC or Mac? Both. I use a Mac for music and PCs for print/web projects. Print or web? I do print and web. Do you have a blog? I have www.kitschworth.com where I primarily post mixed tapes, art/ fashion related stuff and promote events. What are your top five favorite websites that you visit regularly? www.qbn.com, www.ffffound.com, www.fairspot.com, www.facebook.com & Google Reader/www.igoogle.com (use to read music/design feeds). What are your favorite projects? Projects that challenge me to think differently or learn new processes. I really enjoy doing stuff within the fashion/retail and entertainment industries. Do you consider graphic design “art�? Why? No, I look at them as two separate things. Design is a creative exercise, but you are addressing a specific task for a client - not just expressing yourself. I think art is a lot more open for self-expression and I am not a fan of the term "Graphic Artist".
Do you take part in any other art form aside from graphic design? I do a bit of illustration, painting, and music. Who or what inspires you? I am definitely inspired by my surroundings, especially people. I am around a lot of creative/inspiring people regularly and I think that fuels creativity more than anything. What are your favorite artists or art movements? It's hard to list just a few artists... usually the more outlandish they are, the more I like them. I would say my favorite movement would be Bauhaus & Dada. Is there a high demand for graphic designers in NC? I think so; there are some quality agencies/studios here in Charlotte and the surrounding areas. There are also a lot of large companies based in the Carolinas that have creative departments. What are your top three bands that you listen to while at work? I listen to mixed tapes more while working than I do bands, but I would say Black Sabbath, NOFX & Battles. Water, beer, coffee, tea or energy drinks? Water & coffee during the week, beer & energy drinks on the weekends. Where do you shop? I do most of my shopping at Niche, Black Sheep and Value Village. What do you think of the art scene in Charlotte? Do you think graphic designers are a big part of it? I think we have a pretty solid scene here and it continues to grow and evolve. I think designers definitely have a role in the art scene here, especially in the younger scene where the shows aren't in traditional galleries, but in warehouses, retail locations, houses, music venues, etc.
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