Certificate Bachelors Masters
0800 10 95 10 www.design.unitec.ac.nz
Contemporary Craft Graphic Design & Animation Interior Design Photography & Media Arts Product & Furniture Design Visual Arts
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The star issue
4. THREADED editorial. fiona grieve
6. THREADED pigeon-hole.
Graffiti ain't so bad. BIOGRAPHY Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 04:24:45 +1100 From: ——@xtra.co.nz To: ——-@hotmail.com CC: ——@gmail.com; ——@gmail.com Subject: Hi, In the night-time, it just came to me to write to you about the tagging, stick-up art or whatever you call it. I know we spoke about this when I was down but I am so worried about the possibility of you breaking the law (with which I don't necessarily agree) that I feel I need to explicitly write down exactly my feelings and what the implications are. I think you know these but if you ever end up with a record of offence it will not just curtail most travel plans you and —– may have but also has the possibility to greatly affect your career options in New Zealand. OK, you know I like your art and like you getting out and doing things but I can't condone breaking the law. I asked —– to talk to you also but I am not sure if time allowed for this. I wonder if it’s an addiction to do this and if you feel that this is so then the only way to deal with an addiction is to stop it totally, completely and straightaway. I would be happy to get some help in the form of counselling or whatever if that is needed; this is how strongly I feel about it. Look around at who does the tagging and tell me if these people have travelled, want to travel or want to work overseas? not to mention their job ideas… OK, that's my thoughts and I have cc’d this to —– and —– as they are possibly to best cohorts you have in this life:) I love you all so much. All going OK here; I am enjoying walking, jogging, going to the gym, nice coffee, reading and doing a spot of work prep; in other words, am on holiday! love mums DONATE
Help us draw on other people’s property.
Website: www.bmdisyourfriend.com Photographer: Blake Dunlop www.emulsionburns.com top. 2011, photo by nigel roberts, taupo middle. 2012, photo by blake dunlop, wellington bottom. 2011, bmd vs blake dunlop, photo by Blake Dunlop, wellington
WIN Threaded has six SKULL AND BONES tees to give away
skull and bones Skull and Bones is a successful Auckland-based digital media company that has recently launched its own fashion label. You may already be following them on Facebook – along with the 5,000 people that already are. S&B intends to build an audience around shared political, social and human values, as well as through good fashion. The label has launched with two ranges – an Originals range based on the Zodiac, and a Perennials range, which has its roots more in skate and street culture. All the designs are original and each one has its own video, all of which can be viewed at youtube.com/bonesclothingnz It's all available on the BONES shop at shop.skullandbones.co.nz “The marketing will be a signature point of difference for the brand, along with the originality of the designs,” Creative Director Matt Zwartz says. “We’re putting everything into this and I'm hopeful of seeing it represented internationally within three years.” Matt says the brand is a natural home for anyone with a rebellious spirit. “We’re looking to stand for more than just fashion. We really want to build a community around our values, and to help people find a voice.” Website: www.skullandbones.co.nz
Q's email your ANSWERs T0: info@threaded.co.nz
by 31 july 2012
HOW
1. NAME THE TWO TEES WORN BY THE BONES MODELS ON THE LEFT? 2. Who do the bones call their brother in their anthem?
8. THREADED pigeon-hole.
The BizDojo Makerspace Co-working space The BizDojo is dizzy with excitement as it plans to launch a Makerspace on Karangahape Road in 2012. Merging the BizDojo experience of co-working with a studio environment, Makerspace will provide artists and creators of all kinds with an expertly managed place to work – all equipped with the latest technology! The space will feature a photography studio, spray booth, industrial sewing set-up, prototype working tables and much more. A gallery space will provide an immediate outlet for finished work and the café and bar area will regularly showcase events and workshops. At the core of The BizDojo philosophy is the belief that profound innovation relies on meaningful collaboration. The BizDojo is already home to over 100 digital creatives and entrepreneurs in Auckland and Wellington. Makerspace will continue to grow this community, adding a diverse range of analogue artists to the mix. Disbanding the old masters’ method of working in isolation, The BizDojo fosters an environment that sparks ideas and opportunities for all connected to it. If you’d like to advance your business or creative practice, you can become a part of this innovation ecosystem. Register your interest to be a founding member of the Makerspace when it opens mid-2012 by dropping a line about yourself to info@bizdojo.com. Website: www.bizdojo.com
WIN T h r e a d e d h as a f ull s e t o f r aka i ka r a it i a n a 's b e a uti f ul p r int s to g i v e away
prints
Prints and the Revolution Rakai Karaitiana is the co-founder of Aroha & Friends, a retail destination in Napier, which operates as both a freelance design studio and screen-print department. Karaitiana produced these sweet little letterpress two-colour editions which are influenced by early Maori folk art and native painted meeting houses. Being based on the eastern side of the North Island, these influences are visible from northern Hawke's Bay and further up the East Coast. Rakai Karaitiana started screenprinting on location at festivals and events, and has recently expanded into other printing practices including letterpress and foiling. He just purchased a Heidelberg windmill printing press and started printing small runs of fabric. The business and retail store are relocating in the middle of the year to larger premises to allow for a larger workshop and increased studio production. Karaitiana’s love for printing embraces traditional practices such as letterpress, printmaking and signwriting, which are easily superseded by the use of technology and command P. “I enjoy the handson process and skill required for these forgotten crafts; now it seems too easy to just press ‘print’ and call it signwriting or design”. Website: www.houseofaroha.co.nz
HOW The first person to tweet @threadedmag what you would buy from Aroha & Friends [if you won the lottery], using the hashtag's #Threaded #HouseOfAroha wins!
creative ject
12. THREADED bbthu16
bbthu16
There've been a lot of goings-on at the Threaded studio lately and our latest partnership with Billabong has us excited on a number of fronts. Not only do we have the chance to venture into fashion design and develop a collection with Billabong that celebrates what it means to be part of the greater Kiwi Iwi – we have the chance to advance Threaded studio’s collaborative ethos and bridge the gap between emerging/ educational and established/industry environments. In many ways, Billabong and Threaded were destined to team up; it’s a match made in heaven. Both are committed to inspiring youth and want to creatively showcase NZ’ness through design. At Threaded we are always open to the possibility of new opportunities and meaningful collaboration; being located in The BizDojo’s, co-working space on K Road is kind of a give-away on this front and this location is the perfect place to launch this project. Pretty early on we knew we needed a dynamic and credible collaborative model to sustain and nurture design outcomes so we brought together students/grads from Unitec Institute of Technology, Department of Design and Visual Arts to work with Billabong, Threaded + friends. This segmentation has been critical to the success of the project, as was fostering a rewarding experience for emerging designers
whilst delivering tangible benefits to Billabong. It’s understandable that many companies don’t have the resources to manage less-experienced designers through a process, but, in Threaded’s case, we couldn’t achieve what we do without valuing and managing these relationship’s – it’s part of who we are. Davy Henley, Senior Account Manager for Billabong, knew that young designers would approach this opportunity with a fresh lens, and with Davy’s vast industry experience, Kyra’s critical attention to design detail and a group of picked and plucked creatives, we had our winning formula. To start the collaboration, we opted for a one-week intensive thinktank session to let the sparks fly between our emerging designers and a couple of more-well-known names. We worked with Dr Cris de Groot of Nuzilla and Unitec who engineered a half-day briefing session to unpack the brand essence and target market, and study exemplars from Billabong’s clothing range. Cris facilitated a couple of hands-on contextual/conceptual brainstorming sessions to explore the chemical make-up needed to design and distil NZ’ness into an image or icon. All participants were kindly supplied with a visual diary from Spicers to capture ideas, drawings and research and the book Beached As to immerse them in New Zealand’s beach culture history.
KEY TH - Threaded BB - Billabong U - Unitec IY - Inspiring Youth BS - Board Sport AB - Action-based S - Students G - Graduates F - Freelancers C - Collaboration NZ - New Zealand L - Lifestyle J - Jandals BQ - BBQ
DY - DIY EM - Emotional K - Kiwiana ST - Small Town TW - Tangata Whenua CU - Culture D - Dairy’s RT - Road Tripping FV - Farm Vernacular EN - Environment SH - Sheep KW - Kiwi B - Beaches
who was involved KYRA CLARKE Threaded Media, Founder / Designer / Co-Art Director FIONA GRIEVE Threaded Magazine, Editor / Co-Art Director Unitec Institute of Technology, Senior Lecturer, Dept of Design and Visual Arts DAVY HENLEY Billabong, Senior Account Manager JUSTIN WATENE Amazon, Men’s Retail Buyer CHEY ATARIA DEF, Founder DR CRIS DE GROOT Nuzilla Ltd Unitec Institute of Technology, Senior Lecturer, Product and Furniture Design, Dept of Design and Visual Arts Anita Ward Unitec Institute of Technology Graphic Designer / Student Sam Yong inthewolf.com Designer / Illustrator / Artist
who was involved [cont.] Jodi Davis Freelance Graphic Designer Lindsay Yee Fuman Graphic Designer Nick Baillie Unitec Institute of Technology, Graphic Designer / Type Student Irene Kam Unitec Institute of Technology Graphic Graphic Designer / Student RebeCCa Brown Unitec Institute of Technology Graphic Designer / Student Bhavesh Bhuthadia 5D Creative Limited, Product Designer Luke Toth Unitec Institute of Technology, Graphic Designer / Illustrator / Student Jade Dole Unitec Institute of Technology Product & Furnture Designer / Student
Half-way through the week, we conducted a formal critique at Unitec’s, Graphic Design and Animation studio, which involved Lecturer Sue Jowsey, and Davy invited guest designers Justin Watene, founder of New Zealand skate/fashion brand Traffick, and Chey Ataria, who has recently launched the skate/fashion brand DEF to be a part of the feedback and critique loop. These four immediately recognised the concepts worthy of further development and kept the project on our target coordinates 36.8500° S, 174.7833° E. To end the thinktank collaboration, all of our designers presented the very best of their ideas to Billabong New Zealand
General Manager Jason Neely and Davy Henley. As expected, many of our ideas faded into the background but others stood out as flagship graphics that could carry and communicate the sentiment of our NO.-8-wire attitude, our humble but proud spirit, our traditions and taonga [treasured gifts]. The Billabong staff hand-picked and plucked the best designs that suited the collection; Tom Smith put together a hype reel of the process mixed in with some classic New Zealand landscape footage and some surf/skate action from recent events.
creative ject Davy set off to Australia to present the collection to the global production manager for sign-off. Now, having had the green light, we are in the process of branding, packaging and launching this collection. So, buyer beware – there will be a little bit of NZ’ness coming to a store near you soon.
selected DESIGNS: KINGSWOOD, Sam Yong AZTEC PATTERN, Rebecca Brown kIWI/ WAVES, Luke Toth KIWI IWI, Nick Baillie * visual diary drawings c/o bhavesh Bhuthadia
October 26–27 2012, Auckland, New Zealand
Adbusters Field Nea Machina Rockin’ Jelly Bean J.Barnbrook Assembly Live performance by The Light Surgeons
SUPEREVERYTHING*
wecancreate.co.nz
18. THREADED podium.
podium This issue celebrates the performance of five character-driven headliners and journeys behind the scenes to view the graphic portrayal of Houdini-esque ensembles and impressive solo acts each set across three double-page spreads.
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A Small Studio with Big Ideas — Carl DeTorres —
Strange Loops — Jessica Fortner —
To start the show, Sven Pendergrass catches up with Carl from Carl DeTorres Graphic Design studio in Oakland, California. He explores how their work is done and shares some of their creative principles, compositions, rhythm, harmony, storytelling and craft. These make it easy to see why clients coming from sectors as varied as technology, science, finance and business applaud a big and bold graphic feat.
It’s fair to say that Jessica Fortner has a thing for drawing bears and tigers and, after some time spent admiring her illustrations, you can’t help but imbue these beautiful creatures with the human personality traits that Fortner so subtly endears within her work. In this interview with Michael Wandelmaier, Fortner chronicles conundrums, projects and jobs she would do in a parallel universe and goes behind the scenes to talk about the inner workings of her drawing practice.
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Likes & Loathes, No Where Famous — Nick Rudenno —
A Good Folk Experience, GOOD FOLK — Jon Raymen —
Geriatric Kamasutra — Henrik Drescher —
Nowhere Famous loves type, not text and, instead of recounting a lengthy story about their exploits, we take a tour through a collection of likes and loathes discovering objects they have admired and pieces of work that encapsulate the things this studio in Sydney, Australia, loves about design. Photography and graphic design are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to media and exploits that this crew are involved in, you may have noticed Nick Rudenno's handiwork in ‘T-World 07’, also featured in Ed.XI.
The Good Folk are good at putting people first; this is the studio that nearly kills itself annually while putting together a stunning international creative superstar lineup at ‘We Can Create’ in Auckland, New Zealand. This profile is a chance to see them centre stage for a change in a performance that might just have you wondering if you had seen their work in a former life, perhaps all will be revealed at WCC on 26-27October 2012.
Well, it’s impossible not to do a double flip when you look closely at Henrik Drescher’s ‘Geriatric Kamasutra’ menagerie but, of course, conceptual acrobatics is what Drescher does best and that’s why we wanted to include a passage. Hopefully no one is flipping out, but we were hopeful that there would be bandaged ears, absinthe , gorilla antics or Zeitgeists in our twelfth issue.
20. THREADED CARL DETORRES. a small design studio with big ideas
Carl DeTorres Graphic Design A small studio with big ideas -
interview by Sven Pendergrass
In a small warehouse, on a small nondescript street in the relatively unknown city of Oakland, California, you’ll find Carl DeTorres and Erik Carnes hard at work. Whether it’s illustrating magazine covers, designing logos or creating information graphics, they know how to stay busy.
Carl DeTorres Graphic Design, or CDGD for short, is as small as it gets. With just two designers they’ve managed to consistently contribute award-winning work to some of the world’s largest corporations, institutions and publications. Keeping busy is what they do best. This is in no small part due to their ability to bring a well-rounded and eclectic array of skills to all of
their projects. Their ability to seemlessly meld illustration, design, typography, information graphics or even motion graphics makes them suitable to tackle almost any kind of project. This unique blend of talents gives their work a distinct flavour that definitely stands out in a crowd. Highly visual, extremely bold and with no lack of colour, their designs are oftentimes complex constructions of shape and form that help tell a greater narrative. This is just one of the reasons why they’ve been able to curate an impressive list of clients from primarily technology, science, finance and business sectors. I caught up with Carl at the studio to talk about how the work gets done.
client
BlackRock Ogilvy & Mather
agency
Ogilvy & Mather approached us to create an heroic image for the launch of the new BlackRock campaign. BlackRock is a forward-thinking investment firm that wanted to reset expectations about investing in the post-recession economy. It was a story of rebirth which comes across quite directly in the artwork. This inset shows a full-page reproduction from the US edition of the ‘Wall Street Journal’.
sven So Carl, you and Erik just moved into your new studio in Oakland; how’s it coming? carl Are you kidding? Don’t you see that we’re working on the same desk at the moment! Actually it’s going great! We’ve been looking to move into a proper studio for some time now. As you can see, we have a lot of space and really high ceilings; hopefully we can dream even bigger now.
Big, is definitely something you have down. I once heard your work referred to as “big”. What do you think of that? sven
carl
Big, huh? Well assuming that size doesn’t
client
matter, I don’t think much of it. I’m guessing that they were referring to the boldness of our graphics. We live in such a tight, crowded, technical world full of useless minutiae. A lot of that shows up in graphic design today. I try to strip out most of the superfluous detail from my work and let the shapes and colours do the talking. sven So do you consider yourself more of a designer that illustrates or an illustrator that designs? Or does it not matter? carl It all depends on the job. I don’t really distinguish the two anymore. All creative endeavours
WIRED, UK Andrew Diprose
art director
Our long-time collaborator Andrew Diprose reached out to us to create an iconic image for WIRED’s annual ‘Smart List’ cover. The editorial angle was to present these people in conversation. We wanted to capture the idea of multiple people having a dynamic and integrated dialogue. In addition to the print cover which was beautifully printed in CMYK and four spot colours; we produced a 20-second animation for their iPad edition.
client
Edutopia
Maili Holiman Edutopia is the non-profit entity of The George Lucas Educational Foundation located in San Rafael, California. We’ve been working with Design Director Maili Holiman for a few years now on various logos, information graphics and icons for different media touchpoints. The five icons shown above are just a few in the suite we developed for their ‘Core Educational Values’ series.
design director
client
IBM, THINK Exhibit SYPartners
agency
We had the honour to work directly with IBM and SYPartners on the development of the ‘THINK’ exhibit. The exhibit was a short film and a series of interactive experiences that were open to the public in New York City. This set of illustrations was about different key sectors of public services, and gives an example of just a few in a series showing improvements being made in major in cities all over the world.
client
IBM, Watson Ogilvy & Mather
agency
Ogilvy & Mather reached out to us to develop the main brand identity for the IBM ‘Watson’ technology. IBM ‘Watson’ is a super-computer developed by IBM that can understand natural language. We developed the main logo identity, print avatar and even a series of 10 information graphics showing how the computer works. The inset above displays the ‘Watson’ avatar being featured on IBM’s home page.
rely on the same principles: compositions, rhythm, harmony, storytelling and craft. It’s all the same in my mind. I try to create images that communicate, inspire and enlighten. sven
Then what’s your favourite kind of project?
carl It’s one that uses all my skills. I think my best work happens when I get to exercise all those muscles on a single project. sven
So what’s next for the studio?
Well, besides getting our new desks which should be arriving any day now, we’re about to finally relaunch our website. Other than that Erik carl
client
Travel+Leisure Sandra Garcia
and I will be working on getting the studio set up to be the most creative place possible. sven
In your opinion, what makes a creative space?
Great question! Lemme think... well I’d say one that is comfortably rigid. You know, not too comfy, but not too business-like either. I hate places that are too fancy. I don’t want to feel like I’m working in a museum. Ultimately, I want a place that inspires exploration. It should probably be a hybrid science lab, workshop and art gallery. Oh yeah – don’t forget the espresso bar, a really nice one. I owe my whole career to coffee. carl
Society of Publication Designers Publication Annual 46
client
art director
title
In 2010, we had the honour to collaborate with Travel+Leisure on their first ever iPad edition. We worked closely with art director Sandra Garcia to develop a series of interactive maps for the main features as well as illustrating a set of interactive world globes that were used as the main navigation device on the Table of Contents. The user could explore all the locations featured in that issue by simply tapping the location.
We designed, art directed and produced the 46th edition of the ‘New York Society of Publications Designers Annual Awards’ publication. This annual recognises the best design, illustration and photography work happening in magazines all over the world. For the cover, we commissioned photographer Todd Hido to capture our favorite local news-stand, Issues, in Oakland California.
client
IBM, Smarter Planet Ogilvy & Mather
agency
Since 2008, we’ve partnered with Ogilvy & Mather to create design and illustration for the IBM ‘Smarter Planet’ campaign. The general purpose of our work in this campaign is to help illustrate and clarify technically complex or invisible processes happening in our world today. This piece was created for an online and print campaign discussing the need for smarter programming in everyday devices.
client
Nike, Corporate Responsibility Report Blizzard
agency
We were commissioned by Nike to create a series of information graphics for their ‘Corporate Responsibility Report’. We visualised 15 data sets that helped report Nike’s increasing efforts to curb CO2 emissions and overall waste in their production and transportation processes. This piece breaks down the percentage of waste happening in each stage of their product cycle.
26. THREADED jessica fortner. STRANGE LOOPS
Strange Loops Illustration is a tricky business at the best of times.
U right. mouthy, 2011 below. Many masks, 2011
top. 2011, photo by nigel roberts, taupo middle. 2012, photo by blake dunlop, wellington bottom. 2011, bmd vs blake dunlop, photo by Blake Dunlop, wellington
Above. the tiger's tale, 2011 right. polar bear, 2011
How did you get started, and how did you come to be doing the kind of work you do today? I came to illustration indirectly while studying printmaking at the Ontario College of Art and Design. I was always into art but gravitated to really physical stuff like sculpture, woodworking, bookbinding and printmaking. I really liked getting my hands dirty and building things. I got really inspired by Chris Sickels’ (Red Nose Studio: www.rednosestudio.com) and Liz Lomax’s (www.lizlomax.com) sculpted photo-illustrations.
They sculpt characters and sets which, when lit and photographed, produce photo-illustrations. That method really appealed to me because I could cobble together all my diverse skills into one discipline. I had a great time working that way as an illustrator for about two years after the end of school. I made a ton of fun work (which is not on my website but still floating around all over the internet). But eventually, the physical limitations of sculpting led me to shift to drawn illustration, which I feel gives me more freedom to indulge my wildest ideas.
So what is it about the way you make art now that works for you? What interests you now? I think the main shift that led me to drawing, rather than sculpted photo-illos, is that I’m slowly getting weirder and more interested in the abstract side of things. I love science, especially biology. There’s something about the the shape of living things, on macro and micro scales, that is truly beautiful and strange the more you look at it: the kind of stuff you read about from the perspectives of engineers, architects and designers who are into bio-mimicry. I like working that into illustrations: intricate patterning and geometry, strong symmetry, loops and fractals.
right. open country, 2012 below. fff header, 2011 bottom. before life, 2011
I draw animals a lot as stand-ins for people. We tend to transpose human personality traits onto animals, so they work well as symbols or caricatures. Also, I just prefer drawing bears and tigers whenever possible.
There’s a limit to how abstract I can be in my commercial work. At a certain point, it’s too detached from the subject matter that the illustration is supporting. But, left to working on personal projects for a while, I feel there’s potential to do something really wild. So then, why not shift to strictly fine art and do all self-directed work? It’s tricky. I do like making art for its own sake but, like many people doing ‘applied arts’, I seem to need the conundrum of a creative brief to really force my brain to get going on something. It’s sort of a catch-22 because then I moan about all the constraints...
You do mostly editorial illustration. What kind of work outside of that would you want to do, given the opportunity? I’ve been mulling over the idea of doing a kids’ book for adults, for kids. I love books like Varmints (illustrations by Marc Craste, also made into an amazing animation by Studio AKA www.studioaka.co.uk). The Arrival by Shaun Tan (www.shauntan.net) really blew my mind too. There’s so much potential to try new things within the format/genre of kids’ books that doesn’t seem to go over in other mediums. I really like the books by the UK publisher Nobrow (www.nobrow.net), who puts out a mix of art books, graphic novels, kids‘ books… all of which seem to blur the lines between the genres.
So if you weren’t an illustrator, what would you want to do? Hmm... couldn’t pin it down to one thing, but I have a few ideas. Maybe a marine biologist working with whales off the coast of Baja California? Industrial design making sustainable package-less products for the future. Head chef at a Vancouver-Island beach-side vegan Mexican restaurant... These all sound pretty awesome – there may be still time to do these! You run a few arts websites too, don’t you? I founded the online magazine Squidface & The Meddler (www.squidfaceandthemeddler.com) with my boyfriend about a year ago. Our goal was mainly to create a place to showcase the work of emerging Canadian artists – though we also show and interview international artists as well. We wanted each article on our site to really give the artist due attention and the graphic treatment
you would expect from a feature article in a print magazine. This means long, in-depth articles and interviews, each with it’s own custom design/ layout consistent with the style of the artist being featured. We’re both addicted to the experience of opening a magazine with long, beautifully designed articles and we want people to get that feeling when they come to Squidface & The Meddler. Same goes for our other blog Tangled Fingers (www.tangledfingers.com). We love seeing the work and process of a piece as much as seeing the final artwork. We thought that a site dedicated to this would be something special for people to browse, discover artists and maybe learn something. It’s definitely an endless source of inspiration. So far it’s been incredibly rewarding to get to know artists we admire and have the privilege of featuring their work on our sites. We’re discovering great things every day.
32. THREADED NOWHERE FAMOUS. LIKES and Loathes
We love type, not text. We have no corporate slogan. We’re definitely not writers and we rarely have a way with words. We’re a graphic design studio, based in Sydney, Australia, and on the following pages, instead of a lengthy story about our exploits, you’ll see a collection of things we like and a few that we loathe. Some we enjoyed in our younger years, and others we have only recently discovered. A few will be obvious, others ambiguous. They’re items we’ve found, objects we’ve admired and small pieces of work we’ve done. Together, they encapsulate the things we love about design, the way we grew up and how we have arrived at our own visual style. As a company, we don’t have a long history, so this is a hint of what is yet to come.
All photos by Nowhere Famous.
38. THREADED good folk. A Good Folk Experience 2
“A gruelling and lengthy exposé.” 1
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“Making it a good place to work is every bit as important as is making good work itself.� 5
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“Putting together a stunning international creative superstar line-up at We Can Create nearly kills us every year, but it seems to have become our annual death wish.”
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“The f latter the better.
You should be able to holler out for a good idea in a business full of sparky, involved people. Or Tweet them.”
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“Teasing apart those vast, complex corporate business needs and delivering a well-structured and resolved piece of communication shouldn’t feel as good as it does.” 10
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1. We Can Create WCC launched last year with a diverse feast that satisfied even the most creative hunger. The audience, contributors and speakers had such a rewarding experience they wanted to turn WCC into a circus, then run away with it. 2. MIC MIC Toi Rerehiko is a leading contemporary creative media and arts centre. It wanted to refresh its understated brand and user-unfriendly website to reflect an innovative, interdisciplinary organisation with a strong identity and online presence. We designed a clean and functional framework that worked with, rather than overshadowed, the artists’ work showcased on the site. 3. BSM Smoke Occasional krumping around industrial wastelands keeps us all very fit. 4. Gen-i Gen-i is a complex, fast-moving B2B client requiring tactical delivery and internal communications that engage and help make the staff more responsive and productive. We’ve worked with these guys in just about every way possible, right through the line, and continue to work closely with them to take their ICT message to the Australasian business world. 5. Semi-Permanent We established Semi-Permanent New Zealand in 2004 as an annual design event involving art, design, fashion, film, motion, advertising and music. In 2011, we handed it back to the Aussie brand owners and conceived our very own gig: We Can Create. 6. The Quadrant hotel The challenge with this brief was to brand The Quadrant hotel as – in their words – modern, sexy and hip. A sharp yet flexible colour palette and rich photography enabled us to provide a website and brand experience that exceeded expectations. We also devised a copy treatment to express any given concept they wished to communicate – Stay. Stay Fresh, Stay Cool, Stay Sharp, Stay In… Stay There!
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7. Mini Sneaky little viral commissioned by Mini to celebrate their 50th birthday. In short, a red Mini drops two mini Minis to an old folks’ home. Bloody havoc. 8. BBFS Quirky title sequence for a television show that blended science, teamwork and humour. 9. Two Heads Two Heads asked us to produce an online extension of their playful, professional personality. So we did. 10. PwC More Choice Recruiting the best candidates for any professional services firm is always a challenge. Understanding your audience and providing communications that reflect their interests and drivers is the ONLY way to go. 11. Pernod Ricard A warm and convivial animation that celebrated Pernod Ricard as part of the New Zealand culture, prepared for the Paris-based CEO.
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12. Duncan Cole Duncan’s site is all about his work because his work says it all. His sharply understated website and communication suite present a timeless quality that thoroughly appeals to the overly discerning director and producer alike. 13. PwC Connect PwC required a powerful tool for networking Alumni relationships and information-sharing within the business. The resulting PwC Connect provides SM-like functionality and richness of content whilst possibly providing a global benchmark for enterprise-scale ‘social business’ tools. 14. Company X This company was having problems with people sending stupid and inappropriate emails in the workplace. We carefully crafted a piece that allowed them to laugh at themselves, not feel ‘told off’, and get the message.
44. THREADED henrik drescher. geriatric kamasutra NAME
Henrik Drescher Since an early age, I’ve been an image scavenger; my mind has always been alert to image debris, keeping ideas and images in books, which then spill into my painting and illustration. In my image-making, I try to register the idea of ‘everything at once’: a sort of Sears Roebuck mail-order catalogue filled with an inventory of all that has ever existed in the course of organic history and human memory... scars, tattoos, cracks, memories, impressions, flashbacks and forgotten instructions. www.hdrescher.com
50. THREADED galleria.
galleria In this ‘Galleria’ section, ten students and graduates have been selected from portfolio submissions to celebrate emerging practice. Each edition of Threaded prioritises a section to profile emerging practitioners and celebrate the calibre of artwork and conceptual frameworks that underpin the submissions we receive. We are indebted to the students and graduates who take the time to send in images and collectively contribute to the visual tone and intention of Galleria. Not everyone makes the cut, which is testimony to the standard of mastery and contextual orientation that we see developing out of the tertiary creative industries sector in both Australia and New Zealand. To date, this is where most of our applications for Galleria have hailed from and, although we don’t promote the institutions within these 10 profiles, we depend on an array of networks, relationships and word-of-mouth introductions to ensure we keep on receiving the good stuff.
We are constantly looking at new ways to enrich the relationship between education and the wider creative community and to promote the discourse between them. You might have noticed that usually we work directly with our interns or an established freelance designer on our ‘call for submissions’ page but this time we turned to Threaded’s facebook live feed and discovered this photograph by Laura Tait. Pretty quickly we worked out that Laura was an undergraduate student in Photography and Media Art. Luckily for us she didn’t reject our request to use 'Through the Looking Glass'. Hope to see you in Galleria next time.
www.laurataitphotography.com
Call for Submissions we need the good stuff from you!
Our mission is to work together to create an exhibition section that focuses on showcasing a high standard of attitude and work. Submissions are open to all students/ graduates engaged in creative practice anywhere in the world. Your submission should capture the essence of you as a designer/artist and profile your ideas and artwork. We are taking submissions for Edition XIII NOW. Send high-resolution (300dpi+) tiff or pdf-format images along with a brief position statement outlining intent, ideas and context (written in third-person perspective) on a disc to: THREADED MEDIA LTD, PO BOX 79 382, ROYAL HEIGHTS, WAITAKERE city, AUCKLAND 0656, NEW ZEALAND *Submissions close 31 Oct 2012
— Please spread the word —
52. THREADED galleria.
Zoe Zhang Zoe .zhang@zgr aphics.co.nz
Contradiction and the Co-existence of Two Cultures is a project that explores the experiences of cultural difference. As a young Chinese women living in New Zealand for 10 years, Zoe Zhang draws on the idea of home and loneliness, and interrogates the notion of confusion in belonging. Her photographic work focuses on the emotional contradiction and struggles that emerge in the space between two cultures. This series of object-based photographs also contains elements of the self-portrait and is informed by first-hand experiences travel, and an observance of a contradiction of cultures, understandings and familiarities.
Kristina Berends kristina_hxc_chick@live .com
Collage plays an important role in the planning stages of Kristina Berends’ paintings; she paints directly from photographic compositions, which are constructed from images cut out of National Geographic magazines and various sources. Berends works predominantly with acrylic on board, preferring a hard, smooth surface on which to painstakingly render her detailed and realistic images. Surrealism is a dominate influence in Berends’ practice; artists such as Giuseppe Arcimboldo and Salvador Dali interest her as does tongue-in-cheek humour and tattoo art, which has subtly started to show up in her most recent works. In the future, Berends hopes to get into the tattoo industry and use skin as another form of surface. Kristina Berends is currently in the third year of an undergraduate degree in Design and Visual Arts.
54. THREADED galleria.
Nick Baillie hello@nickbaillie .com www.nickbaillie .com
Nick Baillie is passionate about typo/graphic design and undertakes projects with a strong focus on the content and communication of design. Each project is considered for its environmental and cultural contexts and his work explores the multiple ways in which typographical language intersects with design formats. Baillie has employed and applied the conventions of type and image across a number of different fields: from magazine to web and advertising. He is currently seeking out industry-aligned and self-authored projects that provide an opportunity to critique and expand these conventions in order to push boundaries and locate his own aesthetic modality. This critical unpacking of conventions drives his approach to publication design and he is presently working on developing a typeface to foster greater understanding of the nuances and mechanics of type.
Kenneth Merrick kenneth00merrick@gmail .com
The pictorial work of Kenneth Merrick revolves around an array of approaches, processes and platforms associated with drawing and painting. Merrick likens himself to an archaeological dog; he sets about making images by digging around in the vast and ever-expanding visual junkyards of the ages, always open to the possibilities of the image. It is the transformative, incongruent, apocryphal, and narrative qualities which he uses as points of departure and gradual arrival, conjuring up imagery that lays somewhere between transparency and concealment. As a collector, his practice is further sustained through the constant discovery of the unfolding associations between various curiosities, periodicals and objects.
56. THREADED galleria.
Briar Mark briar .mark@gmail .com www.briarmark .tumblr .com
Recent graduate Briar Mark has a keen interest in craft, her project iCraft; explores the relationship between handcraft and graphic design in the 21st century with a particular emphasis on processes. The computer’s dominance in almost every aspect of our lives has, in recent years, led to a revival of craft as a gesture of resistance. Everything about handcraft suggests the complete antithesis to the digital realm of graphic design. Handcraft is time consuming, unable to be mass-produced and there is a huge potential for mistakes. Yet it appears people will always appreciate the tactility of a physical design. The outcome of Briar’s project is a series of large-scale stitched posters with short, pithy statements bringing to light the relationship between handcraft and design. Her work was selected to appear in ObjectSpace’s ‘Best in Show’ exhibition in Auckland over March and April 2012.
Antony Densham antonydensham@gmail .com www.antonydensham.co.nz
In 2011, Antony Densham completed a postgraduate diploma and produced a body of work called ‘Allocating Space’. The title snares abstract spatial concerns and also attempts to critique the allocating of space within institutions and the wider art community. The work ‘Allocating Space 1’ employs architectural plans that indicate where students will exhibit their final presentations. The growing and diminishing forms are reflective of the art arena and show how this organisation is in constant flux. In 2010, Densham produced an installation at ‘Window’ (The University of Auckland’s showcase space), called ‘Lost Time’ that involved over 500 individually hand-cut pieces of foam core presented as a cluster of towers that were architectural and rock-like in appearance. Densham was inspired by the slow erosion of temples in Cambodia, and the fact that the passing of time marks the eruption and erosion of awareness. The work attempts to convey the mystery of things and the mystery found in the simplicity of making. Incremental change is the key component when viewing the work. It therefore acknowledges time, the recorded presence of making and the recorded presence of a thing.
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R aewyn Br andon hello@r aewynbr andon.com www.r aewynbr andon.com
Raewyn Brandon’s branding and identity collateral for law firm, ‘Adam & Eve’, privileges a minimalist aesthetic and details the essential conventions required to communicate brand message and values. The design direction synthesises traditional styles with modern techniques, such as the scroll wax-sealed invitation in a modern-day mailing tube. Brandon cleverly employs a well-know religious narrative as the vehicle to unfold insights into the company and communicate their unique proposition. These traditional Biblical philosophies communicate Adam & Eve’s values as an intellectual property law firm. The foundational idea of playing off God’s creation and utilising concepts from the ten commandments linked directly to issues relating to intellectual property and protecting people’s ideas. Brandon created ten “commandments” on which the company prides itself and these commandments/ values influenced the design solutions – ‘Adam & Eve’ are friends to nature’; this inspired the use of eco materials and stocks.
Lei wen leiw9292@hotmail .com www.lwartonline .co.nz
Imagined worlds and intuitive responses to life’s unexpected happenings are central themes and motivations in Lei Wen’s art and design practice. Whether it’s producing richly layered and textured paintings that respond to the spirit of nature in ‘Blue Yonder’ or re-sacrificing Humpty Dumpty as she repositions a retro look and feel in ‘Oh my’, Wen is a chameleon of styles and passionately responds to everyday scenarios as per ‘How's everything in Heaven’, which observes how a friend was diagnosed with a brain infection and passed away within three days. ‘We are Jellyfish’ conveys what it feels like after three sleepless nights replacing meals with energy drinks. Through drawing, Wen transports viewers into a sparkly, floating world where tables and chairs are transformed into giant, poisonous, flying jellyfish.
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theresa grieben theresa .grieben@gmail .com
Theresa Grieben is an illustrator from Berlin, Germany, who is currently undertaking a Master of Design degree in Auckland, New Zealand. As a prolific drawer and seasoned traveller, Grieben uses sketchbooks and diaries to document poignant moments in time and excerpts from everyday happenings that capture her curiosity and attention. Armed with pencil and paper, she explores her environment highlighting patterns and graphical forms that are derived from nature and architecture. With a focus on detailing and beauty, iconic images and scenes are converted into linear panoramic drawings that operate like a collection of treasured snapshots.
Selina Woulfe selina@bodyobjec t.com www.bodyobjec t.com
Contemporary jeweller Selina Woulfe’s latest work is focused on social, cultural and religious rituals surrounding the body, and the objects used to conduct them. Woulfe creates jewellery that evokes a dialogue between the body and the mind to activate a physical and psychological experience for the wearer/viewer. By treating skin as a material to be manipulated, Woulfe is able to explore physical dynamics and push sensual boundaries. Pieces are often pierced to the body with a surgical steel pin; this experience is then documented using film or photography, as seen in Woulfe’s Experiential Jewellery display in the ‘Best in Show’ 2009 exhibition at Objectspace gallery. Video footage is used to show the application and movement of the jewellery when attached to the body. For her Silvergraft work, Woulfe produced a series of protective adornments that actively cause pain when worn. These abstract jewellery versions of skin grafts are a fine filigree of raw, undulating silver mesh. Large-scale photographs depict the intimacy of pieces worn on a male or female body creating a spectator experience. Silvergraft (male torso ritual II, 920x610mm) is part of The Wallace Arts Trust Collection. Selina Woulfe recently featured in the book On Jewellery: A Compendium of International Contemporary Art Jewellery by Dutch art historian Liesbeth den Besten (Arnoldsche Art Publishers, Germany, 2011).
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62. THREADED
INSIDE THE PRODUCTION.
Inside n o i t c u Prod
photos. fiona [left] and kyra [right] wearing threaded ed.xii give-away tees photographer. troy goodall
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Seven years on and currently making the last tweaks to this edition, Threaded continues to print contraband currency to survive as an independent creative arts publication for the love of it. Yes, it's true, we have given up on the fame, the money and accolades but are still committed collaborators working with other like-minded practitioners to produce a welldesigned publication that nurtures the creative spark within us all. In this respect, we have some regular contributors in our team who each deserve a chocolate fish: Lucas, our 3D designer, who makes our 2D dreams come to life issue-in and issue-out; Scott, whose idiosyncratic introductions flavour every issue like a Michelin chef; and Susan whose proofreading skills save us from ourselves. We hope
you’ve taken a little time to enjoy Guest Designer Jessica Fortner’s Cover and Gatefold illustration in this issue; we saw her work online here in New Zealand and emailed her hopeful she would come onboard. Would you believe she had just returned from buying Threaded at her local bookstore in Toronto? Serendipity or God, anyway… Applauses to all the featured practitioners who collaborate to offer insights into practice and process. We realise that you don’t need the publicity and Threaded could not be a podium of show-and-tell or part of a creative ecosystem without your participation in the project. We also have some critics to acknowledge. Not every practitioner we approach can see value in being involved and, just recently, we received some fairly brutal but fair criticism on our inability to clarify whether we existed
Editor Fiona Grieve DESIGNer Kyra Clarke Art Direction Kyra Clarke Fiona Grieve cover/GATEFOLD Jessica Fortner 3D lead Lucas Milner guest DESIGNER Nick Baillie Photography Troy Goodall podium SHOWCASE Carl DeTorres Jessica Fortner Nowhere Famous Good Folk Henrik Dresher galleria Showcase Nick Baillie Kristina Berends Raewyn Brandon Antony Densham Theresa Grieben Briar Mark Kenneth Merrick Lei Wen Selina Woulfe Zoe Zhang proofing All About Words
inside or outside of the market economy. It’s been a dichotomy for us; we half-heartedly sell ads to scrape together the budget for production costs, which suggests that we are commercially centred, but really we are struggling like many niche projects to simply pay bills. So, from Ed.XIII onwards, there will be no more ad breaks — we are shifting to a partnership model working with one to four companies that are equally invested in bridging the gap between emerging and recognised practice. We will be working together to produce future Threaded issues.
It’s going to sound cheesy but, if you have a minute, we have set up a quick survey so we can gain a better understanding of our audience: www.surveymonkey.com/s/FX8JWGP There are only 10 [mostly multi-choice] questions and, as a bribe, we have a give-away for two lucky surveyees! A Jessica Fortner T-shirt of Ed XII's cover graphic [as pictured and made possible by As Colour and Mr Vintage]. Please take a minute to complete it. We’ve told you a little bit about us – we want to know more about you!
We figure that, if we can end the money chase and cover basic production (unfortunately, that doesn’t include design), we can return to fostering networks and scoping technological advancements like dabbling with the NEW Threaded Newsstand app, which you can now download from your mobile phone or iPad.
Kyra & Fiona, Team Threaded
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SPONSORS Unitec New Zealand Spicers Paper Limited SUBMISSIONS We welcome contributions for Ed.XIII and submissions are now open for Galleria HARD-COPY SUBSCRIPTIONS www.magmag.co.nz/threaded digital SUBSCRIPTIONS nz.zinio.com apple.com/ipad/from-the-appstore/newsstand.html Special thanks To our mothers, partners, friends and whanau who support us PRODUCTION Threaded Media Limited PO Box 79 382 Royal Heights Waitakere 0656 Auckland, New Zealand No part of this publication can be copied or reproduced in any way/form or by electronic means without written permission from Threaded Media Limited
64. THREADED directory. directory.
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Toodles Noodles - New Zealand Made and owned. Making cheeky, beautiful, colourful stationery for every occasion. enjoy! www.toodlesnooodles.co.nz hello@toodlesnoodles.com
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A selection of New Zealand’s best artists, designers and crafters selling their wares direct to the public for one day only. Saturday 28 July, Aotea Centre, 11am–3pm aucklandfair.blogspot.com
conversations on graphic design www.designassembly.org.nz www.designassembly.org.nz
Creating awesomeness in the form of photography. Specialising in advertising. www.troygoodall.com 3D Animation Digital Artist lucas@lucas3D.co.nz
The home of letterpress printing. A small specialist printing company Images for Designers. combining traditional letterpress with Quality New Zealand photos for use in offset and digital print. Personal service. social media, brochures, ads, websites, Tradesman quality. Letterpress workshops. posters, mags to and books. We are happy work with your designs. Tel +64 9 480 0218 www.mychillybin.co.nz www.gtoprinters.co.nz
3D Animation Digital Artist lucas@lucas3D.co.nz
living installations residential interior commercial www.xwd.co.nz