Inland Empire

David Lynch has outdone himself here with an epic, chilling film about...well I don't know. The truth is I have no idea. It is so complex and flitting that the true meaning of the story is very hard to get at. Its core plot is based around cast and crew who are making a film which is said to be cursed. All the lead roles who have played the film have died under suspicious circumstances in the past.

Lynch makes it very difficult to distinguish dream from reality and from reality to script. The whole film grips the viewer from start to finish despite it being three hours long and leaves you with a dizzy feeling. I was totally speechless. I didn't even know the questions to ask to begin to understand the film, and I think that it's because of this that the film is such a success.

The film is both written and directed by Lynch and stars a spattering of big hollywood names such as William H. Macy which disappointingly is seen as much in the film as in the trailer. Jeremy Irons plays a small but important role, whilst the rest of the film is dominated by female lead Laura Dern who also starred in Lynch's Blue Velvet and who co-produced Inland Empire.

It is the kind of film that I would never watch again but which I will always remember. If anyone has any theories on what deeper meaning of the film is intended, please enlighten me.

Blake Suarez & Flyover Gallery

It's about time that I paid tribute to this man. Blake Suarez, has been a major influence in my design work in the past year. And yes, he is my boyfriend and I am of course biased, but his illustrations have such character and humour to them. These latest posters have been designed for a show at the Flyover Gallery in Madison, Wisconsin. www.flyovergallery.com

The retro movie posters have been adapted by Suarez to include some of his own characters, and creates a more unusual scene. Some of the original characters seem to be reacting to their new mates in a humourous way, and that is what I think make these pieces most successful.




For more information or to purchase some of Blake Suarez's original work, visit plaza.ufl.edu/bsuarez

Eight Logo by Stylo Design

This logo caught my eye whilst browsing for inspiration. Stylo Design, based in Covent Garden, London, has produced this clever logo using only number 8's, omitting sections to create the letters of the brand. Eight is a business lounge bar. I enjoy its simplicity and boldness. Let me know what you think.

www.stylodesign.co.uk

Business Card Fever

Having recently embarked on some freelance work, designing business systems for friends and family, I have become obsessed with original designs and outstanding execution. The one shown above is a card for a fitness instructor which is made out of rubber. The information on the card is unreadable until the user pulls the two edges and stretches the rubber surface to reveal it. I personally think that this is precisely what a business card should do. It should demonstrate exactly the business of the person named on the card. Execution such as this isn't seen enough in the working world and deserves to be noticed. Often the design will make you laugh like the one below which is the business card of a debt recoverer, giving the clear but tongue in cheek message that if you do not repay your loans then he will break your bones.



Above is another great card for a dentist, which shows embossed teeth that reflects the patients teeth cast which they often have during treatment. It provides the card bearer with an idea of what is to come. Therefore it acts as more than just the container for basic information and contact details. Instead it goes beyond to hint at the experience or service to be provided. Whether that is good or bad!

I recently purchased the book Business Cards 2: More Ways Of Saying Hello which has some fabulous examples of great card design. This website
Cool Business Card Designs has a good few examples also. I should mention the film American Psycho here, since there is a funny part in that about business cards. That can also be found on the site.

Dr Stuart's Tea

I love this new packaging from Dr Stuart, a range of herbal tea's with active botanicals which do exactly what they say on the tin (so to speak). The illustrations describe what the purpose of the tea is. Detox is one of my personal favourites, displaying an illustration of a lady with a washing machine stomach. The characters are witty and their rendering gives a sense of homeliness which is ideal to describe tea. Brett Ryder is the illustrator and he has some very cool stuff, well worth a look.

www.brettryder.co.uk

I was tempted to buy the whole range just to give a face lift to my kitchen cupboard, and I don't even drink herbal tea. Strangely I came away with a box of the peppermint. Such is the power of packaging.




The Dr Stuart's website is also very cool with animated versions of the characters popping up all over the place.

www.drstuarts.com

Karlssonwilker Inc.

Last year as part of Ligature 2007, I was lucky enough to attend a workshop and lecture with Jan Wilker of Karlssonwilker Inc.

Karlssonwilker Inc.

He inspired me to use more experimental forms of design, and approach briefs with an open mind. In his workshop, we used vinyl to create forms which we then ironed onto t-shirts. His lecture involved him talking a lot about his company based in New York, and showing us some of his best loved work.

He showed us video footage of his search for inspiration whilst on a twelve day visit to Serbia. Each day he and his business partner, Hjalti Karlsson would gather enough information to design and represent one of the months of the year. He also showed us the cover of The New York Times Magazine's Annual Design Issue, which Karlssonwilker Inc. produced. The design features in this months (September) issue of Creative Review (pg.34) However Karlssonwilker Inc. are not credited for its design. This puzzles me, but I imagine the two designers are a little annoyed too.




Above is the featured front cover, as well as some spreads which have personally inspired some of my own layouts in past projects. I think it makes the information both interesting and accessible with a strong iconic feel to it. I think this pair really benefit from their mixed heritage and worldly experience.

Bug Wallpaper

Interior designer Brad Ford (pictured left) created this 'Mudroom' for a show house in the 2007 Hamptons Cottages and Gardens Idea House Show in New York state. He collaborated with Jennifer Angus, an artist from Wisconsin who regularly uses nature in her patterned wallpaper designs. Ford said, “I wanted to play with that idea, to literally bring the outside in.”

He brought in hundreds of preserved insects for the project, including cicadas, walking leaf insects and jungle nymphs among others. It took two and a half days to attach the bugs to the walls and the final outcome is a whirl of colour and texture. It is fair to say the decor is not too practical but interesting for the pioneers of design out there.

Happy Design

I found this late one night whilst scouring TED for some inspiration, and wow, Sagmeister gave me just what I needed. It really brings into question the purpose of design in our lives. How it effects all that see it. Whether or not it is responsible for our current moods, our life decisions and ultimately our happiness. I thought I would share it and gather some opinions. Comment away.

Back In Black

I just remembered this fantastic advert by Laird & Partners I saw last year in America for GAP. More specifically it was for the skinny black jean. It involved the legend that is Audrey Hepburn looking rather amazing as usual and dancing to Back in Black by ACDC. I have debated many times whether the Audrey you see throughout the ad is actually the real one all the way through. But let me know what you think. I couldn't get it out of my head for ages and whilst it is a fairly old advert, it occurred to me that it probably wasn't shown on UK TV.

It has triggered many spoofs and copy cat ads, which can also be found on youtube. It is by all intents and purposes a traditional GAP advert, keeping the kaleidoscope effects and split images, paired with the simple white background and figure focus. However I think this is one of their best. You instantly know it is GAP being advertised, and yet the use of a classic celebrity in a modern context keeps the viewer interested. They have also aged the background to emphasise the vintage effect and used vignettes around the edges. Original voice over is also employed to push the carefree attitude of Hepburn which characterises the product. I love it!

A Zed & Two Noughts

I checked this film out at the library earlier today because it had an intriguing title and the blurb interested me. It is a Peter Greenaway film from 1985. After watching 'My Beautiful Laundrette', another film from 1986, I have realised that the British Film scene of that time was quite something. I was born in 1986 and so was unable to appreciate these films at the time of release. However, I am grateful for the Leeds University Library's arsenal of 80s films, to allow me to catch up.

The storyline is quite complicated, so I am just going to cite the back of the DVD case to enlighten those who have never seen it before. "Two women passengers die in a car crash as a result of which the female driver has a leg amputated. The zoologist twin husbands of the dead women are fascinated by the processes of decay, start an affair with the amputee and liberate animals from a zoo." In short that is what the film is about but it is wonderfully compelling and beautiful to watch. The opening few scenes reminded me of the photography of David LaChapelle. This, I think is due to a rather limited reality as well as an abundance of neon, jaunty angles and wild textures.

I can imagine this film translated to the stage, and think it would work very well as a play, due to perhaps the static nature of the camera, as well as the large stage like scenes. The director is constantly playing on symmetry, which also provides a pleasing aesthetic. Since the film is about nature- or in fact the rise and fall of it, it echoes the natural beauty in both life and death bringing in concepts of balance and justice. I enjoyed the seemingly effortless depth of this film as well as its compelling entertainment through dramatic cinematography and elements of dark comedy.