Changethethought™

Alright, I don’t like a lot of what I write on this site to come off like advertising, especially since I don’t even have any advertising or make any money off of this blog. So, with that said, I do in all sincerity want to mention the newest seasonal line of clothing from 55 DSL. I am a big Diesel nerd and have been rocking their wares for a long time now. Unfortunately I am kind of a poor artist type, and that stuff ain’t cheap so I usually have to figure out how to pick it up on sale. So, when I can, I do. What I like about 55 DSL is that it originally spawned from Diesel and has since become it’s own thing. However, that attention to detail, sentiment, attitude and personality that I love about Diesel remained intact and strong. Recently on a trip to NY, I was in the SoHo area and saw a lot of people wearing 55 DSL clothing. I love detail in clothing and detail in the construction of clothing and I was struck by how much of that I saw in 55 DSL clothing. The brand is a little young for me but there is stuff in there I can pull off. I really like their pants and jeans. They also have some really cool jackets.

The best part is, that 55 DSL usually costs less than Diesel’s clothing.

You can see their most recent collection at their website here.

Their flagship store is actually in SoHo, so if you are nearby, drop in and see what you think. If you really want to pick up some of their cooler gear, you almost have to go somewhere that sells their wares. You can find a list here.

Also, here are a couple places you can buy online: BNYConline, DrJays and Yoox is always a good bet.

written by Christopher | tags: 55 DSL, clothing, Fashion, New York, street wear

A little food for thought here from one aisle of the business across to the other.

written by Christopher | tags: Ad Agency, Client Side, Graphic Design, How to be a good client

I don’t know how else to put it other than that I just really really like how Jam 3 Media’s website works. It’s awesome.

written by Christopher | tags: Advertising, Jam 3 Media, Web Design

Strange but utterly fascinating art from Liu Bolin.

Here is a bit of his explanation for the work:

” Are human beings animals?
Chameleon has the unique property of changing hues to match the color of the surroundings for self-protection. Rattlesnake can bury most of the body in sand soil. This can not only protect itself but also have a better access to food. There are also many animals, such as gecko, beetle etc., which have learnt to deal with the environment and the enemy in the longtime fight of life and death. In order to survive, good concealment has become the most critical factor.”

Read the rest and see more amazing images of his work here.

written by Christopher | tags: Art, China, Liu Bolin, Photography

“Village Green is a design studio set up by Seb Marling (Blue Source) and Jonathon Cooke (Love). It is a workshop as much as a studio - a place for ideas and a place for industry. Our new path will take us through fields young and old - nurturing our engagement in original design through print, interactive media and moving image.”

Click their name in the upper-left corner to get started.

written by Christopher | tags: Design Studio, Graphic Design, Typography, Village Green

There is some really attractive design and typography to be found in the recently updated portfolio of Helsinki-based Graphic Designer, Chris Bolton.

written by Christopher | tags: Chris Bolton, Finland, Graphic Design, Helsinki, Typography

London-based Guillermo Brotons is responsible for some classic graphic design work.

written by Christopher | tags: Graphic Design, Guillermo Brotons, London

All around interesting work, often loaded with conceptual thinking by London-based designer/thinker Alexandre Bettler.

written by Christopher | tags: Alexandre Bettler, Concept, Graphic Design, Objects, Posters

Matt Keers is really talented and he has updated his site even further since I last peeked in and it is worth another glance. Keep your eye on this guy because he is a rising star.

written by Christopher | tags: Graphic Design, Matt Keers, Print, Typography

There are some really cool new Obama shirts for sale in the Stolen Shop. They have put about 3 or 4 new designs up since I last visited. You can show your support and maintain your hipster image. Everyone wins.

written by Christopher | tags: Barack Obama, Fashion, Obama, Obama Gear, Obama Shirts

There are a lot of totally awesome prints for sale at the Tugboat Print Shop. The Deep Blue Sea Woodcuts series is so awesome. I would be happy to hang any of those in my home or at work. It’s always nice seeing people getting down on the DIY tip and selling some genuine art. Good stuff.

written by Christopher | tags: Art, Posters, Print, Prints, Tugboat Print Shop

Alright, I don’t really even pretend to be into cars. I kind of even hate having to own one in all honesty. I wish I lived in a city where I didn’t need one but there is maybe a handful of cities like that in the whole U.S. With that said, this new concept car from Audi did still manage to turn my head. It looks like one of those cars you would see in some movie about the future like Minority Report or A.I. I really thought the design was stunning and it would be pretty interesting to see something like this out on the road.

Here is a little more about it:
“The 2008 Audi O concept was designed by Ondrej Jirec, a design student from the Czech Republic who is beginning studies at the Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California in 2008.

The Audi O concept was designed to fuse a powerful and innovative audio system with a stylish and sporty four-seat hatchback. The exterior design uses several Audi trademark styling themes, especially at the front where the square grille sits neatly between the LED headlights. The doors feature glass windows running along the bottom edge which provide an interesting shape to the profile of the car. At the rear of the car the pullout door echoes the design of the squared off Audi grille.

The styling of the Audi O was influenced by a variety of sources including the Audi Shooting Brake concept from 2005, the Apple iPod and music.”

You can read more about it and see more images here.

written by Christopher | tags: Audi O, Concept Cars, Design, Technology

Well, I am officially back in the all-too-stressful and fearful United States of America. It is always a breath of fresh air to visit a part of the world, in my case Brazil, where there are numerous people who have never owned a computer and probably will never even look at the internet. The major difference I notice now when traveling to Brazil is how much the U.S. has changed in the last 10 years. I have been traveling to Brazil for a decade now and it’s just amazes me how much of a downturn the U.S. has taken. Right off when you board the first full Brazilian airline bound for Brazil, you are greeted graciously, treated like royalty, allowed to order any beverage, including alcohol at any time during your flight and you are served something to eat on every single flight. They start the flight by walking down the aisle and handing out caramels. It sounds hard to believe when you spend a lot of time flying in the states where you are practically strip searched and harassed at every turn in the airport only to be treated like dogshit by the flight attendants once you finally get the chance to board your plane. I was called sir by every Brazilian airline steward and asked things like, ‘Sir, would you like another drink?’ When I was back in the states I was asked, ‘Hey, want somethin’ to drink? and, ‘Want some water?’ Also when I was leaving the plane the American stewardess, said (and I couldn’t make this up if I tried), ‘See ya later.’

I was also harassed by customs because apparently I am on the bullshit list they have now of people they like to harass and then they rummaged through my wife and I’s luggage for about 15 minutes throwing the contents aside and then telling us to repack it when we were done. This was all after flying through Brazil and overnight for around 12 hours before we reached the U.S. I just couldn’t believe it. It made me sick. I wanted to turn around and go right back to Brazil. What has happened in this country? Have we become so afraid that we actually expect to be treated like this? I don’t see how this is freedom anymore and how we can even pretend that it is. Don’t get me wrong, Brazil has it’s share of serious problems. The crime is awful and there is real poverty there. I guess after growing up in an altogether different version of the United States, I just find this new one unfriendly and difficult to adjust to. I wish the fearmongering and the harassment would stop. It doesn’t feel like after a lifetime of incredibly hard work and paying taxes without ever asking where that money is going, that someone should be treated so inhospitably. Especially when this is your home.

Anyway, off my soapbox for now. I was happy to get back to blogging again and the Democratic National Convention is underway here in Denver and it is really exciting. I am selling large format Obama posters here all week and you can also buy them at the Manifest Hope show at the Andenken Gallery. I was there today and finally had the chance to meet and converse with Shepard Fairey. He is a truly nice person and I was really happy to learn that. He was very gracious and is absolutely respectful to his fans. It is always nice to meet someone you look up to and learn they are a nice person.

I did have a little time to create some new experimental illustrations that you can find in the Illustration section of the site. You can see one of my latest creations above this post. You will also notice images of the posters now on sale in the online storefront below the sideblog. Thank you sincerely for those of you who have purchased posters, it helps keep the blog running.

I hope all is well for you out there and I am glad to be back communing with you all again. Thank you so much for reading and supporting the blog. Also thank you so much for my bloggers for holding it down in my absence.

written by Christopher | tags: Changethethought News, Graphic Design, Illustration, Posters

Aled Lewis is the guy behind some of my all time favorite Threadless t-shirts. Everyone he produces seems to get printed and the reason is because how well they visually communicate a concept. They are all brilliant. I was excited to finally discover his work.

written by Christopher | tags: Aled Lewis, Graphic Design, Illustration, t-shirts, Threadless

Illustrator Christopher Gray’s website yields a pretty fun little click-through.

written by Christopher | tags: Ain't Life Grand, Christopher Gray, Graphic Design, Illustration

There is some highly accomplished graphic design work in the portfolio of Mammal.

written by Christopher | tags: Advertising, Graphic Design, Mammal

Eugenio Recuenco continues to fill his amazing portfolio with yet more and more gorgeous photography. His talent is enormous and some of his more recent images do not disappoint and are every bit as original and interesting as his archived work. If you have seen his work before it is worth another visit and if you haven’t seen his work, don’t hesitate for a second and go see it now.

written by Christopher | tags: Art, Eugenio Recuenco, Photography

Peeta is a graffiti artist from Venice, Italy who started out in 1993. He is member of the EAD crew in Padova, Italy, and is also a part of the FX and RWK crew in NYC.

His work goes beyond the canvas into sculpture but the really interesting thing about his canvas work is his ability to visualize the letterforms dimensionally. He enhances this with shadows and splatters and the end result is really original.

written by Christopher | tags: Art, Graffiti, Grafitti, Peeta, RWK Crew, Sculpture