inspiration

Inspiration: Blindsight Documentary

in documentary / inspiration April 10, 2009

Blindsight Photo

Blindsight is a touching and inspiring documentary about several Tibetan blind children making the trek to climb 23,000 foot Lhakpa Ri near Mt. Everest. The film involves people who have incredible strength, will-power, and positivity, overcoming their lack of sight. The children were led by Erik Weihenmayer (who gained worldwide fame climbing Mt. Everest blind) and Sabriye Tenberken (blind German woman who established the school for the blind).

Tibetans believed blindness is a curse–retribution for a previous evil life. One of the most heartbreaking stories was one of a 19-year-old Tashi, who was sold to a couple, forced to beg and was tortured. He ran away, became homeless, and eventually ended up at the school for the blind. Despite everything, he had the courage to attempt the feat and move on–he now has his own massage clinic in Llasa. It was a great film to see as it’s a reminder that we are not limited by others’ opinions and circumstances, but only ourselves.

Inspiration: Wolverine and 7-11 Slurpee Promotion

in inspiration / promotion April 7, 2009

Wolverine 7-11 Promotion

Wolverine 711 Cups

Following the successful Simpsons campaign, 7-11 launched the Wolverine Slurpee promotion for the May 1st release. In the store, you could pick up a new slurpee flavor called Mutant Berry in a customized cup, displaying one of the three mutants (Wolverine, Gambit, and Sabretooth). On the Slurpee site, fans could connect with the profile for updates and provide feedback.

A more in-depth article could be found on CNBC.

Inspiration: NEXT Street Art Documentary

in documentary / inspiration April 2, 2009

NEXT image

I’m a few years late in checking this documentary out, but Next – A Primer on Urban Painting by Pablo Aravena is a great homage to modern street artists. It tells of graffiti going beyond the streets into galleries, and what’s more interesting–street culture in a global context–document of visual expression, politics and history at a primal level. One segment which really stood out was an interview with a Brazilian graffiti artist and his perception that unauthorized graffiti in Brazil wasn’t as persecuted as it is in the US mainly because of the social climate–how the Brazilian authorities have larger crimes to attend to. Art was a source of escape from their daily lives.

Here are a some artists:
-Scrawl Collective: http://www.scrawlcollective.co.uk/
-Pure Evil Gallery: http://www.pureevilclothing.com/
-Faile: http://www.faile.net/site/
-bo130: http://www.bo130.org/
-Fafi: http://www.fafi.net/
-Dalek: http://dalekart.com
-Delta: http://www.deltainc.nl/indexdeltainc.html
-DFace: http://www.dface.co.uk/gallery
-Doppel: http://www.doppel.to/home.html
-Hisashi: http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~tenmyoya/

Inspiration: Museum of African Diaspora Artist Highlights

in inspiration March 3, 2009

Lorraine Bonner

The MOAD (Museum of African Diaspora) has a great mix of artists and mediums in the “Decoding Identity” exhibit. The show runs until March 8th, so if you’re in downtown San Francisco, I highly recommend a peek.

I’d like to highlight some local artists whose work I found both inspiring and compelling. Lorraine Bonner is a clay and stone sculptor from Oakland. On her website, she describes her work as an “ongoing study on the role of trauma in distorting human identity and relationships”.

John Yoyogi Fortes

John Yoyogi Fortes is a Filipino artist who incorporates graffiti, social issues, and his Filipino heritage into his paintings.

Chaz Guest

Chaz Guest’s fascination with Japanese culture is reflected in his portraits of black women with geisha makeup, wearing kimonos with African patterns. It’s a great series and merger of two cultures.

Lalla Essaydi

Moroccan artist Lalla Essaydi has exquisite photos involving henna on skin and the environment–an exploration into Arab female identity. You could purchase her pieces here.

Inspiration: Chaz Bojorquez

in inspiration February 26, 2009

Chaz Skull

The artwork of Chaz Bojorquez is an inspiring combination of graffiti and traditional cultural styles. While being an exceptional painter, I mostly admire his unique street calligraphy. It is a summary of institutional and self-taught influences–Chicano, Chinese, Egyptian, and Mayan. You could view his bio on RTEA and the Chicano Collection Site.

Inspiration: Coraline and Henry Selick

in film / inspiration / movie February 16, 2009

I’ve been a huge fan of Henry Selick without realizing it. He’s the man behind (one of my all-time favs) “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “James and the Giant Peach.” His latest creation Coraline has been a three-year project shot entirely in 3-D stop-motion animation. Linking up with heavy-hitter Neil Gaiman (fantasy writer who’s film work includes Stardust and Beowolf), the film is as whimsical and endearing as his past work. It’s a beautiful piece of artistry, produced by Oregon-based Laika.

Here are some articles on Henry Selick:
-Oregon Live
-Digital Media FX
-Film Monthly

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