In anticipation of the recent return of Twin Peaks, Barcelona-based WNW Member Lorena G published a series of portraits honoring many of her favorite characters from the cult show. The portrayals perfectly capture the auras of each character, as well as Lorena's signature style, which often features vectors, bold colors, and geometric shapes. In the current season, there's an overwhelming sense of isolation. Here's hoping that all these familiar faces find a way back to each other by the final curtain.
Read MoreA Complete Guide to Not Having a Daily Routine
Annie Dillard once said, ‘a schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labour with both hands at sections of time.’
Read MoreMeet the WNW Members Named to Adweek's 2017 Creative 100 List
Congratulations to the Working Not Working Members and all creatives and artists named to Adweek's third annual edition of the Creative 100. The annual list celebrates "the masters of creativity" and "profiles 100 unique and fascinating problem solvers from the worlds of advertising, branding, media, technology, pop culture and more." Get to know the names and work of the featured Working Not Working Members below.
Read MoreWatching Not Watching: Twin Peaks with Artist Summer Ortiz
Watching Not Watching is a recurring Free Range series where we invite a WNW Member to nerd out with us over a particular TV show that fuels their creativity. It's essentially a way for us to experience a taste of the water-cooler conversations that the freelancing portion of our community might be missing out on.
Read MoreWNW MEMBER DIANE LINDQUIST GUIDES GURL MUSEUM DAYS
WNW MEMBER DIANE LINDQUIST GUIDES GURL MUSEUM DAYS
As the temperature and humidity rise in the coming months, you'll be desperately searching for air-conditioned escapes with cool marble flooring. You should be thinking museums. And if you're a "gurl" in LA, you can hit up the best museums and galleries with your own "gurl" gang. WNW Member Diane Lindquist is the founder of Gurl Museum Day, which includes both organized field trips to the latest exhibitions and installations, and a branded magazine that celebrates female artists, their journeys, and girl-focused exhibits.
In our interview below, Diane offers generous insights and openness into her creative background, in part shaped by the loss of vision in her right eye at a young age due to retinoblastoma. "In the years after surgery and treatment, I had many tests to make sure the cancer had not returned. The tests would be made up of shapes, color palettes, and other cognitive exercises. It was during this time that I began to develop my creative background."
She also shares the impetus behind GMD and its growing headcount. "My gurl friends would tease me about the galleries and museums I would visit. So I invited them to go with me. The next museum we went to they invited their friends and, soon enough, I asked everyone to document their experience on Instagram using the hashtag #gurlmuseumday. After a few more museums, other girls began to ask for information about how to be included. During one night of spontaneity–and lack of sleep–I developed the branding and website and GMD was born. I later discovered that only 5% of female artists had their work shown in reputable galleries and museums. That set in motion a series of events that deepened my mission to increase those numbers."
If you're in Los Angeles, you can learn more about GMD here and below. And New York, stay tuned for when GMD officially becomes bicoastal.
Tell us a little bit about your creative background. Who is Diane Lindquist and how did she get here?
The story of Diane Lindquist starts in the city of stars, Los Angeles, a city where there are many shiny bright lights, but for me those lights were a bit blurry at first. At a young age, I started to lose vision in my right eye. It started out very minor and it quickly worsened. I can remember feeling so confused by what I was seeing that I would bump straight into walls. It turned out I had retinoblastoma (a form of cancer) in my right eye. My parents were immigrants, working-class, and this was something beyond their understanding and reach. If it wasn't for my mother's love and determination I might not be here to tell this story. With her help, I fought and survived cancer, but it took my right eye. I spent countless nights in the hospital, making friends with other kids with cancer (many of whom lost their battle) and developing a sixth sense — what I call my "killer fine eye.”
In the years after surgery and treatment, I had many tests to make sure the cancer had not returned. The tests would be made up of shapes, color palettes, and other cognitive exercises. It was during this time that I began to develop my creative background. I had to wear eye patches, which weren't a friendly look for other children. I would dwell in the sounds, colors, and type around me because I lacked the vision I felt I needed and missed. I tried so hard to capture as much in my memory. Over the years, I always felt a creative spark within me. Coming from a humble background, I still felt a need to be practical.
At the age of 16, I started working. I had excelled in strategy and liberal arts in high school, so it was natural to pursue them in college. I put myself through higher education by working nights and I also set up a backup plan. While design is my passion, I decided to hedge by earning a BS in Marketing and a minor in Graphic Design. The world needs designers, but I felt like marketing was a skill I could always support myself with. Afterward, I worked my way from a junior to senior designer. I taught myself web design, later UX/UI design (with some established education) and so on. While I have come a long way, I will always be learning. I think one has to be constantly learning to be successful.
How would you describe your creative style? Do you recognize a signature style that links all of your projects, or do you try to excuse yourself and approach each project as its own entity?
It took me a while to figure this out. My creative style is a combination of clean, stand-out designs with a fresh, bold, modern, and minimal aesthetic. I use lively colors, a synthesis of my Mexican-American heritage and love of Swedish minimal design. My creative style is completely different for projects I work on. I really try to keep a piece of my style within each project while I create designs that are based on what the client's or users needs are.
What was the impetus behind GURL Museum Day? What’s the project all about?
GURL Museum Day (GMD) stems from my childhood. I didn't have many opportunities for recreation, but at school, we had field trips. The first museum I visited with my teachers was The Holocaust Museum in Los Angeles. I was about eight years old. For those who have never been, it's very impactful. I felt shocked and learned so much during my visit. The exhibition was fully interactive (with videos and other interactive installations). It evoked so much emotion in me. The empathy I felt struck those feelings I had from children teasing me for wearing an eye patch or even the rejection of my father's approval (since I was not 'normal' to him). I remember tearing up, touched deeply by their struggle. It also opened in me the desire to learn more about others through the conduit of the museum experience. Thus my love for museums and galleries carried me through my teenage years. When I could, I would use holidays to visit them. I learned about creating and exhibiting work. Some prints I made were shown at an LA River Gallery and, to my surprise, they were featured in The LA Times. I sold out half of my digital prints, which was a new thing for me. This also led me to volunteer in the expansion of the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk, where I was seeing art reshape the inner city. My gurl friends would tease me about the galleries and museums I would visit. So I invited them to go with me. The next museum we went to, they invited their friends and, soon enough, I asked everyone to document their experience on Instagram using the hashtag #gurlmuseumday. After a few more museums, other girls began to ask for information about how to be included. During one night of spontaneity–and lack of sleep–I developed the branding and website and GMD was born. I later discovered that only 5% of female artists had their work shown in reputable galleries and museums. That set in motion a series of events that deepened my mission to increase those numbers.
Can you give our readers and potential GMD attendees an idea of what a Gurl Museum Day looks like?
We have GMD Tours monthly, currently in Los Angeles (coming soon to New York). The day begins with meeting at a selected spot (usually in front of the museum). Gurls start arriving and we allocate thirty minutes of meet 'n greet. There we make a collective circle and I introduce myself, welcome them to GMD, and pass out name tags for gurls to write down their Instagram handle (towards the end I like to collect them in a printed promo piece to make sure I tag the girls in the photos I take). Then I ask two to three questions: (1) What are you passionate about? (2) Your most recent obsession or (3) Your favorite artist or type of art? This really gets all the gurls to open up and loosen up. Then we enter the gallery or museum. Sometimes we have a docent, sometimes we do a self-guided tour. It's fun to see all the gurls talk to each other and bond over art. The last thirty minutes we usually say where we are going next, say our goodbyes, and hit up the gift store (of course)!
Of the museums and galleries you and your gurls have visited thus far, which ones do you recommend most highly? Which exhibits sparked the best discussions afterward?
The Broad is the brand spankin’ new museum of Los Angeles. It’s been all the rage and it doesn’t disappoint. My favorite gallery in LA is Ace Gallery. Most people don’t know about it but it’s amazing space. The beginning of the year we went to the Annenberg Space for Photography’s Skylight Studio for #GIRLGAZE. That generated a lot of conversation and interest because it was a range of photography in the perspective of females views. We talked about how powerful and important it was to feel represented within each photograph.
Was a magazine always an integral part of this project or did it come about later on?
It’s wasn’t at first. However, after sharing this with so many girls, it clearly became the most needed part and I was happy to find collaborators that wanted to assist in the development. I partnered with Erin Remington. She’s an art curator and blogger at AFINEREYE. She helps with the interviews and the rest of the development of GMD. The magazine is strictly focused on sharing stories of gurl artists. Supporting their journeys or reviewing exhibitions that are related to girls.
In what ways has this creative undertaking surprised you and challenged you?
I had done other projects, but they were planned out and systematic. This developed organically and every step has been a discovery both creatively and strategically.
Will you be planning a good number of air-conditioned museum trips this summer to escape the L.A. heat?
Oh yes! Summer in LA is the best. Everyone wants to go out and it’s the best time to visit galleries and museums. We have a whole year planned out. We are heading to visit Hauser Wirth & Schimmel, MOCA, MOLAA, Blum & Poe, & CAAM, to name a few. We are also planning to expand to New York by the beginning of summer.
Who/what are your biggest creative influences?
As far as designer legends and greats, I admire and respect: Susan Kare, Aaron Draplin, WNW Member John Maeda, Paul Rand, Saul Bass, Jessica Walsh and Stefan Sagmeister. There are also many designers out there that are equally amazing and talented like Mig Reyes, Janet Longhurst, and Tobias van Schneider. I also find inspiration other ways from companies, products or agencies like HUGE and am heavily into art and culture. I have a whole list of female artists. At the top is Barbara Kunger, Maria Lassing and so on.
What’s next for you? What are you working on now?
I have another project called Compassionate Landspace. This is a collection of visuals—posters and social cards—created and donated by designers that encourage empathy in the name of fairness, equality, and progress. Our goal, as a collaborative effort, is to allow a different type of visual messaging in our current landscape with compassionate visuals to be used by marginalized communities, organizations, protestors and the general public who aim to share the same message. I am working on another collaboration project and just hoping to expand GMD in different exciting avenues.
What do you do when Not Working?
Galleries and Museums… no really! I still go to so many opening receptions (aside from the ones we do with GMD). I am highly addicted to coffee, but as I like to say, “Coffee is addicted to me!" I enjoy visiting and collecting coffee shop experiences. I am also a mentor and love those relationships dearly. We can only shape our industry if we share our knowledge.
Who are some WNW Members whose work you admire and why?
Lately, I admire gurls who are in a cross-disciplinary sector between a designer and artist such as Tuesday Bassen and Gabriella Sanchez.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Thanks for sharing my story!
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
Overshare Podcast: Shantell Martin + Ivan Cash
Overshare Podcast: Shantell Martin + Ivan Cash
Overshare is a Working Not Working event series and podcast that features honest conversations with our favorite creatives about the tough stuff we don't talk about in public often enough. For our 6th episode, WNW co-founder Justin Gignac talks to Members Shantell Martin and Ivan Cash, who both possess an enviable level of self-awareness, gratitude, and the ability to appreciate and live in the present. It makes the resulting conversation especially lively and insightful, as it shifts from creative foundations to the complex ideas of sharing and spontaneity and connection, to how artists can challenge an overreliance on technology both professionally and personally.
Shantell kicks things off talking about her background growing up in a white, racist, and homophobic community where she immediately felt like an outsider. "Because I didn't look like anyone else around me, I didn't have that pressure to fit in and to be like everyone around me... I was almost given a passport to be myself from quite an early age, which I think allowed me to explore this kind of natural creativity that I had inside me." For Ivan, the first creative project that brought him to where he is today resulted in getting arrested. While taking a screen printing class in college, Ivan made t-shirts encouraging the firing of then embattled New York Knicks coach Isaiah Thomas, and sold them outside of Madison Square Garden on game nights. After three nights of selling out of shirts, Ivan was arrested on the fourth and taken to Midtown South Precinct. "News of the arrest ended up getting a lot of coverage. I was interviewed on ESPN Radio, and a year later that project got me my first professional job in advertising. So, in many ways, getting arrested got me my first professional job."
Both Shantell and Ivan are artists very much driven by human connection. Shantell discusses the concept of spontaneity and sharing that drives her work and captures the magic of what art can be. "Why are we here in life? It's to share... We've gotten to this stage where we imagine that art is this romantic moment of craziness that an artist does, and that's because we don't have access primarily to an artist's process... 99% of my work is done with an audience and I allow the audience to see my process. And that's the magic. Before I do anything, there's a blank canvas. After, there's the final result. We can all look at a final product and bring our baggage to it... But the moment of connection, the moment of sharing for me is when you actually create the work. And if you can share that, then we're all connected in that moment and we're all experiencing the same thing happening at the same time. And when I produce a work that's never existed before, then for me that is essentially connecting and sharing at its core, and that is what I'm here to give to the world in a way that no one else can."
Ivan's work often focuses on the burdens of technology and always being "on." The conversation naturally shifted toward meditation, which both Ivan and Shantell have practiced. "I've gone on a number of long-term silent retreats that are a total recharge for me, where I can process everything," Ivan says. "We work out our bodies but when do we work out our brain or have a cleanse to process all of the crazy shit that happens on a day-to-day basis?... It's usually a week, but I've sat a month in silence... I think it couldn't help but allow me to pursue my passions more and learn 'what do I really want?' It became clear there was no other path but to do what I felt most convicted and passionate about. I hope that I'm a better listener from it."
For those of you who couldn't join us, we have good news: you can listen to the entire conversation below on our podcast, brought to you by our friends at AND CO. Subscribe to Overshare on iTunes, Soundcloud, or with any other podcasting app via our RSS feed.
Photo: Chris Casciano
A heartfelt thanks to AND CO for sponsoring this episode of Overshare. Let AND CO, co-founded by WNW Member Leif Abraham, help you run your freelance business by managing your invoicing, time tracking, expenses and projects with the combination of a smart app and your personal Chief Operator.
Get 20% off for 3 months on all premium memberships with the code “WNW”.
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us.
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WNW MEMBERS HEAD TO PROTESTS TO GET THE STORIES BEHIND THE SIGNS
Behind the signs
Read MoreHELP 8-BIT BEYONCÉ EXACT HER GRAMMY REVENGE
HELP 8-BIT BEYONCÉ EXACT HER GRAMMY REVENGE
Beyoncé just can't get the respect she deserves. Thanks to the side project of WNW Member Colby Spear, Joe Laquinte, Justin Au, and Line Johnsen, you can help Bey exact some Grammy revenge with "Lemonade Rage." Recreating an interactive 8-bit version of her "Hold Up" music video, the game lets you therapeutically smash cars into lemons (get it?!) so Beyoncé can make her lemonade. You also get to take a bat to some "Good Hair" ads too. If you're a member of the beyhive, it's the next best thing to that elusive "Album of the Year" award.
Update from the Lemonade Rage team: "We smashed. We raged. And we made a lotta lemonade. It was a good run. Unfortunately, we've received a legal order to shut down Lemonade Rage. We know. It's sad. A wise person once said, 'when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.' Well, we made lemonade and now we're receiving the lemons."
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
WNW's 5th Birthday Party: Recap
Early this winter, we came up with a new strategy in our "Planning of Epic Events" meeting. Two for you... and one for us. We kicked things off on a balmy December night in Los Angeles with our 5th Annual Working Not Working Holiday Party. That was for you. Next, in late January, we relaunched Working Not Working with a ton of new features. That was also for you.
Read More
MEMBERS YOU NEED TO KNOW: DAVID BOWIE ILLUSTRATOR ROADIES
As we remember the late David Bowie, who passed away on January 10, 2016, here are 8 of our favorite visual celebrations of his life and legacy by WNW Members.
Read More
The 5th Annual Working Not Working Holiday Party: Recap
We kicked off the holiday season with our 5th Annual Working Not Working Holiday Party on Saturday night. This year we held it in Los Angeles. Big thanks to all of you who danced and drank with us. Our annual NYC Holiday Party has earned a bit of a reputation, and we decided it was time to bring the festivities to the West Coast. Debauchery ensued. Friends were made. Their names were not remembered.
Read More
HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT AT THIS YEAR'S MOST CONTAGIOUS EVENT
HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN
EXPECT AT THIS YEAR'S
MOST CONTAGIOUS EVENT
As this tumultuous and unpredictable year draws to a close, Contagious will soon celebrate the best marketing creativity and technological innovations of the last 12 months, providing attendees with a roadmap for the challenges and opportunities facing the industry in 2017.
In two weeks, Contagious will be hosting 400 delegates from across the marketing industry in London for their annual Most Contagious event, exploring some of the year’s most compelling trends from Machine Learning to Mixed Reality, Gender and Choice. They’ll be joined by speakers from HoloLens, Barbie, Max Factor, 72andSunny and Axe, and will celebrate the most successful campaigns of the year, like The Next Rembrandt and The Swedish Number. The chief creatives from each of those agencies will share their behind-the-scenes insights and strategic advice on stage.
There are now less than 40 tickets available. But Contagious is generously offering a 10% discount to members of the Working Not Working community. Get your ticket here and enter WNW10 when prompted.
Below, Contagious offers a preview of some of the topics, ideas, and themes they'll be exploring during the one-day event.
Machine Learning
Arguably the most important macro trend of the next decade, machine learning is increasingly underpinning businesses across a variety of sectors, including entertainment, retail and even food. We’ll be offering insights into how this new technology could impact the way that businesses are run and advertising is created.
Keeping It Real
Artificially-enhanced environments can be used to create relevant, shareable, innovative marketing. We will cover the new creative possibilities that the fields of Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality have opened up this year as increased expertise, funding and adoption all make an impact. Laure Murciano, Max Factor’s Global Brand Manager will share how the brand used Blippar to share content and drive sales through its products.
Choice
The rapidly expanding nature of the online retail space means we have more options than ever before. Too much choice has always been overwhelming, but how can brands help their customers to navigate the overwhelming options? We will explore how they can do this using technology ranging from one-click buy buttons to customer service chatbots. Carling’s Sean Ferguson and Craig Wills of the beer brand’s agency Hi Mum! Said Dad will share their learnings from building an instant buy button and staying visible in the decision-heavy world of online retail.
Gender
We’ll hear about how an accelerator called Spring is empowering girls in East Africa and South Africa. And learn about how Axe and its agency 72+Sunny helped the personal care brand triple sales growth by championing a broader vision of masculinity.
This ‘Year in a Day’ also includes panel debates, an awards scheme for disruptive start-ups, and an exhibition showcasing the most ingenious new technologies and the makers behind them. The Economist’s Laurence Blair will also share key predictions for shifts in politics, the global economy, leading companies and cultural trends from The World in 2017 magazine.
If you have any questions regarding the Most Contagious Conference, please email events@contagious.co
AN ILLUSTRATOR FROM KENTUCKY HOLDS HIS FIRST SHOW IN PARIS
AN ILLUSTRATOR FROM KENTUCKY HOLDS HIS FIRST SHOW IN PARIS
We're always excited to see our members take a big step in their creative careers. WNW Member Jeremy Booth, from Louisville, just reached several milestones in his budding illustration career. Jeremy brought his new collection "The Simple Life" to Sergeant Paper for his first solo show. As Jeremy tells us, "This exhibit was a lot of firsts for me: my first show, solo show, and in Paris."
We ask Jeremy how a Kentucky-based designer-turned-illustrator wound up with a solo show in Paris, how he defines his signature style, and what inspired this new collection: "I had spent some time in Palm Springs. That place lives and breathes mid-century art, design, and culture. It was fresh on my mind and I knew I could create some sort of connection between Palm Springs and my exhibit." We're excited to see how taking in the rich architectural history of Paris will inspire Jeremy's next collection.
Tell us a little bit about your creative background. Who is Jeremy Booth and how did he get here?
I am a self taught designer and illustrator with a focus on illustration mostly. I have been pursuing design and illustration for 5 years now. Through that time, I have pursued graphic design, lettering, web & app design, but mostly some form of flat illustration. About three years ago I started noticing that illustration was the easiest to pick up and over all I enjoyed doing it the most. I have pursued many styles within the flat illustration genre but over the past couple of years I have taken on a style that uses limited color, good usage of negative space, and harsh lighting. That derived from a Tomorrowland poster by Ken Chapman that I had seen in a Disney book with a collection of old Disney posters. I moved on to finding inspiration in old travel and plakatstil posters, and that has evolved into where I am today.
How would you describe your creative style? Do you recognize a signature style that links all of your projects, or do you try to excuse yourself and approach each project as its own entity?
My style is signature across the board. I know going into an illustration there will be limited color, good use of negative space, and harsh lighting. After my recent show in Paris I am seeing clients insist on mid-century inspired art. It seems that my subject matter is becoming a part of my signature. I am certainly not limited to that though.
How did a designer-turned-illustrator from Louisville get his first Parisian solo exhibit at Sergeant Paper?
This past Spring I signed to a French Agent, Valerie Ouilad. Soon after I received an email from Sergeant Paper, a retail store and gallery in Paris with a focus on digital art. They asked if I’d be interested in having them sell my artwork within their retail space. Before responding, I forwarded the email to my agent and she instructed me to hold off responding as she wanted to discuss things further with Sergeant Paper. A few days later I had received a response from both Valerie and Sergeant Paper. Sergeant asked if I’d be interested in having a solo exhibit in Paris. I agreed of course and thought to myself, “how did this just happen?” This exhibit was a lot of firsts for me: my first show, solo show, and in Paris. I’m happy I did it though.
What was your inspiration behind “The Simple Life” exhibit?
Before Valerie and Sergeant Paper reached out to me I had spent some time in Palm Springs. That place lives and breathes mid century art, design, and culture. It was fresh on my mind and I knew I could create some sort of connection between Palm Springs and my exhibit. So I decided to create my artwork around the design and culture of the mid century.
When did you start taking an interest in combining the worlds of design and architecture?
Probably a couple of years ago when I started illustrating. I have always had a fascination with architecture; when illustration came along I was able to mesh those two loves together.
Did you have time to take in the architecture of Paris during your visit?
It was a short trip for my wife and I. We were there for four days. The last day was really for sightseeing and we were finally were used to the time difference and public transit. We did take all of the 400 steps up of the Notre Dame tower to see a beautiful view of Paris. It’s so captivating and vast, I highly recommend it.
What’s next for you?
Right now I am working on a few freelance projects and enjoying the rest of the year. I’m trying to break a little. I spent most of my summer indoors working on “The Simple Life.” If you would have told me 8 months ago that I would have a solo exhibit in Paris I would have said you're crazy. With that I’m not sure what will happen next but I am hoping it’s equally exciting.
Who are some other WNW Members whose work you admire and why?
Nathan Yoder: He’s a great guy and he can draw. His new style and exploration is much friendlier, I really enjoy it.
Ben Stafford: Ben is a friend of mine and I really respect his outlook on illustration and design. Everything he puts out is money.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Yes! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share about who I am and what I have been doing in Paris.
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
9 OF TODAY'S MOST EXCITING AND INSPIRING INDEPENDENT MAGAZINES
9 OF TODAY'S MOST EXCITING AND INSPIRING INDEPENDENT MAGAZINES
By Emily Gosling
For designers, non-designers, readers and non-readers, the beauty of the magazine world at the moment doesn’t just lie in the fact that print isn’t dead, but that it feels more alive than it’s ever been. There’s a vast wealth of stunning independent publications out there that will make you inspired and make you think, so we’ve drawn together a list of our nine favourite ones for you to metaphorically leaf your way through.
The mag’s debut issue boasted a massive pink vibrator on its cover. From that moment, I thought, “What’s not to love?” Turns out the content’s pretty rad too. The publication is created by a group of recent graduates–Kitty Drake, Madeleine Dunnigan, Sadhbh O’Sullivan, Tyro Heath, Scarlet Evans and Bronya Meredith. While it certainly takes a feminist bent, the team ensures it’s not just for girls. The most recent issue takes the theme "Mind," and provides a superb range of features looking at the intricacies of mental health and society’s view of all-things psych-based, from long-form copy to illustrations and photo-essays.
Ordinary Magazine is an arts and photography quarterly that focuses on a different everyday item with each mag. This time it’s the humble cotton bud, and once again we’re mighty impressed with the creative endeavours inspired by such a seemingly mundane little object.
“About men who date men” is the strapline of Hello Mr., but it’s really so much more than that. It provides a smart approach to writing about gay culture and eschews typical queer publication stereotypes through well thought-out features, unusual photo series commissions and a cute mini format. Hello Mr. is helmed by founder Ryan Fitzgibbon, who impressively handles pretty much everything, from commissioning to distribution to sales.
I can’t begin to say how rad the design is for Sabat magazine. The thick paperstock is peppered with transparent inserts and strange little elements, while the back cover features an embossed modified pentagram marque. When laying flat, the pages show an image of a foetus; from the other side, a crescent moon. And that’s just the visual elements. The content too is equally awe inspiring, based around modern day witchcraft and tackling the subject in intelligent, original ways.
Krass Journal is now on its second issue. Co-founded by Sanja Grozdanic, she says the publication is “all about self-realisation.” It’s exquisitely designed – all bold, punchy primary colors and typographically led – created by Simon Pearce from Frame Creative and Kirby Manning. Issue two features words from Noam Chomsky, Audrey Wollen and filmmakers Maya Newell and Charlotte Mars, who explain their documentary Gayby Baby.
A more traditionally “magaziney” magazine than most of the others on this list, TGD hails from New York and was cofounded by Tina and Ryan Essmaker to cover all things based on “those who create.” It’s been around for just over five years now online, moving into print too in 2014, and in both formats the mag shows a commitment to unearthing interesting stories about people who you know about and love, and people who you don’t and soon will.
I love photography journal Collection of Documentaries for a few things: its impressive weight, its refusal to issue an online accompaniment and the incredible new photography talent it manages to unearth. As per its editor Lee Crichton’s aims, it’s as much a book as a magazine. The design is super-minimal, with a cover entirely grey and with only a tiny footnote to indicate what the publication actually is. Images vary from those pilfered from pornography to Fanny Schlichter’s trip and beautiful images to a series that merges ripped-torso selves and snaps of terracotta pots, creating a beguiling portrait of youth culture today.
This little mag is the creation of design agency Human After All and partners including IDEO and D&AD. Edited by James Cartwright and with a plethora of gorgeous illustrations from the likes of WNW Member Jean Jullien and Adrien Johnson, the magazine has the not-small aim of changing the world by examining issues such as culture change and how design and societal changes can help make life better for our aging population.
It’s rude, it’s raunchy, it’s just what you need: a magazine for cinephiles with lots of lush pictures of beautiful boys. We’ve had five issues so far since the publication launched in 2010, and each shows an influence from old queer zine formats that feel a little bit DIY, but still with a grounding in academia and an eye for the sort of films you aren’t likely to see discussed anywhere else.
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
The Top Companies WNW Creatives Would Kill to Work for Full-Time 2016
The freelancing movement continues to climb, now making up 35% of the U.S. workforce. That rising desire for freedom and variety only offers a more powerful barometer to see which companies are adapting to the modern climate and offering enough goods to attract the best creatives.
Read MoreWatching Not Watching: Mr. Robot
Watching Not Watching:
Mr. Robot
WORKING NOT WORKING
HBO has long been the gold standard of television, and arguably still wears that crown. But there are now so many adrenaline-packed and addictively authentic shows touching down from Netflix, Amazon, FX and AMC, and WNW Members are finding plenty of creative inspiration from all of these curators. Often overlooked, USA is now front and center with the aforementioned powerhouses on the heels of Mr. Robot's Emmy and Golden Globe wins. But Mr. Robot has had a cult status right from the start. Below, WNW Member and New York-based Designer Julia Korbut tells us how the show hooked her, and why there are no signs of it releasing its grip: "When I first heard of it, Mr. Robot seemed like a cool show about hacker culture. It was the only time I’ve seen hacking portrayed as something other than a bizarre 3D fever dream. A bit into the pilot episode, additional undertones were added in - social justice, mental illness. It quickly became a show that’s not only about hacking the planet."
Julia also contributes some brooding pixel art that drips with as much paranoia and darkness as the show itself.
FYI: This is a Spoiler Free Zone.
Who is Julia Korbut and how did she get here?
I'm a self-taught designer and illustrator. Currently a Product Designer at Venmo. I've been working in agencies, games and startups for the past ten years. Sometimes I do pixel art on my off hours.
What was it about Mr. Robot that hooked you?
When I first heard of it, Mr. Robot seemed like a cool show about hacker culture. It was the only time I’ve seen hacking portrayed as something other than a bizarre 3D fever dream. A bit into the pilot episode, additional undertones were added in - social justice, mental illness. It quickly became a show that’s not only about hacking the planet.
Elliot, the protagonist, is a regular security firm employee by day, and vigilante hacker by night. He suffers from some sort of delusional dissociative disorder, and self medicates with drugs and hacking people for social contact. We don’t get the full picture of what’s happening due to his illness. We quickly learn we can’t accept the story as-is since the entire show is narrated from his perspective. It’s a complex show that makes you look twice before you read it at face value.
The show is set in current day Manhattan, with every detail kept true to reality. It makes the Mr. Robot world seem like it could exist, a scary thought at times. It draws a lot from the anger younger generations face growing up into a sense of debt and insecurity. They want to reclaim the world, make it better. It has that “Occupy Wall St” vibe, which is an interesting ingredient for a tech thriller. The protagonist, Elliot, is worried about where the world is headed. He has suffered personal losses due to corporate greed. He wants to save the world and spare others. It doesn’t necessarily go well from there.
Who’s your favorite character and why?
Mr. Robot. has a lot of great, powerful female characters. We even meet a trans character later on. My favorite character though is definitely Angela. She’s Elliot’s childhood friend, and in the beginning of the series we often see her overlooked, disrespected and pushed aside. She decides to seek power. She takes control of her fate and evolves a lot in the second season.
Moral ambiguity is a common theme in this show. There’s this duality of right and wrong. Angela definitely gets some of that. We don’t know the full extent of her agenda, but she pursues it relentlessly. She keeps moving towards her goal even in very hostile situations. She has this air of revenge, of “I’ll show you”, hand in hand with building herself up and having the drive to keep going. Seeing powerful, non-stereotypical female characters is definitely refreshing.
Without giving away any spoilers, which season did you like more?
Every season has a central theme of sorts. From crime to punishment and so on. I’d say both seasons are pretty adrenaline-packed, but the second one really goes places. You think you know what’s going on in the first season, that you have a pretty good understanding of things. In the second season, you realize a lot of things were a misconception.
The amount of blackmail on Mr. Robot is pretty impressive. Does the show ever make you want to wipe your online identity clean and move to the mountains?
There’s definitely more to this show than that. But as scary as it is, every ‘hack stunt’ on the show is entirely possible. Real life security consultants, some ex-FBI, were hired to help write the show that way. What makes it interesting is that those attacks stem from something apart from malice. And we get to see the consequences.
Is Mr. Robot, and television in general, a source of creative inspiration or escape for you?
I love watching movies, TV, music videos for the colors. The fashion. The cinematography. But anything is a possible source of inspiration for me. It’s like a muscle - you can train your eyes to see interesting composition and color in anything. I see ideas in the most random things.
On-screen media is particularly inspiring for fashion. If only my Wacom could print out sweet outfits.
Complete this sentence: If you like ________, you’ll love Mr. Robot.
The internet.
What other shows, new or old, do you recommend to fellow WNW Members?
So both of those recommendations are going to be from the UK. I don’t know how come they portray dystopia so well, but that’s just how it is.
Black Mirror is an obvious recommendation. Every episode is like a movie, a separate story line. It explores technology and where it could possibly take us as society. Some episodes, especially the last one from season two, are really extreme.
Utopia is another brilliant one. This one is super underrated. I can’t really describe it without giving plot details away, but just watch this. Some keywords: Comic book conspiracy theories, beautiful cinematography, the color yellow, sick beats.
What are you working on these days?
On my off hours I jump between a few different things. I have a bunch of ideas I work on. Currently my focus is on a short animation project. It’s loosely inspired by museums and simulation theory.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
WNW Member Elias Stein
34X34: DESIGNERS BID FAREWELL TO DAVID ORTIZ
34X34: DESIGNERS BID FAREWELL TO DAVID ORTIZ
The Graphic Designer for the Boston Red Sox, Marissa Mcclain, pulled out all the stops to honor David Ortiz, one of the most celebrated heroes of both the franchise and the city. Mcclain's 34x34 Project features 34 #ThanksPapi billboards in the Boston area, each designed by a different artist. Four WNW Members paid their respects to the future Hall of Famer through their work. Even WNW Member Jon Contino, a self-proclaimed "obnoxious New Yorker" and diehard Yankees fan offered a tribute, adding, "Rivalries are built on respect...and there's no number as scary to a Yankees fan as the number 34. Thanks to the @redsox for inviting me to be a part of a living legend's farewell. Even I can't deny the awesome legacy of David Ortiz."
Scroll down to see the other contributions from WNW Members. You can see all 34 billboards here.
WNW Member Jon Contino
WNW Member Brian Lindstrom
WNW Member Sean O'Connor
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
MEET "SUNDAY AFTERNOON" THIS FRIDAY NIGHT
MEET "SUNDAY AFTERNOON" THIS FRIDAY NIGHT
And you thought the Golden State Warriors looked like this season's most dominant Super Team. This Friday night from 7-10pm, brand new NYC-based studio and agency Sunday Afternoon is putting on a one-night show in TriBeCa, with an open bar courtesy of Des-Gin and Aberlour whiskey. It will be a mix of photography, design and sculpture from all the artists on the roster. Scroll down to meet the artists of Sunday Afternoon, where "a time of day is a state of mind."
WNW Member Ahmed Klink
WNW Member Juan Carlos Pagan
WNW Member Shane Griffin
WNW Member Ricardo Gonzalez
WNW Member Josh Dickinson
WNW Member Rich Tu
WNW Member Jesse Rieser
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!
GIPHY Presents "Loop Dreams" - An Exhibition of GIF Art IRL
GIPHY PRESENTS "LOOP DREAMS" - AN EXHIBITION OF GIF ART IRL
Join GIPHY in New York City this Sunday for LOOP DREAMS: An IRL exhibition of GIF Art. You can experience the work of 25 GIF artists through holographic posters, projections, VR, and interactive installations, with additional curation by Rhizome. Branding by WNW Members Mark Richard Miller & Dave Franzese of Dark Igloo.
12-3PM: Come explore inside the first ever Virtual Reality GIF Museum! The team behind the Mona VR headset will be giving demos of the soon-to-be-released MoGA and will be available to answer all your VR questions.
4-5PM: Join us for a panel discussion on the GIF led by RHIZOME. This panel discussion—featuring artist Laura Brothers, curator Jason Eppink, and GIPHY founder Alex Chung—will explore the GIF's usage as vernacular communication and artistic medium as parallel trajectories in the history of the file format.
October 2nd, 2016 / 10am-6pm / 201 Mulberry Street / New York, NY 10002
Hope to see you there! Scroll for the full list of featured artists.
Featuring art from:
Jacob Ciocci
Yung Jake
Nicolas Sassoon
Ann Hirsch
Laura Brothers
WNW Member Mattis Dovier
Stuart Wade
Eno Swinnen
Phyllis Ma
Scorpion Dagger
Zach Scott
WNW Member Julian Glander
Sam Rolfes
Winston Duke
WNW Member Karan Singh
Katri Tikkanen
LaTurbo Avedon
Dina Kelberman
David Berrebi
John Fogarty
Lauren Pelc McArthur
Jess Mac
Daniel Berman
Leon Denise
Nicole Ginelli
Martin Onassis