Hasta La Ideas

Exclusive Twitter giveaway of a collection of works by one of London’s most remarkable contemporary artists

Even at first glance it’s apparent that London-based artist Von has reason to keep his works in short supply. The level of detail that goes into his original works continues in the production of his limited edition prints, which are masterfully executed by one of England’s oldest printmakers, a family-run studio that dates back to 1880. Since commingling his commercial success with the fine art world a half-decade ago, Von has been producing remarkable reproductions of his work and selling them in small runs—but the latest offering is arguably the most impressive yet.

“Semblance” is a box set of five of Von’s striking prints, restricted to just 50 editions. While the packaging and material provide reason enough to purchase the collection, fans and discerning buyers have another cause for excitement: Von has randomly placed five original works within the lot.

Officially on sale tomorrow, those with quick fingers can still pre-order the set online, but one lucky CH reader could also win one in our Twitter-based giveaway. The five pieces included in the “Semblance” box set are quintessential Von works, slightly ambiguous in composition but ultimately invigorating. The way he challenges the eye intrinsically draws the viewer in, creating a heightened experience with this powerful contradiction of balance.

Those in London will have a chance to see the Semblance Collector’s Edition Box Set in person tomorrow at Protein’s 18 Hewett Street Gallery, where the works will be on display for the evening. Be sure to arrive early, a signed print will be given to the first 100 people through the door.

Semblance: Collector’s Edition Box Set is available for pre-order from ShopVon for £225. For a chance to win the set, follow Cool Hunting on Twitter and simply retweet the link to this story. Winners will be chosen at random on 25 November 2011 at 10am EST.

From sunglasses to leather-scented cologne, premium gift picks for the old man

The holiday season marks the only time of year it’s acceptable to ignore the man—he may say he doesn’t want any gifts, but get him something anyway.

Tom Ford Tuscan Leather Perfume

Coming in what is perhaps the most masculine perfume bottle ever designed, Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather Perfume
is rich in leather, black suede and amber wood notes. This bottle deserves a prominent place on the dresser of any well-scented dad. ($195)

J. Crew Collars and Cuffs Stain Bar

A good shirt deserves a little love now and again. This stain bar
from the Laundress New York and J. Crew will keep dad looking dapper by removing grime around the hardest-hit parts of the shirt, the cuffs and collar. Made from vegetable soap and natural borax, the all-natural bar won’t harm the fabric like a trip to the cleaners, so he’ll get the most out of his shirts. ($7)

Persol Crystal Sunglasses

There’s cool, and then there’s Steve McQueen cool. Get dad eyewear fit for the king of cool with these striking blue Persol sunglasses made of durable acetate with stylish silver hinges.

Guts and Glory

Celebrate the brutality of early American pigskin with a photographic collection of the hardest hits in football. Photographer Neil Leifer compiles his best shots from 1958-1978 as he documents the sport’s rise into the national consciousness. ($50)

Gekkota Golf Multitool

You never want to be without your ball marker, money clip, divot fixer, bottle opener and screwdriver. This slim multitool is versatile and convenient, attaching to your keychain and folding up into an oval disk. It will help Dad save room in his bag for what’s really important: booze. ($30)

Photographer Ilona Karwinska ‘s new book Polish Cold War Neon (Mark Batty Publisher, £35) gathers together photographs taken over more than five years all over Poland, documenting what remains of a once extravagant plan to neonize the entire country during the 1960s, 70s and 80s…

The book features an excellent introduction by David Crowley who, regular readers may recall, wrote a feature on Karwinska’s neon photography project for our September 2007 issue (we’ve unlocked it for a few days only so non subscribers can read that piece here). Here’s an extract from the book’s introduction:

“The neon signs installed in Polish cities in the 1960s and 1970s were part of the international attempts to reconcile socialism and consumerism. Conferences in Czechoslovakia in 1957 and in the Soviet Union in 1958 set out to define a new kind of progressive advertising that would raise the tastes of consumers and rationalise their needs. Neon was given a key role in this new program. Illuminated images and words could denote a useful commodity or service (‘Save with PKO for your apartment’ or ‘Sewing Machines Here’). Permanent, fixed to buildings, and bespoke, neon was even claimed as a tool for navigating the rapidly changing city: a radiant ‘You are here’.”

There is much info about the design and manufacturing processes and even interviews with employees of some of Poland’s biggest neon manufacturers during the 60s and 70s. And then there is the sumptuous, full bleed photography by Karwinska… Here are some images:

markbattypublisher.com

polishneon.com

CR in Print

Not getting Creative Review in print too? You’re missing out.

In print, Creative Review carries far richer, more in-depth articles than we run here on the blog. This month, for example, we have nine pages on Saul Bass, plus pieces on advertising art buyers, Haddon Sundblom, the illustrator who ensured that Coke will forever be linked with Santa Claus, Postmodernism, Brighton’s new football ground and much more. Plus, it’s our Photography Annual, which means an additional 85 pages of great images, making our November issue almost 200-pages long, the biggest issue of CR for 5 years.

If you would like to buy this issue and are based in the UK, you can search for your nearest stockist here. Based outside the UK? Simply call +44(0)207 292 3703 to find your nearest stockist. Better yet, subscribe to CR for a year here and save yourself almost 30% on the printed magazine.

The deadline for the next Creative Review Annual, our international showcase of the pick of the year’s creative work, is December 12. And we also have some judges to tell you about

The Creative Review Annual is our major awards scheme. It showcases and celebrates the outstanding work of the previous year in visual communications.

Each year, our panel of industry experts chooses the work that they feel represents the best of the year for publication in our special May double issue of Creative Review (last year’s shown above).

Our judges for the 2012 Annual include:

Andy Altmann, co-founder, Why Not Associates

Violetta Boxill, creative director, Alexander Boxill

James Hilton, co-founder and chief creative officer, AKQA

Nat Hunter, founder/creative director, Airside

Paul Jordan, executive creative director, Dentsu London

Greg Quinton, creative partner, The Partners

Andy Sandoz, creative partner, Work Club

Marina Willer, head of design, Wolff Olins

To register and make an entry today, click here.

CR in Print

Not getting Creative Review in print too? You’re missing out.

In print, Creative Review carries far richer, more in-depth articles than we run here on the blog. This month, for example, we have nine pages on Saul Bass, plus pieces on advertising art buyers, Haddon Sundblom, the illustrator who ensured that Coke will forever be linked with Santa Claus, Postmodernism, Brighton’s new football ground and much more. Plus, it’s our Photography Annual, which means an additional 85 pages of great images, making our November issue almost 200-pages long, the biggest issue of CR for 5 years.

If you would like to buy this issue and are based in the UK, you can search for your nearest stockist here. Based outside the UK? Simply call +44(0)207 292 3703 to find your nearest stockist. Better yet, subscribe to CR for a year here and save yourself almost 30% on the printed magazine.

A sound architect’s latest projects debut with musical fanfare at Miami’s Art Basel festivities

Artist Christopher Janney merges jazz and architecture with a rare balance of logic and imagination, describing his unique method as “painting with sound.” The trained composer is concerned with providing an emotional element to physical structures—to Janney, buildings are “urban musical instruments,” and over the past three decades he has built up an impressive array of site-specific works, from public installations in Miami to an 8,000-square-foot home in Kona according to the “cosmological principles and rhythms of Hawaii.”

Janney’s pedigree boasts a degree in architecture from Princeton and a Masters in Environmental Art from MIT, but he maintains a southern charm reminiscent, in a way, of Bill Clinton when he describes his work as “a gas” and discusses musical tastes from Motown to Zappa. He dissects pieces of Mozart with the ease of a genius composer, but takes a leap from conventional musical expression by visualizing the notes as multi-colored glass installations that refract light in delirious, fantastical ways. In the recently published retrospective book on his work, Janney comments, “I am interested in creating a hyperreality—a place where a person is still aware of being in his normal environment, but elements of it have been heightened or altered—to invite a more interesting daily experience, as well as to push against the idea of urban alienation.”

One of Janney’s most well-known projects to date is his 1995 installation at the Miami International Airport, a cornucopia of colored glass that lined the windows of the 180-foot moving walkway. Dubbed “Harmonic Runway,” the large-scale work was unfortunately removed due to new safety regulations following September 11, 2001.

Now, Janney has created a new light and sound installation at MIA that heralds the vibrant spirit found in Runway but packs an even bigger punch by using the innovative Vanceva glass system. “Harmonic Convergence” will project to travelers passing through a palette of more than 150 transparent colors alongside sounds recorded in Florida Everglades and on ocean SCUBA dives. The density of the sound score fluctuates in accordance to pedestrian activity, which is tracked via two video cameras installed in the ceiling. Topping off the experience is the rap of a short drum beat every hour to mark the time.

The permanent installation, “Harmonic Convergence” is ready to view in Miami, where you can also check out an exhibition highlighting Janney’s three main areas of focus—”Urban Musical Instruments,” “Physical Music” and “Performance Architecture.” Taking the same name as his new book, “Architecture of Air,” the showcase will also be on view during Art Basel (29 November – 4 December 2011) at the Moore Building in the Miami Design District. Those in town for the art extravaganza will not want to miss his concert on 2 December at 9pm, where Janney will perform with The Persuasions in a show called “Disembodied Instruments (Dance Version).”

As a guy who still marvels, “Wow, I made that?” Janney is a driving force in advancing technology and experimenting with the way we react to the world around us, surprising even himself from time to time.