Save the Planet!

Fashion photography

A style all of its own…  i-D magazine fashion spread via Trend Land

i-D Magazine- “ID is a British magazine dedicated to fashion, music, art and youth culture. i-D was founded by designer and former Vogue art director Terry Jones in 1980. The magazine is known for its innovative photography and typography, and over the years established a reputation as a training ground for fresh talent.” -Wikipedia

Logos with Hidden Messages

While we’re on the subject of logos, here’s another article from Richworks about those cheeky semiotically infused logos. Clients always love these; besides making them look intellectually smart, it also means they are getting more bang for their buck.  And THAT they like!

Evolution

Just as Man did evolve; so too did logos. Check out this interesting article by Richworks.

Semiotics

Semiotics is the study of relationships between signs and what they represent or “signify”.

The word “Semiotics” comes from the Greek word semeiotikos, which means an interpreter of signs. Signing is vital to human existence because it underlies all forms of communication.

Text

In the study of semiotics, something defined as a ‘text’ (such as a printed advertisement, an animated cartoon or a radio news bulletin) is in itself a complex sign containing other signs.

Semiotics plays a very important part in visual communications, semiotic analysis entails identifying the signs within the text and the codes within which these signs have meaning.

Signs

What do we mean by signs? Well, we, as a species are driven by a desire to make meanings: above all, we are surely Homo significans - meaning-makers. Distinctively, we make meanings through our creation and through the interpretation of ’signs’

Indeed, according to the philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce, “We think only in signs”.

Signs are important because they can mean something other than themselves. They are however dependent for their meaning on the contexts in which they are read and understood.

Signs take the form of:

• Words

• Images

• Sounds

• Odours

• Flavours

• Acts

• Objects

But such things have no intrinsic meaning and become signs only when we invest them with meaning.

The Notion of Subtext

To signify what we want to signify without being too explicit in the signified, we use a subtext. The famous semiotician Umberto Eco says people recognise subtext and operate within the subtext.

Consider the example of an environment:

Signifier – a building

Subtext – a religious building eg: a Hindu temple

When we communicate the subtext, it then tells us how to behave appropriately in response.

HEMA interacting website

Log onto this page — and wait a while to see its “magic”

Peter Pan Pop-up Book

Neiman Marcus Pop-up Book

New York Pop-Up Book

CGFXs – Emergency Prepardness!

CGFXs Pop-Up-Book animation

Pop-up Inspirations

The Pop-up Book of Phobias

Welcome to the amazing world of pop-up books!

"Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland" by Robert Sabuda features amazing pop-up illustration.

When you open this special book all the characters and the background instantly pop up. Almost if as the world in the book suddenly turns into the real thing. Pop-up books do always surprise you and can lead you to a nostalgic and wonderful dream. Today I will take you to the world of pop-up books!

Read more at PingMag…

Kyushu Impressions – NYP School of Design Japan study trip 13 – 20 Dec 2009

Rising sun - dawn breaking as we approach Japan. © Ransome Chua

Fukuoka International Airport. © Ransome Chua

Kumamoto Castle partially wrapped in the leaves of Autumn. © Ransome Chua

Santana – Smooth

The semiotics! Signs, symbols, colours … gestures … Rob Thomas and Santana!

Santana – Corazon Espinado

Have grown up listening to Santana since when… this one’s so hot, music that is!

Deep Purple – Smoke on the Water

Heavy Metal RULES!

Grand Funk Railroad – We’re an American Band

Grew up with music like this… BEST!

British Propaganda Posters of World War 2

By Mattias Indy Pettersson

The influence of propaganda posters cannot be denied, neither in the political sphere, nor in the world of art.