If You Could

Friend of the fort, Nicole over at making stuff and doing things, sent this over the other day. What a gem!

If You Could is a platform for collaboration – sometimes between people in different fields. They are given the generous time of 12 months to work together. Ok so I’d say I have a very long wish list of people I’d just die to collaborate with. I mean the work is incredible!

Side note. The collaborators shall inherit the Earth. You heard it here first

Group Love – fire forts

Fire stations. Most of them are historic, and most of them you can stay in for free.

I love the fact that these places are so remote that no one really knows they are there, but often they are full of all our creature comforts. Well, some more than others.

Ridiculous locations, even more ridiculous views. Just a few of the oldies are in this cute little set.

Imagine waking up to this view, way up the road on Saddle Mountain in British Columbia:

Thanks Forest History Society!

Questions we can’t ask

A new friend and mentor of mine has been asking some questions.

Are we creating value for humans?

Does what we design do more than earn us some coin?

Beyond the creativity of the commission, is anyone paying attention to what is actually being designed?

I was in the studio of the man asking the questions this week. On his work desk was a dark bottle of local wine. He picked it up and said “OK so imagine this is a bomb.” He caressed the curve of the neck, then continued, “Imagine I’m the designer of this bomb, and I am showing you my design work. Perhaps I’d tell you about the curve and how it is contemporary, or that I picked up the inspiration at The Louvre.”

I watched him put the wine bottle back on the table, and he looked at the wall. “But when someone asks me ‘what does the bomb do?’ I will say ‘I don’t know, but it is pretty and the client loved it.”

This is a hard sell. To question the outcome of our design after we’ve been paid. Or even before.

Mostly, we take clients and consider commission based on a variety of factors. To date, one overlooked tends to be the purpose of the thing in the first place. Is it doing harm? Is it doing good? Why does the world need this thing? Is this going to perpetuate 20th century ideals and all their baggage?

Sadly, these questions are a luxury. I cannot select clients based on values when I have student loans to pay and a vacation to book.

Or can I?

Can I turn my heels on convention, elect to create value for humans, and step away from the blatantly lucrative illegitimacies of obsessive corporatism while still being able to book a vacation to Yosemite this June?

I’ll call you from the top of Half Dome and let you know how it goes. Luckily I have a partner in this advertising crime, otherwise this post would have more question marks.

2010. “100% ridiculously unlike anything else.”

David O’Reilly: Please Say Something

Please Say Something – Full Length from David OReilly on Vimeo.

David O’Reilly is a tremendously gifted animator who I was first introduced to by my friend (and gifted animator in his own right) Vance Reeser. I love that O’Reilly strips his animations down to the bare essentials, and pushes what some would consider beautiful. Above is his reinvention of the old cat and mouse tale and below is a music video he created for MIA.

RyeRye / MIA “Bang” Visuals from David OReilly on Vimeo.

Benjamin Rasmussen Photography

I was first exposed to the photography of Benjamin Rasmussen when we attended college together during my brief stint in the midwest. I’ve followed his work ever since and really enjoy the emotion and moodiness of his work, as well as his knack for lighting and color.

According to his twitter he’s just had some photography published in the New York Times! Be sure and check it out.