Back in my formidable ICQ days, I was really into the “lol, brb, c u l8rs” and myriad of other text-speaks of the interweb. I never feared that the English language was at risk of severe degradation, or imagined that we were going to be writing text novels any time soon. All things considered, it’s clear that our methods of communicating have drastically shifted over the past decade, which is a ripe subject for artists and designers to exploit. Enter Swiss graphic design and new media student Clément Gallet, whose new communication manifesto “ritN eng iz ded”, has people talking.

in it, gallet posits that the speed of communication is moving too fast for our traditional written word system, and he gives suggestions on how to streamline language to work better with our new communication methods: texting, facebook, twitter, etc. one of his suggestions is to dump capital letters, because they don’t affect the clarity of messages and in lots of modern layout styles it simply looks better. did you even notice that there wasn’t a single capital letter in this whole paragraph?

Tis the weekend, and to celebrate the beautiful weather, we’re focusing on Jiyeon Song’s thesis project. “The results of an extensive exploration with shadows, the One Day Poem Pavilion demonstrates the poetic, transitory, site-sensitive and time-based nature of light and shadow. Using a complex array of perforations, the pavilion’s surface allows light to pass through creating shifting patterns, which–during specific times of the year–transform into the legible text of a poem. The specific arrangements of the perforations reveal different shadow-poems according to the solar calendar: a theme of new-life during the summer solstice, a reflection on the passing of time at the period of the winter solstice.

The time-based nature of the poem–and the visitor’s time-based encounters with it–allow viewers to have different experiences either seeing a stanza of the poem or getting the whole poem. All of these possible experiences are equally valuable and have meanings unique to the individual. This technique has the potential for producing particular effects and meanings within an architectural environment. Without the use of a source of power other than the sun, this project uses light and shadow to push the boundaries of communication and experiential delight.”

We’ve featured so many artists, it’s really hard to keep track of all them all, let alone put names to particular pieces of work. That’s not to say any of our past, present or future features aren’t special, but there’s simply too much to remember. Just when you thought there were no exciting artists left on the face of the earth, Fecal Face, unveiled an interview with Scot Anderson, who had this to say about his career and development as an artist: “the way these paintings look has been evolving gradually over the past few years, but I would say the epiphany came my last year of graduate school. The pressure had been building, I guess over all the years of art school. Course work had improved my facilities, taught me some art history, and exposed me to contemporary art. I spent the first bit of grad school frustrated, and wasn’t sure how to apply all of this or how to insert myself into the canon. It wasn’t until I stopped worrying about defending/defining my work in post-structuralist terms, that I relaxed and was honest and really invested in what I was doing. It was weird. I felt like I was kind of regressing, by clustering images and what not together in a manner that I would have “fooling around” in my high school sketchbook. It was more sophisticated though. The “doodling” I was doing in the paintings was being informed by all this stuff I had absorbed – by the narrative of art history.”

Anderson goes on to say: “like a lot of dudes my age, much of the pop culture consumed in our formative years were science fiction, so there is no doubt that it’s been a component in a lot of my work, both deliberately and subconsciously. I think it’s particularly apt when describing my work a few years ago, and maybe less so now. What I think influences me more than science fiction is medieval painting. I’ve always been attracted to the epic narratives, symbolism, and generosity of detail. I like it that academics have devoted their careers to decoding the paintings and that these things are timeless, eternally interesting objects. They are always an occasion for new meanings even if they had a very specific function during the time of their making. This is how I want my work to operate and I think a lot of contemporary art does not.” The bottom line is that it’s spectacular to get lost in! Be sure to check out the entire interview and take a look at some more examples of his unique work.

This past summer, one of the winning entries to our “Logo-a-Gogo” contest included a mash-up of H’s, built of various fonts, and sizes, which comprised our hexagonal logo. From afar, the compilation was undoubtedly the impressive HC2 symbol, however a closer examination lead to an appreciated of the fine detail and time required to complete the design. Although this idea is not new per se, it certainly was one that we thoroughly enjoyed. LA Pop Art has provided another take on this catchy theme, by incorporating full movie scripts and song lyrics into larger memorable artistic compilations.

From Alice in Wonderland, to The Wizard of Oz, and more violent selections such as Rocky and Scarface, LA Pop Art has covered all the theatrical bases. On the music front, they’ve got a wide selection of Bob Marley, as well as Lynyrd Skynyrd. Their prints and apparel are true works of art, which any discerning cinematic aficionados, and stoned university student, will appreciate. With poster-sized prints starting at a bargain $10, you might as well blow your wad and spring for the limited edition signed copy of The Godfather, which goes for $300. Check out the site and see these works up close, and remember the full script and lyrics serve as the background.

Back in the 1990′s, hoards of people around the world were searching high and low for a Caucasian male, dressed in red and white pin stripes. Many keen individuals spotted him amongst the crowds in office buildings, amusement parks, and on board cruise ships, but he constantly evaded capture. Known only as “Waldo”, his exploits are well documented in a series of literary masterpieces, that are now part of Pre-School and Kindergarten curricula. After year’s of frequent sightings, Waldo vanished until recently when rumors of his return surfaced in downtown Vancouver.

For serious, Melanie Coles has created a 55-foot painting of Waldo on top of a building in Vancouver, and expects other cities to follow suit with their own Waldos. The ultimate goal is to have these massive installations show up on Google Earth, thereby creating a fun (unexpected) game online. “I think that it’s within the spirit of the state of the Web now. Everything is a free-for-all, and I think the more Waldos, the better,” Melanie told the Vancouver Sun. Unfortunately, Waldo has yet to appear on Google Earth, and there is no indication when they are sending satellites over Vancouver. In any case, when he does show up, I wouldn’t be surprised to find dozens more all over the world.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably paid little attention to the Levis, Warhol and Hirst partnership that was announced last year. Essentially “Warhol Factory x Levi’s x Damien Hirst” was launched as an ubber-luxurious superbrand that produced 501 demin encrusted with Swarovski studded skulls, and famous Warhol patterns. In such cases, there is always a twitter of concern that artists are selling out when they join forces with mass-market retail brands. That being said, to the parties involved, it seems to be a sound business practice. This relationship is no different than the one formed by Tiger Woods and Nike.

But we’re not hear to talk about clothing or superbrand, but rather the collectors book that is being released along with the “Warhol Factory x Levi’s x Damien Hirst” line. The publication presents the process of the creation of the collection, as well as all the people involved. The limited edition book comes hard bound in black denim, wrapped in a plexy glass and metal display box. The fashion photographs done by Beau Roulette feature Vincent Gallo and aside from the collection pictures, they also added an interview with Damien Hirst and lots more background information. Overall it is touted as an “exploration of the collection, which explores the “Death” theme, as that is a theme both artists are familiar with.” At $200 a pop, this rag is for die hard collectors only.

Takashi Murakami is often touted as the next Andy Warhol. Like the American pop art icon, he fuses high and low art, utilizing imagery from consumer culture to produce truly unique work. Often referred to as ©Murakami, he has recently exploded across the US and Europe scene, receiving fawning media attention and exhibiting at big-name museums. He makes paintings, sculptures, videos, T-shirts, key chains, mousepads, plush dolls, cell phone caddies, and, last but not least, $5,000 limited-edition Louis Vuitton handbags. Warhol died before a T-shirt company licensed his soup cans and made a bundle. Murakami, who reads Bill Gates for business tips, knows better than to make that mistake.

Murakami owes much of his success to the highly efficient Hiropon Factory. Hardly a reclusive artist toiling in his garret studio, he employs 25 assistants to perform specialized tasks, and he uses technology in pragmatic, labor-saving ways. Because his work features a number of recurring motifs – eyeballs, mushrooms, flowers – the factory maintains an immense electronic archive of renderings that he can cut and paste into the files he’s working on. Murakami may be the first artist to make paintings from his own portfolio of digital clip art. All things considered, on one hand he is revolutionizing contemporary art, but otherwise he is also diminishing the specialty of his craft.

Strap on your design helmet, and get ready to be amazed by Frank Magnotta. His drawings give human form to abstract corporate identities that define many of our contemporary daily experiences. As such, they question the degree to which control over our own bodies and destinies is an illusion constructed by corporate culture and institutionalized religion. Collectively his most recent drawings form a “rogues gallery” of different social archetypes – doctors, bankers and priests – that embody institutions that consistently infiltrate, and in some cases define, contemporary life: The health care and pharmaceutical industry, the bank and the church. The fine detail in his work is unbelievable.

Each portrait is composed entirely from actual logos and institutional symbols appropriated from the above mentioned fields, while each piece is a composite of public signs that have been anthropomorphized. For example, The Predator is reminiscent of an early 20th century portrait of a Rockefeller-style robber baron, in fur and pince-nez glasses. The entire drawing is in fact an amalgamation of multiple logos for existing banks constructed into an elaborate composition and rendered in virtuosic, seductive technique. The brilliance of each work is a careful balance between the legibility of each drawing’s representation of a subject, and proximity to historical precedents, while engaging a subtle, yet grotesque satire. Be sure to take a gander at his entire portfolio, and don’t miss Fecal Face’s exclusive interview with Frank.

I trust that you are as pleased as I am that HC2 has been breaking the traditional Design News format, and featuring some really strange selection over the past few days. Luckily for you we’re offering another unique find today. Dig? Of course you do, otherwise you wouldn’t be here. For those who don’t, perhaps you need to check out the essential guide for squares, “How to Speak Hip“. On “How to Speak Hip”, Geets Romo, a fictitious hipster, consents to guide a square interviewer, comedian Del Close, through the basic lexicon of cool. The general banter between Romo and Close is hilarious, and extremely remarkable when you consider the fact that “How to Speak Hip” was recorded in 1959.

While you take a listen to this great comedic creation, I’d like to offer some more background information on the mind behind it, Del Close. He started out working with Second City, directing future superstars including John Belushi, Bill Murray, and Dan Ackroyd. Del went on to regularly appear on the television show “Get Smart”, and appeared in films including “Ferris Beuller’s Day Off”, and “The Untoucheables”. For me Close was “that funny guy”, but I never took the time to learn his name until I found his guide to speaking like a hipster. Although he’s long gone, his presence is still felt on the stage each time the Goodman Theatre puts on Hamlet. Confused? A performer to the very end, Del willed his skull to the theater.