Cope2… well really it is about Kate Moss

Hot mess

NYC based graf artist has a new website, I do not think it is fully finished but looks alright. Could do with showing some more of the older back catalogue. I’ve picked it out because it is a great example of an established graf artist making himself a commercial product.

It shows that graf artists from any generation are a business and as such they need to sell themselves. Cope2 has his statement on his site, eulogising about what he does, influence, techniques and his journey. There is his CV which is actually where he has exhibited and then there is the history naming all the brands he has worked with.

Street art is so accessible and open for everyone to engage with, I think this is a great thing, from the years of making no money from it at all to today where it is hung in the biggest galleries across the globe. In my marketing career I have used street art for brands from fizzy drinks, to cars, to beers to sport equipment and it always draws a crowd. The key to using something cool and underground is how to make it relevant and interesting to the casual fan and the hardcore street art community. And to make sure you are adding to a scene rather than ripping it off.

Cope2

True Life with la Moss

Obviously I picked this out for the obligatory Kate Moss piece… love la Moss.

Nike – Urban icon from first to now

First real trainers I owned, the first ones I remember feeling proud of, the first ones that I went to bed wearing, the ones I spent hours before bedtime lacing, re-lacing and then then finally deciding on a look I liked, they were Nike. I dabbled with Reebok, the Hexalite were a nice shoe, Pump looked great too. I tried out the 3 stripes with Adidas Samba amongst others but it never really stuck. Then there was some time with Puma, I even had the Discs which were an awfully designed shoe. I had Champion suede basketball boots in red and turquise, I had the Hi-Tec tennis shoes when I was being ironic, Dunlop Greenflash while being a student, I have done the Vans skate shoes amongst other attempts to pretend I was a skater. Then there was the time of just wearing plain plimpsols, minimal indie uniform as it was and is.

Today, one brand has remained King and Queen of my footwear. Nike has remained numero uno. Here are a few of the current faves.

The re-imagined classic

Nike Air Huarache 2012

The limited edition

Nike Air Force NY

The urban classic

Nike Air Max 1 – 2009

The B-ball don

Nike Air Fly Top – 2010

Still bust out the plimpsols but always have a Nike in reserve

Graffiti paintball machine

So now it seems there is a machine which takes away the craftmanship of graf and stenciling. Like a paintball machine that is the bastard love-child of Ben Eine and Robot Wars.

While I am all for technology, pushing the world forward creating new stuff to wow and open our fragile little minds, surely somethings are best left to us humans. Such as making suits, making food, making sex and painting.

It is called a Facadeprinter by some clever German chaps at Sonice Development GmbH, name sounds rather grand and means nothing to me. I guess it might be useful for putting art in those tough to get to places such as the top of the Shard

Big stencils quickly

Watch this

I have a bit of a watch fetish, so far I have over 40 and that number will only continue to swell, there is no doubt about that.

I think a watch tells you a lot about a person, a timepiece speaks volumes about your style and character and also shows you have some appreciation for time and keeping to it.

I always find it weird that people only have one watch when you have different shoes, shirts and jackets for different occasions. I mean you do not have to go as crazy as me and have one in every colour of the rainbow, but then again why not?

Here are a few I have seen recently that may well be joining my watch draw…

Keep Watch – Like

eyeWatch

Keypad Hidden Time Watch – Like

keyWatch

Bless Belt Watch – Like

beltWatch

Any other Watches to suggest people?

Skindeep – Julien Palast

Rubbered sickpack +…….

Spotted this today and thought it looked amazing, very beautiful but pretty damn erotic too me thinks. Julien Palast has shrink wrapped some clearly beautiful people, this would not work with fatties but with the 00% fat on these they look amazing

Ass shot

The sixpack through the rubber creates some amazing contours and shapes and that with the colour projected onto the surface it looks brilliant.

Vivid coloured boobs

Rainbow alien

http://www.palast.fr/

This is a social music video

Music videos are still important to a record succeeding, it is a difficult one to get stand out in, there is no point throwing money at the situation anymore. Big budgets do not work, just ask the big boys who failed to make an impression at Cannes Lion this year.

Tiled out

Now you have to think social and make sure you are putting the consumer right at the centre of your content and comms, MNDR a NYC based band did exactly that, creating a music video that puts you in the middle of it, communicating directly and taking information from your Facebook page to make it relevant through an app. Working at fourclops in the shape of Eli Stonberg and Jeff Greco and recording the gig at Webster’s Hall in March.

my MNDR

Brands have been doing it for a while and it can work, getting a music video that takes the listener on a journey and make it personal might not sell a download on iTunes, probably will not get you to go to a gig they are playing but it will make them stand out and probably encourage you to keep an eye out for the next creative way they try and communicate with you. You may share on Facebook, Twitter (probably not on Google+ because who the hell uses that) or even tell your mates down at the pub on a weekend, they might buy it or share it. Either way the message is spreading… Good ideas and creativity spreads Fact.

Spotted on PSFK

nOlympics Thank you very much

I have said before that not everyone in London and especially the Eastend is over the moon about this thing called the Olympics. Some are dead against it. I was one who was nonplussed but after some campaigning by my good friend I started to feel the excitement. I am even going to the games… I am a guest of a rather large brand…. but I fear the tickets are for women’s beach volleyball… nothing could be more inappropriate for my goodself.

Another reason for liking the idea of the Olympics is the rise of streetart based on the biggest event to hit these shores in anyone’s living memory. Here is another cute and curt piece.

Toxic Olympics

Things I’ve seen….

Random things SF has seen over the weekend just gone….

London Pride just went…

This was outside a sex shop off Great Eastern Street

Wall of paint…

Off Brick Lane

A real eyefull

Think that is a Roa piece….

 

Christina St – Arts ‘n’ Sods

East London is awash, that is no breaking news but I was wondering which road is the best, in NYC you have 5Points, Berlin has many areas but Kreuzberg is pretty shit hot, East London has numerous places such as Redchurch Street but for me it has to be Christina St. The whole area is wall to wall paint, some a little out there, some looks like it might have been commissioned but some is just plane ridic.

Broken Fingaz

No idea…. have you?

eyeeyeeye

What’s all this Malarky

Lego + Graffiti = Great success

Every kid loved lego, building stuff and making ridiculous things just from a load of random bricks and your imagination. It has got far more sophisticated these days and the pieces are made in a multitude of sizes, shapes and it is all becoming a bit too perfect in my humble opinion.

Just recently I made an airport, with a boat port, a zoo, guarded by monsters (this was for my 5 year old bro)

I digress… Things I like, lego and streetart, the combination of the two was bound to be fecking cool. I like the simplicity in it, I like the fact it is in such a public place and I like that it doesn’t seem to be a brand thing. Lego is one of those brands who get coverage for everything they do, there are a few who do not have to try, examples… Lego, Marmite, Apple.

Anyway…. before…

Nolego

And then…

Tadalego

Shupa…

Now I am off to build a lego super car