So many puns just itching to get typed with this one… Graph/Graffiti, etc… Anyhow, unmistakeable is the rise (or near overwhelming amount?) of infovisualizations and infographics the last few years… So the real question is, why haven’t we seen more of this infiltrating the street art scene?

When i popped by the Studio for Creative Inquiry at CMU last weekend, i got a sneak peek at Golan Levin playing with this latest project ~ a DIY stencil for making Info-graph-iti (details up at F.A.T.: Free Art & Technology)! Using the stencil, you can use the pointer (adjustable using the tension bolt/wing-nut) and assortment of letters (attached easily with tape) to create a pie chart just about anywhere. There’s even a tiny arrow to show which section of the chart is described by your text, as well as 100 tick marks to make percentage accuracy easy.

While i love the concept ~ there’s one thing i’d love to add ~ i like my pie charts multi-colored, or at least multi-textured. Perhaps the addition of a fan or perforated stretchy material between the moving arm and the fixed divider would allow for some more playful spray painting. (Also make it look less clock like!) Fan it out to keep one section blank for a more pacman like look? Or use that, then invert it, to spray paint the significant wedge a crazy neon pink to really make it pop? You can even download the files and details. Now if only i could get my hands on laser cutter to try it out… See more pics on the next page!

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Tags: art - graffiti - infographics - streetart

In case i don’t say it enough ~ you, readers, are awesome! And when i get fun emails with pictures of running into Banksy’s being covered in LA that a reader’s wife sent him… how can i not share? (Thanks, Abner!)

So what’s the story? My wife was with her brothers, sister in law and 2 year old niece hunting for Banksys and they encountered that scene: Banksy was being preserved. Here is how she describes it: I asked who had told them to cover it up, it had been the owner of the building who had asked them to do this. They only said, “Him, the guy that made it.” Photo credits to Sandra Gonzalez! While it’s tempting to veer into the state of the cultural perception of Banksy… or discuss shark jumping, or impressive impact beyond the street art/art world… How about we just revel in the amusement of turning a corner and running into a team of guys trying to plexiglass the side of a building? Take a peek at the close up on the next page too…

p.s. it’d be perfect if someone added imagery ON the plexi of the guys putting it up. And then added another layer above that to protect it… and so on… and so on… street art sandwich?

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Tags: art - los angeles - streetart

Becca! From art school roots, to street art, to gallery shows, more street art, to teaching, and back? I love the stylistic/contextual juxtapositions and versatility of her work and experiences! They are very ~ Dick & Jane meet pin ups meet fashion illustrations… in gorgeously refreshing colors… pasted up around the city! I rediscovered her this weekend when popping by the new Street Art Pop Up Store/Gallery… started by Z (who, like many, is part of the Obey Giant family), focusing on creating a space to showcase and sell the works of established street artists. Amongst the work the day after the opening, there was a stack of amazing prints/posters/originals… and i fell in love with a Becca print. No surprise, i suppose, since i even posted the show it came from a show featured on NOTCOT.org ages ago (but i forgot! until i looked it up at home!)… Anyhow, Becca has some amazing work, take a peek at the pics and video on the next page!

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Tags: art - gallery - illustration - paint - print - streetart - video

It’s 3am. I’m tired, but i felt like i needed to share before the backlog built up and my excitement wandered off… what a day its been, so much #OBJECTHUNT fun ~ so many supportive folks having fun at design week this year between workaholicking. And between it all i stumbled upon Mr. Brainwash’s takeover of the boarded up construction ~ mixed with scrawls about what a hack he is ~ only to turn across the street to see all his art also inside at a huge gallery show… and it was filled with classic designer chairs… so, i couldn’t help myself, the mix of spray paint art, pithy statements and quotes, elephants-kangaroos-snoopy made of tires, a life size NY taxi packaged in matchbox packaging with a toys r us price tag… so say what you will about his work ~ i just had to take and share some pics! See it all on the next page…

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Tags: art - new york - spray paint - streetart

About to run out to try and actually check out the insane fiera filled with design goodness ~ but wanted to leave you with some of the many stickers and street art bits that keep grabbing my attention as i wander through the city! Some fun silly craziness on the next page! Enjoy!

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Tags: milan - salone - streetart - travel

Sometimes you find inspiration in the most random of places... like stuck on the side of a cross walk button machine with a cucumber on top of it. This graphic from Waste Yourself was too cool not to share... found out in the East end of London when checking out Tent Design and wandering about. See it bigger and a few other silly little discoveries as well on the next page...

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Tags: art - london - streetart

I'm sure you've seen snippets here and there of Shepard Fairey's Studio Number One artwork for the Saks Fifth Avenue Spring 2009 WANT IT! Campaign ~ featuring some very propaganda style imagery, but i've yet to see it all in one place, or up close... Luckily just got a hold of the high res images of all of the artwork, and freshly couriered over were a copy of the latest catalog as well as some of the bags to check out up close. As you can see, i got indecisive in picking the main image to show first, so you get two!

It's a fascinating juxtaposition to see the classy scripty Saks Fifth Avenue logo with the stark black, white, and red clean lines of the graphics... and personally, it doesn't scream "buy me!" luxuriously to me... in fact it's a slight turn off as far as my shopping brain is concerned? But from a design perspective, i love the imagery, and the playful integrations, and the possible subversive twist Shepard Fairey's Studio Number One may have been aiming for... every season trends are constantly shoved down our throats, this merely emphasized it to a point where it's nearly laughable ~ which then makes you step back and rethink Aggressive Shoes and Arming Yourself (with a slouchy bag) - and then perhaps still give in once you realize you still want them! Anyhow, check out all of the images on the next page, and i'd love to hear your thoughts...

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Tags: art - branding - packaging - shopping - streetart

Written On The City has been collecting up imagery from around the world of textual street art ~ and the book is now here! This project is the brainchild of Axel Albin and Josh Kamler of Language In Common. Trying a new form of book review ~ scanned in a bunch of random pieces of pages i liked to give you a feel for things on the next page!

Also ~ the letter, business cards, stickers, etc were so fun, i scanned those for you to check out too! And the next time you see some great texty street art, snap a pic and send it over to Written On The City!

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Tags: art - books - gifts - graffiti - shopping - streetart - text

Incase has done it again... waking me up to yet another giddiness inducing package. They always manage to put me in the best moods with their great packaging (from packaging of the product, to the silver penned notes to go with them!). I'm sure you've been seeing these new limited edition cases buzzing around the web all morning, but here's an unboxing and some close up pics of my own. And for those just catching up...

Incase has teamed up once again with Arkitip Magazine, and this time they've pulled in one or my favorite artists, Craig Costello aka "KRINK" aka "KR", the legendary creator of KRINK inks and markers and artist behind those awesome silver drippy mail boxes! So this new KRINK Sleeve is the first in the "Curate by Arkitip" series. First impression, was being smitten by the silver on black drippiness, so messy, yet so clean. Next thing to hit me... although it is an awesome art product, the quality is incredible, but then again what else would you expect from Incase? This would be such a fun case to carry into a formal meeting... if not just to see what the reactions are like! Anyhow, go see the many pics on the next page, as well as the video with behind the scenes on how this sleeve came to be.

p.s.
i know it sounds silly, but part of me is dying to spraypaint 'NOTCOT' on mine...

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Tags: accessories - art - incase - laptop - streetart - technology

Ok, so you've now seen the pictures and heard Justine's adventures at the Banksy Cans Festival this week... and for those unable to be there - to stand in line to pay 3 pounds for an awesome official Cans Festival Program/Zine... she took the time to scan in each and every page for our viewing pleasure! (Thanks, Jus, you're the best sister to vicariously live through!) So check it all out on the next page, click each page to view it high res and read the manifestos and gawk at the gorgeous stenciling.

p.s. don't forget to take the Consumer Survey in there...

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Tags: events - magazines - print - stencils - streetart

NOTCOT Note: Yes, Justine (aka RUGenius) was really there. And i'm envious. Although i did get to go to the incredible painted elephant LA Banksy-fest... this one looked like quite the mob scene in a london tunnel! About 30,000 people showed up over the 3 day period, and over 600 artist took part in covering the walls! Apologies for taking so long to sort through her hundreds of photos... SO, without further ado take a look at her MANY awesome pictures on the next page as well as in the Gallery, and here is Justine's account of the festivities:

Over 28 thousand people turned up to Leake Street, effectively an underpass within sight of the London Eye and moments away from Waterloo. And yes, I was among them. We all know I can't resist a good stencil. So how could I possibly miss a stencil only event, just a train hop away? Not to mention, the Cans Festival was the kind of event that brought in the A-list of street artists like Bsas Stencil, Run Don't Walk, James Dodd (dlux), Tom Civil (civilian), Vexta, Prism, Daniel Melim, Altocontraste, Bandit, Roadsworth, 3D Del Naja, Artiste-Ouvrier. Blek, Sten, Sadhu, C215, Lucamaleonte, Lex, Orticancvoodles, Kaagman, Dolk, Pobel, M-City, Vhils, Btoy, Coolture, Schhh, Borbo, Sam3, Faile, Eine, John Grider, Logan Hicks, Pure Evil, Dot masters, Dan, Eelus and Banksy.

Starting with the art... The space within the tunnel was itself a hodgepodge of mock classical sculptures, trashed and stenciled cars, vans, even a playground. There were rugs, couches, and even a piano, all of course adorned with the patina only a tunnel could bestow. The combinations pushed the boundaries of the bizarre and the contrasting styles of the artists clashed as often as they complimented, yet somehow it all worked. It was as if everyone just suspended belief for a moment to soak it all in and it was particularly surreal as the sun was setting.

So, are you ready? See my highlights from the Cans Festival on the next page... and even MORE in the Gallery (there were so many, i couldn't fit them all here).

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Tags: events - graffiti - stencils - streetart - travel