ADG Blog – Page 45 – The Research & Writings of ALISON D. GILBERT

Ford Motor Company Creativity

May 30, 2013 No Comments

Ford Motor Company Creativity continues to flow thanks to one man. His name is J Mays. He is their VP of Global Design & Chief Creative Officer. In an interview with Inhabitat, J talked “about his career, electric cars, and the future of automotive.”

Ford Motor Company creativity was alive and well while J Mays designed for Audi — The 2004 Audi TT Roadster. Photo credit © Robert C. Bowden

He also spoke about the creative inspiration architecture has been in his life. Most of his favorite architects have died. They included Mies Van Der Rohe and Pierre Koenig. But he did get to meet one of his favorites before he died. That was Phillip Johnson. J had designed the Audi TT. Mr. Johnson had an Audi TT. Johnson wanted to meet J.

So J went to Mies Van Der Rohe’s Seagram Building where Johnson had his office. Mays not only got to meet Johnson but also got to be in one of the most famous office buildings in the world.

Ford Motor Company creativity has quite a legacy in J Mays. He designed for Audi. He became Chief Creative Director at Ford. His love of architecture led to a meeting with a great architect in a world famous building. These are all superlatives in the design field.

PASSIONS OF MUSIC AND ART & DESIGN

Star Wars® Brands

May 30, 2013 No Comments

What are Star Wars® brands? A New Zealand based illustrator, Barn Bocock, came up with this novel idea. He used his imagination and his knowledge of the ‘Star Wars’ series to create ‘Star Wars’ brands.

Bocock took the names of characters and alliances from ‘Star Wars’. He picked famous product visual icons and matched them. He made some very clever matches. The results are lots of fun. With a lot of imagination and a good dose of wit, illustrator, Barn Bocock came up with, the ‘Star Wars’ brands.

PASSIONS OF MUSIC AND ART & DESIGN

A controversial tea kettle

May 29, 2013 No Comments

A controversial tea kettle is the feature of today’s blog post. According to an article posted on FastCompany.com this household item is causing a “social media uproar”.

the image of a controversial teakettle — Does this tea kettle remind you of Hitler? Photo from The Telegraph

JCPenney insists it is a snowman. They have already been having financial difficulties. This tea kettle controversy may be bringing them lots of attention. But it is probably not the kind they want or need. If they had only come out with a kitchen accessories line like Target did. It was designed by world famous architect, Michael Graves. He also designed another line of household accessories for Target.

the famous Michael Graves 'Whistling Bird' tea kettle manufactured by Alessi and sold at Target — The famous Whistling Bird tea kettle designed by Michael Graves that sold at Target. Photo from Michael Graves Photo Collection

But in March of 2012, Target announced that their thirteen year partnership with the Michael Graves Design Group was coming to an end.

Guess who their new partnership is with? It is JCPenney (see video below). So why is all the buzz about a controversial tea kettle rather than this potential publicity gem? Perhaps, it is because more people know who Hitler was than who Michael Graves is.

Here’s an insightful article from BusinessWeek.com. It describes Michael Graves decision to leave Target and to join JCPenny. It also mentions his relationship with Ron Johnson, JCPenney CEO.

PASSIONS OF MUSIC AND ART & DESIGN

Typography 101

May 27, 2013 No Comments

Typography 101 is designed to briefly answer the question, ‘What are type fonts and typography?’ For too many people who write using a computer, type is just something to use to fill a space with words. Type has meaning. It has beauty. It has history. Typography 101 will provide some insights into the three of these.

Typography 101 includes the drawing of a typeface by hand — Perpetua Italic being drawn by hand at the Type Drawing office in the 1950s from twitter.com #FontSunday

Typefaces, or font names have all kinds of origins. Some have been named after people, places, times, events and things. Typography 101 can only touch on this topic that is hundreds of years old. Here is a link to Typography 101. It provides some history to the mystery of typography.

Before the computer, before typesetting and before typewriters, type was made by hand. Even the type used for typewriters was initially created by hand. Here is a terrific post, with animated video, that gives some good insights into the history of type.

PASSIONS OF MUSIC AND ART & DESIGN

Is An MFA the New MBA? Find Out on Alison*s Blog Today

May 27, 2013 No Comments

The food truck idea shows that an MFA may be the new MBA

Is an MFA the new MBA? Is it the advanced degree that will guarantee gainful employment? An article in Fast Company is posing this question. Many companies are finding this to be true.

Artists seem to possess the kinds of qualities that the job market demands. As things continue to change, these skills will be even more in demand.

According to the Fast Company article, “critical thinking, creativity, and the ability to work with others are skills they both learned in school and use on a regular basis in their current work. Arts graduates are plucky and understand how to use their creative skills in a variety of settings.” They are not referring to artistic settings.

An article in Inc. Magazine, Why My Art Degree Paid Off, agrees that art graduates have special talents. The same kinds of talents that make them good business people. In addition, artists “start their own businesses to rave reviews.”

Is an MFA the new MBA? A good case is made in both articles. This has been my own experience, too. The recent devastation from Hurricane Sandy has necessitated creativity and flexibility. The skills that artist gain from art school and that are instinctual as well.

In A whole New Mind, author Daniel Pink refers to the fact that creativity would become the most desired asset. He feels that the people who have balanced the right brain with their left brain will rule the world. Time will tell which MA becomes more coveted, the MBA or the MFA. What are your thoughts on this subject?

FOOD & HEALING JOURNEY

Label Reading 101

May 26, 2013 No Comments

Label Reading 101 should be a required course for anyone considering buying packaged food.

The amounts of sugars, salt and chemicals are enough to make anyone sick. As a matter of fact, they do. Packaged food often equals processed food. Many sophisticated consumers know that processed food also equals unhealthy food.

An article in TakePart.com cautions consumers about reading labels no matter what promises and temptations the front of a packaged food offers. This article includes ingredients photos of about a half dozen typical foods.
Label Reading 101 and a magnifying glass are both required here.

It is both shocking and unnecessary to add most of the ingredients. In fact, a study was done on two types of macaroni and cheese dinners. One is sold in the US; the other in the UK. They had the same ingredients and even tasted the same. The exception was that the US version also had food coloring. Two moms in the US protested the addition of this needless and not nutritious chemical. They actually petitioned Kraft to remove the dye. Read about it here.

Food additives are big business in the US. Packaged and processed foods are the mainstay of many diets. It is easy to see why we have a nation of so many sick people.

A major food issue currently has to do with GMO foods. GMO stands for genetically modified food. US companies are not required to label food as such. The consequences have been fascinating. Other countries refuse to buy food stuffs from us. An app is now available that lets you know if a product you want to buy is genetically modified. You can read more about that in this article.

Good luck food shopping. Don’t forget the lessons from Label Reading 101. Especially make sure to read the fine print on the ingredients part of the label.

Enjoy this and other stories, at right, on Alison*s Art Online Magazines, features of Alison*s Blog.

PASSIONS OF MUSIC AND ART & DESIGN

My Introduction to Instagram

May 26, 2013 No Comments

Instagram was on the top of my list of new platforms to learn. So with my usual resolve, I made a start and got the general idea of how to use it. I loved taking pictures and having them immediately telegrammed around the globe. I liked being able to look at them on my iPhone and desktop. I was awed at having them show up magically on RebelMouse. But I did not enjoy some of the images I was receiving.

It seems that I was not the only one. I recently found an article, 10 Things You Need To Stop Putting On Instagram. So I guess I am not alone in my feelings about Instagram.

There is nothing earth shattering on the list. So if you are curious, you can scan the original article. In fact, the list includes some kind of dumb things that are far less interesting than what I found boring.

This brings up some questions, What is the point of Instagram? What can it do that other visual platforms can not do? What makes it so special that facebook would spend a fortune to buy it?

What came to my mind first is the novelty of it. It is man’s 21st century visual answer to the telegram. Here I am right now doing or viewing such and such. It can be very powerful. As mentioned earlier, it can be tedious.

I like the powerful part. It makes a statement. It can be amazing, beautiful or horrific. And it is immediately transmitted. I get it. I like it. I love to use it. I want everyone else to create Instagram images that wow me. Otherwise, forget it.

PASSIONS OF MUSIC AND ART & DESIGN

American Indigenous Architecture

May 18, 2013 No Comments

American indigenous architecture has changed our landscape as well as gone through a dramatic transformation, itself, in the mere handful of centuries that the US has been a country.

Although from one family, American Architecture, their styles over time bore no resemblance to each other. They seemed unrelated although they all bear the same classification, indigenous architecture.

A PBS Special is the focus of Malls and Ranch Homes? PBS’s Surprising 10 Buildings That Changed America. The article that appeared in Wired is by Nathan Hurst.

10 Examples of American Architecture — Ten Buildings That Changed America, A PBS Special

With the exception of the Capitol of Virginia built in Richmond, VA and designed by Thomas Jefferson, each of the other nine buildings represented shows a unique and dramatic shift in style, structure, materials and sense of aesthetics. It is an amazing study.

Enjoy this and other stories, at right, on Alison*s Art Online Magazines, curated features of Alison*s Blog.

FOOD & HEALING JOURNEY

Beware Online Fuel

May 18, 2013 No Comments

Online fuel is a code name for all the quick energy, high carbo loading food we consume when we are glued to our computers for 12 hours + a day.

Online fuel are foods that we can quickly grab out of the frig, freezer or kitchen cabinet. We can heat them in a micro wave; popcorn is the best example. It suffices to say that short of the take out order of pizza or Asian food, online fuel is not the most balanced food program.

Our featured image is courtesy of TechCrunch and their article, Don’t Let Your Company’s Scale Tip Your Bathroom Scale. Just the title pretty well says it all.

Here’s a parable from Instagram that tells the story of how they changed their eating habits and exercise routines after their acquisition by Facebook. Having a billion dollars sure can take of the pressure and desire to consume online fuel while glued to the technological ball and chain for endless hours.

In future posts, we will explore more ways to overcome the online fuel obsession. Decreasing hours chained to a computer may be a different addiction to deal with. So we will focus on one thing at a time.

Enjoy this and other stories, at right, on Alison*s Art Online Magazine’s curated posts, featured by Alison*s Blog.

FOOD & HEALING JOURNEY, The ALISON D. GILBERT Blog

Prevention or Mutilation?

May 17, 2013 No Comments

Angelina Jolie on the cover of People Magazine

Prevention or mutilation? This is the question being asked. Angelina Jolie’s dramatic decision to have a double mastectomy as cancer prevention, rather than because of the existence of the disease, has the holistic pundits up in arms.

It also begs these questions. What is prevention? What is treatment? What is unnecessary or mutilation? This information filled video gives the holistic perspective on the ramifications of such a severe decision regarding prevention or mutilation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JLmSZF-cuF0

Here is an article from People Magazine about her story. It does not go into any medical details or explanations for her decision.

Here is another People Magazine article that sheds no further light on the topic. The only additional information is that she plans to remove her ovaries as well. Is this prevention or mutilation?

This New York Times op-ed piece sheds some light on the story. The piece is written by Angelina Jolie, herself, and explains both her decision and a bit of the process.

The Pink Lotus Breast Center is mentioned as the place where she was treated. I wonder how many of the women who decide to follow her example would have access to such luxurious facilities and care?

Continue to ponder this important issue and read other stories on Alison*s Art Online Magazines, at right, curated features of Alison*s Blog.

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