Steve Pavlina

While researching for the Elmwood 'brand a family member' brief, I came across Steve Pavlina's blog where he talks about branding. He asked visitors to his website to jot down three adjectives they thought described him. After 2 days, he collected more than 3,000 adjectives from 1,101 responses!

I agree when he states that "branding is something that exists only in other people's minds." How can one brand themselves? Although they do say that the closet person to you, is you..

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2008/02/steve-pavlina-branding/

Tracy Emin

During our first seminar with Jim today, we were talking about artists with great names: Andy Warhol, David Hockey, Picasso, Tracy Emin. It was hard for us to think of artists with 'boring' names.

Although Tracy Emin is a well known English artist, I've never really studied her work or know much about her. Well, it's never too late..



Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995

This is probably one of Emin's most iconic works. It is a tent with the names of literally everyone she had ever slept with. (Not necessarily in the sexual sense.) Owned by Charles Saatchi, it was destroyed in the 2004 Momart London warehouse fire. Emin has refused to recreate it.



My Bed

Another striking piece, this is an installation of Tracy Emin's own bed: unmade and ditry with used condoms and blood-stained underwear.

I find it amazing how a person becomes so well known after the most bizarre things. I guess it's all originality...

Melting Ice Cream Truck!

Hot With A Chance Of A Late Storm is an artwork created by The Glue Society in 2006 for Sculpture By The Sea, an annual public art event featuring work from international artists that takes place on the walk between Bondi and Tamarama in Sydney. The Glue Society's sculpture won both the public and children's prize as well as international news coverage.

At my first glance of this, while flipping through Creative Review, I thought it was a copy of Dali's melting clocks...!

Bocage - Illustration

This beautiful illustration advertises French Bocage shoes. Although the concept might suggest that the shoes are not durable enough to wear in the rain, it is overcome by the ad's layout and great art direction. It's all about keeping the small treasures from being damaged.

Graffiti, you've been framed

I chose to explore graffiti as a topic for my one week brief - turn something negative into positive.

At your first glance of this, you would immediately think it's destruction of property:



...wouldn't you?

Well, what if the same thing was framed in a gallery and looked like this:

Alison Carmichael

While researching for our one week brief, I came across Alison Carmichael: well known for her typography.

I thought this was a good example of negative to positive:



Although "The Great Stink" would be categorized as something negative, Carmichael's typography shows it off in a positive manner.

I also liked the way her typography interacts with the environment it's in:



http://www.alisoncarmichael.com/

Pizza or Pasta Hut?

We had lunch at a 'Pizza Hut' over the weekend, and were confused with the whole 'Pasta Hut' scenario. I refused to believe that my favorite pizza restaurant was changing it's name, so I did what anyone in search for information would do: I googled it. There it read:

LONDON - Fifty-year-old restaurant chain Pizza Hut is temporarily changing its name to Pasta Hut in a radical £100m relaunch.

With the introduction of 8 new pasta dishes (but the same number of pizzas on the menu), Pizza Hut signs are currently being taken down in attempts to promote a new "healthy eating" image.

Pasta is not any healthier than pizza though, is it? It's all made of carbs. Although change is sometimes good, I think it will confuse the public. They will definitely have to do more than just a name change. It will be interesting to see how it all works out.

When you think of pizza, you immediately think of Pizza Hut..or maybe that's just me.

What if they just called it "The Hut"?