http://www.psfk.com Your Go-To Source For New Ideas And Inspiration Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:24:54 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.psfk.com/2010/03/click-to-print-wall-graphics.html Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:01:53 +0000 LTL Prints is a new company based in Philadelphia offering customizable wall graphics that stick to just about anything and can be repositioned up to 100 times!]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/when-do-stop-motion-films-simply-become-films.html Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:43:57 +0000 We just stumbled upon this impressive stop motion film about a girl who misses her train in Milan and has to wait overnight.  While the film itself is quite beautiful, it made us wonder, when do stop motion films simply become films?  This particular project is less than seven minutes long and uses over 4,500 photos.  Imagine what a basic little point and shoot will be able to do in just a couple more years? [via Notcot]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/good-ideas-across-disciplines-at-good-ideas-salon-london.html Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:00:17 +0000 This past January, PSFK held a Good Ideas Salon in London, inviting our favorite innovators and thought leaders to present their current projects and share some of their own good ideas. One of the day’s most visually inspiring presentations came from Eva Rucki, one of the founding partners of Troika, a multi-disciplinary art and design practice based out of London. Eva shared insights into the philosophy and ideas behind Troika’s varied work, covering graphics, communication, art, product design and engineering, with a focus on the iterative process employed in the development of their projects. On April 2, 2009, PSFK willRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/interactive-urban-wallpaper.html Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:29:22 +0000 Media architecture collective, Urban Alliance, recently installed what they call “interactive urban wallpaper” in a pedestrian tunnel in Amsterdam.  Made from 2,500 LEDs set behind a ribbed, semi-transparent wall, the lights react to people’s movement as they they walk through the tunnel.  In addition to making it less vulnerable to graffiti, the curves in the wall also enable the images to be seen more clearly from outside the tunnel. Urban Alliance is composed of Dutch architects Studio Klink, production company Illuminate, artist Matthias Oostrik and design and construction firm Cube. [via Dezeen] Related PSFK Articles: Massive Installation Utilizes 41,000 LEDsRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/college-class-teaches-you-how-to-get-famous-on-the-internet.html Tue, 03 Mar 2009 17:16:55 +0000 The Internet Famous Class at Parsons New School is all about studying the art and science of getting hits.  Recently featured on Current TV, the course is dedicated to teaching students the most effective ways of leveraging social media to gain the largest possible audience online. In order to test their theories and experiment with new strategies for gaining popularity, students are expected to develop their own projects, either collectively or on their own, utilizing any and all media in conjunction with the internet. What makes the course particularly interesting is that students’ grades are based entirely on how muchRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/most-popular-articles-on-psfk-from-the-last-7-days-30.html Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:42:29 +0000 Here are PSFK’s top five articles from Feb. 22 – Mar. 1, 2009. Results are based on Google Analytics and in order of overall page views. Christian Faur’s Crayon Art – Piers Fawkes Massive Installation Utilizes 41,000 LEDS – Jeff Squires Poster Boy & Aakash Nihalani Remix the MOMA Collection – Dan Gould Site Visit: Droog Store NYC – Dave Pinter United States and the Electrocution of Passengers – Piers Fawkes]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/space-invaders-take-over-royksopps-new-video.html Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:19:11 +0000 For all those Atari lovers out there, be sure to check out Röyksopp’s new video for “Happy Up Here,” the debut track from their forthcoming Junior album. Directed by Reuben Sutherland, the video looks at all the flickering, pixelated lights of a city and watches as they come to life and turn into a real life Space Invaders scene.  lalondontokyobeijing@gmail.com  ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/robbie-conal-on-painting-mean-old-men.html Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:29:23 +0000 Robbie Conal is an LA based artist known for his gnarled portraits of American political figures.  Raised in Manhattan by union organizers, Robbie describes how his art evolved from “abstract, metaphorical soup,”  into the iconic pictures of human figures he’s known for today. When asked about his unique style, Robbie explains that he simply takes whatever is bothering him about a particular person, and just jams all those bad feeling he has about them into the way he paints their face. He goes on to explain how the current zeigeist has changed enough to where he no longer feels theRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/new-culinary-movement-brewing-in-brooklyn.html Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:56:10 +0000 The New York Times published a fantastic article yesterday about a new culinary movement brewing in Brooklyn.  Attracted by cheap rent (as opposed to Manhattan) and the experimental nature of the borough, there has been a surge in artisan chefs resurrecting traditional methods and emphasizing old school craftsmanship. These Brooklynites, most in their 20s and 30s, are hand-making pickles, cheeses and chocolates the way others form bands and artists’ collectives. They have a sense of community and an appreciation for traditional methods and flavors. They also share an aesthetic that’s equal parts 19th and 21st century, with a taste forRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/massive-3d-street-art.html Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:58:32 +0000 Last year, during the Festival of World Culture in Ireland, German artist Edgar Mueller painted one his iconic optical illusions over a 250 square meter patch of asphalt.  Using acrylic wall paint to create the scene, it took the artist five days, working 12 hours a day to paint the massive crevasse; which, from the right perspective, looks remarkably realistic. The below video is a great time lapse piece depicting the creation of the illusion as well as the curious interactions people have with it. Be sure to also check out the Mueller’s Lava Burst.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/the-death-of-postmodernism-and-emergence-of-altermodernism.html Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:34:27 +0000 For the Tate Triennial 2009, which opened on February 3, curator Nicolas Bourriaud declares that postmodernism is over and that we are experiencing the emergence of a global ‘altermodernity.’ Bourriaud, the French cultural theorist and co-founder of the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, believes that a new form of art is emerging, fueled by non-stop communication and globalization.  He explains that altermodernism is a “sort of dream catcher attempting to capture the characteristics of a modernity specific to the 21st century.” Regine Debatty of We Make Money Not Art summarizes his theory quite nicely: If early twentieth-century Modernism is characterisedRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/massive-installation-utilizes-41000-leds.html Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:08:24 +0000 We wrote last week about a colorful LED installation on the streets of Paris that blew us away, today we’re inspired by Multiverse, a massive installation by American artist Leo Villareal that features approximately 41,000 LED nodes that run through a 200-foot-long tunnel in the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.. As passerbyers move between the East and West buildings on an airport style people mover, the zillions of lights flicker on and off over head creating rhythmic patterns and abstract configurations.  The custom designed software also has an element of chance built into it, so it’s unlikely thatRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/most-popular-articles-on-psfk-from-the-last-7-days-29.html Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:23:54 +0000 Here are PSFK’s top five articles from Feb. 16 – Feb. 22, 2009. Results are based on Google Analytics and in order of overall page views. The Future (Present) of Internet Dating – Dan Gould Visualizing the $780 Billion Stimulus – Christine Huang NVDRS Cassette Tape: Designing Limitations to Manage Digital Abundance – Dan Gould Musical Youth II – Ruby Pseudo When Graffiti Doesn’t Get you Street Creds, Fall Back on Gentrification – Jeff Squires]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/inspiring-a-generation-of-farmers.html Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:58:02 +0000 Ever since the slow food movement came to prominence in the 90s, there has been a general shift in the way we perceive food and how we expect it to be produced. First, there was the whole fair trade thing, then it was all about being organic, now, it’s all about being local – and one of the latest trends we’ve been noticing is young urbanites taking matters into their own hands, and growing their own food. The Greenhorns is a documentary currently in production focusing on the lives of America’s young farming community. Speaking with farmers from Maine toRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/understand-the-credit-crisis-in-10-minutes.html Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:28:09 +0000 We found this visualization of the current credit crisis remarkably informative.  The ten minute long video does a really great job breaking down all the different players and provides a general overview of how investment banking works.  By the end of it, terms like sub-prime mortgages, collateralized debt obligations, frozen credit markers, and credit default swaps actually make sense. The video was created by Jonathon Jarvis as part of his thesis work in the Media Design Program at the Art Center College of Design.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/led-installation-lights-up-parisian-street.html Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:31:19 +0000 PATACHROMO, a brilliant installation by French artists Superbien, was based on the principles of CHROMOtherapy seen through the lense of PATAphysics . Presented as a succession of animated light frames lasting about 2 minutes each, the PATACHROMO program is provided as a tool for passers-by to face the grey Parisian winter weather with more serenity. How? According to the project page on Superbien’s website: “by exposing one’s chakras to the light diffused by the LED structure of the installation (covering a surface of 6.65 sq meters).” We love the idea of walking down a dark and lonely Parisian street andRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/audience-thoughts-on-richard-banks-good-ideas-talk.html Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:00:56 +0000 This past January, PSFK held a Good Ideas Salon in London bringing together the most forward-thinking tastemakers, innovators, and experts from around the world to discuss key areas steering innovation and opportunity.  In addition the the good ideas presented, we wanted to hear what our audience had to say, so we’re doing a series of posts containing feedback and comments from the event sourced from blogs, magazines, and twitter.  We’ve distilled the commentary, now you tell us which is the best idea… At the Good Ideas Salon London, Richard Banks (Microsoft) talked about the histories we are creating about ourselvesRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/letting-the-audience-take-control-to-tell-one-of-a-kind-stories.html Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:39:55 +0000 We’ve written about Shantell Martin a number of times over the past year, yet we remain inspired by both her art as well as her unique form of storytelling.  In the below video, Shantell explains how her style evolved from doing street art and tags in London to doing much smaller and more intense drawings in Tokyo and how that ultimately influenced her current work utilizing projectors and wacomb tablets. Explaining how her recent trip to New York helped develop her style, she describes how drawing in front of live crowds and interacting with the environment puts the audience inRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/audience-thoughts-on-why-good-ideas-matter.html Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:00:50 +0000 This past January, PSFK held a Good Ideas Salon in London bringing together the most forward-thinking tastemakers, innovators, and experts from around the world to discuss key areas steering innovation and opportunity.  In addition the the good ideas presented, we wanted to hear what our audience had to say, so we’re doing a series of posts containing feedback and comments from the event sourced from blogs, magazines, and twitter.  We’ve distilled the commentary, now you tell us which is the best idea… At the Good Ideas Salon London, Mark Earls, author of Herd, started the day off by discussing theRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/legal-graffiti-at-5-pointz.html Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:10:29 +0000 On a recent trip to Long Island City, PSFK stopped by 5 Pointz, the famed graffiti building where every single square inch is covered with paint.  We’ve been hearing about the spot for years, and even past the building a couple of times en route to P.S.1, but until now, never really taken the time to walk around and examine it closely. The building is a commercial factory that covers almost an entire block.  Inside, about 90 artists rent studio space. On the outside, artists from around the world come to do their art – but it’s not just aRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/most-popular-articles-on-psfk-from-the-last-7-days-28.html Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:07:54 +0000 Here are PSFK’s top five articles from Feb. 9 – Feb. 15, 2009. Results are based on Google Analytics and in order of overall page views. 13,000 Flash Mobbers Close London Train Station – Piers Fawkes Agent Provacateur’s Men-Only Lingerie Parties – Nicko Margolies Pepsi’s Gravitational Pull – Dan Gould PICS: Uniqlo Shrinks – Piers Fawkes Top Ten Brands and Social Media – Scott Lachut]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/when-graffiti-doesnt-get-you-street-creds-fall-back-on-genrification.html Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:48:03 +0000 While walking down Bedford Ave in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, we happened across this humorous mural poking a bit of fun at the commercialization of neighborhood. The piece comes from Colossal Media, an outdoor advertising company specializing in hand painted murals. Colossal is also responsible for those ‘authentic’ looking Dewars ads around the city, but the above mural appears to be nothing more that an ad for themselves – which is interesting in and of itself. This is an outdoor media company who relies on their ‘street creds’ and prides themselves on being able to connect savvy consumers with brands via ‘psuedo-graffiti’Read more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/secret-wars-head-to-head-art-battle-using-only-black-paint.html Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:38:45 +0000 Secret Wars is a live art battle where artists go head-to-head over 90 minutes, on a huge white wall.  Cheered on by hundreds of spectators, Secret Wars has evolved into a serious competition on a global scale. Last week while visiting London, PSFK had the distinct privilege of judging the semi-finals. Frequently likened to a ‘fight club for artists,’ the rules are simple: two artists compete head-to-head using only black paint on a 20ft white wall (no sketch books or pencils are allowed).  While there are no themes or instructions given before hand, artists are encouraged to engage with bothRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/flavor-tripping-what-foodies-do-to-up-the-ante.html Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:27:46 +0000 Over the past few months, we’ve been hearing rumors about some crazy berry that changes the way things taste, rewiring the way the palate perceives sour flavors and making lemon wedges seem like gourmet appetizers and cheap tequila taste like Patrón.  We were intrigued to say the least. Team PSFK finally had the good fortune of trying the miracle berry at a launch party for 303Grand, Street Attack‘s new rotating storefront and office space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  Attendees were asked to bring a couple of food items listed on a google document for a full flavor tripping experience. Upon arrival,Read more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/achiving-your-life-acting-on-missed-opportunities.html Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:56:57 +0000 Aka-Aki is a wonderful mobile social networking platform that tracks your movements and detects the presence of other members. After downloading the mobile application, users establish a profile online, where contact information and personal interests are displayed through public ‘”stickers” – members can also form and join groups with other members. As members go about their day, the system constantly monitors their location and seeks out other members. When another Aka-aki member is detected via Bluetooth, both users are sent a list of mutual friends and interests – they are also able see how many times they’ve previously encountered eachRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/congresswoman-encourages-homeowners-to-squat-in-foreclosed-homes.html Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:20:52 +0000 As the economy continues to spiral downward, a US Congresswoman from Ohio, Marcy Kaptur, is encouraging her constituents to squat in their foreclosed homes. She is advocating that homeowners should simply stay put until the bank “produces the note” that proves it owns the home. Because mortgages have been divvied up so much, the banks are having a hard time finding the original paperwork – and by telling a bank to “produce the note,” a homeowner can delay foreclosure by forcing the lender to prove the suing institution is actually the same which owns the debt.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/building-blind-spots-for-the-new-urban-environemnt.html Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:59:30 +0000 With the intention of stimulating discussion and debate on how digital networks are transforming our notion of public and private space, the recent Radiator Festival featured numerous projects challenging the dominant forces at work in urban environment and exploring the new territories opened up by hybrid spaces. One of our favorite projects came from Köbberling&Kaltwasser, who meticulously mapped out all of the spaces within Nottingham city that escape the gaze of CCTV cameras.  In these ‘blind spots,’ they built small wooden structures from found materials and made them available for anyone to step into at any time for “un-determined acts.”Read more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/farmers-market-introduces-bike-valet.html Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:50:30 +0000 In an effort to reduce traffic and congestion, the city of Santa Monica instituted a bike valet for their weekly farmers market.  Operating more like a coat check than a fancy valet, riders can drop off their bike for safe storage while they grab their veggies.  While the free service has been going on for the past two years, we were bit surprised that we haven’t seen more brands stepping in to operate similar services – particularly with the current hoopla surrounding bike culture and the eco-conscious. [via Treehugger]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/pic-east-london-street-art.html Tue, 03 Feb 2009 18:33:09 +0000 There still seems to be quite a bit of buzz about East London and the above piece definitely caught our attention.  Spotted in Shoreditch, across from the Griffin (not the house of ill repute), it’s an interesting update on Pearly Kings and Queens. We also liked the stencil at the bottom poking a bit of fun at Banksy and the monetization of street art.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/02/taking-the-youth-out-of-youth-culture.html Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:21:12 +0000 One of the ideas that came up last week during the youth panel at our Good Ideas Salon in London, was that the term ‘youth,’ when referring to an entire generation (or two), is a massive oversimplification. No more can you generalize the varied actions of adults as being part of an ‘adult culture’ can you generalize the behaviors of youth as being reflective of a ‘youth culture.’  Where adults are given any number of demographics to fit into, based on age, class, gender, race, or lifestyle, young people are predominantly still dumped into the graffiti-lined bucket of ‘youth.’ WhileRead more...]]>