Retro Recreations of Recognizable Logos

We can all agree that the 1980s had a very specific aesthetic that proliferated into all areas of our culture, from fashion to music to graphic design and everything in between. So when digital artist/musician/internet persona Future Punk recently took some, ahem, very recognizable brands and gave them an 80s-styled retro makeover, we swooned. Future Punk (we’ve unsuccessfully scoured the internet for any clues as to his/her true identity) employs an arsenal of 1980s mainstays, including neon, chrome and Memphis-style elements to take current brand logos back to the future. Future Punk could honestly continue this great series for quite sometime… here’s to hoping!

Via future-punk.com

Letter Jam: The Tooned Alphabet

It’s no secret that we love admiring typographic projects (here and here and here). When we came across this gem from German studio/duo FOREAL (previously featured here), which harkens back to childhood memories filled with cartoon references, we were immediately drawn in. We absolutely love this series and the sheer variety FOREAL was able to employ. While each letterform is vastly different, they all work nicely as a set. As for the 36 Days of Type design challenge that sparked this series in the first place, FOREAL absolutely killed it. Quite simply, #designenvy. This is just a sampling, be sure to check out the entire collection on FOREAL’s Instagram (here).

Via weareforeal.com

Social Decay

Imagine a post-apocalyptic world where social media companies are no longer the powerhouses they are today, but rather crumbling relics from the past. That’s exactly what self-taught Romanian digital artist Andrei Lacatusu envisioned when conceiving his arresting series Social Decay. Not only is Lacatusu’s technical skill amazing, but we love the concept, which flies in the face of all we know to be true at this present moment. And that’s what makes this series so striking. These logos, including Facebook, Google, and Instagram, are slick, closely curated marks that sort of define the current era. So to see them dilapidated, weather-worn and abandoned forces a double take, especially at this level of realism. Lacatusu’s perspective is provocative and timely, elevating this series well beyond a masterclass in CGI.

Via Behance

    

Fauxsiacs

As we’ve mentioned before, we occasionally have a lapse of design envy. It doesn’t happen too often… after all, we are a pretty terrifically creative bunch here at Barbour. But sometimes we encounter work that is just so damn brilliant. So good, in a “why didn’t we think of that?” sort of way, that we have to concede our envy publicly (in a good way, of course). In this instance, it’s the illustrious work of New York-based designer and letterer Nick Misani. Though we are absolutely taken with Misani’s entire stunning body of work, we are particularly impressed with his ongoing Fauxsiacs series. Here, Misani hones his stellar lettering skills in the context of realistic mosaic illustrations to great effect. Misani’s work is clearly historically influenced, with a modern twist, and it’s no surprise that he has worked with design icon Louise Fili, perhaps the highest compliment. We will be keeping an eye on this series, which features destinations from around the world. The possibilities are endless, and hopefully coming to a city near you! Prints available here.

Via fauxsaics.com and Instagram

In A Parallel Universe

At a time when our collective consciousness is so acutely aware of gender roles, and (a long overdue) war has been waged against sexist practices and other gender issues, Lebanon-based photographer/visual artist Eli Rezkallah turns twisted gender roles depicted in vintage advertisements on their heads. Rezkallah painstakingly recreated some blatantly sexist ads, but with a reversal of gender roles to convey just how these absurd and deep-rooted gender stereotypes were portrayed to the masses just decades ago. Rezkallah also comments on how past generations continue to perpetuate these oversimplified ideas about the roles of women and men: “Last Thanksgiving, I overheard my uncles talk about how women are better off cooking, taking care of the kitchen, and fulfilling ‘their womanly duties’. Although I know that not all men like my uncles think that way I was surprised to learn that some still do, so I went on to imagine a parallel universe, where roles are inverted and men are given a taste of their own sexist poison.” If nothing else, Rezkallah’s work should make you giggle (and perhaps even gasp).

Via elirezkallah.com

 

Alt Disney

Just as the title of this intriguing series (and cleverly named… “Alt Disney”) implies, UK artist/illustrator/designer Tom Ward brings some beloved Disney characters into an alternative view. Ward’s depictions are a bit askew, transporting familiar faces that have been with us for some 70 years into the present. We find it particularly interesting how the introduction of the ubiquitous smartphone changes everything in a few of these pieces. And even serves as social commentary, especially in the instance of Ward’s The Sword and the Stone piece where young Arthur has his nose in a phone, basically too engaged to be bothered with the sword. Really makes us think about our collective love affair with our phones, and about possible missed opportunities because of it. The point is, on the surface these pieces are fun, but there really is so much more. Hats off to Ward for striking that balance brilliantly.

More alternative Disney art here and here and here.

Via Instagram

Phenomenal Posters of the New York Film Festival

Posters are some of our favorite, yet challenging, projects. Poster design is a marriage between visual aesthetic and the delivery of information, between textual and graphical elements… the very fundamentals of graphic design. It should come as no surprise, then, that an institution as important and influential as the New York Film Festival places great emphasis on this visual embodiment of its annual event. Festival organizers manage to recruit some truly respected artists and photographers year after year for its remarkable posters. Below is just a sampling, starting with this year’s by renowned sculptor Richard Serra.

Via nytimes.com

Wanderlust Alphabet (A-F)

Our penchant for serial works never diminishes. There’s just something about the natural order of things that is so satisfying. Glasgow-based illustrator/designer Jack Daly taps into that systemization while exploring his love of illustration, typography, and travel with his aptly titled Wanderlust Alphabet. And we have to say, the results, so far, are pretty great. It goes without saying that Daly is a terrific artist, and his adept use of color and sense of composition really make each of these pieces sing. Having just tackled the very beginning of the alphabet so far, Daly differentiates each letter/city with signature landmarks, architecture, local customs, etc. We are really taken with Daly’s style and cannot wait to see this alphabet grow. The possibilities are endless! In the meantime, prints available here.

Via Behance and Instagram

Alex Schlegel’s Terrific Typography

Oh, experimental typography… how we love thee. Perhaps it’s a case of design envy, or we’re just taken with pretty things in general, but when done well, experimental typography can stand on its own, out of context. This is definitely the case with the work of Hamburg, Germany-based motion designer/illustrator Alex Schlegel. Schlegel’s visual explorations on the typographic treatment for DirecTV’s Super Saturday Night lead to these impressive pieces. The forms, lighting, and textures achieved with Maxon Cinema 4D are not only purposeful but also beautiful. Designers can sometimes use such powerful tools gratuitously, but Schlegel’s steady hand and keen eye for composition and color elevate this client job for corporate giant AT&T to works of art.

Via Behance

The American Revolution Revolution

We have long commented on the convergence of history and art. They are intrinsically intertwined, reliant on one another in many ways. So when an artist turns the documentation and storytelling aspect of said junction on its head, we surely take notice. For his series The American Revolution Revolution, Denver-based artist Shawn Huckins masterfully juxtaposes early American portraiture with social media jargon. Thoughtfully conceptualized and brilliantly executed, Huckins’s incredible work succeeds on so many levels. And it’s also important to note that these are physical paintings, should Huckins’s artistic ability ever come into question. Huckins is a superb American artist who is clearly inspired by American Neo-Classical painters, as well as more contemporary Pop artists. In his own words, Huckins explains the series: “The American Revolution was conceived through an exchange of a few well-formed ideas communicated in person and by handwritten letters. Imagine what George & Co. could have done with the Internet. Or not. Technology influences how much we know and what we believe, as well as how quickly and intelligently we convey our ideas. But does how we communicate govern the value of what we communicate? The physical act of typing very fast on small devices has undeniably impacted spelling, grammar, and punctuation, encouraging a degree of illiteracy that has become the new social norm. As goes our grammatical literacy, do our social and cultural literacies follow?”

Via shawnhuckins.com