This is interesting.

Spec work IS the bane of most professional designers and everyone that’s done it and not got the work has a story to tell…. more often along the lines of ‘…and then I saw the logo that was 50% or more of what I came up with…’

From the site:

“At the end of the day, there is a certain irony in spec work. A prospect requesting it is ultimately saying, “My project isn’t important enough to hire a professional who will take the time to understand my situation and goals and invest the time needed to create a suitable solution.” ”

Plenty of people would now rather not do spec work than waste their time and then be ripped off.

[check out more here]

What is the sound of color?

We asked that question of 5 musicians. We assigned each musician a different color. They wrote 5 tracks. We gave the colors and tracks that inspired them to 5 directors.”

[see it here]

“ARTCRANK is a poster party for bike people. A showcase of bicycle-inspired original artwork you can enjoy looking at and afford to take home.

This year’s show opens the night of Saturday, April 5 at One On One Bikes + Coffee + Stuff in Minneapolis. There’ll be new posters by 34 artists and designers….”

Nice!

[more]

“Why is it that everyone with Photoshop is a “designer”, everyone with a camera is a “photographer”, everyone who doodles is an “artist”, everyone with an acoustic guitar and Bob Marley tabs is a “musician” etc? These titles don’t mean anything anymore.”

So true.

[via]

From the LA Weekly via The Wooster Collective

In the early morning hours in mid-December, an amazing masterpiece of epic pink proportions appeared above the Melrose strip. Not MOCA’s Murakami billboard itself, but rather a young curator’s fantasy art show: “Murakami/AUGER/REVOK.” The spectacle lasted two days, and then it was gone. For most of us who missed it entirely, the billboard became art-opening gossip - already a mythic achievement - and yet another coup pulled off by a couple of L.A.’s most prolific and talented AWR/MSK writers. Luckily, REVOK carried his camera that day, and L.A. Weekly received the photo; we were wowed. So, it turns out, was Murakami, whose Kaikai Kiki studio found the evidence via the Internet and had the billboard surreptitiously removed. Murakami buffing billboards all the way from Japan? On the contrary, according to his representatives, he found it “so wonderful, he had to have it for his collection.” Our billboard is now on its way to Tokyo.

[also via]

The North American Handmade Bike Show has been helf for 2008 and as to be expected, there was more bike porn than a bike porn junkie would know what to do with.

If you are into bikes, or just into insane craftsmanship the NAHBS is the thing for you. The above is a detail of a frame made by Engin Cycles and sort of sums up what you will find at the show.

For a full rundown, pics and vids, check out the coverage over at mtbr.com. Worth the effort… if you are so inclined.