In the past year we’ve witnessed a number of very impressive 3D mapping experiments from independent artists’ initiatives like Gorillaz to awesome visual performances for by big brands such as Ralph Lauren, Samsung, Mattel and Nike. These methods may not be groundbreaking in technology, but the scale of this project and the creative direction along with the intensity of the images has us quite in awe.  “Adidas is all in” is the new Adidas campaign launched last Wednesday at the “Palais du Pharo” in Marseille, France.

Aesthetics feel tired.
Brain flow feels mired.
Deadline meeting required.
—
Oh! That’s so inspired.

The above, however, not so much. But it’s an interesting topic that’s been on the creative mind forever and back. Is inspiration explainable? I’m not so sure. Sometim es we find it in the palm of our hand, sometimes we pull it out of the ether, sometimes other people pull it out of the ether, sometimes it’s collective, sometimes it’s retrospective, sometimes it takes footsteps, sometimes it takes mistakes. Sometimes…well, this could go on forever, and it probably will.

“Eureka!” – A man inspired.

The creative mind is fueled by inspiration. It’s like food or water or gasoline. You’ll die without it. So it’s a bit necessary.

For instance, while I write (type?) this, I don’t feel all that inspired; all I see is empty space before a flashing cursor. What can I do now? I can wait to think of a way to approach the topic, I could sit here with my sketchbook drawing stream-of-consciousness doodles until something “clicks”.

Inspiration is a funny thing in the modern artistic climate. I’m sure you’ve been told before that it’s all been done before. Perhaps creativity these days is just the careful sourcing, refinement and recycling of ideas past, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Who really knows though? You can see a website design in a shop window, colours in the sunset, and that’s not stealing ideas (though, it’s probably been done before).

I think in the end, finding inspiration comes from the environment you create for yourself; mentally and physically. It takes an open-mindedness to observe things that would normally go unnoticed. It takes a willingness to experiment and explore possibilities that may not even be there until they happen in front of you. Above all, though, it takes patience. Sometimes, it clicks right away, but often times it takes a while to get started. It’s one of the truisms of design…creativity takes time.

Anyway, I don’t have some special tricks I can share and I’ve never been one to impart wisdom. But breathe in the ether, or look in a shop window. Talk to the intern, take a walk down a street you’ve never been before. What ever it is, just make sure you’re creating the right culture and it will click eventually.

(The header and first graphic are inspired by the last, which is a painting by the brilliant Maria Zaikina, found here )

A film produced for his final year Masters in Architecture, Keiichi Matsuda projected about the social and architectural consequences of new media and augmented reality. In this second installment of his hyper0reality, Keiichi digs deeper into his creativity to give a better idea to the direction we are likely to see AR go in the near future. An environment merged with media space, and architecture taking on new roles related to branding, image and consumerism. You may have seen his earlier installment visualization of AR (hyper)reality “Domestic Robocop“

Keiichi Matsuda (BSc. MArch) is a designer and film-maker. He began working with video during his Masters of Architecture at the Bartlett school (UCL) as a critical tool to understand, construct and represent space. Keiichi’s research examines the implications of emerging technologies for human perception and the built environment, focusing on the integration of media into everyday life. He has a multi-disciplinary approach to his work, using a mixture of video, motion graphics, interaction design, and architecture to create vibrant “hyper-real” environments where the distinctions between physical and virtual start to dissolve.

He has presented his films and research internationally, winning awards for design, drawing and filmmaking, and graduated from his MArch with distinction in summer 2010. He is currently self employed, working on commissions and research projects in London and Tokyo.

After nearing a month at Derooted HQ, I, Jenn King Intern at Large, am emerging from my relatively inactive internet (or should I say INTERNet, har har) presence to fulfill my new role as Jenn King Intern at Large / Blogette Extraordinaire. Please, bear with me while I get whatever the computer equivalent of finding one’s sea legs is.

Relating to the More is More subheading at my post, last night I had the pleasure of attending Marian Bantjes lecture at the Ontario College of Art and Design. For those of you who might be a little unfamiliar with her work, Marian is a Canadian designer/typographer/illustrator/maker of wonderful things who counts among her clients Saks Fifth Avenue, Penguin Books, Wallpaper*, The Guardian, WIRED, Stefan Sagmeister and The New York Times. Her work is personal, ornate, complex and rich, and stands in contrast to the extremely minimal Modernist design that has been popular with so many designers for  so long. I found it really refreshing to look at someone’s work who knows that while simplicity and negative space have their places, sometimes the eye can be pampered with beautiful, luxurious images and that when done right, just because something is ornate and intricate doesn’t mean it has to look like a 90′s club poster.

The talk itself wouldn’t have broken any new ground for those familiar with her work or who have read her writings, as my companion pointed out, but with time constraints being what they were it was still a nice look into the way she creates her intricate, detailed patterns and designs.  I especially enjoyed her work done outside of regular computer methods, as this is something I’ve been passionate about exploring. Her flower and pasta patterns are of particular note, and her “read before you eat” droog table was a beautiful merger of aesthetics and message.

Also, on a personal note, my birthday is in a few months, and just as a gift idea for anyone that has an extra 16,000 dollars burning a hole in their pocket, I’d really like one of the sailboats she designed for *Wallpaper. They remind me of the the dazzle ships used around WW1 and 2.

So in short, for anyone interested in design, illustration, typography, or nice things, you should go check out her show while it’s at OCAD (100 McCaul St.). It starts tonight and runs until June 5th, 2011, with the opening reception tonight from 7-9 pm.