kinesis

2010-03-03T10:28:00.000-08:00

intheCUTTS- BENNYGOLD from In The Cutts on Vimeo.

I would say Benny Gold seems to be living the SF Graphic Design version of the dream I would love to have doing Industrial Design in NYC

Lenny Bacich

2010-02-09T15:57:00.000-08:00

There isn't much I can say about this that hasn't already been said, or felt, but Lenny Bacich has passed away. I've had him since my freshman year here at Pratt, and I can't imagine finishing my senior year without him. He's been immensely important to me and my education here at pratt, design or otherwise. There was so much passion coming from this man for all of his students that it really was astonishing. Hands down he was my favorite teacher here and I could always go to him whenever I needed advice, comfort, or just a good talk. He was an important part of continuing the legacy that is pratt's 3-D industrial design program and I feel extremely lucky to have known and learned from him. Although he is gone physically, he will really live on through all the students. I'm so sad about this loss, i'm just one of hundreds and probably thousands of students who have been profoundly changed by Lenny over the past 30 something years he's spent teaching at Pratt, and one of the many who loves him dearly.

Visit Josh Longo's blog for some really wonderful things being said about him.

keys open doors

2010-01-21T07:18:00.000-08:00

I was on TWSNOW today and found this great article in memory of Craig Kelly.

"Keys To Reality
by Ken Achenbach
It’s kind of funny how you can go from walking around with nothing but lint in you pocket and being totally stoked, to walking around with a pocket full of keys and being totally bummed.
It starts out simply and seductively. I’ll just get this car so I can snowboard more. Wrong. Anything that let’s you snowboard more is a scam. It won’t let you snowboard more because you ride every day and a car can’t add days to the week.

“I’ll just get this little night job so I can buy gas,” you hear yourself saying. There’s another key. Then your job starts making you miss sleep, so you can’t snowboard as hard or as long as you used to. And you need stuff to wear to work. You need a place to change and store your stuff. Now you have an address, that’s another key. Soon you have to get a day job because you’re not making enough money at night. The keys start adding up.
Now that you have a job, girls know you’re not a total loss and you end up with a girlfriend. She wants you to hang with her once in a while instead of going boarding all the time. First, she gives you the key to her heart, and then the key to her apartment. That’s two more. You can’t give her the key to your heart because snowboarding put a combination lock on it and only your snowboard knows the number.
Now you have a bunch of keys in your pocket. They’re high-maintenance items. You have to take care of them. They’re weighing you down. Snowboarding is slowly slipping away, and you don’t even notice.
One day, cruising to your full-time office job that you had to get a few years back to make payments on all your keys, you drive past a guy on the corner with his thumb out and a snowboard under his arm. While speeding by you start thinking about the guy you just passed. He looked like you used to—snowboard and nothing else. As you pull into the parking lot at work, you can’t get the hitchhiker out of your head. Your mind keeps wandering back. Pulling all the keys out of you pocket and jingling them, you think about what you really want from life.
Running back to your car, you reverse out of the parking lot and squeal a Rockford in the middle of the four-lane highway. You’ve got to get away from your keys. You begin throwing them out the window as you blow down the highway. First to go is the key to the door at work. Then you backhand your girlfriend’s apartment key out the passenger window. Flick, there goes the key to the storage unit, then the key to her car. Flick, flick, flick. You feel better each time a key flies out the window and goes bouncing down the pavement at 100 mph. You don’t even slow down for the tollbooth, paying instead with the tossed key to your office and the executive washroom.
You only have two keys left. You unlock your house, run in, grab your snowboard, and dash out of the house. You leave the key to your house sitting in the lock to the front door. Whoever finds the house open can take it, and all your stuff. You don’t need it anymore. You jump back into the car and start burning rubber through all four gears back to the highway where you saw the hitcher.
He’s still there. You slam on the brakes. When he opens the car door, you look into his eyes. It’s you. It’s the life you left behind when you sold out."

awesome. original .pdf link can be found here.

Disk wheel destruction

2010-01-15T21:47:00.001-08:00

Glass Competition

2010-01-10T14:16:00.001-08:00

Sneak peak of what i'm working on for a glass competition... my favorite is the last one.

Future Primitive

2010-01-10T12:06:00.000-08:00

So dope.. skateboarding really has changed a lot.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen olympic ski jump

2010-01-04T22:15:00.000-08:00

I can't even begin to pronounce the name of the city this jump is located in but it is amazing. I watch a lot of Universal Sports these days because they have a lot of pre-olympic coverage of really bizarre and interesting Winter Olympic sports. Lots of figure skating, luge, bobsled, and various categories of skiing mostly. What has caught my eye the most is the Four Hills tournament for ski jumping. What these athletes are doing is amazing, and even more amazing is the beautiful piece of sculpture built for them to compete on.

It's such a weird sight to see coming out of the mountains, and the sculpted cantilevered design is so interesting. I love the exposed beams on the bottom, and how the lift in the middle of the landing pad is so thin and seems to float right off the mountain. A good write up can be found here and the architecture firm who designed it can be found here.

my favorite part of the write up is:

"Topographic integration links up with sculptural expressiveness, giving the new jump in Garmisch-Partenkirchen its unique characteristic appearance. At the same time, its architectural impression and formal dynamics also invites associations with the risk and acceleration of the ski-jumping sport. The quest to overcome gravitation, inherently linked with ski jumping, is architecturally expressed by the cantilevering inrun of the ski jump."

This is a wonderful execution of the design of a form being visually meaningful for its purpose.

The Remix Project

2009-12-29T20:47:00.000-08:00

so rad.

Challenge

2009-11-28T16:32:00.000-08:00

I'm challenging myself to render this quick little scene I just made, I know it sucks and it's kind of stupid.. but maybe it doesnt have to be!

.. I may not be able to get around to it untill winter break but I want to see if I can actually render this in photoshop and have it make sense.... stay tuned!

Studio Work

2009-11-27T12:28:00.001-08:00

Uploading some pictures and found this shot of my model process. Shows the drawing I worked from to get the scale correct.

Music Videos for Friday

2009-11-27T10:15:00.000-08:00

Fist is Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
This is such an amazing video. I found it on High Snobiety of all places. I don't know too much about this group, but I think I love every detail about this video, and it's such a cool song.

Major Lazer "Keep it Going Louder" from Eric Wareheim on Vimeo.

Major Lazer - Keep it Going Louder
just a weird ass video, i love how fucked up the girls are, and the tiny motorcycles!

Open-TR9 drawing

2009-11-24T20:54:00.001-08:00

did a quick color study over a side view I drew of my Trike. It's still in process and I need to tighten some things up..

this is one of the first drawings I've ever done without the aid of lines over top, which is a pretty big step for me when it comes to really understanding how to deal with color.

Compare to my most recent Model

Adam Savage, TED talk

2009-11-24T11:17:00.000-08:00

A wonderful exploration into objects and geeking out about them.. I could watch this video for hours if it were long enough.

Audi concept car

2009-11-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

An interesting view into Audi's design.

RD

2009-11-17T08:23:00.001-08:00

If you pay attention to anything written on walls in New York, you'll notice RD... This article in Gradient Magazine is pretty amazing. This dude sounds straight up cold blooded, and like an honest criminal. Now maybe he's living and operating at the expense of others... but maybe he is just living/ has lived outside "the system" and is acting in true rebellion from our society.

Aside from that bullshit he really knows his shit about graffiti:

"...but as satisfying as a complex piece with interconnected letters, three-dimensional effects and the other bells and whistles might be, the real thrill comes from the mere act of getting away with breaking the law. “You got all these guys, they squash beef with everyone. It’s like Gandhi or something. Why you gonna write? If everything’s all gravy and you’re doing legal stuff, that’s not writing anymore. At that point you’re a muralist; you’re an artist, not a graffiti writer.”

Check the article out, it's kind of amazing how much of a criminal this dude actually is... And him wearing that suit and tie... He blends right in, master of disguise!

Vandalism

2009-11-17T08:03:00.000-08:00

I do not tolerate such destruction of objects! How dare he!!!

Really dope, I love everything about this video... If only this level of appreciation for graffiti could be projected onto the city, the world would be a crazy place!! Bmw-mini pays to have KR do what the NYPD would also arrest him for. Nicely done, although a quick tag on the side of the car couldn't have hurt!

The Lynch Chronicles

2009-11-17T07:28:00.001-08:00

The Lynch Chronicles (episode II) from leewarddude on Vimeo.

The snow season is creeping closer and closer.... Pretty bitchin drop in.

1st semester final model

2009-11-13T10:49:00.000-08:00

I just finished my final full model of my motorcycle for this semester... This is my current development of my three-wheeled motorcycle concept. I've got a lot more drawings to produce to keep at the development going, but I have high hopes.

The side views show the development from my first form.

you can see certain elements I decided to keep and refine from my first formal study.

I think this guy is getting cooler, It needs some thinning in the struts up front, and some more segments in the rear.

I do like the new bent axis in the main form, it was more aggressive straight axis in the middle form but I think the playful nature of the most recent version is really where this bike needs to be going.

Up next is a full wire model, and a kinetic detail!

Primed model!

2009-11-05T07:02:00.000-08:00

So i've been getting my ass kicked by school lately, but here is my final model for this semester... primed!

The model was made from a combination of blue foam and balsa foam.

I gotta go to VA this weekend so painting it is going to be difficult considering I get back at 11:00pm on sunday night. . . we'll see how this goes.

Mr Chi-city

2009-11-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

so

So dope..

Graffiti Toys!

2009-10-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

...Really? Graffiti isn't some Do-it-Yourself craft kit.... Or is it!!

Learn how to bomb like a real pro with this sweet ass kit! I can't believe how much money was put into this dumb idea, it's a nicely executed "themed" craft kit... but really?! People hate graffiti until they figure out how to make money off of it.

Eric Koston off Lakai?!

2009-10-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

I know I totally slept on this but I had no clue! Went to SB also... I really wish they would just let the real skateboard companies keep making all the skate shoes.

At least it seems like Lakai took it well, and it was a "mutual" thing.

taken from hypebeast i found this article where Eric is quoted saying...

"I’m sure many people know that a lot of different Nike’s have been the inspiration for my shoe designs over the last 12 years, so I feel like a fucking kid in a candy store when it comes to this partnership between Nike and I"

and.. you can't argue with that one.. his Kost One was just a Nike Court Force Low... oh well!

Three wheeled motorcycle

2009-10-26T19:23:00.001-07:00

I'm at a sort of benchmark for my current project in my transportation design class. These are some side views that lead up to the start of my final colored model for this semester. This is an ongoing design process and these were a few overlays I did adjusting certain parts of my design to arrive at my current benchmark, seen at the bottom.

The class is taught by Ben Hopson and really is amazing so far.

I'll get some more views up later but it's basically a motorcycle with two wheels up front for added stability and coolness.

Problems with Education

2009-10-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of trouble in school growing up. Being "educated" the standard way just really didn't work for me and I got in trouble a lot because of it. This is pretty interesting to hear and I hope something could even be done about it.

Cross Country Snowboarding

2009-10-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

"This is an outsider sport, and.. it's an outside sport of an outside sport, snowboarding. Plus, we're doing it ouside. That's a triple entendre there bro!"

awesome!

Brooklyn Banks... Death Row

2009-10-23T21:52:00.001-07:00

So the Brooklyn Banks is closing in December apparently... When I first heard about this I sort of wrote it off thinking, nobody could take this spot away! But it's happening, so that the brooklyn bridge can be beautified, or gentrified, or modified, it's pretty shitty. The city needs space, and generally nobody cares about skateboarders, so lets take their place! They should take that dumb tai chi matt or whatever the hell it is up top.

There has been a lot of history at the banks, but none important to the city. And again more quotes from douche-bags who think they understand skateboarders and their "Rebel" image.

"The Downtown Express reports that Una Perkins, a board member, said she was worried that the unsupervised teens were running across the Brooklyn Bridge ramps and could get hurt and John Fratta, chairperson of the board’s Seaport/Civic Center Committee, added the skateboarders were “way out of control.”"

Yup, those damn skateboarders running around on the bridge on ramps... definately out of control!!

Idiots should know the on-ramp ollie section of the bridge was closed LONG ago. That doesn't even happen anymore!

Health Care Reform

2009-10-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

'

Gotta love Saber...

Artful Skateboarding

2009-10-22T07:39:00.000-07:00

For real, this, is some artsy shit. Thanks DVS.

check out the obstacles, very sculptural and very cool.

Sexy ladies

2009-10-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while... you just need to draw one. An homage to creepy over sexed sci-fi/anime/comic book drawings.

Tricycle drawing

2009-10-20T06:43:00.001-07:00

No name for this yet, but this is my vehicle in traffic. I'm trying to get everything dialed in for my next model right now.

100 Posts, and a tricycle.

2009-10-06T08:28:00.000-07:00

This is the 100th post of Kinesis, bitchin!

on another note, this is the current progress of my motorcycle concept for my transportation class! It's a leaning tricycle, which will obviously be much wider than a 2 wheeled cycle, but will ultimately be more stable.

Colour Lovers Blog

2009-09-19T12:58:00.000-07:00

I Recently came across this blog, Colour Lovers and I'm really blown away. I have so much trouble with finding interesting color combinations. I really need to spend more time studying color and getting it down properly. This is going to be a huge help to me and hopefully I can get a better grasp for how to make a proper color scheme in the future.

Good Visuals

2009-09-10T21:48:00.000-07:00

I really think this is a wonderful visual translation of music.

Skate Frames

2009-09-10T18:24:00.000-07:00

Made these in 8th Grade... 9 years ago.
Cutting board, Razors HBlock, Hardwood from an old kitchen table.
6mm axels, 8mm supports.
These worked surprisingly well for an entire winter back in 2001.

Insight as to why I am the way that I am..

2009-09-06T23:47:00.000-07:00

I feel like the toys we play with as a kid probably shape a lot of how we will turn out as "adults." Toys I remember vividly are Food Fighters (seen above) and Monsters in my Pocket

I'm not really sure what it all means, or why I relate the two lines. But I guess they are similar in their lack of functionality, popularity, over the top sculpts, and collectibility. So strange...

In addition to these to I did collect Swamp Thing and Bucky O'Hare but i'll save those topics for a later post..

I was always really bothered by the big hands on this one... and the dress.

This guy could hang on things easily..

Through my searches I was able to find Virtual Toy Chest to get all these images... awesome!

Jamie Thomas 10 Tricks

2009-08-24T21:40:00.000-07:00

I was on the Fallen website checking out their shoes.. and honestly I'm not really excited by any of their designs. When Fallen first came out and was getting big I was really into their shoes, like the Scouts, but after skating them I was pretty disappointed. I thought their shoes were clunky, hard to move in, and offered little board feel. I was disappointed to see their designs have also remained pretty much the same all this time as well, and they haven't really pushed any limits design-wise.

All that aside I think their team is mind blowing, anyone who skates for any part of black box distribution just tends to annihilate things.

On that note check out this edit of Jamie Thomas doing 10 tricks in the Black Box skatepark. Such a good edit. Don't forget Jamie Thomas not only can skate better than almost any human, he does a DAMN good job of running his business.

so, their shoes suck, but they absolutely know how to skateboard.

Dinosaurs and Buildings

2009-08-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

Brontosaurus. American Museum of Natural History

Mammoth. American Museum of Natural History.

Lisa Yuskavage Studies.

Manhattan Bridge.

Financial District.

Scary face

2009-08-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

BLAM... This has been an idea i've had for a while now. I'm so happy to finally have it work out! My biggest trouble was getting the print (on acetate) dark enough to properly block light so the screen could burn.

I think it came out well and i've definitely got the technique down now, so maybe in the future I can start doing cooler things!

Create Originals

2009-08-17T16:14:00.001-07:00

A new and amazing East Coast frame company that brings a very refreshing customization concept to frames. Hope to see much more from them as the company grows.
Create Originals.

Create Originals Pro Team Introduction from Create Originals on Vimeo.

Summer Edit

2009-08-17T15:32:00.001-07:00

Summer Edit Version 3 : A Rollerblading Adventure from Jeffrey Mateo on Vimeo.

Edited by Jeffrey Mateo.
I have some tricks at 3:28
holla!

Vimeo

2009-08-16T23:09:00.001-07:00

Just posted some videos on Vimeo.
www.vimeo.com/kylesola

Team Pain

2009-08-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

this stuff is now at the LES park under the Manhattan bridge... It's been there since about mid-july but this is some cool footage of the benches being properly shredded. The setup allows for a lot of creativity and fun.

would you? part 2

2009-08-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

So this will actually by my new screen... I'm just getting used to the process of emulsion and bla bla bla. It's hard to get everything right and my print on acetate wasn't dark enough so I had to go back in and paint in some black to make it better, a pain in the ass but it should be much better now.

Megatron Backpack from SAGLIFE

2009-08-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

I was on the Chari & Co blog and I saw this post for the new Megatron 2 backpack, apparently co-designed with John Igei of FTC

I really like the "ride to the skate-spot" idea. Being in the city the easiest way to get to a skate spot is by bike, and it's sort of a pain dealing with bringing your skateboard around, and although this backpack doesn't have anything really different compared to average backpack/skateboard holders, it does have a unique method for carrying weird items.

The straps unbuckle in a few places to carry strange objects on the backpack such as Snowboard boots, Rollerblades (if you're into that kind of thing), bike frames, wheels etc... I have a similar strap system on the bag I ride with and it's been helpful for carrying all sorts of random awkward sized items, but it always requires a little bit more than just my two skate straps. The Megatron's straps seem to really be a new versatile carrying system that I would love to try out.

btw, I noticed Wes Bell on FTC's site. He used to skate for the shop I worked at, Eastcoast Boardco. in VA. He's a sick skater and i'm glad to see he's still keeping it up. Proud to say he skated a few of the decks I made for eastcoast...

Would you?

2009-08-12T20:46:00.001-07:00

quick little test for a t-shirt design...!!

i'll probably print it tomorrow.

If you don't like where you're sitting, move.

2009-08-11T09:12:00.001-07:00

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Figure Drawing. August 11, 2009.

Julian Bah

2009-08-09T09:43:00.001-07:00

Julian Bah Im Back from David Amkhinich on Vimeo.

Sick Sculpts

2009-08-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

Enchanted Doll

Throwbacks at Noon

2009-08-06T09:26:00.001-07:00

Fishbrain. Flushing Session.

2009-08-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

Best session in a long time.
Photo by Cesar Macay.

80th post and Nidecker Contest

2009-08-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

So the Nidecker/Core77 contest just finished up. After multiple push backs for the winner notification date the results are finally out. My designs weren't chosen, but oh well it was still fun, you can see my sketches for my final here.

The winning design will be produced by Nidecker, and the designer will receive $2,500. Personally, I think the winning design is pretty terrible, and not at all original. But I guess that's just how things go sometimes.

there are some cool designs in the semi-final and notable entry sections. So head over and check it out.

SoleMates

2009-08-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

Designed these back in 2007.
You can find them at Duane Reade.

150kmph

2009-08-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

In the future... Miles Per Hour wont exist.

Exploring Autodesk Sketchbook Pro with a Cintiq.

Jeff Dalnas

2009-08-01T05:51:00.000-07:00

CTV - Jeff Dalnas from ConferenceTV on Vimeo.

Chris Cheshire

2009-07-31T19:39:00.000-07:00

Chris Cheshire Truth section.
Make sure to keep your eyes peeled at 1:18.

Battery Park Session

2009-07-31T19:37:00.000-07:00

Kyle Sola
Alley Oop Top Porn, Battery Park, NYC
Photo: Aaron Street

The Gonz

2009-07-31T15:42:00.001-07:00

this guy has done so much for the progression of skateboarding... it's mindblowing, and he is still experimenting with shapes!

SONIS

2009-07-31T14:52:00.000-07:00

I finally "finisheD" this render.. it's not awesome but.. whatever it's done.

Sacer

2009-07-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

I think most people who follow graffiti know Sace/Dash Snow died..so I thought this could be an appropriate post. I saw this tag recently and I was amazed at how the Meanstreak or whatever he used for the tag actually gave it dimension. It's like he smeared wax or clay, and it's fucking awesome.

Sonis Render Preview

2009-07-13T20:39:00.001-07:00

I've been working on this for a while so here is a peak! It's just a simple 3/4 view of my car the "Sonis" from my transportation class last semester.

Converse Weapon Evo

2009-07-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

I really like the way these look. I love the influence of retro style but the addition of updated modern tech and accents in the shoe really makes this an interesting design.

Contour

2009-07-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

Contour

preview....

2009-06-28T21:05:00.000-07:00

Just working on a new graphic.. I'll update this later

compare and contrast.

2009-06-24T15:09:00.000-07:00

vs

I don't know which I love more.

Katsu

2009-06-24T15:05:00.001-07:00

I've been a huge fan of Katsu's stuff for a while, this is so sick. I saw the last part in person and I couldn't tell what it was when I first saw it, but I knew that i recognized it.

Gothic

2009-06-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

long, but worth it.

the only thing I don't like about this is when he draws out, and fills in lines. I feel like it should all be pretty swift and fluid.

like this:

Sketchbook Uploads

2009-06-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

I added a few things to my coroflot if anybody is interested. I've got my trans model, and some sketchbook pages up.

take over the world

2009-06-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

beautiful.

The amount of skill in this is just completely out of control. All for an art form that is more liable to put you in jail and ruin your life than make any sort of profit...

Gloves

2009-06-17T06:08:00.001-07:00

Here's a sort of preview, more to come later on once everything is put together.

Hand Drawing

2009-05-31T17:40:00.000-07:00

Been looking for this.
Designing some gloves, have to keep it under wraps for now though.

Alex Jin Sketch Blog

2009-05-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

Recent Pratt Industrial Design graduate with some awesome drawings.
Is It Hue

Portfolio

2009-05-21T18:49:00.001-07:00

view my portfolio:
coroflot.com/kylesola

WindMachine

2009-05-09T22:51:00.000-07:00

Pretty irrelevant name but some good alias practice! This is my first real example of a cohesive model and render job done in alias. A little bit of post production has been done in photoshop to give the render a little more life...

i'm into it.

Jessika Kalleskog in Wallpaper

2009-05-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

Presentation Model

2009-05-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

Pattern Tests in Illustrator V1.0

2009-03-22T11:08:00.001-07:00

Mirando

2009-03-22T00:47:00.000-07:00

Bath Chair Final

2009-03-01T00:19:00.000-08:00

So the bath chair is finally done.. The project was to redesign the ugly Lumex chair, which has existed sans-update since the 80's and make it both more beautiful, and more functional.

The project was very open ended and was given to all of Pratt's students in the Junior 3-D

classes. We started making 3-D sketches that were supposed to convey the motion of rising and falling.. that was it. Our sketches were displayed and the 16 best people were chosen to continue the project. I was lucky enough to be selected and I continued on.

I had no idea how taxing this project was going to be on top of school, 2 jobs, and 1 internship. The people kept getting narrowed down further and further until I was one of 5 students left.

My focus on this project was to take a product that was sterile, necessary, mechanical, and ugly, and turn it into a thing of beauty that not only would function better, and more comfortably as a chair, but would become an object of desire for it's sitters. I wanted whoever needed this item, due to either disability or old age, to be able to walk into their bathrooms and be proud of the beautiful piece of furniture they were about to use that could assist them in their shower and help them regain an independence they may not have had before.

Simply put I wanted to take a symbol of being disabled and flip it around, into a symbol of pride, and happiness.

Sailor/Squid Sketch

2009-02-25T16:13:00.000-08:00

Marker Technics

2009-02-20T15:34:00.001-08:00

Quick sketch from marker technics class last night.

Color Study, study.

2009-02-17T18:17:00.000-08:00

My attempt at trying to decode all the mysteries of color and pattern to better manipulate them to my will!

"Cheetah Ultra Sports"

2009-01-23T09:02:00.000-08:00

So over on Core77 I saw a post for a "Radical new snowboard design" Core 77 says that

"The thing we most like about this product--or news of it, anyway, since we haven't ridden one--is that it was clearly designed by an enthusiast combining direct experience with a clever understanding of materials. The Whip is made from a combination of wood, plastic, steel, and carbon composite."

First off, about every single snowboard is made from wood, plastic, steel, and carbon composite. The snowboard industry is a beautiful thing with a lot of innovative minds behind it. There is a reason why people enjoy flat based boards and things like Palmer Plates never stuck around. Is this concept "CLEARLY" designed by an enthusiast, or some lame old man with too much time and money, and not enough real snowboard sense, so he tries to develop a completely new snowboard concept titled "The Whip"

That name, "The Whip" first of all is referencing fast zippy cars that get all kinds of corny modifications just to make a lame person feel better about themselves. Does that belong in the fun, no bullshit, progressive sport of snowboarding? No sir. I know the cost of snowboarding generally attracts a lot of yuppies, who may HAVE corny desires for things such as

"Our artistic inspirations-
F-117 Stealth fighter, Leonardo de Vinci, Batman, and the Lamborghini Reventon."

I can appreciate the de Vinci refrence, and the Batman refrence. But what relation does the military and the Lamborghini Reventon have with snowboarding? I'm a huge fan of a new design concept bringing on it's own life and creating it's own lifestyle apart from anything else which the snowboard industry is finally doing. Of course it had to rip off the skaters for a while, but the skateboarders had to rip off the surfers. Now each sport has it's own lifestyle and different images that are unique to each discipline. A skateboard T-shirt, a snowboard t-shirt, and a surf t-shirt, while of course have very similar roots, the inspiration and love of their sports all will graphically represent the differences between the sports and their communities as they evolve.

They attack the snowboard industry with

"No urban graffiti. No Andy Warhol. No Playboy Magazine"

I'm the first to call out how dumb those things are as well, but snowboarding has a vast youth sort of "rebellious" and "artistic" following and that is what appeals to them. And all three of those concepts can be found almost exclusively in Burtons lines. Here here and here. K2 is even doing collaborations with Claw (nyc graff artist) and Mishka (Brooklyn based, graffiti influenced streetwear company.) Those things are probably just as irrelevant to the snowboard world as a F-117 stealth fighter, but at least they mean something to the youth market that grows up actually pushing and innovating the sport! Snowboard is young, maybe about 30 years old now, and it's been going through very obvious and sometimes awkward changes throughout those decades.

It all started with a single snowboarder's desire for a better snowboard. Eventually, that desire, plus the appalling lack of innovation in snowboard manufactureing business, led to the invention of The Whip and finally to the establishment of Cheetah Ultra Sports in early 2008.
Our Philosophy-
Functional, innovative, technologically advanced design over pretty graphics

Our design direction-
Form always follows function. The resulting form, however, must stand alone as a work of art, rather than a platform to showcase other people's works of art.

If this man had any knowledge he would realize all the changes happening in snowboarding. From Gnu engineering trees, urethane sidewalls, reverse camber, and Magne Traction. The graphics on the snowboard are 2-D representation of the culture that pioneered the snowboard in the first place. The interior composition of the board is what the rider notices as they pull in and out of turns, ollie, or press the board. The sidecut as well is a very important factor which decides how easy the board will go on edge, stay on edge, and make an easy transition into the next carve. I feel this company is very naively trying to shift snowboarding in a very terrible direction...

As scary as this new concept may be, i'm pretty confident it will flop.

Tappan Bowl

2009-01-17T09:52:00.000-08:00

Bowl I recently carved for my girlfriends parents... I don't generally do "nice things" out of "nice wood" so I feel like this is a somewhat sophisticated change for me. The spoon in the last shot is courtesy of Nick Foley

Augor's Website

2009-01-10T21:29:00.001-08:00

Augor has a new website. This guy is such a champ and has such amazing control over graffiti. Handstyles, throwups, bombs, pieces, Eastcoast, Westcoast. He's nuts and it's awesome to be able to see a website that can showcase the process for such a "Secret" Artist/Outlaw.

more bathchair conception!

2009-01-09T20:33:00.001-08:00

I think i have finally found an answer for the treatment of my legs, and i'm pretty happy with it.

bathchair render

2009-01-02T15:31:00.001-08:00

a sketch of my prototype bathchair for Graham feild/ Lumex... it's a transfer seat to help disabled and/or injured to arrive safely into a bathtub! i'm very happy with this render

Mingei - Japanese Folk Craft

2008-12-22T02:17:00.000-08:00

"one must conclude that in bringing cheap and useful goods to the average household, industrialism has been a service to mankind -- but at the cost of the heart, of warmth, friendliness and beauty. By contrast, articles well made by hand, though expensive, can be used in homes for generations, and thus considered, they are not expensive after all."

The Unknown Craftsman
Yanagi Sōetsu

Sketchbook Scans. Sweden Fall 2008

2008-12-12T07:12:00.001-08:00

Bertil Vallien Sand Casting at Åfors

2008-12-08T13:58:00.000-08:00

This past friday, we had the incredible opportunity to see Bertil Vallien casting at Åfors. Google him.

Quick Exhibiton Shots

2008-12-07T09:10:00.000-08:00

Family och Mjölk Kanna

2008-12-07T04:39:00.000-08:00

craftsman:
http://www.mickejohankonstglas.se/

Josef Frank Accidentism

2008-12-03T03:49:00.000-08:00

Click on the images to read them.

For David

2008-12-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

Check these out.

2008-12-01T15:15:00.000-08:00

http://2or3things.blogspot.com/
http://referencelibrary.blogspot.com/
http://hopingforhappyaccidents.blogspot.com/
http://www.booksathome.blogspot.com/
http://design-mind.blogspot.com/
http://idcollective.blogspot.com/
http://mopu42.wordpress.com/

Ernst Haeckel

2008-12-01T10:24:00.000-08:00

Art Forms in Nature
260 mb download
http://www.origamitessellations.com/haeckel_download.html
this should make you buy the book.
available at Cog and Pearl in Park Slope
www.cogandpearl.com

Josef Frank

2008-12-01T10:15:00.001-08:00

"Every great work of art must border on kitsch."

Hot Shop Photographs

2008-11-29T08:50:00.000-08:00

Photographs from the first round of prototypes. Incalmo technique.
Photographs by Mareike Hantschel.

Var-Dag Christmas Display

2008-11-29T08:41:00.001-08:00

These are process photographs of the window display Mareike, Amyel and I we were asked to design in the town center. Var-Dag is a clothing store with high end Swedish garments.

Lots of Things

2008-11-26T14:06:00.000-08:00

Many new pictures from today,
New Shots of Caraffe before Photoshop.
Assortment of scissors found at the second hand store
Sketches and overlays
New drawings to be made tomorrow
5 pieces that were made on Tuesday by Micke Johanson and Wilke Adolfson
Design by Kyle Sola
Enjoy

2008-11-25T14:33:00.001-08:00