Italian brand Gucci's Creative Director Frida Giannini and renowned Japanese Manga artist, Hirohiko Araki, have collaborated to create special store window displays featuring the Japanese artist's illustrations and Gucci's 2013 Cruise Collection.
Araki says ‘Frida’s beautiful cruise collection with its strong colours and graphic designs set my mind racing the moment she showed it to me. From there the characters and storylines came into being so naturally. It was very stimulating to work together on this project.’
Araki has created an exclusive Manga (Japanese comic strip), inspired by the collection and a story that will bring the windows of Gucci's worldwide direct store network to life in January and February. The story is also featured in Japan's SPUR Magazine.
Some sites and blogs are confusing this collaboration with Gucci's previous first collaboration with the Japanese artist in 2011 and posting the wrong illustrations and window displays. Araki worked with the Gucci brand in September 2011 when they collaborated with Spur for an exhibit of Gucci’s 90 year anniversary that featured Araki’s illustrations. Because the exhibit was only featured in Gucci’s Shinjuku store, this time around, the partnership is on a global stage.
Entitled “Jolyne, Fly High with Gucci,” Araki's Manga tells the adventure of Jolyne Cujoh, a student who inherits a keepsake from her mother’s Gucci collection. Propelled by the mystery behind her vintage treasure, she embarks on a journey that transcends time. Echoing the sensual color palette and graphic undertones of Giannini's Cruise collection with symbolic references to the House's iconic Flora pattern that has been reinterpreted in a number of the collection’s signature pieces, Araki's extraordinary technique gives a three dimensional effect to his characters.
Spur Magazine of Japan reports:
The illustrative story entitled Jolyne, Fly High with Gucci, tells the story of Jolyne Cujoh, a student who inherits a vintage treasure from her mother’s Gucci collection. Inspired by the mystery behind the piece, she embarks on a journey that transcends time. The result is a stunning collection of art. Heavily influenced by the cruise collection, expect to see Gucci’s historic flora pattern strongly referenced. As Giannini has noted, ‘I am quite sure his window installations will stop people in their tracks in cities around the world as they immerse themselves in the fabulous fantasy world he has created.’
Images of Gucci Manga Window Displays (courtesy of SPUR Magazine):
Araki says ‘Frida’s beautiful cruise collection with its strong colours and graphic designs set my mind racing the moment she showed it to me. From there the characters and storylines came into being so naturally. It was very stimulating to work together on this project.’
images and information courtesy of Gucci, and Spur
Gucci Goes Manga. The Italian Brand Collaborates With Illustrator Hirohiko Araki For Window Displays and SPUR Magazine
2012 Reviewed in An Animated Infographic by Yiying Lu for Visual.ly
Artist Yiying Lu created this fun animated infographic for the San Francisco based data visualization company Visual.ly
Included after the infographic are some of her good 'old school' hand drawn ink sketches for the project.
Visual.ly
Yiying Lu
Walking Shadow Drawings By Jason Ratliff.
above: Walking Shadow, Old Man
Jason Ratliff describes himself as an artist first and a graphic designer second. He creates illustrations with a mixture of ink, acrylic and a light dose of whimsy. What inspires him are colors, composition and how they interact. In his own brand of artwork, color and composition are key. These values are reflected in his beautifully illustrated Walking Shadow series of drawings which are available as prints in various sizes.
Walking Shadow 9 (original available here)
Walking Shadow, Old Lady:
Walking Shadow, Superman:
Walking Shadow, Cat:
Walking Shadow, Cat 2:
Walking Shadow, Rooster:
Walking Shadow, Bicycle:
Walking Shadow, Guitar:
Walking Shadow, Lunch:
Walking Shadow, Monkey:
Prints, iPhone covers, canvases, t-shirts and notecards of these illustrations are available for purchase here at Society 6.
Finer prints of these are available here at Saatchi Online
The Artist, Jason Ratliff:
Location: Indianapolis, IN, United States
Website: http://jasonratliff.net
Work: Graphic Designer
Education: Graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Visual Communication Design. Studied under Dennis Ichiyama.
30 Pieces of Poignant and Uncensored Art by U.S. Veterans of War.
above: Autobiography (02) by Maurice Costello
In honor of Veteran's Day, I wanted to share with you some very personal and intimate art pieces from the National Veterans Art Museum in Chicago. The National Veterans Art Museum inspires greater understanding of the real impact of war with a focus on Vietnam. The museum collects, preserves and exhibits art inspired by combat and created by veterans. The pieces express their experiences through photography, sculpture, paintings, drawings and mixed media.
Please note: The work in this museum- and shown here- was made by veterans of war and the depictions of their experience is poignant and uncensored.
Good Morning PTSD by Christopher Arendt:
Real Life Souvenirs by Jay Burnham-Kidwell:
Towers (1) by Victoria Bryers:
Exiles on Main Street by Elgin Carver:
Title Unknown by Ronald Doc Cook:
58,000 Plus by John Dell:
Angel In The Desert by Marcus Eriksen:
(un)clothed and in her right mind by Iris Feliciano:
Aftermath by Michael Gottschalk:
Orphan III by Bill Hackwell:
In the Jar of Mars by Michael Helbing:
Where the Publisher Meets the Writer by Jay Burton Hellwege:
Tourist Photographs from Iraq - This is How I Wanted to See Myself by Aaron Hughes:
Fascinating Vietnam by William Hoin:
Memory of a Conflict by Louis Janetta:
Blown Away by Richard Lindsay:
Seventeen Months, Twenty-Nine Days by Grady C. Myers:
Early Out by Scott Neistadt:
Morphene, Anyone by Neal Pollack:
Mending by Scott Rogers:
The Wall by Michael Rumery:
Anguish by Bruce A. Sommer:
Together Separately by Anthony Stetina:
They Also Serve (POW) by Gary Tillery:
Prayer Boots by John Turner:
Head by Gregory Van Maanen:
Diptych Self Portrait by Kimo Williams:
This is How You Died by Richard Yohnka:
Punji Trap Wound by Bernie Zawiki:
Autobiography Installation by Maurice Costello:
The above pieces only represent a few of the works within the museum. You can view the online collection here.
God Bless all the brave men and women who give of themselves for the rest of us and this country. Thank You.
all images courtesy of the NVAM Collection Online website © 2012 - National Veterans Art Museum
