Know Your smART History

Easy to access and informative, smARThistory.org is like a back pack full of college level art history textbooks without the weight or expense. Considered a free multi-media web-book, the website uses pictures, podcasts, and insightful writing to discuss standard art history texts through collaborative communication.

Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker in conjunction with The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) began smARThistory in 2005 to, as they describe on their site, “create a more engaging ‘web-book’ that could be used in conjunction with art history survey courses. We are also committed to joining the growing number of teachers who make their content freely available on the web.”

The free access to information means more to smARThistory’s creators than simply the ability to educate, it also undermines the control publishers have on content. “We are interested in delivering the narratives of art history using the read-write web’s interactivity and capacity for authoring and remixing. Publishers are adding multimedia to their textbooks, but unfortunately they are doing so in proprietary, password-protected adjunct websites. These are weak because they maintain an old model of closed and protected content, eliminating Web 2.0 possibilities for the open collaboration and open communities that our students now use and expect.”

Take it from someone who has spent some time on the site, the interface is smooth and the information is easy to digest. Perfect for the next time you hear, “I just don’t get art.” Send them to smARThistory, point them to the beginner’s page, and let the conversation begin.

posted by: Harold Johns III

“..:://Blending-modes”

“Inter Are” by Yuri Zupancic

Dot Dot Dot Artspace presents “..:://Blending-modes,” new works by Yuri Zupancic. The opening reception is Friday, February 13th, from 6-10 pm and an artist talk will take place Tuesday, February 17th at 7:30 pm. The show runs through early March.

From the artist’s statement: “..:://Blending-modes refers to attitudes and philosophies utilized to find unified beauty amidst ever-more disparate stimulus. Yuri swears he’s not an Escapist, but believes that by studying the world in various lights, you sometimes find one that makes everything seem okay: ‘…at certain points, hyper-connected-frenzy can settle into harmonic resonance and allow us to relax and see the bigger picture.’”

posted by: Harold Johns III

Cut&Paste 09: Digital Design Tournament

Cut&Paste Digital Design Tournament 2007 from Cut&Paste on Vimeo

Humans team up with machines to battle face to face in the Cut&Paste Digital Design Tournament. Designers meet in fifteen minute rounds with some prepared elements. Like most forms of expression, hip hop culture has officially infiltrated the world of design. In the glorified tradition of MC’s and B-boys, graphic artists take stage in front of large crowds to exhibit their skills on the fly. Design and battle are an odd juxtaposition, you can’t really judge style points on mouse clicks and key commands, but Cut&Paste is on its fifth year and running.

The event began in New York in 2005 attracting a fairly promising 800 person crowd…five years later the tournament has announced its 2009 world tour. With dates in North America, Europe, and Asia/Pacific, there’s a chance you may be within traveling distance to witness a visual communication battle of epic proportions. Most of the deadlines are fast approaching or have already passed, but it’s never too late to start practicing your freestyle graphics.

posted by: Scott Starrett

Cinema Style: Valerie and Her Week of Wonders

Victorian necklines, lace, gloves, sheer layers, and an endless supply of white cotton dresses. Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, a 1970 surreal horror/fantasy film out of the Czech Republic, takes you on a dreamy adventure and a fashion showcase. Although director Jaromil Jires does not allow the costuming to become a character of its own, the timelessness of the film’s fashion blends seamlessly to draw the viewer into Valerie’s burgeoning mind and body.

As we follow Valerie through her fantastical world in which nothing is ever what it seems, we are reminded of the collections of Fall 2008. Givenchy, Prada, and Stella McCartney to name a few. However, deriving from the Czech New Wave, Valerie’s whirlwind adventure captures not only ageless fashion but an artistic desire for freedom very indicative of its time and place.

by: Tricia Rock

Designer Style: Suno by Max Osterweis

Designer Max Osterweis’ new label Suno is both fashion forward and socially conscious, a rare combination in the industry. Following more than a decade of collecting Kenyan textiles, Osterweis chose to give back to the country at a time of escalated political violence. Not only is the artistry of the Kenyan people showcased in the brilliantly colorful fabrics, all production of the one-of-a-kind pieces is done in the African nation. As quoted in Nylon Magazine, Osterweis believes that “by creating jobs and teaching new skills, Suno can become a source of pride…and if the line is successful, we might inspire others to follow suit.”

And follow suit they shall. The quick success of the label speaks for itself: a full page spread in Nylon, a write-up on Style.com comparing the label to of-the-moment designer Junya Watanabe, and an exclusive 1,000 piece deal with Opening Ceremony. Thank you Max Osterweis for taking the fashion industry a step in the right direction.

Update November 2010:
Since this post in February 2009, Suno has gained much more acclaim with its innovative designs. Check out Suno Spring 2011, Resort 2011 and Fall 2010 collections on Style.com to see the progression of the brand.

Suno Resort 2011