Subliminal Technology and Graphic Design

The End Before The Beggining - Somewhere a Star With Your Name Still Shines

2009-09-29T16:55:00.001-07:00

Sometimes and artwork begins by an event of truly beautiful inspiration, these things are gifts from our minds that motivate us to immortalise a part of us by engraving our emotions, visions and dreams in an artwork.

Sometimes life's greatest gifts are lost before they materialise, ideas get thinner and visions disappear in darkness. We are left with thoughts of what could have been, and blame ourselves by not being able to achieve the impossible.

(2009 Mixed Media Over Wood - "unfinished")

Memories become pains, the unfinished painting is a perfect image of the memory of pain, thoughts are less cruel than a physical image, they get faded by distractions.

So an unfinished painting is like a photograph of someone that never arrived in the studio for the photo shoot, a picture of an empty space.

The question remaining is if there is any painting in the world left unfinished.

Starry Night - the journey of a silver blue meteorite

2009-08-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

The hogman might well be a demon or an angel, alternative name sugestions welcome...

There is no such thing as time nowadays, and under the eye of the "hogman" (2009 driftwood and paint) we perceive the gaps between the 33 stone bricks, the eclipsed eye of the hogman looks at the stars, the constellation of Scorpio is under the era of Pisces, and as such, it now shows no valency, as its eye is now scared of looking at the mortar desintegrating, the structure is only as good as the mortar that holds it togheter, the water will fill any gap.

The balance of the ruler of Pisces is in perfect equilibrium, gentle and strong, the real strenght of a determined cycle of wonder, great things arise from the water.

Freedom is the gift of Pisces, the ruler of the water (life), ever present, part of every being. As the structure colapses, the great gift of Salvation (2009 driftwood, patine) is bestowed upon the lambs, the temple falls, and its wall are now divided stones, each taking its own direction, liquid like water.

last two sculptures 12/2009 and 04/2009

the story goes on...

Secret Places Of The Heart - not by H G Wells

2009-08-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

So nearly on another story, as I prepare myself to paint once more, a most painful and wonderful surrealism inspired by a secret dream, I have decided to pause and go back to 2 years after I produced the previous works on ceramic. Instead of explaining things directly, I took this approach, as the conclusion approaches, bear with us.

So what happened since then you wonder?

Well my friend its quite simple: then you saw me, now you don't.
Wondering and wandering in the same instance.

There is no reason for this, nothing personal or particular, its one of those things you will understand if you just calm down and reflect.

You have to close your eyes tough, you see, its larger than the life you can perceive, and exponentially to that, it really is large as life itself, you have to close your eyes to really see it. This is not an exercise.

I am still there where you can really see clearly, in that secret space, you cannot ask questions, just listen to the answers if you speak you will be entertained by the sound of your question and fail to listen to the answer that is whispered as you speak, understand that there are not two sides to that coin, no question about that.

Is it free and wishes to abide there...

Or simply does not have a choice...

If you must know its about a meteorite,
a falling star I caught still hot, white and blue
with a delicate crystal and very light burn marks
in the white clay rock, the blue is metallic...

To S.

If time is a Serpent jAHBULON is a fake - Designs make a Designer

2009-08-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

A very nice person this week made a few questions about this Blog that made me think about a few things, so I found myself going through some old stuff.

One can be born an artist, but never a designer, while art is purely made of human sensibility, design is made of planning. In a true sense, any individual that like myself spent most of his/hers teens and adulthood making and executing projects, is a designer even if none of them is even art/design related.

Ok somebody that is likely to read this post once argued that an individual with that sort of skill is an engineer, and that same person pointed that somebody like me, with credentials in all three, art, design and engineering is possibly the last person to have an answer to that one,well I dont even have a reply to that affirmation of that fellow engineer.

Somebody else called me a marketeer, possibly an advertiser, and pointed that this design Blog has hardly any visuals, and questioned me about the reason why I protect my work so fiercely - I will answer that one again in a different time (read the bloody archived posts in the meanwhile).

So I thought about it and reminisced about things, mainly about my personal changes, from art to design and multimedia, and today finding some old pictures, decided to add some visuals to this Blog. The reason being my considerations about changing direction, a process detailed in this Blog superficially along the last two months or so.

These following ceramic works were produced in 2000, the last time I had any sort of art mentor, today a very famous artist, that still sends an Xmas card every year, this guy totally fell out with me once I decide to pursue my studies abroad, and changing direction one step further from arts, in a sense I feel quite apologetic about disappointing such a great master and teacher but life goes on.

Until 2000, I really didn't have any intention of producing any ceramics, but under my at the time mentor, I decided to give it a try, needlessly to say they would be very experimental ceramic tiles, that was the engineer in me.

The reliefs in these tiles are made of several types of glass, that me and my art teacher would hunt for in the night, they include car glass, bottle glass, several perfume bottles, and traffic light glass (don't ask how we managed to get this last type LOL). The result was my experiment of using several types of glass in the production of high temperature glass tiles. Due to the composition of the different types of glass, mainly the windshield glass,several other materials like plastic were present... which resulted in toxic fumes when opening the kiln after baking, and a very angry kiln operator and a formal written complaint...

So I am contemplating changes, and good memories of a once teenage artist that I hardly identify myself with presently. Transitions are necessary, life itself ceases once they cease, and of these change, good memories. And old gentleman that happens to be one of the greatest friends I ever had defines it:

"Bad things need not to be reminded, they are past, good memories are always present within us"

Enjoy theses works based on great memories, and think of the song "A whither shade of pale" by Procul Harum, it was playing on the radio as we read the formal complaint...

Design Forensics-how to dissect art and life

2009-08-11T18:26:00.000-07:00

Maybe I am quite bitter about things, maybe I simply had enough of the world of arts and design, maybe I will never do the 40 phone calls about the big project I have worked on for some good 2 months, maybe I dont want to talk about it, maybe I am reluctant about speaking with a few people that occupied my mind for a couple of years in these freelance projects, or maybe I am getting it all wrong, maybe I just dont care any more, maybe I just moved on without reflecting any further.

The market of design and art has never been as difficult and challenging, this thing always excited me, but now I am just looking at the next step, more than success, I am looking at closure.

As I prepare a "bombilla" of Yerba Mate my favorite tea after Guayusa, much more potent than coffee, and much healthier, my favorite "creative" drink (that I discovered when I studied design in Leicester), I reflect on my path. It has been a great journey of discovery, somehow all of it on my own, sadly without any opinions from those that were part of my early artistic exploration, back in my teens.

I guess that walking ones own path of learning is not really an option, a comment by my friend "MadMax" about the movie "Vanishing Point" trigered in me this reflection, indeed the V8 (Dodge Challenger 1970) cannot stop, going through the ultimate barriers is not an option for people like us, alike Kowalski.

In geometry, for a designer (I define as a designer an individual with "designs" as in projects ideas etc...) the vanishing point in perspective wise, the conclusion and destiny, the point behyond which one cannot see, but at the same time the point one must reach.

What is behind the barrier is not predictable, and the time is to drive through it, as Max pointed, if one is to be stopped by a barrier, let it be when is on full speed overcoming it. One just never knows whats on the other side...

To MadMax

About Hitler disregard the subject ...this one is about Atomic Beach

2009-06-22T17:41:00.001-07:00

So this nearly it, many of you that live between pressure and caffeine at late hours at night will feel an empathy with this Blog for some reason you cannot explain, the reason is that very similarity.

For a while my Blogs consisted of private jokes, app testing and related things filled with some quasi esoteric design theories or thought fragments, there was hardly a need to keep these posts of wit going for any other reason.

In the last weeks I have started a (nother) Company, destroyed a few old projects, archived some portfolio, and suffered from a moment of artistic inspiration in a little place I call "Atomic Beach" by Largs-Ayrshire, its real name is Hunterston B Nuclear Power Station site, just by the sea side. this little place is amazing, just between a mountain and the sea, with a small farm just beside it full of sheep, quite bizarre fully accessible by a very obviously survailed road, to the little rock beach where some people go fishing and sunbathing meters away from the Nuclear Emergency Decontamination Showers, really bizarre, but at the same time peacefull and tranquil, it gives that feeling of peace and fear as you hear the huummm of the reactor and the sound of the waves in the sea. It got me back to painting and sculpting, in a wee project I call Industrial Deities.

But that already too much talk for a goodbye, I will be too busy for this Blog shortly between running a company and starting my Masters Degree in Edinburgh in September, I will be in touch with those who in a way or another care.

And for all enjoy the show, that is the Hitler Tonight Show:

List of things to do before shutting down this blog

2009-06-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

With the shutting time approaching quickly I would like to thank all that have following this Blog, whether loving it or mocking it you were all welcome. With no further explanations I will shut this Bog down in the next few posts.

Regards

-Part of the list of things to do before shutting the Blog down-

Ok here is my bit...

Download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/163704984/Wake_Up_Call_-_New_World_Order_Documentary_2008.part01.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/163713627/Wake_Up_Call_-_New_World_Order_Documentary_2008.part02.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/163721719/Wake_Up_Call_-_New_World_Order_Documentary_2008.part03.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/163729822/Wake_Up_Call_-_New_World_Order_Documentary_2008.part04.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/163738478/Wake_Up_Call_-_New_World_Order_Documentary_2008.part05.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/163747226/Wake_Up_Call_-_New_World_Order_Documentary_2008.part06.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/163755536/Wake_Up_Call_-_New_World_Order_Documentary_2008.part07.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/163763827/Wake_Up_Call_-_New_World_Order_Documentary_2008.part08.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/163772038/Wake_Up_Call_-_New_World_Order_Documentary_2008.part09.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/163779877/Wake_Up_Call_-_New_World_Order_Documentary_2008.part10.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/163787220/Wake_Up_Call_-_New_World_Order_Documentary_2008.part11.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/163794359/Wake_Up_Call_-_New_World_Order_Documentary_2008.part12.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/163874061/Wake_Up_Call_-_New_World_Order_Documentary_2008.part13.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/163878923/Wake_Up_Call_-_New_World_Order_Documentary_2008.part14.rar http://rapidshare.com/files/163881111/Wake_Up_Call_-_New_World_Order_Documentary_2008.part15.rar

Holyday Thrill Ride - The Cruxification Experience

2009-05-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

It has been now about a month and a half since a client challenged me over the craziest idea I could generate over Holiday Packages, I did a bit of research and found holiday thrill rides a pitifully tasteless ride for your money. If you get offended easily please don't read any further, this is not meant to be offensive in any way, however I am sure it will be for some, if you are in that league, I hope you work by level of concern, starting by the highest concern factor, and in this way I would expect you would be running a petition to end sales of Marilyn Manson's work before you draw your critique here.

So after being challenged in a rather rude fashion when it comes to creativity, I have an answer, this one is for you Sir, the craziest adrenalin rush you can possibly have in a stupid holiday thrill ride, never mind being put in a safe cart in a roller coaster, how about a real challenge:

------------------------------------------------------

Feel the ultimate pain, the greatest pain you can possibly feel, take the steps self punishment and feel the ultimate adrenalin rush... The Cruxification Experience, undertook in a real cross, with real nails with all the safety ensured by our medical team that would monitor your vital signs and ensure a safe removal...

------------------------------------------------------

Now seriously, I believe that it the craziest and potentially most controverse Holyday Thrill Ride and adrenalin rush possible. I challenge anyone to invent a stupidiest idea than this one for a holyday experience, never mind fire walking or bungee jumping, really you cant beat this in any way, and if you think you are a tough guy because you did a bungee jump or skydiving...

As for the challenger, my friend never challenge my creativity again, you really cant beat it. Really.

PS: Before you consider criticising the imoral nature of this post, please bear in mind that this post is not half as offensive as the Inquisition and all the sex scandals of the instituition recently portraid by the media, in reality self-rightiousness is a personal concept that bears no effect on ones actual morals.

Agent Provocateur Lingerie, the Soho Sub-Lime

2009-05-20T14:07:00.000-07:00

Well that is me finished with literature and some points I did like to put across with its influences in my work an that of some people I have had the privilege of meeting and keeping in contact with throughout my life and career. This to point out my next sketches in Graphic Design and Subliminal Technologies.

Sow we will discuss brands for a little while here, there will be limits tough, because I dont do this for free, and so I am not being paid by Joseph Corre or Serena Rees...

Straight to the point, 2005 and the Dita Collection was out, I was working in a design competition and ended up by changing my mind in the last minute to a different brief, however, my first choice was Agent Provocateur Lingerie, and although my other brief impressed a few people, I always feel awkward about it, since my first choice was Agent Provocateur, my favorite brand from 2003-2005, there were others tough, but this one was special for a very great reason.

The first work where I run Sublimis software over their campaign material, at the time, according to me and my software, they got very right, only to disappoint me later, when they got it quite wrong, not incredibly wrong, but wrong enough for what they aspire as a brand.

I have been recently sorting my materials and portfolio over 100TB available in this webserver, it has been a great opportunity to look back at my path, everything I achieved and the things I didn't get that right.

For several reasons 2005 was one of my rewarding years, and the then emerging software I was working on shed a lot of light in what I was trying to reach.

So the results for Agent Provocateur reached a whooping 75%, in my softwares scale that is huge, Apple was at 65% with its short commercials featuring U2 and The Vines. But since Apples adverts were simply a threshold filter video with one Master Color, I really expected more. My surprise was Agent Provocateur reaching 75% with very complex images, that was a feat from a subliminal point of view, the imagery was so powerful for something so complex, that I believe that the guys that did it dont even know what they achieved (this is usual by the way, some great stuff is made by distracted designers).

But the fact that this brand was the first one to test my software is not the only reason, I really love this name from a branding point of view, but that will pop up again in this Blog...

Yukio Mishima subliminal or sublime ?

2009-05-07T17:33:00.000-07:00

I am quite sure it must have been 1996 or so when I can recall discussing the work of Yukio Mishima with my friend S. at this time we were studying the foundation of a musical style we had been discussing since '93, influences and what it impacted in that time and age at several levels.

Shortly after that we actually purchased at the same time the first work of Yukio Mishima we could get our hands on, it was a small piece themed after the famous robber Genet. We met some time after a bank holiday when we had decided to go to Bairro Alto, but none of us was present for that outing. I still remember the serious jokes and intense laughs based on that precise book, it was a good laugh, but the worse was to come...

Shortly after that I read "Sun and Steel" and a few critiques by Kawabata, it was enough to make up my mind about the potential of Mishima's work for my studies and personal initiatives.

I believe that our interpretations on Mishima's work divided our courses of study and literary direction, I can recall at least 3 friends whose opinions about Mishima's work would divide this way.

Mishima's beliefs on most mocking most intellectuals that favour the mind to the physical can be offensive to many, and also can passionately divide people with similar opinions and points of view, the lines of Mishima's work are very well crafted in messing with inner beliefs and systems. Consider for instances that two individuals share in common core beliefs, Mishima's work will act on the differences in lateral thoughts, that are commonly underestimated by both individuals, it happens that many core beliefs are supported by lateral beliefs in their foundation (often lateral beliefs will more logic orientated than core beliefs, which tend to be influenced by feelings and that type of hype...)

The procedure of Mishima's work is as any top salesman will know very accurate, strong and its cold logic will make any intellectual feel uneasy and inferior by the stamina and focus of his work. Most intelectuals make use of a status standard to despise the strenght factor, often not believing it themselves but feeling that making others believe that the pen is mightier than the sword is the way to at least reinforcing their personal beliefs or actually starting to believe themselves... you get the picture.

Mishima killed any future argument about the power of his beliefs when he killed himself, I dont believe any criticism about his work after his death was ever taken seriously. He walked the walk, and that genuine attitude scares the shit out of any intellectual (guess why...)

Looking back I cannot decide if the influence of Mishima's works did good or harm to me or any of my friends that read it at the time, the thing that will marks us forever is the intensity of the work. Mishima's did the strongest advertisement campaign in the history of modern literature, his work wins over critics even because he was capable of doing what no literary critic or columnist can do: Take his words to the ultimate consequences.

What everyone seems to forget is that long before the German philosopher did state that the mind is more influenced by the body rather than the other way around, and the ones that do remember that dont seem to fully understand the deeper implications. I guess everyone is in the end afraid of knowing themselves.

It set us all apart, made us go forth alone, and I guess that alone we found our own paths.

and if Albert Camus's Mersault and Forrest Gump are the same person?

2009-03-19T05:07:00.000-07:00

I am not really developing as much on either of them as role model for a graphic artist or any creative worker, in fact I believe that the only thing revered in Mersault is certain inner freedom and favourable consequences to any creative endeavour. He is in fact a rebel in a controlled structured society and at the same time a hero for free thinkers, with his inherent honesty about his personality. Many of us would see in him a best friend, somebody that listens and never quizzes. The thing is that I actually believe that Camus saw him that way, a friend I have met briefly, a philantrope named Gaspar, had the fortune of briefly meeting him in the 60,s I never quite forgot the way he discribed him:

"Just a Frenchman from Algiers... not quite like any of his characters"

I never quite read a huge lot on his life, or studyied any of his byographies deeply, it seemed to me quite pointless to understand either "L'Etranger" or "La Chute". In those works I could see the both sides of the same coin, his point.

It took me however to understand his first sketch on Mersault, that is the work "La Mort Heureuse" to actually understand both Mersault's infancy as a character and Camus's inspiration towards the creation of his highest achievement in "L'Etranger".

In "La Mort Heureuse" Mersault was still impulsive and rational, still a "teenager" beseth by life's changes and cycles, he had to die in the end of the book to free himself to be reborn in "L'Etranger" where his second death was more of a passage than a liberation.

Yet in both works the sun had the part of shaping his actions, in "La Mort Heureuse" it was in the end, here the sun powerless was more of a relish for the character in the isolated house he inhabited, a witness to the end of his journey, bringing about the scent of the absynt bushes in the afternoon breeze. While in "L'Etranger" the sun was much more than a witness, it was a silent life changing force, almost as a divinity, all present and influent, it freed him.

-----------------------------------------------------

I wouldnt be fair if I never mentioned my at the time school palls S. and G. that discussed "L'Etranger" untill sun down, secretly sensing that reading that book in our teens was almost a transcendental experience, one of those rare books that moved Lego blocks in our minds, one that made us into writters in our minds and even the old fashioned paper and pen.

Years later we are now (me and S) are now about Mersault's age, hey I guess he wouldnt see this comming, but I have been thinking about this fact for a little while know, how could you ever forget Mersault S. ?

As for G I dont want to overshadow him as I tend to do (sorry), in fact he was more than there, he met Mersault as well, and did an important contribuition for those times that by itself deserves its own post. G is somebody I consider to have a fascinating inner journey of self-discovery, like me and S, back in our "salad years" a really great guy.

-------------------------------------------------------

The best of it his, these guys never quite abandoned me, they still read my blogs, even pissed off not comenting, as I have discovered just recently when I checked my logs in my server, I have found both of their "IP's" home and work (there is also someone else that uses a proxy...). This just to say thanks...

The Crisis, The Credit Crunch and all the lost secrets that dont fit in the Acme Novelty Library

2009-02-18T17:47:00.000-08:00

That said, the previous post bridges into this entry perfectly. Its quite amazing sometimes that things find us rather than being found by us, in an attic domestic tidying up day, I have found something that would mark my strategies forever.

I was clearing up quite a lot of things that my wife called clutter at that time, I guess I have been collector from teenage years on until very lately, I have wonderful things that don't find place in a family household, and wont fit in a studio. My collections vary from books to vintage cars (not scaled models...), except for the last most things find their own residence and universe in my attic, and it was one day, sitting in a very messy attic, filled both by my stuff and stuff left there by the last tenant that I made an incredible discovery.

I still remember the two vintage hi-fi sitting in front of me, a Sony record player and a Dynatron, one in aluminium with cassete decks and the other made in fine wood, between them me sitting with my back against two piles of vynil records about a two meters high, to my left boxes of books and similar things, I was playing random records in both hi-fi systems.

This thing about being in a big attic going through mysterious thing took me back in time right to childhood, it made me feel as if I was the protagonist in "Never Ending Story", really really weird when I think about it. It was one of those afternoons that I was left to my own devices, just like those times in primary school when I used an afternoon to do all my summer holyday's homework, and believe it or not I really enjoyed it.

Inside one box I couldnt tell if it was one of mine or just left there by other party, Between a few wartime antiques, there were a handfull of American books dating from late 1800's to 1930's, they were lovely bound full of adverts of those miracle novelty products of the time, that for one moment brought me back to teenage days when I used to collect a very enjoyable series called "Acme Novelty Lybrary" by Chris Ware, published by Fantagraphics, this alone put a smile on my face, anybody that ever read that will have a smile on their faces right now :)

Enjoying greatly to handle those old American classics, most of them almanacs, anybody that knows me more than superficially knows that I have always loved madly all things American when it comes to 20th century art, design and architecture... Amongst those books there was one with a very interesting title and less interesting bind, I was intrigued by this book, and at the sound of Blues's playing in a very noisy fashion, probably dust in the vinyl, I have read the first 50 pages in a glimpse. I had found my soma, the most amazing book that I have ever found on advertisement and publicity, and more than that on ethics and business strategy, a very remarcable and unbelieavably forgoten masterpiece, that as guided me even before the present economic crisis started.

This book is so special to me that I will not reveal the title or author, there is no point in that, after that episode I was convinced that the book had found me, and so I would not betray fate. This book is outstanding, not just my opinion, its the book from a forgoten genious, that once beat an economical crisis as significative as the present one, its amazing how these things are forgoten in history, an incredible phenomenom.

Until today I read this book often and search for all material related to the author, I am not writing this to get you guessing, simply to illustrate once more the paralels between art and life.

I have always loved the iconic nature in in American Design and Architecture, and keep studying it passionatly.

Get the point grasshoper?

ON HOW "The best trick the devil ever pulled was to convince the world he never existed"

2009-02-11T18:20:00.000-08:00

A short one about you and your soul, your reasons to visit this blog will be diverse, some get here to figure out my techniques, copy strategies and that sort of rip off (oh no I never guessed that one... but I never told you, the antidote is me), to those there is a subliminal curse here somewhere, just like the Pharaohs one...

Some of the guests that spend a few minutes here will be old friends, some that are curious, others that anonymously take a peek as they have not heard or want to hear from me for a reason or another, and my favourite, the lying backstabber type. To these last I apologise for not hating them, its not a thing to be understood at first glimpse.

This entry is about respect, and is directed at all professionals in the biz. Opened to all because my best friends have always been strangers I have never got to know that well, I hope you will find this visit refreshing.

This might sound metaphysical, but I warn you that its not, its more material than you might think, forgive the elegance of the speech and take it in any way you want.

There are moments to stop and think, moments to throw your work in the trash can, and moments to get it back out. Working in these industries is a lot about personal development, any work that uses intuition and strategy is in essence ethereal, you didn't jump in the waters you did just for a try, surely you will have experienced highs and lows, ups and downs, and often wondered why didn't you give it up a long time ago.

Above all, a certain equilibrium is required for your own sake, but in the state of equilibrium you will find the stillness so vast you might wrongly consider it stale. The best reference that as been passed to me by a great designer and entrepreneur of the 70's was:

-"whenever you think you are winning, that you are surpassing others, feeling like a winner, superior, you are being an idiot that as completely lost direction and sold his soul, like I was when I turned the key in my first Porsche..."

You might fail to find your way back, you might be unable to face what you have become, keep in mind that in even in the advertisement industry you should be ethically orientated, if you fulfil the clients wishes and recklessly manipulate the public, you and not the client lost your soul. Take in mind that with great power often comes great greed. There are very broad lines between effectiveness and manipulation. If you betray your consciousness, you are likely to be in a path of no turning back, and will fail to gain the greatest secrets and lights that your personal development as an artist would have led you to.

My real message is simply that the moment you first picked a pencil, you started a journey. I often try to visualise the first pencil I ever picked as a child, and have managed to regress in time on the way to see the very first pencil I have picked.

Press the red button if you are colour blind or leave a message after the beep if you have a hearing impairment

2009-02-10T18:30:00.000-08:00

Social consciousness is nowadays a very important factor in all projects involving the public, this is very responsible, and I wouldn't challenge it by no means. When first confronted by the subject of Subliminal Messages Masked, I was a bit curious about the whole subject, later I wrote down a few possible issues concerning impairments and limits to reaching the audience suffering from impairments.

It is quite obvious that a blind person, fully or partially will be difficult to reach by a masked subliminal message in a frame of a video, and the same for a person with hearing difficulties, but there are other more common occurrences that can put these methods to the test:

-Some people are colour blind-

So the colour suggestion methods (even the ones in traditional graphic design) will find obstacles in passing the messages.

-Some people cannot read-

So a frame with a message in the written form will again hit the wall, at least until somebody can prove that some super function of the brain can decipher the message even if the conscious brain cannot decode it into speech. Yes very far fetched...

-Some people are less receptive-

Work this one out yourself, a clue? OK hypnosis...

-----------------------------------

At this point, very lightly, please note that I will not develop this into depth, I dare to say that all methods individually and even combined can fail to influence sectors of the audience. Some of these pointers undermine my own theories if taken at face value.

I could defend my theories with the usual statistics, demonstrating that these cases are isolated and represent a minority of the audience... and note that minority in a global society is a very dangerous word. The thing comes to the fact that all minorities together represent a sector of isolated cases that might amount to a large number of small groups quite impossible to fit in a general category. Still, all the audience matters, never overlook this.

There is more than one way to tackle these kind of hindrances, first I never said I would use one method alone to a particular campaign. Second, my methods are based on universal trends and facts, but I never said that I could pass them to someone else just like that, and that that individual could use them as easily as myself. Don't take me wrongly, they would benefit any project greatly, but these things take time to master, and never are a fast fix.

I can reach well over 85% of any audience in any geographical area, any demographic diversity status. Not just by using my clever tools, but more common methods too, that involve hard work, such as stats, ground tests(my own) and many others(not everything taught at university is to be discarded before being developed...). The thing is that I do not use my tools instead of any logical method, I use them on top of any logical procedures I decide to use.

At this stage I am pointing out that the mixture and integration of methods is as important as the individual quality of each one of them. By now I do have formulas of which ones I should use for each particular case and why. But this is where the giveaway stops, I will politely close the door and explain that more than a trade - This is a craft.

Gestalt, Subliminal Technologies and how the ad line SMOKING KILLS probably sells more cigaretes than any paid publicity

2009-02-09T17:36:00.000-08:00

No serious designer formed in the UK in the last many decades will have made an academic course without at least hearing the word Gestalt, from the theory of Gestalt Psychology, that is set around the principle of organization inherent to the human brain in perceiving shapes visually. The way the brain can form a shape from fragments organized in a particular way, to give yourself an example pick up a pen and a piece of paper and mark three points at a similar distance from one another.

Now put the pen away and look at your exquisite masterpiece, what shape comes to your mind?

That's right, one of those.

Gestalt originates in the works of very important names of philosophy, amongst them E Kant and W Goethe, this theory is very complex to explain here in a few lines, and you will surely find very good resources quite effortlessly.

-------------------------------------

Subliminal technologies were first exposed in 1900, as simple studies, later during the Second World War used and developed for military training and methods of quick learning, the success of such techniques was so well documented that until today products such as "learn as you sleep" audio is marketed without any public challenge to its effectiveness.

After the war, into 1960's several books and some in particular explored the theme of Subliminal Messages in the context of mass manipulation, it is believed that with the event of the Cold War a lot of effort was put in developing these technologies for obvious reasons by obvious entities. None of the "good stuff studies" were however been made public from any relevant developers of these technologies, and this escalated the conspiracy rumours even more.

The studies made public are very sketchy, basically mentioning the masking of messages in video and audio, along with the use of suggestive imagery (these are easily challenged weather they are indeed subliminal or simple visual communication, take your pick-they are both wrong).

-------------------------------------

To summarize, Subliminal Technologies have been proved effective in some instances, in tests that could be criticised for lack of preparation/study and isolated sampling in non comparable tests, leading to inconclusive results in a general overview. But like UFOs if they are real, it is convenient for a lot of people and organizations to keep it that way...

Gestalt is very widely accepted in academic circles, and it is part of the education of serious artists and graphic designers, it has been part of the curriculum for ages and the mother of GUI (Graphic User Interface) design, and its positives applications in psychology can only be matched by its darker speculative uses in advertising imagery and analogy of these with the use of Subliminal Technologies.

Now I have established the parallels and integration between Subliminal Technologies and Gestalt Theory quite a long time ago, but only now I get the impact of what I have achieved there so long ago, when my designer skills were quite juvenile. Its funny how things sometimes have to complete a circle to be fully valued, but that said, I am really happy with logging it in this Blog for future reference.

-------------------------------------

Sometimes the masses of professionals in Design and Advertisement confuse things a little when it comes to Audio/Visual Suggestion and the subjects mentioned above, often leading to poorly justified briefs and ineffective media. This happens because of what I have mentioned in other posts in part, but also by lack of a good understanding of the very foundations of Audio/Visual Communication, along with a very very poor understanding of basic Psychology and to a smaller extent Philosophy.
These skills are not quick to mature, and to explore that far without loosing touch with the basic requirements of the job even harder, a common "Layout Graphic Designer" and Illustrator fall in the common league of those who missed the train a long time ago. The real seekers are usually always broadening their skills and often studying further, its a very long and lonely path.

-------------------------------------

The human mind often falls for the "unusual and the forbidden", from forbidden(censored) literature and arts to other things of that sort, the fact is that the infamous tends to be in essence famous.

Health warnings in tobacco products are as likely to entice smokers than stop them, traffic speed restrictions follow the very same line (example for non-smokers). Because in the end, its part of human nature to cross the line, and if getting caught trying to cross is demeaning, crossing and getting away with it seems to feel like the thrill of life...

Selling Sex, Cruises and Tanning Lotion, how Polaroid Filter Made Erotic Media Beautiful

2009-02-06T04:10:00.000-08:00

The revelations continue, lets make first things first and start by:

 Apologies

-Photographers and Photoshop Decorators: I apologise anticipating yours feelings, you might think that by revealing these techniques I am aiming at your knees, that fact is that I apologise you think that way, I am in fact shooting at your kneecaps, but since I am in a great part a designer, its fair game, you should have learned by know that the word you will hear the most is:

NEXT.

--------------------------------------------

-Everyone else, I have neglected this Blog greatly, due to being exploring other waters, but I am nearly finishing all outstanding matters, an I will soon add the graphical contents and write on my latest tricks.

--------------------------------------------
Now

Selling Sex, Cruises and Tanning Lotion, and how Polaroid Filter Made Erotic Media Beautiful

I have been bidding my time on this one, mostly due to mixed feelings. In a way, it will a useful notion to Design students and beginners that cannot afford to fail a first assignment. In another way, it will piss off quite a few professionals that have been in the cupboard overnight relishing on their career and think they are so accomplished that they don't think that they need to keep training and updating skills. Now understand this the right way, its the first ones I am concerned about, because its far more rewarding to find out things like this by oneself, and far better training than just being told secrets. Oh for the last type, I don't really care, the less there are of that type the more evolution there is in media studies (just get a day time job!!!).

The invention of Polaroid glass in 1929 is responsible for far more than the dark speck made famous my macho role models in the 50's Hollywood film making, and the cool image used and abused from a rebel to fashioned attitude. more than how these generations looked like, which is important as well, is what they saw through these wonderful and fashionable devices.

Leaving behind names like Ray Ban and the creation of aviator glasses in 1936, that might well have been the beginning of the idea of the use of Polarization Filter in photography, as all of you will be familiar, most Travel Industry advertisement imagery is fluent in this skill, and a lot of the advertisement imagery that tries to use natural sunlight to sell something.

So the "tropical" beauty of a Caribbean sky or a naked or semi-naked model lying in the sand do not really exist in your holiday destination, but its such a powerful media that even your holiday memories will be in the form of polarized images (own studies/stats), I have verified this and proved it in a real situation. The real secret behind the way polarized images get into the brain resides in the colour frequencies it creates, it does that in an uniform way, and its really the most used feature of its full potential in image generation.

With time, Polarized "Sunny Images" have became part of the popular culture, and any other technique is used professionally to "scale down" the impact of the Polaroid Filter (and here enter the Skylight photo filters etc, but the Polaroid is THE ancestor).

The main question it can be put is if was the sunglasses that generated an "idea" of Polarising, maybe first discovered by aviators that were exposed to sky's and ocean images, or if was the use sunglasses by the masses that somehow hacked into our brains and installed the "Polaroid Pleasure" impact instruction, related to feeling "cool" by wearing dark specs, or by continued use and effect of seeing the sun light with Polaroid conditioning.

To all of you that are getting started in Design, try and experiment with old cameras, buy prismatic optical devices, develop film the old way, play with black light, infra-red film, reverse developing by applying negative processing to slide film, and most of all ENJOY, its really what is all about. And learn as many things "you don't learn at college" as possible.

Break the rules, conditioning is the difference between a DIY decorator and a true Designer.

BREAKING NEWS -- FREE SUBLIMINAL AD LINE

2009-01-14T06:18:00.000-08:00

Having observed today that the price of fuel seems now to be stable in the UK, which by itself is not so bad news for Ebusinesses and might signify price drops for the consumer, but the climate has hardly changed for the businesses.

-Competition just for the sake of survival is stressing itself to the limit.

-Product range offers seem to be reduced, out of need rather than organization or trends.

-Business reputation and credibility is increasingly affected, and prestige brands are slowly becoming images for unreliability and catastrophic management.

So, if at this stage your business is shaking, and the odds are if its not, you probably filed for bankruptcy recently, or simply gave up trying to stay in business. Seriously you are probably waiting for a miracle - and this is where I come in - if you tried everything else and basically spent your money for some very decadent publicity from a local graphics business perhaps (sounding any bells?), and probably got an hour or two of demonstration, explaining you why the leaflet/billboard or annoying leaflets are just right for your business for all of those appropriate colours elegant image composition etc, yes it would probably pay more to buy some wall paper and print it yourself on you home printer.

So you left the graphics house with the feeling you just visited your local DIY store, have all of these materials that explain very well why your business and products are just the same as all the other businesses that purchased similar publicity.

You might have also paid for an advert in your local/city paper, and congratulations for learning that they placed it just next to any economical catastrophe news article (that reminds the public to spend less), or maybe even those dodgy adult phone lines or "personal services", in the worst case next to a direct competitors selling off products at half price from yours. Yes you paid for an advert, never specified where, or next to what. If you don't get some direction, you will be advertising your own car for sale next...

So the media are advertising enough bad news to discourage any purchase of what you intend to advertise, you could have figured that out without having to go through all that spending.You are saying? Don't know what to do, and where is that subliminal ad thing?

Well be patient, after all, it is free !!!

OK, fine there it is:

(your company name) RECRUITING NOW !!!

Some sort of joke? Not at all, how on earth do you expect to gain credibility if you are sacking workers? Do you think half a dozen (OK about 12000) of leaflets and stickers are going to do anything for the prestige of your brand? Do you think it will give your products any credibility to put your workers careers in trash can? If you care that much about the people that make your business, do you think customers will think much of the concern your business put on providing quality products and/or services?

If you were so lucky as to see you adverts just next page of the article mentioning your company's redundancies and the disappointment of the ex workers etc.. ( I have cut some of those off and pinned them in my office walls ha ha, unbelievable ! I never thought I would see that in a lifetime ha ha)

The point is, no leaflet will give your image a reputation of quality, stability concern etc... A strategy to win the customers respect is very influenced by your business values, yes such thing as core values definitions ringing any bells?

OK, you got it and its free. The reason for me to give it for free? Its not to get the money you don't have in offering services, you see its something to do with my core values...

Gday !

Hackers, the ILLUMINATED artists, or how social engineering is the ultimate advertising tool

2009-01-12T17:07:00.000-08:00

So you would like to know how to hack?

If you are a traditional artist or designer, the answer can vary, but surely you wont have a clue of the real direction of the question.

If you are an IT guy, you either do or don't depending on your skills being sufficient or not.

If you are a fraternal advertising person, you would love to know what I could teach you, but the thing is, nobody shares lifetime quests. Empowering knowledge and skills are like women, a true headache to manage, but like cars, they are not to share.

The great difference between social engineering in hacking and advertising terms, is a matter of proportion. Advertising has a huge potential in engineering the trends of the masses, but this is not easy business, very few and far in between have the mutable vocational learning required. Putting it simple, you have to be the results you want to produce. Keep in mind that rumours and mentions are not the best publicity, controversy is, but it requires a stomach, huge risk taking and no fear.

Closing the open source versions of Sublimis written in C, and slowly approaching complete redevelopment, I have learned a few things in retrospect, a lot of what concluded can be defined in the paralels between hacking and advertising.

I have recently tested S3Zero, and it worked as I expected, generating top 10 results 48 hours after submission to Google (XML). The best of it is, it is 100% "white hat", or as some define "organic results", this proves that not all thourough elaboration is necessary based on deceit, its beyound "black hat", but requires all SEO hacking knowledge to make sure ITS ETHICAL, believe it or not, it is. This methodology actually works with the search engine to display relevant spam free informative content.

The point being: these two examples represent clean and yet powerfull tools. Not saying that deceit doesnt work in some cases, but its short lived.

Having tranfered my latest project to the clients servers, and having left it that way without demonstrating the methodology in action at 100%, I am afraid that the client didnt understand the full power of the methodology. At this point I must say that this project was a sudden request for SEO skills, and I agreed perhaps too fast, but I never had enough time to put to the proof and demonstrate it in time, not by my fault, but by the fact that the page was crawled only two days after the project deadline. I guess that the best thing is that a third party will not be able to re-create my methodology, and that way the client will go down the adwords road. As I explained, the methodology depends on onpage and offpage optimization, the impressive results as they described, were only half of it, the actual status of the page is extraordinary, and about to be compressed, stored and out of my server. Not my loss, AND I kept my part of the contract.

That said, this client is kept in high consideration by me, the best team I have ever worked with, great people. Anyone who knows mw well, will by no doubts confirm that I never said this about any client, so I really mean it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the last 15 years or so, and I dont say it out of badness, I have found advertising very predictable. I dont say this without any backup, many professionals of level agreed with me on this, these are very strange times: Advertising has never been this expensive, and yet the quality has never this cheap.

A lot has been said and tried about audience profiling, even with the involvement of fields like Sociology and Psychology, a lot of justifying paperwork has been assembled as evidence for the industry, and yet the results are simply absent.

Hacking in IT is about the capacity of invading an external system in stealth mode, Social Engineering is about invading social/work groups and assimilate usefull knowledge/connections also in stealth.

I propose advertising as a hacking tool capable of invading the most intimate emotions and thoughts in the target audience's colective mind.

N Lopes

It is not invasion of privacy or consumers rights because it does not hack into a single consumers mind and/or privacy, it works as a census, a very intimate census.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two things that matter for me when I employ designers/graphic artists:

-Its not just your portfollio, it doesnt really matter for me that you can present a good portfolio, its more the matter of you being ready to burn it after you present it.

-Its not just about you can tell me about the work of Bruce Barton historically, is what you can demonstrate that you have learned it personally.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dont take it wrongly if you cant get this at first, just keep in mind that everything in this industry is colective, and nothing is personal.

All the best

Catch 22 or predictions for creative industries for 2009, if you dont have any speckles of dust in your shoulders

2009-01-08T16:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Hogmanay !!!

There is a lot of presumptions for this year, with the crisis hitting Europe, and recession setting in most of the European Union, its not surprising at all for people that deal with edge funds, or even for the more modest investor that deals by etrader, to put simple, it is true, and it is here.

Job losses are intense in Great Britain, and several small enterprises are falling like a castle of cards. Christmas is over, and if its true that the creative industries were blessed with fierce competition between retailers, it is true that its over now, and with savings to be put in place by companies, if its true that firms took the unpopular step of issuing redundancies, cutting costs in staff, they also cut costs in everything considered unnecessary, the adage:

"All art is useless."

Might not be true, but nevertheless seems to be popular like one of those pieces of popular wisdom that preys at the background of a thought, well you guessed:

Costs are being cut in advertising, and with that all related industries, this is dreadful news for printing businesses and similar specialities, I am not proud to predict that many of those businesses will go bust this year.

Things will be on the edge to traditional graphic designers, and all the art related disciplines, I believe it will be difficult to thrive this year for most professionals and graduates.

Things will be less bad for established advertisers, that have history with the same clients, but they can count on money owed to them and/or late payments.

Gaining of this will be IT or IT related designers, such as interface designers, and technology "problem solving" related variants, I dare to guess if web designers ( The PHP/ASP programmer type, not the "arty" ) will benefit from the crisis, E-business depends greatly on the price of fuel (delivery costs).

Closing this year my latest project, and finding it hard to part with working with the best team I have worked till today, really great people to work with (C D and G). Until the next project, I am taking a couple of nights to put my feet up, and do basic tidy-up tasks, where strangely I am finding a sort of meditative peace, yes, my servers are my bonsai.

I am also amazed to find myself programming again, taking a very light approach to Flex, which I was curious about for a year or so, until the end of the month I will be back to ASP, PHP, and since I have no Flash to do, I will be re-installing SUSE in my test box.

Programming took in the past a great deal of my time for image creation, I would like to do that, but all the non-profit "arty-farty" type of work, is not a priority, in reality, it is not good business at all for these times, the increased popularity and ease of use of industry leading software packages, makes any wannabe into a graphic designer with a couple of tutorials, since I never worked for a couple of £100, I tend to sub-contract while busy with the Tech side, editing myself everything I don't approve in the end, and sometimes reinventing the concept if necessary well ahead of time for the deadline of the brief. Times change, and so must designers, it is not easy to accept this for the more purists, but understand that capital always has the last word, and unless one wants to work for less and less as time passes, skills must be improved, some of us decide to follow computer science as the ultimate leap of faith in self challenging, others get a job in print business for whatever they pay, or get into sign making.

The days of image generation are over, I always suspected these times would come, with Home Pc peripherals taking all the photocopying retail business away, and also the digital photography defeating the photographic film development and photo print shops, it is not hard to see that with better computer spec at lower prices, the advances in processing power and the decrease of the price of RAM and several other devices, it is fair to say that digitalisation is not only changing things and making graphic services and even related businesses obsolete (such as electronic repairs, image editing, airbrush retouching...you get the picture...), it is even more true that digitalization is here to stay.

Now, this does not intend to be an attack against traditional designers and photographers, that is simply not my style, and I do respect those professions greatly, and believe me, few people consume and appreciate design like me and my close friends, but I think its safe to say that anyone working in those industries must have felt a decrease in demand and in the price the client is wiling to pay. Nor do I intend to insinuate that the current industry circumstances are a sort of proof to separate the best from the mundane, I cant stress enough my respect by professionals of the most classic forms of design, in which I work sporadically and even have very good credentials on, please note that I often rely on these professionals myself when I manage a project, so I couldn't have any lack of consideration for them.

Not wanting to be bad news to anyone, and wishing anyone reading this a very good year, yes I too hope that I am wrong.

Cheers

Visual Communication - The New World Order

2008-12-31T19:40:00.000-08:00

To begin, I wish you all a Happy New Near

Announcements:

-----------------------------------------------------------

1- the site

http://www.nlopes.com

will be finally be finished in February

-----------------------------------------------------------

2- The Sublimis Network WILL NOT BE FINISHED, some time is being taken setting the new server, as many will be familiar with, getting a T3 terminal is not an easy biz. The project is however in alt, some members will be graduating soon, and break to think things over is more than necessary, on my side, I am quite exhausted by the project, not very motivated, but determined to assemble the last release, and from there we will see.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Now, these posts have been brief, but has I said they are sort of introspective, the lone hypertext state is somehow appreciated here. the title refers to the next subject approached in the next post, that I am still compiling, the new blog:

http://seo-how-to-optimization.blogspot.com/

Deals with project "Lettuce Molecule", detailed in unlinked page

http://www.nlopes.com/home.html

This is a project that is about to have trademark registered for Europe, more details coming after that, its the ultimate SEO strategy, a project of medium life expectancy is it starts getting copied , there are also a few more changes to the natural order of things in 2009, I am having problems finding new slots for projects, ENQUIRE WELL BEFORE PLEASE.

This is really a short of time announcement for what will be happening in this blog for the new year, a sort of "all seeing eye".

Cheers

N

DESPEDIDA

2008-11-08T18:10:00.000-08:00

Por pouco perdia o sentido da mudanca, quase virou e voltou ao mesmo. E fui tentado a bater a porta da taverna que fechou quando eu sai, deixei meio copo cheio na mesa, mas ocorreu-me: Nao valia a pena voltar atras pelo copo meio vazio. Nao posso deixar de sentir um certo remorso, quase inteligivel, nao se percebe - sente-se.

I somehow thought G would have a say, but he'd rather not notice it. Its a bit of a shame if he misses these roots, but in the end...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the time I started writing the Lisbon essays, I also germinated a thought of a work started years later. I think its fair to say a piece of literature can makes feel different emotions while developing it, but in cases it is really mind blowing. I cant really take to this and the lack of contact with that world left me drifting.

Now I feel I have to finish it just to ease the creative tension, but I have used the excuse of the lack of a Portuguese keyboard quite convenient. Creativity easily becomes painful when alt.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This entry is just a record for the progress of that piece, hoping that it fits well with a different approach to visual memory.

Literature

2008-11-03T17:04:00.000-08:00

...raramente peço desculpas, procurar o perdão de outrem reflecte paz interior, estas coisas não se explicam: Sentem-se...

the people are gone, the streets are still there, deserted but present, in my memories but only my thoughts seem to walk there, everybody walking there at the time went somewhere they didnt even knew they were going.

Can any artist in soul despise the power of literature in youth? I intend to republish my essays at any time know, it has been a difficult decision, but I have kept them original so far, and wrote the revisions in an apendix. I didnt decide in the final format yet.

It has not been easy at all to face the these old scrips. but they had reason to exist, and to a great extent influenced my design methods.

I will develop on this soon

PS (comments will be enabled soon)

ILUMINACAO

2008-10-29T19:28:00.000-07:00

It feels I have waited a lifetime for this.

29th October 2008

All of my days I have read about accomplishing a higher awareness of life, described my many pieces of literature, and philosophical texts. I guess that all of this time I have been wondering where ends meet, the tie of all aspects of personality.

The funny thing is reaching the essence of character, the Self core. I guess most people realize someday that they are not their personal circumstances or life history. Most people, consciously or unconsciously search their personal selves by an array of exercises of character, these might be personal goals, hobbies and objectives, all reflecting different sides of the inherent personality of the searcher, and the very antithesis of this lifelong exercise becomes the product of the activities, very ironically.

Hobbies can often become personal tragedies, consume the very life force of the hobbyist, very simply this happens due to imbalance (spent your life savings buying stuff you ended up having enough of?), the fact is that the ends rarely meet, this is, the vast amount of thoughts, reflections, hobbies and activities rarely reach a conclusion, or any sort of positive productivity, and becomes a poisonous nourishment that acts the function of escaping reality, the feared personal inner world based on emotions.

Basically, these exercises of personality in the material world, become a form of escapism from the hurtful emotional inner and willing reality. It never mirrors reality or life potential.

This is to say that I have reached a particular and blissful state of mind, that I wont explain in proper depth to any non participant spectators of this blog, there is really no point in it, I am simply writing this as a record, which is what this blog really is.

A scrap book,and amalgamation of design and art guidelines.

This just to say that: IT EXISTS, happened to me yesterday.

BRAND "GURU"

2008-10-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

University, enterprise, logic and how sometimes hate to be a mastermind.

It was in 2003 sometime, at DeMonfort University, Graphic Design course, I still remember that Mars bar I hate in the car before
the very first hour of the beginning of my course, I still remember my thoughts at the time, having sold my beautiful Jaguar and
purchased a no less luxurious but far less powerful sports hatchback. With this in my mind, finishing my Mars bar
and wondering if there was time for a coffee to clear my throat before the introduction at the auditory, I thought about the most expensive
car I have ever had, wondered if he was being treated right by the new owner, and somehow felt apologetic for letting him go. I actually
said it loud:

Espero que isto valha a pena, desculpa-me. Onde quer que estejas, espero que estejas bem.

With no option for a real expresso, I took with me my cup of coffee, a sort of "strong italian strain", and unlike school days, I sat just beside
everybody.

It began, for the last few years I would experience some of the most challenging and idilic moment of my life, I have known and took heed of design
industry secrets from the best of the best in Britain's design world, through the course and networking.

In the next few days I have done a personality test by an American university, and the shock followed, result: Mastermind. I somehow knew I was in for
very testing times.

I can still visualize the landscape from the studios window in a rainy day, I remember that then my hopes were high, maybe this mastermind thing was nothing...
Nothing is simple for those who want everything- Looking back I can see how everything was simple, but while on the spot, under the common huge pressures of those
who either defy fate, or whose fate defies, everything seemed an impossibility.

It was more or less at this stage I have verified some very deep parallels between life and art, I was however moving very fiercely to the next stage, to master the
the very craft that killed traditional/primary arts: full cored technology.

It was very fast for me to learn skills that others have spent a lifetime learning, I amazed myself on how quickly I have took on so many complicated subjects.

This to say that technology effectively killed art, just as Flash and actionscriping killed both standard graphics and logic, way to go Flash the true graphic rebel...

That was so to speak part of it, you see, even technology somehow went astray from logic, its now too vast and unrelated,with no visible bridges- evolution simply become
commercial competition.

Commercial competition and the wish of doing even better, there came the ultimate tool- Sublimis. Yes it was back then this started for real, and university become the basis
to distinguish the member of this versatile program. My studies on this have not been published yet, but I can say here (who the fuck reads this anyway) that subliminal Tech was
the inspiration to make this program that so quickly explores the communication potential of any image. I never believed in subliminal technology, I thought it was unfair and
manipulative, but I explored it anyway, as sometimes we have to know the enemy to create a hero.

I guess I have found something better and with the help of keen contributors, developed it even faster, being at the same time its only keeper (the developers only develop pieces,
I put them together, and have the core combination... clever? keep reading)

So, somehow there were leaks, and very keen brand names wanted to see it-buy it/use it. I have only allowed myself to see it, and worked with it, having had quite a few briefs on
it, I have had to keep them confidential, and developed my consultancy on these terms, special brand consultancy with the promise of confidentiality.

I might have made the greatest breakthrough in the development of graphic design, and yet- zero recognition, as I have made confidentiality my promise of service.

These pages are the record of my private frustration, I have not seek fame, but being recognized at university international level would have been all I have dreamed of in teenage days.

When I was a kid I wanted to be a scientist, I have done so, and perhaps created my own science, its too much for one single man, and months ago, I downed the Sublimis and Sublimis Network sites of the air,shortly after OCR capabilities have been built in the software.

This software can never become commercial, its far too effective, untested and fakes would invade the market, written by competitors looking for the easy buck.

This software revolutionized graphic design in my own and other specialist views, we were marvelled and scared at the same time, and not knowing what to do, I have paused it-OK, maybe ended it.

My name is now recognized in private design and marketing circles, I get the briefs, refuse them, and nobody gives up. The design secret weapon man thing first looked good, feels like a curse now, sometimes I wish I just kept painting, and stayed away from university

I wanted to explore the beauty of advertisement campaigns, graphic and beautiful design. Have instead been recognized in evaluating shades and colour frequency suggestion.

Logic killed my art.

On emptiness or creative apathy - part 2

2008-09-23T05:42:00.000-07:00

And how does that relate to the previous post? What is the point of personal reminiscing and Graphic Design?
Worthwhile questions, Ill will come back to the concept (or lack ), even because I was not really fair in only mentioning the influence of two friends, this is done more or less chronologically in relation to my Design work experiences.
The thing was that I had at the time of moving to the UK two main drives:

-The settled kind of thing still present (friend 1), and with this a careful methodological approach, in learning a thing at the time, in a pleasant manner, where design was or at least felt like an art, and that made me feel like an artist. This is the main drive for most designers, and I have nothing against this state of mind, except it lacks a lot of real world output.

-The innovative and technological approach (friend2). This is real business, the spirit of enterprise I have always had, that fell asleep a bit because of the art thing. This might have been the very state of mind that caused me to take the academic path of Art-Graphic Design-Multimedia-IT.

The thing about travelling/relocating that can to a great point defeat the creative spirit, is the Studio premises factor. A real studio is important to work. By constantly relocating this need is severely affected, and although sometimes it is advantageous to go away and sketch and photograph in a holyday in some inspiring environment, the truth is that professional work only gets finished in a proper studio environment.
In my personal case, because of my blend of skills, my studio is more of an IT lab, and I often mention the word lab instead of studio, it turned out to be quite a marketable definition.
Although the studio environment requirements can be very personal, the fact is that it should not be underestimated, many of us that once lacked the space and were limited to work at home in a limited space know this too well.