No doubt this will have feminists up in arms the world-over, but I think it’s brilliant. An advertisement out of Greece for used BMW cars that features an ambiguously young girl looking seductive and willing with the tag line, “You know you’re not the first”. Sex, temptation and taboo wrapped around one powerful question that forces what I’d guess to be the nearly unanimous (and most likely emphatic) response of: Does it really matter?!

Clearly meant to be an analogy to the conundrum some people might wrestle with when considering the purchase of a used BMW, I feel it makes its point exceptionally clear. Regardless of whether you stand aroused or disgusted, it’s a tough ad to overlook or ignore. If nothing else, it certainly makes me think of used cars in a great new way.

Advertising Agency: BBDO Athens, Greece
Creative Director: Theodossis Papanikolaou
Art Director: David Kaneen
Copywriter: Daphne Patrikiou
Published: June 2008

via Jezebel

Courtesy of Steven Vogel…

The day after Nike’s private reception at the Commitment exhibition, and the day before I flew out to Santa Monica to catch Kobe pull up at Undefeated in Marty McFly’s time-traveling DeLorean stocked with the very first ten pairs of the 2015 Hyperdunks, I was cruising down the East River towards Liberty Island documenting the private unveiling of the 2008 United States men’s basketball uniforms.

With the past week spent with the Men’s Olympic team still fresh in my mind and today being the 4th of July, I feel our nation’s day of independence has taken on some additional meaning. More than just fireworks, bar-b-cues, and time spent with family and friends, the 4th of July also marks the independence of our country from the crown of England. This day also celebrates our liberty as citizens and our freedom as a country. Our independence is an affirmation of who we are as a people and what we stand for as a country. As our nation comes together and prepares for the Olympic summer games in Beijing this coming August, spending time with the players while they were in New York City reminded me of the characteristics that define our great nation – strength, valor, heart, leadership, and commitment.

Previewing the Olympic uniforms our men’s basketball team will compete in during the summer games, you can’t help but notice how much thought and detail went into both the design and construction of the uniform. As previously mentioned in my United We Rise post, the uniform was designed around the history of the United States. Centered across each players chest are oversized USA letters embroidered onto the uniform. The “A” which is stitched right over the heart, has a five-pointed star emblazoned on it, same as on our nation’s flag, which also represents the fifty states. Together, these details idealize our nation’s united spirit of patriotism that each player takes with them when they wear their uniforms to compete in the Olympic games.

On the reverse side of the jersey is a tribal inspired graphic called “We the People.” While the Declaration of Independence, Liberty Bell, and the Statue of Liberty are symbols of our freedom, the “We the People” graphic is a symbolic tale of perseverance and strength. Inspired by the history of our nation, the details are what make this graphic even more unique. On closer inspection you’ll find stylized pictograms of an Olympic torch, stars, stripes, the year 1776, basketballs, olive branches, arrows, and a bleeding heart with thorns. The graphic is meant to communicate the two sides of patriotism – love for your country and a commitment to its ideals. Just as much consideration was given to the technical side of the team’s uniforms. Comprising new materials and manufacturing techniques, the uniforms have been designed with unique material making it more lightweight and breathable.

The construction and design of the Team USA uniforms were created with the same values that are shared by our men’s team and our nation as a whole. These uniforms are all at once, well considered, beautifully designed, and innovative. As our celebration of our independence comes to a close with a spectacular fireworks show along the East river I can’t help but imagine our men’s Olympic basketball team at the medal ceremony standing tall and proud accepting their gold medals on behalf of all of us, Americans… United We Stand.

Happy 4th of July!

Lately it sort of feels like I’m stalking Kobe Bryant. I was at a private reception with him and the rest of the men’s Olympic basketball team up in Harlem a few nights ago for Nike’s Commitment exhibition. The very next morning I was with him on a boat tour around the Statue of Liberty for the private unveiling of the official team uniforms and also stood witness as an epic series of photographs where taken of him and the rest of the Dream Team with Lady Liberty standing watch off in the background. Later that afternoon I went to Rockefeller Plaza and again watched as the team uniforms were unveiled, this time to the frenzied cheers of hundreds of invited kids and the TV viewing public. Two days ago I jetted to Santa Monica to catch the Nike 2015 Hyperdunk release at Undefeated held yesterday.

Anyhow, here’s a quick teaser shot since I’ve got to catch a flight back to New York and don’t have enough time for a proper post quite yet. Oh, and Kobe… See you in Beijing?

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines Commitment as, “The state of being bound emotionally or intellectually to a course of action”. It continues on to describe Commitment as, “The act or an instance of committing”. When reading this definition, it makes me wonder if whoever wrote it has any clue what Commitment actually means.

Two nights ago, I was invited to attend a private reception at the newly unveiled Commitment exhibition in Harlem, presented by Nike for the 2008 USA Olympic men’s basketball team. Not entirely sure what to expect, I made it a point to arrive early so I’d have a little time to check out the space in case the event ended up crowding to capacity. When I arrived I saw that the venue itself sat shrouded behind frosted glass, but once beyond that, what follows is a veritable shrine to Commitment. More specifically, it was Nike’s acknowledgment to the dedication proven by each member of the men’s USA Olympic basketball team and a celebration of the commitment each player has expressed to each other, their country, and the sport of basketball.

There’s no doubt that talent is an integral trait found in every professional athlete, but what truly defines an athlete is the extent of their commitment to their sport. Whereas talent is arguably inherent, commitment always begins as a choice and then exists as a profound faith in a specific goal to be the very best. In sports, that commitment manifests itself as a constant drive to perform and achieve. While performance is often measured as a best time or distance, achievement is sometimes determined by a hundredth of a second or a fraction of an inch. The original Dream Team of 1992 led by the basketball Gods of Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen and Charles Barkley personified both commitment and achievement at the summer Olympics in Barcelona by beating every opponent by a margin of 43.8 points!

A crucial aspect of athletic commitment is also exhibited by the sacrifices that are readily accepted and regularly endured by an athlete; the dues they pay to themselves so they can consistently perform at the very highest levels; the countless hours in the gym and weight room perfecting their craft is just a glimpse of what many athletes put themselves through. Any athlete competing at an Olympic game certainly represents the culmination of talent, but the athletes that end an Olympic game with a gold medal also represent commitment to it’s ultimate degree. The exhibition by Nike pays testament to the individual commitments made by each and every member of the men’s Olympic basketball team. It is also Nike’s homage to the growing legacy of being a world-class athlete in pursuit of Olympic gold and to the sport of basketball, past, present and future.

The members of the Men’s USA Olympic Basketball Team are also some of the biggest names in the NBA. Most of these guys are considered icons of the sport, and any fan would agree that at least a couple of them are living legends within the game. I have to admit it was impossible to not get caught up in the excitement when the entire team filed off the bus and passed through the throngs of cheering fans. Once inside, it was also incredible to watch how clearly humbled each player became as they made their way through the exhibition. The atmosphere felt reverently quiet as the players slowly worked their way around, intermittently pausing to read an inscribed quote, study a photo, or watch a video loop showing one of basketball’s many heroes or a pinnacle moment in basketball’s rich history.

The centerpiece of the room are the official uniforms. While studying the display I noticed that the numbering on the jerseys start with the number four and end at fifteen, which means that they are in sequential order. I also noticed that USA on the front of the jersey is raised and the names on the back blend in with the overall aesthetic and design. Though unstated, I believe the numbers on the jersey start with four because it’s anticipated that this will be the fourth Olympic men’s basketball team that will be bringing home a gold medal since the allowance of professional basketball players began in 1992. The 1992 team won gold in Barcelona, the 1996 team won gold in Atlanta, and the 2000 team brought home a gold medal at Sidney Olympics. To everyone’s astonishment, the 2004 team lost three games at the Olympic games in Athen’s earning them a bronze metal. This was a huge upset because it was the first time an Olympic men’s basketball team didn’t win a gold medal since 1972 and those three games also represented more losses in a single year than the USA men’s Olympic basketball teams had suffered in all previous Olympiads combined. Since many attribute the losses suffered by the 2004 team to arrogance and lack of team work, having the numbers appear in sequential order can only represent the teams’ commitment to set aside their egos and individual preferences and wear a number whose sequential order represents unity.

Though the individual commitment of each player there that night was artfully illustrated throughout the room, it was acutely obvious as well when looking at the players themselves. As a result of their relentless training regiment and exhaustive game schedules, the entire basketball team seem as if they’re sculpted from pure muscle. Due to the fundamental demands of the sport, most of them also tower well over six feet tall. More impressive yet is how even off the basketball court, all the players seem to naturally carry themselves with a measured sense of purpose and confident agility that can only come from a person that has long since dedicated themselves entirely to being as swift and finely tuned an athlete as physically possible.

One thing was evident throughout the evening and that was the level of passion, detail and commitment that occupied The Commitment exhibition. From beautiful oil paintings of LeBron and Kobe to display cases of images from the likes of MJ, Magic, and Bird one has to equally applaud Nike’s effort of creating this shrine for the Men’s Olympic Basketball team and its fans. The care, consideration and execution of the gallery are a testament and recognition of what the team and its coaching staff have given to each other. Truly amazing, Truly inspiring. Well done.

United We Rise

The Commitment exhibition runs from July 10 through August 25 and is open to the public Thursday through Sunday from 10am until 8pm.

111 Lenox Avenue
New York, NY 1002
map

Taryn Simon is a young American photographer best known for documenting forbidding or otherwise inaccessible locations, subjects and topics. Her photographs capture themes generally caught somewhere between the purposefully unknown, the inherently unapproachable, or the taboo aspects of life not normally seen.

With her latest project, “An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar”, Taryn continues along these lines by documenting diverse aspects of American life and culture that typically remain unknown or are simply off limits to the general public. The fact that though unknown or off limits, everything documented in this series was also legal, which also creates a powerful commentary about each of the subjects being captured.

Taryn approaches her subjects with the boldness of a documentarian and helps contextualize them with her talents as an artist. Her photographs generally employ dramatic lighting that creates a mood that’s both beautiful and poignant.

I was surprised to hear that Taryn was recently commissioned by Nike to photograph the 2008 men’s Olympic basketball team. What’s really interesting about this is how it relates back to her last project of capturing glimpses of subjects and places few others have, as well as the commentary Nike is making by commissioning her for this shot.

There’s a lot unsaid that can be read into Taryn’s photograph of the men’s Olympic basketball team, as well as Nike’s decision to have her produce it, but I’ll leave it at that. Everything else aside, her photographs are amazing!

(left to right): Coach Krzyzewski; Dwight Howard; Chris Bosh; Tayshaun Prince; Carlos Boozer; LeBron James; Carmelo Anthony; Kobe Bryant; Michael Redd; Jason Kidd; Dwyane Wade; Deron Williams and Chris Paul. Photographed in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 28th, 2008.

Playboy, Braille Edition
Playboy Enterprises, Inc., New York, NY

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), a division of the U.S. Library of Congress, provides a free national library program of Braille and recorded materials for blind and physically handicapped persons. Magazines included in the NLS’s programs are selected on the basis of demonstrated reader interest. This includes the publishing and distribution of a Braille edition of Playboy. Approximately 10 million American adults read Playboy every month, with 3 million obtaining it through paid circulation. It has included articles by writers such as Norman Mailer, Vladimir Nabokov, Philip Roth, Joyce Carol Oates, and Kurt Vonnegut and conducted interviews with Salvador Dali, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Malcolm X.

White Tiger (Kenny), Selective Inbreeding
Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge and Foundation, Eureka Springs, AK

In the United States, all living white tigers are the result of selective inbreeding to artificially create the genetic conditions that lead to white fur, ice-blue eyes and a pink nose. Kenny was born to a breeder in Bentonville, Arkansas on February 3, 1999. As a result of inbreeding, Kenny is mentally retarded and has significant physical limitations. Due to his deep-set nose, he has difficulty breathing and closing his jaw, his teeth are severely malformed and he limps from abnormal bone structure in his forearms. The three other tigers in Kenny’s litter are not considered to be quality white tigers as they are yellow coated, cross-eyed, and knock-kneed.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Contraband Room
John F. Kennedy International Airport, Queens, NY

African cane rats infested with maggots, African yams (dioscorea), Andean potatoes, Bangladeshi cucurbit plants, bush meat, cherimoya fruit, curry leaves (murraya), dried orange peels, fresh eggs, giant African snail, impala skull cap, jackfruit seeds, June plum, kola nuts, mango, okra, passion fruit, pig nose, pig mouths, pork, raw poultry (chicken), South American pig head, South American tree tomatoes, South Asian lime infected with citrus canker, sugar cane (poaceae), uncooked meats, unidentified sub-tropical plant in soil.

All items in the photograph were seized from the baggage of passengers arriving in the U.S. at JFK Terminal 4 from abroad over a 48-hour period. All seized items are identified, dissected, and then either ground up or incinerated. JFK processes more international passengers than any other airport in the United States.

The Central Intelligence Agency, Art
CIA Original Headquarters Building, Langley, VA

The Fine Arts Commission of the CIA is responsible for acquiring art to display in the Agency’s buildings. Among the commission’s curated art are two pieces (pictured) by Thomas Downing, on long-term loan from the Vincent Melzac collection. Downing was a member of the Washington Color School, a group of post World War II painters whose influence helped to establish the city as a center for arts and culture. Vincent Melzac was a private collector of abstract art and the Administrative Director of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.’s, premiere art museum.

Since the founding of the CIA in 1947, the Agency has participated in both covert and public cultural diplomacy efforts throughout the world. It is speculated that some of the CIA’s involvement in the arts was designed to counter Soviet Communism by helping to popularize what it considered pro-American thought and aesthetic sensibilities. Such involvement has raised historical questions about certain art forms or styles that may have elicited the interest of the Agency, including abstract expressionism.

Alhurra TV, Broadcast Studio
Springfield, VA

Anchor Mona Atari at the Alhurra news desk. Alhurra is a U.S. government-sponsored, Arabic-language television network devoted primarily to news and information. Established in Feb. 2004, the network broadcasts 24-hour, commercial-free satellite programming to an audience of 21 million weekly viewers in 22 Arab countries. In April 2004, a second, Iraq-focused channel, Alhurra Iraq, was launched.

Section 501 of the U.S. Information and Education Exchange Act, passed by Congress in 1948, authorizes the U.S. government to disseminate information abroad about the U.S. and its policies. Section 501 also prohibits domestic dissemination of that same information. It is therefore illegal to broadcast Alhurra domestically. Alhurra is Arabic for “the free one.”

www.tarynsimon.com
NY Times Feature
The Morning News Feature

In between lots of travel and a mountain of work, I’ve been spending as much time as possible hanging out with longtime friends Os Gemeos. The twin brother artists are in town along with older brother Arnaldo and Brazilian graffiti writers Ise and Coyo preparing for their largest exhibition to date, entitled “Too Far Too Close” opening at Deitch Projects on June 28th. As anyone familiar with Os Gemeos’ work can imagine, it’s been an amazing experience watching as they transform the gallery from a blank, cavernously large space into a fantastical landscape exploding with a dream-like richness of color, texture and character like only they can create. Also, amazing is the steady stream of artists, personalities and other people that have dropped by to pay respects or simply say hello. Just yesterday afternoon alone, Henry Chalfant who co-author of Subway Art and Spraycan Art and Charlie Ahearn who director of Wild Style, passed through gallery. Clearly word is getting out about the show and anticipation is building. If you happen to live in New York, or within commuting distance, make sure and come out to the opening. In the meantime, here’s a few teaser shots…

Too Far Too Close
Deitch Projects
18 Wooster Street
New York, NY 10013
212.343.7300 map info

Recently, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of spending a bit of time with Martha Cooper. Almost always recognized for her Graffiti and Hip Hop photos, few people know that Marty has actually been taking pictures virtually her entire life. Her father, who once sold cameras, gave Marty her first camera at the tender age of two years old back in the 1940’s. In the 1960’s she would intern for National Geographic Magazine and years later, travel the world documenting archeological digs and relics for them. In the 1970’s Marty moved to New York City and worked as a staff photographer for the New York Post. With degrees in Art and Anthropology, and a passion for photography, perhaps Marty was destined to document the graffiti movement as it was developing on the trains and streets of New York.

Having co-authored “Subway Art” along with Henry Chalfant back in 1984, Marty’s name, as well as the fame she’s acquired from the photos of writers and pieces she’s taken, is often mentioned with a similar respect and admiration as the writers and work she’s documenting. Though Marty had been chasing graffiti on the walls of New York City’s Lower East Side since the 1970’s, she received her formal introduction to graffiti under the personal tutelage of the Style Master General - Dondi himself. As such, Marty’s roster of friends and portfolio of shots reads like a who’s who of style. Like many of them, her efforts at photographing their work required her to go all-city and crawl through the very same tunnels and yards as the writers themselves. The results of these efforts and Marty’s experiences are beyond impressive. When digging through Marty’s archives, classic shots like FBA’s Sab Kaze whole car with Tack’s mind-blowing alien and shark characters, and Dondi straddling between two number 2 trains in the Newlots yard as he puts the finishing touches on one of his Children of the Grave whole cars, are just some of what you’ll see amongst the thousands of shots Marty caught during this era.

The other night, myself, Os Gemeos and visiting Brazilian friends Coyo and Ise took the uptown 1 train to 103rd Street to swing by Marty’s studio. In between a couple of beers, incredible stories from Marty, and the best Chinese-Cuban food I’ve ever had, we all were blessed with the opportunity to dig through some of her archive. Here are a couple shots I took between being blown away by slide after slide of the most amazing shots of some of the most incredible cars ever painted in New York City’s transit system.

Heads up… Marty has another amazing new book coming out soon, so definitely keep your eyes peeled for it.

I just wanted to post a couple shots I took at the launch party for Chino’s and Sacha’s new book, “Piecebook: The Secret Drawings of Graffiti Writers”. The launch event was sponsored by 10 Deep and held at the Reed Space, in New York City’s Lower East Side. Though New York was battling 95+ degree weather all week long, and the Reed Space’s air conditioner was clearly overwhelmed trying to keep a packed house of writers and enthusiasts even semi-cool, it was definitely a great event. For those that couldn’t make it, here’s a few shots of some of what went down. Also,  It’s a great book so don’t forget to pick up your own copy if you weren’t able to make it to the launch…

The day before yesterday, I landed at Detroit’s Metro Airport on an early afternoon flight from New York. It was already an overcast day in Detroit when we’d landed, and by the time I had cleared the terminal and met my driver I was sure the weather was going to get a lot worse. As soon as I got in the car the driver politely asked if it was okay to listen to sports radio as we drove and went on to apologetically explain that some big news just broke about Flip Saunders, the lead coach to the Detroit Pistons basketball team, having just been fired from the organization. Ironically, I was on my way to Derrick Coleman’s Snyx Sneaker Studio to catch up with Rasheed Wallace, the star Center for the Detroit Pistons, to check out a release event planned for his new signature 1World Air Force 1, so I was definitely interested to hear about the news myself.

On the radio a small crew of sportscasters were passionately debating what the firing of Flip Saunders meant to the Pistons while fielding the occasional phone call from fans who were calling in to make predictions about what repercussions the Pistons now faced. I made a quick phone call to my contact for the event and confirmed that this new development was not going to affect my plans to try and catch up with Rasheed.

Until we pulled up to the front of Snyx, I’d been worrying that the rain would ruin the day and my trip to Detroit would be a bust. Between the unexpected firing of the Pistons’ lead coach and the heavy rain, I wasn’t even sure if Rasheed would still be showing up.  When the driver announced we were arriving, I was really surprised to see a parking lot packed with groups of kids hanging out in the pouring rain. It was obvious by the sheer number of kids, and how waterlogged they all looked, that the crowd had been building for a long time - oblivious to the storm raining down on them. The fact that virtually every single one of them was garbed head to toe in the trademark blue and red of the Pistons’ uniform, it was also evident that they were all big fans looking to try and catch a glimpse or maybe even score an autograph from Rasheed Wallace.

For those of you who don’t know, Rasheed Wallace sort of has a reputation within the NBA for being volatile. He’s bold, blunt and always quick to speak his mind, even to the detriment of his standing with game-time referees and other players. Late last year he was criticized for stating that the NBA was no longer like a sport, but rather more like the World Wrestling Federation: fake and just for money and entertainment. After game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals this year, Rasheed was fined $25,000 for a profanity laced tirade in response to a question about flopping. He’s regularly led the the NBA in technical fouls and still maintains the league record for 41 of them set during the 2000 - 2001 season. That said, few would argue against the fact that he’s also one of the best players in the sport of basketball today and maintains a viciously effective defense, in addition to an incredibly powerful offense. It was tough to predict what he’d be like today, that was assuming he even showed up.

Not long after I arrived, news cameras switched on their spotlights and throngs of photographers started jockeying for position. Then the entire crowd rushed the small improvised stage as Rasheed Wallace was escorted the couple steps over towards front and center. Despite about a hundred and fifty or so bodies packed into a store that undoubtedly was meant to accommodate maybe a quarter as many, Rasheed was impossible to miss. At 6 feet 11.5 inches tall, he towered far above the crowd that now enveloped him. As flashes fired and reporters shouted questions over each other, Rasheed started off with a sincere apology for being late, as well as a thank you to everybody for coming out despite the weather. Once the initial frenzy died down, Rasheed sat back and gave one of the most candid and sincere talks about basketball and what it’s like being a professional athlete anyone there could have hoped for.

The setting was intimately small considering the huge celebrity of Rasheed Wallace. The entire crowd packed into Snyx remained completely silent as Rasheed spoke. About a hundred or so kids stood or sat in a semi-circle around Rasheed backed by a ring of camera men, photographers and other media as he explained, “You know people say I got an attitude problem… People think that I’m the same way off the court that I am on the court and that’s not true. On the court, I’m at work. When you’re at work or at school, you don’t want people bothering you. You’re at work. You got a job to do.” and continued talking directly to the kids around him as they hung on his every word. Rasheed spoke passionately about his humble roots playing basketball in the streets of Philly and stated that growing up wearing Air Force 1’s when he played blacktop basketball as a kid was why he’d always remain loyal to that shoe as an NBA pro. He continued on to explain, “You know, I’m a regular person just like everybody else. I go out and do groceries just like everybody. When I’m home I cook dinner.” and reiterated to the kids that he grew up in a neighborhood just like theirs. When asked by a kid in the crowd what his biggest weakness was, Rasheed responded, “My mouth is my greatest weakness.”, and with a smirk, he added, “It’s also my greatest strength.” Later, when asked by another kid what was most important for becoming successful Rasheed stressed the importance of college. Once he was pressed by the kids for tips on how to make it to the NBA, Rasheed emphasized determination and a LOT of time at the gym.

In total, Rasheed spoke for about 30 minutes and then answered questions from one kid after another for about another 30. As the exchange began to wind down, he stood up and in a sort of humble tone apologized to the crowd for his need to get going. Then with a distinct look of pride announced that it was his son’s fifth-grade graduation and his need to get back to celebrating with his family. Despite the urgency to wrap up, Rasheed still lingered a good while longer to pose for pictures, answer a couple more questions from a few kids probably too shy to ask in front of the entire crowd and sign dozens of autographs with one of the two Sharpie’s he had tucked beneath his University of North Carolina ball cap. Eventually, Rasheed said his goodbyes and made his way out the back door. With a couple more kids trailing him outside while calling out his name, Rasheed Wallace paused in the rain to fulfill their last few requests for autographs before jumping into the back of a waiting car and being driven off.

Check back Saturday, June 14 for an exclusive first peak and additional info on the 1World Air Force 1’s.

0 - 60 in 3.9 seconds from a 100% electric car (135mpg equivalent). Hopefully this is a sign of the green thinking and independence from foreign resources we can expect to see coming from tomorrow’s automative industry. *Note the Jas, Ovie YKK tag in the background as well. Tesla Motors

Honorable mention: 7 Series BMW with a six-liter hydrogen combustion engine that actually emits less carbon in it’s emissions then is present in the environment, thereby cleaning the air as it drives. Source via Got2BeGreen