Nathan Brown and Sean Leman Company: Rehab Location: San Francisco, CA Website: www.therehab.com

www.soundofcolor.com

Music is a popular source of inspiration for creating colors and what if the tables were turned with color being the source of inspiration for music?

What is the sound of color?

This abstract question is exactly what Rehab and GAP proposed to 5 music artists — DNTEL, Swiss Beatz, The Blakes, Marié Digby, and The Raveonettes. Then, the music was delivered to video directors, Chris Do, Mary Fagot, James Frost, Tom Gatsoulis, Russ Lemourex and Ryan Ebner to interpret the music and create video. The results can be found at soundofcolor.com.

Nathan Brown, Executive Director of Rehab and Creative Director, Sean Leman took a breather to speak with us about Sound of Color and non-traditional delivery of content.

CL: Please share with us a bit about Rehab’s background:

SL: Rehab was founded in 2002 by Sean Leman and Nathan Brown; both of us had worked at traditional production companies before and felt that the model could be improved upon. We believed that we could be more nimble, more adaptable, and produce work in a lot of different spaces (online, commercial ad campaigns, features, etc.).
NB: As we move forward, we're continually looking for ways to evolve traditional models of entertainment and advertising.

DNTL "Turning Red" | Red

Ever find it challenging to put into words a wish, a desire or particularly a feeling? If so, perhaps color and flowers are the solution to help articulate the emotions we occasionally struggle to verbalize.

Color, of course, is not the only way to communicate with flowers. The “silent language” made popular and finessed by women during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837 - 1901) included color as well as quantity; the type of flower; placement and arrangement. This language was quite sophisticated and nuanced. So much so a slew of books were published to help guide and explain Floriography: the language of flowers.

While flowers have historically been used to express feelings of amore; the meaning of flowers – like any language – is living and ever-evolving. Flowers can communicate the wonderful kaleidoscope of emotions. If accuracy matters or rather, the fear of a blunder, remember: even experts disagree on the one true meaning of flowers.

Most important of all, loose interpretation is highly encouraged. Have fun, experiment and fear not the flower; the sentiment is what truly counts.

from top left to bottom right: Lida Rose, tanakawho, gailf548, Pétur Gauti.

Red

The traditional color of love, Red excites. Red flowers are classic and can be a potent stimulant for a romantic liaison.
Symbolism: Passion, deep love, desire, beauty, respect, confidence, longing, courage, aristocratic, constancy.
Romantic message: I love you; I desire you, always.
Flower options: Long-stem Roses for the classic message. Anemones, Orchids, Zinnia, Dahlias, Amaryllis.

from top left to bottom right: Tim Parkin, Essjay NZ, Muffet, Eric in SF.

Pink

Feeling frisky? Cotton candy or pale blush, pink is feminine fun, fun, fun. Pink flowers are a sweet reminder of childhood days.
Symbolism: Sweetness, playfulness, grace, admiration, gratitude.
Romantic message: Life with you is fun. I admire you and I’m thankful for you in my life.
Flower options: Peonies, hydrangeas, Stargazer lilies, Ranunculus, Roses, Tulips, Freesia, Zinnia, Camellias.

Leafy. Floral. Nutty. Fruity. Smooth, Smokey. Buttery. Vanilla. Woody...Mmm...

These are just some of the adjectives used to describe the wide, wondrous range of Scotch whisky and on the surface it seems tasting whisky is similar to tasting wine.

Just as there are wine experts, there are whisky experts and within that title is a plethora of even more specific expertise claims; most of which becomes a dizzying array of advice and rules. I claim to be none of the previous. I simply like to enjoy a glass of Scotch whisky every now and then especially during the cool winter months of the calendar year.

It’s purely an emotional thing to prefer Scotch whisky during the winter. And the preference has everything to do with the colors.

by rubicon

Shades of Scotch

Contrary to what some may believe, the colors of Scotch whisky generally do not give an indication of quality, but may help narrow down personal preference after having tasted a few samples.

Photo by Markus Wichmann

Ron van Dongen Location: Portland, OR Originally hails from: The Netherlands Education or training: Masters in Health Science and Biology

www.ronvandongen.com

It was the beautiful red book titled Effusus sitting on a coffee table that first captured my attention and then my heart. For most of the rest of the evening, Ron van Dongen's photographs of flowers had me spellbound. Each image was striking with detail and seductive, sensual colour.

Since that evening, I've been lucky to have met Ron on several occasions and he graciously took time to share his approach and photographs with us.

CL: What is your background?

van Dongen: I grew up in the heartland of floral agriculture in the Netherlands, and later studied Biology and Health Scinece at the University of Delft. Despite my involvement with plants, I’d never thought they would become a subject matter for photography. Digging in the dirt and watching a plant’s life cycle in its own environment was, and still is, more rewarding than isolating it and documenting it on film.

CL: How did you get started making photographs of plants and flowers?

van Dongen: About fifteen years ago, while I was working as a floral designer and going to college, a friend predicted I would one day photograph flowers as a primary occupation. I thought the idea was ridiculous.

As a photography student, I was obsessed with the human form, and in my youthful ambition to be taken seriously, found flowers too frivolous a subject matter. I was determined to become a portrait photographer.

While I did photograph plants occasionally, it was only done to practice my 4x5 camera skills without burdening live models with my limited technical ability. When the flower pictures drew attention, I would respond by saying they were only meant as an exercise.

During the following few years, I built a portfolio of body and face photographs. These images were all taken in the studio with simple strobe lighting. I worked exclusively with Polaroid 55P/N for its instant results. Mostly high in contrast, with the light skin tones against black back drops, the pictures had a dramatic, but often static effect.

In a subsequent project, I photographed white bodies on white backdrops. In this series the light tones were meant to symbolize death and mourning. The white-on-white imagery created a feeling of eerie serenity but also of distance. As the project progressed, this concept changed to a more visual observation; it takes effort to see where a white-on-white image begins or ends. This ambiguous pictorial quality literally forces the viewer to draw in closer and examine the whole image area. It makes the imagery more challenging and dynamic.

Simultaneously, I applied this idea to floral still lifes, using a 4 x 5 Sinar F1 camera. Although visually similar, the botanicals lacked the emotional tension and heaviness of the figure studies. Another difference was the circumstance in with I photographed them; at home using only natural light.

In the attempt to market my work to galleries and magazines, it was the flower portfolio that was consistently singled out. I chose--albeit reluctantly--to devote my time exclusively to photographing the botanical form.

Located in the City of Lights, the Eiffel Tower is one of the world’s most familiar structures and one of the most treasured symbols of France. Weighing a total of 10,100 tons and rising 324 m (including the flagpole) the Eiffel Tower has survived and been protected through the years because of paint. Paint, it seems, “is the essential element in the conservation of metal works”. [Gustave Eiffel]

Well, I don't know about you but when I think of paint, I immediately have a coloring urge.

What Color is the Eiffel Tower?

by Bret Arnett

Monsieur Eiffel chose to paint the Tower red after it was erected and since then the Eiffel Tower has changed colors several times transitioning between red-browns to mustard yellows back to red-brown and more recently, variations of brown. According to the official Eiffel Tower website, the most current colour is labeled Bronze though others have labeled the current colour Milk Chocolate Brown or Brownish-Grey. (Left: The layers of paint and colors of the Eiffel Tower through the years. You can find this on the first floor of the Tower.)

Which Color is the Official “Bronze”?

by absolutwade

Patrick Winfield Location: Yonkers, New York Education: Art Institute of Philadelphia and City College of New York

www.patrickwinfield.com

Polaroid...

I love Polaroid, so when the opportunity came along to interview Patrick Winfield, a graphic designer and photographer who frequently uses Polaroid to create dynamic visual stories, I jumped at the chance to speak with him.

Patrick’s work has a healthy following. I’m excited he took time to share his work; his love of Polaroid and playing around.

CL: Please share with us a bit about your background:

Winfield: I studied computer and stop-motion animation initially then moved onto graphic design, painting and photography. I landed a job doing graphic design for a startup company in 2000 and have been working in the industry pushing pixels ever since.

I grew up in upstate New York and have always been most at home in nature, walking through a trail in the forest or exploring a riverbed.

beaver pond, 2007 - polaroid 600 film on board - h:20 w:21 inches

CL:Tell us about when Polaroid came into your life:

Winfield: A photographer friend of mine told me about her ideas and techniques she was experimenting with, it was only a matter of time before I picked one up and did my own thing.

CL: What Polaroid Cameras do you own?

Winfield: I own a few. The original SX-70 is my go-to camera. I use a basic one-step for all my photogram work, just to eject the film from the cartridge.

CL: What camera do you wish to own?

Winfield: I am pretty excited about the release of the Zink cell phone printer. There is something similar out now, but this looks cool with prints that go to the edge of the sticker paper...fun stuff! O yeah, and the 20x24 camera is always there...the possibilities! But really any camera will do.

origin, 2007 - polaroid 600 film on stretched canvas - h:38 w:38 inches

CL: Why did you choose Polaroid film?

Winfield: It is all about the flow of working with images as soon as I create them. The process is like playing in a way. When a photo comes out of the camera I can see if I want to adjust it or take another shot right away. Polaroid film isn't the only way I can do this and I have experimented with disposable cameras, Xerox machines and flatbed scanners, but the immediacy and characteristics of the Polaroid film is unique and seductive.

CL: Polaroid film does not seem readily available. How does this affect your work?

Winfield: It is actually very available and I enjoy working with it knowing it is available to everyone. It is not as depleted as one may think, but it surely is not the cheapest medium and most formats are being discontinued so I do keep a cache in my fridges crisper drawer. This makes me more conscious at times when using film, as well as preparing food. I am not hesitant if I want to take a shot or start a big composite, rather I will think about it more.

piecemeal, 2007 - polaroid 600 film on board - h:20 w:21 inches

Food seems a popular source of color inspiration here at COLOURlovers and one of my favorites types of food is sushi.

So while searching for other COLOURlovers who might also be sushi lovers, I was pleasantly surprised to be in good company after stumbling across subsomatic’s all-you-can-eat-sushi post. And, after a quick keyword: sushi search, I discovered 130+ palettes inspired by sushi!

Raw Fish?

OK, for some, the words raw and fish hardly sound appetizing but fresh raw fish is served in many ways and in many different countries and cultures. Carpaccio, ceviche, poke, tartare, gravlax are just a few.

But, sushi is not raw fish. In Japan, sliced fresh raw fish served alone is called sashimi. Also, sushi can be sushi with fish — cooked or uncooked — or without fish. What makes sushi different from sashimi is the sushi rice (rice with vinegar or shari). Since sushi is created in a variety of ways depending on the combination of ingredients, sliced fresh raw fish prepared with sushi rice is just one variation of this culinary art form.

by ulterior epicure

Fast Food Origins

While often perceived as designer food especially when dolled up and served in upscale establishments, sushi as it is known today, originates from the streets of Tokyo. It all started with one man with a simple stall:

Yohei Hanaya, was the first person to shape vinegared rice with his hands and then crown it with a slice of raw fish - prompted, it's said, by impatient customers, who couldn't be bothered to wait for the traditional pressing in a box.

(Source: The Observer Food Monthly)

Apparently his creativity became all the rage simply because of convenience. It was the finger food 1820’s Tokyo. And, even then because of the lack of refrigeration, debate continues about how much of Mr. Hanaya’s sushi fish was actually served raw.

Global Variation on a Theme

Nigiri sushi hasn’t changed much in the last couple of centuries and still remains one of the more popular types of sushi perhaps only second to maki sushi.

For those not familiar with the difference, here’s a quick rundown (with photos) of some of the more common types of sushi:

Nigiri sushi: Prepared with a small mound of sushi rice formed by the hands into an oval shape with a topping such as sliced fish. A small amount of wasabi is placed between the sushi rice and topping. Sometimes it is wrapped with thin band of nori, a type of seaweed.

by kenyai

Richard Sarson Location: London, UK Originally hails from: Midlands, UK Education: BA '04 and MA '06 from the Royal College of Art

www.richardsarson.com

I stumbled upon Richard Sarson’s work via Circa1979 and was immediately entranced. His work is hypnotic and intriguing in its complexity created with simple materials and forms. Richard was kind enough to share a bit of his methodology, inspirations, and admit a small fear of colour.

CL: Please tell us a bit about your background:

Sarson: I am a graphic artist living in London. I create work across the fields of art and design and by doing so attempt to question established methods of production and ways of thinking.

CL: How did you find your way into design?

Sarson: I have always enjoyed drawing and I think I was set on an art-based path right from the start. My interest in design has evolved due to a combination of an obsessional personality and a love for composition in art.

CL: Most creative people tend to cringe or joke about math and science. Your work seems heavily influenced or constructed upon it. What is your take on the relationship between science and art?

Sarson: Often they are seen as opposites, scientific order versus artistic chaos, to me they are very similar in the sense that they are both composed of loose-ends and bits that don't add up. Science and art both have an imposing authority to them but really they are just someone thinking 'what happens if I do that?'. How the microwave was invented is not really that far in spirit from Marcel Duchamp putting a bicycle wheel on a stool and in the process questioning the whole idea of art. I tend to work in scientific way, often I will spend time on a drawing as an experiment simply to see what it will look like, sometimes it is a good outcome other times not so good, then I move on. I like to work on newsprint and use cheap materials because there is no precious, art-like quality about it, each one is an experiment that doesn't really have an end point.

CL: Circles have made a frequent appearance in your work. Why circles?

Sarson: I think the simplicity of a circle is beautiful. I don't intentionally focus upon that shape. My drawings are more about the points where the compass sits; I work in a structured way so the framework is usually the thing most visible. There is also something really lovely about drawing a line and finding yourself right back where you started.

Whether celebrated January 1st or the Lunar New Year (February 7, 2008), New Year’s Day (seol nal ) ranks high in Korean culture. It’s a celebratory family affair with the exchange of gifts (usually money), games, lots of food, wishes of fortune, and blessings.

It is also one of the special occasions when Koreans dress in the hanbok, the traditional Korean dress and pay respect to their elders (sehbe) with a deep bow and the greeting, “seheh boke mahnee pahdtu sae yoh”.

by bebouchard