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“As society has changed, what had formerly been unacceptable has become colorful.” —Iggy Pop
From Iggy Pop and Siouxsie and the Banshees to Kate Bush and Elvis Costello, music photographer Brian Griffin has captured a singular slice of the post-punk, New Wave, and New Romantic movements of the 1970s and ‘80s. A new, comprehensive collection of his work will gather album covers, posters, and press photos alongside essays and interviews to offer a rarely-seen window into the music industry at that time.
Dive in and back for a copy of the book here.
“I don’t have any discipline. I just know that I have to wait and eventually it will happen. I know that I have to be patient.”
Singer-songwriter Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes, Desaparecidos, Monsters of Folk) spoke with The Creative Independent about giving yourself over to the compulsion to create, finding the necessary space to work, and not being attached to anyone else’s creative timeline. Read the interview here.
Laureen Landsdown makes hand-crafted homewares and jewelry inspired by vintage china, crystal, and all things “ornate and decadent.” Help her expand her ceramics business by backing for a one-of-a-kind cup, bowl, platter, or heart-shaped dish here.
“I want to put good things out into the world. If there’s something that feels unformed, unfinished, undone, then maybe the world doesn’t need it.”
Musician and model @karenelson talked to @thecreativeindependent about why it’s sometimes OK to keep your work a secret. Read the interview here.
Sophie Kaye, New York, 80mm
The vintage photography experts at Lomography are back on Kickstarter with a new art lens set. Based on a design from the 1830s, the convertible Neptune system opens up a new world of visual possibilities for modern photographers — letting you create exceptionally sharp images with strong, saturated colors, or soften them with delicate bokeh effects.
See more here.
Marine Toux, Paris, 50mm
Lorenzo Scudiero, Rovereto, 35mm
“Directing a film is like — maybe at least 75% of the time — a seduction. You’re seducing everybody, every department head, constantly.”
Director, screenwriter, producer, and actor Ana Lily Amirpour — director of A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) and the forthcoming The Bad Batch — spoke with @thecreativeindependent about the intense passion required to make a movie. Read the conversation here.
With its elaborate, inventive drinks — think flower petal infusions, frozen ginger garnishes, and nutmeg-flavored ice — The Aviary is considered one of the world’s most innovative bars. Now, its owners want to put their recipes in your hands with a cocktail book unlike any other.
Learn more about the book and back for a copy here.
“I try and write little poems every single day — just stream of consciousness to get ideas out and to write in verses and things like that. To keep myself on my toes.“
Musician Katie Crutchfield, a.k.a. Waxahatchee, spoke with @thecreativeindependent about not rushing your artistic output, the satisfaction in having an end product, and why she keeps business hours. Read the interview here.
Happening: Happily Ever After
Welcome to Happening, where we feature a list of our favorite Kickstarter projects every week. Want to get it straight to your inbox? SIGN UP HERE.
Today’s Happening is brought to you by comic book writer Tee Franklin, founder of Inclusive Press. Last month, she raised $57,148 with the help 1,950 backers on Kickstarter for Bingo Love, a Queer Black graphic novella that follows a romance from 1963 through 2030. Here, Tee shares what inspired the project and few things to inspire you, too.
What inspired you to create Bingo Love?
In the comics industry, there aren’t many characters of color that are leads, let alone older Queer Black women. As a Queer Black disabled woman, I needed to fill that void in comics, even if it meant doing it myself — and apparently the public wanted the same thing.
What should people know about Bingo Love?
“Happily ever afters” aren’t just for straight people. I want youth to understand that a Bingo Love “ever after” is obtainable.
What can you tell us about Inclusive Press?
Inclusive Press aims to publish two to three inclusive comics by marginalized creators each year. There are so many marginalized comics creators out there who have vital stories that need to be told.
Five projects I love
Congo Cabaret
A short music film about LGBTQ people in the Harlem Renaissance? Take my money!
Strong Female Protagonist, Book 2
Strong. Female. Protagonist. Need I say more?
Pepper Zhang: Artist Extraordinaire!
Little Pepper Zhang is a much-needed step in filling the representation void in children’s books. Go Pepper!
Float: A Graphic Memoir about Anxiety
I too suffer from anxiety, and I believe the subject should be surfaced in the comics community.
Women on the Move Prevent Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault
As a survivor of domestic violence, I support any movement that helps and educates other victims — so that they can also be survivors.
Three comics creators you should know
Greg Pak is a Big Two (Marvel, DC) comics writer, but he’s also self-published via Kickstarter. I’m actually using his Kickstarter tip book to handle my Bingo Love journey. He’s inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and make things happen.
Iron Spike is a force to be reckoned with — a badass, kick-ass comics creator and owner of the infamous Iron Circus Comics. Spike truly inspired me to not only create Bingo Love, but to be a comics publisher.
Shawn R. Pryor is a hard worker, extremely intelligent, and the books he puts out — like Cash & Carrie and his sports comic, FORCE — are a pure delight.
Three recommended links
I created Black Comics Month to promote and acknowledge Black comics creators for their contributions to the industry.
If you’re looking to continue to diversify your comics reading, check out the Cartoonists of Color database.
I’m a geek and I love listening to podcasts. One of my faves is Nerds of Prey, created and hosted by women of color.
Etc.
Take a peek inside Bingo Love
As of this week, more than 10,000 Art projects have been successfully funded on Kickstarter — including the largest single gathering of Ai Weiwei’s magnificent Tree sculptures to date. Visible from the street and free for everyone to experience, this installation at the Royal Academy of Arts in the UK — brought to life with the help of more than 1,300 backers from all over the world — drew more than 370,000 visitors.
Visit kickstarter.art to see more ambitious art works brought to life with the help of the Kickstarter community.
Ai Weiwei, Tree, 2009–2010, tree sections and steel, dimensions variable. Installation view at Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2015 © Ai Weiwei.
Through essays, interviews, live events, podcasts, and more, the publications Daily Serving and Art Practical offer new perspectives on art and culture. Help them continue to publish work from systematically underrepresented voices in the arts — and proudly display your support with rewards like artist-designed 3D posters, temporary tattoos, tote bags, prints (including this one from Portland-based artist Samantha Wall), and more. See the project here.
Happening: Designing the EPA
Welcome to Happening, where we feature a list of our favorite Kickstarter projects every week. Want to get it straight to your inbox? SIGN UP HERE.
Published in 1977, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Graphic Standards System proved how consistent, thoughtful design could make it easier for government agencies to achieve their missions.
Now, Jesse Reed and Hamish Smyth of Standards Manual hope to reissue this rare relic as a limited-edition book. Back the project to preserve a piece of design history.
The Standards Manual team recommends
Book: Octavo Redux
“Octavo, International Journal of Typography, published between 1986 and 1992, has long been unobtainable — until now.” —Jesse
Public talk: Design from Necessity
"This talk at NYC’s Museum of Arts and Design will look at the act of designing from necessity as opposed to creating for pleasure — [specifically,] how four women have used their life experiences to create work with a social narrative and the ability to mobilize the masses.” —Jesse
Article: Documerica, a Time Capsule of the ‘70s
“Curbed delves deeper into the history of the Documeria photo series, which is also included in the EPA manual.” —Hamish
Podcast: Design Observer Episode 55, “Sea and Sky”
“In this podcast, Michael Bierut and Jessica Helfand discuss the how the U.S. federal government handled design, why Nixon created the EPA, and more.” —Hamish
Etc.
EPA manual, color and identifier
Go green — discover eco-friendly projects on Kickstarter here.
For their latest deep dive into design history, the Standards Manual team is creating a beautiful reissue of the 1977 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Graphic Standards System.
See more from this beautifully streamlined work of graphic design — and back for a copy of your own — here.
Housed in a repurposed soda can, this long-exposure camera creates unique images that capture the sun’s path across the sky over many months.
Find out how it works right here.
Incompiuto: an Italian architectural style characterized by “contemporary ruins."
In 2007, members of the artist collective Alterazioni Video began to notice an interesting trend in Sicilian architecture: abandoned, unfinished public buildings dotting the landscape with "contemporary ruins.” Now, the nonprofit Incompiuto Siciliano aims to publish a book that offers “a new perspective for looking at these forgotten buildings — ones that don’t fall into ruin after they are built, but rise into ruin before they are built." Learn more here.
