something in the way

London, U.K.

Since 2001, the Swiss-based not-for-profit organisation ACT Responsible (Advertising Community Together), has been collecting global advertising that “promotes responsible communication on sustainability, equitable development and social responsibility” in a bid to highlight how the creativity of advertising professionals can be used to address the world’s problems.

Among its 2,500 ads from more than 40 countries and 140 award-winning agencies is a striking collection of adverts that focus on environmental and social issues: from deforestation to recycling and conserving water to climate change.

Ads, from the top: Killing trees is killing people. for Friends of the Earth, France; Travelling fruits cause pollution. (Think global. Eat local.)  for Bund/Friends of the Earth, Germany; A single tin of paint can pollute millions of liters of water. for WWF Spain; Forests for Life. for WWF Thailand; Save. for WWF Hungary.

Thanks to Lauren Trimble for the link to a collection of adverts at guardian.co.uk

There’s a list here of industrial design-related events around the world today.

Image: poster for the new film by Gary Hustwit, Objectified—watch a film trailer here.

Madrid, Spain

Touted in the media as “Madrid’s Banksy,” the artist SpY’s work primarily consists of “the playful re-appropriation of urban elements that he replicates or transforms” as street art installations. His underlying attempt is to “break the automaton-like inertia of the urban dweller” by means of surprise, irony, and humour. Lots more here…

Images, from top: Cow; Lazyman’s Rubic Cube (available in six colours); Street Wars; Gardening.

(Thanks to Raquel Rivera [who I recently met at OFFF 2009 Oieras] for the introduction to SpY).

(source)

(thanks, Banksy)

New York City

Today is the opening reception and portfolio signing of friend Luba Lukova’s exhibition Umbrellas, Social Justice & More at La MaMa La Galleria. The exhibition presents a wide range of work including an installation with Luba’s critically acclaimed Social Justice poster portfolio. The Health Coverage poster, which is a part of the collection, was recently in a prestigious exhibit during the Inauguration of President Obama in Washington, DC. The La MaMa show will also feature Lukova’s prints, original drawings and 3-d objects.

“Internationally recognized, New York based Luba Lukova is regarded as one of the most distinctive image-makers working today. Whether by using an economy of line, color, and text to pinpoint essential themes of the human condition or to succinctly illustrate social commentary, her work is undeniably powerful and thought provoking. A recent review in The Boston Globe observes: “Luba Lukova’s posters and illustrations have punch, and they are laced with such feeling that they often merit a second look. Her work doesn’t wrestle with the classic riddles of high art. It is, as graphic art should be, strong and pithy but its messages are not always simple.” (Cate McQuaid, When graphic art becomes high art)

Lukova has won many awards including Grand Prix Savignac at the International Poster Salon, Paris, France; the Golden Pencil Award at the One Club, New York; and Honor Laureate at the International Poster Exhibition in Fort Collins, CO. Solo exhibitions of her work have been held at UNESCO, Paris; DDD Gallery, Osaka, Japan; and The Art Institute of Boston. She has received commissions for her work from the The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Time, Adobe Systems, Sony Music, and Harvard University. Her evocative theatre posters have graced numerous stage productions in the US and Europe. Lukova’s work is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Library of Congress, Washington, DC; and Bibliotheque Nationale de France. In 2009 publisher Clay & Gold will release Speaking with Images, a new book about her art. Later this month she will also receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts from Lesley University.

Congratulations, Luba!

Images: six of the 12 posters from the Social Justice portfolio.