Stickers Vol. 2
Role : Design Contribution
Stickers Vol.2, a follow-up to Stickers Vol. 1, Stickers Vol. 2 is the new bible of the adhesive art form, a visual history of fine art and street art in one of its most elemental, accessible, provacative, and ubiquitous forms. Vol. 2 features over 3000 images of stickers ranging from countercultures to politics.
Produced by Rizzolli.
Barbara Kruger, original work
Background: Barbara Kruger is an American conceptual artist and collagist whose distinctive artistic style consists of black-and-white photographs, overlaid with declarative captions, stated in white-on-red Futura Bold Oblique or Helvetica Ultra Condensed type. In the early 90’s James Jebbia founded skateboarding company Supreme, using her artistic identity for their company branding.
Supreme’s identity was never a secret, the blatant lift from an artist was apparent from the beginning. When Barbara Kruger’s Atlantic interview was published, her quote of “What a ridiculous clusterfuck of totally uncool jokers…” was so great, I had to make stickers – a full circle moment (upper right side).
A few years before Stickers Vol. 2 was created, I met the author DB Burkman who upon seeing these stickers needed them for a future project (Vol. 2). Pictured is the Vol. 2 collage with subvertising versions of Supreme from all over the world.
Bernays New Debt
Role : Design, research
Background ↓
Edward Bernays was the godfather of Propaganda and Public Relations (PR). The nephew of Sigmund Freud, he took Freud’s teachings on the subconscious mind applying them to marketing where he exploited the minds of the masses. Bernays touted the idea that the "masses" are driven by factors outside their conscious understanding, and therefore their minds can and should be manipulated by the capable few. Bernays said, "Intelligent men must realize that propaganda is the modern instrument by which they can fight for productive ends and help to bring order out of chaos”. He weaponized this chaos to shift public opinion, thus creating what is now modern public relations.
I created “Bernays New Debt” as a “culture jam” to Barneys New York – a satirical connection to Edward Bernays messaging of “rewarding one’s self regardless the cost”. I created 2 shopping totes, a hat, and stickers. These have been seen all over New York City, Europe, and as far as Taiwan.
As modern day consumerism is largely driven by living outsides one’s means, the carefully crafted world of propaganda and PR has normalized the behavior of buying things that most people don’t need. Through messaging and PR campaigns that Bernays created in the 1920’s, it laid out a blueprint that companies use today to sell product and services, manipulate thought, and craft a public image in whatever way they intend.
Years after creating this, Barneys New York would hire Richard Turley from Wieden + Kennedy (see below) to help save Barney’s from bankruptcy (unsuccessful). Turley was quoted in an AIGA interview saying that this campaign to save Barneys was spoken in a “you must buy stuff voice”, ironically the essence of Edward Bernays.
Category : Subvertising
Misc Graphics
Category : Graphic / Fashion
Wabi shirt
Slanguage shirt
Role : Design
Various graphics for clothing and accessories.
