Cupertino, California

This evening marks the passing of a visionary light…

Rajie (Roger) Cook, U.S.A., 1993

“The Star is a stunningly psychological poster that ignites a chain reaction… the stars on the American flag are five-pointed; here, an American flag is wrapped around the six-pointed Magen David (Hebrew: Star of David), the national political emblem of modern Israel as well as the iconic symbol of Zionism. The Star is boldly set out against a white background with no accompanying text, thereby deliberately focusing the viewer’s attention on the artist’s provocative premise.”

“Cook fuses the U.S. flag and the Star of David to make a political declaration: that Zionism is a significant internal force in American political life, capable of morphing it into a new and alien shape. The poster challenges Americans to review the assumptions that have allowed Zionism to flourish without question or restraint…”

Read more about The Star here. Learn more about Palestinian-American artist Rajie Cook here, or visit his website here.

(I had posted about Rajie’s The Star a few years back, as well as a poster of his addressing the millions of dollars a day that the U.S. provides to Israel in military aid [$8.2 million daily, in 2011] here ).

London, U.K.

This year marked the 97th anniversary of the birth of FHK Henrion. Born in Nuremberg, Germany, on 18 April 1914, this masterful, award-winning designer obtained his British nationality in 1946. Trained as a textile designer in Paris, he first worked (from 1936-1939) under Paul Colin in Paris and London. During World War II, he became a consultant for the exhibitions division of the Ministry of Information and US Office of War Information in London, creating strong, influential social posters. He later worked as an editor for BOAC, Complete Imbiber, Contract, and Future magazines.

In 1951, Henrion established his own consultant agency, Henrion Design Associates, focusing on corporate identity, poster exhibitions, packaging, magazine, and book design. One of his most notable works was the identity for KLM (the Dutch airline) which still works effectively 60 years later.

Henrion became the third president of Icograda in 1968 (I served as the 19th, from 2001-2003) as well as a president of AGI and Master of Faculty of RDI (1972-1973); then leader of the faculty of Visual Communication at the London College of Printing (1976-1979).

Shown above is a small sampling of his works… see more at the FHK Henrion Archive and Research Library (University of Brighton) here.

Pretoria, South Africa

The Centre for the Study of AIDS (CSA) was established in 1999 at the University of Pretoria to understand the HIV/AIDS epidemic and to find new and creative ways to respond to it—going beyond tried-and-tested formulas and contributing to building a society that is equal, fair and tolerant. Every year the CSA produces a calendar that serves as an annual review for the centre, showcasing the work it does, reflecting its view of the epidemic, and honouring the people who have been lost to the HIV/AIDS pandemic (in away, to creating a memorial for them). Each calendar has a theme the CSA believes is topical and interesting and will provoke debate and discussion.

The theme for 2012 is “Leading Edge,” (commemorating the final naming of the “AIDS” pandemic which transpired 30 years ago). The calendar will consist of a boxed set of six A6-sized notebooks/mini diaries encased in a black slip cover. I was invited by Jacques Lange, editor of DESIGN> magazine and this year’s CSA project coordinator, to be one of 12 international designers contributing an image that references “30-years on we are still facing a global pandemic.” The above image is my contribution…

See me. Feel me. Touch me. Heal me.

The Who said it better than most…
the empathic capacities our species is imbued with
lie at the very core of what makes us “human.”

—Robert L. Peters, CGD, FGDC (Canada)

Paris, France

My industrial designer friend Hiroshi Tsunoda and his Barcelona-based company Design Code are participating in Maison & Objet Paris… with great response, by the sound of it. Shown above are a few of Hiroshi’s recent designs— Chibi, Ola, and Tobo.

Rock on, Hiroshi!

Ottawa, Canada

In response to popular demand (and catering to both music fans and philatelists), our latest commemorative stamps in the Canadian Recording Artists series for Canada Post are now available as individual panes, in limited quantity. The iconic Canadian artists featured in this series which launched on the last day of June are Bruce Cockburn, Robbie Robertson, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, and chanteuse Ginette Reno.

We have been designing stamps featuring Canadian Recording Artists since 2007; the first series featured Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Anne Murray, and Paul Anka; series two featured Édith Butler, Stompin’ Tom (Connors), Bryan Adams, and Robert Charlebois.

Stamp panes can be ordered by calling toll-free: 1-800-565-4362 (Canada and the United States), or 1-902-863-6550 (from other countries). Due to limited supply, these dedicated 16-stamp panes are not available at normal post offices or postal outlets. You can read more about this series release in the latest details / en détail magazine (2.5 MB PDF here); the magazine cover is shown below.

Some previous posts on this blog relating to similar stamp releases can be viewed here.

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Opening 26 days from now at a Beta location in the Exchange District… thousands of (admittedly still-rough) square feet on the 3rd Floor of 125 Adelaide St., featuring 24/7 access to some remarkable rapid prototyping and 3D printing equipment, as well as a supportive “community” of good, passionate folks who are into unapologetic ideation and iteration, embedded system design, woodworking, metalworking, and a variety of creative disciplines related to “making.” Expect to encounter opportunities for collaborative project development, mentorship, and skills transfer in this non-profit environment…

See you there?

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Cuban postage stamps commemorating the 1970 World Expo in Osaka, Japan—themes include “planning a more satisfying life, towards the better enjoyment of life, and achieving greater understanding….”

(source, thanks to colleague Adrian Shum)

Røros, Norway

I’m looking forward to giving a talk in October at “Norway’s biggest design conference” in the historic copper-mining town of Røros (where the 3,640 or so modern-day inhabitants still work and live in the characteristic 17th and 18th century buildings, which have led to the town’s designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

EDIT 2011 : DIG is organized by Grafill, the Norwegian Organisation for Visual Communication. The conference runs from 21-23 October…

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Like most designers and illustrators I know, I tend to collect reference imagery (of all sorts) and I have a particular fondness for visual language ephemera and vintage cultural oddities. A big thanks to the many folks who send me quirky images, posters, and links to pockets of rich online content (keep ’em coming!)… I’ve compiled some “Albums” (Facebook) of eclectic and quirky stuff that has landed on my laptop… most sources unknown.

To view, click here or here…