Very excited to (hopefully soon!) share some new image manipulation software that I’ve been working on for the Archive13 creative work. Archive13 is the annual competition of the Chicago Design Archive, this year co-sponsored by the Society of Typographic Arts and AIGA Chicago. I’m collaborating with one of Chicago’s best and brightest, Mr. Nick Adam, on the full suite of creative output for almost a year’s worth of events. There’s a tremendous variety of stories to tell here—about the Archive, about Nick’s and my collaboration, about the creative work, about the tools we’re making to make the work, etc. But, that will all have to wait. Meanwhile, I’ll just share this one image, a re-interpreted “Adoration of the Golden Calf” by Poussin. Enjoy!

This Friday, I will be giving a public lecture at the UIC Innovation Center. Titled, How Many Lives Can You Live?, my presentation will focus on the different narrative threads we create (impose) upon our own work to give it all some coherency. This is itself a kind of narrative framework to structure talking about the work I’m doing right now as a designer/researcher/educator. Trying to find those threads of connectivity across today’s and yesterday’s ideas, actions, and motivators.

A couple of planes creating some interesting sky compositions in cooperation with the moon. Eight-year-old me was right: I really should have become a fighter pilot. Curse you, Top Gun!

I am excited to announce that I will be presenting recent work from Studio Junglecat at the Apple Store Lincoln Park on Wed, October 24th at 7:00pm. This is part of an ongoing series of presentations Apple has organized to bring creative types into the store to discuss how technology in general (and Apple technology specifically) plays a role in various creative endeavors. Previous presenters have been designers, artists, writers, musicians, curators, etc., so I will be in good company.

More info on the Apple Store Lincoln Park site, and details below.
Wednesday, October 24, 7:00 p.m.

Imaginary Environments:
Bending Technology to Shape New Experiences

Studio Junglecat—the one-man operation of Matt Wizinsky—is a hub of exploratory design activities addressing broad social and media interests. Join Matt as he presents recent projects that bend existing communication technologies to imagine new environments of experience, and learn how Apple technology plays a role in
his work.

A brief overview of the influential work of German designer & typographer Erik Spiekermann. I made this video on the occasion of his recognition as Honorary Member of the Society of Typographic Arts in October, 2012.

My son, Roman, hanging out with Erik Spiekermann at the STA Archive12 gala. Erik really likes babies! I think Roman enjoyed meeting him almost as much as I did.

See what Erik is currently up to at edenspiekermann and on his own SpiekerBlog.

In 2012, the sincerest form of flattery is, of course, to be pinterested, or pinned to someone’s Pintrest wall. It’s like being included in a group show exhibition without even knowing about it. And, if you end up in good company, then it’s like hobnobbing with celebrities in a totally digital-age-prosthetic kind of way.

So, you can imagine my delight when I was recently googling my own work (no shame!) and came across my Ravinia: See Hear Now poster pinned on a wall dedicated to Bauhaus and Bauhaus-inspired design. The wall belongs to Daiyuk Lam, and if I can say so with any modesty, I’d say it’s quite nicely curated. I’m not sure I deserve the company, but given my own poster’s extreme colors, maybe it could pass for a Bauhaus step-child on acid.

Thanks for the pin, Daiyuk!

My article in Blinker, Summer 2012

If you haven’t already, be sure to pick up the Summer 2012 edition of Blinker—the members’ journal of the Chicago Yacht Club. Aside from the full program for the 104th Race to Mackinac, it includes an article on the CrewU program by yours truly. I have to admit, this probably is not where I would imagine my first published article to land, but it’s actually a pretty good fit considering how much time I’ve been spending at the CYC this summer.

Last month, I concluded the 7-week CrewU program, which introduces the basic principles of sail racing, specifically on J-105 and T-10 boats. I suppose now I can put both “novice sailor” and “published writer” on my resume. More importantly, I’ve earned the privilege of wearing that sailor hat everywhere I go. Hopefully, next year, I’ll be writing about my first Race to Mackinac.

Cover of Summer 2012 issue of Blinker, the Chicago Yacht Club members’ journal

What’s that? You’re not a member of the Chicago Yacht Club? Well, just stop by either the Monroe or Belmont Stations to grab an issue (or if you really are interested, email me and I’ll forward you the article.)

Blinker is powered by wind, water, an entire volunteer-based staff, and Veuve Clicquot champagne.

Clouds may be the most powerful and flexible metaphor known to man: from the mists atop Mt. Olympus to that hazy cloud where all of today’s information storage and communications take place. Like each moment, like all of history, like all communication, like all of human understanding—the cloud is an ephemeral, amorphous aggregation in whose patterns we find all the meaning we can imagine!

Early prototype, 2012

The Cloud Writer project speculates on the potential of reading and writing clouds to create public 
displays of metaphor. As a communication platform, the CloudWriter emits bursts of water vapor in letterform patterns. The project utilizes a custom-designed typeface, custom software and a functional prototype as proof of concept. Learn more and try out the interactive cloud-type generator on the project website.

Powerful cloud metaphors, from the Alpha Beta Clouds catalog, 2012

Typographic density studies

Documenting the prototype process

Documenting the prototype process

In the accompanying video essay and catalog, jointly titled Alpha Beta Clouds, proposals for applications consider how context, authors, and audiences participating in cloud-based language performances might create new metaphors within existing social systems.

What started as open-ended speculation continues to evolve as the project is exhibited and seeks collaborators for site-specific installation. Keep dreaming!

CloudWriter application proposal: Personal Data Clouds

CloudWriter application proposal: Legible Weather

Mona Lisa Camo, poster, 24″ x 36″, 2011

This experiment in geometric abstraction incrementally distorts, and eventually camouflages, the most recognizable image in the Western world. She holds up pretty well though, doesn’t she?

Using a custom tool I made with Processing, I am able to select circles, squares, or triangles of varying scale to distort the image. This application can be applied to any image, which means this is now an ongoing project that will (I hope) one day result in a published series.