Spice! Spice! Spice! Spice!...

Spice Carnival Band... Who would have ever thought that I would be into carnival this much!?!? It's kinda weird that 'ah like eet' too.

It's been one year since I started to working with spice, and one of the first jobs (excluding the Corperate Identity Design and stationary system) was an invitation & e-invitation done for their first media launch. The reviews were great. The actual invite was mentioned in an earlier blog. Here is a look at the e-vite.

The next big project was to do their 2009 Carnival Catalog titled the Spice Carnival Cookbook. That years presentation was titled "The Missing Ingredient..."

For 2010 the presentation is titled "The Spice Route" and the catalog titled the Spice Carnival Atlas.

If you are REALLY into the carnival thing check out Trinidad Carnival Diary and Afro Chic. They both have had something nice to say about spice. :)

Erotic (niceornasty)

My first ever exhibition and a REAL NICE feeling. Not only to take part in the exhibition, but also to have been able to help the organisers. The work wasn't bad either. Plenty artist and designers of different backgrounds coming together for the purpose of eroticism. fun, fun, FUN!!!!
The best part was the discussions that erupted. Trinidad is a KINDA place where these KINDA things are KINDA suppressed... so we got to go to the discussions and Rodell's photo booth to let it out!!!

I decided to do a study on my favorite part of the female anatomy (If you see it, you see it) and also to put in a little play on words. The piece was titled "Piggie Bank". It was a statement on the role that sex plays when it comes to money, which is that "SEX = $". It was also a pun on one of our popular creolé slangs used to describe... well... if you see it you see it... :)

I really enjoyed this project and the opportunity to produce work that could ... well Dave Williams said it best:

"Not art in education, not art to keep the youth off the street, not art to simply pretty the walls. Erotic Art Week wants to present work that provokes the mind, enlivens the sentences, or at least envokes a blush"

Other attractions included, Marlon's "Playful Things", Ivaek's "CHIZ*L" fashion presentation, "Richard's "Out of Context", Daniella's "The Public Private", Rodel's Photo Booth, Sabrina's "My Ugly Cunt..." Darren's "17W and many other artists in Trinidad & Tobago. Check them out at the Erotic Art Week website and the indiGROOVE website

erotic art on indiGROOVE.tv

Plenty to talk about

Weyyyyyy!!!
The last month was real therapy. Plenty work, REAL erotic pleasure, No KY, a spicy month with a funkee twist. I want to just crammitall into one post but I'll break it down for you over the next week or so.


Just to highlight some of the events, firstly there was erotic art week. The first exhibition that I have ever had a part to play in. The reviews was bessss! I plan to do it again next year. I'm really proud of my collegues as well; Dave Williams, Richard Rawlins, Rodel Warner, Marylin Morrison, Darren Cheewah and Marlon Darbeau. These guys all had an excellent showing at erotic art week. Also check out indiGROOVE, Plenty coverage.


Then we have spice, plenty rush work, that I must admit that I'm kinda pleased about. (or at least not totally disgruntled about) Congrats to the Spice Carnival Band. They have plenty of rough edges but I think that they are gonna work it out. Read about them if you into the
carnival thing http://www.trinidadcarnivaldiary.com/


Then there is funkezee... I'm really happy that this project is coming out the way it is. I have my hands full with commercial work... There will be plenty time to draw later... I guess.

About a month ago I was ask by one of my Visual Communication teachers to do an interview for her blog. Check out her blog at http://sexypink.wordpress.com/2009/05/11/d-e-s-i-g-n-e-r-interviews-anderson-mitchell/


D E S I G N E R Interviews: Anderson Mitchell


Q: Your email and other affects have the words, bleed art on them. Tell me what art and design means to you.

A. Art is everything and design is its subset. Design is as much of everything as you want it to be, and also much of other things.
Good design in the realm of advertising includes risk.
“If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.”
–Woody Allen
Most tend to think they know what “cutting edge”, “innovative” or “groundbreaking” means, but they really don’t cause they are not willing to take the risk and therefore… very little is “cutting edge”, “innovative” or “groundbreaking”, and therefore much of that fails.


Q: You have always been driven, from your high school days and then at John D, what would you tell the young artist about working that you wished someone could have told you?

A: … nothing …
You have to realise your own design practice. All the good advise I got in school, didn’t make sense to me till I realised it on my own, through WORK.
Education is important, but when you go to art school no one teaches you ART or DESIGN. Teachers show you practices or techniques that allow you to discover YOURSELF.
… but … not that it matters…
1. Learn design. It is a practice and it can be learnt.
2. Design exists in art, wether you realise it or not.
3. It’s HARD!
4. and go to school

Q: Tanya, Marlon and yourself are a group. Give me the history and the plans that you have for yourselves.

A: Right now most of my colleagues are making headway in totally different directions, which I like.
Tanya has been doing her thing at Above studios and is extending her industry knowledge and design portfolio.
Marlon recently did his installation and NEXT exhibition in New Orleans, while progressing his knowledge in Industrial design.
And I have been working primarily in web animation and interactive design. A major problem that exists in Trinidad and Tobago, is the lack of collaboration. Every one feels that they can do EVERY thing for themselves. Specialization has proven to be very useful in the growth of most industries. We intend to make that happen as long as we aspire to be the best at what we do.

Q: What projects are you working on separately?

A: I don’t know what “they” are working on… I’d say, that we have headed our separate ways together…
But I have been doing a lot of work with Spice Carnival, Photographer Mariamma, and several other clients that desire web animation and web design… and of course I work in advertising (bleah!!!).
Spice Carnival Band… I hate that industry, but when given the opportunity to make a difference, I had to take it. This was a group of young people who knew what “cutting edge”, “innovative” and “groundbreaking” meant and intended not to be a Tribe or Island people band. As a result I was able to show them how far GOOD design can push a GOOD product, and now they will settle for nothing less…


Q: What are your views on design in Trinidad and Tobago?

A: I think that Design in advertising has suffered for years through improper practices and flawed theories invented by persons who have no right to make “Design decisions” in the first place. Unfortunately, designers tend to make the best stable salary through Advertising.
I think that we are heading in the right direction. The availability of information (i.e. COSTTAT, UTT and also informal sources like the internet and libraries) is allowing us to get more sophisticated in the world of design.


Q: What sort of design interests you now and why?

A: 3D design, Comic art, interface design, web animation and photography.
The public has developed a huge misconception that designers are “tech” people. LOL :) I think that most will find that lots of REAL designers hate the limitations of their computers. Basically, designers are technophobes, which is the reason why most of them tend to stay away from web design and other technology based forms of design. My love for technology and the internet is currently being used to try to keep design responsibility away from the computer technician.

JazzTVC(30sec)

Just dug up some more collaborative work.
More illustrations from Darren Cheewah animated by myself.

Client: Clico
Agency: CMB Creative
Concept/Copy: Dave Williams, Darren Cheewah, Anderson Mitchell
Design/Illustration: Darren Cheewah
Production/Audio: Susan Salandy, Anderson Mitchell
Animation: Anderson Mitchell

WhitePain

WhitePain(30sec)
Originally uploaded by bleedartA Saturday well spent.
I must say, I am really proud to be apart of the exhibited works of Darren Cheewah: Designer, Illustrator, Artist and good friend.

We spent the day together painting and animating a wall at Republic of Syndenham art Gallery.

Congratulations Darren and Good luck with your exhibition 17W.

17W

Time: 17 June 2009 at 7:00pm
Location: Republic of Syndenham art Gallery
Street: Syndenham Ave St. Anns
Phone: 6850692
Email: hardlocalcheewah@gmail.com

17W on facebook

Spice Carnival Media Launch Invite

Spice Carnival Band... Year 2.
About one year ago I was approached with an opportunity to do all the communication for a new carnival band called SPICE. My initial decision was, NO. I thought the persons of such an industry wouldn't be able to see value in me (even though it shouldn't be as such). Just by looking at what existed in the industry, from a Graphic Design perspective I thought was enough to justify my inference. I thought what would be required was quick easy developments of already existing media, and ... I don't do that. :)

Fortunately after meeting and knowing the very young and progressive individuals that were responsible for the band my decision quickly changed. I think that with their collaboration, I was allowed to grow even as I have helped them grow through visual communication and advertising.

One very attractive piece was the media launch invite. This project required a very memorable, attractive piece that would communicate the essence of the band and spark the curiosity of its future patrons.

The invite was very well recieved by both the client and the attendees.