from http://welovetypography.com/

btw, i found my dream house in toy’r'us:

not in this color though.

after a meeting with paul this afternoon, we had some good progress on the brainstorm project, i will refine the description upload tomorrow. i spent rest of the evening at barnes and noble researching for inspiration. these are pictures taken in the bookstore, so some are blurry and have shadow. anyways, it’s a visual mood board for the synergy logo.

「做成的作品像天上出現的焰火，沒有實現的只是黑夜而已。這對於藝術家來講都是作品，都是他的人生。問題是人們仰望夜空，為的是看到炫麗的焰火而非黑夜。」— 蔡國強 我是這樣想的

i have been reading a biography (more like process of his life) of contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang, this is one of my favorite quote from the book. It’s beautiful, poetic, and romantic. please excuse my broken english, here is a translation:

“The finished projects are like fireworks in the sky, the ones that did not make it are just a night with no light. All of these are an artist’s works and his life. But the question is, people look up to the sky to see the beautiful fireworks, not the silent dark night.” — Cai Guo-Qiang This is how I think

it’s from the new book This is how I think by Zhung Yang and Wei Ching Lee (roughly translation), there is no english version yet. i’ve only read 1/3 of the book; however, it really moves me. Reading his life helps me understand and think more conceptualy.  i can’t explain to you in details, but the best way to put it now is i want to make lots of fireworks in my projects, and i will keep the dark nights in my heart, they will become fireworks one day.

從我是這樣想的 蔡國強這本書中得到許多概念上的啓發跟難以想像的感動、對於一個還在學習中的設計師來說、這本書實在是非常的羅漫的克也很寫實。也許現在我不能也不想很明確的告訴你我現在在做什麼樣的作品、最好的解釋莫過於我想做出焰火、而那些黑夜是會留在我心裡的夢中情人。

蔡國強現在還在台北市立美術館展出、沒看過、有看過、有機會的捧友們請去走一走吧。也請你一定要讀一讀這本書。

蔡國強叔叔、你實在是太聰明了。
Mr. Cai, you are way to smart.

the one below is really close to what i am thinking, something that will get bigger and bigger as i made more projects.

- Only Graphic Designers Can See - Magazine, Issue 1. Work By Eric Ku

To Graphic Design:
I think you are so sweet and so mean sometimes. I wish you can be less complicated sometimes. I still love you though.
To Graphic Designers:
I think you are a little over obsessed with typography  sometimes. I think you should really try to create something new, I feel like everyone’s work seems so alike.

What’s your thoughts on graphic design(ers)?

Gap’s marketing using synergism. Click here to see.

It’s the trend now to do the interactive advertising, because it’s not just way market anymore, with technology so advance, and internet so broadly use–every company is trying to do more user generating and crowd sourcing campaign. Which is a good thing, more ideas are more helper, and the whole is greater than the individuals. We are all participate in synergism without knowing it.

so, my friend louis, sent me a hilarious video (watch below), it’s a parody to Lady Gaga’s poker face, it’s called NEUTRA FACE. It’s really funny to me because i am a graphic design and i love type. i don’t know if other people would get it, but it’s pretty sweet once you got the point. above is my version of the neutra face, and i the one below from the actual neutra face foundry.  you can go make your own! i tried with bold italic, it’s not cute ( so i don’t want you to be my neutra face even it’s bold italic).

dome moon by Buckminiser Fuller

Dymaxion House Prototype (c.1945)

When I went to the “Based on a True Story” show on Nov. 19th, Thursday night, I “synergise”with one of the artist, Dan Bina. When I was telling him about my synergy project, he mentioned Buckminster Fuller–he invented the word SYNERGY. Dan also recommended me to read Fuller’s book–Critical Path, which I will definitely get my hands on as soon as possible. Then I went home and researched about Fuller, he blowed my mind completely, he IS the father of synergy. and here are some of his work. I especially love the next two images, because it’s so graphic design(duh). And I think he is a smart and pretty interesting person, look at his portrait at the end.

當我在11/19號去了一個在布魯克林區威廉斯堡的新一代artist的聯合展、一位也有出展的藝術家Dan Bina跟我產生共和作用了！！！當我在跟他解釋這個部落格時、他跟我提起ＳＹＮＥＲＧＹ—共合作用這個字的祖師爺發明家—Buckminster Fuller（就叫他福樂吧）。Dan還介紹我去讀福樂當年寫的一本書、我當然馬上就去尋找他。回家後搜尋有關他的資料、真是快震驚死我了、他果然是共合作用的老爸祖師爺。這篇放了一些他當年的作品。我特別喜歡下兩張、因為超graphic的嘛！（廢話）看到他的寫真、我覺得他應該是一個相當聰明的幽默大叔呢！

Synergetic Building Construction Octetruss from the portfolio Inventions: Twelve Around One

Tensile-Integrity Structures Tensegrity from the portfolio Inventions: Twelve Around One 1981

Fuller published more than thirty books, inventing and popularizing terms such as “Spaceship Earth”, ephemeralization, and synergetics. He also developed numerous inventions, mainly architectural designs, the best known of which is the geodesic dome. Buckminster Fuller had one of the most fascinating and original minds of his century. Born in 1895 in Milton, Massachusetts, he was the latest–if not the last–of the New England Transcendentalists. Like the transcendentalists, Fuller rejected the established religious and political notions of the past and adhered to an idealistic system of thought based on the essential unity of the natural world and the use of experiment and intuition as a means of understanding it. But, departing from the pattern of his New England predecessors, he proposed that only an understanding of technology in the deepest sense would afford humans a proper guide to individual conduct and the eventual salvation of society.

I know soon I will produce an complicated system like his (though I don’t have his math skill, but any who).

福樂爸爸可不簡單啊！他生於美國麻州同時是位建築師、作家、設計師、發明家、未來的夢想家（噗、超酷）。他發展過許多新發明、大多數是建築方面的設計。最有名的是「大地測量球」。他拒絕使用宗教跟政治的觀點來同化世界、最根本的做法應該是了解大自然。而不同於其他同時期的學者、他認為深入的了解科技的功能才能指引人的品行和社會的救贖。

他的作品是經過精細的數學公式而算出一些有關物理的神奇複雜的東東（太複雜了啦！）。

Buckminster Fuller

Geodesic Dome (Montreal Expo 1967)

R. Buckminster Fuller

images sources: http://cmuarch2013.wordpress.com/2009/02/06/mos-lecture-notes/, google images, http://www.artnet.com/artwork, vxm.com

You may wonder, how is this relate to Synergy? Well, if you read my post on October 19th, I talked about ___+___=synergy, yes, that’s right, you saw the “+” sign between Oak, BBlessing, Seve New York. Do I need to explain more? Okay, each of these store are small boutique, and they carry “cool” designer wear. Now they all come together to have a sample sale, why? Because each of them has a group of audiences, and together, they will get more sales; of course they can do individual sample sales, but remember the definition of Synergy–The working together of two things to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects. Who care about all this blah blah blah, the clothes are awesome, it was around $100 bucks, now it goes for $10, go get it, there, you have it.

Oak+Bblessing+Seven New York

Oak

BBlessing

Seven New York

If you live in the Big Apple, then don’t miss this incredible sample sale!

This made my blog seems much more commercial now… but I love their stuff, I usually can’t afford them, but in sample sale, it takes off 70%-90%!! $100 x 90% = $10, so maybe it’s worth going.

Sat. November 21 $ Sun. November 22nd
at nouveau pr
150 spring street #3
between w broadway and wooster
limited capacity, first come first serve.

warehouse sample sale
from 70% to 90% off

open to the public saturday november 21st 12-8pm
and sunday november 22nd 12-8pm

中文版在下面

after watching 3 minutes of the Oprah show tonight… the first response from me: f*ck graphic design, let’s be porn stars-$60,000 for a couple hours of work=sex–if you are good at it. but the truth is, i AM “f*cking” graphic design, but i don’t know if i ever gonna make $60,000 for couple hours. however, i will still chose graphic design over pornography.

when i was listing what is synergy, the first one i wrote was “synergy to lovers are–sex, reproduction.” it is a form of synergy, because you have two individuals working together as a team and benefit both sides(occasional exceptions). some might argue you can have sex with yourself, but honey, that’s call masturbation. one interesting fact, women usually get pay less than men on regular job, but in porn industry, females get pay more for less workload; so fellas, if you wanna be a porn star, you should be a gay one.

however, should i explore this area in the name of graphic design?
you should be the decision maker, after all, this is all about synergy isn’t it?

oprah show 11/17/2009

and here is a woman desperately need some action.

image source: google image, jamitdown.blogspot.com, calivn klein jeans ss 2009

今天晚上看了三分鐘的歐普拉秀…我的第一個想法是：去你的平面設計、我們去當AV女優吧—進賺＄60,000美金（台幣約一百九十萬元）只要工作兩三個小時、工作=性、如果你很在行的話。但現實生活中、我是在跟平面設計炒飯、但我不知道我會不會工作兩三個小時就賺一百九十萬。不過呢、我是會選設計多過ＡＶ。

當我一開始研究共和作用時、我條列式的寫下一些我想跟這有關的東西。而我第一個寫下的就是「共和作用對一對情侶來說—性、生殖。」這絕對是共和作用的一種、因為這是兩者以上的個體、一起合作然後兩者都有得到益處（偶而有例外）。有些人可能會說那我也可以跟自己啊、但是親愛的、那叫做自慰。

一個有趣的事實、一般工作付男性的薪水比女性多、但在ＡＶ這行、女生可以工作比較少的時數然後所得比男生多薪水。所以呢、男生們、如果你們要當ＡＶ男優、當個gay吧。

種之、我應該以設計之名在這方面玩一玩嗎？
你們應該有權決定、到最後、這不就是共和作用嗎？

This is the beginning of the beginning, we can call it the mother or this synergy project.

The assignment is to collect “25 of something”. Here is a paragraph I wrote to describe this collection.

• These images are the relationship between buildings and sky. I chose these objects because I wanted to collect something intangible—a moment. We can see these buildings and sky everyday, but people rarely notice the spaces and relationship create by them. Life is so busy for most New Yorkers, we tend to forget to look up the sky and clear our minds a bit.

p.s. Stay tune for the entire collection. I uploaded 5 8 images for now. (click big image to go to album)

這是一開始的一開始、她算是這整個共和作用project的媽媽啊！

這是2009年7月時蟹兒老師出給想拿這堂課同學的作業—收集「25個物件」（他真愛收集東西、設計師通病）、用照片呈現。 我當時寫了一段話來描述解釋這一系列的照片。

• 這些圖片想要傳達的是建築物跟天空的關係。我選擇這些物件是因為我想要收集一些「無形」的東西—一個瞬間、一個片刻。我們每天都看的到這些建築物跟天空、但人們不會去特別注意到他們所創造出來的空間。紐約人每天就是忙、茫、盲、我們常常會忘記看看天空來清清我們的腦袋。

附記：不要轉台、請繼續收看這一系列的照片。我現在上傳了5 8張照片（按大圖可連到相簿）。

i LOVE it! check it out.

我想我也許不是第一個發現這個超屌的作品。那些可愛的怪物們不會自己成形—共和作用絕對是必要的。超酷的！！看一下吧。

Synergy
-noun, plural -gies.
> Combined action or functioning; synergism.

> The working together of two things to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects.
> The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.
> The cooperative action of two or more stimuli or drugs.
> The cooperative action of two or more muscles, nerves, or the like.
> Cooperative interaction among groups, especially among the acquired subsidiaries or merged parts of a corporation, that creates an enhanced combined effect.
> The interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc.

Combine + interaction of two or more + drugs + working together = PARTY!
結合＋兩者以上的互動＋藥物＋一起合作=瘋狂的Party啊！

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