Couldn't say I didn't see it coming....

The only thing left for this guy to do is grow horns and shave his head to reveal the mark of the beast.

Knock it off

In the age of hypersensitive intellectual property rights (or what I have coined Hypersenintrights™®) it is fun to look back at the other ways people have ripped off musicians!

(from Design Observer)

Global Growing Pains

Muslim protests over Danish caricatures of Mohammad are, I am sure, confusing for Americans.

The media babble tends to center on Freedom of Speech vs. Religious Tradition and Belief. But I think that is a veneer of sorts. The real issue at hand is post-colonial cultural friction infused with a healthy dose of new globalized reality. What do I mean by that? Let me break it down:

All over Europe and the US there are immigrant populations from 3rd world countries and former colonial states. Post-war, mid-century European economies needed to modernize and did so by having workers from all over the world migrate and take those jobs deemed undesirable. I am sure that it was assumed that those foreign workers would go home eventually. But the reality of it is that many didn't. The result is a large Muslim influx throughout Europe and immigrants becoming citizens. Whether Europeans want to admit it or not, they now have growing populations of Muslims that want to be integrated without losing their Islamic identities. As I mentioned before, in regards to the Paris riots, when those populations of disenfranchised Arab youths (for example) are considered neither European nor from their parent's native culture then they have a comfortable built-in Islamic identity.

There is profound discomfort and a feeling that the original European cultures are rapidly being influenced, transmogrified, or otherwise being challenged by the growing ranks of Muslims within their own populations. It would be far too simple to suggest that the Danish, in this latest incident, are pushing back and saying, in essence, this is our culture, this is how it works here, and if you don't like it, leave.

The problem with this idea (beyond it being more than bit puerile) is that it does not take into account how utterly useless and antiquated the notion of nation-state is in the global economy. Denmark needs the rest of the world to survive economically and a big chunk of the globe flies the crescent and believes that Mohammad is a messenger of God. We in the West may value our free speech and want to defend it at all cost. But in other parts of the world some things are still sacred and beyond parody.

The riots and discontent are certainly being fomented by religious leaders and even governments now but I am sure that the ignition point started right in country, right in Denmark. The Muslim identity rises above borders here as well, fuelled by the internet, global news, and even international air travel.

The lessons to be learned from this, I suppose, are that we in West seriously need to listen to the cultural anthropologists and start to realize that there are other cosmologies flourishing in the same national garden. For things to change and get better we need to accept difference and, in the least, give some consideration to how we are all influenced by one another on a global scale and, in fact, really do need each other.

As I am sure we will find out, the cost (and I mean literally costs as in economic effects as well as socio-political) of failing to do so will be enormous.

Illustration Friday: glamour

glamour.jpg

(Click image for larger version)

I was scanning some old work and found this from a previous life. The drawing uses some standards for fashion illustration: catwalk poses and a body that is something like 14 heads tall.

This drawing was intended to be very glamourous.

The work is ancient - owning a computer at that point in my life was but a dream - thus it is watercolor, pencil, color pencil, and oil pastel.

I have others (should I admit that?) but chose this one because I felt the looseness worked in support of the theme.

Be afraid.

This article discussing the Department of Defense's plans to "fight the internet" appeared recently on the BBC news site. The actual report referenced is linked from the page. You have to read it. It is remarkable and a little disturbing. After reading it, the only way I found to counteract that kind of bad mojo is read something like this.

Like groovy lights, man

Natural psychedelia (that does not require pressing on your eyeballs). Enjoy!

Thursday Lovin': Sleepless Remix

Remember the wonderful Shining remix that took the horror movie and made a trailer for a romantic comedy?

Well, here is the reverse. A romantic comedy made into a horror movie. And it is just as brilliant.

metasurface 2006

The Roman god Janus (from which we get January) is depicted as a twin with one face looking forward and one looking backward. The name of the month makes sense, of course, as this is the time of year when we both reflect and think ahead.

Metasurface is a fun project and I will definitely continue it this year. Illustration Friday has been a saving grace because I've posted so little. But I want you all to know that my bookmark folder and writing notes are full with plenty of stuff (literally months worth of entries) and I am itching to post it all.

Pretty soon you'll see some simple changes in design and deeper may become a blog of it's own.

If you are still reading Metasurface, let me know what you think and what you'd like to see:

greg@metasurface.net

Illustration Friday: E is for...Envy

(click on image for larger version)

Illustration Friday: Flavor

(Don't forget: Click on the image for larger version)

Thursday Lovin': Small Ads

Spiffing little adverts from the UK (and Screenhead). Very funny.

Wednesday Lovin' Part Deux: Free Movies

Who could forget that great horror movie Attack of the Giant Leeches? Well, now you can download it and watch it on your iPod. Oh, joy.

Actually, there are some good films (and delightfully bad ones as well) at this site. Try Metropolis or Nosferatu or Buster Keaton.

Enjoy!