SUSO

Stand Up. Stand Out.

"...on the perfect wave, with the perfect camera shot."

This is a clip from the BBC documentary “South Pacific”. The talented soul standing tall on this 12fter is surfer Dylan Longbottom captured and immortalised by photographer Rudi Diesel on a Typhoon HD4 high speed camera. It’s the first shot of its kind ever recorded, and simply mind-blowing. Enjoy.

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Categories Photography Tags

By Sammy on 30/3/11

The Beautiful Game

"Pure artistry..."

Skills from football's hottest young talent, animation genius by Richard Swarbrick.  More of the same tonight please Mr Gareth Bale (when the mighty Spurs take on AC Milan for the uninformed!)

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Categories Sport Tags Design

By Sammy on 9/3/11

Urban Earth

"Through the eyes of the Urban Geographer."

We have introduced you to Daniel Raven-Ellison before.  This a man with a compelling story to tell, and many still to write .... and of course photograph. Welcome to URBAN EARTH, only now in his words and with his video compilation of images.

"Cities are awesome places. They are as much an ecosystem as any tropical rainforest or coral reef. Inhabited by one of the most successful animals on the planet, humans, these urban masses are our nests. At some point in 2008 someone was born or moved into a town or city and tipped the balance so that now, for the first time in history, more people are living in urban than rural places. The home of free running, government, businesses, over 3 billion people and probably you – how well do we really know and understand these places? I wanted to get a new take on the concrete jungle and so it became my mission to start walking across some of the largest cities on Earth.

Exploration is a state of mind. Anyone can explore, everyone is an explorer and anywhere can be explored. From kissing a mouth to peering into the limits of visible outer space we all search for answers and experiences. For me exploration is all about searching for answers to questions even if you don’t know what they are when you set out. While trekking to the heart of tropical jungle forests may be distant and exotic, exploring near and familiar places is just as important.

Despite most of us living in cities few of us explore them properly. If you live in a city you probably live as an island hopper, living in one (island) area and using a car, bus or train to hop to other islands for school, work and places to chill out. For most people the spaces between and around these islands are left unexplored and remain confused or blank on their mental map. The reasons why we don’t go places are numerous with time, interest and fear all playing their part.

I am fascinated by urban exploration. I’m not only interested in cities themselves, but why so many people want to go on adventures across countryside and not urbanside. And, why when people do explore cities so many people visit landmarks (does Big Ben represent London?) that fail to capture the feel of a city but leave feeling they can ‘done’ and can tick off visiting that place? What does the city feel like away from the bias of guide books and commercial adverts?

For all these reasons and more URBAN EARTH was born.

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Categories SUSO Tags Photography

By Sammy on 27/2/11

Downhill From Here

"... literally."

A course you would only find in Latin America.  A level of skill honed over many years of practice...

... and some enormous cojones. Check it.

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Categories Sport Tags Endeavour

By Sammy on 19/2/11

Anything You Recognise?

"... from the retro to the modern."

A full 12 months on but this is certainly worth revisiting as we again approach Oscar season - this a winner last year.  Some wild imagination in all its glory - car chases, hostage scenarios and rampaging animals as you've certainly never seen them before. 

The crew at H5 have directed a number of music videos for the likes of Massive Attack, Goldfrapp, Röyksopp and more, but this, 'Logorama', was their first short film. A talented creative crew no doubt and if you missed it first time around be sure to give it 15 minutes of your time today.

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Categories Design Tags Art

By Sammy on 8/2/11

A Little Reminder

"... that talent and endeavour never go out of fashion!"

Some of the finest skateboarding tricks of a generation for you to be entertained inspired by ... these creative, determined souls go on keeping this sport right at the cutting edge.  Enjoy.

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Categories Sport Tags culture Fashion

By Sammy on 27/1/11

An Art Of The Samurai

"Yours with a piece of A4 at the back of the classroom today!"

Origami, from ori meaning "folding", and kami meaning "paper" is the traditional Japanese folk art of paper folding.  It started started in the 17th century AD and was popularized in the mid-1900s. Today it has become a modern art form that leaves my efforts at paper planes look, well, pathetic.  To be clear the goal of this art is to transform a flat sheet of material into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques.  The use of cuts or glue are not considered to be origami.

Take a look at some of these amazing creations from the brilliant minds of some of the world's leading masters of origami here (Sipho Mabona, Satoshi Kamiya, Fumiaki Kawahata, Brian Chan, Eric Joisel, Phillip West, Shuki Kato, Romain Diaz, Seth Friedman, Hoang Trung Thanh, and Robert Lang to name but a few). 

One of our personal faves is of the master himself ...

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Categories Art Tags Art Design culture

By Sammy on 11/1/11

The Best Of The Best

"Matthew Burrows moment of magic almost topped the lot."

Almost but not quite.  His goal for Glentoran against Portadown back in October last year made the top 10 (if not ultimately the winners spot) for Goal Of the Year 2010.  Not bad for a little known Irishman from the celtic outback.

Some might call his extravagant back heel simply luck.  Us, we see pure imagination and spot on execution (....and ok maybe a little sprinkling of good fortune from the leprachauns in the crowd!)

Check out the full list of top goals from 2010 as compiled by Fifa and then you decide whether Turkish international Hamit Altintop's spectacular volley in a EURO qualifier in Kazakhstan was worth the title of 2010's very best.

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Categories Sport Tags Endeavour

By Sammy on 26/12/10

King Of The Swingers

"... Banksy's buddy, looking at £80,000 at auction"

Back in 2001 Banksy was commissioned by Greenpeace to highlight the plight of deforestation.  His creative idea - part of the 'Save or Delete' campaign' - was to paint a picture of the lovable characters of The Jungle Book lined up in front of their executioner awaiting their inevitable fate. 

The visual had been intended for use on posters, billboards and postcards to bring the world's attention to the devastating impact of cutting down trees. But alas, because of copyright issues with the the Disney Corporation over the use of its characters, Greenpeace decided not to use it.

Banksy held onto the sizeable work, which measures 66X90 inches, and later gave it to a friend who is now to sell it at auction where it is expected to fetch £80,000!

The previously unseen work shows a masked axe-man preparing to execute Shere Khan, Mowgli, Baloo the Bear, King Louie and baby elephant Hathi Junior, all of whom are blindfolded with their arms tied.  What we love however is the extent to which King Louie, just seems more concerned about undoing a banana with his feet. Genius.

Krushed & Sorted ... this crew sound pretty fine aswell...

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Categories Art Tags

By Sammy on 15/12/10

A Warhol For Xmas?

"Could be worth $35.3m one day ... more if it features a slimline alumimium can of course!"

Last month, at Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Sale in New York, the 7ft 1962 Warhol painting of a Coca Cola bottle sold for a tidy some of cash.  Try $35.3m. This against the presale estimate of $25m!

For those of you not necessarily dialed in to the whole Warhol phenomena - from the 1960's to 1980's, portraits by this New York artist were de rigeur for the rich and famous. Anybody who was anybody wanted one, and owning an original was an undisputed mark of fashionable, social and career achievement - indeed, only the very wealthy could afford one. The commissioning price could reach $40,000.

The Warhol technique was all about colouring-in silk-screened and monstrously enlarged photographs with deliberately clumsy blocks of psychedelic and pastel colour on canvas. 

There will neer be any more genuine Warhol pictures because the artist died in 1987. However unsurprisingly there are today some talented Warhol inspired artists around looking to make new portraits in his style so that new generations might still own something like the real thing, but at an affordable price. 

Modern digital techniques combined with today's printing technology make this more commercial than ever but if you're looking for your own Warholesque one off, the trick is to find and commision the more superior creative talents around in this field. Those who have genuinely studied the original master's work in detail, and thus are capable of delivering an unmatched authenticity and reverent spirit of homage in their work. If you're looking for a special Xmas present this year try these guys out for size.  Only remember ... slimline alumimium is so the way forward if you're looking to cream a few million! 

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Categories Art Tags Design

By Sammy on 3/12/10