Larry's Cafe Comics #2

Moving at the Speed of Now

I'm working on my next big blog, a theory in which the speed of technology is too quick for traditional forms of corporate and community organization. In short, in a world of text messages we've grown past the concept of two hour "meetings."

As a primer, here's a 20 minute lecture from Fora Tv. Gordon Knox discusses Darwin, Web 2.0 & the Role of the Amateur at the Web & Where 2.0+ conference hosted by Northern California Grantmakers.


View Darwin, Web 2.0 and the Role of the Amateur on FORA.tv

Color My World- Designer Tips

How does an artist, a designer come up with color selection for a project? There are a variety of methods, many times I try to find a color scheme that's thematic with the subject I'm developing. I research a lot of color theory, and you'll be surprised just how much information there is involving colors, and how the meaning changes from culture to culture.

But what if you just want to see which colors play well together? Well, there's a site that can help you arrive at color combinations to design your next poster or paint your house. Adobe Kuler is a web-hosted application from Adobe Labs for generating color themes that can inspire any project. It's a simple site that is rather effective, and fun to play around with.

Visit the Kuler Color Site

Inside the Illustration: part 1

I think we all have an impact on the world, sometimes in ways we never get to witness. Take for example this ghost. Obviously the snowman reminds him (or her) of something, the past, forgotten youth... there's hidden meaning, which I won't reveal and ruin the mystery. In many ways, it doesn't matter the exact reasoning why the ghost is touched by the presence of the snowman. It's a private moment, one that none of us ever get to see... yet it is important to the ghost. Is the ghost reaching out to the snowman? Does the ghost relate to the snowman? Does the ghost know who made the snowman? Could be all of those... or maybe just the small fact that by seeing something that was created by someone else, a connection is made. In this case, a spirit quietly connects with the living world.

Chris Anderson and the Free speech.

I had the opportunity to watch WIRED editor-in-chief Chris Anderson speak at the 2008 Economic Insight in Seattle. His subject... giving away items in your business for free, to lure customers into purchasing other commodities. This is nothing new. Much of what I heard reminded me of something my art teacher Steve Sherrell once said... that the 19th Century would have more in common with the 21st century. As for the Free Speech, I won't go into too many details, you can find those by clicking directly to his story.

View Anderson's article 'Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business' on WIRED

Let's face it, the 20th century was a weird fluke in terms of business. The idea of a parental corporation that took care of its employees was noble and naive. How could GM ever expect to take care of all those former employees and their rising medical costs? I truly feel bad for the baby boomers, they've had the carpet pulled from under their feet during every critical moment in their lifespan. They had a choice between college or Vietnam. Their women's liberation efforts were rewarded with adjusting the economy to a two-person income. And when it was time to retire, many had the pleasure of watching their 401K's disappear. And then 9-11 and another war that seems like it's fought for the wrong reasons. No wonder the boomers are distraught.

I want to enforce the notion that everything we knew about the world between 1950 & 2000 was a hiccup in the timeline. It's back to business of survival, and fortunately we have new technology on our side. Thanks to the small cost of internet storage (referred to in Anderson's speech), we can now reduce online costs to virtually zero. And if you read his book The Long Tail, you know how Amazon.com and other on-line stores thrive on the simple face that since they don't have to turn around physical items on valuable retail shelf space, they can offer gobs of merchandise aimed at the niche markets for reasonable costs.

If I had one complaint about the speech, it was that I didn't really learn anything that I hadn't already read in his book and his article. The one true highlight was his play-by-play on how Ryanair can offer plane tickets for free, by weaving in lots of 'ala carte' costs. There's something to this, especially with a downturning economy and a Generation X that thrives on experiences. I like this business model as well, because it emphasizes responsibility. Obviously, the more responsible passengers will be rewarded by spending less. It's a good example of an airline doing good, for a bad one... watch PBS Frontline's take on marketing and how they examine the downfall of Song Airlines.

Is free the future of business? Perhaps... I personally think there's a different word for it. It's COMMUNITY with a dash of EXPERIENCE.

More later.

The Book Club

As you may have noticed, I've got a new widget on my blog courtesy of Shelfari. Here's where I put books I've read or own on the shelf, along with reviews so you can get my humble opinion on certain reads related to the arts, business and so on. If you're an avid book lover I'd highly suggest jumping in on this social site with brains to match.

What's it all about?

Many of you have been asking about the meaning behind my work. So I've provided a little mini-list of the secrets behind some of my recent paintings. The main story: Information is everywhere, in forms of music, radio signals, television, our own memories and opinions, conversations with others, internet, cell phones, advertisements, the urban buzz... it completely surrounds us. In my paintings, the information is shown as blips, scribbles and bursts.

"You're Not the Only One I Know" - Each character in my paintings deals with "the information" in her own terms. Here, the subject recognizes the viewer as someone from her past. How she remembers you is the mystery.

"There's Never Anything Good on T.V." - I'm sure if we had the ability to travel to other planets and visit other intelligent life-forms, they would have the same problems we do.

"Within Your Reach" - Named after a Replacements tune. Here, the focus of this work is about making connections. The mood of this character is unknown, but it is autumn and it appears she is spinning. The question remains, is she within your reach, or are you within hers?

"I'm Really Not That Anxious" - Although in a busy urban setting, this person has found a way to deal with "the information." How she accomplishes this is a mystery. Maybe she's far above in a skyscraper, or perhaps she's found a moment of peace in a coffee shop. What do you think?

"And Then She Was Gone" - Here, the character is dealing with the memory of someone who has long since disappeared. The camera and television set suggest that memory is subjected to our own unique perspective. The memories are shown as yellow bubbles, more solid in structure than most information, yet much more fragile while slowly drifting away.

"Rest and Relaxation" - Many of us find peace and understanding when we spend time with our pets. The double meaning of R&R suggests that even in the most serene of settings, we are never completely out of harm's way.

"The Spaces In-Between" - We live in a modern world of constant communication. Even in the most desolate of places "the information" still swirls around waiting for a connection. Since there is no character in this painting, it forces the viewer to determine how they feel about the interaction in its most basic form.

"Just To Fall In Love" - Sometimes "the information" becomes overwhelming and we must force ourselves to deal with it on our own terms. The particular mood of this character has been highly debated. How do you think she feels?