Interaction and Collaboration

Inksie assembles creatives from different mediums in one place for interaction and collaboration. We aim to open minds and build on old and new ideas alike. It’s a reliable place for honest critique, opinions and discussion.

Growth by Inspiration

We foster an appreciation for design and its expressive qualities. To this end, we operate The Inksie Journal of Design & Culture, where we interview highly regarded professionals and feature exceptional artists. Through visual and conceptual content we aim to grow.

Print Production and Distribution

Inksie engages artists and the public alike in the medium of print. We believe that it is a powerful, communicative platform. We exercises the medium’s strengths through distributing original works of printed art and design to the public.

Conducive to Creativity

We’re fans of a good challenge and growth as a consequence of it. We’ve structured Inksie with that in mind, with a community that not only fosters creative culture, but drives for progress.

Jarrik Muller is an Amsterdam-based designer. His work explores dimensional letter-forms and typography as an object. The Journal interviewed Mr Muller about his latest explorations and his thoughts on type.

You created the 3D typeface for German magazine Jpeople, correct? How did they approach you for the project?

I started this 3D typeface as a personal project in 2006 and finished it in 2009. It started as a 2D typeface; after I added grey tones to it I realized that there might be more than one way of viewing it than a 2D typeface. I began to see the possibilities of a 3D typeface and began experimenting with random words made out of foam board and wood. This resulted in a 3D typeface, constructed out of paper, that is easy to use, reproduce and has plenty of possibilities for design processes. Thanks to Zedz for being a good sparring partner, always there to bounce ideas off.

Sophie Blackall is an illustrator with a curious preoccupation, notes left for passing strangers. “Their messages have the lifespan of a butterfly,” she explains on her blog. “I’m trying to pin a few of them down.” Ms Blackall does just that: she paints reactionary pieces based on posts in Craigslist’s “missed connections” section and collects them on Missed Connections NY. The Journal recently interviewed Ms Blackall about her work.

How long after you started reading the Missed Connections section did you start making illustrations? What prompted this change – from simply reading to reacting visually?

From the first Missed Connection I read, I saw them as potential paintings. The idea for the series percolated in the wee hours that night and for once I woke up and got on with it! The decision to make it a blog, rather than just accumulate the images for some undetermined project down the line, was purely to enforce self-discipline. I thought that if even one person was looking at the blog, I’d feel obliged to keep producing the work. As all freelancers know, it’s not easy to maintain a personal project alongside all your “actual” work, no matter how enthusiastic you are. I didn’t want this one to go the way of the unfinished novel in the drawer.

The fact that more than one person looked at the blog was, and continues to be, the most extraordinary bonus.

James Houston is an filmmaker and artist from Glasgow, Scotland. He has been featured throughout numerous print publications and his work has appeared on hundreds of different blogs. Many of his films are characterized by a colorful, retro aesthetic. Mr. Houston was kind enough to answer a few of our questions regarding his films and filmmaking process.

Your degree is in graphic design; traditionally, most people would associate this with print/web design. I have seen some prints you have made, but it seems that film dominates the work found in your portfolio. What initially sparked your interest in film and how long have you been actively creating films?

I almost failed my penultimate year at art school. I didn’t have a great love for creating typography or layout although I’ll always have an admiration for the work of others who do it well. I asked my tutors (Steve Rigley & Jo Petty) if I could go off on my own and try some video experimentation. Luckily, they welcomed the idea and I haven’t opened InDesign since. That was in 2008, the same year that I created the Radiohead video. I owe a lot of thanks to Steve & Jo at GSA for allowing me to take that risk.

What inspired you to create Big Ideas (don’t get any), and what exactly did the conceptual process entail?

It was never intended to be a Radiohead project. Dr. Roland Shregle from Ganjatron.net wrote a tutorial back in the dark ages of the Internet on how to replace a default sound file that’s inside every HP scanner. The original file is Fur Elise and was intended as an Easter egg for early technology enthusiasts. I couldn’t help but notice the excellent bass sound and so the next logical step was to find other instruments that would accompany my bassist. Look Around You probably inspired the final treatment.

Pavel Fuksa is a Creative Director at the advertising agency JWT Prague and an Commercial Director at Rats Prague, a film production company. He is a visual designer by schooling, and has been illustrating and designing for clients for seven years. The Journal interviewed Mr Fuksa on his latest creative venture, a music video that combines his unique graphic style with his directing skill.

You directed and designed for The Navigators’ music video. Have you ever worked on a project like this before? What was it like to direct the video after designing the matchboxes?

I have never done project like this – this was in my charge from the very beginning till the end. The actual direction wasn’t hard, it was all about the finalized designs, good locations and capable editor (thank you, Petr from asfalt.tv, again.)

Sean Stiegemeier is a filmmaker and photographer from California. He received his Masters degree in cinematography from the American Film Institute and has been featured in numerous publications including American Cinematographer.

He has recently received international attention from his stop-motion film of Iceland’s volcano Eyjafjallajökull which has received neary two million views on Vimeo. It was shot on the Canon 5D MarkII on a stage zero prototype MILapse motorized dolly track built specifically for stop-motion. This trip to Iceland was pure self-motivation, paid out of Sean’s own pocket.

You mention that you went to Iceland to out-do the mediocre pictures you were seeing in the news. Amongst the comments left for the film you say that this trip was of your own accord, payed out of your own pocket, and I can imagine it was quite expensive. How were you able to justify this trip?

I had just finished doing some well paying jobs and thought why not?! Its like a vacation.

How soon after the initial eruption happened was your trip planned?

It was planned 2 days before I left.

About Juice

Juice is Inksie’s experimental podcast of the latest and hottest tracks. It’s a mix of electronic and analog sounds, with both ambient and lyrical songs that create a cohesive listening experience. The Inksie Creative Board curates and mixes Juice monthly and commissions custom artwork.

Colorcubic created the artwork for the first installment of Juice. The three-dimensional rendered juice box takes its inspiration from Polish poster designers and the name of Inksie’s podcast, “Juice.”

Track Listings

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