Durso Design

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

2008 Venice Beach Art Walk

I had the pleasure of attending this year's Venice Art Walk over the weekend. For one full day, you're invited to explore the residential streets of Venice Beach, CA and discover the tight knit community of artists that inhabit it. The day started at Westminster School on Abbot Kinney where we enjoyed fabulous foods from many of Venice Beach and the surrounding cities best restaurants. The Counter and Chaya Venice were two of my favs. We ate under the shade of an umbrella while listening to live jazz music. After lunch we hopped on one of the complimentary studio tour buses. Expecting to see art studios and galleries, we were really surprised when our first stop was the second story apartment of the artist. Walking up the stairs to Marion Lane's contemporary loft was an experience all its own. We were met with three huge canvases hanging on the wall each one painted a different color but carrying her signature design. She specializes in acrylic designs on glass which she then transplants to canvas in very intricate patterns. And not only canvases, walls, mirrors, windows, toilets, and sinks also wore the colorful swirls of malleable paint. They resemble colored glue art only a lot more sophisticated than the days of Elmer's school glue.

Next we visited the home of contemporary furniture designer and fine art film maker, Elizabeth Page Smith, who happened to live right around the corner. She creates an amazing array of clear acrylic furniture filed with powdered pigments. She explained that the static inside the pieces created unique designs in the pigments, making each and every piece a true original.

The captivating artwork of mixed media artist, Fortune Sitole, told the story of the people of his South Africa. The paintings created on long, panoramic panels of wood use real corrugated metal siding and found food and drink wrappers indigenous to South Africa to create lively images of life in South African villages.

All in all, we walked approximately 3 miles and saw the homes, studios and most often home-studios of 23 different Venice dwelling artists. While I was fortunate enough to receive a free ticket from a friend, the $50 fee (which goes directly to the Venice beach Family Clinic) is well worth every penny. I definitely look forward to next years event.

Monday, May 19, 2008

2008 Venice Beach Art Walk

I had the pleasure of checking out this years Venice Beach Art Walk over the weekend. It consisted of two days full of artistic discovery right in my own backyard. I had no idea that Venice was so

ICFF 2008

Over the weekend New York City was host to the 20th annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair. "North America's singular showcase for contemporary design, the fair draws the most intrepid seekers of design truth and design trends to an extraordinary exhibition of the most inspired models of design on the forefront."

Diane Ruengsom, of Domestic Aesthetic, explains why she believes that design should enhance life without harming anyone or anything in the process.

Durso Design website is back on the grid!

It only took us 6 months but DursoDesign.com is open for business. Check out our current work as well as some of our past projects. We love feedback so let us know what you think.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

100% Design Tokyo

Tokyo Designer's Week 2007
100% Design Tokyo

October 31 to November 4th 2007

5 Days of Design
Tokyo Designer's Week is a unique celebration of the power of good design. Designers, corporations, schools, embassies and the media gather together for 5 days of exhibitions, talks, installations and parties. This year, for the first time the focal point of the weeks activities is Jingu Gaien, a unique and beautiful open space in the heart of Tokyo.

A very cool clothing company in Tokyo/Japan

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Debli Project

Tom Tor
Debli which means 'Recycle and Re-create' is an exhibition of animal inspired art and media. Over 180 artists will 'recycle' objet d'arts...and create. Debli Project is the fantastic sum of the artists' creative visions as all were invited to take the same recycled objects and use their wildly imaginative minds and impressive artistic skills and CREATE to make a difference. This revolutionary art tour is not only affirming Tom Tor's ongoing commitment to supporting independent artistic expression, but the creative agency, with offices in Los Angeles and Tokyo, has also manifested the possibility of designing to make a difference through this exhibition. Tom Tor AkA Eskimo was commissioned to be a part of the exhibition and its ongoing movement to design and develop the official commercial and advertising campaign. Art director and Design by TomTor, Motion by Korb_for_myeskimofrien

Monday, October 15, 2007

Zipper Heads

Design: Rovane Durso

Friday, October 12, 2007

Soccer

Evokativ Image for Little Black Book

Sebastian - evokativ collection
Designand Art Direction: Rovane Durso - Durso Design

Fastinf for 40 Days

http://www.one.org/
http://www.one.org/40days/?id=73-3617800-jFeKCl&t=1

Dear ONE Member,

If you've ever fallen behind on your bills or watched a friend struggle to make the monthly payment on a credit card, you know how devastating debt can be. Now imagine entire countries in the developing world—countries already struggling to lift their people out of extreme poverty—facing mountains of debt they didn't ask for and can't afford to pay.
Across the developing world, from Haiti to Lesotho, countries that should be distributing AIDS drugs, building schools and fighting hunger are trapped by billions of dollars of debt—debt often racked up by corrupt rulers who used the money to enrich themselves and used the future of their terrorized people as collateral.
A bill in Congress would cancel that debt for countries that commit to using the savings for poverty reduction, giving dozens of nations and millions of people a real chance at a better future. That bill is the Jubilee Act, and there is man who is dying to get it passed.
Reverend David Duncombe is taking 40 days off from his day job to walk the halls of Congress, asking our elected officials to support debt cancellation and the Jubilee Act. For 40 days, he's stretching his body to the very limits of human survival to pressure Congress to cancel the debt. And we can help him.
His 40 day fast ends October 17th on the Global Day of Action Against Poverty. That gives us one week to back up his fast with our voices. Let's all take action and send 40,000 letters to the U.S. House of Representatives—1,000 letters for each day of the fast—asking for support for the Jubilee Act and an end to the debt trap.
Debt is the kind of crisis that can hold back an entire continent. Sub-Saharan Africa pays $13 billion in debt service to wealthy nations and financial institutions every year, almost enough to pay for life-saving drugs to reverse the AIDS crisis that claims 7,000 lives each day.
And in 2000, when Tanzania's debt was cancelled, that government was able to eliminate school fees, sending 1.5 million children to school almost overnight.
For 40 days, Reverend Duncombe is fasting and telling our elected officials about the promise debt relief holds for people who are as hungry as he is. We can add 40,000 voices to his by asking our Representatives to support the Jubilee Act and lead on debt cancellation.
On October 17th, as anti-poverty advocates, we're supposed to Stand Up! for the Global Day of Action Against Poverty. Rev. Duncombe may be too weak to physically take to his feet that day. But by sending 40,000 letters we can stand up for him and send the message that debt cancellation is a smart way to fight poverty and a clear example of America's leadership in the world.
ONE by ONE, thousand by thousand, we can give strength to Rev. Duncombe's fast for the Jubilee Act, even as his strength runs out. 40,000 of us can stand up and tell Congress to pass the Jubilee Act and end the cycle of debt and poverty in the developing world.
Thank you for your voice,
Josh Peck, ONE.org
P.S. Believe in what Reverend Duncombe is doing? Want to help us reach our goal of 40,000 letters in support of his 40 day fast? Take a minute to forward this email to four friends and ask them to support the Jubilee Act, too.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Helvetica The Movie Clips

http://www.helveticafilm.com/clips.html#

Berlin Montage/Erik Spiekermann clip
Wim Crouwel clip
Experimental Jetset clip
Neville Brody / Rick Poynor clip