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CREATIVE FUEL 2014

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<strong>CREATIVE</strong> <strong>FUEL</strong> <strong>2014</strong><br />

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What is<br />

COUNSEL?<br />

COUNSEL<br />

methodology<br />

What is a<br />

Future Sign?<br />

Counsel is Lowe and Partners’<br />

cultural insight and analysis<br />

consultancy.<br />

Counsel is dedicated to identifying<br />

and understanding global and local<br />

emerging shifts in consumer attitudes<br />

and behaviour. By identifying key<br />

cultural and behavioural foresights<br />

(Future Signs) we help frame and<br />

shape the development of our<br />

clients’ brand and communication<br />

strategies. Our data analysis<br />

capabilities enable us to also help<br />

clients predict and evaluate the<br />

effectiveness of those strategies.<br />

Extensive experience working with<br />

many of the world’s leading brands<br />

is augmented by our network of over<br />

3000 leading edge and mainstream<br />

consumers in over 55 key cities around<br />

the world. Accessing our global<br />

Thought Leader network helps clients<br />

to navigate and prepare in the everchanging<br />

business and consumer<br />

landscape. Coupled with research,<br />

econometric and quantitative analysis<br />

skills, Counsel is uniquely placed to<br />

help our clients understand their<br />

target consumers and markets.<br />

The marketing industry now<br />

accepts the significance of<br />

leading-edge intelligence in<br />

determining future consumer<br />

tastes and behaviour.<br />

Globalisation has created an<br />

environment where new ideas and<br />

behaviours are generated and adopted<br />

on a global level. Certain cities and<br />

countries act as leaders of emerging<br />

trends and can provide insight into<br />

those yet to enter the mainstream.<br />

A combination of these forces and the<br />

reality that most product development<br />

and marketing planning processes are<br />

timed in years rather than months<br />

means brands and marketers need<br />

to be in touch with emerging Future<br />

Signs in popular culture.<br />

Finding a way of seeing into<br />

the future has become the aim of<br />

brands wanting to build successful<br />

consumer relationships. Being able<br />

to provide consumers with what they<br />

want, when they want it, communicated<br />

to them in a way that is relevant to<br />

them is one of the key challenges<br />

for contemporary brands. To do<br />

this successfully they need tobe<br />

one step ahead.<br />

Lowe Counsel Future Signs<br />

provide a window onto the<br />

future direction of the<br />

mainstream, six months to<br />

two years ahead. These can<br />

represent macro shifts in<br />

consumer behaviour and<br />

attitudes or micro shifts<br />

relating to a specific<br />

category, territory or<br />

target audience group.<br />

Our Future Signs series of publications<br />

provides colleagues and clients with<br />

implications of how a specific ‘Future<br />

Sign’ will impact consumer and<br />

category behaviour.<br />

Counsel monitors these changes as<br />

they emerge and charts their evolution<br />

and impact on the mainstream. Not only<br />

do Counsel ‘Future Signs’ represent<br />

the evolution of existing macro trends,<br />

but they also represent the seeds of<br />

future mainstream attitudes and<br />

behaviour. In a world of information<br />

overload, access to accurate and<br />

concise trend information and the new<br />

ideas contained within offer valuable<br />

insight, which can create a business<br />

advantage. Being able to respond<br />

appropriately to emerging trends can<br />

enable brands to gain relevance, build<br />

connection and ultimately become part<br />

of the contemporary culture context.<br />

All Counsel Future Signs are supported<br />

by statistical and other quantifiable<br />

data, which provide additional evidence<br />

of how the influence of individual trends<br />

is manifested by consumer attitudes<br />

and purchase decisions.<br />

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<strong>CREATIVE</strong> <strong>FUEL</strong><br />

Editor’s Note<br />

Welcome to Creative Fuel <strong>2014</strong>. In this<br />

section of our Future Signs report we<br />

preview the next batch of emerging visual<br />

trends from around the world. The creation<br />

and adoption of new creative styles is<br />

closely linked to broader cultural trends<br />

and can be seen to be reflective of changing<br />

societal values and preoccupations. What<br />

is particularly interesting about this year’s<br />

batch of trends is that they represent a<br />

turning point in the evolution and direction<br />

of contemporary culture. After almost ten<br />

years when retro influences have dominated<br />

creative culture, we now see the world’s<br />

leading creative pioneers (artists, designers<br />

and creative technologists) turning their<br />

attention towards imagining the future.<br />

This new creative flowering is in part due<br />

to embracing new relationships with<br />

technology, but is also part of a desire<br />

to create work that is both timeless and<br />

of the time. We hope you enjoy reading<br />

about them as much as we have enjoyed<br />

researching and compiling them.<br />

What is Creative Fuel?<br />

Lowe Counsel Creative Fuel provides<br />

a window onto the future direction of<br />

mainstream visual culture, six months<br />

to two years ahead. While by no means<br />

prescriptive, it is intended to provide fuel,<br />

inspiration and creative stimulus for those<br />

interested in the development of visual<br />

culture. Creative Fuel will be updated<br />

annually to provide an overview of the<br />

freshest, most innovative and influential<br />

aesthetic styles being used by leading edge<br />

artists and creatives around the world.<br />

We have taken every effort to credit and<br />

attribute all work featured in this section and<br />

thank all artists for their inspiring contribution<br />

to the ongoing contemporary aesthetic.<br />

Contents<br />

1. Neo Futurism page 7<br />

2. Dark Matter page 13<br />

3. Grid page 17<br />

4. Glitch page 21<br />

5. Techno Tribal pagE 25<br />

6. Mineral World pagE 29<br />

7. Baroque page 33<br />

8. WaterColour pagE 37<br />

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NEO FUTURISM<br />

The Neo Futurism trend embodies the<br />

struggle to create a new visual style<br />

free from retro influences.<br />

This trend echoes the core objectives of the<br />

original Futurist Art movement, which sought<br />

to make a clear break with past traditions and<br />

formulate a new style relevant for the times.<br />

According to the original Futurist manifesto:<br />

“(Futurism) emphasised and glorified themes<br />

associated with contemporary concepts of the<br />

future, including speed, technology, youth and<br />

violence.” [1] As an ideology and blueprint for<br />

creativity it feels as relevant today as it did<br />

when it was written at the beginning of the<br />

20th century.<br />

Examples of this new visual language<br />

incorporate new man-machine interfaces<br />

such as Xbox Kinetic, Google Glass or drone<br />

cameras as image generating tools. The use of<br />

these new ‘imaging technologies’ offers new<br />

creative possibilities and visual effects. Neo<br />

Futurism should also be seen in the context of<br />

the current ‘New Aesthetic’ movement; a term<br />

coined by James Brindle to describe the visual<br />

language of digital technology and the<br />

blending of the virtual and the physical.<br />

Nick Knight’s groundbreaking online and print<br />

work for Hong Kong based fashion portal Lane<br />

Crawford provides a great example of the<br />

trend by producing a Neo-Futuristic aesthetic.<br />

Created using 3D scanning and motion capturing,<br />

Knight discards the camera with startlingly<br />

modern results. A similar technique has been<br />

used in the futuristic press shots created for<br />

the launch of Kanye West’s ‘Yeezus’ album.<br />

Other examples of the approach include<br />

Sam Bland’s ‘Googlology’, which asks us to<br />

consider ‘How does Google see?’. Created<br />

using ‘Goggles’, the mobile image search feature<br />

in the Google mobile app, it layers the app’s best<br />

attempts to match his photos. The often random<br />

or unpredictable nature of the images generated<br />

is intriguing. The work manages to present<br />

a series of images of a computer-generated<br />

perspective on the world. Using this technique<br />

Bland has created an artistic view of the world<br />

as seen through Google’s eyes. According to<br />

the artist: “Watching how Google combines<br />

things has helped me to see the world in a<br />

(new) less conditioned way.” [2] An approach<br />

that is at the heart of the Neo-Futurist style.<br />

A number of artists and experience designers<br />

are exploring the creative possibilities offered<br />

by new man-machine interfaces to create new<br />

interactive techno organic 3-D forms, structures,<br />

moving images and interactive experiences.<br />

Daniel Sierra’s Oscillate film and the Nike Flyknit<br />

experience by Universal Everything are<br />

notable examples.<br />

Architecture in particular has been amongst<br />

the first disciplines to see groundbreaking<br />

design, which owes more to the complex<br />

future-organic forms commonly generated by<br />

3-D modelling and printing than to any known<br />

historical precedents. The design for the Nexus<br />

Media Center in United Arab Emirates by the<br />

Houston-based studio of Michael Arellanes<br />

presents a uniquely modern urban hyperstructure.<br />

Designed to house a data storage<br />

centre, the building is made up of various<br />

multi-level platforms that also function as<br />

public and semi-public spaces, which act<br />

as cooling towers. The proposed design,<br />

reminiscent of science fiction, provides a visible<br />

manifestation of a virtual space and is thus<br />

a perfect example of the Neo-Futurist style.<br />

Front Cover + Left: [3+4] Candas Sisman, Still from interactive projection project Deep Space Music. csismn.com/<br />

Deep-Space-Music. Above Left: [5] Umberto Boccioni: ‘Unique Forms of Continuity in Space’, (1913). Above Right:<br />

[6] W Magazine, Kanye West: The Transformer by Christopher Bigley. Photographs by Nick Knight. wmagazine.com.<br />

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Top: [7] 3D scanning and motion capture film by Nick Knight for Lane Crawford. showstudio.<br />

com. Left: [8] Maiko Takeda, Atmospheric Reentry. maikotakeda.com. Above: [9] 1913 Earl<br />

Stewart, XYZ 3D Printed Shoe. cargocollective.com/earlstewart.<br />

Top: [10] Nexus Media Centre, Michael Arellanes architectural studio<br />

(USA) for construction on the island of Saadiyat (UAE). m-a-2.com.<br />

Bottom: [11] ‘‘Sam Bland, Googlology. samueljbland.com.<br />

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Top: [12] Daniel Sierra, Oscillate. dbsierra.com. Bottom: [13] Nike, Flyknit<br />

Installation at Milan Design Week 2013 by Universal Everything.<br />

universaleverything.com.<br />

Top: [14] Carston Nicolai, Light Painting. carstennicolai.de. Bottom: [15] Aaron<br />

Sherwood, Still from interactive media installation Firewall. aaron-sherwood.com.<br />

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DARK MATTER<br />

Dark matter represents an evolution<br />

OF the influential ‘New Age Cosmic’<br />

trend and graphic style we covered<br />

in our last report.<br />

This time we see the style take on a darker<br />

and more sinister edge, drawing inspiration<br />

from a broader range of influences, from Gothic<br />

horror and dystopian futuristic imagery such<br />

as work by HR Giger to the more traditional<br />

‘vanitas’ style (the Latin word for vanity is<br />

used to describe art motifs that represent the<br />

meaninglessness of earthly life and the transient<br />

nature of all earthly goods and pursuits).<br />

Dark Matter reflects a new preoccupation with<br />

the dark arts and draws imagery from both<br />

occult and Gothic traditions, often focusing<br />

on emblems and iconography of destruction<br />

and decay.<br />

disseminating this style, and has been widely<br />

emulated not just in fashion but as a lifestyle<br />

look of a generation. Images of his self-designed<br />

Parisian apartment, which has been widely<br />

featured in design magazines and blogs, show<br />

artistic pieces of furniture such as tables with<br />

goat hooves instead of legs.<br />

Another great example of the trend is the new<br />

fabric print for Louis Vuitton by the artists Jake<br />

& Dinos Chapman – some would say they are<br />

the original masters of this style – which is the<br />

perfect embodiment of the continuing influence<br />

of art in the wider creative world from fashion,<br />

to music, to design.<br />

The appeal of Dark Matter is that it is about<br />

finding beauty in the sinister and extreme,<br />

making it feel both modern and literally edgy.<br />

The approach can be characterised by a muted,<br />

largely monochromatic colour palette, the<br />

sharp and spiky shapes exemplified by Sonja<br />

Vordermaier’s ‘Formed Absence of Light’<br />

installation and Cornelia Parker’s awe-inspiring<br />

installation entitled ‘Mass (Cold Dark Matter)<br />

created from a series of suspended pieces of<br />

charcoal from the remains of a church in Texas<br />

that was struck by lightning.<br />

Designer Rick Owens’ signature darkly futuristic<br />

aesthetic has been particularly influential in<br />

Opposite Top: [16] Jake and Dinos Chapman, capsule collection for Louis Vuitton. louisvuitton.com. Opposite Bottom: [17] H.R Giger<br />

retrospective book, Taschen. taschen.com. Top [18] Cornelia Parker: Mass (Cold Dark Matter) installation made from charcoal from a church in<br />

Texas struck by lightning. frithstreetgallery.com. Bottom: [19] DW Simulation 01 Stills from a film by Félix Luque and Iñigo Bilbao inspired<br />

by chaos theory.felixluque.com.<br />

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Above: [22] Maykel Lima, “V”. maykellima.com. Top Right: [23] Mark Pritchard Lock<br />

Off LP released on Warp Records. Album artwork by Jonathan Zawada. warp.net.<br />

Right: [24] Christian Louboutin, Pik Pik sneakers. christianlouboutin.com.<br />

Bottom Left: [25] Les Liquides Imaginaires, Fragrance packaging from Parisian<br />

perfumier. lesliquidesimaginaires.com. Bottom Right: [26] Stutterheim, print<br />

campaign. stutterheim.com.<br />

Top: [20] Rick Owens, A/W 2013 Paris Fashion Week runway show. rickowens.eu.<br />

Bottom: [21] Sonja Vordermaier, Shadow 2. sonjavordermaier.com.<br />

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grid<br />

Grid represents a visual language based around<br />

a repetitive pattern arrangement of squares<br />

or rectangles.<br />

This style’s growing popularity can be seen within the<br />

context of the current minimalist trend, which focuses on<br />

structure and minimal surface detail. It echoes the ethos of<br />

the original minimalist artists of the 1960s and 70s such as<br />

Sol LeWitt whose modular cube/base projects (1967) offers<br />

a direct precedent.<br />

As a visual style, Grid can be seen as an attempt to reject<br />

the idea of style altogether. When viewed collectively, it<br />

represents a distinct approach focused around the idea<br />

of deconstruction and representing the structure behind<br />

individual forms and objects.<br />

Modern examples of the style recall the grid-like foundation<br />

structures of both industrial and 3-D design, offering an<br />

additional contemporary layer of meaning or wireframe.<br />

In this context the grid resembles the blue blueprint for<br />

virtual reality or digital and interactive design giving it a stark,<br />

almost virtual reality feel. Grid manages to be both modern<br />

and timeless and for this reason has emerged as a popular<br />

style and motif in contemporary visual culture over the last<br />

12 months. It has appeared in key works by Antony Gormley<br />

(installation) and Chanel ready-to-wear SS 2013 and continues<br />

to be used by leading art directors, interior designers and<br />

stylists around the world.<br />

Photographer Sølve Sundsbø takes the grid style a step further,<br />

using it to highlight the structural qualities of clothing for an<br />

editorial shoot for Dazed and Confused magazine, turning<br />

the model, actress Noomi Rapace, into a digitised persona.<br />

Designer Alexander Wang takes the Grid theme to another<br />

dimension in his New York store. Wang has installed a rotating<br />

grid-like cage at the entrance to the store to act as a flexible<br />

and changeable exhibition space. It looks more like an artist’s<br />

gallery than a retail space. This large cage sculpture is a<br />

constantly evolving installation, which is used to highlight<br />

unique products. We are seeing this more and more with<br />

retail spaces as designers turn them into experiential spaces,<br />

helping to expand the brand experience.<br />

Above: [27] Sølve Sundsbø: Noomi Rapace photographed for Dazed & Confused. Styled by Katie Shillingford.<br />

dazeddigital.com. Opposite Top: [28] Sol LeWitt, Modular Cube/Base, 1967 nashersculpturecenter.org. Opposite<br />

Middle: [29] Jacqueline Rabun, ring. jacquelinerabun.com. Opposite Bottom: [30] Francesco Raimondi: ‘Frames’<br />

collection, 2013. francescoraimondi.com.<br />

Another fantastic Grid example is the recent Serpentine<br />

Gallery Summer Pavilion in London. Designed by Japanese<br />

architect Sou Fujimoto, the work represents a grid in the<br />

shape of a cloud to create a physical symbol of our everexpanding<br />

virtual world.<br />

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Top: [31] The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion: Designed by Sou Fujimoto, 2013. serpentinegallery.org.<br />

Bottom: [32] Antony Gormley: Stills of installation Breathing Room. antonygormley.com.<br />

Top: [33] Jeongmoon Choi: Birdcage is a colourful grid made of threads in various colours which create<br />

walls of light. jeongmoon.de. Left: [34] Chanel: Ready to wear, S/S 2013. chanel.com. Above: [35] Herve<br />

Van Der Straeten: Console Propagation, 2012 vanderstraeten.fr/en/<br />

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GLITCH<br />

The glitch has emerged as one of the defining<br />

characteristics/motifs of contemporary culture,<br />

celebrating the inconsistencies and faults created<br />

by digital (and analogue) technology. In the last<br />

year we have seen examples of glitch iconography<br />

appear in almost every creative medium –<br />

providing a shorthand for ‘now’ and offering<br />

a useful storytelling device used by artists and<br />

creatives. Taken literally, a glitch is a spike or<br />

change in voltage in an electrical current.<br />

The first recorded use of the word was in 1962 during<br />

the American space program when John Glenn used<br />

it to describe technical problems during the Apollo<br />

space mission. The term ‘glitch’ has gone on to mean<br />

an unlikely or irregular occurrence. Creatively this<br />

“aesthetic of failure” is usually represented by the sound<br />

or image of an audio device or digital technology<br />

malfunctioning, skipping or generally distorting,<br />

computer bugs, crashes or other system errors.<br />

Interestingly, the term was later made popular by<br />

the Matrix film and refers to the effect of a human<br />

experiencing déjà vu caused by machines altering<br />

the ‘simulated reality’ of the matrix.<br />

Glitch is about challenging the perfection of digital<br />

technology and also about trying to find or reveal<br />

the soul in the machine.<br />

The last few years have seen a renewed interest from<br />

artists in capturing or recreating ‘natural’ examples<br />

of glitches or faults created by overused or faulty<br />

analogue or early digital equipment.<br />

You could argue that part of the reason the style is<br />

currently so popular and feels so ‘now’ is to do with<br />

an implicit subliminal nostalgia for our digital past,<br />

with its poor quality video and low download speeds.<br />

The ‘Postcards from Google Earth’ project by<br />

Clement Valla presents an intriguing set of images<br />

of apparent glitches in Google Earth photos. These<br />

photos appear to reveal unnatural faults in our<br />

perceptions – like real life glitches in the matrix,<br />

they hint at ghosts in the (Google) machine. The<br />

popularity of the aesthetic has also increased due to<br />

the appearance of apps such as ‘Glitch’ and ‘Image<br />

Glitch’, which enable the use of digital bugs and<br />

errors as a design feature. In photography the style<br />

has evolved from the basic digital pixelated glitch to<br />

a range of more painterly effects.<br />

More recently we can see the style now infiltrating a<br />

broad range of media, including photography, graphic<br />

design, film and 3-D product and furniture design.<br />

Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez, the US artist and commercial<br />

illustrator, has produced Vinyl Abstraction. This work<br />

is inspired by the incredible opening line to William<br />

Gibson’s ‘Neuromancer’- “The sky above the port<br />

was the color of a television, tuned to a dead<br />

channel”. The artist uses a digital collage technique<br />

created from corrupted scanned imagery. What is<br />

interesting about glitch art is that it is a rejection of<br />

the order and perfection of digital technology and<br />

is about breaking free from the ‘grid’.<br />

We are even seeing ‘glitch’ infiltrating 3D project<br />

design as in the groundbreaking “Good Vibrations’’<br />

storage unit. This is not a distorted digital photo – it’s<br />

a cabinet that’s been intricately carved to look like<br />

one. Created by Italian designer Ferruccio Laviani<br />

for furniture brand Fratelli Boffi, the Good Vibrations<br />

storage unit was carved from oak by a CNC machine<br />

(a computer assisted manufacturing technique).<br />

Above: [36] Clement Valla, Postcards from Google Earth. www.postcards-from-google-earth.com.<br />

Opposite: [37] Ingmar Spiller, NINA. www.ingmarspiller.de.<br />

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Top Left: [38] Pierre Debusschere. pierredebusschere.com.<br />

Top Right: [39] Fratelli Boffi, Good Vibrations Cabinet designed by<br />

Ferruccio Laviani fratelliboffi.it. Bottom Left: [40] Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez,<br />

The Sky is Electric “Vinyl Abstraction” lessergonzalezalvarez.com.<br />

Bottom Right: [41] Justin Blyth, Album artwork for Porter Robinson jblyth.com.<br />

Top: [42] Y-3 S/S 2013 interactive campaign film by Acne Studios. y-3.com/film. Above Right:<br />

[43] Rory Donaldson, SQ Series. rorydonaldson.com. Above: [44] Showstudio, #powershift by<br />

Nick Knight. showstudio.com/project/powershift/feed. Right: [45] Hermès Scarf, designed by<br />

Dimitri Rybaltchenko. hermes.com.<br />

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Below: [58] Pedro Friedeberg “Reclusorio para Colibri”, 2006.<br />

pedrofriedeberg.com. Left: [57] Afrofuture Milan Design Week windows at<br />

La Rinascente, Milan. afrofuture.it. Opposite Below: [56] Projection facade<br />

by Dev Harlan for Adidas Y-3 S/S 2013 Show, New York. y-3.com.<br />

techno TRIBAL<br />

Inspired by contemporary artists and<br />

street culture brands, the techno<br />

tribal trend has been gathering<br />

momentum in the past year.<br />

The essence of the trend borrows iconography<br />

from both traditional and contemporary tribal<br />

patterns and recontextualises them through the<br />

application of technology to create new meanings.<br />

The combination of cultural meaning and repetitive<br />

surface pattern has struck a chord with the mood<br />

and demands of the modern technological era/<br />

society. Part of the appeal of tribal style is that<br />

it is about a rejection of traditional modernism<br />

and minimalism.<br />

The continuing adoption of tribal motifs, from the<br />

modern tribal of Kenzo and the ‘Martian glam’ of<br />

Peter Pilotto, shows how the application of digital<br />

technology can create something that is dynamic,<br />

raw and contemporary. Tribal motifs represent<br />

an authenticity lacking in today’s increasingly<br />

technology-driven creative language.<br />

Motifs as diverse as Egyptian hieroglyphs and<br />

African sculpture shapes link to ancient traditions<br />

of craftsmanship, using designs and patterns that<br />

are sometimes thousands of years old. More recently<br />

these components of the style have been joined/<br />

added to with new tribal art forms such as graffiti<br />

and street art. The ‘Lost Tribes’ project by Erik<br />

Parker is inspired by everything from hieroglyphics<br />

to graffiti tags to create a unique vision of what is<br />

going on now.<br />

Other examples include the influential Afrofuture<br />

exhibition at La Rinascente during Milan<br />

Design Week 2013 which showcased the full range<br />

of techno tribal style. Taking over the entire ground<br />

floor of the store and featuring everything from<br />

African sci-fi to bio design, Afrofuture showcased<br />

the “exciting mind shift in African design and<br />

technology and how it is radically shaping new<br />

notions of design”.<br />

In the last year we have seen fashion design<br />

continuing to draw inspiration from tribal art.<br />

Leading edge designers such as the aforementioned<br />

Pilotto and Kenzo along with street-wear labels<br />

such as ‘Perks and Mini’ aka P.A.M. and Adidas<br />

are all currently referencing the ‘tribal’ aesthetic.<br />

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Above: [59] Blazon scarves by Natasha Coverdale. blazon.myshopify.com.<br />

Bottom: [60] Sydney Street Style. justso2.blogspot.co.uk.<br />

Top Left: [61] Erik Parker, Upswing Dub Project. paulkasmingallery.com.<br />

Top Right: [62] Ingrid Baars, L’Afrique. ingridbaars.com. Bottom: [63]<br />

Adidas House of Mutombo. adidas.com.<br />

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MINERAL<br />

WORLD<br />

Mineral World can be seen as a development<br />

from THE New Age Cosmic trend we explored<br />

in Creative Fuel 2013, which drew inspiration<br />

from new age crystal imagery.<br />

This style can be characterised by a strong interest in<br />

natural mineral effects, surface patterns and materials<br />

such as marble, agate, malachite and other semiprecious<br />

elements.<br />

In many ways the appeal of mineral patterns is that they<br />

have a timeless, eternal quality – absent in today’s digital<br />

culture. Elements of the trend were last seen in interiors<br />

and graphic design in the 1980s and in this sense can be<br />

seen as part of a link to the post-modern style. We are<br />

seeing mineral patterns being re-appropriated and used<br />

in contrasting or unusual and unnatural contexts. For<br />

example, the inclusion of Nike’s Roshe marble sole design<br />

acts as a kind of visual pun when applied to a high-tech<br />

object, such as the shoe. The use of a mineral trompe<br />

l’œil effect can also be seen in the work of experimental<br />

jewellery designer Guinan An who uses latex to recreate<br />

a range of mineral-like effects and finishes. Expect to see<br />

natural mineral textures being used in everything from<br />

fashion to graphic design to household products over<br />

the next year as the trend continues to be influential.<br />

Opposite: [46] Nike Roshe ‘Marble Pack’. nike.com. Above: [47] Acne Studios, Tokyo, acnestudios.com.<br />

Bottom Left: [48] Ill Studio, Graphic Design. ill-studio.com. Bottom Right: [49] Bodo Sperlein, for Dibbern,<br />

‘Carrara’ marble plates. bodosperlein.com.<br />

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Above: [53] Benjamin Aranda and Chris Lasch, Crystalline structures. arandalasch.com.<br />

Bottom Left: [54] Guinan An, Latex Necklace. guinanan.com. Bottom Right: [55]<br />

Bethan Taylor Wood, Table. woodlondon.co.uk.<br />

Left: [50] Barriobajero Marble Sweater. barriobajero.info.<br />

Above: [51] Rachel De Joode, “Subject of Labor” Sculpture. racheldejoode.com.<br />

Below: [52] Accidentels, Electro-plated plastic lamps by Odd Matter Studio.<br />

oddmatterstudio.com.<br />

31 LOWE COUNSEL / FUTURE SIGNS <strong>2014</strong> / <strong>CREATIVE</strong> <strong>FUEL</strong><br />

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BAROQUE<br />

BAROQUE describes a period<br />

or artistic style characterised<br />

by an exaggerated intensity of<br />

emotion and drama and stylistic<br />

detail and ornamentation.<br />

Baroque provides an emerging counterpoint<br />

to the 21st century minimalist trend which<br />

has been so influential over the past four<br />

years. Part of the appeal of baroque is that it<br />

challenges current notions of understatement<br />

and taste and places a renewed attention on<br />

intensity and emotion.<br />

The work of Hawaiian-based fine art<br />

photographer Christy Lee Rogers typifies<br />

the new-baroque style and approach. The<br />

artist employs a number of light effects and<br />

layers of bodies, sometimes submerged to<br />

create intensely emotional works of art that<br />

capture both the beauty and fragility of life.<br />

Pronounced chiaroscuro and dramatic<br />

lighting link the approach to the historical<br />

tradition of the baroque.<br />

There are signs that baroque sensibilities are<br />

infiltrating the world of fashion with several<br />

key designers referencing the style. Alexander<br />

McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana and Givenchy<br />

all showed elaborate religious and gold<br />

encrusted designs as part of their A/W<br />

<strong>2014</strong> collections.<br />

Above: [65] Ecstasy of St. Teresa by Bernini – 1647-52.<br />

Bottom: [66] Katie Eary skateboard. katieeary.co.uk.<br />

Above: [64] Christy Lee Rogers, Reckless Unbound. christyrogers.com<br />

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Top Left: [67] Alexander McQueen, Knuckle Clutch Bag. alexandermcqueen.com.<br />

Top Right: [68] The Campana Brothers, Brazilian Baroque. campanas.com.br.<br />

Above Left: [69] Dolce & Gabbana, A/W <strong>2014</strong>. dolcegabbana.com.<br />

Above Right: [70] Givenchy Patchwork Print Sweatshirt. givenchy.com.<br />

Above: [71] Miles Aldridge, “Immaculee”. milesaldridge.com<br />

35 LOWE COUNSEL / FUTURE SIGNS <strong>2014</strong> / <strong>CREATIVE</strong> <strong>FUEL</strong><br />

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WATERCOLOUR<br />

Watercolour is both an artistic medium<br />

and a stylistic approach. Arguably seen<br />

as one of the simplest and earliest<br />

forms of artistic MEDIA, watercolour<br />

can be traced back to Palaeolithic age<br />

wall paintings.<br />

In a modern context, watercolour is still used to<br />

describe the suspension of pigment in water, primarily<br />

on paper. It’s this tactile, hands on quality that is<br />

drawing a new generation of contemporary focus.<br />

Watercolour is particularly effective in expressive<br />

subtle effects of light and atmosphere. Its softness<br />

and delicacy make it particularly well suited for<br />

illustration. Recent appearances have seen the<br />

effect being used by cutting edge designers<br />

Acne Studios as well as in the Spring/Summer<br />

<strong>2014</strong> collection of Chanel. The delicacy of the<br />

medium and its ability to portray subtle tonal<br />

variations mark it out against the harder-edged<br />

futurism and monochromatic palette of many<br />

of the other key trends.<br />

Opposite Left: [72] Duyos, Spring/Summer 2011. duyos.net. Above Left: [73] Seetal Solanski: Illustration for<br />

Something Else by Natalie Wood S/S <strong>2014</strong>. seetalsolanki.com. Top Right: [74] Fashion Illustration.<br />

lafuerzanegroinspiration.tumblr.com. Above Right: [75] Chanel S/S <strong>2014</strong>. chanel.com.<br />

37 LOWE COUNSEL / FUTURE SIGNS <strong>2014</strong> / <strong>CREATIVE</strong> <strong>FUEL</strong><br />

38


Above: [76] Acne, Birdprint Exploded Flower Melange Range. shop.acnestudios.com.<br />

Left and Above Left: [77] Oscar De La Renta ‘Resort’ Collection S/S 2013. oscardelarenta.com.<br />

Top: [78] Ruta Daubure, Watercolour illustration. rutadaubure.com.<br />

Above Left: [79] Mugluck, Swimming Pool. cargocollective.com/Mugluck.<br />

Above Right: [80] Herculaneum, Olives and Orchids. herculaneum.bandcamp.com.<br />

39 LOWE COUNSEL / FUTURE SIGNS <strong>2014</strong> / <strong>CREATIVE</strong> <strong>FUEL</strong><br />

40


<strong>CREATIVE</strong> <strong>FUEL</strong><br />

CREDITS<br />

1. Futurism<br />

en.wikipedia.org<br />

2. Sam Bland Googlology.<br />

samueljbland.com<br />

3. Candas Sisman Still from interactive projection<br />

project Deep Space Music.<br />

thecreatorsproject.vice.com<br />

4. Candas Sisman Still from interactive projection<br />

project Deep Space Music.<br />

thecreatorsproject.vice.com<br />

5. Umberto Boccioni (1913) ‘Unique Forms of<br />

Continuity in Space’. moma.org<br />

6. W Magazine Kanye West The Transformer by<br />

Christopher Bigley. Photographs by Nick Knight.<br />

wmagazine.com<br />

7. SHOWStudio Still from 3D Scanning and motion<br />

capture film by Nick Knight for Lane Crawford.<br />

showstudio.com<br />

8. Maiko Takeda Atmospheric Reentry.<br />

maikotakeda.com<br />

9. Earl Stewart XYZ 3D Printed Shoe.<br />

cargocollective.com/earlstewart<br />

10. Michael Arellanes Nexus Media Center. m-a-2.com<br />

11. Sam Bland Googlology samueljbland.com<br />

12. Daniel Sierra Oscillate dbsierra.com<br />

29. Jacqueline Rabun Ring jacquelinerabun.com<br />

30. Francesco Raimondi ‘Frames’ collection, 2013.<br />

francescoraimondi.com<br />

31. Sou Fujimoto (2013) The Serpentine<br />

Gallery Pavilion.<br />

serpentinegallery.org<br />

32. Antony Gormley Stills of installation Breathing<br />

Room. antonygormley.com<br />

33. Jeongmoon Choi Birdcage jeongmoon.de<br />

34. Chanel Ready-to-wear S/S 2013 chanel.com<br />

35. Herve Van Der Straeten (2012) Console<br />

Propagation.<br />

vanderstraeten.fr<br />

36. Clement Valla Postcards from Google Earth.<br />

postcards-from-google-earth.com<br />

37. Ingmar Spiller NINA ingmarspiller.de<br />

38. Pierre Debusschere pierredebusschere.com<br />

39. Ferruccio Laviani Good Vibrations Cabinet for<br />

Fratelli Boffi.<br />

fratelliboffi.it<br />

40. Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez The Sky is Electric “Vinyl<br />

Abstraction”. lessergonzalezalvarez.com<br />

41. Justin Blyth Album artwork for Porter Robinson.<br />

jblyth.com<br />

61. Erik Parker Upswing Dub Project<br />

paulkasmingallery.com<br />

62. Ingrid Baars L’Afrique ingridbaars.com<br />

63. Adidas House of Mutombo adidas.com<br />

64. Christy Lee Rogers Reckless Unbound<br />

christyrogers.com<br />

65. Bernini (1647-52) Ecstasy of St. Teresa<br />

en.wikipedia.org<br />

66. Katie Eary Skateboard katieeary.co.uk<br />

67. Alexander McQueen Knuckle Clutch Bag<br />

alexandermcqueen.com<br />

68. The Campana Brothers Brazilian Baroque<br />

campanas.com.br<br />

69. Dolce & Gabbana A/W <strong>2014</strong> dolcegabbana.com<br />

70. Givenchy Patchwork Print Sweatshirt<br />

givenchy.com<br />

71. Miles Aldridge “Immaculee” for Numéro magazine<br />

Model: Alana Zimmer. Magazmilesaldridge.com<br />

72. Duyos S/S (2011) vogue.it<br />

73. Seetal Solanski Illustration for Something Else by<br />

Natalie Wood S/S <strong>2014</strong> seetalsolanki.com<br />

74. Fashion Illustration<br />

lafuerzanegroinspiration.tumblr.com<br />

Counsel would like to thank<br />

the following people for<br />

their help and support:<br />

Tony Wright, Charlotte Rivers,<br />

Peter Glanvill, Mihir Warty,<br />

Jeani Rodgers, Karen Eriksen,<br />

Leo Walton, Fiona Thompson<br />

13. Nike Flyknit Installation at Milan Design Week 2013<br />

by Universal Everything, Installation Concept and<br />

Creative Direction - Matt Pyke,
Art Direction - Dylan<br />

Griffith,
3D Animation - Chris Perry,
Developers<br />

- Mike Tucker, Andreas Müller,
Sound Design - Simon<br />

Pyke,
Executive Producer - Keri Elmsly,
Producer<br />

- Captain Blyth.<br />

universaleverything.com<br />

14. Carsten Nicolai Light Painting carstennicolai.de<br />

15. Aaron Sherwood Still from interactive media<br />

installation Firewall. aaron-sherwood.com<br />

16. Jake and Dinos Chapman Capsule collection for<br />

Louis Vuitton. louisvuitton.com<br />

17. H.R. Giger Retrospective book, Taschen taschen.com<br />

18. Cornelia Parker Mass (Cold Dark Matter). flickr.com<br />

19. Félix Luque and Iñigo Bilbao DW Simulation 01.<br />

felixluque.com<br />

20. Rick Owens A/W 2013 Paris Fashion Week runway<br />

show. rickowens.eu<br />

21. Sonja Vordermaier Shadow 2<br />

sonjavordermaier.com<br />

22. Maykel Lima “V” maykellima.com<br />

23. Mark Pritchard Lock Off LP released on Warp<br />

Records. Album artwork by Jonathan Zawada.<br />

warp.net<br />

42. Acne StudiosY-3 S/S 2013 interactive campaign by<br />

Acne Studios Visuals by Pierre Debusschere, music<br />

by Tim Hecker. y-3.com/film<br />

43. Rory Donaldson SQ Series rorydonaldson.com<br />

44. SHOWstudio #powershift by Nick Knight, Alex Fury<br />

and Anna Trevelyan for A/W 2013 ‘Power Women’<br />

issue of The Independent Magazine. showstudio.com<br />

45. Dimitri Rybaltchenko Hermès Scarf.<br />

hermes.com<br />

46. Nike Roshe ‘Marble Pack’ nike.com<br />

47. Bozarth FornellAcne Studios,Tokyo.<br />

bozarthfornell.com<br />

48. Ill Studio Graphic Design ill-studio.com<br />

49. Bodo Sperlein for Dibbern ‘Carrara’ marble plates.<br />

bodosperlein.com<br />

50. Barriobajero Marble Sweater barriobajero.info<br />

51. Rachel De Joode “Subject of Labor” Sculpture.<br />

racheldejoode.com<br />

52. Odd Matter Studio Accidentels Electro-plated<br />

plastic lamps by oddmatterstudio.com<br />

53. Benjamin Aranda and Chris Lasch, Crystalline<br />

structures arandalasch.com<br />

54. Guinan An Latex necklace guinanan.com<br />

75. Chanel S/S <strong>2014</strong><br />

chanel.com<br />

76. Acne Birdprint Exploded Flower Melange range<br />

acnestudios.com<br />

77. Oscar De La Renta ‘Resort’ Collection S/S 2013<br />

oscardelarenta.com<br />

78. Ruta Daubure Watercolour illustration<br />

rutadaubure.com<br />

79. Mugluck Swimming Pool<br />

cargocollective.com/mugluck<br />

80. Herculaneum Olives and Orchids, 2010<br />

herculaneum.bandcamp.com<br />

About:<br />

lowecounsel.com<br />

Follow:<br />

@lowecounsel / @zoelazarus<br />

Contact:<br />

zoe.lazarus@loweandpartners.com<br />

24. Christian Louboutin Pik Pik sneakers.<br />

christianlouboutin.com<br />

25. Les Liquides Imaginaires Fragrance packaging<br />

from Parisian perfumier.<br />

lesliquidesimaginaires.com<br />

26. Stutterheim Advertisement stutterheim.com<br />

27. Sølve Sundsbø Noomi Rapace photographed for<br />

Dazed & Confused. Styled by Katie Shillingford.<br />

dazeddigital.com<br />

28. Sol LeWitt, Modular Cube/Base, 1967. Permanent<br />

collection at Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas TX.<br />

nashersculpturecenter.org<br />

55. Bethan Taylor Wood Table woodlondon.co.uk<br />

56. Afrofuture Milan Design Week windows at La<br />

Rinascente. milan.afrofuture.it<br />

57. Dev Harlan for Adidas Y-3 at S/S 2013 New York<br />

Fashion Week. y-3.com<br />

58. Pedro Friedeberg (2006) “Reclusori para Colibri”.<br />

pedrofriedeberg.com<br />

59. Natasha Coverdale Blazon scarves.<br />

blazon.myshopify.com<br />

60. Sydney Street Style<br />

justo2.blogspot.co.uk<br />

41 LOWE COUNSEL / FUTURE SIGNS <strong>2014</strong> / <strong>CREATIVE</strong> <strong>FUEL</strong>

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