What a brilliant (stolen) concept!

I just saw this campaign in Ads of the World:

Really awesome concept. But not an original one. The ads immediately sent me searching through my blog archives to find the originals, in an art photography series by Argentinian photographer Irina Werning:

The ad version is by an agency called Propeg in Salvador, Brazil. The creative team is Ana Luisa Almeida and Emerson Braga (CDs) and Edson Rosa (AD).

So here is my question for photographers and ad creatives alike: Is it right to rip off someone's personal art project for ad glory and profit? Is it "inspiration" or outright theft?

An Ottawa radio station is currently running ads that use the Sleeveface meme. But that's a collaborative and tongue-in-cheek project that uses already copyrighted work. This, on the other hand, is a clear ripoff in concept, style and content — with only the addition of a product placement — Irina's Back to the Future and Back to the Future 2. Is it even legal?

Opinions welcome. I have e-mailed Irina as well.

People and Their Fish Twins

Artist Ted Sabarese is a jack of all trades. He is a graphic designer, fiction writer, and photographer. He had a fabulous idea for the following photoshoot, people paired with fish that look like them. Now when you tell someone that he has a face like a fish, you’ll have to be more specific.

F'd Ad Fridays: Culo, the big book of bums

Here's the 'about':

Well-versed in bringing women of extraordinary beauty to the forefront of mainstream popular culture, Mazzucco searched the globe for the world's most stunning women to appear in the book. The result is a 248 page collection of color photographs and art pieces showcasing a diverse group of women—some already legendary, some about to become so—who embody the spirit of culo and the start of a new era of beauty. 

American Photo hailed Raphael Mazzucco as "one of the top 50 photographers in the world to watch." Renowned for his images of some of the most exceptional women in the world, his work graces billboards and magazine covers and fills coffee table books for clients as diverse as Ralph Lauren, Bergdorf Goodman, Victoria's Secret, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, Guess and L'Oreal. Raphael continues to define the look of popular culture and create iconic pop culture imagery, shooting portraiture for notable actors such as Adrien Brody, Benicio Del Toro, Matt Damon, Susan Sarandon, and Rachel Weisz, as well as Marisa Miller's 2007 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue photo sensation, in which she was 'wearing' only an iPod.
Raphael's arrival onto the art scene was met with critical acclaim during a two-year international tour of exhibitions in which his work was shown in Milan, Florence, Melbourne, Los Angeles and New York. 

Jimmy Iovine, acclaimed music executive and record producer, is Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, a unit of Universal Music Group, the global music leader. Interscope, the label Iovine co-founded, is celebrating its 20th Anniversary with continued commitment to its diverse and gifted artists including Eminem, Lady Gaga, Dr. Dre, U2, The Black Eyed Peas, Mary J. Blige and No Doubt- to name just a few. Iovine also heads up Beats by Dr. Dre, the enormously successful high-performance headphone and sound transmission company he co-founded with legendary artist and fellow producer, Dr. Dre, in January of 2008. In conjunction with Interscope's deal with American Idol, Iovine joined the show as mentor to the contestants in the 2011 season. Iovine began his career in the mid-70s as first a recording engineer (John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen) and then a producer (U2, Dire Straits, Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Patti Smith) before starting Interscope Records in 1990. He co-produced the hit Eminem movie "8 Mile" as well as "Get Rich or Die Tryin;" starring 50 Cent and directed by Jim Sheridan and he executive produced the critically acclaimed LeBron James documentary "More Than A Game."

That sure is a lot of explanation for a book about asses.

Happy weekend, everyone.

Portraits of Former LA Gang Members

Brooklyn, NY based photographer Adam Amengual recently worked with Homeboy Industries, a non-profit outreach program which aims to redirect the lives of former LA gang members. Adam photographed memebers of Homeboy Industries for a portrait series called Homies. Hit the thumbs to see a powerful collection of images from Adam and feel the vulnerability of those looking to change their lives for the better.




















Source: inkbutter

F'd Ad Fridays: Nude Modelling Camp (sounds totally legit)

Photographer Beau Picasso is keeping the dream alive for short, creepy men everywhere. He has apparently found a way to convince women to pay him to take them to isolated locations where they strip naked and pose for his camera.

And it's not even a professional camera.

"Models are whisked from the airport to a reception at the roof top pool of the five-star Elysée Palace hotel, where they meet the other models from around the world. They are assigned to shared apartments (three models fit quite comfortably) and they start to get excited about the next morning’s shoot at Coco Beach. 

A relaxed photo shoot with Beau and his female assistants (who are also photographers) is sometimes interrupted by swims in the Mediterranean and sun tanning. Then, perhaps, a sunset picnic on the beach and an excited conversation about the next day’s shoot. 

Our camps provide shared apartment style accommodations with complete kitchen, wifi access and 24-hour security. We are only steps away from the beach, food, culture, and shopping. A 50% deposit is required upon registration and the balance is due before camp begins."

Here's one of Beau's softcore porn infomercials. It contains nudity and sleaze:


Beau Picasso Models: On the French Riviera from James Anthony on Vimeo.

Egyptian blogger exposes herself for freedom (nudity)

We are used to seeing all kinds of nudity in the West. But in the Muslim world, it is much different. Even fairly secular countries censor nudes in art as well as advertising.

20-year-old Egyptian blogger Aliaa Magda Elmahdy wants to change that. Last month, she started a new Google blog, called "Nude Art" which features full-frontal nudes of herself and an unidentified male, as well as a cat and some artsy underwear and embrace shots.

They're not great art shots. They look like 1940s amateur pornography. But like that, what they do have is a certain authentic and defiant naïveté from someone who wants to own her own body in a culture than denies that freedom.  The most political of the pictures features self-censorship: “The yellow rectangles on my eyes, mouth and sex organ resemble the censoring of our knowledge, expression and sexuality,” she explained.

“I have the right to live freely in any place… I feel happy and self satisfied when I feel that I’m really free,” she said.

Nothing particularly shocking to jaded Western internet eyes. But in Egypt, where the post-Tahir atmosphere is one of increasingly conservative religious influence, this is practically treason.

The responses on the blog on Twitter (#nudephotorevolutionary) are in both English and Arabic. One negative comment is translated as “a desperate act of social political suicide by a young woman”. And another: “We are defending secularism from innuendos & then we get this #NudePhotoRevolutionary Stop shocking people to the point of repulsion.”

But the comments also show that there is a new generation, globally informed, who want more than an end to political oppression. They want total freedom. Said one English commenter:

"I'm very impressed and inspired by your courage. The revolution in Egypt needs to be a catalyst for greater freedom of expression. If somebody wants to wear a hijab they should be free to do so without facing discrimination but you must also be able to express yourself any way you choose without fear. It's your body and it's entirely up to you how you choose to express yourself."

Is this how a sexual revolution begins?

Link and Arabic translations via Almasri Ayoum
Tip via FEMEN

F'd Ad Fridays: Supersexy Swingin' Sixties Branding

The Polaroid Swinger was the first affordable instant camera, creating a whole world of opportunities for personal photography. It was also a huge enabler for amateur porn. As with the digital revolution decades later, it cut prying photo lab guys out of the picture.

How aware was Polaroid of what people were doing with its product behind closed doors?

Watch these ads and decide for yourself.





Happy Friday, everyone.

Human Aerial Art by John Q

Aerial Art by John Quigley of Spectral Q is a series of Human Mosaic creations designed to bring communities together to communicate important messages for a common good.

Aerial artist John Q has created over a 150 major Human Aerial Art images around the world on every continent as non-commercial communications and has the largest body of work in this medium.