Berlin born and based, MAROK is well known as the Publisher and Art Director of cult-magazine Lodown. As an extension of this he has since produced Lodown Graphic Engineering Pt 1 (Die Gestalten Verlag, 1999), Schizophrenic: Lodown graphic engineering Pt. 2 (Die Gestalten Verlag, 2001), M - transforming language (Die Gestalten Verlag, 2002) and GASBOOK #16 Marok (Design Exchange, 2004). He has exhibited widely throughout Europe and from December 15 to January 11 will be exhibiting alongside Naohiro Ukawa and Namaiki in Kamon at Via Alley in Sydney. He has also recently produced the first in a series of conceptual releases by Unagi Books called Traphic.

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Japan has a curious culture which maintains a constant tension between the traditional and the modern. As a collective, Kamon Design translate the ancient Japanese art of Kamon – symbols of time past derived from patterns in nature – into modern design.

Keiichi Tanaami, Masaru Ishiura, Namaiki, Marok and Naohiro Ukawa have exhibited at creative spaces worldwide, such as Berlin’s Circle Culture Gallery, Pret a Porter Paris, Tokyo’s Mori Arts Centre and Paul Smith’s London boutique. Exhibiting for the first time in Australia Via Alley will host 16 unique artworks in two rounds (see below) as well as showcasing and selling Kamon Design(ed) books, tees and scarves as well.

Exhibition Dates:
November 15 - December 14, Keiichi Tanaami x Masaru Ishiura
December 14 - January 11, Namaiki x Marok x Naohiro Ukawa.

Supported by Lodown, Colab, TwoThousand, NowNow

Chuck Anderson has more than made a name for himself as a unique colourist who is as prolific as he is talented. Using a mix of design, photography and illustration, his trademark style of stellar-light flashes and glimpses of imaginary galaxies has been copied to the point of trend. Despite being a form of flattery, style appropriation doesn’t always place its creator in in the most beneficial light yet Chuck remains a leader in a field of young designers somehow managing to balance his personal work with an interesting mix of paying projects. Although the world of big name clients are inclined to use his design eye for Gen-Y marketing purposes, Chuck’s evolution over the years shows that there is a permanence to his work that goes beyond mere trend-aesthetics. Constantly elevating, sideswiping and one upping, his designs continue to reveal the strength of his ideas as well as his inherent need to create and present unique artistic solutions across multiple forms.

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In celebration of sex, personality and homosexuality, BUTT magazine has released a book that features some of the best BUTT interviews from the past 5 years. Printed on their trademark faded pink A5 magazine stock, the BUTT book has some of the most entertaining interviews with people from film, music, photography and fashion such as LUTZ, Wolfgang Tillmans, Gus Van Sant, Viktor & Rolf, Bruce LaBruce, John Waters and many more. Very kindly, BUTT have supplied us with a list of their 5 most highly regarded magazines.

Andy Warhol’s Interview Magazine

(see also Interview Archive 1994-2007)

I-D Magazine

Index Magazine

The New Yorker

Straight To Hell

Captivated by his uncanny yet absorbing use of letterforms, collaged imagery, and logo designs, Steve Nishimoto’s art and graphic design has touched a global audience of skateboarders, tastemakers, art lovers, and cultural types, as he navigates them through an enigmatic exploration of mood and imagery. A native of the Windy City, Nish, discovered the rugged urban landscape of Chicago as a teenager, namely the remarkable yet somber vistas from the heights of the city skyscrapers, nurturing his interest in change, culture, and design.He established himself in New York’s Downtown scene under the tutelage of Adam Levite at Associates in Science and the founders of Zoo York Co., where he embarked upon a new sojourn: witnessing the acute transformation of the city from the perspective of a stranger. Nish’s ideas have inspired subsequent contributions to prominent and pioneering clients, including Uniqlo, subsidiaries of the Viacom network (Mtv, SpikeTv, Cmt, Nickelodeon, etc), Converse (Red), Burton, Nike, as well as Doug Aitken, And A, Shut Skateboards, FTC, 2k by Gingham, Beautiful Decay, and TheBlowup Magazine. His achievements have been profiled in the media, while his original designs have been featured in published collections. Nevertheless, Nish yearns to further refine his own subversive vision, aspiring to catch himself off-guard, while challenging his audience to transcend.

Related links //
Steve’s brand new blog

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