We received an email from Samia Malik (ihtgw), a young designer who is trying to find some justice in the creative process. Here’s the text in full:

“After much contemplation I’ve decided to write this, mainly working out, that I’m one of the victims who has not much to loose, and also considering that; I don’t hesitate being vocal about uncovering the truth. Here goes:

In 2007 a couple of months before launch of M.I.A’s 2nd album, her brother Sugu contacted me via myspace to work on, design samples for M.I.A’s KALA album merchandise t shirts. I emailed a few samples of my work to Sugu and he liked them, from there I had a meeting with M.I.A. Before meeting started; Sugu asked me to pretend we were mates, as in we hang out together, this was not true at all, because, as I said we met on myspace, only to discuss M.I.A’s merchandise t shirts and there was no friendship beyond that. This was the first indication that things were slightly dodgy. First meeting with M.I.A; she gave me her art work, looked at samples of my design work, explained what she likes and didn’t like. This gave me a good indication of how to work on: design layout and what materials would be best to use for type of design she wanted to achieve.

M.I.A. President Tee shirt

Within a week or two I had all key merchandise samples ready. This all required a good 5 days work week, involving: leg work, buying/ choosing materials, having meetings with printers explaining how the art has to be designed on t shirt, and matching different material with different colour t shirts. On top of this, there was more bits of work, they wanted me to do such as: designing a collection and a few other t shirt prints. After all this was completed, all key samples were sent to M.I.A; she liked the samples.

Next meeting was arranged; by this meeting I had to be straightforward about my freelance rates, as there was no discussion of this at the start. 2nd meeting involved talks about: quote, quantities, t shirt colours, logistics, further design ideas, and also this meeting took over 3 hours. The meeting before this, I was waiting for a good 2 hours and M.I.A didn’t even show up. For me this is serious valuable time, that I can invest in my own work. In 2007 I was working on developing my label, I was not looking to do any work experience, I’ve had my fair share of useful work experience in my late teens and early twenties. In first meeting with M.I.A, I had no idea of exactly what I was expected to do, therefore I had I no time to think about freelance rates, and contracts before hand. By the last meeting I knew; there was no way I could do all this running for scraps, I had bills to pay. I went away put together quotes for; dealing with manufacturing 5000 t shirts. Without any exaggeration, my quotes and freelance rates were fair and realistic. But if M.I.A agreed with my quotes then she would have to sell t shirts on her webstore for an extra £10/£15.

About a month went by; after emailing these quotes, and there was no reply from M.I.A’s team, I thought they didn’t like the samples, and weren’t going to use them. M.I.A launched her webstore in early August 2007, and she was selling t shirts I sampled, technically I had had 50% design rights over those t shirts. I spoke to one of my long term business advisors, who has worked in the fashion industry for atleast 30 years. He was adamant that I take further action; he heard, a very similar story from another designer about MIA.

This was not a simple copy right issue, it was a technical copy right issue, only specialist design lawyers are skilled enough to work on these issues. They understood my case, and agreed that I had rights over each one of those 5000 t shirts. These lawyers cost £400 an hour, there was no way I could afford to hire these lawyers, so I had to put the case on hold.

In the past couples of years I’ve come across similar stories about M.I.A. What triggered me to write this today: recently I found out MIA president T shirts (t shirts I sampled), were her best selling merchandise t shirts. When I first heard this, I laughed it off, but it kept on knocking on my head in past couples of days. Fact there’s no mention ever by MIA that I even worked on designing those t shirts, she could have even given me that much credit. I have tried to discuss above issue with MIA and her team, but there is NEVER no response. A fews months after all this happened in 2007, I received a message on myspace from Afrikan Boy, who said maya and sugu, recommended he contact me for t shirt designs. And no, there was no work with Afrikan Boy; I laid out costs and contracts from the first second and he never replied. THE SHAME!

From all this I learnt it was absolutely vital to layout contracts before any discussion of design work proceeds. Another reason I decided to write this because as humans, we are all responsible for each other; if anyone reads this and passes the word, it might save someone else being used abused victim of MIA and her team.”

[ED - Essentially what it comes down to is that M.I.A.’s brother, Sugu, probably shafted this girl and then pocketed the money. M.I.A.’s folk - a response?]

TAGS: Current Events

COMBO a collaborative animation by Blu and David Ellis (2 times loop) from blu on Vimeo.

TAGS: Current Events

Last night at a sold out show in San Francisco, Justin Vernon (the man behind Bon Iver), announced to the crowd that after this tour the band was taking a break. Or in his own words via Spinner:

“"This is the last tour that we’re doing with this thing, and after this we’re going to take a break,” Vernon told the audience. Thanking not just his fellow musicians onstage but also the entire crew and opening band, Megafaun, Vernon said, “I don’t think we could ever do it again with anybody better.”

That means all we as music fans have to look forward to, until he comes back, is pics/video/attendance at the Graveyard show on Sept. 27th. Enjoy the video up top too, because it truly is a heavenly moment captured on film.

TAGS: Current Events

Greenpeace: Voices of change. Shot on Canon 5dmkII from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

In light of the global summit of world leaders in NYC today, here’s a great primer on climate change shot masterfully on a Canon 5D MkII. Yes, it does affect you.

TAGS: Current Events

TAGS: Current Events

From the New York Times.

By BAN KI-MOON
Published: September 17, 2009

Two weeks ago, I visited the Arctic. I saw the remains of a glacier that just a few years ago was a majestic mass of ice. It had collapsed. Not slowly melted — collapsed. I traveled nine hours by ship from the world’s northernmost settlement to reach the polar ice rim. In just a few years, the same ship may be able to sail unimpeded all the way to the North Pole. The Arctic could be virtually ice-free by 2030.

Scientists told me their sobering findings. The Arctic is our canary in the coal mine for climate impacts that will affect us all.

I was alarmed by the rapid pace of change there. Worse still, changes in the Arctic are now accelerating global warming. Thawing permafrost is releasing methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Melting ice in Greenland threatens to raise sea levels.

Meanwhile, global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.

I am therefore all the more convinced we must act — now.

To that end, on Sept. 22 I am convening a special summit on climate change at the United Nations for some 100 world leaders — history’s largest-ever such gathering of heads of state and government. Their collective challenge: transform the climate crisis into an opportunity for safer, cleaner, sustainable green growth for all.

The key is Copenhagen, where governments will gather to negotiate a new global climate agreement in December.

I will have a simple message to convey to leaders: The world needs you to actively push for a fair, effective and ambitious deal in Copenhagen. Fail to act, and we will count the cost for generations to come.

Climate change is the preeminent geopolitical issue of our time. It rewrites the global equation for development, peace and prosperity. It threatens markets, economies and development gains. It can deplete food and water supplies, provoke conflict and migration, destabilize fragile societies and even topple governments.

Hyperbole? Not according to the world’s best scientists. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says global greenhouse gas emissions need to peak within 10 years if we are to avoid unleashing powerful, natural forces that are now slipping out of our control.

Ten years is within the political lifetime of many attending the summit. The climate crisis is occurring on their watch.

There is an alternative: sustainable growth based on green technologies and policies that favor low emissions over current carbon-intensive models. Many national stimulus packages devised in the wake of the global economic downturn feature a strong green component that creates jobs and positions countries to excel in the clean energy economy of the 21st century.

Change is in the air. The key lies in a global climate deal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global temperature rise to a scientifically safe level. A deal to catalyze clean energy growth. Most urgently, an agreement must protect and assist those who are most vulnerable from inevitable climate impacts.

What is needed is political will at the highest levels — presidents and prime ministers — that translates into rapid progress in the negotiating room. It requires more trust among nations, more imagination, ambition and cooperation.

I expect leaders to roll up their sleeves and speak with — not past — each other. I expect them to intensify efforts to resolve the key political issues that have so far slowed global negotiations to a glacial pace. Ironically, that expression — until recently — connoted slowness. But the glaciers I saw a few weeks ago in the Arctic are melting faster than human progress to preserve them.

We must place the planet’s long-term interests ahead of short-term political expediency. National leaders need to be global leaders who take the long view. Today’s threats transcend borders. So, too, must our thinking.

Copenhagen need not resolve all the details. But a successful global climate deal must involve all countries, consistent with their capabilities, working toward a common, long-term goal. Here are my benchmarks for success.

First, every country must do its utmost to reduce emissions from all major sources. Industrialized countries have to strengthen their mitigation targets, which are currently nowhere close to what the IPCC says is needed. Developing countries, too, must slow the rise in their emissions and accelerate green growth as part of their strategies to reduce poverty.

Second, a successful deal must help the most vulnerable to adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change. This is an ethical imperative as well as a smart investment in a more stable, secure world.

Third, developing countries need funding and technology so they can move more quickly toward low-emissions growth. A deal must also unlock private investment, including through carbon markets.

Fourth, resources must be equitably managed and deployed in a way that all countries have a voice.

This year at Copenhagen, we have a powerful opportunity to get on the right side of history. It’s an opportunity not only to avert disaster, but to launch a fundamental transformation of the global economy.

Strong new political winds now fill our sails. Millions of citizens are mobilized. Savvy businesses are charting a cleaner energy course. We must seize this moment to act boldly on climate change.

Ban Ki-moon is secretary general of the United Nations.

TAGS: Current Events

From our friend Logan Hicks:

Here is a timelapse video that I did of David Choe doing his piece at this years Nuart Festival.

Nuart is an annual international street art festival based in Stavanger on the West Coast of Norway. From the first week of September an international team of street artists start to leave their mark on the city’s walls and contribute to a one month long Nuart static show.

SWOON, DAVID CHOE, BEN WOLF, GRAFFITI RESEARCH LAB, BRAD DOWNEY, JUDITH SUPINE, LEON REID IV aka DARIUS JONES, CHRIS STAIN, LOGAN HICKS, SKEWVILLE, EVAN ROTH (GRL), JAMES POWDERLY(GRL)

We have an incredible line up of New York’s finest flying into our little hamlet this year. Nuart 2009 is dedicated to those artists either living, working or who have made an outstanding contribution to Brooklyn and New York’s Street Art scene over the past years. We’re absolutely honoured to be in a position to host this event. In 1825 the first official Norwegian immigrants left these shores to settle in Brooklyn, at one point, over 200 000 Norwegians could be found living in the borough where, over the years, they left their mark.

For more info, check out www.nuart.no

TAGS: Current Events

Graffiti on the Thalys from Raphael on Vimeo.

4 notorious graffiti artists painting live the new Thalys Paris - Cologne.
SEAK (Cologne), Jonone (Paris), Sozyone (Brussels), and Zedz (Amsterdam) painted four cars of the European king train today at “Gare du Nord” in Paris. They had 3 hours and 15 minutes to finish the painting, that’s the new time the new Thalys needs from Paris to Cologne.

On the video, the Thalys leaves the brussels station the 15th of September.

TAGS: Current Events

We’re big fans of Y-3 and their yearly fashion week presentations. This year was no different. The nationalistic system of fashion gear was paired very successfully with some radical violins to the delight of hundreds of industry folks and fashion cognoscenti. At the end, Mr Yamamoto’s traditional bow was a very untraditional impromptu soccer match with French soccer superstar Zinedine Zidane. Brilliant!

TAGS: Current Events

Photo by Rachel Papo

Rachel Papo is an Israeli who was born in 1970 in Columbus, Ohio but was raised in Israel. She began photographing as a teenager and attended a renowned fine-arts high-school in Haifa, Israel. At age eighteen she served in the Israeli Air Force as a photographer. These two intensive years of service inspired her current photographic project titled after her own number during service—Serial No. 3817131.

Check out more of Rachel’s work on her website.

Photo by Rachel Papo

Photo by Rachel Papo

TAGS: Current Events