talk

In the past, the perception of genius was counter-productive to the collaborative working environment so crucial for most of us today. Yet we’re still enamored with this classic sense of the genius as the steadfast individual that toils on his own towards a huge breakthrough that revolutionizes art or science. Ayn Rand’s hero in “the Fountainhead” embodied this concept, as does the perennial Albert Einstein who has been representing this “genius brand” for the past 30 years.

As defined by Wikipedia a genius is a person of great intelligence, who shows an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work. But how applicable is this to our everyday? The idea of the solitary genius working in a vacuum producing breakthrough work on his or her own is swiftly going the way of the VHS players, walkmans, & Cd’s. The notion that some are “born with it” and others are not may be true but at the end it’s those that best pursue the “it” through perseverance and collaboration that will most likely snag the genius title.

continue reading “The Genius Connection”

It makes sense when you think about it.

Ralph Lauren can remake the Great Gatsby with all its 1920’s American Royalty luxury. Juicy Couture could put out a 16th century raunchy French comedy full of dark humor and cotton candy wigs. Levis could remake Rebel without a Cause, or reinvent a great American tradition in need of an update: The Western. DKNY can tell a futuristic city sleek story of action, ambition and betrayal. Alexander McQueen could make a series of shorts: Grimms Fairy Tales, for adults.

With Product placement becoming more of the norm, it seems like only the big studios and the fashion & luxury brands will be able to rescue my favorite genre before it becomes to expensive to produce: The period piece; The historical fantasy; Those films that take you to a time and place before products.

I could go on and on, about the different designer luxury brands that could tell fabulous stories, it’s an expensive endeavor, and few will take the risk even though the rewards might very well skyrocket their brands. continue reading “Will fashion brands join the Advertainment revolution shooting movies that tell a trend story?”

Ok, so with all thats been going on in the democratic party, i couldn’t resist one political rant.If Barack Obama wants to make a transformative impact on the politics of this country, he will start with his choice in Vice President. This choice will say a lot about him. Whether he’s truly seeking someone who will complement him ideologically and otherwise to help win over those that do not trust him. Whether he can stand up to the strong enclaves of power within his own party and look to what’s really right for him, his team, and the country at whole.Hillary Clinton is a brilliant woman, a strong leader and a good public servant, but Hillary Clinton is not the right VP choice for Barack Obama. Even though this “dream team” may unite the party for a moment, chances are great that it will fraction it further in the long run.And at the end of the day, it’s not just the democratic vote Barack needs. He needs the independent vote, the vote of people who are pro-family but are concerned about gas prices, the economy; the vote of antiwar Republicans that are upset with their party. He needs to show that he understands their moral concerns, and can bridge and foster dialogue in areas where more is needed.This two party system must evolve with the needs of the country, and Barack can champion that evolution with a solid if controversial ticket that truly showcases a solid team that can lead the country, not just half the country.

I love to draw naked people. Fat ones, skinny ones old ones young ones, for some reason that passion that I had in Art school of trying to capture as much as I can about a person by the expressions of their bodies lives with me still.
I realize that figurative work has not been in vogue for a while, and I wonder why I am still obsessed with drawing the figure inside out. I think it has to with an honest exploration of our humanness and its different forms of manifestations.

The body has a language that communicates so much. It can be subtle or flamboyant; awkward, self-conscious, tired, earnest, graceful, poised, monumental. Models say so much about themselves with their body movements. Maybe I’m also attracted to the idea that the unclothed individual occupies a timeless place, where the same thoughts, yearnings and attitudes and anxieties have existed for thousands of years. Over and over again I paint the experience, pressure, enlightenment, acceptance, sensuality, anger or ambition that each person presents me with. I relish the structure of their core, the curves of their reserves, the expression of their hands and feet and the experience of their faces. I capture with my line, what their bodies tell me with the same tone and intensity. I suppose the way I draw people also says a lot about the artist, but I’ll leave that to the viewer.

for more drawings check out more naked people.

I give special thanks to Eviva the monumental, Robin the brash, Rebbecca the beautiful, and those many others who’s name I cannot remember who graced the model stands at Pratt & Parson’s campus’s from 91 to 98.

Enjoy!

When a reporter El Universal called me up to interview me for the 99th anniversary edition of the paper I was flattered. I’ve been in this country so long, most of my Venezuelan friends consider me “Gringa” and though I’m a proud co-founder and CCO of the vox collective, I can’t really say that I’ve done anything that deserved this kind of special recognition from my country of birth. This left me thinking, what could i do for my paternal country. How could I best serve Venezuela from my unique position on the outside. Could others do the same with out becoming some sort of partisan group with a political agenda? I believe it is possible to do good without serving a politically polarizing agenda. I believe sustainable positive change be fostered by actively pooling together the right resources, be it limited to social services and communication arts. I’ll be spinning my wheels to see what i can do on this front. If you have an opinion on the subject or would like to get actively involved in “doing good” for Venezuela with out a political agenda feel free to contact me at sjaramillo@thevoxcollective.com

http://www.eluniversal.com/aniversario/99/99a6_art_susan-jaramillo_28A1538305.shtml

Corporations are shaping pop culture by paying for movies, producing television shows, and showcasing directly with Artists. The surreal advertising landscape of 2002’s “Minority report” is coming to life as interactive billboards and blockbuster video games offer a whole new way to build brand mindshare with the next generation of big spenders.

Brand & consumer planning, that infamous service that everyone talks about and none want to pay for, is becoming more and more of a business imperative as consumers get more sophisticated and overexposed. Planners are key to establishing the foundation for both the creative and the media teams, feeding them actionable insights to make sure the campaigns they produce hit home.

The walls are coming down as these teams work together in a more integrated fashion, feeding off each other, as the competition for consumer memory cells becomes a greater challenge than ever before. In this competitive landscape, savvy clients cannot make the mistake of confusing media efficiency models for effective media strategy. continue reading “The Creative Media Mindset”

I’ve had this in my head for a while. A lush tropical world where the birds, butterflies and the beats come together to give you a magical place. A lush island setting where the roots hang down from the trees. Its colorful, its fashionable, it’s at the essence of who who may of us that come from tropical places are… This is the beginning of a series, and the canvases will be big.

Stay tuned.

Conservatives who are anti the war will vote for Obama instead of McCain. Obama is less polarizing than Hillary and more acceptable to conservatives who are not so anti-immigration and want to get out of Iraq. He seems to have an independent take on issues that feel honest and refreshing and projects an image of someone who is not spouting political rhetoric. He has also managed to stay on the high road when most politicians start to get ugly. He’s shown judgment, education, class and polish so far, if not as much experience as some would like. I think a lot of republicans that want out of Iraq will be wearing those buttons…