Live and Wild

Finally all of my toiling has come to an end! Check out my thesis project BRDWLK at it's new digital home. I relearned ActionScript to build the site (it had been a while) but feels really nice to finally wrap up my thesis documentation.

Odd Future

Lately I've been doing a ton of thinking about possible post-graduation avenues. It's exciting and intimidating all at once, especially when all I want do is focus on my thesis. I finally got the site up www.brdwlk.com which will be coded/updated/something-beyond-a-splash-paged soon! Also, my new and improved portfolio is live and wild.

Luke Williams & Adam Okrasinski (MICA Alumni) came to talk to my senior seminar class last night about working in the advertising industry. They were particularly honest, insightful, and positive. They confirmed whatever notations I had about what the ad world was like. It was nice to hear it from someone on the inside with a sense of humor. Luke and Adam's talk also really made me think critically about where the hell it is that I want to work and live in the next five years.

Anywho, I'll leave you with this awesome photo of Anthony Kiedis and Rick Rubin while I return to my grind.

ttyl internet *~

Eddie Opara // Pecha Keetra // Senior Thesis Insight

Poster by MICA Graphic Design MFA candidate Aviv Lichter

Here's an article I recently contributed to the MICA Graphic Design Blog

So, imagine that you’ve spent the past 4-5 months thinking, ideating, researching, falling in love with whatever it is you’ve been focusing on. Then imagine, developing a project relating to your interest that you will spend the next 3 months designing, building and installing. THEN imagine that 2 weeks into R&D (research and development, get familiar) you have to present the ethos of your project to the newest partner at Pentagram; in the form of a Pecha Kucha, meaning 20 keynote sides, each slide of information lasting a mere 20 seconds long.

That is what happened to myself and number of other seniors in Keetra Dean Dixon’s Advanced Graphic Design 2 class this past Monday! As I am sure you can imagine, anticipating this was far more strenuous than the actual presenting, which was awesome. Some nerve-easing factors were, these presentations were about process, which is what Eddie Opara, said new partner at pentagram, was going to lecture about later in the evening. Also, his audience was going to be a little bit bigger, and filled with people he didn’t know. So we were in similar boats. Eddie was incredibly friendly and insightful. It was such an excellent opportunity to share our projects with someone with a completely different set of references and fresh perspective.

After having shared our Pecha Kucha presentations with him, his lecture became even more meaningful. Eddie shared his tales of perpetual revision, tumultuous review boards and how every discovery can lead to a excellent idea in future projects. An encapsulating quote as tweeted by MICA_GD “A piece is never finished. It’s always going on. You are trying to advance upon what you’ve done beforehand. I love that.”

Love at the Seaside

From Emil Salvini's book, Jersey Shore: Vintage Images of Bygone Days


Thesis research and development is seriously underway. I'm presenting the ethos of my project to the newest partner from Pentagram, Eddie Opara, tomorrow afternoon. I'm excited but also a little nervous. I'm hoping new shoes will bring me additional confidence and luck

Completely Fascinated - Boardwalk Empire

The following is a short essay from my thesis blog:

Completely Fascinated - Boardwalk Empire

This video is an amazing look at the creation of the Boardwalk Empire set. Completely built from the ground up in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, this ‘boardwalk’ is so incredibly detail orientated and completely believable. I’m really interested in how these locations have been altered to convey such a tangible reality.



While the period of time this set is recalling is not one I have first hand memory of, it’s one that my grandparents do. I’ve spent days in Atlantic City in the mid 1990s, early 2000s and as recently as two months ago and there are still recognizable land marks and remnants of an aspiration to be “Time Square on the Seashore”. Culturally now there is still a dichotomy between extreme poverty and intense opulence, just in a more modern context. Both now and then, Atlantic City is a prime destination for adults. If you are under 21, it’s quite boring. You can’t gamble, you can’t eat in casino restaurants, all you can really do is hang out in the luxurious mall at Caesar’s waiting for the hourly ‘Dancing Waters’ fountain spectacular or troll the boardwalk looking at elderly people in interestingly patterned track suits. I turned 21 in 2010, and still the most enjoyable part of spending the day in Atlantic City is observing the passage of time. While there are beautifully designed new boutique hotels like Mucca’s Chelsea and theme restaurants like Buddhakan and The Continental nothing appeals to me more than walking down the planks to Boardwalk Hall. Built in 1929, the facade still manages to inspire that feeling of anticipated entertainment. When visiting places like the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, or The Asbury Park Convention Center (that’s a whoooole nother post) I can’t help imagining what it must have been like to be there in the past. Not just way back (Boardwalk Empire-esque past), but even just the mid 1980s. I can only compare the imagined images I have of this time to things I’ve discerned from family members, google image search, and Bruce Springsteen.

I’m so interested in how the passing of time effects ‘landmark’ places. No matter what, certain destinations remain on countless ‘must see’ lists. Is it because of the unique environment provided by said place? Boardwalks will always have the natural allure of the ocean, which has always held a power over people. The combination of flashing lights, melodic yet cantankerous sounds, salty smells, sweet treats and huge, wondrous man-made structures on the sea is somehow, magic.