Unbranding Your House

Filed under: Art — joy at 10:52 am on Monday, February 26, 2007

I love what Keri Smith is doing over on her Wish Jar Journal. In considering the number of brand she uses in her daily life, she started covering up some of the products in her house with skins that she created herself. For example, here’s her toothpaste:


As she puts it:

I wanted to consider what my house might look like with no visable brand names on packaging. This got me thinking of various methods to have products blend into my environment in a fluid way, either by simulating something that I find aesthetically pleasing, or by somehow integrating them into my psyche (ie. making them practical or necessary.)

I really like this idea. It made me look around my own house and consider all the brands I look at on a daily basis without even realizing it. It’s amazing how integrated advertisements are in our lives. Most of us don’t even question their existence anymore. Anyway, I would love to no longer look at flashy headache-y brand advertisements on a daily basis. I even started copying Keri and printed out something to cover my Advil jar with, but then realized I was out of tape.

However! I will get some tape soon, and then, look out sneaky brands!

Other branded things Keri altered:


Her Cereal Box


Her Lotion, Mouthwash, and Soap


A Pack of Gum


Peanuts


Her Dish Soap

Kyle’s New Column

Filed under: Kyle Rankin — joy at 11:30 am on Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Check out Kyle’s new column at TechTarget! If you are a computer geek or simply tech-inclined, you will enjoy this column.

Come Listen To Us Read

Filed under: Misc, Word Pirates — joy at 9:14 am on Tuesday, February 6, 2007

I’m in the process of re-designing this site. So you may have to look at some weird things for awhile, like the current banner, for instance, until I have time to make a new one. In the meantime: You’re coming to my reading, right?

My writing group, Word Pirates, is holding its first, and possibly only, reading at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma. I will be reading for 7 minutes or so, a short story called Search of the King Cobra. Also reading: Morgan Elliott, Robin Cadogan, Noelani Price, Marcia Simmons, Steve Reid and Lindsay Riddell. There will be artists, cupcakes, swashbuckling and more!