Even More Vicious History

admin    T-Shirts     art shirts, emptees, graphic tees, limited edition, t-shirt art, vicious history

It’s been a long old while since I first reviewed Vicious History, a distinctive label with a penchant for taking pops at famous moments and figures throughout the past. Their take on a rather haggard Napoleon is still indelibly marked on my mind. Before we take a look at what they’ve been up to over the past six months or so, (and yes they have been busy), I’ve managed to wangle a week long discount code for all you lucky lucky people. Just enter the voucher code buytees at the checkout for a very respectable 15% off anything you purchase. This offer lasts until the 26th of January 2011.

Atropos Tee

Featuring a beautiful rendition of the amazing Death Head Hawkmoth (aka “Acherontia Atropos”, this one is pure class. The vintage border really beefs up that gravitas. A lurverly design by the awesome t-shirt artist and familiar face at Emptees – PitchGrim. $24 but only XL left in this tee and Medium in this tank =0

Scholars & Thieves Tee

Again only available in XL again and seeing as this and all their tees are limited edition I guess there’s no chance of a restock :/ Ah well, hopefully VH will let me know pronto when their next collection is released! I’m not exactly sure what the Scholars & Thieves Marksmen Club is but it sounds dodgy to me. Luckily the design hits the bullseye :p Designed by Brazilian artist Gabriel Gozzer. Get it for $24 in black XL.

Dream Catcher Tank

Also available as a tee this rather Shamanic contribution is definitely on my level. Another expert design by t-shirt artist Craig Robson. Again only XL sizes left for the tee and the tank.

Wild Wolves Tank

Another gorgeous design by Gabriel Gozzer, even though Wild Wolves is almost sold out you’ll be glad to know there’s now a Wild Wolves II. The originals are available as a tee and tank in (you guessed it) XL only for $20 each. This all should be rich pickings for the super-sizers! Whilst the Wild Wolves II tee is available for $24 in ALL SIZES!! That’s S to XL.

Wild Wolves II Tee

Get them whilst they’re hot.

Let’s hope for a more timely Vicious History post next time!

Zero Footprint Tees

admin    T-Shirt News     art tees, eco t-shirts, eco tees, t-shirt art, zero carbon footprint

This one’s just for fun so put your dosh away and if you really want one of these tees:

1. You’re mad, in a very likeable way.

2. You’ll have to make one yourself.

We all know the phrase “art imitating life” but here’s a new one on me… art imitating tees. Dave Rittinger is a highly regarded NY Born / NJ Raised conceptual artist – currently working with two legendary American conceptual artists and sculptors Dennis Oppenheim and Alice Aycock. With Dennis and Alice Dave he has worked on speculative and commissioned public art projects all over the world while continuing to operate on his own conceptual work that embraces various mediums from film to sculpture, installation and still image.

His Zero Footprint shirts are exactly that, well almost, asides the glue they are about as ecological as you can get. You guessed it – they’re made entirely from leaves.

Zero Footprint Tees

A hilarious collection I know, but still, somehow a comment on just how difficult it will be to fix the mess the human race is in right now. I was watching the documentary “Collapse” the other night and thinking on exactly the same lines. If you still want new tees when the oil runs out make sure you have these in your garden:

A cotton field.
A loom.
A large selection of berries and metal oxides for dye.
An optimistic outlook.

Until then – have fun ;)

Wearable T-Shirt Magazine

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     Jeremyville, t-post, t-post.se, t-shirt art, t-shirt editorial, t-shirt magazine

It was bound to happen, if you took a straw poll of all the people in the world who wear t-shirts and read magazines, tens of millions at the very least would fall into that particular category. That’s why T-Post.se have been doing so well, they’ve seen a niche, a formerly and utterly ignored niche, and conquered it. Of course they’re not selling t-shirts printed with a t-shirt magazine, that would be mad (wouldn’t it? lol). Their stories feature everything from the medical condition sexsomnia to negotiating a war to a nostalgia for cassette tapes, exploration, super drugs, privacy and voyeurism, my all-time favourite author Charles Bukowski and even a pet subject of mine human devolution. Devolution is a term that economists and bankers often bandy about, but it’s rare to see anyone else (other than yours truly) bring up the term in this context.

I only came across T-Post the other day, my partner Christina stumbled upon an article about the label at Annie Spandex, (one of our favourite indie fashion blogs out there), and I have to admit the concept is startlingly impressive. What’s more their challenging magazine topics and editorial finesse are backed up by a fantastic selection of top of the line illustrations and designs. Rest assured when it comes to style T-Post don’t take their eye off the ball for a minute. This is one of those rare occasions where I’m tempted to pry an interview out of this brand, at least one person running the show has to have a rather, how can I put this, ‘left field’ mind to conjure up this supremely logical yet surreal idea for a t-shirt company.

The natural extension to the idea of themed tees and themed collections is here, T-Post is a logical progression on the thinking behind all the themed contests and competitions available at so many t-shirt sites and communities these days. They have some great artists under their wing including Patrik Soderstam,Andy Rementer, John Nordqvist, Steven Burke and the absolutely crazy Jeremyville. I can assure you I know ‘big’ when I see it, sometimes I wish I was rich (amongst other reasons) just so I could invest in companies like this. On paper their business plan may seem insane, I’m sure they’ve had their run of doubting Thomas bank managers in their time, but I for one can see T-Post taking off in a big big way.

Let’s browse this veritable library of challenging art shirts, a feast for both the eyes and the mind!
read more

Have A Whale Of A Time At Finroo

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     Finroo, Finroo.com, art collective, crowd sourcing, t-shirt art, t-shirt artists, t-shirt contest

Before you start on me – yes it’s another crowd sourcing t-shirt contest site – this time the web design is absolutely top notch, they offer truly limited edition tees, there’s at least one very very highly talented artist on their books and Finroo‘s attention to detail is unparalleled. All of their t-shirts are made from softer than soft bamboo which is a delight to wear as well as great for the environment – machine washable, all natural and a hypo-allergenic, absorbent, and fast drying. The tees are sold at an average market price of $34.95, I was recently approached for a review by an independent label that also sold bamboo tees and couldn’t afford to offer them less than $49 and so Finroo’s figures seem impressive. What’s more they donate $1 from every t-shirt sold to charity so you can literally feel the good karma effervescing from this company.

Finroo are very much aware of the secret to their success, their artists, and they duly provide full and profiles for everyone of them. Their creations are featured in a variety of amusing categories including Endangered Species (which I suppose are sold up), Newly Evolved, Biggest Fish and Freshly Caught. There’s also a currently empty (but I doubt will be for long) Hall of Fame which is reserved for their all-time best-sellers, and a friendly blog to keep up with all the latest goings on at Finroo. It’s big, it’s bright, it doesn’t bite, Finroo has a killer set-up here and I can see them catching on, especially with the artistic vision of their numero uno right now John Fitzpatrick who has a marvellous comic art style and is incredibly prolific to boot. I promise not to make this a John Fitzpatrick review but in all honesty this guy has set the benchmark so high I don’t know when he’ll find himself creatively nipped at the toes as it were. If I was running Finroo I’d make the guy a partner – lol, that should stir things up. Anyway Finroo have given John the accolade of being the first Spotlight Artist and the interview is definitely worth checking out. Let’s dive in to Finroo and see what’s down there… read more

tFuse – Fusing Talent And Recognition

admin    T-Shirt News     Threadless, artists, t-shirt art, t-shirt competition, t-shirt contest, t-shirt videos, tFuse, tFuse.com, videos

Want to be famous? Want to be famous for making t-shirts? Good. tFuse is a community that uses t-shirts and video to promote all types of artists. Following in the vein of many t-shirt crowd sourcing sites out there, this company offers a little something extra in the way of video exposure to ensure their artists get as much exposure as possible. After a hefty 7 month beta tFuse are ready to bombard the unsuspecting public with your greatest offerings. What’s particularly interesting about tFuse and the people behind it is their focus on creative and artistic talent, they’re not just following the traditional route of dipping into the usual pool of t-shirt talents out there, they’re giving a worldwide shout to all artists from every background, using the medium of the t-shirt as a primary tool for publicity and exposure for the unsung heroes of the artistic community.

I’ve argued this before and will again (I’m sure), essentially there are slow routes and quick routes for making a name in the arts world, take graffiti for instance, many names in this modern urban genre have made it big through public recognition, word-of-mouth, one fan telling another and so on. Not stuffy old galleries in the back streets of trendy city ghettos, but every street in every town in every city of the world. Another way an artist can boost their profile in the public arena is to print t-shirts, the more people who wear them the better known their work will become. This is exactly the philosophy of tFuse and then some. Combining t-shirt art with video promotion is probably one of the fastest ways any artist can reach the public immediately and in quantifiable numbers.

Yes I think the logo needs work, I’d have thought within 7 months something more imaginative could’ve been sourced, but hey they have enough artists on their books, what about asking them to create one, I’m sure they could offer a good incentive? Talking of incentives, they offers lots of ways to earn money and t-shirts in their referral program, so if you aren’t to au fait with creativity you can still join in and make a few bucks, or rather FuseBucks.

If a friend likes your t-shirt they’ll ask where you bought it, they’ll check the source and most likely won’t want to but exactly the same design (unless you’re actually twins a la ‘The Shining‘ – those doppelg√§nger types out there really freak me out). So back to the point, they buy another design, they wear it, now two of your works are on ‘public display’ somewhere in the world and so the ripple effect has begun. I’ve never believed in network marketing or pyramid schemes, but I do believe in the power of fashion to spread the message as fast as possible. So many large charity movements like Live Aid have used t-shirts to viral effect, so why not artists? Now don’t get me wrong, their use of videos isn’t as cut and thrust as your usual corporate dross out there, it’s all creative no matter the format, you won’t get far making a video of you telling the world to “buy my tees – they are great”. No, this is all about personality, brand identity, a unique reality that the public will either lap up or won’t. Just the way comedians conjure up a scenario, or writers and directors set the stage, the public want to be enticed, enveloped, engulfed in the minds of their favourite bands, artists, and celebrities in general. The only difference is you won’t have a big PR firm doing it all for you, you have to do it yourself, which is really the name of the game these days.

The site is still a little bare right now, but that can work to your advantage, the less competition there is the more chance you have of becoming established before tFuse really takes off. Just imagine combining the power of Youtube with Threadless and you’re half way there. All it takes is a little imagination and a lot of hard work and perseverance. Are you up to the challenge? Do you want to be the next t-shirt idol? Then take a look at what you’re up against right now… read more

Tees and Tats – Where East Meets West

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     Marco Serio, NY fashion, limited edition fashion, t-shirt art, tattoo t-shirts, tattoos, world famous tattoos

Tattoo T-Shirts have always been a firm favourite in the graphic art t-shirt scene, and Tees and Tats (TeesAndTats.com), a relatively newcomer has recently released its first offerings, all of which have been designed by one of the world’s most celebrated tattoo artists, Marco Serio. Marco Serio began tattooing in a small town on the outskirts of Lisbon, Portugal. He always had a dream of building a reputation as a world class Japanese-style tattooist, before long Mario relocated to New York where he perfected his style further, garnering the admiration of both the global tattoo community and eventually the arts world as a whole.

As word spread throughout the close-knit New York arts scene, two forward thinking and highly ambitious modern Jewish Orthodox cousins (Jeremy and Ben Parker) hooked up with Marco and convinced him that his work was what the fashion industry had been waiting for. Mario spent considerable time designing each exclusive print at the prestigious Invisible NYC art gallery and tattoo studio on Orchard Street. As soon as the artwork was completed for the Parker brothers’ seven original and licensed t-shirt designs, commissioned specifically for Tees and Tats, Jeremy and Ben soon launched and began to promote their tattoo print collection of signature contemporary art shirts.

Jeremy in particular was proverbially ‘over the moon’ at the formation of the label ‘Tees and Tats’, having been fascinated by the intricacy and superb illustrative style of Eastern tattoo art. Soon the two fashion entrepreneurs continue to build the brand and showcase their revolutionary collection of high-art streetwear, setting a new standard, previously unseen in the industry. Every shirt is as I have stated, an original design, forming a fabulous and unique limited edition (700 numbered shirts for each design). Each tee is signed by the artist, printed to the most impeccable standards, made from the softest 100% combed ringspun cotton, and as you would expect, centred around Serio’s glorious Japanese tattoo artwork read more

More Dirty Laundry!

admin    T-Shirt News     Flickr, Honolulu, dirty laundry, stain, stain printing, stain t-shirts, stained art, stained tees, t-shirt art, t-shrit stain

DirtyDirtyLaundry.com have just released some photos of the processes of design and production their weird and wacky designers go through to create their t-shirt art. You can see all their photos at Flickr.com

If you’re not sure what the hell I’m talking about here, check out The Art of The Stain at Dirty Laundry – all of their shirts are 100% cotton American Apparel, and 10% of their profits go to the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii. The exhibition is Jesse Arneson and Chris Thomas of Seeing Red, and they welcome enquiries from anyone who wishes to exhibit their work in their own city! I’m guessing they mean your local gallery as opposed to the nearest launderette – then again I’ve seen an art exhibition held in some Victorian public conveniences in London, or was that just graffiti? Lol. read more

The Art of the Stain at Dirty Laundry

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     art of the stain, art shirts, dirty laundry, dirtydirtylaundry.com, stain printing, stain t-shirt art, stained t-shirts, stained tees, staining t-shirts, t-shirt art, t-shirt art exhibition

Dirty Laundry: The Art of the Stain in Modern T-Shirt Design. Yes it’s true, I’m not pulling your leg! Shortly after my post on t-shirt staining, Mariko Merritt of the Hawaiian Nuuanu Gallery contacted me with the aim of plugging their latest exhibition, and for all intense purposes it features dirty t-shirts. They asked designers to stain t-shirts with a medium of their choice (grass, wine, lipstick, etc.) and then design custom artworks that use the stain as an integral design element. They’ve gathered an impressive group of artists to be in the show (Mike Perry, Damien Correll, Frank Chimero, Kris Chau, April Lee, Alan Konishi, Andrew DeGraff, Christopher David Ryan, Jason Laurits, Wyeth Hansen and Ryan Dunn, Kate Bingaman-Burt, Keetra Dean Dixon, Nikolay Saveliev, Nathaniel Russell, Roanne Adams, Rosemarie Fiore, Roland Adams, Steve Kibayu, Alan Konishi, Roland Adams, Simon Ruby, Topos Graphics, Travis Stearns & Tim Gough) and they are expecting a great collection of unique limited edition t-shirts. read more

Full Bleed Ahead With Rob Dobi

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     Connecticut, USA t-shirts, art shirts, fullbleed, original tees, rob dobi, t-shirt art, t-shirt designer, unique t-shirts, vector designs

I knew it wouldn’t be long before I’d have to bring your attention to Rob Dobi and his Connecticut-based designer t-shirt label Full Bleed. Last year Rob focused a lot more on band tees and commissions, however now he has his own label up and running, although I’d ignore the home page – it says ‘Summer collection ’08 Coming Soon’, and to be honest I think we’re already there, although you couldn’t tell by the British weather :/

I love the simplicity of Rob’s t-shirts, almost every one of his designs offers a pithy pun and a surrealist sidelong glance at the world, something I’m sure Threadless would dress down, (I know that from bitter experience), however I’m giving this guy full marks for a great collection of unique and individualistic tees. I suppose I do lean towards his kind of style whenever I’m scouring the net for originality and purpose in the world of t-shirts, Rob has it by the bucketful. I’d love to create a collection as cohesive as this, I do come up good ideas (honest), but stylistically I dart about depending on the topic. That isn’t the way to create a long lasting collection (as does Glennz for instance), Dobi has an immediately recognisable ouevre and he capitalises on it. I don’t, I chop and change, I feel that different subjects deserve different treatments, though Glennz’s ideas and angle on the world are immediately recognisable, Dobi is more subtle, producing ideas from a slightly askew view of the world. I’d say that Dobi must be one of the best at what he does, a subtle design with an even more subtle message. read more

The Best of the Best: Outstanding T-Shirts (Designed by Humans)

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     art shirts, best t-shirts, dbh, design, designbyhumans, designbyhumans.com, greatest t-shirts, human design t-shirts, illustration, t-shirt art, tees

I need to purge all that negativity from my last post and focus on some of the greatest t-shirts available on the net right now. I could just vegetate in front of the TV, or argue with the neighbour about controlling his wayward dog and teenage son, or spend the remainder of my weekend inputting data at my new t-shirt printers directory. Sounds like another awful weekend, I’m sure one day I’ll be able to afford such luxuries, however until then I’ll turn to one of my favourite obsessions, great t-shirt design, and thought you’d like to see a selection of tees that have caught my eye from this legendary t-shirt label. read more