Coexistence by Tang Yau Hoong has to be my pick for shirt of the week- I'm loving the surrealism of it. It uses negative space from between the buildings to form trees, making the top of the design a cityscape while the bottom becomes a forest. A soft watercolor gradient unites the piece, while also giving the impression of a sunset. What really makes it work is that this isn't just a clever visual trick, it also makes a statement about the need for a balance between nature and civilization.
Wolvesblood by Kevin Devine is the first of this week's Selects, a wavy, almost nervous-looking wolf's face. The style is pretty sweet, and gives the wolf the feeling of being a very grizzled character. The only real question, then, is whether style is enough to make this stand out in a world where wolf tees are so common. For me, it isn't. I respect the work a lot, but couldn't help but wish it was some other animal, or that there were at least some kind of twist involved. This is a skilled piece, no question, but it lacks the feeling of freshness.
Brewed for Good Times by Darin Bendall is this week's other Select, and a piece that appeals to me a lot more. This scruffy robot is a charmer, full of an enthusiasm that matches the words around him (hell yess). The piece is centered around some extremely gritty handwriting that says Awesomeness, and that's the most polarizing feature by far. It's messy in a way that is much more extreme than the rest of the piece, and a bit hard to read to boot. Overall, I'm in favor because it is one of the factors that keeps this design feeling unique. But, it does feel out of step with come of the other elements (specifically the oddly clean oval that lies beneath the design). A little more work on uniting the composition might have made an already good tee even stronger.
Witching Hour by Sam Schuna (olie!) is a tight illustration, and makes the spectral transparency of the ghosts look very natural. There's also the beginnings of a story being told, with spirits escaping from the eye in the center of the clock as it strikes midnight. While I'm a fan of the art, I also have a hard time seeing this as a shirt I'd actually wear. Some of that is subject matter (I'm not a huge ghost person, so to me this is Halloween-only) and part of it is just not being crazy about how the clock just floats in space in the middle of the shirt. My general feeling is that if some of the ghosts had more prominence and had clear personalities, it might have won me over more. As is, though, I respect the work a lot although it isn't for me.
Bird Flu by Alex Solis (alexmdc) caught my eye with the color palette, both because I'm a sucker for purple shirts and because the yellow stands out so nicely. But on a closer look, I can't help but think this design isn't terribly flattering. I mean, there's a slightly crazed-looking bird. Vomiting a purple writhing mass that rises to the collar. And then your head pops out of it! This is great art, but I'm not seeing it as a t-shirt design.
Feathered Fringe by Joe Van Wetering (speedyjvw) is another tee this week that, for me at least, falls in the "good art, but who would wear it?" category. Of that bunch, though, this is the most wearable to me. Because of the one color style, it passes as a pattern (albeit a weird one). The feeling is more "the patten made by feathers is attractive" than "I want to wear feathers," and that's a very good thing. My feeling is that only a minority of people could wear something like this without looking ridiculous, but that also probably indicates that the design is pushing boundaries and I like that.
Arr, Let O' Me Nuts by Philip Tseng (pilihp) exploits the hoarding behavior of squirrels by comparing them to another set known for collecting and then hiding their treasures: pirates. The technique of drawing over photography works really well here, because it makes it feel as though we're seeing how the squirrels view themselves. Definitely adds to the humor of an already funny concept. Attention to detail is another strength here- each squirrel is decked out with a unique outfit and personality.
Preparing Homeward by Attila Szamosi (Peachbeach) is kind of an interesting case. I can tell it's a very well-drawn piece, obviously. But I have a really difficult time looking at it- something about the colors actually hurts my eyes, very perplexing. At any rate, it's a cool concept, showing aliens making themselves at home on a farm. But to me, the striping of the design (while it does emphasize the strangeness) makes it difficult to really delve into the scene and discover all the details.
It's all fun & games until someone brings a briefcase by Dan Maltzman is this week's debut Type Tee. The phrase centers on the sometimes blurry line between work and play, something that I think a lot of people will be able to relate to. The treatment is a perfect fit, not only housing the words in a briefcase but also using lettering that feels like classic advertisement. As slogan shirts go, this is top notch.
Threadless prints new shirts every week, chosen from the designs submitted by and voted on by site members. Winners get $2000 cash and $500 in Threadless credit, with the possibility to earn more through Bestee awards, poster prints, and reprints.
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Saturday, July 18
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