It was fun designing this.

How-Tos and Why-Tos

1. I used some pictures I had taken back in 2000 or 2001, of two people kissing. Printed them in black and white and cut the silhouettes with the scissors. I know it’s possible to crop them in Photoshop, I just think it’s much more fun to cut around the outlines with the scissors!
2. I then scanned the two silhouettes in high resolution, manipulated them a little (i love the guy’s profile, but her nose needed some Photoshop surgery)
3. … coloured them in red and yellow to remind the German flag
4. … then mixed in Photoshop separately each silhouette with a part of of Berlin (East and West). I put the head over the appropriate map, scaled, rotated and distorted it until it fitted the form and dimensions of the map, then erased some parts of the head and some parts of the map, until they could be merged into one form. Had to repaint some details, because the fusion was visible or not fitting in some parts. It was somehow difficult to decide where the head stops and where the map starts. For East Berlin (right), I kept the girl’s chin, because a detail of the map looks like a neck and this fitted nicely together. As both faces are tilted, to counterpoint the chin and create some balance in the overall image, I kept the boy’s complete forehead. I like this tilted line, starting from the bottom of her chin going up to his forehead.
5. I then repositionned the two forms – I approached the too heads to another, to make sure her nose is hidden under his nose. Just kidding… I let a couple of millimeters distance between their lips, to give this “encounter” some suspense and to symbolize the nearness of East and West Berlin, divided by a single wall.
6. Last, I created some distressed effects and tactile imperfections in Photoshop. Although there are ready collections of layers and plug-ins available that give a distressed effect, I prefer to create my own effects, so I can have more control on the result. I often work with scanned vintage photographs or with digital pictures of wall structures and painted surfaces. In this case, I used the eraser tool and my instinct: I erased some parts of the maps/heads using different opacities, different brushes and several brush diameters and hardnesses. It’s a very “tactile” technique.
7. For the slogan, I used a distressed font by Clément Nicolle (Stereotype). I bought this font a couple of years ago, love this guys fonts. The slogan itself, “Wir hassen Grenzen” (we hate limits, in German) – well I’m still not sure if it’s the best I could find. Perhaps it should have been something more “obvious”, so everybody understands it’s about the reunion of West and East Berlin. But I don’t really like obvious slogans. I tried to integrate the words “East” and “West” on the maps, but it didn’t  fit – it took away the purity of this “kiss”. So it will have to remain a design for “connoisseurs”!

Note: There’s no symbolism in the choice of male (West Berlin) and female (East Berlin) – I just chose the silhouettes according to their visual compatibility with the appropriate map – their sex is not recognizable anyway, at least that was my plan…

Don’t hesitate to comment and write here your thoughts.

PS. I would like to thank Tomo Usuda for including my work in his article Hybridised Practice Critical Review: Historical ethical aesthetic of digital tech (Blog “Berlin mit Berlin, December 10, 2009)

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The same design exists in English and Spanish:

If you wish to buy this design on t-shirt, mug, bag or other, just click on the picture.

Some reading:

• The Wheelchair Fashion Manifesto
• “I want sexy clothes” by Wheelchair Dancer

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So I’ve been contacted by a client today, who wished to have this design … on baby t-shirt! I explained her that I avoided putting this design on kid t-shirts, because I didn’t think there would be so young activists out there! In fact it’s a “harsh” series of designs, very political, very profound, with very strong slogans. I never thought kids would wear this. She replied: “We have got to start them early…”

A couple of months ago, another mother contacted me and requested a kids hoodie with a slogan against the use of child soldiers, for her 12-year-old daughter.

Kids become politically aware youth if they learn to live and grow up in a politically aware family. You have to discuss politics at home, in front of the kids, so they can develop interest in politics and in what is going on in the world. Don’t change the topic if they ask you questions and don’t let them center dinner conversation to what happened today at school: discuss politics with your children and read the daily news with them, explain them all about elections and teach them about political figures they should be aware of!

For the back-to-school season, Ina Mar Art and The Earth Shop designed especially for politically and environmentally aware kids and youth original green notebooks, human rights notebooks and disability awareness notebooks and journals.

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There are some many beautiful details in our every day environment, and they are changing and developping every single day! I sometimes envy people who (due to a disability) are confined to and gifted with a slow walk, because they have the time to contemplate all this during they are walking! This thought made me create the following slogan:

I know this particular font is a bit difficult to read, but I love it, it’s so positive, like every word is smiling out the message…

Here’s the message a fellow designer sent me about this shirt:
I loved “I move slowly so I can enjoy every moment of life.” You can’t tell that I have partially numb feet so I walk slowly making sure my foot is on the ground before taking the next step. I don’t look like I am walking differently except slow. Since there doesn’t look like there is anything wrong with me I hear a lot of HMMMPPPHHHHs!!! in back of me. I have nerve damage that fortunately won’t get worse but I’d rather walk a little slower than fall down. And I am not all that slow. Like not as slow as someone that has to use a walker for example. But I do enjoy when someone who is extra indignant has the nerve to say something and I say, “Oh I’m sorry if my nerve damaged feet move too slowly to suit you. Please forgive me for even trying to breath the same air as you.” I often get an apology and hopefully taught that person that not all disabilities are recognizable. My other favorite is, “sorry you didn’t have your lights and siren on so I can get out of the way for your emergency!!!”. I have to say more people are polite then rude, so the rude ones I consider entertainment LMAO.
Peace,
Rhonda

Thanks Rhonda for your wonderful message!

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In the meanwhile I’ve created many new disability awareness posters and t-shirts with a bunch of new slogans like “Disability poses no limits to sport“, “Disability poses no limits to sex“, “Help disabled kids reach their potential“… My new disability awareness calendar 2009 is on its way too:

Some new environmental posters too: “Teach children to respect and conserve our natural resources (Then make sure you practice what you preach!)”:

A new Green Calendar 2009 is on its way too, with a mixture of old and new designs about gas conservation, going green and the natural world. Lots of people liked and bought my environmental calendar last year, so I hope I’ll make some more walls green and cheerful this year!

Don’t hesitate to send me your ideas and feedback, I’m there to create what YOU are looking for!

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~ William Arthur Ward

I discovered this inspirational saying. William Arthur Ward (1921 – 1994) was an American author and educator. I used the last part of the quote to create a couple of disability awareness t-shirts:

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Here’s the article (in Greek):

And here the translation:

Surfing in the English-language web site www.cafepress.com, we discovered one of our girls, a creative one.  Ina Mar studied the History of Arts in Paris, then settled down in Munich and designs witty, approachable objects for all: posters with “manipulated” sculpture photos, t-shirts, cloth bags, calendars, little magnets, with “moral” messages about peace, ecology, special needs, but also more provocative designs for those who wish to showcase their humour on a t-shirt or wall clock. This “Sorry honey, I recycled our wedding rings! Believe me I did it for the environment” is just perfect! – J. Gomouza

I am really happy about it, but what bothers me is the fact they didn’t mention the URL or name of my web site. So if someone wants to learn more about my activities, they’ll have to google me…

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This design is part of a series of ecological and human rights designs I started creating in September 2007:

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I am preparing a series of “I hate art” quotes…

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