Just what we need right now — someone to shed some light on the situation. Art director Kleber Matheus, whose graphic designs have found their way onto apparel from kingpin Brazilian labels Ellus and Neon, is getting props for his Neo Ornamental solo exhibit in Sao Paulo at Galeria Polinesia all done with neon tubes. Rather than be twisted into words that tell us whether a place is open or if it serves beer and pizza, he’s arranged them into geometrical forms and placed them in different settings like against a garden backdrop to offer up the discussion between organic versus the posed/manmade and how they can be used together in harmony to give off good vibes. Nevertheless, is it just me or do you feel like eating a hot dog all of a sudden?

Most eighteen year olds preparing to shove off to college in the fall are doing so to learn how they can change the world. Ethan Bodnar is not most eighteen year olds. In fact, this young whipper snapper has already done more in his young life than some people do in a lifetime. Already an accomplished graphic designer, author, entrepreneur, lest we forget, Eagle Scout…Bodnar has some pretty interesting new projects he’s looking to unleash on the world. Perhaps our favorite of his endeavors is his Grab Bag Book for HOW Books, which asks artists from around the world to “explore their creativity by being randomly assigned a creative task in a field of creative work they are not used to” ranging from building design to comic strip animation and beyond. The wunderkind also is responsible for several other projects including Videos For Creatives, a blog featuring videos from the online creative community, as well his own design blog. If he’s got this much going for him at such a young age, we give it at least until he’s twenty-two before he’s a household name. Check him out now so you can say you knew of him way back when.

What do we mean when we say someone has character? Do we mean they’re smart? That they look distinguished? Or maybe they’re quirky? Sometimes it could be all of those things or in the case of some corporate entities, it could mean that they’ve hired San Francisco-based creative agency, Character to extend and rejuvenate their brand. Founded by Benjamin Pham, Tish Evangelista, and Rishi Shourie in 1999, the agency has since worked high profile clients as Nike, Levi’s, Restoration Hardware, Kohler and Pottery Barn on everything from packaging to brand identity. While they were busy giving other companies the once over, Character figured they should throw themselves a little re-branding shindig. The result? A brand new website that adds just the right amount of character for the folks at Character.

Bruno Borges‘ designs are destined immediately for tees as soon as they’re realized, and we’re talking about every single one of them being cotton-worthy. The Sao Paulo graphic design artist has done some incredibly good font treatments that have made it onto the fronts of chests but also into the glossy pages of magazines. With illustrations of phrases saying “One Day Closer to Death” and “Don’t Get Any Big Ideas, They Are Not Gonna Happen,” Borges apparently isn’t afraid of putting a cynical bent to his work, a slant that gives it even more attitude without losing its appeal. One of his biggest clients so far is renowned Brazilian designer Alexandre Herchcovitch, in which he designed a special edition stamp for the brand and is a sure sign he’s on the up. This designer might be crossing into international waters soon.

Andrew Wilson is a jack of all creative trades. Throughout his career DC-Based design innovator has been able to show his complete command of the entire creative process across a wide range of fields from illustration to print advertising to game animation. Did we mention he also plays a mean keyboard? With the obvious importance of the arts in Wilson’s life, it only seems natural that he the current art director at Discovery Communications has crafted his own kick ass personal art, design and music site, Filter9. The site showcases Wilson’s ability to turn heads and perk up ears with his stunning photography, graphic design and musical talents. He also includes the work of other overlooked musicians that have allowed him to expand his horizons. Filter 9 isn’t just about Andrew Wilson, it’s about each person’s unique response to artistic stimulus he provides. Overall, it’s good stuff.

Sculptor R. Justin Stewart does amazing things with thread, rope, paint, pvc caps, and lots of tension. One striking piece, entitled Existing Independently, utilized fleece material to create 52 cubes held rigid with ropes to outline the USA. He also constructed an elaborate installation out of three miles of blue thread, lead fishing weights, and some frames. His latest project is an enormous installation Bus Structure 2am-2pm, made out of copper, wood, steel, and lots of blue thread. You can look, but don’t touch! His Behance portfolio gives a sense of just how well he has mastered his art.

Each week, JoshSpear.com explores the latest projects by top creative professionals in the Behance Network and highlights a few that are pushing the edge of creative industry. Josh Spear also serves as an Advisor and Guest Curator for the Behance Network.

Things have been busy for Boston artist Matt W. Moore. Sure we’ve talked about Wallspankers Magazine, the print campaigns, his semi-bohemian existence in the wilds of Vermont, but have we talked about the fourth edition of his Black & White Bangers? No? Good, because that’s exactly what’s happening. The humorous, abstract, and geometrical limited edition 6″ x 9″ Heavyweight Indigo prints are now up for grabs on his website. Each one is individually signed and numbered, with a limited run of 500 sets. Stop reading this! Click!

When it comes to having a career art, I guess you could say James White always had stars in his eyes. The Halifax, Nova Scotia based mixed media artist and graphic designer has been playing around with pencils since the age of four. Since then he's forged his own path, studying graphic design at the community college level and Interactive technology afterwards. Despite taking jobs in the website/ graphic design field, White has never stopped working on his unique brand of ‘retro-cosmic’ art. His stunning otherworldly creations, inspired by everything from Atari to Daft Punk certainly display a unique knack for expanding the viewer visual universe. If you'd like to set your sights further into White's outer space, we recommend heading over to his website, Signalnoise and checking out some of his creations for yourself.

Ji Lee wants little people to live on your ceiling. We think you should let him. After all, he’s the guy who gave New York the Bubble Project. The newest project from the guerrilla artist/ad man is Parallel World, a tiny musician’s living room where, ostensibly, tiny musicians come to write tiny AAA radio hits. You may know Lee’s “legitimate” work (he’s done ad campaigns for Cheerios, Tylenol, and Monster.com, as well as logos for New Museum and the Tap Project), but these vertical dioramas are just one of a number of independent projects he’s posted on his site. If you’re looking for some inspiration, commissioned scenes have already included rooms, ski slopes, art museums, and disaster scenes. Personally, we think a tiny Three Mile Island would really be lovely in the rec room.

You have heard by now that Polaroid film is dying. Rightfully, no, but inevitably, yes, and we have few words to appropriately state our reaction (of the few we have, the following do share company: appalled, mystified, f*cking pissed).

Of course, while we are all justified in experiencing some emotion over this unnecessary loss, there are those among us who have even more right to mourn (see also: picket, riot, send death threats, etc.). One of them is Grant Hamilton, an Iowa City-based professional photographer who cites a 1975 Polariod SX-70 as his camera of choice – and who will, come next year, be to find a new medium.

Join us as we A) Take a moment of silence for a great thing lost; and B) Chat with an artist who is approaching some serious changes.

Joshspear.com: Let's cut to the chase: What will you do when your film runs out?

Grant Hamilton: My film will never run out. As long as there is one pack left in my refrigerator, Polaroid isn’t dead.

JS: Are you stockpiling, or are you transitioning into something new?

GH: I currently have 77 packs of 600 and seven packs of Time Zero. So, I guess I am a bit of a hoarder. (Read More…)

In July, we told you about the stunning visual imagery being created by Modern English team member Neil Duerden for a range of diverse clients including Nike, Vespa, Vivienne Westwood, D&G, and others. Well, a lot has happened since then; for instance, Aliens invaded the earth and then decided to leave it the way they found it, erasing everyone's memory of the entire event. Even through that dark time in world history the aforementioned UK-based graphic designer has continued to plug away with his special mix of organic imagery, vector designs and photography. The result of all of that hard work is on display at Neil's website which has just recently been updated with a new flash intro and a blog showcasing some of his latest eye-popping work for clients like Nickelodon and Medion. We recommend checking it out before the aliens come back and steal the rest of your memories...or better yet purchase a print for yourself.

Always on a quest to save space in the 50 sq ft we call a living room, furniture that fits into other furniture seems like an inspired idea. Well, an inspired idea that doesn’t involve beanbag chairs. Brussels-born Marina Bautier designed this chair / ottoman for her collection, lamaisondemarina. The ottoman part slides right under the chair like an Amish Transformer, giving you a both a place to sit and rest your feet.

When it comes to graphic design and video visuals, being the same as the rest is not so interesting, but having them done by Same Same is an exercise in creating a visual feast. The Danish VJ and graphic designer has spent the last six years creating mindblowing visual art in Europe. His skills as a graphic designer and VJ are heavily influenced by 1980s movies and old animations. In addition, his video work also relies on a certain talent for finding elements people relate to but that seem out of place in a club environment. Same same's unique personal style and knack for creating have garnered attention in just about every club in Copenhagen as well as from MTV, National Danish TV, and the Royal Museum of Art, amongst others. He's also been an in demand visual artist for the likes of The DMX Krew and Boy George. If you can't make it to Denmark anytime soon to check out his work...we recommend you check out his website and prepare to not believe your eyes.

Domont loves DuPont. Not so much the prominent American industrialist family, but the producers of plastic film Mylar. Artist Jordan Domont uses the translucent son-of-Dacron(TM) to produce these multi-layered images using color drawing ink on 18″ x 24″ sheets. The unstable canvas gives Tina Fey and Philip Seymour Hoffman in Charlie Wilson’s War the impression that they’re dissolving off the page (our apologies to the guy on the extreme left who looks like Philip Baker Hall. And, if it is the Magnolia actor, kudos to Domont for two three-named Philips in one drawing). A couple of sketches over at the website suggest Domont’s muse doesn’t stray far from Hollywood, with Michael Cera in Juno and creepy hippie Devendra Banhart. Since there isn’t much to click over there, if you are interested in securing one of the pieces of fantastic plastic, contact Jordan directly.

We’re not sure what your relationship with lighting is like, but we’ve had a long love/hate thing with lamps. There was the Banned-In-College-Halogen-Torch-Lamp phase in college, the First-New-York-Apartment-Track-Lighting phase, and currently the Take-Me-Seriously-I’m-A-Professional-Writer-Goose-Neck-Lamp phase. What London artist Georgiosi Ignatiou does isn’t just about screwing in a 100-watt bulb and calling it a day. It’s also not mood lighting, because God knows there are enough lava lamps in the world. Let’s call it a provocative, artistic lighting solution. The pieces are clever and use everyday elements like marbles, sponges, colanders and saw blades to throw crazy shadows around the room. It’s just a bonus that they also look hot when they turned off. Ignatiou is also a poet at heart, writing little stanza’s like this about his work: Slinky walking down the stairs / Here I split one into pairs / To give it flight and make it bright / I hung one pair around the light. You just can’t get that kind of rhyme-scheme at Pottery Barn.