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July 3rd, 2009
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Let"s Talk

NYC illustrator Ryan Cox captures a childlike sense of wonder in his brilliant body of work

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Let's Talk, Ryan Cox


New York City illustrator Ryan Cox captures a childlike sense of wonder in his brilliant body of work.

By Matthew Newton, Senior Editor

Ryan Cox' art looks like it could have been pulled from the lost archives of Hanna-Barbera studios. Well, perhaps the not-so-safe-for-kids archive, the one located at the end of the hall past all The Flintstones and Hong Kong Phooey animation cells. His knife-wielding hippies and cigarette-chomping bikers have a more R-rated vibe than the villains Scooby and the gang encountered, but they inhabit the same aesthetic space. There is a certain power and clarity in Cox' work that appeals to our desire as humans to view things that are beautifully rendered. His color choice is one of the hallmarks of his work. Without it, his characters would not leap out at you with the same type of immediacy. But Cox also displays a great sense of story in his illustrations. When you look at his work, you get the sense you're only being shown a small slice of a larger, more complicated world. I recently caught up with Mr. Cox, just as he was settling in for a relaxing New York City summer.

What I really like about your work is how it succeeds on two levels: It's fun and bright and colorful, but it also tells a story. What do you do to prepare for creating a new illustration?

Obviously, for the client-based work my first objective is to communicate what they've hired me to communicate. My job is to do that, and to make sure it looks good.

I always start a project by asking myself "what would I want to see?" I begin by trying to please myself, assuming that if I like it, chances are somebody else will too. Hopefully.


What first attracted you to art and what about it has kept your interest?

Everybody always says this, but as a kid I drew all the time. Constantly. I'd draw on anything. It was like a sickness, like I was afflicted or something and I was kind of embarrassed about it. My teachers used to scold me because I'd hand in my homework and the margins of the paper would be filled with doodles. They would tell me that I should be an artist when I grew up. And so I said "OK. I will. That's what I'll do." And that was that.


There's a great 1970s era vibe to a lot of your work -- I get a sense that you watched a lot of Hanna-Barbera cartoons as a kid. Can you talk about some of your influences and how honed your style?

I could talk for days about influences, but, yeah, I was definitely exposed to a lot of Saturday Morning television as a kid. And, yes, I had a strong affinity for the Hanna-Barbera stuff. I had an unhealthy love for Fred Flintstone, McDonald's Happy Meals, Nickelodeon, and weird PBS programming from the 1970s & 1980s. And, quite honestly, I still do.


There is a certain warmth to things from that era (1970s & 1980s) that I definitely try to instill in my drawings. And I do like to play around with a kind of visual vocabulary that's familiar to people. That being said, it's never been my intention for my work to be too overtly "retro" or nostalgic. I'm not at all interested in trying to copy stuff from the past, stuff that's already been done. But, yeah, my influences are definitely in there.


I saw that you collaborated with Digital Kitchen to have your illustrations animated for a Target spot. Your work seems perfectly suited for animation. Do you have any other plans for such projects?

I have actually been doing some character design work lately for a few animated projects. Some of them are top secret and some of them should be ready to show the world soon.


You've exhibited your work in forums like Pictoplasma. Do you have any more exhibitions on the horizon?

I really don't get invited to participate in a lot of those. I'd love to though.


What do you like about your job and what do you dislike?

Sounds cliché, but I feel really lucky to be able to do what I love for a living. Even if I sold insurance or worked construction or something totally unrelated, I'd still constantly be drawing in my spare time (like I said, it's a sickness). I love what I do so much, I sometimes feel like I'm getting away with something; like the cops are gonna bust in at any minute and force me to get a job in an office somewhere.

Dislikes? Dorky art directors that don't know what they're talking about. Luckily, those are few and far between, and I've been lucky enough to work with some super smart, super cool, super talented people.


What projects are you working on that have you really excited?

Summer's finally come to NYC, and to be perfectly honest, I'm really looking forward to taking things slow for a little bit -- but just for a little bit.

Related links: www.ryancoxusa.com | More Interviews

Comments (2) | Posted by mnewton

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Eugenio Merino 2009 sculpture



Eugenio Morino's 2009 sculpture entitled "For the love of go(l)d", based on Damien Hirst persona, most expensive living artist.

Source: neuronstudio

Comments (5) | Posted by Kinobe

Job: Head of Design- Interactive/ Visual/ Content
Company: Global Design Search Location: London, United Kingdom

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Thirteen Queens




“Without the use of computers, Alex and Felix hand make every detail of these images in a multi-faceted process that is both painstaking and impassioned. ”

continue>>>

Source: Fabrik

Job: Senior Interaction Designer
Company: Research In Motion Location: Waterloo, Mississauga or Ottawa, ON

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The Bad Lab



img. Medium

Some great free-thinking graphic works from Daniel Sheffield and The Bad Lab.
Check out the flickr stream here and grab some limited run screen prints from The Bad Lab.

Add a Comment | Posted by SomeOfUs

Job: Project Manager
Company: Thornley Fallis Location: Ottawa, ON

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Leftchannel



Leftchannel recently updated with a new site, new work and this spot for San Pellegrino’s Aranciata. Watch in HD

Add a Comment | Posted by ventilate

Job: Senior Web Designer
Company: Thornley Fallis Location: Ottawa, ON

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HUG United presents EUROPE BY DESIGNERS online exhibit



HYPE UP GALLERY UTD. PRESENTS EUROPE BY DESIGNERS ONLINE EXHIBIT: http://www.europebydesigners.com

Source: EUROPEBYDESIGNERS

Add a Comment | Posted by Lysergid

Job: Freelancer / Junior Web Designer (Creative)
Company: Gruene und Faust GmbH Location: Stuttgart/Berlin, Germany

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MJ is gone :(


Comments (6) | Posted by albertoeca

Job: Junior Designer
Company: Sheridan & Co Location: New York, NY

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The Wanderlust 333 Exhibition


The Wanderlust 333 exhibition brings together 33 of the most exciting and relevant international artists, illustrators and designers for this one unique contemporary art show. Featuring names that will be familiar to many alongside emerging talent we have scanned the visual landscape for imaginative and engaging works that reflect the many differing strands of practice currently lighting up the international art scene.

The show is on for 33 days only, so hurry!

Comments (1) | Posted by edvard

Job: GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Company: PASTELLE Location: LOS ANGELES, CA

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Elroy has updated


Damien Vignaux aka Elr°y has rebuilt and updated his own portfolio with fresh new works in illustration, motion-design and vj/live stuff.
Check it out !

Comments (1) | Posted by Lysergid

Job: Senior User Interface Designer - Battle.net
Company: Blizzard Entertainment Location: Irvine, CA

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Vazaha: A film about Madagascar


Pittsburgh-based filmmaker Ben Hernstrom, who operates Ambulantic Videoworks, has put together a film about Madagascar called Vazaha (which translates to foreigner in Malagassy). "In the summer of 2008, I spent 16 days traveling around Madagascar shooting a sort of essayist documentary." Hernstrom explains. "It was an amazing and unforgettable experience and I went there hoping I could find a way to make it beneficial to the people I met, all of whom were generous, welcoming, and extremely warm to me."

Hernstrom is using Kickstarter to help raise awareness about his film and garner monetary backing so Vazaha can get a proper release and also be submitted to festivals. I highly recommend taking a look at the film and supporting the project however you can.

Check out Vazaha:
www.kickstarter.com/projects/ambulantic/vazaha-a-film-about-madagascar

Add a Comment | Posted by mnewton

Job: Top-notch web designer. F/T
Company: Legluxe Location: Brooklyn, NY

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Terranium - Interactive Installation




Terrarium is an interactive, sonic ecosystem whose source of energy comes from the sounds people make interacting with the work. The sounds of the participants voices come into the world via the sound vents. These sounds are too raw for the environment so they are sucked in by the Seed Spitters who process the sounds to more manageable particles which are then expelled into the environment. These processed sound particles help spawn and sustain life within the ecosystem, providing food for the fish in the water and creating frequency sensitive plants on the land. The voice also triggers changes to the Pattern Bush who adapts the shapes of its leaves to the sounds it hears.

Link to video | A project by Theodore Watson and Emily Gobeille

Comments (2) | Posted by Christophe

Job: Chair, Humanities and Design Sciences
Company: Art Center College of Design Location: Pasadena, CA

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Challenge Your World 20/20

Thiago Maia / Greg Herman & Babe-Elliott Baker are the newest participant in the Challenge Your World 20/20 project. Watch the collection at challengeyourworld.com/2020

Each year, 20 video artists create 20 wild, whimsical, and unconventional machines that solve environmental issues. If we’re going to transform the world we have to push ourselves to think differently — so these videos reject the status quo, explore crazy ideas, and blast beyond boundaries.

Want to participate? For information on how to submit a video contact Julien Vallée at video[a]challengeyourworld.com


Comments (1) | Posted by challengeyourworld

Job: Creative Director
Company: Razorfish Location: Chicago, IL

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