There’s talent. And then there are people who’ve taken that talent to a level of insanity/greatness. ‘Haha’ aka Regan Tamanui, based in Melbourne, Australia, is one of those people. He is without doubt one of the most talented stencil artists in the world. He began in the streets, like any good stencil artist, but his iconic Ned Kelly image resonated with so many people that he was eventually dragged into galleries, one of which was the National Gallery of Australia. As Haha got bigger, his work got bigger, both in theme and method.
“The work of Haha explores the power of mass media within Australian popular culture. The reality TV phenomena, the religion of sport, criminal lifestyles, get rich quick & instant fame becomes the obsessions, the new virtues of the 21st century.”
Ned is one of his earlier pieces. It’s great and it’s the perfect person to stencil as a street artist. Nowadays using up to 40 layers, a ridiculously detailed procedure, the works become near photographic. There’s always people, icons of Australian culture, friends and every so often a kangaroo or a horse. These characters feature in groups and solo, on square canvases, or on canvases that fit together like pieces of a jigsaw. Everything other than the 40-layer process seems simple but perfectly represents and communicates the mass media culture he’s out to convey.
The process is beautiful. He creates the stencils often from huge photographs. Using acetate, he carefully dissects each colour from another. Then the process of spraying begins. First all you’ll see is a funny shaped block of colour. As he adds each layer and colour, the subject slowly comesto life like no stencil you have ever seen before.
Gone are the days when a stencil was something 90’s interior designers sponge painted onto everything they saw. Sponge painting might be a talent when you’re five. But when it comes to art, 40 layers of pop culture is a lot more interesting.
Does Talent in the new Audi A8 ad remind digital agencies that trad agencies aren’t all that bad!?
We like to think digital marketing is where it’s at and because of this we love to sound the death knell of the traditional ad agencies, as, let’s face it – they just don’t seem to get digital at all. Well, nothing we’ve seen them do anyway. But! then along comes an ad that reminds us digital heads what it is people love about television ads and who better to help with that reminder then Audi US and their ad for the new A8….goodnight ad agencies, or maybe it’s not goodnight just yet. Just a short nap.
We are looking for an exceptionally talented middleweight designer, who is passionate about digital and social media to join our team. You will have experience of working closely with other interactive designers and developers as part of a production team. You will have a portfolio that speaks for itself; showing top quality web design and reflecting 5+ years of interactive design experience.
You will have the ability to translate design concepts into interactive interfaces and applications, and you will have a strong sense of aesthetics and an excellent attention to detail. You will be a problem solver with the ability to deliver creative solutions with very little supervision when required, yet also follow detailed instruction when necessary. You will also have excellent communication skills, project management and client interaction skills. In return a good work-life balance is encouraged.
• You are fluent in CS (Photoshop, Illustrator primarily, InDesign/print knowledge an advantage)
• Academic background in design, with excellent information design and typography skills
• Proven track record in design for multiple platforms and a portfolio to match (web / Flash / mobile / experiential / apps)
• You will have a collaborative nature and be keen to become a key part of our close knit team
• Excellent presentation and communication skills
• Strong self-management of design deliverables and objectives on projects
• Keeps up-to-date with the latest emerging technology, design and UI/UX trends
Have a look at this link for the kind of projects we do and the standard of work we complete:
We have lots of thoughts these days but none more so on our mind then the launch of the QR codes in our window as part of our Digital Agency Dublin .com initiative.
