Off Book

Technology defies the boundaries of human perception. From photomicrography to astrophotography, size and distance are no longer barriers, and through slow-mo and timelapse, we are allowed to see time and humanity in a new light. Through our curiosity and thirst for the unknown, the beauty of the universe can now be explored beyond the limits of the naked eye.

Beginning with early Atari and Nintendo video games, the 8-bit aesthetic has been a part of our culture for over 30 years. As it moved through the generations, 8-bit earned its independence from its video game roots. No longer just nostalgia art, contemporary 8-bit artists and chiptunes musicians have elevated the form to new levels of creativity and cultural reflection.

Since its creation in 2005, Reddit has grown into one of the most influential communities on the internet. More than just a content aggregator, it generates information and new content, and has given birth to intriguing collaborative projects that reflect a particular group character and value system. (NOTE: Viewer Discretion Advised. Mature Content)

LEGO blocks are one of the most beloved toys in the world, playing a role in many a person's childhood. But for some creators, LEGO has evolved from toy to art form. In this episode, we talk to three LEGO artists who have made beautiful mosaics, amazing stop-motion videos, thoughtful sculptures, and have turned these tiny building blocks into a true artistic medium.

The fan art community is one of the most creative and active online. Taking pop culture stories and icons as its starting point, the fan community extends those characters into new adventures, unexpected relationships, bizarre remixes, and even as the source material for beautiful art. Limited only by the imagination of the artist, the fan art world is full of surprises and brilliance.

Credits are the first thing we see when watching a great film or TV show, but the complexity and artistry of title design is rarely discussed. Creators of title sequences are tasked to invent concepts that evoke the story and themes of the production wrapped in a powerful visual experience that pulls the viewer into the film's world. Off Book explores the nuances of this ubiquitous art form.

It seems that no matter how far we advance into the digital age, our bodies remain a place where we want to express ourselves. This episode of OFF BOOK profiles the diverse talents and philosophies of three modern tattoo artists of vastly differing styles: Vinny Romanelli, Kiku, and Stephanie Tamez.

The Internet has intensified connections between people across the planet and has fundamentally altered our relationship with art. This episode of Off Book explores how platforms like Kickstarter, Creative Commons, and The Creators Project have shaped the way art is created, published and shared in the digital age.

GIFs are one of the oldest image formats used on the web. Throughout their history, they have served a huge variety of purposes, from functional to entertainment. In this episode of Off Book, we chart their history, explore the hotbed of GIF creativity on Tumblr, and talk to two teams of GIF artists who are evolving the form into powerful new visual experiences.

As the 90s came to a close, the business of music began to change. Technology allowed artists to produce their own music, and the internet became a free-for-all for musicians to promote themselves. The result was an influx of artists, and audiences were left wondering how to sort through them. In this episode we reveal how music blogs and websites have arisen as the new arbiters of quality.

Books are in a conflicted state. From pop culture pop-ups, to surreal sculptural stories, to reformations of antique sacred texts, these creators re-envision what the experience of a book can be. At times playful, and other times profound, this episode explores the boundaries of one of the most important human creations.

We swim in an ocean of products. Behind each one, there is someone (hopefully) thinking about the way we experience it. In this episode of Off Book, we explore three aspects of product design: build quality and engineering fundamentals, humanism and sustainability, and speculation on the future of the product experience.