NASA has entered its hypebeast era, and there’s gradients
Plus: How Biden staged his address on extremism
Hello, in this issue we’ll look at…
How Biden staged his address on extremism
NASA has entered its hypebeast era, and there’s gradients
If you want to buy this original Banksy in L.A., you’re going to have to buy the entire building
How Biden staged his address on extremism
Everyone had thoughts on the red lighting at Independence Hall in Philadelphia Thursday when President Joe Biden delivered an address about extremism and the threat he said former President Donald Trump poses to democracy.
Trump said the lighting looked “like the devil” and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) called it “Hitler imagery.” Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy tweeted “the fact that this isn’t photoshopped is surreal.”
Not everyone had a problem with it, though. The top post on the Joe Rogan subreddit was a wider shot of the speech showing the blue lighting on the rest of the building. My personal favorite reactions were the Seinfeld memes.
Love it or hate it, the bright red, close-crop view of Biden’s speech matched the urgency of his remarks. His address was intended as a warning about the threat of election denialism and political violence, and it looked like an alarm. Even though broadcast networks didn’t carry the speech live, the staging ensured the speech got attention.
Trump and “MAGA Republicans” “represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic,” Biden said.
“I stand here tonight, equality and democracy are under assault,” he said. “We do ourselves no favor to pretend otherwise.”
Opinions about Biden’s speech went beyond just a simple thumbs up or down. Although the Washington Post editorial board didn’t write about the lighting, it did say it agreed with Biden’s assessment about the threat the U.S. is facing, but they believe the president should have invoked patriotism over partisanship.
What did you think of Biden’s staging? Was it inappropriate or did send the right message?
NASA has entered its hypebeast era, and there’s gradients
NASA’s Artemis launch was delayed for a second time Saturday, but the drip for its on-air commentators has landed.
Oxcart Assembly, a creative agency, teamed up with rapper Tyler the Creator’s Golf Wang to design a collection for NASA’s launch broadcast talent. The line includes custom Converse Chuck 70s, tie-dye pattern tees, and hats and jackets with the Artemis program patch and NASA logo.
The Instagram-esque “Horizon Gradient” is like a new-age mission logo, abstract and wordless. The gradient was the inspiration behind the Converse colorway, and it appears as a standalone patch on the hats.
“The overall style and wardrobe assets reflect the current fashion trends of the Artemis-1 Launch time period (circa 2022), commencing with the first test of the SLS Rocket that will return humans to the lunar surface,” the agency wrote in the garment tags.
The collection was made exclusively for on-air launch commentators and isn’t available commercially (Vice President Kamala Harris, who was at the first scheduled launch, got one, though). You won’t be able to cop it on any resale marketplaces either, according to the tags, which state the garments were “not intended for re-sale and have been procured according to a rental agreement with the U.S. government.” They either have to be returned or purchased by a NASA employee.
Oxcart Assembly previously created the brand guide and launch broadcast assets for Launch America, NASA’s public-private partnership program, and it produced a 2021 ad starring Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom to promote the Voting Rights Act.
You can see more from the collection on the YELLO Twitter account here. The rescheduled Artemis launch could take place on Sept. 19 at the earliest. To the moon.
If you want to buy this original Banksy in L.A., you’re going to have to buy the entire building
The downtown Los Angeles building with Banksy’s 2010 “Girl on a Swing” mural is up for sale, and the owners are offering the building and art as a packaged deal.
The art deco building at 908-910 S. Broadway in L.A.’s fashion district was once the home of a Western costume company. In 2010, Banksy painted the mural ahead of the premiere of his documentary “Exit Through the Gift Shop.”
The owners of the mixed-use mid-rise bought it for $4 million in 2007, and they’re hoping to sell for $30 million because of the location, space, and mural, according to the New York Times. The sale is being conducted by Hilco Real Estate.
“This sale presents an unprecedented opportunity to own a treasured Banksy mural, a unique piece of Hollywood history and an icon of Los Angeles culture contained within a beautifully restored art nouveau landmark," Hilco Real Estate senior Vice President Jeff Azuse said in a statement.
Banksy’s half-shredded “Girl With Balloon” (2018) is his best-selling work after going for $25 million at auction last year. The British street artist’s public art is trickier to sell, though. Last year, a wall featuring a mural of a woman sneezing on the side of a home in Bristol, England, was removed and sold at auction.
Art dealer Jeffrey Deitch told the Times he hopes Banksy’s L.A. mural stays put on the building.
“It would be terrible if this is removed and then put on the market,” he said. “This is free public art. It is not meant to have a commercial value and be resold. That’s not the intention of the artist.”