$ZAK!

“PARIS HILTION IS PREAGNANT”
AN INSTALLATION BY ZAK O$TROW$KI

*CONTENT

+ RIGHT THEN

LAST JULY I PREPARED A SERIES OF DESIGN PROPOSALS FOCUSED ON A COMMEMORATIVE HALL OF FAME INTERIOR AND GRAPHICS PACKAGE FOR A PROFESSIONAL SPORTS / ENTERTAINMENT VENUE. DURING THESE STUDIES I BECAME INTERESTED IN THE “STAR POWER” CONTAINED IN A CELEBRITIES NAME. FASCINATED WITH HOW SPECIFICALLY ARRANGED GENERIC LETTERFORMS CAN CONJURE EMOTION, ALLURE, AND ENVY.

ROUGHLY SIX MONTHS EARLIER THE PHRASE “PARIS HILTON IS PREGNANT” CAME TO ME UNEXPECTEDLY. I KNEW IT WAS GOOD, BUT AT THE TIME I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT.

+ RIGHT NOW

I AM BECOMING INCREASINGLY INTRIGUED WITH EXTENDING MY WORK INTO A MORE PUBLIC SPHERE. INSERTING MYSELF INTO POP CULTURE AND FURTHERING THE GREAT BIG AMERICAN PEE-P’S ART MOVEMENT (EST. 2000 BY ZAK O$TROW$KI) MOTIVES TO ACCEPT, MOCK, MEDDLE, AND PROVOKE POPULAR CULTURE FROM THE INSIDE OUT. RECENTLY USING FASHION AS A VEHICLE FOR CONSUMER ACCESSIBLE SOCIAL COMMENTARY, I FOUND IT FITTING TO EXTEND THE “PARIS HILTION” CAMPAIGN TO THIS MEDIUM AND EXPLORE GRAPHIC DESIGN IN FASHION, AS AN INSTALLATION, RETAIL DISPLAY SYSTEM, AND AS CONTEMPORARY ART.

“PARIS HILTON IS PREGNANT” IS THE BIGGEST NEWS THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN. MORE INTERESTING THEN THE WAR, AND MORE SHOCKING THEN LAST NIGHTS HOMICIDE. ITS AMUSING, SCARRY AND FASCINATING; AND IS PAIRED WITH MY OWN BRANDING EFFORTS TO RAISE ISSUES OF OWNERSHIP, AUTHENTICITY, AND MOTIVATION.

THEMES EXPLORED:
+ OWNERSHIP / LABELS
+ SPECTACLE
+ PREGNANCY / RECEPTACLE / EXCHANGE OF POWER - IDEAS
+ STAR POWER
+ FAME / GLAMOUR
+ FASHION / SEX
+ RETAIL DISPLAY / ALTER/ INSTALLATION
+ HUMAN SIZE LOGO / EXAGGERATION
+ HUMAN INTEREST
+ NEWS / ENTERTAINMENT
+ SEMIOTICS / SYMBOLS
+ INVERTED $
+ BRANDING / PROMOTION

$Z!

“YOU SHOULD LIVE EVERY DAY LIKE ITS YOUR BIRTHDAY”
- PARIS HILTON

+ POSTER CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCING PITOR SZYHALSKI
+ INSPIRED BY PITOR’S INTERACTIVE WORK THIS POSTERS
CREATION IS DEPENDANT ON ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH
SURROUNDING NATURE
+ CAMPAIGN IS AN ADDITIVE PROCESS - IN THE END REVEALING
ALL OF THE INFORMATION AND A GENERIC STAND IN SYMBOL
FOR THE DESIGNER - THIS IS INFORMED BY HIS INTEREST IN KANTS
THE “THING IN ITSELF” PHILOSOPHY
+ THIS PROJECT WAS A GROUP EFFORT BETWEEN REBECCA RUEHL,
MIKE DAINES AND MYSELF.

= TOOLS HELPFUL IN OBTAINING THE BASIC NEEDS OF A HUMAN BEING
+ THESE TOOLS ARE RENDERED USELESS BECAUSE OF A HOLE THROUGH THEM
+ THESE TOOLS ARE FINE, THEY JUST HAVE A WHITE DOT ON THEM

.$TONG HOLD MAHFUCKERZ.