Russia missed the World Cup, but they did Write the Future

The 2010 World Cup seems like ancient history as we enter 2012, but hidden gems need to be uncovered. Remember that “Write the Future” advertising campaign? Well, Russian graphic artist Aske (aka Sicksystems) created two football-related pieces of art to capture the interest of the Russian market. With substantial influence from cubism, both the set of illustrations and the sculpture were used by Nike and also exhibited at Faces&Laces Street Culture Show in Moscow. 

[Illustration photos] [Sculpture photos]

So why haven’t you seen this until now? Probably because Russia failed to qualify for the World Cup and fell off the radar entirely when all eyes were focused on South Africa. Resist closing this post with “In Russia, future writes you!”

Source: afootballreport

Joys of Tumblr: The Illustrated Ray Hudson

  1. “Burger King boys Getafe say ‘I’ll have fries with this’ tonight.”
  2. “[Real Madrid has] a great recipe but it’s got to bring the bun out of the oven. It’s got to be a nice cake in the trophy room this year.”

Anyone who has been following AFR long enough knows that we’re Ray Hudsonites. His commentating, poetry, and nonsensical blasts of ecstasy create analogies that perhaps should never be brought into existence, but we enjoy every second of it. So it was wonderful to find that an artist and fellow Hudsonite dedicated a few hours into a Tumblr that brings some of his most vibrant imagery into comic-form. 

Source: afootballreport

The Africa Artist Series. Created for the African Cup of Nations.

In an effort to truly harness the identity of different African nations participating in the upcoming 2012 African Cup of Nations (co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea), PUMA called upon local African artists to symbolically represent their nation’s essence by designing respective football shirts for the tournament.

All of the artists took inspiration from their own country, culture and traditions and created something truly unique. Something much more than just a graphic. The result is that for the first time in football, the Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Namibia, Senegal, Togo, Gabon, Burkina Faso and South Africa kits have been designed by a local artist. The new kits fuse the worlds of sport, art and culture by identifying their shared values and communities.

To take a closer look at the creative process, which is the most enticing part in my opinion, below is Gabonese artist Owanto’s interpretation of the Gabonese people and their energy.

Local artists creating an audacious coat of arms, can this become the status quo?

Source: afootballreport

Melbourne Victory vs Celtic x Time Lapse and Tilt Shift Photography

On the 13th of July, photographer Joe Armao and Video journalist Dave Pavlich teamed up to capture the summer friendly between the Melbourne Victory and Celtic at AAMI Park Melbourne. The result is phenomenal. The two blended their respective artistic talents together and, as a result, created some stunning sequences and fascinating shots. Really, what’s not to love?

Source: afootballreport

Recherché football, vibrant collectiveness, reflection, and music looking back to the future In my opinion, the greatest opportunity football has, in its position as the heart of sport and even culture in general, is promoting an appreciation for the game in unlikely places. These trends flare-up around massive international tournaments, such as the World Cup, the EUROS, and even Copa América to a degree. Last summer, amongst all of the madness, an esoteric partnership was particularly refreshing to see. The Fader, a leader in music, style, and art, teamed up with Nike to produce the Pitch Perfect program that ambitiously captured the “collective consciousness of togetherness, happiness, and just joy in celebration” that the World Cup provided. Along with a set of videos, there were 6 Pitch Perfect mixtapes with artwork from Siggi Eggertsson, one that represented the culture of each continent. The South America mixtape resonates with my conception of the passionate South American spirit, but with the weekend approaching I thought I’d leave you with these tapes to accompany you on the pitch, in a park, or en la playa. EURO 2012 is nearly here (thinking on a macro-scale, mind you) and I can’t wait to see what some of the world’s most innovative minds create. What’s the most inspired football project you’ve witnessed?
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Recherché football, vibrant collectiveness, reflection, and music looking back to the future

In my opinion, the greatest opportunity football has, in its position as the heart of sport and even culture in general, is promoting an appreciation for the game in unlikely places. These trends flare-up around massive international tournaments, such as the World Cup, the EUROS, and even Copa América to a degree. Last summer, amongst all of the madness, an esoteric partnership was particularly refreshing to see. The Fader, a leader in music, style, and art, teamed up with Nike to produce the Pitch Perfect program that ambitiously captured the “collective consciousness of togetherness, happiness, and just joy in celebration” that the World Cup provided. Along with a set of videos, there were 6 Pitch Perfect mixtapes with artwork from Siggi Eggertsson, one that represented the culture of each continent.

The South America mixtape resonates with my conception of the passionate South American spirit, but with the weekend approaching I thought I’d leave you with these tapes to accompany you on the pitch, in a park, or en la playa. EURO 2012 is nearly here (thinking on a macro-scale, mind you) and I can’t wait to see what some of the world’s most innovative minds create. What’s the most inspired football project you’ve witnessed?

Source: afootballreport