By: Steven Heller
Kevin Wade is a founding partner at Planet Propaganda in Madison, WI, and he has started a new design entrepreneurial business (like the ones encouraged by the MFA Designer as Author program at SVA). Henotes that these kinds of offshoot ideas get discussed over beers all the time. “When the beer is done, it’s back to work at your day job, and the ‘what ifs’ go back on the shelf until the next beer-sparks (suds) fly.” Except this time, Wade and company actually started an offshoot called NONSEK. “Remix culture is everywhere–the genie is out of the bottle,” he continues. “The technology is in the hands of millions to recut, repaste, recycle, recombine, and remix music, film and video, fashion, food, art–and of course graphics!” Planet Propaganda launched NONSEK about a week ago with the goal of selling designer’s tees. “The artists on NONSEK love it as a promo outlet–a new way to push their art–and a new revenue stream as well!”
The name, NONSEK, comes from non sequitur, a conclusion that doesn’t follow the premise. Here’show it works: At the Nonsek Machine, you can choose an artist’s selection of images to remix by simply pushing a button. Don’t like it? Remix again. When you find something you like, you can see it on aT-shirt, which Nonsek can print (one at a time) and ship overnight. The artists include Art Chantry (top), Ames Brothers (below), Jesse LeDoux (second, below), Leigh Wells (third, below), the Nonsek folks (bottom) and more.
Currently being developed is a Nonsek Machine browser widget that artists can embed in their own sites and an iPhone app. Is also in the works.
