:: FEATURE

Artline
Cyber-cure for Designer's Drudge

　

T-shirt by Processing :: atu

Flip a switch and you have electric current, turn on a tap and water comes out, but when it comes to creativity the process is anything but simple.

The flow is blocked, squeezed through the tortuous pipes and contorted bends of commercial necessity, organisational headaches and the difficulty of getting out of bed before lunchtime.

As the name implies, Artline aims to straighten out the kinks and act as a more direct conduit for creative energy - a website to which talented individuals can contribute, creating a virtual boutique of cool and commercially viable designs that actually reach their market.

Where better to find the freshest t-shirts for spring and summer?

KS caught up with Artline co-founder and creative director Ryosuke Ike.

How did you start Artline?

Before I started Artline I was a full-time photographer, and one day I realized what an incredible pain the non-creative side of the job is - the procedures and paperwork involved in negotiating with clients.

Creators are usually not good at this kind of thing.

They lack the techniques to make easily marketable products, and the skills to sell them.

I thought it would be good if someone could connect people who work in many different but creative fields, in order for them to share their knowledge and skills to realise their ideas.

So, along with a friend, I started Artline in 1999, which has now grown to have a staff of five.

How did you make your D+ collaboration with Disney happen?

　

T-shirt design by The Control Nurse :: CONTROL GRAPHICS

I've been interested in 'characters', from both a business and an art and fashion point of view, for a long time.

To do something on this theme, I wanted to work with Disney - the most famous company in the industry, but I knew that they rarely deal with small, independent companies, so I was rather surprised when we got the chance to present our idea to them directly.

I got a real shock when they accepted the idea and gave us the go-ahead.

That said, we were confident that the idea was an interesting one and I think that is why we were able to persuade them.

By the end of the project we had given the Artline treatment to 130 characters.

We are going to launch a second D+ project soon, featuring Disney characters redesigned by famous artists such as Tadanobu Asano, Shinichiro Arakawa, Horo Sgiyama, Miki Nakatani, Megu Hosoki, and Yayoi Kusama.

Tell us about 'Kick Off! Design Saves Afgan [sic]'.

It started with a t-shirt that we made that used a tear instead of a heart on an 'I love NY' t-shirt, which we produced after September 11th.

We contributed all the proceeds from the sale of those t-shirts to charity.

Then I realized that the victims of that event were not confined to New York.

In fact, there were many children, who had nothing to do with world politics, who were victims of military action in Afghanistan.

Last May, when the World Cup was happening, we wanted to remind people that there are children in Afghanistan who can't play football because of foot and let injuries caused by landmines, and the Design Saves Afghan[istan] project was born.

The money we have generated is tiny compared to the amount contributed by big companies and donor countries, but we feel it is worth doing, to show young people how they can take action to contribute to the world.

We want to do what we can to help with world problems.

What kind of projects might you work on in the future?

　

T-shirt design by FLY HIGH :: FIVEVOLANTES

Even now, Japanese people tend not to cultivate their own sense of values about art, so I would like to make art more available to be seen and appreciated.

For example, the shutters that shops all pull down after closing - I think it would be great if artists could paint on them.

I have many more ideas like that and I hope that someday we will have a better environment in Japan in which that kind of notion is accepted.

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GETTING INVOLVED

Selling your designs through Artline won't cost you a single yen.

All you have to do is send in your creations and (assuming your designs are approved) sit back and wait for those pay checks to clog your letterbox.

Artline produces, take orders, and delivers your designs - all the boring stuff - for you.

Each t-shirt sold, for example, earns you a thousand yen.

And t-shirts are not the only products that Artline is interested in.

If you have another product in mind, they'd love to hear about it.

Check the website for details:

http://www.artline-studio.com/

http://www.artline-studio.com/en/ (English)