Outside the Lines

Joshua Davis Launches Solo Art Show and Premieres New Line of Paper Goods and Accessories by Miquelrius.

Artist, designer and technologist,Joshua Davis, makes a rare Toronto appearance on Sunday, April 26th at Function13 Store & Gallery, where he will open a solo show of prints from his new collection, Outside the Lines; and will simultaneously launch a new line of paper goods and accessories in partnership with Barcelona-based, Miquelrius.

Joshua Davis is renowned for pioneering an original method of computational generative-art derived from Chaos Theory. Using Adobe Illustrator and his own Flash-based programs, Davis combines and recombines colors borrowed from nature with forms that include organic shapes, text elements, and other symbols. The resulting “dynamic abstractions” are fluid, intricate, and “unique as snowflakes.”

A major influence in graphic and Web design, Davis launched into home product and apparel design in 2007 when he collaborated with Toronto-based Umbra to produce a line of objects for the home. The new partnership with Miquelrius includes notebooks, backpacks and laptop bags among other items. His artwork has been featured in the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt (New York), The Tate Modern (London), Le Centre Pompidou (Paris) and MoMa PS1 (New York).
___________________________________________________________________

Exhibit Opening/Product Launch/Short Talk
The first 50 visitors will receive a free gift from Miquelrius
This is a FREE EVENT

Location / Time
Sunday April 26th
6:30pm to 9:00PM

Function13 Gallery
156 Augusta Avenue
Toronto, ON M5T 2L5
Phone: 416 840-1010x138

Davis will be speaking at the FITC Toronto Design & Technology Festival, a four-day event (April 25-28th, 2009) that brings together the world’s top designers and developers. Davis also created the artwork for this year’s FITC Toronto theme.

Directions from the Hilton Toronto:
Walk North on University Avenue to Dundas Street West. Go West (Left) on Dundas Street.The second street on your right is Augusta Ave. Turn on Augusta (one way north) and it is a few stores up on your left side.

Joshua Davis

Joshua Davis began experimenting with programming languages in the mid-1990s while studying painting and illustration at Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute. He became a major force in Web design during the dot-com era, writing a book and creating multiple Websites to showcase his work, including praystation.com and once-upon-a-forest.com. Since then, he has moved effortlessly between commercial and non-commercial design, creating Web-based promotions for clients like BMW, Motorola, Amp’d Mobile, HBO, Nike, Sony and Universal Records. He currently teaches at the School for Visual Arts in Manhattan, and speaks at workshops and conferences worldwide.
Website

Function13

Design, Art, and Technology; The interaction, crossover and dialogue between these often-thought unrelated disciplines is constantly advancing, resulting in new aesthetic boundaries. The exciting areas created by these changes are the focus of this unique retail and gallery environment. The store and gallery feature a carefully curated selection of books, T-shirts, DVDs, magazines, electronic music, timepieces, gadgets and other items that represent the most inspiring and exciting work being done both globally and locally.
Website

Miquelrius

Miquelrius 1839, S.A. was started in Barcelona Spain in 1839. The company manufactured accounting books for most of its history, turning to notebooks and other commercial items when Spain became a democracy in the later half of the 20th century. Today, Miquelrius products are sold in most of Europe, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Mexico, Canada and the United States. The company has worked with many prestigious designers, including fashion designer Antonio Miro, designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, fashion Illustrator Jordi Labanda and others.
Website

Umbra

Umbra is the worldwide leader in casual, contemporary, affordable design for the home. The company’s products are available at over 25,000 retailers in more than 75 countries. Umbra’s award-winning design team – 30 men and women from all over the world and notable outside product designers–create products for every room.Headquartered in Toronto, Umbra’s offices worldwide house more than 250 people.
Website

Float4

Float4 Interactive is a company dedicated to developing and deploying cutting edge immersive and interactive multimedia environments. Float4 will power Joshua Davis’ interactive ‘Outside the Lines’. By combining real time visual effects and movement based interactions,Float4 can create truly memorable and unique experiences.
Website