Pulling some personal shots out of the iphoto archives today. Here’s a spread of the various scrawlings I found on my last trip to Japan. These images were spread between Tokyo and Kyoto and appear to hone in on pronounced eyes, head-eating heads, simplified smiles and frowns and an overriding message reacting to societal norms.

If you’re familiar with the east village of Manhattan, you’re no stranger to the optimistic and wit-filled graffiti of  James De La Vega. Words of advice and encouragement translated through adorable fish are painted on mattresses, walls and garbage cans throughout the city. In one of my favorite collaborations this year, Tory Burch and De La Vega have teamed up to design an exclusive collection featuring positive messages and original artwork.

The laptop case is my favorite (probably because my powerbook’s been covered in his stickers for years now), but check out the entire collection for yourself. All profits from the purchase of this collection benefit the Tory Burch Foundation, committed to providing economic opportunities to women and their families in the United States.

What was once strictly dismissed as lowly graffiti has become known as street art, which has in turn become considered, in some cases, high art. Indeed, street art in its many forms has captured the world’s interest and Cedar Lewisohn’s book, Abstract Graffiti, provides a vibrant account of this evolution.

In it, Lewisohn explores the outer limits of graffiti as a global movement from the abstract to the avant-garde. He covers everything including Knit Graffiti and Street Training as well as the historical lineage of these abstract trends. Also addressing such issues of protest, crime, the place of street art in museums as well as the evolution of materials, this book offers interesting insights into some of the most exciting and challenging work on the contemporary art scene.

For more imagery, click here and here.

As many of you know, we’re art lovers here at Pattern Pulp- from the unexpected street marking to the most extensive gallery exhibition, everything inspires us. In an ongoing effort to stay abreast of everything at once (a daunting task!) we’re continually reading, interviewing and trekking. One curated source that never fails to inspire is The Jealous Curator, who I had the pleasure of meeting this past week at the Alt Summit Conference in Salt Lake City, UT. Danielle’s eye for fresh + witty innovation is impalpable and her piece on Ludovica Gioscia is a significant part of today’s feature.

Pattern-blocked mixed media is continually being reinvented and Gioscia’s take is a storyteller’s dream. The torn shapes and unraveled wallpaper parallel wall art from the streets of Darlinghurst in New South Wales, a piece I [...]

If you’re living a lifestyle that forces rest at the most inopportune times, the sleeping mask is probably part of your daily routine. From long flights to night-owl roommates, the idea of wearing one of these (sometimes-suffocating) accessories has gotten more cheerful. Click for Art is selling limited edition masks designed by some of our favorite UK street artists. From McFaul Studio to Kozyndan to Vault49 to Mark Verhaagen, each mask is a tribute to peaceful rest and creative thoughts.

Seeing as how flower patterns are timeless, designers are constantly reinventing the wheel. One season they can be big, bright and cartoony while the next will have them dark, scratchy and mysterious. Here we have two paralleling prints from fashion and home that push the DIY expressionist look. The black, pink and orange outfit is from Flair Magazine and the muted pillows are part of Kenzo’s Fall/Winter collection. Which palette do you gravitate towards?