Clothing label Black Scale is selling this T-shirt depicting a plane’s shadow over both of the former World Trade Center towers. What a lame way to generate exposure for their line, knowing that an image of any plane over the WTC is going to generate some controversy. It’s working, no doubt about it (as this post is evidence), but still, very lame.
If your clothing company can’t think of a better T-shirt design than simply slapping a black and white unattributed image over over a blank tee, then you can pretty much forget about it.
“The image on the tee is from a Pakistan Air Ad from 1979 and will release this Fall 2009. This has been verified by a reference librarian at UCLA’s Charles E. Young Research Library (which, apparently, is the only library in America that has back copies of Le Point). The advertisement appeared on p.143 of the March 19, 1979 issue, #339. The ad also ran in other issues, such as April 2, 1979, p.163.”
Not saying this justifies the image, but you have to respect that there’s a certain amount of ironic beauty in the print
Bah this is already more publicity than they deserve…
Of all the people I’d expect to know the source of the image (without even reading some tagline by the clothing company), it’d be you. But you didn’t, somehow.
Why would I have known this image? I don’t read Le Point nor do I believe this was shot by a well-known photographer. But if I’m wrong, fill me in on who shot it.
I happen to think the shirt is cool. I know it can sometimes be a stretch to call t-shirts “art”, but I happen to think they are, and who’s to say what is “good” art and what is “bad” art? I respect your right to voice your opinion, but to say that so-called simple approaches to art and design such as “slapping a black and white unattributed image over over a blank tee” are categorically invalid, I think you’re unfairly generalizing. There have been countless works of modern art that are regarded as brilliant that are not much more than “slapping” some still photo onto some random medium. I’m reminded of the saying that “modern art tends to be something that anyone could have done, but didn’t”.. That’s all.. Like your blog in general.