Austin
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
When we saw Mitchum’s well crafted invitation to put forth ‘The Hardest Working Person in America’, we immediately thought of our close friend Roly Rolon. He’s worked for us in so many capacities over the years. He screen printed our very first run of Butler Bros t-shirts. He appeared in this piece we created with Shiny Object and Randal Ford. He recently landscaped my backyard. My house is filled with his art and reclaimed furniture.
Roly lives in another dimension. His days are filled with adventures onto movie sets and into the underworld trash dumps. Beyond all the hard work though is a philosophy about life. He is interested in the possibility of every day. He finds beauty in things people throw away. And he writes phone numbers down on his jeans. We created a book filled w/ photographs of his salvage art pieces. There are a few shots above.
Our partner in making this film, Travis Wurges, is new to Austin. He quickly jumped on board to operate camera and edit this piece. Nice work Travis.
Watch his film here.
Tags: Austin, contest, hardest working person in america, Mitchum, outsider art, Roly, Roly Rolon, Shiny Object, video
Posted in Austin, Blog, We Love Them | 1 Comment »
Thursday, July 8th, 2010
Bob Dylan went electric at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. There are a host of stories and myths surrounding this controversial move to use an electric instrument at this famous folk festival. The audience booed and heckled Dylan and his band… the gentle Peter Seeger tried to cut the electricity. It seems to me that Dylan’s move to bring electricity to a folk-purist crowd was another battle in Tesla and Edison’s ‘War of Currents‘.
This piece will be for sale this weekend at The Tesla Project event.
Tags: art, bob dylan, electricity, folk, folk festival, Marty Butler, music, newport folk festival, peter seeger, Tesla, War of Currents
Posted in Austin, Blog | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
We met Randal years ago. He was still a student at A&M. His uncle Creed Ford asked us to work with him while we were creating a pile of work for Rudy’s BBQ. He had a very nice student portfolio and an even better attitude. Randal was the first photographer we had ever worked with who shot exclusively digital. It was an ‘aha’ experience for us. Nothing was lost with a properly exposed digital image and the instant gratification was a powerful tonic. We’ve remained close with Randal through his career and we continue to collaborate with him – like on the rattle snake piece we art directed with him last year (seen in gallery above).
He asked us to design a logo for him 3 years ago, and we just cleaned it up and reissued it to him for his website and this beautiful new paper system.
Tags: business card, butler bros, design, digital, friend, identity, logo, paper system, photography, Randal Ford
Posted in Austin, Blog, Clients | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
My neighbor Cathy Savage is a huge Nikola Tesla fan and an artist. To honor him she is co-producing an event at the Pump Project Satellite on Shady Lane July, 10, 2010.
I was asked to participate. Nikola Tesla is the father of alternating current technology – among other very important inventions (like the RADIO). He is far less known than his chief rival Thomas Edison. Tesla won the ‘war of currents’ – where Edison went to great lengths to discredit AC power in favor of his own weaker DC power invention – including performing animal electrocutions to showcase the inherent danger of high voltage electricity. Today, every house in the world utilizes Tesla’s AC version of power transmission.
I was drawn to showcase how Tesla’s invention exists in the world today. His technology has become a part the every day life of billions of people. Today the transmission of electricity is ubiquitous. It shows up in our houses from plastic outlets. It is completely taken for granted. The outlets, like friendly faces, beg us to plug something in. We tap into this resource without thinking twice about how the electricity is produced – think strip mines and noxious gas belching from ancient power plants. We gobble it up. Our houses pulse with it. All brought to us by these seemingly benign plastic faces – the great grand children of Nikola Tesla.
This diptych, titled ‘Tesla circa 2010’ is 20×40 inches. It portrays our modern day outlet at an increased scale. These images were derived from digital photos I took which were scaled up and rendered into half tones. Printed and affixed to cotton canvas w/ matte medium and varnished. This piece will be for sale along with Tesla inspired art from many other artists.
Profits will benefit Easter Seals and the Pump Project. There will also be live music by the band ArcAttack as well as a Tesla Roadster on display. Don’t forget on-site tee shirt screen printing, public poetry reading and a screening of a Tesla film. This is a family friendly event. See you there.
Tags: art, Austin, Cathy Savage, East Austin, June, Pump Project, Tesla, War of Currents
Posted in Austin, Blog | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010
Several years ago now Andrew Yates of Beef and Pie Productions asked if the Butler Bros would like to become a sponsor of their nascent cycling team. Filled with mountain bike masters, a few good roadies, and people who take having a good time seriously we knew it would be a great fit. Mike and Andrew (Beef and Pie) are old friends. We met Mike at GSD&M in the mid nineties when he was a copywriter and Andrew around the same time when he was a still shooter (he still is). Today they run a great production company that’s focused on both commercial work and documentary film. The rest of team Beef and Pie is stocked with designers, ad folks, a judge, lawyers, a scientist and entertainment types. It’s all very Austin and all very fun. We hope to see you in lycra soon.
Tags: Austin, beef and pie productions, biking, butler bros, cycling
Posted in Austin, Bicycling, Blog, We Love Them | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010
Driving by a Jiffy Lube this AM I witnessed something basic but all too peculiar, actual staff standing out front waving at customers. Now we’ve all seen the spinning sandwich board dance and the costumed chaos that usually charterizes this sort of street ask but this was different. A couple or wrenches in their coveralls sipping their coffees and waving slowly at customers as they drove by. Their wave said, ‘good morning friend, even though we are a chain of lube places we are people just like you so come on in if you’re 1K miles past your oil change’.
Maybe it was a memo from the brass that prompted this wave fest. Likely was. But for me it felt like there was a chance that the people that worked there thought – we’re open, no one is here, so let’s get out there and ask for some business. After all their livelihoods depend on it. Still those guys waving out there said more than we’re desperate for business. To me it said we care about people. It projected old school, look you in the eyes, trust based, service and did a lot to undo the idea that you are gonna be up-sold into three figures when you pull in.
A wave can say a lot. At least it does to me. Makes me wonder, what we not getting out in front and asking for? What about you?
Waving people down still works.
Tags: Austin, business, customer, incentive, jiffy lube, services
Posted in Austin, Blog | No Comments »
Friday, March 12th, 2010
Join us and our partner Shiny Object for our 5th Annual Bring Your Own Chair party on Sunday, March 21th from 11:30 till 5:30. Enjoy our super eclectic lineup and sip beer out on the back lawn of the Pedernales Lofts all day. This year we’re proud to partner with Wandering River Recycling so that all our waste will be properly disposed of (thanks to Keen for stepping up to help offset these additional costs). As always, this is a family friendly event – the big idea is to bring the kids out to experience a proper SX live music showcase. We’ll provide the music, beer, bouncy houses and a giant green lawn. Bring your chairs, sunscreen, family and pack a picnic if you like. Hot Mama’s will also be on site with a $5 lunch menu. Parking available on the street only. Pedi-cab service will be provided by Keen up and down 6th street. And finally, please remember that we are all guests of those who live and work at the Pedernales Lofts – keep it real.
The Lineup (stay tuned to the Facebook BYOC5 fan page for real time updates)
Gates open at 11:30 am
12:30pm Natalia Mallo & Sinamantes – Sao Paulo
1:30pm Peelander-Z – NY
3:30pm Elk Ctiy – NYC (member formerly of Luna)
The Woes – NYC TBD
Little Stolen Moments – Austin TBD
5:30 Shiny Ribs – ATX (Kev Russell from Gourds)
MORE DETAILS TO COME ON CURRENT SCHEDULE, KEEP CHECKIN’ BACK!
Special Thanks to this Year’s Sponsors
Keen • Allison Hughes Photo Retouching • Mac & Cheez • Dave Mead Photography • Your Beyond • Brett Stiles Design • Tequila Mockingbird • Association of Music Producers • Bud Light • Hot Mama’s • Rogue Running
Tags: Austin, business, butler bros, fun, music, party, Shiny Object, sxsw
Posted in Austin, Blog | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
Annick Beaudet project manager for the City of Austin’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program asked us to help with laying down the “law” of the trail.
The trail is near and dear to our running shoes, bike tires, and BOB’s. Last year we designed the new identity for the Trail Foundation. While this poster was a much simpler project to execute there was some great learning…I wasn’t aware that the “speed limit” on the trail is 10 MPH for instance. Let’s just say it took me a little longer to ride into work today.
Big thank you to design partner Toby Sudduth for jumping in and creating the look for this poster at a moments notice. Keep your eyes peeled for it at local bike shops and blown up big this weekend on the trail.
And yes, we can all get along on the trail if we just take a minute to remember a few simple rules.
Happy Trails.
Tags: Austin’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, poster design, The Trail Foundation, Toby Sudduth
Posted in Austin, Bicycling, Blog, Green | No Comments »
Thursday, May 14th, 2009
Marty is sometimes the AD and sometimes the shooter. During SXSW Gomez was in town for an ATO records showcase supporting their new album A New Tide. Marty had just shot some press pics for Ben Kweller also an ATO artist and Gomez really dug his look. So Marty scouted a few locations and ended up spending the day shooting the fellas at the Agave. Thanks to Bill Bayne for riding shotgun on the shoot.
Tags: agave development, airstream driver, Austin, gomez, musician photography
Posted in Austin, Blog | 6 Comments »
Thursday, March 26th, 2009
April – June 2009 @ The Bass Concert Hall.
Visiting Hours Monday – Friday 11AM to 2PM.
Work is displayed on the 3rd floor adjacent to the cafe.
In a unique mixed media collaboration shown at the Bass Concert Hall in Austin, TX, Jared Dunten and Marty Butler challenge the viewer to intimately experience their journey that began under the big skies of West Texas. A journey both crushing and liberating that still continues today. The two cheated death and began their fight against paralysis.
(more…)
Tags: art, Austin, big bend, expression, jared dunten, Marty Butler, will walk
Posted in Austin, Blog, World Changing | 2 Comments »
