Publishers Weekly’s recent article is a reminder to speak up about the DoJ’s suit against publishers—a topic that has been all over the news of late. The open letter, along with further information on the initiative, can be found here. Let your voice count among the many.

A percentage of proceeds from sales of Animal Shelter Portraits go to the No Kill Advocacy Center.

Mark Ross is a New York based photographer whose works centers on animals. His photographs have been used by groups promoting animal welfare and he has exhibited in New York City. A former volunteer with New York City Animal Care and Control, Ross has had unparalleled access to behind-the-scenes operations at New York’s shelters.

According to ScienceDaily.com people with Autism have an above average capacity to process information even from rapid presentations and are better able to detect information defined as ‘critical’, according to a study published March 22 in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. The research may help to explain the apparently higher than average prevalence of people with autism spectrum disorders in the IT industry. Autism is a lifelong developmental disorder that affects social interaction, communication and learning; however, people with Autism have an increased ability to focus attention to certain tasks. Yet clinical reports backed up by some laboratory research show that these individuals can be more sensitive to the distracting effects of irrelevant stimuli, such as flashing lights or particular sounds, which can be easily ignored by people without the disorder.

Professor Nilli Lavie, from the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL, hypothesises that this combination of the ability to focus and a susceptibility to distraction might be caused by a higher than normal information processing capacity.

“Our work on perceptual capacity in the typical adult brain suggests a clear explanation for the unique cognitive profile that people with autism show,” she says. “People who have higher perceptual capacity are able to process more information from a scene, but this may also include some irrelevant information which they may find harder to ignore. Our research suggests autism does not involve a distractibility deficit but rather an information processing advantage.”

The finding may help explain why people with autism spectrum disorders, such as Asperger’s syndrome, may excel in some careers such as IT, which can require intense concentration and the ability to process a great deal of information from a computer screen. Autism diagnoses in California’s Silicon Valley reportedly increased three-fold in the 1990s, a phenomenon termed ‘geek syndrome’ by ‘Wired’ magazine.

“Our study clearly shows that people with autism can do better than typical adults in tasks involving rapid presentations of a lot of information,” says Professor Lavie. “There are clearly careers, such as in IT, that can benefit from employing people with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders.”

With this information, it makes sense that people with Autism spectrum disorder are able to express themselves in a creatively profound manner. Along with now recent studies of people with Autism being able to process information with beyond average capacity, maybe they are also able to perceive life more prolifically. This creative expression is inspirational to those who know, friend, teach or parent those with the disorder, making it less difficult to communicate with those who may find it “difficult” to get their ideas across living while living with this disorder.

Guy Laramee who, in the course of his 30 years of practice, found his way through such varied and numerous disciplines as : stage writing, stage directing, contemporary music writing, musical instrument design and building, singing, video, scenography, sculpture, installation, painting and literature. Laramee uses books that are slowly falling apart, such as old encyclopedias and dictionaries to create dramatic landscapes.

His series entitled The Great Wall and Biblios, represents the devolution of human culture; showing glacial landscapes, deep valleys and plateaus. Revolutionizing the way we see art books, illustrated books have been proven to be more than just books with paintings and photography, but as a complete art piece.

In the artist’s own words:

“Mountains of disused knowledge return to what they really are: mountains. They erode a bit more and they become hills. Then they flatten and become fields where apparently nothing is happening. Piles of obsolete encyclopedias return to that which does not need to say anything, that which simply IS. Fogs and clouds erase everything we know, everything we think we are.”

 

The article goes on to explain that the Humane Society in Lynchburg, VA ( the humane society is not affiliated with the No Kill Advocacy Center) is asking the city to more than triple its animal control subsidy to $396,000 by 2015. Seems mighty steep, which leads us to question where the money given to The Humane Society is actually going. Doesn’t it seem highly possible that No Kill Shelters can exist with donations and fundraisers and volunteer workers without the community and tax payers having to shell out more than what is economically feasible?

One short year ago The Humane Society and various other animal protection organizations were accused of corruption, bribery, fraud, obstruction of justice and money laundering. In article published by www.ammoland.com, February 23rd 2010, the purpose of the lawsuit is explained;

“The nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) unearthed the lawsuit in federal court records. CCF is making the lawsuit available online at its newest website, www.HumaneWatch.org.“America’s farmers, ranchers, hunters, fishermen, trappers, research scientists, fashion designers, and restaurateurs have seen for decades watched how the animal rights movement can behave like a mobbed-up racket,” said CCF Director of Research David Martosko.“But it’s still shocking to see the evidence laid out on paper. In a treble-damage lawsuit like this, a jury could actually do the humane thing and finally put HSUS out of business completely.”

Seems harsh, but not when they are being compared No Kill organizations that are doing it the ethical way. The usatoday.com article touches on the new practices of Allegany County, MD, which became a no-kill community a year ago without increasing government spending by relying on volunteers and donations. The interesting comparison lies solely in the treatment of the animals. Ironically the organizations receiving the largest government subsidies are finding themselves in more scandals regarding the treatment of the animals being housed.

Mark Batty Publisher is publishing long awaited title; Animal Shelter Portraits. In “Shelter Portraits,” photographer Mark Ross turns an unflinching eye on the animals stranded at kill shelters resulting in deeply compassionate and haunting portraits of our furred friends. Every picture is paired with the subjects name and story making Animal Shelter Portraits an important book for animals lovers everywhere.

Amongst the artists having their work donated off is Mark Batty Publisher author Remo Camerota’s book Graffiti Japan and Drainspotting. The graffiti featured in Graffiti Japan replicates the calligraphic intricacies of the Japanese language with spray paint, depicting how anime and manga characters, national pride, as well as foreign influences, are integral parts of the country’s scene. From sprawling, legally sanctioned murals to illegal throw-ups hidden in alleyways, this work could not exist in any other country.

Tokyo-based Remo Camerota is an award-winning artist, filmmaker, and animator. He is the author of Drainspotting: Japanese Manhole Covers. His work is often political and social, attacking government issues, flash-in-the-pan fads, and censorship, aiming to create interesting concept-based communications indicative of contemporary visual trends occurring locally and globally.

The event will be held at Con Artist Gallery located at 157 Suffolk Street, New York, NY:

Opening reception on March 8, 2012: 8pm-Late
Special musical performance:
8:30PM – Naomi from Me&Mars
9:00PM – Nao Katafuchi

March 9, 10 by appointment
Closing event on March 11, 2012: 3pm-8pm
Special guest performances:
4:30pm – New York based dancer / singer Hitomi Nozawa and drummer Arei Sekiguchi
5:30pm – New York based Butoh performance artist Ximena Garnica & composer Jeremy Slater

Participating Artists will be announced soon.

This event is organized and produced by [Beau·ti·fied Ta·boo] with support by Superglorious and Con Artist NYC.

http://beautified-taboo.com/
http://conartistnyc.com/
http://superglorious.com/
http://www.japansociety.org/page/system/earthquake

Deeply compassionate and haunting portraits of our furred friends.

 “I hope this book furthers my mission to not only save animals, but raise awareness about the realities of kill shelters. To see up close and personal what these precious creatures look like and evoke what they must feel like as they await their uncertain fates.”

Every week thousands of dogs and cats are picked up from city streets and put into shelters, where they wait for people to adopt them. Those lucky enough to find a home leave the kennels within a couple of days; those who do not are euthanized. In Animal Shelter Portraits, photographer Mark Ross turns an unflinching eye on these helpless animals abandoned at kill shelters. His compelling photographs capture a snapshot glimpse of our animal companions in their moment of greatest need, acting as a reminder that our decision to adopt them is the difference between life and death. Each picture is paired with the subject’s name and story, making Animal Shelter Portraits an important book for animal lovers everywhere.

Mark Ross is a New York based photographer whose works centers on animals. His photographs have been used by groups promoting animal welfare and he has exhibited in New York City. A former volunteer with New York City Animal Care and Control, Ross has had unparalleled access to behind-the-scenes operations at New York’s shelters. Proceeds from this book will be donated to the No Kill Advocacy Center.

Mark Batty Publisher (markbattypublisher.com) is an independent publisher dedicated to making distinctive books on the visual art of communicating, showcasing the visual power and innovation of contemporary culture in all of its varied poses. Today, the visual comes at us from more places than ever, and its dissemination is faster and more advanced every year. Books from Mark Batty Publisher capture this acceleration on the pages of every book. Affordable, well designed, thoughtfully created, and produced to last, MBP books are artful products that readers want to hold onto forever.

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Since the release of the first edition, the need for companies in the West and Asia to utilize Arabic has increased exponentially, and Arabic for Designers, Second Edition gives them the tools to do so proficiently. The new edition presents examples of contemporary advertising and marketing campaigns to highlight recent changes in design trends building on the rich store of design successes—and failures—cataloged in the original.

Author Mourad Boutros draws from his visually astounding portfolio to provide heavily illustrated case studies of redesigns and logotype conversions for European and Middle Eastern television networks, websites, and printed media. The second edition includes an expanded chapter on “The Value of Cultural Knowledge,” which displays more examples of advertising campaigns that failed due to their misunderstanding and narrow grasp of Arabic’s many cultural and typographic nuances. The book’s “Gallery” section features designs that incorporate Arabic successfully, artfully, and with innovation.

Mourad Boutros and Arlette Boutros head Boutros International, which has led the field of Arabic creativity, typography, calligraphy, and design for more than 40 years. Since 1966, Boutros International has focused on meeting the latest technological requirements and the creative needs of the Arabic-speaking world. Its designers and technical experts are consistently at the forefront of developments within the field. Working globally, they have completed projects ranging from the creation of Arabic typeface collections for internationally renowned software and design houses to designing corporate Arabic logotypes and private commissions.

Mark Batty Publisher (www.markbattypublisher.com) is an independent publisher dedicated to making distinctive books on the visual art of communicating, showcasing the visual power and innovation of contemporary culture in all of its varied poses. Today, the visual comes at us from more places than ever, and its dissemination is faster and more advanced every year. Books from Mark Batty Publisher capture this acceleration on the pages of every book. Affordable, well designed, thoughtfully created, and produced to last, MBP books are artful products that readers want to hold onto forever.

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