Mad Men or Minimalism?

1.25.12, Midtown Manhattan.

This is an ad for Mad Men. But for those of us who are not familiar with the TV show, these ads are downright ambiguous. Where’s the web site? No Twitter or Facebook mention? What’s it for? No more information even in tiny letters, it’s just a man falling and the date March 25th. In a world already over-saturated with images competing for our attention, these ads caught my eye for their pure minimalism. I think it’s gutsy for an advertiser to have no clear message or selling point. These ads plastered all over NYC kept me guessing until I finally researched them online. Apparently these ads are causing a stir in NYC for their resemblance to 9/11.

-Barbra Tolentino

From Pickles to Andy Warhol

REA Approved is back with more images of our beloved city, from storefront designs and bouquets to Union Square’s Andy Warhol Monument.

Rob Pruitt, the artist of the Andy Monument: “I was trying to make Andy as blank as possible. Having the iridescent surface, he reflects the environment around him. Like a police siren rushing by in the evening, and the activity in the farmers’ market and the life in Union Square Park.”

Designed by a combination of digital scanning of a live model and hand-sculpting, this larger-than-life statue of Pop Art legend Andy Warhol stands at the corner of 17th Street and Broadway, close to where one of his Factory spaces once stood.

Rob Pruitt: “Like so many other artists and performers and people who don’t fit in because they’re gay or otherwise different, Andy moved here to become who he was, to fulfill his dreams and make it big. He still represents that courage and that possibility. That’s why I came to New York, and that’s what my Andy Monument is about.”

“The Andy Monument” is on view until May 13th, 2012.

REA Approves NYC in the Winter

Dozens of storefronts populate New York City’s streets, and they’re especially eye-catching in the winter season.  Everyone’s decked out for the holidays–and storefront design is an art.  Although the face above looks angry, we thought it was kinda cute anyway.

A mural spanning an entire wall brightened up our walk.

REA Approves the sleek look of this building, which reflects the sky and city around it.

We liked the stately elegance of this iron-wrought awning.

A fine touch to this storefront gives the effect of a light snowfall on the window. -JW & MT

REA APPROVED Excursion – Continued

Here are more of Chip & Brittany’s discoveries as they explored the city during their excursion.  Let us know what you think — are these good ‘approvals’ of design, architecture, and street art?

We liked the way this awning curved upward, making it totally unique.

The High Line is filled with innovative design and exciting things to look at — but these wooden benches stood out to us.

We approve this view from the High Line!

An interesting water fountain, also to be found on the High Line …

We liked the typography and the facade’s design of the Joyce Theater on 19th St and 8th Avenue.