The other day, the School of Visual Arts Designer as Author students visited the Zaha Hadid-designed Chanel Mobile Art display in Central Park's Rumsey Playfield. It was a gorgeous fall morning, leaves falling from trees painted with oranges, reds, siennas, and fading greens. The 7,500 square foot orb is filled with installations inspired by the quilted Chanel bag (bottom) and perfume pervades the air. A personal tour is narrated by the deep yet dulcet tones of Jeanne Moreau "discussing everything from sex and love to the secrets at the bottom of a woman's handbag," writes The New York Times. However, with everyone listening to their own prompts (i.e. "now walk with me to the stairs, and turn left") on individualized MP3 devices, visitors became willing zombies, walking slowly, mindlessly to Moreau's resolute commands.
    Some of the artworks were clever (a series of cardboard boxes, below, with witty videos projected from above showing naked people frolicking and assaulting one another with Chanel bags) and some were more tritely surreal. There was also a hint of the 1964 New York World's Fair to be found in the space-age orb that seemed to be plunked down from the heavens in the anomalous surround.
    The students left with mixed feelings. The morning was blissful and beautiful enough, but this monument to high-end commercialism (guarded by Chanel-clad docents) at such a critical period of economic distress seemed a tad out of touch with reality. But maybe that's the point.

"To call Art Fitzpatrick an automobile illustrator," writes Dave Caldwell in The New York Times, "is to leave half of the canvas blank." Mr. Fitzpatrick is the man behind the chrome when it comes to selling cars in dreamlike illustrations "pitching a carefree lifestyle." His luminescent ads for Life, Look, and the Saturday Evening Post for Pontiac Bonnevilles and Catalinas created the aura for American behemoth automobiles (and influenced Bruce McCall's parodies (bottom) in "The Last Dream-O-Rama.") The Times refers to him as "the Michelangelo of the Muscle Car," but more than that, he is the chronicler of the American Dream. See his recent set of Fins and Chrome U.S. stamps below.

How effective are posters in altering people's perceptions? Are they only worth the paper they're printed on or are they truly persuasive papers? The debate rages at the exhibition Signs of Change: Social Movement Cultures 1960s to Now at Exit Art in New York, where hundreds of posters, photographs, moving images, audio clips, and ephemera document more than 40 years of activism, political protest, and campaigns for social justice. Many of them have indeed altered perception and triggered action. Curated by Dara Greenwald and Josh MacPhee and organized thematically, the current show presents issues from Civil Rights and Black Power in the United States to democracy in China to anti-apartheid in Africa to environmental activism and women's rights internationally. "The exhibition also explores the development of powerful counter-cultures that evolve beyond traditional politics and create distinct aesthetics, lifestyles, and social organization," say its organizers. Exit Art exhibitions are famous for presenting a critical mass of unique artifacts and this one is no exception.

Whatever your party, your VOTE is important. The following initiatives have been launched by designers to help get out the vote next Tuesday.

PLUS ONE: "Some people donate money. Most don't volunteer. But what if
everyone got just one more person to vote?" asks Scott Stowell. PLUS ONE (above) is a way to get involved that is modest and personal. If enough people do it, it really could make a difference. And if people send their PLUS ONE stories to hello@plusonevote.org, "we might have a nice collection of anecdotes to share for the future."

VOTEHOUR.ORG: This from Ji Lee: "According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in the last election, the #1 reason eligible voters didn't vote was because they were 'too busy.' This shouldn't happen in this important election. Let's encourage EVERYONE to vote!" Get employers to designate one hour on November 4 for voting. Show your boss the video on votehour.org.

NOV4.NET: From Brent & Andrew: "Promote the vote NOV 4. Let NOV4 help you get out the vote in 2008." This site sells media kits, stickers, iron-ons and tattoos (below) all with NOV 4 emblazoned in stark type.

AIGA GET OUT THE VOTE: "Help motivate your friends, family and others in your community to vote by spreading the AIGA Get Out the Vote campaign. AIGA invited designers from across the United States to create nonpartisan posters."