Image By: Richard Elzey

For some it may already sound like a recipe for disaster when Brad Paisley and LL Cool J are collaborating on a new song, but when the title is “Accidental Racist” there is sure to be some controversy.

This new country-rap amalgamation starts out with Paisley singing about the time he wore a confederate flag tee-shirt into Starbucks and assuring his black barista,

“I hope you understand when I put on that t-shirt the only thing I meant to say is I’m a Skynyrd fan.”  

Paisley, who is actually from West Virginia and not the deep south, professes his frustrations about being “Proud of where I’m from but not everything we’ve done.” 

It seems LL Cool J and Brad Paisley are unaware of the continued systemic racism in this country as they believe we’re simply ”Fightin’ over yesterday”.  Though their intentions are admirable “Accidental Racist” is filled with stereotypes, as LL Cool J tells Paisley

“If you don’t judge the gold chains, I’ll forget the iron chains.”

As you can imagine, comedians have been getting their fair share of enjoyment out of this ridiculous song. Cast members on Saturday Night Live did a sketch about it on Weekend Update and last night Stephen Colbert debuted a gay-marriage themed parody:  “Oopsie Daisy Homophone”.  

All in all, though one can appreciate the attempt to unify America,  it’s hard to understand what these artists are trying to accomplish when LL Cool J finishes the song exclaiming, “RIP Robert E. Lee”.

Are we really living in a post-racial society, or do these music icons need to get a clue? 

At first thought, animated GIFs might conjure up images of dancing “under construction” signs and cheesy banner ads circa the year 2000. Luckily, the creative minds of present-day animators, designers, illustrators, and digital artists are revisiting the technology and utilizing it in impressive new ways.

Whether it’s a website with strategically placed, imagery-rich cinemagraphs (photographs with a minor and repeated movement action) or an exploration into mind-bending art, there’s little question that animated GIFs remain a viable technology in design.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a collection of stellar GIF art from three wildly creative forces from across the globe.

Sure, the pulsating geometric patterns and loud colors that are intrinsic to their work might not translate into an e-commerce site; but these artists’ stylistic visions serve to remind us that experimenting with what’s considered rudimentary can produce some pretty fascinating results.

Paolo Ceric

Croatia-based digital artist Paolo Ceric’s began his creative work by watching coders and trying to replicate the outcome. Today, it’s evolved into a style all his own as he creates mind-blowing animated art using a variety of software, including Processing and Cinema 4D. In reference to coding, he observes, “It’s not hard to learn, but it takes time for it to let you be creative, like every other tool.” To read more about Ceric’s work, check out his blog, Patakk.

Skip Dolphin Hursh

Skip Dolphin Hursh is a self-identified designer, illustrator, animator, artist and thing-maker. Operating out of Brooklyn, New York, Hursh’s work shares a common thread of abstraction and vibrancy. His clients include Nickelodeon, Scholastic, and Discovery Channel; current projects can be seen on his website.

Davidope

Davidope (David Szakaly) is a Hungarian designer and creative director currently residing in a suburb of Budapest. His mind-warping animated patterns are typically black and white, with occasional bursts of psychedelic colors. Davidope’s work and global inspirations can be seen here.

Do you use animated gifs in your work? What uses could you find for them? Let us know in the comments.

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An easy-to-use EEG cap could expand the number of ways to interact with your mobile devices.

One day, we may be able to check e-mail or call a friend without ever touching a screen or even speaking to a disembodied helper. Samsung is researching how to bring mind control to its mobile devices with the hope of developing ways for people with mobility impairments to connect to the world. The ultimate goal of the project, say researchers in the company’s Emerging Technology Lab, is to broaden the ways in which all people can interact with devices.