BACKGROUND
TLOSmag.com has been a journey of discovery. It began with my own struggle after graduating from the Center for Creative Studies. The job market for designers had been doing reasonably well, but it got hit hard right before I graduated. Suddenly, a lot of young designers and illustrators were left competing for jobs against people with years of experience willing to work for the same pay as recent graduates. I was left with a degree in an area I loved and wanted to contribute to but without avenues to pursue.
I fell back on the training honed at school: work on my portfolio and stay sharp as a designer, so when the opportunity presented itself, I’d be ready. I kept producing pieces even though I had no one to show them to. That’s when I first imagined an online magazine/gallery that would give exposure to artists who had ideas they were working passionately on, but no outlet to share those ideas with others.
After working professionally for a number of years in publication design, illustration, marketing and advertising, TLOSmag.com is the site I always hoped to launch.
ABOUT TLOSmag.com
TLOS isn't an acronym for anything. It's LOST rearranged. Certainly, that’s how I felt when I graduated, displaced almost. But the notion is more about taking something and creating your own meaning rather than being defined by someone else. The basic principle is being in search of something greater but open to the fact that you may not know what that is. What you seek and what you never expected to find is what TLOSmag.com is all about.
This site was imagined as an online salon humming with ongoing conversation. Unlike a blog, where content is cut and paste, the articles are designed to give this environment an individual look and feel.
Our Gallery accepts submissions from artists in illustration, graphics, photography, music and video. In each issue, a selection of 10 to 15 artists are juried to go onto the website, where they get the attention of creative directors, designers and inspired thinkers.
The Magazine focuses on interviews from established artists whose insights may be just the fuel for artists who have the talent and the drive but aren’t sure what it actually takes to make it in the world of art. Stories are a carefully selected mix to keep the viewer on the cusp of what’s happening. Suggestions and offerings from readers are welcome.
FOUNDER
K’Kio Hardin has been Design Director of Clear magazine for the past seven years, where he continues to sharpen his creative eye. He is also lead designer for Audi Magazine [U.S.] and has created the design standards for 4c and Ambassador magazines. In addition to editorial design, Hardin has been the creative force behind advertising campaigns for Dollhouse, Amuleti J, Inkslingers, and Vigoss Jeans. His work can be seen at www.kkiohardin.com
TLOSmag COLLABORATIONS
Collaborations are a unique feature of TLOSmag.com. Pairing together a featured TLOSmag gallery artist and an advertiser to create brand messaging exclusively for our site, this work is showcased online and in TLOSmag guerilla gallery venues throughout the United States.
Using a logo as a springboard to creating an idea for the site built around a product launch, TLOSmag.com is a stage where the commercial and artistic worlds converge.
ABOUT