MiiR x Curtis Bullock

When we stumbled across Curtis Bullock’s bold patterns and carefully color coordinated designs adorning the MiiR 12oz Camp Cups, we were captivated. This happy accident led to a surprise partnership. As if he wasn’t talented enough with his creations, Curtis has been an educator for the last 16 years, while also pursuing his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership. Check out his art and more on Instagram@SaveThePostalService.

Your style is so vibrant and unique. What inspires your work?

I grew up watching my mom play some of the original simple video games, where they were just single pixels on a screen. The geometry fascinated me, and I remember cheering for her to win just so we could see the celebratory end screen with the pixel rocket blasting off into space. And it grew from there. I thought, how do I bring that 3D CAD world to analog shapes?

We were so excited to see how you used our MiiR products for your incredible art but tell us how you came across MiiR.

I actually found the MiiR 12oz Camp Cup at a Goodwill. It drew me in. The design was sleek, so I thought this would be a great product to experiment with. And that led me to creating more with your camp cups and water bottles. I was afraid I was going to get a Cease and Desist. Turns out I was wrong. I was thrilled that you all wanted to do a collaboration.  

What was it about the MiiR Camp Cup that got you so excited?

Besides the great product design? It was the handle. Most cup handles are rounded and have a distinct curve, but the MiiR Camp Cup handle is angular and flattened out. It’s such a unique challenge to not only design for a curved surface, but also a flat angle on top of that. Curved surfaces hold geometric shapes differently, they bend light and showcase color in ways you don’t have to think about on a flat surface.   

Is that what also drew you to designing on a bike frame?

Absolutely. Balancing color from front to back on an irregular shape takes more thought that people would imagine. I’ve always been interested in color theory and materials design, particularly focusing on how different materials carry color and pattern. That’s what keeps me coming back to MiiR camp cups and water bottles. And bike frames.

What keeps you coming back to unique objects and what keeps you inspired?

It’s the creative misuse of objects, things people don’t normally design on. It’s art that inspires conversation and joyful interaction. That’s what it’s about.