Inside Out

Part of an Old Maid Letterpress Deck – where thirty-three artists were asked to create their own Old Maid character – the “Unsinkable Undina” card is based on the idea of an unsinkable water nymph. The concept and design for this particular card came from Slow Industries a small letterpress company.

What makes this card so exciting is the compositional use of negative space to draw the viewer’s eye to the human figure. On one side of the card the break in the cloud form creates the flying human. The contrast between the blue and the white makes it look as if the dark figure is not cut out of the cloud, but in front of it. The small bird to the left balances out the composition, giving the eye a reason to continue moving throughout the composition. The negative space of the ocean allows for a place for type while also making for an easy transition to the other side of the card.

The backside of the card continues with the same character – the “Unsinkable Undina” – this time we find her in the water. Again the card is designed so that the body is not drawn, but formed by negative space. Rather than a cloud form, fish surround “Undina”. Once again the type is offset nicely by the negative space of the sky.

Slow Industries managed to create a dynamic design by employing the concepts of negative and positive space, contrasting colors, and balance. Plus there Old Maid character is whimsical and intriguing, and who can ask for more than that.

Image: Unsinkable Undina, designed and printed by Slow Industries. Part of a larger collections of Old Maid Letterpress Cards.

If you are interested in how to play the Old Maid card game with your own deck or the Old Maid Letterpress Deck visit http://boardgames.about.com/od/cardgames/a/old_maid.htm

Fill In the Blank

Joanna Mendicino is a ceramics artist who often works with simple shapes and clean forms. Her work relies heavily on negative and positive space and the universality of a simple form. Most of her work is childlike, and it is no surprise that she gives credit for many of her designs to her childhood drawings of animals, cobblestone pathways, and pebbles.

What makes Mendicino's work so unique is that her signature design element is cutouts. Mendicino often lets negative space – or cutouts – become the design or main focal point rather than the vase itself. By allowing the cutouts to become the main focal point, rather than the vase, it offers a new perspective on traditional pottery forms.

Mendicino's work is playful, modern, and refreshing. The simplicity of the forms allows the cutout shapes to become universal in character. It is easier to imagine the shapes to be any kind of bird, leaf, or flower. Mendicino lets the imagination take its course, allowing the brain to fill in the blank.

Mendicino's designs allow the viewer to do the thinking, allowing our brain to see simple shapes become complex flowers, or our childhood home.

By filling the vase, blank spaces can become any color or texture, taking new life each time the vase is re-filled.






Images:
1. A Row of Vases, showcasing her unique designs and color options
2. Cottage Vase, from her garden life collection.

The Meaning Behind the Form

Have you ever found yourself making a face out of the back of a car? Instead of seeing taillights, you see two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. This phenomenon is called Gestalt, a German theory that studies the brains psychological reaction to forms, and our brains need to create unity within chaos. Many artists have called upon Gestalt theories to make their artwork believable relying on the brain to create unity and shapes.

Henri Matisse is an artist that heavily relied on the viewer. Matisse constantly pushed the boundaries of reality and never followed the rules. His early painting played with scale and proportion, using color and other methods to trick the eye and brain. But it was in later years that Matisse’s work began heavily relying on the Gestalt theories of unity.

When Matisse was diagnosed with cancer in 1941 he found it hard to paint. Instead of letting this stop him, with the aid of his assistants he began creating cut-paper collages. Many of Matisse’s cutouts rely on Gestalt theory and the brains ability and need to create and see negative and positive space. Blue Nude with Hair in the Wind is a perfect example of how our brain automatically finds unity within chaos. The cutout blue form is an abstract simplification of a woman. We are able to see a woman by concentrating on the distinction between the colors. Our brains search for familiar shapes picking out the arch of a back, running legs, and hair blowing in the wind.

Peter Callesen also works with paper, but unlike Matisse Callesen uses paper to create three-dimensional artwork. What makes Callesens work so unique is his ability to create complex three-dimensional shapes using one sheet of A4 paper. Callesen often employs the relationship between figure and ground to make his artwork successful, often using the negative space to convey a shadow.




By not detaching the three-dimensional shapes from their original paper he creates a unique relationship between the positive and negative space, allowing both shapes to become the focal point of the piece, and contribute equally to the overall message Callesen is attempting to convey.

Images:
1. Blue Nude with Hair in the Wind, guouace on paper cut and pasted 108 x 80 cm., 1952
2. The Short Distance Between Time and Shadow, Acid free A4 115 gsm paper and glue, 2006

Sources: http://www.petercallesen.com/ and http://www.henri-matisse.net/

Inspiration Takes Different Forms

Inspiration is an interesting thing, a mixture of the artist, their surroundings, and their experiences. Mix all of these things together and often you get what drives people to produce. Every year like clockwork the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County gives the residents of Santa Cruz a unique look into the inspiration behind 200 artists living in Santa Cruz County. Ranging from watercolorists to jewelry makers each artist is picked based on the professionalism of their work, its theme, and whether the artist can demonstrate the creative process.

What makes this event so unique is that it is a chance to look at the work of artists who are creating in the same environments. It gives the viewer a chance to see how different artists are driven by their everyday experiences and how different the outcome can be. These artists are each making there works at the 17th Ave. Studios, two buildings that are broken into studios and rented out to artists living in Santa Cruz County.

Marvin Plummer is a local artist who has lived in Santa Cruz on and off since 1986. Plummer is a unique artist in the sense that for the past five years his goal has been to capture what makes a dog man’s best friend. Using mostly charcoal, Plummer sets out to portray the essence and the soul of his subjects. Plummer’s work is unique and original. What makes his work intriguing is the composition; he plays with the shape and feeling of the animal somehow managing to instantly capture the a sense of emotion.

Michael Mote has been fascinated with color since childhood, motivated by an early childhood memory of a movie marquee’s flashing lights. For many years he painted only in watercolors feeling they were the only things that could reproduce the memory of those flashing lights. Recently Mote has been working with pastels and wax on wood, using color to recreate the ocean scenes he sees everyday. Mote enjoys working with wax because it deepens and saturates the colors while slightly abstracting the forms. He enjoys focusing on the raw, natural beauty that is so quickly disappearing in the world.

Paul DeSomma and his wife, Marsha Blaker are internationally known glass and ceramic artists, known for working both together and separately. They find inspiration in the sea, taking its forms and letting it inspire them in different ways. Together they enjoy working on abstract and literal projects, letting their inspiration take them where it wants.

Lenny Gerstein has been a wood carver since he was ten, but it was not until several years ago that he opened his own studio and began taking his art seriously. Gerstein’s favorite material is found wood, mostly old growth redwood that is readily found in Santa Cruz County. Much like Michelangelo, Gerstein claims to see the captured figures in the wood, saying that he frees them when he carves.

Roberta Lee Woods is a painter and collage artist who is inspired by nature and its many layers of color and texture. In many of her works she attempts to capture the mood and atmosphere of the ocean. After traveling to Belize, Holland, and the Czech Republic she became inspired by the Dutch Masters such as Vermeer and Rembrandt as well as many contemporary artists. She continues to explore different art processes, including but not limited to papermaking and book arts.

Image above: Portrait of a dog by Marvin Plummer.

Pieces of the Puzzle

An airplane here, a wedding dress there, when making a collage these two images can sit side by side in perfect harmony, combining to create something bigger. Apart they are images, but together they can make a statement about something all together different. Suddenly an eyeball is the center of the universe, and it makes perfect sense.

The act of making a collage can be very meditative and relaxing, a time where it is easy to make whatever you want fit, but can also teach. Making a collage is like putting together a puzzle that you created, it teaches the brain to think about many parts as a whole, forced to look into the future and see a final image. As a designer and artist being able to see the whole before it is present can be vital.

In many cases designing is just like making a collage. As a designer you are often given a concept that involves many small pieces expected to make it all fit together. Your brain must once again look to the future and find the whole, piecing together words and images to create something that can be recognized not as fragments but as a symbol or identity.

Designs are often fragments, arranged to make a whole, a collage of words placed specifically to evoke a hierarchy of importance, or a bundle of images asking to be seen as the identity and soul of a company or brand. Apart you may ask what an apple and grapes have to do with underwear, but put together it is a brand and much like the eyeball as the center of the universe it somehow makes perfect sense.

Image: Designed by Kelly Stewart by "making a collage" out of many Volcom logos. An example of taking many small images and putting them together to make one image.

From Start to Finesse

As a consumer it is uncommon to see a logo other than in its final form. Richard Perez, a graphic designer and illustrator, gives us a unique look into his creative process while making a corporate logo. Perez’s job was to update the Capitol Records Logo. Being one of the first major recording labels established on the west coast it was important to keep the feeling of the iconic Hollywood headquarters.

Perez was given the unique challenge of updating a brand that already has a large following. Capitol Records is home to some of the biggest recording artists of all time. Because of the companies wide range of artists it was important that the identity appealed to all generations and focused primarily on the power of the music.



Perez created at least ninety simple sketches while trying to find the perfect balance of new and old. It is easy to see that Perez tried out many ideas and if you study the image above you can see his creative thought process happening. It is important to also note that within these ninety sketches the final logo is there, but not fully.

The final logo created by Perez achieves the perfect balance of new and old by using clean lines and timeless characteristics. From a non-designer standpoint the simplicity of the logo may give the illusion that it took little time to design it. But by giving a snapshot into the design process Perez has allowed anyone to see how creativity works and the importance of brainstorming.






For more of Richard Perez’s beautiful work visit his website at: http://skinnyships.com/

If you are interested in the creative process of logos or branding check out the books: Marks of Excellence, Logo, and Identity Crisis

Images: All images courtesy of http://skinnyships.com/

Walking the Tight Rope

How do you know when the design you come up with is done? When in the process of creating it is always difficult to know when to stop and when to continue, a delicate balancing act. The creative process can never be contained or measured, it simply happens which can be hard not only on the client but on the artist. Learning how to tell when something is done can be as difficult as learning to draw for the very first time, a talent that can take years if not forever to finesse.

Paula Scher is an artist that appears to have a grasp on the creative process. Scher has learned over time to trust her judgment, letting go of the expectations of others. Like any good designer Scher has had practice. She has been a graphic designer since the 1970s where she began her career designing record cover art. Since then she has developed identity and branding systems, packaging and publication designs, promotional materials, and environmental graphics for a broad range of clients.

One of Scher’s most famous works is the Citi Bank logo, which she said only took her two hours to complete. She jokes that the year and a half before the logo was complete she spent in meetings selling her idea rather than actually conceiving it. The idea that it takes many ideas to come up with a truly great one is not always true. Creativity is a process that can be quick or long. As a designer it is important to remember to listen to yourself and not be afraid to balance between the world of finished and begun.

For more information on Paula Scher and her amazing work visit: http://pentagram.com/en/partners/paula-scher.php

Images:
1. Toulouse, by Paula Scher 2001
2. Original Sketch of the Citi Bank Logo, courtesy of http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2008/september/kyoorius-design-yatra-days-23

Playful Forms and Technological Experiments

Ron Arad (Israeli, b. 1951) is one of the most influential industrial designers, artist, and architects of today. He was born in Tel Aviv, Israel and was trained at the Jerusalem Academy of Art and at London’s Architectural Association. In 1973 he moved to London to immerse himself in Architecture, but actually made his name in the early 1980’s as a self-taught sculpture furniture maker. Today he works in both design (including furniture) and architecture with his business partner Caroline Thorman.

What makes Arad unique is his ever-evolving interest in what is going on around him. While still staying true to himself Arad has managed to morph with the times, creating works that are relevant to the moment in time. Arad’s work looks to common culture for inspiration. Instead of simply looking inside of himself for inspiration, Arad explores the life and trends he sees everyday around him.


Today Arad’s work explores his curiosity with technology. Arad heavily relies on the computer and its capabilities as much as he relies on his hands on techniques in his metal workshop. Arad has always felt that personal interaction and a playful nature are important in his work and he recently completed a sculpture that can receive and display texts sent through SMS and Bluetooth messages from mobile phones and Palm Pilots. Arad himself doesn’t control the messages; anyone who can get the number is able to send a message. Arad loves the unique, which is shown through most of his work.

Arad’s work is always playful, innovative, humorous, and attempts to communicate the joy of invention. His daredevil curiosity of the everyday exploration can be seen through his work over the past 25 years. Arad is best known as a designer, but he has completed many architectural projects as well as furniture and home designs. Most recently Arad’s work can be seen at the MOMA. Ron Arad is an artist to watch in the upcoming years as he is always on the cutting edge and always producing inspiring works.

For more information on his recent exhibit “Ron Arad: No Discipline” visit: http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2009/ronarad/#/1/0

Images:
1. Ron Arad, with an unidentified piece of work
2. GET THE MESSAGE, Lolita, the text-messaging chandelier

A Natural Inspiration

(*)

When looking at an artist’s work it is always interesting to know what the inspiration was. What inspired the artist to make that particular choice or pick that particular subject? William S. Rice (1873-1963) was an artist that was clearly inspired by his surroundings. Rice spent most of his career making work that reflected the beauty of California and the Bay Area in particular.

Rice was offered a job in California in 1900, after completing his degree at the Pennsylvania School of Industrial Art and the Drexel Institute in Philadelphia. He spent the next years as the Supervisor of Art in the Stockton Public Schools. In 1910 he moved to the Bay Area, where he began teaching in Alameda and Oakland. Rice’s work at the time already showed a profound California influence. At this time he became very interested in the Arts in Crafts Movement, and began taking extensive classes in the techniques of Japanese woodcuts.

This is where Rice really began drawing inspiration from the California Coast. He gained national recognition for his printmaking, but continued working in ceramics, painting with watercolor and oil, hammered copper, and woodworking. Rice’s love of California fed through his life in more ways than one. He wrote articles on naturalist subjects for Sunset magazine and joined many associations that had connections to California.

Looking through one of Rice’s books, his love for California’s natural landscapes is obvious. Rice spent most of his life in California, studying and examining the landscape. His attention to detail shows his clear study of the landscape on a day-to-day basis. William S. Rice is an artist where the inspiration that he found outside of himself is clear. Rice spent his life drawing inspiration from his surroundings.

When an artist spends a lifetime studying one subject it shows through the detail and understanding of the subject. Today it is more common to find artists drawing inspiration from multiple venues always changing to create something “new.” While this does not make art less meaningful it is refreshing to find work that is so grounded in one thing, never straying from its inspiration. The dedication and admiration that it shows, is almost inspiring.

*Photo Above: Plate 4. San Francisco Bay, 1915 (12 x 9 in). Image Courtesy of http://lotusgreenfotos.blogspot.com

Making Connections

Typographic Exploration in Hangul draws inspiration from Korean culture and from the juxtaposition between mental concepts and mental aspects. In this day and age design is becoming more about the important relationship between words and images. Phil Choo does a beautiful job of taking lyrics and making them visual, playing with the relationship of what is read and what is seen.

Ileona (Stand up) is based on a Korean song that is important in Korean culture. Choo uses the words and the meaning of the song to inspire him. This piece is an excellent example of the use of semiotics in art. Semiotics is the study of symbols and signs, particularly when it comes to language or communication. Choo uses the symbols, or in this case the ancient Hangul alphabet, to represent what the song originally conveyed through its lyrics. Choo literally “stands up” the lyrics that read stand up, taking the meaning of the words and turning them into visual reality.

For a person that cannot read Hangul, it simply reads as beautiful symbols arranged in a manor that is visually appealing, but for someone that can read Hangul the piece can mean a lot more. By using the Hangul alphabet to visually interpret a piece of Korean culture; Choo is making the connection between the two most important parts of any culture, the written word and pictures. Choo builds connections visually, mentally, and emotionally.

The Art of the Alphabet

Typographic Exploration in Hangul explores the formation of the letters of the Hangul alphabet as well as the emotion that the letters hold in Korean culture through two-dimensional works. In order to understand the exhibit, it is important to understand some of the history of the Hangul alphabet.

Hangul is the native alphabet of the Korean language. Created in the mid-fifteenth century it is now the official script of both North Korea and South Korea. Hangul is a phonetic alphabet organized into syllabic blocks. Each block consists of at least two of the twenty-four Hangul letters (jamo), at least one each of the fourteen consonants (jaeum) and ten vowels (moi eium). The syllabic blocks can be written in two ways. Either horizontally from left to right or vertically from top to bottom in columns from right to left. (For a more in depth history on this fascinating alphabet visit http://www.zkorean.com/hangul/history_of_hangul).

This exhibition showcases the work of Hyunju Lee and Phil Choo. Both designers were born and raised in Korea and their typographic roots began with Hangul. Choo earned a MFA in graphic design from Iowa State University and is now an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Oklahoma State University. Lee studied visual communication in Japan and received her MFA from Tama Art University in Japan and her PhD from Tokyo National University of Music and Fine Arts.

The exhibition focuses mainly on the Korean culture through the emotions that the letters evoke. Since it is a typographic exhibit, most of the inspiration comes from Korean poems, songs, and cultural traditions. Each individual piece is deeply tied to the traditions and sounds of the Hangul alphabet.

Typographic Exploration in Hangul is a prime example of taking the pure essence of a culture and making it visual. The exhibit focuses around the written word, which we all use to communicate, and explores through image how a culture lives off of the written word. Through colors, rich text, and deep cultural meaning Typographic Exploration of Hangul is a beautiful insight into the rich beauty of the Hangul alphabet.

For more information on the exhibit and museum hours visit the UC Davis Design Museum Website at: http://designmuseum.ucdavis.edu/