30 May 2009

steven heller called out my fate.

"I have finally come to the realization that my self-education was like a dormant childhood illness that has returned in adult life to haunt me." i had printed this summer-2005-article from eye magazine (eye opinion) just over a year ago and stuck it with my stash of articles that may benefit me or be of interest one day.

just like my box of inspiring printed pieces housing direct mail pieces, brochures and ads as well as my browser's bookmark folder stuffed with cool web sites, i tap into these inspiring archives when i get into a rut. i have an oversized folder with articles that i've collected from the Times, online, or Xeroxs from books and other pubs that i resort to when i seek inspiration.

i have a meeting with some gallery directors next week to discuss a show i planned on exhibiting at the end of this semester. it was for the last project in my Special Studies class in which i withdrew after 85% completion. the space wasn't available any how, but is open for the beginning of fall. my biggest dilemma is if i should still exhibit my intended show — my decades book – progress shown at the end of this blog)? or do i come completely off the wall and make a show from something unrelated?

this is why i began the search in my article archives. i have plenty ideas for an exhibit, just none have ever been flushed out... and the meeting is next week. and now after re-discovering this article, i can't help but to believe that i'm merely a "capitalist tool," as steven heller put so in-my-face-ly. but it's true. i have a knack for pleasing clients, presenting a clear message, and selling the goods. but, is my lack of formal training holding me from finding my purpose in the MFA program? am i really a graphic designer? or just a creative person with the ability to juggle administration...

i should have been accepted into this program based on a social issue/graphic design problem that i wanted to confront over the next 3 years. instead, i was accepted based upon my "corporate" portfolio. perhaps my experience proved that i could think for myself with hopes that something would surface. well, after a year and a half, nothing has surfaced and i find myself completely alone. no comradery. no direction. no push. just a demand to create my own curriculum and plan to present to a committee. the news flash is loud and clear: i just don't have it.

read heller's article published in eye magazine summer '05 issue 56: "Me feral designer" and you will see where i'm coming from.

as for the exhibit in the fall, i'm still going to attempt it. i can't give up that easily. below is where my book was going. the plan was to extract the spreads and blow them up to present in a gallery setting... now, i thinking i'll do something much more interesting. as for the book, i was exercising a flow as the reader flipped through the decades of commercial art in america starting in the 50's. a rhythm would maintain with the chorus of vellum spreads showing a graphic transition of each of the decade "circles" as they separate the decade spreads.

cover:


50s:



60s:



70s:


80s:


90s:


and the NOW is even more incomplete than the 80s and 90s... i didn't have time to massage anything and before i knew it the semester was over. as i've taken the W's this semester, i've also taken a lesson. i know who i am and i will never stop learning, i just don't have control of the time line.

finally, just for fun, even as i discovered that the decades mesh together with fuzzy borders, i wanted to explore type treatments that represent each in a poster:


27 May 2009

project artschool: i am a serif.

spring 2009 has ended now, and...

there may be a change soon. on this blog, project artschool. since the last third of my first half of the graduate program withdrew nothing new and injected nothing progressive, i'm forced to rethink my purpose here. lack of direction. lack of motivation. lack of the knowledge or research to create a decent thesis statement. i'm lost. and i'm fine with it.

i have no regrets for anything. the past. especially these last three semesters. i learned a lot. i learned how to learn. i grew an interest in design literature. and discovered my place.

i am a serif. with flare. juggling more. and more. than any (one) thing compared. to. compare... ison. i can be extreme. wear boxers. and sweat passion. a tagline. for the who, what, where, and why. but that’s only the half. as i jeopardize. a reputation. i am alive. a living oxy moron. who dares. death. daily. exposed. knowing that one can only grow. with others around. as you will find on this index to my (school) life. online. is merely on line. and no one will truly know me until they find time. to sit in a coffee house. and sip fine conversations. with cream and sugar. sweet nothings. envisioning. a life that is bigger. traditional. realist. fictitious. dreamer. i am a serif.

so why all the long hours. drawn out. tail chasing. solitude. when i'm finding no purpose. when i dig up a graduate level graphic design problem that i want to explore, i will apply to an art school and hit it head on. i can't burn a bridge that was never built. until then, i will continue to be who i am.

there's no surprise why this time will be eliminated. the summer is now necessary. i need it.

my mind is currently focused on project artschool, the underground art&book supply...

Fullerton, CA

Orange, CA

Long Beach, CA

20 May 2009

Big Ant Int'l: Global Coalition for Peace

here is my biggest "Why Didn't I Think of That" moment...

“What Goes Around Comes Around. Stop the Iraq War.”

Global Coalition for Peace
Gold Pencil for Design award (Public Service Poster) at the One Show Design Awards. Four posters were designed to wrap around poles, campaigning for an end to the war in Iraq.








for the other two in the series, check out http://bigantinternational.com under works

Advertiser:
Global Coalition for Peace
Agency:
Big Ant International, New York
Additional credits:
Creative director: Alfred S. Park
Associate creative director: Frank Anselmo
Art director: Jeseok Yi
Copywriters: Francisco Hui and William Tran

Source:

18 May 2009

ditch poetry: international feature.



i just received notice that i'm an international feature in the Canadian poetry magazine ditch. two of my poems were selected and can be viewed ://here

30 April 2009

thesis proposal: Understanding Poetry to Teach Graphic Design.

i may be on to something here...

Working Titles for Thesis Project.
• Teaching Graphic Design with Principles of Poetry.
• Understanding Poetry to Teach Graphic Design.
• Poetry and Graphic Design: Different Media, Same Approach.
• Poetry’s Principles Are Graphic Design’s Process.
• Poetry’s Principles Solve Graphic Design’s Problems.

Working Statements.
• Overcoming graphic design problems with principles of poetry are specifically understood when the principles from the Imagism Literary Movement are used to create effective conceptual logos, the flow of Free Verse and Narrative Poetry are used to create technical and informational graphic layouts, and embracing Cut-Up Poetry leads to enhancing decorative graphic elements and montages.

• Many visual artists repel the power of words because they are blinded by image and therefore need to be taught the importance of the principles of poetry in order to identify their personal rhythm and intuition when creating successful conceptual, technical and artistic graphic design.

Overview.
Learning conceptual graphic design relies heavily on the students individual ability to translate ideas into graphic form with a sense that is pleasing to the viewer. Teaching it almost seems supernatural and unattainable. There is no formula that guarantees unique, creative conceptual results.

My plan is to improve graphic design instruction by creating methods that exercise a designer’s rhythm and intuition. These methods are rooted in principles from poetry through its literary movements and the study of it as an art form. Many visual artists repel the power of words because they are blinded by image. Conceptual graphic design has much to learn from poetry, old and new. As the outcomes of each are usually different (and sometimes considered one in the same), the processes are remarkably similar.

I plan to prove the direct correlation in the processes of writing poetry and creating multiple graphic design solutions through specific experiments and continued research. This thesis project will specifically address the following:

• The process of creating a logo by explaining the foundation of the Imagism Literary Movement

• The process to clean, legible and organized information and communication layouts through Free Verse and Narrative Poetry principles

• The process of designing decorative and montage graphics dictated by Cut-Up Poetry

My Worth. The Subjects Worth.
As I discover inspiration through poetry and find a personal desire to understand it better, my recent enthusiasm for works of literature trickles into my professional trade – graphic design and advertising, encouraging new methods and experiments for use in the design classroom.

The ideals mentioned in this thesis proposal are worthy of experimentation simply because they propose formulas for conceptual thinking. They have the potential to revolutionize the way graphic design in taught. In addition to teaching design students graphic design principles – type, image, color, scale, I believe it is important to teach a concrete method for developing rhythm and intuition. Rather than requesting students to just “come up with an idea,” relying on life’s rhythm, this alternative approach encourages them to see design in another light and enables experimentation like never before, manifesting conceptual thinking.

The future for applying poetry’s principles to graphic design is endless. This thesis will cover three (3) specific areas of application to get the connections started. Once the lineage is clear, many principles in poetry can be interchanged, overlapped and/or evolved to suit almost any graphic design problem.

When inspiration is lost and research is exhausted, the role of rhythm and intuition suffer.
Applying poetry’s principles to graphic design problems opens new avenues to conceptual, technical, and artistic graphic design.

Strengths and Weaknesses.
In order to articulate the benefits in this proposal, it demands an author who has an equal passion for both, poetry and graphic design. That is my main strength. With a background of experience in conceptual advertising and with corporate structure, I am able to visualize the big picture and organize creative mayhem.

As a young student to poetry and real graphic design, I will continue to research the processes of each, digesting their parallels and noting their differences.

Creating a curriculum for the design classroom should flow directly out of the relational studies between poetry’s principles and graphic design problems. This is an area that will take much focus as I fervently critique the three parts of this proposal.

The Goal.
Opening the creative mind can be dangerous. It often leads to procrastination, misdirection and frustration. Learning poetry’s principles and applying them to graphic design problems is a guided process with a solid foundation.

Success will be determined when a design student who shuns the written word, finds and appreciates the process of poetry and understands its power in every individual’s rhythm and intuition. Over time, when there is a method to control conceptual design, this will have been proven and opened to further exploration of more principles and more problems.



Proposed Bibliography.
Lupton, Ellen and Phillips, Jennifer Cole. Graphic Design The New Basics. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press, 2008.

Bringhurst, Robert. The Elements of Typographic Style (Second Edition). Vancouver, BC: Hartley & Marks, 1996.

Flynn, Keith. The Rhythm Method, Razzamatazz, and Memory. How To Make Your Poetry Sing. Cincinnati, OH: Writer’s Digest Books, 2007.

Butler, Mark J. Unlocking the Groove: Rhythm, Meter, and Musical Design in Electronic Dance Music. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2006.

Hurtik, Emil and Yarber, Robert. An Introduction to Poetry and Criticism. Lexington, MA: Xerox College Publishing, 1972.

Woolman, Matt and Bellantoni, Jeff. Moving Type. Designing for Time and Space. Geneva: Rotovision SA, 2000.

Tufte, Edward. Visual Explanations. Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press, LLC, 1997.

Tufte, Edward. Beautiful Evidence.
Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press, LLC, 2006.

Tufte, Virginia. Artful Sentences. Sentences as Style.
Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press, LLC, 2006.

Wigley, Mark. The Architecture of Deconstruction. Derrida’s Haunt.
Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1993.

Lyne, Sandford. Writing Poetry from the Inside Out. Finding your voice through the craft of poetry. Naperville, IL: SourceBooks, Inc., 2007.

Drury, John. Creating Poetry.
Cincinnati, OH: Writer’s Digest Books, 1991.

Bennett, Audrey. Design Studies: Theory and Research in Graphic Design, A Reader. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press, 2006.

download the pdf ://here. it lasts longer.

23 April 2009

typography, the original instrument.

not only an instrument or tool, but a necessity. as the gentleman referred to jazz in this video, you need to learn the instrument or the music will be horrid. typographic care is evident in a good designers work and attributes to both, the rhythm and intuition of good design.



as the famous alex "ajax" jackson once said:
"i was a better designer before adobe allowed for multiple "command z's" (edit undo's) because i had to think about every move i was making."

20 April 2009

AIGA-OC: 4th annual student design contest.

AIGA-OC, The American Institute of Graphic Arts, Orange County chapter held its 6th Annual Portfolio Review and 4th Annual Student Design Contest last saturday, april 18th at Chapman University. i arrived with about a half an hour until it ended with shorts and flip flops on. as i walked in, i was surrounded by over 100 students from so cal design programs with portfolios in-hand, dressed to impress, being reviewed by 30 creative professionals from local companies like Y&R Brands, Oakley, Walt Disney Imagineering, Pencilbox Studios and many more (see list of reviewers here). i quietly made my way to the back where the projects for the contest were.

to my surprise, i managed to take Honorable Mention for my Chicago 2016 Campaign that i designed last Fall '08.



The campaign consisted of a logo, poster series, welcome package including event tickets, and temporary tattoos.













i left with a certificate that graced my misspelled name, but they promised to send me a corrected one next week.



to find out more about the contest and a complete list of reviewers, click //here.

15 April 2009

JoAnn Kuchera-Morin: AlloSphere

t(wo w)ords: holie molie.



JoAnn Kuchera-Morin demos the AlloSphere, an entirely new way to see and interpret scientific data, in full color and surround sound inside a massive metal sphere. Dive into the brain, feel electron spin, hear the music of the elements ... (Recorded at TED2009, February 2009, in Long Beach, California. Duration: 06:28.)
source

13 April 2009

abbott miller: everybody dance now

if i was somewhat close to new york, i'd be heading over to the AIGA National Design Center to see this show. Everybody Dance Now: 20 Years of Dancing in Print is an exhibit of visual and performing arts magazines Dance Ink and 2wice, designed by Abbott Miller.

somehow, i know it relates to the work i'm doing now.
have a look here: http://www.aiga.org




on another note, i've been pretty stale here on projectartschool.com. mainly because two-thirds of my life has been dominating one-third – school. i'm taking a big fat W in my 503A, grad problems class, simply because i do not have the time to dedicate to it right now. a W is a withdrawal. however, i'm still experimenting with some of the original concepts i started in that class, and as i won't get a semester's credit for it, i will be advancing my research towards a defined thesis topic.

in my other class, now my only credit-seeking class for spring, i'm working on a book that displays 6 decades of influential commercial art in america. it's been a lot of work, but has been very educational and inspirational. i'll be posting some of my progress soon.

30 March 2009

this. spring break two thousand nine.

for reasons i cannot explain the brakes came on so easy this semester as i contemplate during spring break starting today a revelation that my classes are far too behind my thesis topic is hiding a mystery that quite frankly i'm tired of seeking all i want to really do is write but get guilty feelings like i'm wrong then i find myself searching my archives of works nothing to be proud of except the words.

somewhere in the middle of that run-on sentence i found this string of words that talks about this.

typography.

rules i strive to live
by.

always check your kerning. start off with negative tracking. at least negative ten. don't write vertical when communicating quickly. (hotel and motel are the exception.) nor with uneven or unbalanced words.

please don't leave your typesetting to a sign shop. they only own silly fonts have no taste in typographic usage and don't design with a purpose. this pome is for them. listen up.

location is key. place your type carefully. simply. in a second. always close-up double oh's. closer than your average kern. look. moon. poop. food. be sure the captial Tee and whY is close to your lower case oh. To. Yo.

and spread your double el's. million. brilliant. trillion. killer. don't ever use a font named after a city. ever. and move comic sans. to the trash can. on a mac. or recycle bin. if you're a user of i.b.m.

make a capital vee and a capital eay comfortable. VAGINA. ENDEAVOR. tighten the kern. the space between them. simple rules. of typography. watch and observe. it's easy to learn. use your keyboard with caution. perhaps go back to a pen.

know your printer. eat breakfast with them. drive in their car. always shake their hand. photoshop is not graphic design. neither is a computer.

idea is king.

it's solving a problem. it's a service. translating a message from one to
another. from bow to target. the arrow. straight. narrow. responsible for the end result. the viewers perception.

there's meaning. there's reason. visual plus verbal equals message. graphic design is a verb. a+b=c. providing closure. problem solved.

communication.
the life i'm ruled
by.

that was supposed to be read slowly. start over.