Thursday, September 23, 2010

Peace of Art

3D Spatial Drawing 

Went and saw some of the 'design trail'/anti-design fair on Redchurch St. At first I wondered through some white rooms looking at shiny tables and low-rising lounges, cushions painted with computer-generated images, minimalist colours.

I thought, dudeman where is the anti?

It wasn't there and I felt too dirty anyway so I left.

Tonight I was walking again down Redchurch, post-rain. I stopped because of some delicious looking blue light emanating from one of the shop windows, bouncing off large pegged-up paper. It was prints! Fine-lookin' screenprints!  There were fresh ones on the walls and hung on a rack like clothes. Ace. John inside informed me that they had transformed the small gallery space into a printmaking studio for anti-design week. I could see the work and the progress and the people (brownie bits and beer on table next to printing mesh and frame). I picked up the zine they made each month (Barebones).


Unlike the furniture designs in the white rooms, it brought the viewer closer to the creator (shaking hands in fact). It was evidence of designers/artists using the festival as a celebration and performance of creation, not a contribution to the crisp cold commercial orgy that is a lot, but not all, of design.

I didn't feel dirty in there.
  
http://hereticprintmakers.blogspot.com/
  

Monday, September 20, 2010

Conclusions on Design and First Day Three Dee

    
My end manifestation of VisCom final project - something involving cereal boxes - confirmed for me that ultimately, despite their impressively clean lines and pressed shirts, designers always have to compromise. Sell out to sell it. Make money to live. Whilst I'm still young I won't bother with this pragmatism. However the two weeks were, above all, enlightening.


I am a little disappointed to learn that essays have been phased out of this course. ACADEMIA IS NOT ARCHAIC.


The first day of 3D spatial was challenging. It was structure over aesthetics, at least in our group. The additional dimension is a bit of a mindfuck, but probably in a good way.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Spontaneity With A Brain (VisCom Rotation)





So far, it has been a much appreciated goad to enrich my work with a conceptual base. To think before and WHILE I create. To master the balance between preconception and immediate action (smart spontaneity). However I still vow never to be a graphic designer.