brief 6.....

During class we discussed the 2 artworks- one good one bad. We spoke about correct terminology and how to discuss your work properely and effectively. We then had to re-design the bad artwork; mine being a poster about indigenous film and media, bla bla bla. It is proving quite a challange as the amount of info on the poster is substantial. I have thought of a few ideas to play with; one using a beautiful image, laying type over the top- simple and nothing complicated. The moment I found this poster on the net, I immediately thought of how poorly executed it was and how I wanted to strip it back and totally simplify it. Anyway getting back to my ideas....the second idea was to play just with type- maybe all computer generated with a touch of handrawn, thirdly to use type but completely handrawn in the dirt...twigs and stuff leaves etc

ixl jar last time I promise.....

Last night we presented our 'ismi briefs. From the discussion, I have decided to add just a hint more colour. The jar lid I think will now be a deeper blue. Dion had a great suggestion of adding graphiti to the brick wall in yellow...was thinking of using the de stijl stencil font again- or interpretation and maybe write something in dutch...? The other suggestion was to remove the jar altogether and just put instructions on the glass as to get inside...as de stijl was known for instruction, regulating....etc etc

new typography and paul rand.....

End of last class we ended our ism's with The New Typography'
(1958)
This was an international platform for not just the creation of art but a discussion as well. New typography dealt with strong/ objective use of grid (diagonals) and photography. The grid appeal was unification/consistency and signified order back into society.
(1964)
Icograda debate:
Is this commercial art or professional design?
This was a time for graphic designers truely to be recognised as professional designers. Photography and reproduction was an important part of graphic design, as well as particiapting in the printing and production processess..
Joseph Muller Brockman was the pioneer in graphic design, with is contemporary being Paul Rand.
Paul designed the iconic IBM logo in 1956. He was one of the first to create and implement 'the style guide'- which produced the art director. He was at the forefront of corporate identity- the importance of understanding the consumer. The need for consistency for displaying logos over varying uses, and how important it is with branding- (keeping colours, scale and implementing an overall guide as to how to effectively using the logo in different applications.)

labelling......

The barcode on the jar further emphazies the unemotional nature- as well as showing horizontal lines- sort of a double whamy. I also designed the 'ixl' in de stijl style inspired font, which is very blocky and geometric. I wanted the label to be very minimal- with the hint of colour only being in ixl- the three primary colours of de stijl.

ixl jam jar re-visisted.....

Further from last class, whilst gaining some feedback on my ixl jam jar I decided to push the concept alot further. I kept focusing on the confinement, regulations and strict rules imposed on de stijl. I came up with confining the jar in one of those fire alarms sort of thingys.. you know 'in case of emergency break glass...' They are always red and very reconizable for that fact which works perfectly with de stijl. The box also signifies the confined rules on de stijl, the restriction, and the artists really 'broke down' the images they portrayed, the abstraction and simplicity.

russian constructivism

Russian constructivism was active from 1913-1940s. it was created by russian avante garde constructivist art and is commited to complete abstraction with a devotion to modernity. The themes were often geometric, experimental and rarely emotional.
Whilst researching the net, I stumbled across this great site- flickr, it was purely pictorial but had some great examples of russian graphic art of that time.. Quite a lot of collages, with bold shapes and strong type..

brief fourism- looking at de stijl.

Further from our modernism and typography storyboards, we are now upon our 4th brief fourism. We are to take an everyday object, research a particular 'ism' and reconstruct the graphics for that particular movement. I have chosen an ixl jam jar and am toying with the idea of either de stijl or maybe russsian constructivism... I am really attracted to de stijl, mainly because it is really broken down, basic forms and the strict lack of colour; Black/white and just primary colours. I think the restraint in style and colour could make for an interesting jam label.
De stijl was founded by architect and painter Theo Van Deosburg in 1917 in Leiden.
'Proponents of De Stijl sought to express a new utopian ideal of spiritual harmony and order. They advocated pure abstraction and universality by a reduction to the essentials of form and colour — they simplified visual compositions to the vertical and horizontal directions, and used only primary colors along with black and white.'