Hockney's Latest Exhibition

David Hockney's latest exhibition, David Hockney RA: A Bigger Picture is being held in the Royal Academy of Arts,  from the 21st January 2013 to the 9th April 2013. The works span a 50 year period to demonstrate Hockney’s long exploration and fascination with the depiction of landscape. New work that dates from 2005 captures the beauty of the changing seasons, the cycle of growth and the journey that Hockney has taken through his beloved landscapes in Yorkshire.

The exhibition also reveals how Hockney has embraced new technology, including his early use of the Polaroid, his innovative use of the colour photocopier, and more recently his iPhone and iPad. The exhibition includes a display of his iPad drawings and a series of new films produced using 18 cameras, which are displayed on multiple screens and provide a spellbinding visual journey through the eyes of David Hockney.

Flier

Love the illustration and hand rendered type on this flier for Propaganda events

Design for Exhibitions

It is usually curators who select particular pieces to put into a display, to tell a story or present common themes. For example, the Wilberforce House Museum in Hull, has many different mediums to communicate and educate the public, such as free MP3 downloads on their website, which are suitable for adults and children. It is a multi-sensory experience with colour aids and audio guides for orientation around the exhibition. There are also Animateurs, who communicate historical facts in an engaging way for the young audience.

The Usher Gallery is just finishing exhibiting Transmitter/ Receiver: The Persistence of Collage, which I visited today. The aim of my visit was to look at the labelling and layout of the exhibition in particular.
The labelling was close to the pieces, unlike the white cube aesthetic which was inspired by the minimalist modernism. Instead I found that the labelling of this exhibition was not overpowering, although black text on white, and I put this down to the sans serif type used, which was much softer.

My favourite piece in the exhibition was Mark Titchner's The Invisible Republic, 2006. Inkjet on vinyl. The description read: Made for the It Is You exhibition at the Arnolfini, Bristol in 2006, The Invisible Republic exemplifies all the hopes and ideals of today's culturally overly- aware society.  Taken from corporate mission statements, the text is relentless in its demanding of improvement, potential, and collective contribution towards a better future for the viewer. Titchner makes a wry comment on the state of art today, and its position within our commercial society.

I don't think I've ever considered how much work and thought goes into producing such an exhibition, involving multiple design fields to collaborate, such as Interactive Design (how the audience move through the space), Informative Design ( organises the presentation of content) and Sensorial Design (Lighting, colour, sound and movement). Graphic designers also have to work with certain constraints, such as, a budget, the attention span of the audience, possible policies of word counts, the exhibition space and the genre and style of the gallery.

The Sweeney

After seeing The Sweeney, directed by Nick Love, last night at the cinema, which tells the story of a hardened detective in the notorious Flying squad of London's Metropolitan police. Based on the '70s Uk hit TV show featuring John Thaw and Dennis Waterman.

Defining Critique Seminar

Defining Critique 

• informed analysis or evaluation
• formal and structured 
• specialist vocab
• may consider intentions and outcomes in relation to common conventions e.g. genre
• generic convergence, unless package looks as if belongs to category might get overlooked.

Analysis = breaking into parts 

• in terms of various elements and aspects 
• generic criteria 
• how its made
• why does it look like this? what was the brief? measure outcome against intention

Architecture of a page

• Golden section, grid more aesthetically pleasing, better proportions 
• layout and typeface 

Typeface: Purpose and Personality

• Ikea's switch from Futura to Verdana causes stir among typography geeks (2010)

Why does it look like this?

• capture design decisions, formal analysis, include professional terms 
• constraints set by brief, what parameters have they followed 
• what conventions are followed?

Meanings and values 

• What are the meanings of consumer or user - ideal or actual
• what are the connotations?
• How did the product draw on consumers culture? 
• 'Cultural baggage' what does it tell you about its culture 

Paracetamol- blue and white themed packaging - soothing and conventional

Alfred Roller, Session, Poster 1902 

• Utility & Coherence
• Pictorialism and animation of lettering 
• Period feel - Art Nouveau, but reusable
• Almost illegible, lettering using organic forms, distinct aesthetic look

Modernism, letters as figures in space, some locked and some seemingly floating, such as the work of Max Ernst, Piet Zwart (above)and Neville Brody 

Saul Bass, The Man with the Golden Arm, Poster 1955. Influenced by the the blocks of colour from abstract paintings. It was the era of the american, cool, jazz, skyscraper aesthetic, very aspirational.

Peter Behrens, 1907 designed the AEG factory in Berlin, various electrical products and the corporate look, which is still an icon of modern design today.

El Lissitzky, Beat the whites with the red wedge, Lithographic Poster, 1919. Revolution of Communism in Russia.

Extra Reading:

http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/about-desing/Types-of-design/Packaging-design/Graphics

Ambrose, G., 2003. This End up; Original Approaches to Packaging Design.

Hove: Rotovision.

Calver, G., 2003. What is Packaging Design?

King Gordon, S., 2005. Packaging Makeovers: Graphic Redesign for market Change. Gloucester, 

Mass: Rockport

Stewart, B., 2007. Packaging Design. London: Laurence King.  

First Studio Session

As a get to know each other starter, we were asked to draw the person opposite. Whilst this was going on, groups were making 6 stills into a small animation with objects that express your personality.

This piece was to collage with brown paper the person opposite, I chose to pick out her most prominent features and kept it very minimal.

 This was a tonal piece, picking out the darker tones.

And then we were given many different characters in various types to make the face. I found this quite difficult.

Uni Room

Room at Uni overlooking the sports pitch

Introduction to Graphic Design

 

Motivational video of design master, Milton Glaser giving scholarly advice that applies to many career fields beyond the design industry, give it a view. Glaser talks about the fear of failure, genius, and the pitfalls of becoming an expert.

Summer Brief for incoming First Years

The Graphic Design department at Lincoln University has set its first years a summer brief which has been devised to exercise conceptual, graphic, planning and making skills.

Project title: 'Reliquary'

Consider the term Reliquary and its possible conceptual extensions.

 

Part one:

Construct two cubes (one to fit inside the other). The first cube must be precisely 18.3cm on all edges. The second 'cube' should exactly fit, and slide with precision, into the first cube and you should size it accordingly to accomplish this. (Note because of this you may not have an exact cube i.e. all sides equal). You should consider carefully how the inner 'cube' might be easily removed from the outer cube. (The inner cube should glide smoothly out of the first, if you are really good at 'making' you may have to make a small air vent in the outer cube to facilitate this).

Both cubes should have a lid. This should hinge, slide, lift, rotate or otherwise open to reveal their contents of the cubes. (You may have to modify the dimensions of the inner 'cube' to accomodate the outer cube's lid). The materials you choose to construct the cubes are left to you (I would suggestcard or foam board, but the choice is really up to you) however both cubes should be of the same material and construction. All corner angles should be exactly 90 degrees. All edges should be neatly finished and glued. The wall thickness of the cubes is entirely your choice.

Part two:
Inside the inner cube, place an item of significance. This may be a physical, conceptual or metaphysical item, (an idea, aspiration, or philosopy, for example).  If it is a conceptual or metaphysical item, how will you represent this? The outer and inner cubes should not be left plain. Consider the contents of the inner cube and modify the surface of the outer cube accordingly. Similarly modify the surface on the interior of the inner cube. These surface modification could be via typography, image (drawn, printed, photographed, collaged), colour, texture etc.

Considerations:
Typography, Colour, Layout, Line, Pattern, Image, Relief, Positive, Negative Collaged, Printed, Drawn, Digital, Photography, 2D/3D, Crafted, Inventive, Subtractive, Additive, Printed, Embossed, Decoupage, Space, Playful, Conceptual, Philosophical, Intelligent, Speculative, Ambitious, Contemporary, Retro, Political, Social.

Some 'Brainfood' and nourishment:

Fast Company

D&AD
Eye Magazine Flickr
BBC Radio 4
BBC News
Museum of Modern Art

Bauhaus Movement

White Cube Gallery

Finally:
Whatever your conceptual and design choices, make your work with love and care, and make it the best that you can do.

Small Watercolour Studies

Knit One Purl One

This is the first draft of the flyer that I have submitted, produced on photoshop, working to the brief set by my client, Knit One Purl One.

Lincoln Cathedral

Images from recent visit to Lincoln Cathedral

Knit one Purl one

I've been asked to take part in a very exciting live project, for which i would be designing a flier for the new up and coming company Knit one Purl one. My brief is to include the following information in a creative and eye catching way ...

Things to include:

• Company Name: Knit one Purl one
• Website Address: www.knitone-purlone.co.uk
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/knitonepurloneyarns
•   Twitter: www.twitter.com/knitone_purlone
• Enter 'leaf15' into the shopping cart to receive 15% off your order! Offer Expires 3rd September 2012.
• A wide selection of knitting yarns, needles, patterns, books, buttons and handmade knitted treats!
• (Brands) Debbie Bliss, Noro, Louisa Harding, Knit Pro, Jarol, UKHKA, Woolcraft, Pegasus, Stylecraft,Essentials, Lang, Addi, Grundl, Peter Gregory
• Free Delivery when you spend over £35 and monthly offers

Existing graphics and imagery ...

And its summer already ..

After being caught up in all the hype of final show, its finished and summer has begun! Here are a few shaps of my finished project.

 The finished article ....

 The spread on opening night put together by Amber, Katie Jarvis, Lucy, Abby, Me and Kayleigh.

 Open suitcase displaying stuff

 My brother modelling my t shirt design

 Finished festival poster featuring band

 T shirt and bag design

 Vinyl cover design

 Second poster, bands debut album

Bunting print.

Bauhaus at the Barbican

The Bauhaus was a radical art school that was based in Germany between 1919 and 1933. It was started by architect Walter Gropius and had other artistic directors - Hannes Meyer and Mies van der Rohe. The school encouraged the development of all types of art and design, from architecture to textiles, furniture to typography, graphics to products and of course painting and sculpture. It's designs look fresh and contemporary after all this time. Modern designers are still inspired by it's work and ethics. The idea of 'form follows function' was certainly embodied in the work of the Bauhaus. The school was eventually closed by the Nazi regime, as free thinking artistic types did not fit in with Hitler's plans.
The Barbican in London will be staging a major exhibition from 3rd May to 12th August entitled 'Bauhaus: Art as Life'. There will be endless sources of inspiration there, no matter what your chosen discipline. It costs £7 for students if you book on line, £8 on the door. I hope to visit this exhibition before I start University in September.