Annotated Bibliography

Gall, John. “The Nabokov Collection.” Design Observer. November 9, 2009.
This is a brief article articulating the structure of a project that was given to designer John Gall. His project was to redesign Vladimir Nabokov’s twenty one book covers. Each cover that was created consisted of a photograph of a specimen box that was filled with paper, ephemera, and insect pins. Each photograph was created to evoke the content of each book. This article and the slideshow images that are incorporated in the article are an example of how design can be suggestive of a book’s content rather than a forthright depiction of a book’s content.

Baldessari, John. “Systems John Baldessari.” Art 21. This is an excerpt from an Art 21 book that describes and discusses the work of John Baldessari. The article is a discussion of Baldessari’s process of design,and how he creates his work. This article relates to my research of how intentionally omitted information in a design can activate a viewer. Baldessari eliminates much of the information in his paintings or photos, forcing the viewer to fill in the purposefully incomplete story.

Lawrence, Rinder. “Felix Gonzalez-Torres.” Queer Cultural Center. This article describes the work in the MATRIX exhibition of the late Felix Gonzalez-Torres. More specifically, this article discusses his photograph turned public work, called “Untitled 1991.” The photograph of an empty but slept in bed was made into a billboard for all to experience. This article relates to my research because it helps portray how suggestive and metaphorical design differs from straightforward design concepts. This is an example of how simple icon, index, and symbol do not activate the viewer as much as other design concepts can.

Mau, Bruce. “Panama Museum of Biodiversity.” Bruce Mau Design. This is a brief excerpt from Bruce Mau’s design website. It is a description of creating the world’s first museum of biodiversity and what kind of conceptual model was used for the design. The article communicates why the museum was built the way it was, and what affect the design has on the visitor. This article relates to my thesis research because it describes how Mau intentionally omitted certain aspects of the museum that traditional museums usually uphold to activate the visitor’s experience.

REVISED THESIS PROPOSAL

Gossip has always been such an interesting social concept. An individual tells someone else’s story to another person, and usually intentionally leaves out portions of the story to activate the listener to feel a certain way. The storyteller may include specific but minor details to help keep the story interesting. The listener than makes his or her own conceptual leaps on why they feel the subject in the story said what she said, or did what she did. Similarly to gossip, I am interested in the ways in which visual work can activate the viewer to fill what is intentionally omitted, by drawing the viewer’s attention to minor details, or absences in the design. By providing a purposefully incomplete story to the viewer, it is interesting to see the conceptual bounds they endure to fill in the information that is not provided.

The work of John Baldessari is a good example because “he upends the commonly held expectations of how an image is supposed to function (Baldessari, 8).” In many of Baldessari’s works, he eliminates much of the information in the painting or photo, forcing the viewer to fill in what is missing. In some instances he places colorful dots over the faces of his subjects or he will completely remove a portion of the subject (a leg or arm) and replace it with a flat color but still maintaining the structure of the segment he removed. This ambiguous space that he creates forces the viewer to fill in what he or she thinks is missing. A lot of the time Baldessari will combine the subject with the background and foreground so it is difficult to distinguish one from the other.

Felix Gonzalez-Torres created a public work using his photograph of a bed that was slept in, with two indentations in the pillows where the head of a person would have been laying. The photograph, called Untitled 1991, was reproduced as a billboard for all the public to see. Designer Daniella Spinat writes about this work, “Anybody would probably recognize the image on this billboard as familiar. It shows hopefulness and sadness, presence and absence, at once. The potential simultaneity of the two opposites, the intimacy and emptiness, private and public, is self-reflexive. Like a giant mirror, the image suggests that each viewer fill in the space with their own bodies.” What is so great about Torres’ work is that it is suggestive in a way that the viewer can make up his or her own story to the image. Due to the absence in the photograph, we are able to fill in the space with our own perception of what should be laying in that bed. The image provokes many emotions in the viewer, but more importantly from a design standpoint it asks the simple question of, “What should be in that space?” This question activates the viewer in a way that straight forward design concepts cannot. Straightforward design concepts may consist of icon, symbol, or index; however this is only one way of categorizing how signs communicate, and much more can be done to activate the viewer.

The work of Paul Sahre is metaphorical and suggestive to the viewer. For example, Sahre designed the cover for the Ernest Hemingway novel “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” The image on the cover is of pine needles and pine cones. The limited amount of information provided to the viewer forces him or her to fill in what is missing. For those who have read the novel, the book begins and ends with the same scene. At the end of the novel, character Robert Jordan is lying in wait on the forest floor to die in glory. A quote from the novel, “He was waiting until the officer reached the sunlit place where the first trees of the pine forest joined the green slope of the meadow. He could feel his heart beating against the pine needle floor of the forest. (43.402)” In this case, the subject Robert Jordan is missing leaving the pine needles as the only indicative piece of information. This image references the viewpoint and experience of the character, rather than depicting the actions of the story.

Bruce Mau designed the Panama Museum of Biodiversity. His design is suggestive in the way that “Instead of pushing information, the museum allows visitors to be pulled into understanding as they follow a thematic path (Mau).” By purposefully designing the museum to be abstract, this gives the visitor an inverted experience. The museum design intentionally omits things that other more traditionally designed museums do not, such as mere illustrations in the exhibits, so that the viewer has a more activated experience.

Designer John Gall was presented with a project to redesign all twenty one of Vladimir Nabokov’s book covers. Gall states, “Nabokov was a passionate butterfly collector, a theme that has cropped up on some of his past covers. My idea was also a play on this concept. Each cover consists of a photograph of a specimen box, the kind used by collectors like Nabokov to display insects. Each box would be filled with paper, ephemera, and insect pins, selected to somehow evoke the book's content (Gall, 2009).” Gall chose a number of talented designers to each create each of the boxes. Invitation to a Beheading designed by Helen Yentus and Jason Booher has a little chair in front of the invite which is hauntingly suggestive to the book’s content. In contrast, the Penguins Classics book cover is an image of a large knife on a wooden chopping block which depicts the forthright actions of the story rather than the experience of the character, making the design direct rather than metaphorical or suggestive.

As an approach, I could create a series of visual works, (taking multiple forms) that intentionally and purposefully provides an incomplete story to the viewer so that he or she has to pay attention to the minor details and absences in the work and then may fill in the information about what they think is going on in the story. I could then have each person write down what they think the content of the story is, and how they would tell it to another person. The series would then become an example of gossip.

Kara Walker Exhibit (Oh, and Mark Bradford)

I chose to see the Mark Bradford and Kara Walker Exhibit at the Sikkema Jenkins & Co. gallery. Kara Walker has such a distinct form of art that the MINUTE I walked into the gallery and saw the paper cut out sculpture, I knew it was her work. I guess I am a little biased when it comes to Walker’s work because I have always enjoyed it and have done many projects at Mason Gross that were influenced by her work. The history and violence that her work embodies gets me to react and invest in her art more so than Bradford’s. I didn’t pay much attention to Bradford’s work because I was so entranced by Walker. I have seen an interview with Kara Walker where she talks about how she creates her work and the process in which she goes through. The knowledge I have about her work makes me appreciate it even more. Although her work seems to be political and racial (which it is) it also includes humor. The wood paper cut outs were great because they were a refreshing step away from her usual black silhouettes. I do however feel that they offer the viewer the same thing that the silhouettes do. Her work is like a chilling childhood storybook. She is original and inspiring. The video was also interesting because I have never seen Kara Walker produce a video, so the experience while watching it was of pure wonderment.

MFA Thesis Show

By far, my favorite works at the MFA show were the large scaled photographs in the first room. The photographs with the woman smoking with the trail of cigarettes leading down her chest is absolutely breathtaking. The pictures was beautifully taken but the content is a tad disturbing. More thought provoking actually. Anti-smoking propaganda? Most likely. It would make an excellent series for a PSA. Having those photographs at such a large scale makes the experience almost awkward which I absolutely loved.

Besides those photographs, I was disappointed in the show. I felt that a lot of the work had an unfinished feel to it, which to me comes off as laziness or lacking talent. (Example: work by Gabe Grodin, the 8”x10” Untitled) Especially the works on the back wall which looked like scribbles in a notebook that were transferred to canvas.

I am fond of Project Space: James Hyde in the left room of the gallery. It was interesting how he used photographs of textured paint and then overlapped those photographs with actual painting. I also enjoyed Eileen Behnke and her oil painting “The Things You Do for Love” Her painting style reminds me of Lucian Freud and I love how she deals with flesh.

The exhibition space itself was set up great. The addition of the partial walls in the main gallery space was a great idea. It gave more hanging room for the artists. But I still feel that many of the artists did not deserve that wall space. Just my opinion though.

Blocks of Color at the Zimmerli

I'm so grateful to have an art museum on campus.

I have never done or experimented with woodcut printmaking, or printmaking in general, but I have always been fond of it. The group show was interesting, and very diverse, however still maintained a sense of fluidity. Woodcut is a simple technique, which leaves a lot of room for advance and originality. The bold colors and abstract forms of these woodcut prints are what are so appealing to the viewer. Blanche Lazzell, who is the first woman to produce the earliest non-representational print, had an interesting piece call “Cubist Composition,” which embodied white carved outlined that contrasted with the overlapping masses of fragmented blocks. Her work is displayed along with Japanese inspired prints which are organic and representational. One of the Japanese works was by Bertha Lum which was called “Tanabata.” Her work incorporated the traditional elements of Japanese artistry. There was flat color, outlining, and unsympathetic lighting. Another piece of work that caught my attention was the work of Jim Dine. He uses Pinocchio as his subject which is a reference to wood coming alive. Dine breathes life into his woodcuts. Overall, the exhibit was refreshing and I would recommend everyone to see it.

Thesis Focus.

I am interested in the ways in which visual work can activate the viewer to fill in something that is not provided, by drawing the viewer’s attention to minor details, or absences in the design. By just providing a slight amount of information to the viewer, it is interesting to see the conceptual bounds they endure to fill in the information that is not provided.

The work of John Baldessari is interesting because “he upends the commonly held expectations of how an image is supposed to function.” In many of Baldessari’s works, he eliminates much of the information in the painting or photo, forcing the viewer to fill in what is missing. In some instances he places colorful dots over the faces of his subjects or he will completely remove a portion of the subject (a leg or arm) and replace it with a flat color but still maintaining the structure of the segment he removed. This ambiguous space that he creates forces the viewer to fill in what he or she thinks is missing. A lot of the time Baldessari will combine the subject with the background and foreground so it is difficult to distinguish one from the other.

Daniella Spinat from the Yale graphic design MFA thesis program had an interesting image on her page; it was a billboard with an image of a bed that was slept in, with the two indentations in the pillows where the head of a person would have been laying. The photograph is by Felix Gonzalez-Torres called Untitled 1991. The caption underneath the billboard is “Anybody would probably recognize the image on this billboard as familiar. It shows hopefulness and sadness, presence and absence, at once. The potential simultaneity of the two opposites, the intimacy and emptiness, private and public, is self-reflexive. Like a giant mirror, the image suggests that each viewer fill in the space with their own bodies.” What is so great about Torres’ work is that it is suggestive in a way that the viewer can make up his or her own story to the image. Due to the absence in the photograph, we are able to fill in the space with our own perception of what should be laying in that bed. The image provokes many emotions in the viewer, but more importantly from a design standpoint it asks the simple question of, “What should be in that space?” This question activates the viewer in a way that straight forward design concepts cannot.

The work of Paul Sahre is metaphorical and suggestive to the viewer. For example, Sahre designed the cover for the Ernest Hemmingway novel “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” The image on the cover is of pine needles and pine cones. The limited amount of information provided to the viewer forces him or her to fill in what is missing. For those who have read the novel, the book begins and ends with the same scene. At the end of the novel, character Robert Jordan is lying in wait on the forest floor to die in glory. A quote from the novel, “He was waiting until the officer reached the sunlit place where the first trees of the pine forest joined the green slope of the meadow. He could feel his heart beating against the pine needle floor of the forest. (43.402)” In this case, the subject Robert Jordan is missing leaving the pine needles as the only indicative piece of information.

Hi Gerry or Megan,
Would either of you be able to give me some feedback on my focus statement? This is obviously just part of my proposal,I just want to know if I'm going in the right direction. If you could give me some feedback before Friday's class I would really appreciate it. Thank you.

Seven Days in the Art World: Chapter 3

"An artist doesn't become an artist in one day, so a collector shouldn't become a collector in a day. It's a lifetime process."

Don and Mera Rubell say, “Sometimes I'm embarressed to identify myself as a collector. It's about being rich, privileged, and powerful," "There is an implied incompetence. Out of everyone in the art world, collectors are the east professional. All they have to do is write a check.”

"With young artists, you find the greatest purity... It's not just about buying a piece. It's about buying into someone's life and where they are going with it. It's a mutual commitment, which is pretty intense."

Don Rubell: "First if an artist is going to make one good work, then there is no sense in fighting over it. Second, a collection is a personal vision. No one can steal your vision."

I have never experienced or read about an art collector’s side of the art world, so this chapter was interesting and enlightening.

Galleries discover and develop artists, dealerships trade in art objects

Grad School/Programs

I am definitely not going to grad school after receiving my BFA. I don't think having a MFA is going to make a difference in the field of graphic design, or any other art related field. I think having experience in your field is much more valuable than having a piece of paper that says you received your MFA. That may sound naive, however I am a strong believer that employers would rather have a talented individual with a strong portfolio and EXPERIENCE, than someone who spent eight years in school just to say they are masters in their field (and still may suck). For the purpose of completing this assignment, I looked up a couple of schools that I would possibly go to for my MFA. They are: Pratt Institute, Savannah College of Art and Design, Columbia University, Parsons, or SVA. I went to Pratt for a year before transferring to Rutgers, so if I decided to get my MFA, I would definitely go to Pratt Institute.

Seven Days in the Art World-Chapter 6

I didn't find this chapter as interesting as the last but these are the few things I picked up out of the chapter. Excuse my bias.

It was interesting to read about Murakami Takashi. I had no idea he was responsible for a lot of the Louis Vuitton designs.

I hate Kanye West, therefore I hate Murakami’s design for his album Graduation. I definitely can appreciate it. I’m just biased.

“an artists is someone who understands the border between this world and that one…or someone who makes an effort to know it.”

“This work is a tour de force.”

It is interesting that Murakami has painting assistants overseas. I find it enlightening that he has the desire for each of them to start their own careers.

It is disturbing to me how “into” his work Murakami is. He spends hours in his studio. His studio is more like a house than a studio considering he has a bed in his studio. What else does he do with his life besides his work?

"I used to think that my staff were motivated by money, but the most important thing for creative people is the sense that they are learning. It's like video game. They have frustration with my high expectations, so when they get my 'yes' for their work, they feel like they've won a level."

Design Observer

Can Graphic Design Make You Cry? 8.3.09
Jessica Helfand
Jessica writes about her personal experience of growing up in the world of graphic design. She talks about how the propaganda posters she grew up with as a child evoked a specific emotion in her when she viewed them. Jessica goes on to ask the question “How, after all, could you make design that communicated to human beings and deliberately drain it of all human content? “ Much of the article focuses on how human emotion is non-existent in contemporary design because being neutral is the easiest way to appeal to all audiences. Jessica is concerned with whether or not human emotion will ever be once again valued as form and execution.

I feel this article was very interesting. It touches on a lot of questions about whether or not the designer’s personal thoughts/feelings/emotions should influence the message he or she is trying to convey for a client. Everyone wants to design using their inner desires and to have those desires be relevant to society. I feel that if you are working for a client, you have to remove yourself and become completely unbiased when conveying your message. You cannot convey your feelings through somebody else’s message. Sometimes it may feel like you are designing something that is irrelevant to society, however to be a good designer you should be able to overcome personal conflicts. For example, much of what we do as students in design school feels like a complete waste of time and totally irrelevant to society (I find myself always asking “what does this assignment have to do with ANYTHING? What company is ever going to ask me to design something like this?”) but in the end there is always something small or large that the student can take away from each assignment, and use it to grow as a designer. It is disappointing that much of commercial graphic design doesn’t make one react with strong emotions whether it is crying or laughing, however maybe I can change that!

Designing Through the Recession. 1.4.09
Michael Bierut
The premise of this article is boldly written in its title. Bierut writes about the difficult recession of 2008/2009 and outlines a way to get through it as a designer. He states that this isn’t the first recession that he has worked through although this may be the worst. He has been designing for 28 years, and this is his fourth or fifth recession so he has outlined a sort of model for success in five apparently easy steps. The first step: be frugal which means to only keep the necessities one needs to really design, and get rid of everything superfluous. Step two: be careful. Do not cut corners (such as starting a project without a contract) because it will only end in loss of money, a headache, or tears. The third step: be creative. The recession is slow moving, which means a designer has enough time (maybe a little too much time) to create something better than he or she would have created if he or she were working towards a deadline. The fourth step: be sociable without an agenda. Have lunch with a friend without trying to network, good things will come your way. The final step: be patient. The recession will work itself out, just like everything else. Bieruts advice? Hold on tight.

This article is timely and hits the nail right on the head. I strongly agree with Bieruts first step, be frugal. As a designer you don’t need much more than your ideas, your computer programs and your hand. Creativity does not have to start in a lavish office setting. Be comfortable working with what you have, even if all you have is a kitchen table! Due to the fact that the recession is so slow, you have enough time to master your skills as a designer, or maybe widen your perspective on design. This article was soothing because the author sheds hope on a seemingly hopeless situation.

Ten Graphic Design Paradoxes. 4.9.09
Adrian Shaughnessy
Shaughnessy published a book about the paradoxes of graphic design. In this article he creates a list of 11 paradoxes that every designer should be aware of. The first of the paradoxes is: There’s no such thing as bad clients, only bad designers. Shaughnessy believes that when a project goes sour designers always blame the clients and never themselves. Really designers turn their clients into bad clients by treating them poorly, thus designers end up with the clients they deserve. The second paradox is: the best way to learn how to become a better designer is to be a client. Shaughnessy suggests commissioning other designers to do work for you so that you may learn how it feels to be a client rather than the designer. The next paradox is: if we want to educate our clients about design, we must first educate ourselves about our clients meaning that if designers could understand the ways of their clients, then their work would be taken more seriously. Another paradox is that if one wants to make money as a graphic designer, he or she must concentrate on the work first, and then the money. Designers should be financially savvy; however their primary motive should be the quality of design. To summarize, the rest of the paradoxes are: 5. for designers, verbal skills are as important as visual skills, 6. Ideas usually fail not because they are bad ideas, but because they are badly presented, 7. “I’m a professional: I know best,” 8. “All the good jobs go to other designers,” 9. The best way to run a studio is to be domineering and forceful, 10. If we believe in nothing, we shouldn’t wonder why no one believes in us, and finally, 11. When a client says the words—“you have complete creative freedom,” they never mean complete creative freedom.

I feel that as a young design student that this article is very useful. These are lessons that I am grateful to learn early rather than later or perhaps be too stubborn to never learn them. I have done a lot of freelance work for marketing companies and nonprofit organizations and although I am extremely new at design and I am at the very beginning of design career, I have found that almost all of these points are true. Everything that is mentioned in this article is not taught in design school because our professors are mentors who help guide us and definitely not clients. I find myself guilty of some of the paradoxes that Shaughnessy lists. For example,” I’m a professional: I know best.” Sometimes I find myself getting upset when a client doesn’t think that I used the right shade of green, or I should change the font to something more delicate. I feel as though I know better than them because I am an educated professional in my field. As mentioned in the article, society has learned to challenge expert opinion, and there is no reason why I should be exempt. Lesson learned.

10 Things that Need to be Redesigned. 1.14.09
Jessica Helfand
Jessica writes about the ten things that are obviously in need of a redesign makeover. The first one is lottery tickets. As if the one in a million chance of winning isn’t bad enough, the design of these tickets would drive anybody crazy. There is so much text squeezed on the little 2 inch by 3 inch ticket that one can’t even read the directions. The second thing that is in need of a redesign is the hearse. This car has had the same body style since it was designed and hasn’t changed a bit. Monopoly money is the third thing that needs to be rethought, according to Jessica, there aren’t enough zeroes. The fourth thing that needs to be redesigned is TV remote controls. There are way too many buttons, and don’t function as well as they should. New Jersey is the fifth thing that needs to be redesigned. You can’t really go anywhere up north (quickly) without driving through New Jersey. The sixth and seventh things that are in need of a redesign are political signs which all happened to be red, white, and blue, and also kid’s ski jackets which have way too many pockets and clasps. Finally, Kennedy Airport, blister packaging and IRS Forms are the last three things that need to a redesign.

This article was very entertaining. I have never really thought about these things before, but now that I think about it, some of these really do need to be redesigned, times have changed and therefore design concepts should change with the times. I agree that lottery tickets should be redesigned; however I feel they should keep their flashy and obnoxious appearance and focus more on changing the typography to function more practically. I disagree about Monopoly money because it is a classic and should be kept the way it is. The same goes for the hearse, which actually has changed a bit since it was introduced. This article wasn’t meant to be taken too seriously and some of the comments from designers were a little too cynical and somber. Some people need to lighten up.



A Layperson’s Guide to Graphic Design 8.28.08
Adrian Shaughnessy
This is an edited transcript of a radio broadcast by Shaughnessy. He describes in his article what graphic design is and what graphic designers do. He compares society’s knowledge of graphic design to drinking a glass of wine. People drink wine without noticing the glass that it comes in. The same goes for design. People absorb the message of graphic design but don’t pay much attention to how the design was constructed or how to affects the viewers. People don’t realize how heavily populated the world is with graphic design. Shaughnessy saw a demonstration of graphic design’s ubiquity. “Someone had taken a series of photographs of busy streets and then painstakingly removed all the logos, symbols, signs, colors, street names and road markings. In other words, they had removed all the graphic design from these photographs. The results were staggering. A world without graphic design is an unrecognizable world — more alien than all but the most extreme sci-fi imaginings.” Shaughnessy goes on to say that if you are not a designer, then graphic design is kind of the weather: it’s just there. The article touches on many definitions of graphic design. Shaughnessy ends the article with a statement saying that all people crave to make their mark on the world, and what better way to do this than to be a graphic designer.

Many people don’t realize how their lives are impacted by graphic design. It is all around us, especially on signs, and products in the store. For example people subconsciously may choose specific brand of toothpaste over another because of the design on the packaging. Graphic design is a hard profession to explain to people, but with every explanation, we are educating more and more people. I disagree with Shaughnessy when he said that every graphic designer needs a formal education. I don’t believe that’s true. If you can learn the programs yourself, and study the formal elements of typography and design, then you don’t need to physically go to school for design. Creativity is not something that can be taught.

In Search of Stock(y) Photography. 4.19.07
Jesse Nivens
Nivens article starts with his search for a stock photo of an overweight person. He realized that he was unable to download a photograph of an overweight person because all of the stock images were of seemingly fit and attractive models. Corporate design is overrun by stock photography because it is cheap and quick. Nivens goes on to talk about how the business model of stock photography is a direct reflection of our worldview. The photos made available to us are of pictures that you know people like, and pictures that sell. According to Nivens, as a culture we have taken the idea of overweight and blocked it out even though the majority of Americans are overweight. It is advertising discrimination.

I use free stock imaging archives all the time, and it is always so difficult to find a model who is “real.” Stock photography sites are based on supply and demand. Many people don’t use keyword searches such as fat, ugly, unattractive, therefore stock images of these searches aren’t widely available. The real question is, who would be willing to be a model for a stock image whose keyword search is fat or ugly? A better question is how could we use these models and not offend them. It is a sensitive subject that must be addressed.

Type Means Never Having to Say You’re Sorry. 11.7.07
Jessica Helfand
Jessica participated in a portfolio review that involved American schools. She states that all of the design projects were classic assignments for almost every undergraduate design program. The assignments were color studies, solving poster problems, and typographic exercises to help teach students letterforms and how to use them. She noticed that after every hopeful portfolio, everything was type faced in Futura. She had asked one of the students who designed a book jacket for Sigmund Frued’s Interpretation of Dreams, why she had chosen that type face and the student responded that it looked modern. Jessica asked if the student know when the book was written and the student did not know. Jessica asked her again why she chose the type face Futura, and she responded with, “I just kind of liked it.” The designer lacked the understanding of history. History plays an important role in typography.

Not knowing history seems to be a big problem in some programs at design schools. I can’t say that all design schools have this problem though. I do feel like there is a lack of experimentation in design. All of the students that’s are considered great designers usually play it safe using Futura or Helvetica and just learned to perfect it. I have yet to see a project that was so stylistically different than other students, and I really haven’t seen anybody take a complete risk with design. A lot of the work that is produced in design school is predictable. I read the comments at the end of Jessica’s article and I saw that many professors at design schools actually banned the use of a certain type face like Futura, to widen the students’ perspectives on typography.

Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Typeface. 5.12.07
Michael Bierut
Bierut outlined thirteen reasons why a designer should choose a particular typeface. The first: because it works. Some typefaces are perfect for certain things. The second: because you like its history. Bierut had heard of several projects where the designer found a font that was created the same year the client's organization was founded, thus making the history of the typeface important. The third: because you like its name. The fourth: who designed it. One time Bierut had a project to do with architects, so he picked a typeface that was designed by an architect. The fifth: because it was there. Sometimes a typeface is already living on the premises when you get there so why not just use it? The sixth: because they made you. The rest of the reasons are as follows, 7. Because it reminds you of something, 8. Because it’s beautiful, 9. Because it’s ugly, 10. Because it’s boring, 11. Because it’s special, 12. Because you believe in it, and finally 13. Because you can’t not.

I found this article to be quite entertaining. There is no correct reason on why a designer chooses a particular typeface. I know as a designer that I sit there and think about what typeface I am going to use, and I sift through all of the things I know about history or the history of a typeface so that I can make a wise decision. And when that doesn’t work, I just go with the one that I think fits the best with the project (or the one I like). I also feel that some typefaces are classic and will never go out of style. I also feel that picking a typeface that has a variety of weights, italics, and small caps, makes it easy to create something that has a lot of information on it.

Graphic Designers, Flush Left? 9.20.04
Michael Bierut
Bierut is writing an article in response to David Brooks who claims that there are two types of people in the information age elite; spreadsheet people, and paragraph people. He says that “Spreadsheet people work with numbers, wear loafers and support Republicans. Paragraph people work with prose, don't shine their shoes as often as they should and back Democrats.” In response Beirut says that regardless of number people or paragraph people, many of the designers he knows lean left.

Politics have a lot of the time been the center of conversation amongst my family and friends. My family tends to think that because I am involved in the art/design community that I am a democrat or particularly left-winged. I will disclose my political beliefs here: I would consider myself a democrat. However, I don’t feel that being a graphic designer, or studying art makes me a democrat. To be honest, much of the time, I listen to conversations other art students have about politics, and I completely disagree with what they are saying. I do feel that many art students have the same view towards politics because we are such a tight knit community, but once again, it is not true for all. Bierut categorizes people as either number people (making them more Republican) or paragraph people (making them more Democratic). Graphic designers he says are paragraph people. They are gifted in the visual environment. I am a number and paragraph person (more of a number person) does that make me handicapped in the visual environment? I don’t think so. I am a left-winged, number oriented graphic designer. Some argue that as graphic designers we do take our political and personal beliefs and transfer them into our designs, or maybe we choose clients who are more geared towards our beliefs. Since I am still a student I don’t
know too much on this argument.

Our Bodies, Our Fonts. 2. 21.05
Jessica Helfand
Jessica states that body markings such as piercings and tattoos have become a form of graphic expression. It used to be that bumper stickers and t-shirts were the primary form of public display of private opinion. Helfand is questioning this abstract form of graphic design, asking is it more honest? More immediate? Less impersonal? More Universal? Or Just weirder.

An obvious statement in response to this article is that a tattoo is a personal statement. It is not meant for the casual viewer’s observation. People do not get tattoos to please another person or society for that matter. It is kind of odd and uncomfortable to me watch as people stare at someone who has a large tattoo on their arm, or multiple tattoos on their body. For some reason people feel the need to express their personal opinions. I feel as though the entire experience and process of getting a tattoo is life changing and special to each person. Marking one’s body is spontaneous to some extent, and it deals with our own identity and feelings about ourselves. Writing on the body removes typography and graphic design from its traditional form of print. It is actually very interesting how the context

Google and the Tyranny of Good Design. 3.12.06
Adrian Shaughnessy
In this article, Shaughnessy discusses how the Google design is probably the most famous piece of graphic design in the world. He noticed that clients were mentioning the logo and how they liked its frequent graphic changes. He goes on to say that The Times had recently ran a story about the Google logo. Shaughnessy thinks that Google’s lack of design is magnificent. He feels there is something defiant about the design, and that it steers clear from the corporate norm. Shaughnessy ends the article with, Google’s logo is “a symbol of strength in a world in which graphic designers have become the agents of conformity.”

I’m glad that Google didn’t give in to sleek corporate design. I don’t think any other typeface or x-height for that matter would suite Google. The almost childlike logo design is welcoming and familiar. Google’s “un-design” is actually good design. People go to Google to eliminate the complexity of the internet. Therefore, Google’s homepage offers that relief to web surfers. There are many search engine sites that are overly designed which defeats their purpose. The purpose of search engine sites are for informational and data purposes. According to graphic designers, Google may be badly designed, but who cares, when the purpose of the site is searching for data not for pleasing designers. The logo is recognizable and bizarrely famous, and its chameleon like appearance is even more loveable. The problem with the Google logo critics, is that they cannot for the life of them figure out why Google’s logo is so beloved by so many companies.

I Am a Plagarist. 5.11.06
Michael Bierut
Bierut’s article opens with a discussion about how a high school student had a signed book deal for $500,000. After some investigation, many found that she had lifted much of her passages from other young authors. She defended her actions by saying that she had a photographic memory, and much of what she read was stored in her memory. Bierut talks about he could be considered a plagiarist because he had designed a poster for Yale that had somewhat similar properties to that of a designer he had admired 30 years ago. He goes on to say that he never consciously used Kunz’s design as a premise for his own. It just sort of happened.

I feel that design plagiarism is something that is really hard to avoid. I don’t think that anybody really looks at someone’s work and deliberately copies their design and calls it their own, but I do see how it is plausible to see somebody’s work and store in ones memory and subconsciously use at as reference for later. The best way to avoid design plagiarism is to inspect your work thoroughly to make sure all or many of the ideas are your own. I know when I am designing something I always think to myself that what I am creating has been done before. It’s hard to shake that feeling sometimes. Designers need to understand that we are a community; we feed off of each other’s energy and ideas. No designer should be mad if someone designs something that looks similar to their design, it just means that someone was so inspired by your work that they subconsciously designed something similar to your magnificent design! There is a big difference between inspiration and plagiarism. Give credit where credit is due.

I Believe in Design. 3.22.09
Kenneth Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald’s article starts with his encounters of white vans with hand inscribed biblical versus smeared across the van with paint or permanent marker. He investigates whether or not there is a relationship between design and faith. He believes that these vans are an “individualized visual delight.” He goes on to say that as a teacher he has a lot of experiences with students who use their faith as inspiration for their design. The question that Fitzgerald is really asking is whether or not faith really cares about good design.

I am not a very religious person, however I have a lot of family members and friends that are. I don’t think I know anybody who is a graphic designer and is extremely religious. If I did, I don’t think their religion or beliefs would really surface in their design work. (Unless they do graphic design work for some religious charity, or a religion based company, which would then be a client based religion more than a designer based religion) I don’t think there is a relationship between designers and faith. I feel as though faith does not come up in the context of design because a person who is religious or spiritual probably doesn’t think that their career in design is that important in relation to other aspects of their lives, like family and friends. Fitzgerald refers to white vans with biblical verses scrawled on its exterior. He believes if the people designing the vans where a little more design conscious, than their message may come off more boldly. However, this is a good example of how people of religion do not care about how their message is coming across design wise; just that someone is reading it. If Fitzgerald was so bothered by the design of these white vans and even offered his advice on how to make them better, then he must have spent a lot of time reading the van which is exactly what these people want!

Seven Days in the Art World-Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of Seven days in the Art World

“…tyring to imagine how great artists get made in this airless institutional space.” Although the author is referring to Cal Arts, this phrase can be directly applied to my experience here at Mason Gross. The environment Thornton describes is very similar to that of MSGA.

Thornton refers to how every student sets up camp for their critique. The first image that comes to my mind is the sophomore and junior reviews when every student fights for the one place they are going to display their work. Once they have claimed their spot, it is theirs until the tireless critique is complete.

The most interesting and debatable issue about this entire chapter is whether or not the critique is at all useful. “Crits can also be painful rituals that resemble cross examinations in which artist are forced to rationalize their work and defend themselves from a flurry of half-baked opinions that leave them feeling torn apart.” This statement could not be truer. I feel as though every critique I have been involved with is just an excuse for students to bullshit their way through school. Does anyone really say anything useful during a crit?

However, I do believe that sometimes as an artists you don’t know WHAT or WHY you actually created something, so to have other people rationalize your work without knowing one bit about it, helps you as the artist understand your own work.

“Dogs are allowed in crit class as long as they are quiet.” I actually had a professor bring her dog into my critique, and the whole time it tried to hump my leg. I guess the dog met the requirements for a crit, I mean…it was quiet.

“Falling apart in a critique is not as shameful as one might expect.” How can you fall apart in a critique when almost all of what you are saying is fabricated? You must be a bad bullshitter.

“Many people believe that artists shouldn’t be obliged to explain their work.”

Mary Kelly says, “Never go to a wall text. Never ask the artist. Learn to read the work.” Many artists don’t know why they created the work. Just accept the work for what it is.

I do agree with Jones and think that as an artist you should grow a thicker skin and don’t take criticism as a personal attack.

“Perhaps creativity is not on the agenda at art school because being creative us tacitly considered the unteachable core of being an artist.” I think craftsmanship and skill should be taught at art school before creativity.

Allison: I notice that you have more pieces of work that involve painting than graphic design or typography. You’re concentration is design right?

Heather: [laughing] Yes, my concentration is design and everybody always asks me that question. I guess all I can say is that my passion is painting, but design is something I can make a career out of. A lot of the time I use my skills of painting to enhance my design work. And graphic design is such a hard principle to define. I don’t think it should be separated from all of the other fields of art, which it seems to me that it is. Designers are artists in their own right and I feel like painting, illustration and whatever else goes hand to hand with design. They complement each other.

Allison: Well every painting I see involves a figure, you seem to have two completely different styles, one being realistic and the other being almost cartoon like or, loose. When I look at your design work, I don’t see any evidence of a figure.

Heather: Yeah, I love painting people, I think they are the most interesting creatures on this planet, full of unexplainable emotion, and to capture the emotion of a person and transfer it on to canvas is what I strive for the most. I want the viewer to feel what the figure is feeling. It’s a challenge. I guess design is a good field for me because it is the ability to evoke a certain emotion from the client/audience. So even though my designs don’t have people in it, the design itself is MADE for a person or people. That is where I see the connection between my paintings and my designs.

Allison: For your paintings: do you have any preference for materials? For your designs: Do you have a preference of style?

Heather: I usually paint in oil and sometimes acrylic. As far as design, I am interested in mostly typography even though I’m not a master at it. I’m obviously still learning, but type is what intrigues me the most because it’s having to portray an idea without the use of an image.

Allison: So it is safe to say that your theme is people, and their emotions and dispositions?

Heather: Yeah I guess that could be a theme. I don’t know really. I’m still working on it. I don’t really think of a theme when I’m making my work, I just go for it.

Allison: Do you have any influences for your work? Painting or design?

Heather: Definitely! I love Elizabeth Peyton which is why many of my “loose” paintings that you mentioned before are painted in that fashion. I was inspired by her ability to tell a story, and obviously the technicality of her work. I love the molding paste and gesso background to create a luminosity that you can’t get any other way. Oh, and David Kassan, he is a painter I saw in Chelsea once, his work is so amazing! He creates life sized photo realistic paintings of people with really subtle emotions. When you stand in front of his paintings you almost get uncomfortable because of how large scale they are. It is an amazing experience. I don’t really have inspiration for design, or maybe I have too much inspiration that I can’t pinpoint one person. I read Design Observer regularly which gives me a lot of ideas for design. I respect all designers, I am open to everything.

Allison: That’s awesome, do you have any ideas for your thesis?

Heather: Oh God, thesis. No. I really don’t think I do. I hope I’m not the only one who doesn’t have an idea. Well, I was kind of thinking that I could create a fake business and design all of the letterhead, posters, business cards and everything else for the business. Or I was thinking to create a portrait of a person using design. For example, I have a friend who is absolutely obsessed with celebrity gossip. She lives, sleeps, and breathes celebrity gossip, especially scandals. I was thinking about getting road signs and maybe installing them in the gallery space and I would plaster the road signs with pictures of celebrities rather than the actual road signs because my friend is a horrible driver and her attention is constantly on her addiction to celebrity gossip and scandals rather than the real world. So maybe I do have an idea or two, but I don’t know how well they would work out.

Chelsea Gallery Visit

Oh Chelsea, how many more times is Mason Gross going to assign visits to you. Wasn't 50 required visits enough for one semester? It sure was for me.

Mitchell, Innes & Nash, 534 W 26th- Enoc Perez: Perez’s work consists of architectural paintings, usually oil on paper. His style of painting was somewhat loose but still realistic and very recognizable. The canvas was weathered and looked distressed which was an interesting aspect to his work. His palette is interesting; it is almost like there is a color filter over some of his paintings. For example Perez chooses to keep the palette for the Swiss Re building in London in hues of blue. The gallery space itself was interesting and almost distracting. Depending on where you stood, the columns in the middle of the space could be an obstruction of your view, or used to help the eye focus on single pieces of work. The size of the work was perfect. I feel like his work was very calculated because of how you could see where he taped off sections to keep the ink or paint “neat” I always thought that if someone painted architecture than he or she finds the beauty in the idea of being mathematical and calculated (just the architecture of what they are painting)

Lehmann Maupin Gallery, 540 W 26th- Juergen Teller: Juergen Teller’s photos were almost insipid. They were not very appealing to me. What was most exciting about this work is that Teller had access to Louvre and was able to photograph his subjects in such a prominent museum. His photographs of two nude females in the Louvre standing next to famous statues and pieces of art lacked excitement due to their dull poses and straight forward photography which made for some uninteresting pictures.

Robert Miller Gallery- 524 W 26th- Barthelemy Toguo: There was way too much going on in one gallery space to make this show enjoyable. Although the work was separated into different rooms, the abundance and assortment of photographs and videos versus watercolors and installations made this show too much to take in. Not only was there a ridiculous about of work, but the political statement Toguo was trying to make was definitely made many times over which added to the predictability of the work.

Alex Bag Video

I watched this video and couldn’t help but get aggravated. The stereotypical ranting of this girl is the reason why I never tell people that I go to art school. I understand that this is supposed to be a parody of an art school student’s journey through SVA, but this girl is exactly what people fathom in their mind when you tell them you know someone who goes to art school (or that you go to art school). I also understand that the video was supposed to be humorous, but it wasn’t for me. I had a friend watch the video with me, she is a high school English teacher, and she said this to me: “Why are art students so weird? It’s like they are trying to be different so they don’t have to deal with the criticism of society.” I’m going to have to agree with her statement. I guess I differ from other art students because I don’t do it as a hobby. I went to school to become a graphic designer because I am choosing this as a CAREER. I am not here to change the world using art; I am here to make a living in the field of graphic design. Kudos to those who want to change other people’s perspective of the world by painting odd pictures, or making videos like Alex Bag, but that’s not the reason why I chose to be in artist. A Lot of people overlook the fact that being an artist takes talent. Nowadays everyone calls themselves artists by painting ridiculous abstract forms on a canvas, but I wonder how many of them can paint like the old masters like Rembrandt. Probably only a handful, the rest waste their time making videos like Alex Bag.

New Museum

The New Museum is an interesting building, the architecture is beautiful. However, the museum is more for aesthetic purposes than for functionality. The top floor is a sky room which overlooks I believe the south side of the city. I didn’t enjoy the exhibits nearly as much as I did in other museums or galleries in Chelsea. However, David Goldblatt’s photography was something that caught my attention. I have never done photography but I admire those that do. I read about his experience in South Africa and his photographs so beautifully reflect his experience. I really liked his photo of a landscape with a tiny person jumping off of the bridge. It was a detail that one could have missed if they weren’t paying attention. Goldblatt’s work is something I can really appreciate. He brought the viewer right into his work. Breathtaking. The artist Emory Douglass on the next floor was radically different. I found his exhibit to be monotonous. After the first couple illustrations I understood the whole idea of the Black Panther propaganda. After looking at a couple of them, I didn’t really need to see any more. His message was simple and easy to understand which made the exhibit boring to me.