a visual sampler

top 10 "autobiography"

2008-12-09T18:55:00.002-05:00

an architectural timeline

2008-11-30T20:15:00.002-05:00

2008-11-03T14:38:00.004-05:00

Stage 26 (center): the set containing the Ruhlmann dressing table is located on the first floor along the southern (back) wall of the building.

View of the interior showing the set and dressing table. The bed is placed along the eastern wall; the table is on the southern wall.

In 1937 Metro Goldwyn Mayer was one of the largest and most successful studios in Hollywood. However, the massive studio was actually located in Culver City, California, about seven miles southwest of Hollywood proper. Situated on the northwest corner of Washington Boulevard and Overland Avenue, the studio encompassed over 40 acres of buildings and lots in its heyday. Stage 26 is the building illustrated here, in which Jean Harlow's last movie was being filmed until her untimely death ended production. The front of the building is a brick facade of a three story building with only a ground level inside; this allowed for different genres of films to be shot inside since it was somewhat of a generic shell of a structure. From 1935 to 1937 there was a surge of new construction and renovation occurring at MGM, and this was one of the only locations available to shoot in. The origins of the studio date back to 1915 when Triangle Pictures called it home. In 1924, MGM bought the company and proceeded to build one of the most powerful studios in Hollywood, renown for their bright Technicolor films complete with high priced sets, ornate fixtures, expensive wardrobes, and "more stars than the heavens". With such a boom in business, it is no wonder MGM hired a talented designer to dress the Art Deco set of Cafe Society. Authenticity was not an element to be disregarded, and therefore the sets were lavishly detailed down to placing the right textiles and furniture pieces within. The Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann dressing table was the perfect addition to the bedroom for Jean Harlow's enigmatic debutante character. In a film intended to exploit the riches and splendor of the wealthy during the Great Depression, it is apropos that such a fine piece of furniture be incorporated into the film.

Resource: http://www.seeing-stars.com/Studios/MGM.Shtml

Author's note: this is entirely fictional, meant for illustrative purposes only.

Similar to: Prince Gong's mansion. Like the rambling hills, valleys, mountains, and caves of the Prince's estate, the studio is made of many components within a large tract of acreage. The studio has a variety of buildings, landscape sets, and storage facilities similar to the living quarters, gardens, and workplaces of the Prince's mansion.

Contrasts with: Farm House 1900-2000. The ancestral Farm House belonging to the Stanford family, handed down generation after generation, is a stark contrast to the quickly erected and as easily torn down movie set for Cafe Society. While the house is intended to be a permanent, steadfast structure that will incur improvements and maintenance over many decades, the movie set is wholeheartedly temporary, with little thought about its ability to be sustained for more than a few months. The interiors are also polar opposites, with the simplistic style of the Farm house suggesting a comforting, family-style setting, while the film set is decidedly luxurious and heavily themed in the Art Deco style.

inspiration: West Side Story (1961)

2008-10-26T17:35:00.004-04:00

"be cool, boy!" was a really cool assignment: view the film West Side Story and create a graphic inspired by the movie. Let me say that you don't have to twist my arm to watch a Natalie Wood movie, and WSS is one of the few in her repertoire that I had not seen until this weekend. Of course the movie is fabulous, and has an artful quality that identifies the imagery of Manhattan in 1961 to a T. Inspired not only by the movie, but by one of it's graphic art contributors, the great Saul Bass, I have posted the final version of my representation. What fun!

A space for Ruhlmann's dressing table

2008-10-16T12:28:00.004-04:00

On the set of Cafe Society [1937]

Jean Harlow's last film, Cafe Society, was left incomplete due to her untimely death at the age of 26. The footage that remains exhibits a beautiful Art Deco environment epitomizing the luxury of the age. The set for the bedroom in particular emphasized Art Deco's instantly recognizable features: sweeping curves, ornate wallpapers, and pools of shimmering fabrics. Most noticeable about this bedroom is the curvilinear form exaggerated by the stepped moulding on the ceiling. A floor-to-ceiling tufted satin panel creates an elegant divider between rooms. Lush carpet adds to the luxuriousness of the space that film goers during the Great Depression would associate with the glitz and glamour of the Hollywood Art Deco style. Near the satin-draped bed is Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann's quintessentially Deco dressing table. In contrast to the silvery-blue color scheme of the room's textiles, the rich woods and ebony surface of the dressing table anchor the small niche between two windows. With an eye for detail, the designer included bedside tables with ebony inlaid surfaces flanking both sides of the bed to echo the ebony of the dressing table. Since the set only required a minimal amount of walls to convey a sense of being in a real room, only a few furniture pieces were used. It is apparent that quality and attention to detail were not overlooked even for a movie set. The style of Hollywood's Golden Age has been captured as an equally exquisite moment in Art Deco design that is forever preserved on film.

Similar to: The Peacock Sconce in a space. Also nestled between two windows, the peacock sconce hints at Art Nouveau styling. It is rich in detail, just like Ruhlmann's dressing table. The space in which the sconce was placed is similar to the movie set, as it does not have an overabundance of furniture. The two spaces seem to have just enough artifacts in them to let the objects become the focal points.

Contrasts with: National Gallery featuring Calder's sculptural mobile. The wide expanse of space required to house Calder's mobile is in stark contrast with the set design where the dressing table was placed. The rectilinear forms of the Gallery are quite dissimilar to the curving lines of the Art Deco style room; also the Gallery has multiple levels for viewing the mobile. The movie set is quite two-dimensional in feeling.

Resources:
Jean Harlow filmography at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001318/

dressing table found at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1157_art_deco/about/starobjects/dressingtable.htm

bedroom inspiration found at: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://parisapartment.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/bedroom.jpg&imgrefurl=http://thecopiuscritics.wordpress.com/2008/09/&h=334&w=500&sz=42&hl=en&start=69&sig2=sVe1ySyq_AWNyt8j2nlqTw&um=1&usg=__O2gCR5URxuQUGBkI9LNQx6LAMv4=&tbnid=OitBLxaU-q6WPM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=130&ei=MLfzSIKcK46UuAWKp9jYCA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dart%2Bdeco%2Bbedroom%26start%3D60%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN

author's note: Jean Harlow did not ever film or collaborate with a movie titled "Cafe Society".
This article is a fictional story for illustrative purposes only.

IAR 222 Artifact Study: 20th Century Dressing Table

2008-09-23T17:34:00.004-04:00

History of the Dressing Table:
Originating in 17th century France, the dressing table evolved from a small table that housed grooming items into a specialized piece of furniture that remained popular for nearly 300 years. The need for such a piece was created by the cosmetic items women wrapped in a small cloth (which the French called a "toilette") and placed on a dresser or table. An increase in prosperity for the middle classes as a result of the Industrial Revolution brought about a desire to imitate the styles of nobility. One of these emerging aspects was an improvement in grooming for both men and women. Apart from a bed and storage piece for clothes, the most desired piece of furniture for a bedroom during the 18th and 19th centuries was a dressing table. Having a beautifully crafted place for one's brushes, powders, perfumes and trinkets was not only a statement of economic status, but an exhibition and emphasis on vanity.

Components and commonalities among various tables:
Most dressing tables (of all generations) are made of wood; crafting with wood allows for greater variation in the color, texture, and finish of a piece. Wood is also a well suited material for the mechanics of a dresser or table, since drawers and openings can be easily integrated and shaped to the cabinet maker's specifications. The addition of a mirror, often able to be tilted or to swivel, aids in practicality of the furniture's main function, to help one dress. Exotic woods and stone were often employed to embellish the vanity's aesthetic.

Ruhlmann's contribution:
Emile Jacques Ruhlmann (b.1879, d.1933) designed an exquisite Art Deco dressing table in Paris, c. 1919-1923. This table follows many of the forms seen in 19th century tables. Made of oak, it has several exotic hardwoods incorporated as well: Andaman padouk, purpleheart, and mahogany. The tabletop has an ebony and ivory inlay that Ruhlmann intentionally placed to mimic the toilette or linen cloth that the trinkets would be laid upon. A striking contrast to the deep rich wood tones, the ebony slab adds a sleek, rectilinear detail that emphasizes the horizontal surface. The fluted cistern-like support seems to suggest a nod to classicism, and it's cylindrical form relates effortlessly to the round mirror above it. Equally thoughtful in detail are the silvered bronze fittings and mirror frame that echo the silver luster of the mirror. Suited for use by either gender, this dressing table is an exquisitely refined example of artistry in furniture making.

Resources:
The Victoria and Albert Museum
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/objectid/O70933

Dressing Tables.com
http://dressingtables.com/

The Rise and Demise of the Dressing Table
http://www.desksofdistinction.com.au/Garry%27s%20Articles/DressingTablesArticle.pdf

postcard to Jenny Paige

2008-09-09T13:07:00.006-04:00

earth/recycling image resource: freshorganicofficedelivery.com/.../recycling.jpg

After last week's theory hour, I was left most impressed by the fact that some smaller UNC campuses do not have recycling programs. I was shocked to hear that something that seems so simple and part of my daily life was not implemented at some of our sister universities. It seems like a relatively inexpensive way to promote sustainability and doesn't require going an extra mile for students. What feels so naturally to us at UNCG (dropping your recyclables into a designated bin) may not be so ordinary for others statewide. Let's take the initiative to make the change for the better of our environment and simply RECYCLE!

postcards to Tommy

2008-09-03T11:09:00.003-04:00

Our assignment following last Wednesday's theory hour was to present a handmade postcard to Tommy that expressed something we would like to know more about after hearing the lecture. For some reason, the no-Friday classes proposal seemed to stick in my head.

week one, year two

2008-09-02T12:41:00.004-04:00

The first week as a second year student in IARC could be summed up in one single yet effective word: HEADACHE. I realize that at the beginning of each semester it takes me a little while to adjust, and to figure out how to manage the course load and more importantly, how to find time to do the overwhelming amount of homework. I decided the best way to do that was for my entire family to get sick, and I would follow suit. As you can imagine, that didn't work out so well!

Regarding the classes this year, I am hopeful for the design history class since we are learning about a time period I am more familiar with. For the first time in that class I was able to fully appreciate the Roth book since it correlated to events and names I've studied before. I don't know what to expect with studio, except long days and longer projects. Wednesdays are going to be VERY long, but I have Excedrin for that! Most pressing is the format of working in groups. So far it has been chaotic and not much different than I expected.
Oh how I miss the days of individual projects!

wayfinding

2008-08-27T11:28:00.006-04:00

our first studio assignment of the semester: wayfinding.

art for the family

2008-06-26T17:26:00.002-04:00

recently my lovely family created a simple collection of handprints on canvas for us to display in our home. it was easy enough for our children to do (ages 3 and 4) and I think they enjoyed getting their hands painted more than anything. I enjoy having a little reminder of how tiny their hands are and how precious these years are. our summer has been jam-packed with family activities, and hopefully will include more art!

iar 112 final project: elsewhere composition

2008-05-07T18:23:00.002-04:00

interior perspective practice

2008-05-07T15:42:00.004-04:00

this is the renovation of my friend Melia's perspective:

apparently no one is home, and the person that lives there reads braille magazines.
but they have great taste in art.

[marker on vellum.]

final studio project: habitable wall

2008-05-06T21:51:00.006-04:00

the final project for the semester was to create an engageable / habitable wall for a client we were assigned. I designed a wall for James Turrell, an artist whose medium is light.
beginnning with sketch models, I developed the idea that ended up in the final design, that incorporated a canopy type "wall" with a space for entertaining, sleeping/resting, food prep, storage, a place to work, and an area to showcase work.
here's the process:

second iteration model

final model

final model, second view

presentation board and model display

wishful thinking

2008-05-02T17:24:00.004-04:00

meet my newest love:
the Becca stool by Anthony Marschak for Modern Bamboo caught my eye while window shopping at Design Public. they feature it as seating and have two together to form a coffee table, but I'd love it as a bedside table.
commence drooling...

otherwise we're elsewhere

2008-04-22T16:02:00.006-04:00

the second visit to elsewhere was today, and this is a photo of our little forum in one of the larger open areas there. our assignment is to draw specific individual spaces inside the building that we've chosen, to be used as a sort of map when finished. (it's so overwhelming!) we also got to play with some of the objects and arrange them into "visual puns"... however, I regret that the few that I came up with may be too risque for posting here. maybe later.

Drafting assignment: sketchup practice plan

2008-04-20T15:11:00.002-04:00

caring is creepy

2008-04-17T13:51:00.011-04:00

our drawing class visited an amazing place today, aptly titled elsewhere.
this building houses the story of a woman who loved things. all things, and she cared enough about them to keep them for most of her life. you know those places owned by eccentric people who hoard things and never throw anything away, and end up with a house full of stuff and a little path to walk through? that's what elsewhere was, but now has been turned into an interactive art gallery/tribute to the eclectic. I loved it. It takes up two buildings downtown and is chock full of everything. really, everything. if you can name an object, it's probably there. it has that smell that you expect from an old store or attic, and has creaky floors and peeling plaster--the works. I've never been to a public place quite like it.

I left feeling as though I had to switch gears and snap out of the elsewhere environment. it was bizarre how I felt removed from my day when I got back to my car... I didn't even know what I was supposed to do next, or what my plans had been for the afternoon. I'm sure I'll be thinking about the experience for the next few days!

pretty little things

2008-04-13T15:39:00.009-04:00

I started photographing tiny things found outside around my house a couple of years ago. Oddly enough, what began this trend was a scary garden spider that made a web in front of our living room window. Unfortunately for me, she was alive and very mobile, so I did not get very close to her (and the result is a photo that is out of focus).
Yet I continued to search for small flowers, harmless insects, and especially dead-but-well-preserved insects to take pictures of. Now, thanks to the macro button on my camera, I have a neat little collection of nature photos you can view here.

*Please note: you will not find a single picture of a worm or snake.

sketchbook assignment: object vignettes

2008-04-12T19:22:00.005-04:00

a little studio experience

2008-04-10T17:33:00.008-04:00

Jake gives his advice about a sketch model.

Suzanne and Stoel explain the meaning of life.

Some of us prefer not to have our photo taken!

Classic Melia: "I don't understand...!"

Washington, you see.

2008-04-10T17:08:00.007-04:00

Our first year class took a field trip to Washington, DC over the weekend to take in the sights, visit museums and exhibits, and more importantly, (I think) do a little bonding. My experience included all of these things as well as enjoying great food and getting lots of exercise, and having many great laughs.
Perhaps next time there will be more bellydancing!

one sculpture, two eerie shadows

["Walking Man II", 1960, Alberto Giacometti]

recognize those hands?

flora & fauna in the National Gallery

best class ever...

2008-04-09T16:58:00.006-04:00

Tuesday Suzanne surprised our drawing class with exciting news... she made reservations for 30 at El Carreton for all of us to go out to lunch and draw! (Yes, I'm rubbing it in to all you poor kids who aren't in her section!)
In exchange for this outing we needed to draw and post the results on our blog:

[sorry Melia!]

sketchbook assignment: furniture rendered

2008-04-08T10:27:00.008-04:00

above: marker on sketch paper.

above: watercolor on watercolor paper.

above: marker on sketch paper.

Our assignment was to explore different media (marker, watercolor, color pencils, etc.) on various papers to get a feel for what we like. This was related to a color rendering we were assigned next.

scanners are very cool.

2008-04-01T12:34:00.003-04:00

I had no idea how cool neon colored pens would be when scanned. This is a preliminary outline for our one-point perspective assignment, and is drawn on trace paper.

Project Terracycle

2008-03-23T20:33:00.007-04:00

CAPitalizing on Re-use

Above is our proposal for the bottle cap recycling project for submission
to Terracycle: a portable or travel-ready checkers game.

Closeup shot of the bottlecaps in play...

The "pouch" formed when the drawstring is pulled...

Ready to go!

My partner Melia had one of the same thumbnails I did during our brainstorming session... a checkers game. It was easy to agree that this idea would be fun to bring to fruition. Upon this decision we had to figure out what the board would be made of, as we knew the pieces would be the bottle caps. We toyed with a few ideas, such as a board on thin chipboard that would roll up and contain the caps, or a small folding board that would fit into a traditional box. All of these materials are perfectly recyclable, or could be made of recycled materials, but there was something missing.

The idea of a fabric playing board seemed interesting, and Melia suggested that all of those old T-shirts everyone ends up with would be great if they could be recycled instead of just thrown away, and voila! Our board came into existence.

Using an old T-shirt, we cut out a square large enough to hold the 12"x12" checkerboard, and used marker to simulate screen printing. Holes are punched around the perimeter of the board, allowing for a drawstring to run through. The holes are close enough so that when the string is pulled, the caps will not fall out.

We have chosen to keep the design as simple as possible, to promote fast and economical production. The caps do not need to be modified at all for this use, and using one layer of T-shirt material with screen printing on one side reduces the amount of labor and cost involved. The string could be made of natural hemp or other biodegradable/recyclable material.

We feel our checkerboard is quite versatile (you can still play even if it gets wet!) and could be marketed for camping, fishing, travel or home use. Everyone could use a little more fun!

History & Theory of Design I: Analysis of the Baths of Diocletian

2008-03-23T17:18:00.003-04:00

Nature as Tools [presentation]

2008-03-19T14:35:00.003-04:00

After working for many weeks on drawings and models, we were finally ready to present our efforts in the form of a group presentation board.

ingenue consisted of:
Liz Brown
Jessica Crews
Tiffany Garber
Sarah Ladd

and here is a photo of our board:

I loved the colors we chose for the board (chocolate mat board, with pale blue and ivory accents) and feel they were quite successful, as well as the format we chose to display our 60 6"x6" drawings. Contrary to most of the presentations I've been involved in, I didn't say anything ridiculous. Hooray! That is truly success.

long forgotten thumbnails...

2008-03-06T20:43:00.005-05:00

Here are the preliminary thumbnails from the Moore building assignment that I'm finally getting around to posting!

presentation time rolls around [again!]

2008-02-28T13:35:00.006-05:00

Our first design board we've ever created was presented today. The class was divided into groups and each group was assigned a building on campus to study and then create drawings and diagrams of. The selected building for my group was the Moore Humanities and Research Administration building on Spring Garden. We were required to include three perspective drawings from each group member [=15 total], five drawings of architectural details, three diagrams, and one statement about the building. We selected a muted color scheme of pale turquoise, light and dark grey, and a muted orange. Our drawings were black and white, and we chose to mat a few of them in black.

Our group entered the presentation room feeling confident; we seemed to have an overall feeling of contentment with our process and final result. That remained so until I spoke last during our turn, and coined a new phrase, "linear line". You never know what you'll get during presentation day, except the guarantee that I will say something completely silly out of nervousness!

l-r: Lauren, Liz, Hannah, Brittany, Meg

architectural statement, anyone?

2008-02-23T18:29:00.006-05:00

From a kiwi... to drawing patterns... to many horrendous iterations of objects... to this:

25 [+] scale figures

2008-02-23T18:15:00.007-05:00

["diaper duty"]

Our assignment was to draw 25 scale figures of our own creation, having been inspired by our research. I liked trying to imagine people in various states of walking, sitting, and standing.
Lying down was the most difficult position for me to figure out, since my little people are minimal in body parts. I like the style I ended up with, and think it will continue to get better.

drinking and drawing assignment

2008-02-17T18:22:00.009-05:00

[beardy]

[bearded guy in chair]

[guy at the counter]

[girl in chair]

Technically I wasn't drinking anything... perhaps I should have been!
This was the first time I had ever been in a public (non-UNCG) place to draw my surroundings. It felt a little weird at first, and Barnes & Noble was very crowded at the time so I had no place to sit for a while. I dreaded going out and doing this assignment all week, and was scolding myself once I got started because I actually enjoyed it. It would be great fun to do this often if I were especially skilled in drawing. Practice must be the way to get there!

a few books go a long way

2008-02-15T15:44:00.015-05:00

Here are a couple of treasured books from my childhood whose images have had a great influence on me; I don't know that they inspired me to draw, but they certainly stirred my imagination.
When I outgrew the books, my parents saved them for me and amazingly they survived a fire at their house a few years ago. My poor 'Morris' book looks about a hundred years old! I certainly enjoyed it for a long time, and now I read it to my children.

above: Morris's Disappearing Bag, by Rosemary Wells; 1975, The Dial Press, NY.

above: Jack Kent's Hop Skip and Jump Book, A First Book of Action Words; 1974, Random House, NY.

Here is a book that I gave to my kids titled "Olivia and the Missing Toy", by Ian Falconer. The Olivia series is beautifully illustrated in greyscale with random splashes of color. Perhaps the frugal use of color is what really makes the images pop.
Falconer's use of shadow and contrast is exquisite. I think this is the book that my kids will remember from their own childhood.

above: Olivia and the Missing Toy, by Ian Falconer; 2003, Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Moore Building final drawings

2008-02-15T14:21:00.016-05:00

These are the final three drawings based on other illustrator's works:

inspiration...

2008-02-12T10:34:00.005-05:00

above: illustration by bill jehle; found at www.asai.org

above: excerpt from Tom Porter and Sue Goodman's Manual of Graphic Techniques 2 for Architects, Graphic Designers and Artists, published in 1982

above: sketch by Tadao Ando.

above: "Cambridge XI", by Jim Butler.

above: axonometric illustration by ykbk.

a pinch of color

2008-02-07T18:52:00.000-05:00

We were asked to create representations of several types of organization in architecture (grid, radial, linear, centralized, and clustered) for Patrick's Design History I class. Here are a few of what I came up with.

Markers = fun!!!!

2 x 4

2008-02-06T17:56:00.000-05:00

The assignment: using an 18" long common pine 2x4, and making at least six cuts into it, create a system that uses no adhesives or fasteners. And most importantly, create no waste! (use every piece of the board).

My first idea was to create a basket-woven type of piece... but the pieces I cut ended up being too thin or too thick. Using the thick pieces as the support structure/grid, I cut small slits into them to hold the other thinner pieces. What I loved about the thin ones were the feathering effects the bandsaw created inadvertently. Rather than label these as mistakes and start over, I really wanted to incorporate them into the "system" and utilize them as the featured component. A significant concept of my project was that I insisted that nothing be measured. Given such minimal parameters for the project, I really enjoyed this idea and the feeling of freedom that came from not measuring. I'll have plenty of time for that later, I'm sure!

3 views of a kiwi fruit

2008-01-31T17:17:00.001-05:00

Top view of the kiwi:

Front view:

Side view:

leave no drawer unopened...

2008-01-28T20:43:00.001-05:00

here are three contour drawings for our assignment:

my son's drawer with socks and undies...

a drawer with video games and extra controllers...

top tray of my sewing box.

Quantity prevailed over quality this time I must say. The sewing supplies would be really cute if done well, so one day I may try it again.

drawing from Lead Pencil art exhibit

2008-01-25T08:35:00.001-05:00

This is my drawing from a sketch of part of an exhibit at the Weatherspoon art gallery here at UNCG. I used three different pens to achieve different line widths. I enjoyed the challenge after a few minutes of drawing, but was quite apprehensive before. Drawing = anxiety!!!!!!

a mess!

2008-01-21T17:06:00.000-05:00

Our homework assignment was to draw a messy or cluttered area.
I drew the dishes my husband washed and left out to dry. (What a man, I've barely washed dishes over the last 16 months! He's awesome!) Fortunately for me, there weren't that many, and there weren't a million utensils to draw. That would really suck.
It ended up not filling the 11 x 17 page. That is a hard thing for me to do, to figure out how big to draw things...

mod, baby!

2008-01-21T09:07:00.003-05:00

Love, love, love this room! I'm really into graphics with those fat little partridge-type birds now. I want to find a place in my house to incorporate the tree wallpaper, and I like how it is used on a small wall in this photo. [The pattern is called Cavern by designer Carly Margolis and can be found @ design public.] The mod crib is by ducduc, the ultra-chic furniture designers for children.
Unfortunately for me, by the time I could afford such luxury nursery furniture, my kids will be well beyond infancy! Time for baby number 3, perhaps? ;)

This leads me to digress a little...
My interest in design was first piqued when I was a kid. I remember driving around town at night with my parents, and asking them to slow down when we passed by houses with interior lights on, and the curtains opened. I was fascinated to have a glimpse of what other people's homes looked like, and I guess I never outgrew that. A perfect indulgence for this curiosity is a group on the photo sharing site, Flickr, that is comprised of real people posting their photos of kids' rooms. I love it! And yes, I've looked at all 1100+ photos! What great inspiration for ideas and innovative ways for toy storage you can find there (toy storage = a parent's greatest quandary).

doodle

2008-01-17T18:42:00.000-05:00

Over winter break, I did more drawing than I ever expected to--a total of about three sessions. Miraculous, isn't it? Besides the Grinch, I have these little doodles. They're from an awesome book I bought for my children, called my first 1000 words (or something), in a Disney version. What's neat is that all of these everyday objects have been Disney-ized so that they are a little more cartoonish, and most everything is wonky or has rounded corners. But what a great exercise, to draw these simple little objects. Maybe over summer break I'll have time to try it again.

Time capsule project

2007-12-18T14:43:00.001-05:00

Let me preface this entry a little: our last assignment of the semester was to design a time capsule for our "client", Tommy Lambeth (our professor), to be opened or commemorated in 20 years. We spent several weeks researching precedents, interviewing faculty & students, and conducting site analyses of the Gatewood building where it would be located. This is the first time we were going to create something real. Tommy informed us that one of our prototypes would be selected and actually produced and installed for the 20 year duration. We first had to make a parti of five ideas for time capsules, and then make five models of these ideas. From there, we narrowed down our ideas to two models, and then to a scale model and process booklet of the one we liked best. As if that weren't enough(!) we then made a full scale prototype, as close to the "real thing" as possible, and presented it to our class. (My friend Jessica teamed up with me to do our presentation together.) The last day of class we had a secret ballot vote, in which we voted for our top three favorites among us... and my design won. (hooray!)
Now you're up to speed!
So...here it is! This is a photo of the full scale prototype for the time capsule I've designed. It is difficult to tell in the photo, but it is an eight foot tall structure with strings across the front so it can be played like a harp. When the real thing is constructed, the back panel and top and bottom fascias will be made of wood and will hold 16 harp strings. The in-class presentation discussed having a hidden cabinet with shelves that would be built into the wall to house artifacts. To access the artifacts in 20 years, there is a door behind the strings that would be opened at our reunion/ceremony (you can see the outline of the door in the photo). Our "client" was not so sure about having the cabinet included; whether or not it will be there is what you'll have to stay tuned for as the project gets underway next semester.
I feel truly honored that something I designed will be in place in our building for 20 years. I am hopeful that our first year class feels well represented by this piece, and am thankful for everyone's support.

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch...

2007-12-14T20:41:00.000-05:00

I mentioned to Suzanne on the last day we had class that I may try to draw Dr. Seuss' Grinch over winter break, since I've been watching it daily for a few weeks now (my kids love it!). So I gave it a try, and let me also say my 2 year old daughter was in my lap the whole time I was drawing... so I did it quickly, in about two minutes.

I could get a lot better at it, but for my first attempt (and with a slight handicap), it turned out ok. This version of the Grinch is actually Chuck Jones' interpretation from the animated movie. Dr. Seuss' Grinch looks a little more sinister and snarlier.

You just can't find better song lyrics than the ones describing the Grinch:
"...You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch.
You're a nasty, wasty skunk.
Your heart is full of unwashed socks
Your soul is full of gunk.
Mr. Grinch.
The three words that best describe you,
are, and I quote: 'Stink. Stank. Stunk.'"

That gets me every time! :)

Naturally Juicy...

2007-12-10T17:08:00.002-05:00

You have to check out this CG video from the awesome team at The Mill. It's an ad for Orangina (a citrus beverage) that is running in France. There's no chance of it ever being aired on US tv, as it's a little suggestive. (And before all you perves out there get too excited, it's not a commercial featuring humans.) It is available on youtube but the quality is completely lost in that format. Check it out here. It's under the CG category, then click on the green text "view on BEAM.TV". I read some comments on youtube that many people found it to be silly, and lame, but I think it's pretty darn cute.

nine-leaf exercise

2007-12-10T15:49:00.000-05:00

I feel like this is one of (if not the) worst drawings on my blog. I was hurried, and it shows. :(
The assignment was to use the different techniques we've learned in class to draw a leaf, in nine squares.
Top l-r: crosshatching, random scribbling, blind contour; middle, l-r: gesture, contour, smudging; bottom, l-r: negative space, hatching, stippling.
The stippling one is the ONLY ONE I like. It's an English Laurel leaf by the way, a beautiful specimen that my husband I and chose when we first bought our home. I love these shrubs.
I feel horribly that I didn't spend more time on it, but Merry Christmas anyway!

(yes I realize the scan cut off the top... I'll try again later to get the whole thing.)

Design Research: 10 Sustainable design ideas

2007-12-10T13:27:00.001-05:00

Here's a list of 10 sustainable design materials:

cork flooring
LED and compact fluorescent lightbulbs
bamboo flooring
flyash concrete
engineered structural products
insulations: Cementitious foam, Perlite, and rockwool
photo-voltaics
fuel cells
green roofs
low or no-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints

Design Research: Interior Environments

2007-12-10T13:26:00.001-05:00

above: 2 photos of the set on "The Seven Year Itch", released in 1955. Besides the obviously aesthetically pleasing Marilyn Monroe, I have always loved the set for Richard Sherman's apartment in NYC (he's the main character). Right in the middle of the 1950's I would expect more space-age atomic style, but this set design portrays what a realistic everyday household (of a certain income) would look like. I love the soft blues and uses of metallics in the living room. Another fave is the "Stairway to Nowhere" used as a book ledge. While the room is not minimalist in any way, I don't find it to be too cluttered. I think it's close to perfection, actually! (I highly recommend the movie, as well!)

This is an anonymous photo found on the Internet of a children's room. I think the lime green on the walls is very creativity-inspiring, and it seems like a great place to study or do homework. I'm usually a fan of built-ins, and I particularly like how the bunk beds are built in to the cabinetry as well. It makes the beds seem like integral parts of the whole wall system, as opposed to separate entities. Also the maple finish is very light reflective, which aids the cheeriness factor for the whole room.

This Mickey D's would certainly be more interesting to visit than the typically boring and sometimes dirty ones we're used to in the US. This one, outfitted with Jacobsen Egg chairs, is in London. The color choices for the chairs are very bright, and are definitely not the red & yellow you see everyday. Those little marshmallow shaped seats are adorable and are visually not as cluttered as chairs that have backs.

What beautiful lighting! Kudos for the home having this facing (probably west or east) to accentuate these awesome furniture pieces. Already a fan of the Eames molded ply chairs and the Saarinen Womb chair, I find them to be right at home in this room. The red sofa compliments the dark ply chairs and sage of the Womb chair nicely. Neutral wall color is not usually my first pick, but it is a great backdrop to showcase this well thought out room.
Designed by Chris Marzec in Chicago.

This is a courtyard view from a Joseph Eichler home in southern California. A trademark of this builder's homes, the courtyard is treated as another room of the house rather than an outdoor space. I LOVE the floor-to-ceiling windows, a staple in mid-century design. They provide an unobstructed view of the outdoors, and were placed with a desirable view in mind. The use of plants adds a vertical element to draw your eye upward as well as provides some color to the concrete terrace. What I also find pleasing is how the smooth floor in the living space leads right out to the terrace, for an almost seamless transition. The white pod-type furniture adds the finishing mid-century touch to this classic space.

above: from the Entenza House (Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen) in Pacific Palisades, CA.
This is one of the Case Study houses (no. 9) from Arts & Architecture magazine built in 1949. The oval coffee table, low to the floor, and simple clean sofa are elements I find attractive in mid century design. Again, I dig those floor-to-ceiling windows to show off the view.

2 new technologies used in design

2007-12-08T20:57:00.001-05:00

1. Solar powered billboard

The Pacific Gas & Electric Company in California will soon be unveiling the first solar powered billboard in the US (Dec. 2007). Comprised of 20 solar modules that are interconnected to a grid, the billboard will create more energy than needed to light it at night, therefore giving up to 3.4 kilowatts of (solar) energy to PG & E customers. "We Can Do This" is the slogan for the company's green advertising campaign. The US will become only the third nation to use solar energy technology in this manner, following similar uses in South Africa and Canada.

2.Louisiana-Pacific's LP Solidstart LSL

A new product from LP called Solidstart is a laminated strand lumber that offers superior strength and consistency vs. traditional dimensional lumber in residential building. As a structurally engineered wood product, the key to LSL's strength is how it's made: from thin, longer length wood strands that are oriented parallel to the beam's length. Suitable for use as headers and beams, wall studs, roof beams/rafters, truss chords, rim boards and stair stringers, the product is certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and backed by a lifetime limited warranty. (From the International Builder's Show 2008 website.)

time capsule drawing

2007-11-29T14:01:00.000-05:00

prototype and final time capsule process booklets

2007-11-20T13:40:00.001-05:00

to document the processes we've been through during the creation of our time capsules, we have constructed "zines" (small informative booklets) showing the progress. included are photos, illustrations and narratives describing the various stages of design. we developed prototypes of what we desired our booklets to look like and hoped the final product ended up somewhat like it.
here's my final booklet:

here are pages one and two of the "ideal" layout/scheme for the process booklet that we came up with before completing the final zine. I think I managed to stay true to form, at least with colors and the orange color-blocked theme.

le corbusier drawing

2007-11-20T11:13:00.002-05:00

this is the completed drawing of a le corbusier building, drawn from a photograph.
homework assignment, due 11.20.07

"mmmmm, melted plastic..."

2007-11-15T12:29:00.001-05:00

In a recent issue of ReadyMade magazine there is a how-to guide about making your own melted plastic bowl. Besides the one in the mag being orange (my new thing this fall) it has a very cool form. Seems it's made of the plastic fencing material used in construction (you know those little pretend fences that won't keep anything in or out during road construction). I didn't have $40 to experiment using that particular material, so I found plastic canvas and had fun.

the last photo (my beloved orange one), as Homer Simpson would say, "is what happens when plastic says, 'No more'!" yes, it's plastic gone bad. oh well. that's what happened when I fooled around with the temp settings. it seems 50 degrees makes all the difference. the successful ones were heated in the oven at 400 degrees, and that seemed to work. not so good at 450!
I'd like to practice some more, on another day when I feel like getting a headache. the fumes weren't noticeable, but my headache sure is!

homework assignment, due Nov. 15

2007-11-15T12:21:00.001-05:00

another shading exercise

2007-11-05T07:31:00.001-05:00

above: a sphere, cone and cube assignment from our textbook.

above: the weird shape that was difficult to figure out how to shade. not too sure about this one.

above: a still life of a ball, box and dinosaur bank.

Design Research: 10 buildings (work in progress)

2007-10-30T16:47:00.001-04:00

above: information kiosk for visitors to New York’s garment district.

above: Los Angeles International Airport's Theme building

above: Rotterdam ____?

above: Kon Tiki Hotel, Phoenix

above: Futuro House

goofing off

2007-10-29T18:38:00.000-04:00

I found the "kaleidoscope" I was trying to incorporate into our memory project today. I wanted to know what would happen if I held the camera up to the mirrors and used a row of markers as the reflected object. These are the results:

I know it isn't a drawing or a studio project, but I had fun with it and thought I would share.

Design Research: 10 websites reviewed

2007-10-24T21:02:00.001-04:00

Karim Rashid's website is awesome. His designs are incredibly colorful and the site does a fantastic job of capturing his personality. The site opens to a playful picture of him; beneath that are easy to see interactive icons to direct you around the site. What I particularly like is that the home page (and most of the site) takes up about only 2/3 of the page vertically; it is visually uncluttered and very easy to navigate. Once you select an icon, the next page brings up small and intriguing thumbnails of Karim's products. Each thumbnail can be clicked to access a line of products or more photos. Because you can't see all of what's in these tiny pics, curiosity gets the best of you and you'll being clicking away. I do love this designer's work, and am very pleased that this site is befitting such a cool guy.
Studio Tord Boontje is a beautifully designed website for Dutch designer Tord Boontje. His products and installations involve magnificent laser-cut designs on materials such as steel, Corian, and glass. These delicately patterned pieces are reflected in the design of his website. What I find most attractive about the site is an ethereal image of cut paper flowers that remains in the upper left corner throughout your navigation. The flowers move as though caught in a breeze, and the image is semi-transparent, like it is behind vellum. The entire site is pleasing to the eye, and very easy to use. The categories to choose from are simple and few, and there are not a million things branching off of each category to cause confusion. Simplicity works in favor of this site for sure.
Can you say "bor-ing"? You will if you visit the Design Group of Lynchburg, Inc.'s website. I can barely stifle the yawns even as I type this after viewing their site. The company offers graphic design services (including web design!) and I'm wondering if they are serious about this claim. The site has a red background with a cheesy swirly type thing at the bottom of the page, and that's about as far as their creativity goes. The top of the page has a plain white box with four categories: home, services, works, and contact us. EXCITING!!! And what's worse is that these titles are in a handwritten font with the same thing written under it in a traditional Times type font. Why? I don't get it. Having four items in the index is simple, which I like, but when you click on any of these you don't get any further than one more page. For example, click on "services". All you get is a very slight change in a white text paragraph that lists what they do: billboards, brochures, logos, web design, etc. That's it. Nothing else about the red background page changes. Click on "works" and a few thumbnail images appear, but all that leads to is a pop-up window of poorly chosen photographs of their completed projects. In a nutshell, I would not hire this firm to make invitations for my kids' parties much less something substantial like a billboard or publication if it's going to put me to sleep like their website. (I have never been this mean in my life!!)
I stumbled across the Melia Design Group when I did a Google search under "design group". I had to check it out since my classmate Melia sits next to me and I thought she would like to hear about it. I was pleasantly surprised at what the group does and also at how well their website is designed. It appears that they have spent a lot of time creating an appealing and impressive professional site. Offering services such as web design and print & advertising, this company has quite a few famous clients including National Geographic, Biltmore Estate, The Smithsonian Institution and PINK Magazine. There is no doubt they have acquired these clients due to their amazing work as seen in their portfolio. The site itself conveys their style in clean lines, trendy colors, and an honest approach to marketing. A sense that MDG genuinely cares about what they do and also about their clients is evident in the text of the main design page: "Does good design matter? The real question is 'Does good design matter to your customers?'" They have successfully put together a site that shows off this ideology. While there is a lot of information to gather from the site, it is arranged in a way that is well organized and not overwhelming. I also like that there are moving features, like photographs that reveal themselves in a three-part sequence as you navigate through their portfolio. Stagnant is boring, and you won't find that here. The only thing I dislike is that you have to scroll down just a bit to click on the clients' names when viewing the portfolio page; this is a minor issue but it could have easily been avoided to be a little more user friendly. A convenient feature is direct links to their client's sites so you can see their designs at work.
Hooray for "MoCo Loco"! The Modern & Contemporary Design Blog (it's formal title) is a treasure trove of what's happening in the design world now. What a great place to stay abreast of what shows/installations are upcoming as well as seeing new (and ultra-cool) products that you may love but had no idea existed. I'd like to keep this site bookmarked for a couple of reasons: 1--to drool over the products & art shown; 2--as future project inspiration. Since the site is formatted as a blog, it is quite easy to look through and is well organized through a search feature as well as archives (although I'd rather just stumble around and gawk at all the cool stuff!). Be sure to check it out!
A2 is an industrial design group that makes products we've all seen and probably never gave much thought into how it was made. When I came across their site, I was intrigued by these little cupcake holders (they have feet!) that I've seen at the craft store. Upon further investigation, I discovered that A2 is the design behind many familiar products such as Wilton bake ware, Cuisinart kitchenware, and Ekco housewares. (Ok, they're familiar to me because I've worked in retail before.) The site is a simple grid/block pattern that you simply click exactly where you want to go. It's well organized and has a simple color scheme of grays on white. The companies that A2 creates designs for are listed on the left and also have links to their own respective websites. If you're at all interested in industrial/product design, definitely have a look. It's pretty neat to see that everyday objects have a lot of thought and process behind their design.
Studio Daniel Libeskind's site has a great concept for navigation that reflects the work of the architect and his studio quite well. The color scheme is black and grayscale, a simplicity I enjoy, and the categories resemble file folders in a sense that you have headers above horizontal lines simulating the pulling up of a folder. In contrast to the grayscale, bold and energetic red text is dotted throughout the articles in the folders you've clicked. Libeskind's work is beautiful, clean and contemporary, and his site is befitting this image. (My favorite part is the white-on-black sketching on the home page. Very powerful.)
Why didn't I find these guys first? I think I'm in love... with Pentagram Design. THEY DO EVERYTHING! And even better, they do it well. Out of all of the sites I've reviewed, I spent the most time here and loved every second of it. There are still many things I haven't explored, but I certainly intend to as they are my new fave. Pentagram's work includes: architecture, books, editorial, exhibitions, identities (branding), interactive (media) design, marks (logos), packaging, print, products, and signage. The site is crisp, clean and visually uncluttered. You could spend hours viewing their portfolio, which is chock full of photos. There isn't anything about this site that I don't like, except that my name isn't on it's current roster of employees. (Let me commence drooling...)
A great minimalist yet colorful site I've discovered is for Paris based design group ora-ito. Ora-ito is a product and packaging design company and is behind many famous brands and products we are all familiar with, such as Adidas, Virgin, Heineken, Gucci, Levi's, LG, Luis Vuitton, and many more. What is most striking about their site is the MUSIC!!!! Finally, a design site that has music--and it's cool, not cheesy. The home page has a white background, and after entering the site, dozens of colorful little pieces of logos appear. I particularly like that, as you're intrigued by the glimpse of a familiar logo, you certainly want to click on it to see more. The photos are sharp and move so you can see all sides of the object. The site is glamorous, so I would imagine the company to be just as flashy.This isn't an ordinary, ho-hum site, and if you don't believe me, have a look for yourself. You won't be disappointed.
Milton Glaser Inc. has a nicely composed site; one of the few I've seen to have a neutral background that isn't white (or grey or black), I find it very easy to look at. Also, an interesting little detail is that when you enter the site your browser window is minimized slightly to become a rectangle. I don't know that I like that, but it's a little thing that gets your attention. The company designs interiors, publications, packaging, products, and logos, and are the guys behind the "I (heart) NY" logo that everyone on the planet has seen. Their site is well organized, and the text size is large and easy to read. Overall, I like the site although it is not usually what grabs me, like urban and contemporary flashy sites. Well planned and executed, the site serves the company well in my opinion.

exercise in shading no.2

2007-10-24T20:51:00.002-04:00

Here's my second drawing for Thursday's assignment. It gets easier with practice I guess. This is the fourth object I've drawn with shading, and I'm not nearly as frustrated. I used the crosshatching technique. I think crosshatching works well in some places, and not so well in large and heavily shaded areas.
The still life/object is the creamer from my collection of Wedgwood "Edme" china. I didn't draw the details in the pattern, rather just the shadows cast from the light.

exercise in shading

2007-10-24T11:13:00.002-04:00

This is a copper sculpture located in the art gallery of the Gatewood building. The reflections of light made really cool highlights on this piece, and I tried to capture that with diagonal shading in this exercise. It still looks like a zebra to me!

ants

2007-10-20T12:02:00.000-04:00

I decided to draw a little while the kids were playing at the park. I had just a couple of minutes before I was recruited to swing duty, and inspired by a Bugs Bunny cartoon, I tried to draw these little marching ants at a picnic. Of course my version doesn't look like the cartoon, but it was fun nonetheless. I think I like ants (illustrated, not particularly in real life). I will try to practice this subject a little more.

Design Research: 10 products (& Zine)

2007-10-18T11:48:00.001-04:00

I didn't realize I had so many opinions about chairs! I discovered that I need function as well as form, as I am a very lazy kind of gal when I do get the chance to sit down at home. I need some space to spread out. Plus I do like a nice big arm to aid in my near-daily routine of having a glass of milk with cookies.
So my zine ended up being about 10 chairs, as the "products" research was my original choice. I narrowed down the field when I realized I kept selecting chairs out of magazines.

Design research: 10 designers

2007-10-14T16:27:00.002-04:00

1. Jen Stark
I discovered the works of Jen Stark while researching ideas for our memory containers. Her work is colorful and amazingly intricate; the paper sculptures are not only vivid but dimensional as well. I was immediately drawn to her use of color, particularly the use of a rainbow of colors in most of her art. While there is an obvious similarity to both the sculptures and drawings, I don't think it detracts from the beauty of each piece. I like the continuity and familiarity I have come to expect from her. I'm beginning to think she is something of an enigma as I cannot seem to find any personal information about her, except that she lives and works in Miami, FL. Her work is featured in magazines like Wired, Ready Made, Rojo Magazine, and The Map Magazine. She also had a solo show that began in September of 2007 in Chicago. It's impossible to not like her art so check out her site and blog. Here is a sampling of what she creates:

This last piece is titled "How to become a millionaire in 100 days". She cut pieces of paper totalling 1,000,000 pieces in 100 days. Featured in The Map Magazine 2007.

2. Eileen Gray (1878-1976)
The design world could not be discussed without mentioning the works and influence of Eileen Gray. Born in Ireland in 1878, Gray brought to life a new and progressive style of design to the early twentieth century, transforming the post-Victorian era into movements of modernism and art deco. She contributed her progressive ideas into the forms of amazing furniture and interior design and architecture. Though she would not become extremely famous for her work during her lifetime, she collaborated with contemporaries such as Le Corbusier and Jean Badovici. She also studied techniques in lacquering with Seizo Sugawara, at which she became incredibly well versed in. The lacquered panels she created were what first brought notice to her work when she held a modest exhibit for them in 1913.
Though born in Ireland, Gray spent the majority of her life in Paris. She studied art at the Slade school of Art in London and enjoyed the many privileges of being born into a wealthy family. Throughout both world wars she moved between homes in London, Ireland, and Paris, but remained slightly reclusive for the duration of her life. Gray was one of the first women to inspire the modernism and art deco movements as well as achieve critical success for her innovative thinking during a period when men dominated the worlds of architecture and design. Her major accomplishments include an apartment on rue de Lota in Paris, where she spent four years designing an home for a young woman complete with custom furniture, lighting and rugs; her own home near Monaco called E-1027; and most notably her furniture pieces such as the Bibendum chair, the S-chair, the Pirogue sofa, and the E-1027 side table.

above, l-r: Pirogue sofa in rue de Lota apartment; folding "S-chair"; Bibendum chair seen with lacquered block screen also in rue de Lota apartment.

above, l-r: E-1027 side table; E-1027 (Gray's home near Monaco); Bibendum chair.

3. Eero Saarinen

Born in Finland in 1910, Eero Saarinen (son of architect Eliel Saarinen) would become an integral cog in the modernist movement in the US during the mid-20th century. His family emigrated to the US in 1923; he would study art (sculpture) and later transition into the design world through architecture and furniture design.
Studied in Paris in 1929; studied architecture at Yale University from 1930-1934; in 1937 he began working for his father's firm in Ann Arbor, MI, and taught at the Cranbrook Academy of Art.
Students at Cranbrook, Ray and Charles Eames, later became collaborators with Saarinen; together they designed the "Organic (highback) chair" and "La Chaise". The trio remained friends for many years.
Worked with Knoll Associates (Florence Knoll) with whom he created some of his most famous furniture pieces. The "Tulip" Chair and "Pedestal" table originated from his desire to eliminate the "slum of legs" that home furniture was cluttered with. The origin of the "Womb" chair was a request by Knoll herself, as she wanted a "chair she could curl up in".

Saarinen's designs have an intensely evident sculptural quality; he referred to himself as a "form giver" to objects. He viewed architecture as a discipline, much like fine arts, and sculpture in particular. His career consummated a new trend in postwar modernism that rarely exhibited straight lines.

Contributions to the design world:

4. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969)

Let's start with the photos:

above: Barcelona pavilion

above: Weissenhof Apartments

above: Barcelona chair

above: Brno chair

A pioneer of modern architecture, German-born American designer/architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe sought to create an architectural style that would define the 20th century as others had done for centuries before him. Using materials such as steel, glass, and concrete, van der Rohe created a simple and rational approach to design that would divide the masses; some loved his "skin and bones" no-frills style, while others hated the sterile, cold environments the materials created. In fact, skyscrapers around the world are modeled after his designs. As a designer he created iconic pieces of furniture such as the Barcelona chair and the Brno chair (pictured). Known for phrases such as "less is more" and "God is in the details", van der Rohe exemplifies the modern movement and will forever be recognized as the man behind minimalism.

5. Poul Kjaerholm (1929-1980)

above, l-r: pk-9, pk-20, and pk-0.

above: pk 80 daybed

Born in 1929 in Denmark, Poul Kjaerholm was a trained carpenter who later studied at the Danish School of Arts and Crafts. Marrying traditional craftsmanship with industrial production would become his mark on the world of design; along the lines of L.M. van der Rohe, Kjaerholm would use steel, wood, and leather to create his timeless and universally appealing furniture. In modernist style, the clean, sleek lines of his furniture were similar to his contemporaries' pieces, yet stood out as elegantly pure forms. He strived to achieve perfection in his products, down to the smallest details--like hidden joints--which instilled high standards on the quality of craft during production. In pursuit of this perfection in construction as well as comfort, his pieces became remarkable ideals of modern style. Still popular today, Kjaerholm's works are valued as icons of the 20th century.

6.

Design Research: 10 graphic artists

2007-10-14T13:16:00.002-04:00

Saul Bass

The Basics:

Born: 1920 in New York City; died in 1996.
Studied at the Art Student's League in Manhattan and also at Brooklyn College.
Began producing ads and movie posters in Hollywood in the early 1950's; his first movie title sequence was for the 1954 movie Carmen Jones. Director Otto Preminger liked Bass' poster for the movie so much, he asked him to design the opening title sequence as well. This led to Bass creating memorable prints and titles for many films from the 1950's through the mid 1990's.
Perhaps his most famous work is the animated paper cut-out of a heroin addict's arm for Preminger's The Man with the Golden Arm opening; before this film was released, often times movie theaters would not pull the curtain before the movie actually started, due to the lackluster nature of the titles and credits. This one was different. Labeled on the reel cans was "projectionists – pull curtain before titles". Preminger wanted his audience to see The Man with the Golden Arm’s titles as an integral part of the film, and for good reason. Bass chose the arm as the most powerful image of heroin addiction, rather than a poster of Frank Sinatra in the starring role for both the poster and title sequence. What remains is so compelling that it has been imitated thousands of times in other graphic works.
One of the pioneers of the concept of telling a story through the opening and closing credits of a movie.
Bass also designed the infamous title sequences for Alfred Hitchcock's films North by Northwest, Vertigo, and Psycho; and works for other directors Stanley Kubrick, John Frankenheimer and Martin Scorsese.
Designed the Student Academy Award for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Creator of numerous iconic corporate logos, some that are still in use.
In 1974, Bass directed his only film, Phase IV.

A quote from Saul Bass:
"My initial thoughts about what a title can do was to set mood and the prime underlying core of the film's story, to express the story in some metaphorical way. I saw the title as a way of conditioning the audience, so that when the film actually began, viewers would already have an emotional resonance with it."

Final Thoughts:
Bass' innovative and revolutionary work will maintain his status as one of the most revered graphic designers in history. Bet you didn't know all this came from one cool guy, huh?

Lanre Lawal

Lanre Lawal is an award-winning graphic designer from Lagos, Nigeria. He is currently the CEO of the graphic & multimedia design company he founded in 2005, The Design Jockey Sessions. In 2001, he started a a graphics/animation company, HomeMadeCookies (HMC) as a co-partner. For the next four years he was projects director at HMC, detailing production in the following fields: 3D Modelling / Animation, Multimedia, Web design, 3D Architectural Visualizations, Branding & Graphic Design. He helped build the company from scratch into one of the most comprehensive media houses in Nigeria today. He received the prestigious International Young Design Entrepreneur of the Year from the British Council in it's inaugural year, 2005. Winning this award has fast-forwarded his career, and he has taken on such projects as visual branding for The Office of The Lagos State Government; motion graphics for the logo of GLO mobile, Africa’s largest telecom network; and visual identity for the Lagos Film Office. Lawal has since been inspired to explore tactility and to apply the Design Jockey ethos to product design. As an exciting result of this, a new range of interior products that he designed were exhibited at the British Council stand at 100% Design 2006. Lawal also has worked with graphic novels (comics) and film making.
(From the Creative Economy/British Council website.)

Selected works:

Black Sheep Design

California-based group Black Sheep Design is a marketing agency and creative design firm, specializing in corporate identity, collateral, packaging, trade show design, interactive design, web development, offset printing, and photo direction. Their marketing sector also handles ad campaigns, brand strategy, copywriting, marketing plans, media relations, strategic planning, and survey development. Although their graphics aren't completely my taste (I dig that urban, contemporary vibe), the everyday-ness of their work is nice and somewhat easy to look at. I realize that most of what I comment on for this blog is typically flashy, modern and hip (in my opinion) so here's a little something different. I suppose if I were an owner of a bed-and breakfast I could have these guys work something up for me...I don't care for some of their menus and corporate type distributions that are too visually cluttered. Have a look at some things they've done:

COA design

COA is a "multi-disciplinary" design group in NY concentrating in graphic and website design. Check out some of their work first:

COA designs graphics for books, magazines and various other publications, including the art direction for the New York Times (pictured above). What I particulrly like about their work is the use of photographs and computer graphics combined. They have a knack for combing intriguing photos or graphics with the right font, the right layout, the right everything.

duo creative

Charlotte based group duo creative is a graphic design company with an impressive portfolio. Comprised of two designers, their "two heads are better than one" approach makes potential clients feel as though they are doing business with a small company who will give them the personal attention they desire. I was drawn to their site by a neat little intro, "would you buy just one shoe?" intimating that things are better in pairs. What speaks for itself is their work, and you can see it here (photos cannot be saved from their site). What I like most is their use of color; it's not flamboyant, but subtle and appropriately pretty. In particular, a poster for an annual juried student art exhibition held at Appalachian State University strikes me as getting the color scheme and graphics right on. The handwritten title on the photo's "hand" is a great idea, and is expressed well in the overall layout of the poster.

Eview 360

"Design is our passion; our instrument to communicate the vision of our clients." This is the opening statement of Eview 360's website, and what a great introduction it is. Eview 360 provides brand rich visual communication tools to help organizations engage customers and employees more effectively. Creating designs for companies such as Volvo, Ford/Lincoln/Mercury, Toyota/Scion, Audi, and Mega Electronics, Eview's client base is as impressive as the products they create. Specializing in packaging, branding, print, exhibition graphics, interiors, and website/interactive design, there is no shortage of elegance in any of the formats they design. Check it out for yourself here (photos not allowed to be saved from site). Designing for the big auto corporations is a massive undertaking; intimidating as it seems to me to take on, someone has to do it, and Eview must be the right choice. I find their approach to print (in particular) to be appealing in its clean lines, sharp photos and concise text.

Doubletake Creative

Based in Lawrenceville, GA, the Doubletake Creative design group does it all: annual reports, identity and logos, branding, collateral, direct mail, posters, trade show graphics, menus, calendars, signage, catalogs, and packaging. As if that wasn't impressive enough, their work is beautiful. Here are a few examples:

The last photo (of the pharmacy logo) is definitely my speed, although the font on the "RX" part is not one I would choose, I don't think it goes well with the retro font on "Crawford". I can't wait to learn how to design the types of things they have such as the transportation brochure (the truck photo above) and construction company publication.

Alan Fletcher

Super graphic designer extraordinaire Alan Fletcher left some mighty big shoes to fill in the world of graphic design, as he set the bar extremely high for himself and others after designing amazing works during the late 1950's until his death in 2006. His logos and branding have become instantly recognizable, and his books and posters are timeless graphic icons. Have a look:

metamorphosis

2007-10-12T07:05:00.000-04:00

Above: Maurshell's memory project.

Above: Lindsey's pencil box project.

Above: my three morphed versions of their projects combined.
Left to right: more like Lindsey's, the "middle-mix", more like Maurshell's.

One of the many preliminary sketches:

working away...
I will admit, this was one of my least favorite projects thus far. And yes, honestly, I think it's because I had to use the ideas of other people, which is quite limiting. What a hectic week it was trying to complete this assignment!

8 self portraits

2007-10-10T20:37:00.001-04:00

Our latest project was to create 8 self portraits and construct a free standing installation. IN JUST ONE WEEK! Here's my take on it.

magazine layout

2007-10-10T16:02:00.001-04:00

First photo: the 2-page layout I've chosen as inspiration for this assignment. It's from the October 2007 issue of Domino magazine.

Second photo: my own version of the "studio" magazine layout assignment, in reverse format.

I enjoyed both the process and arranging of the layout. The end result is my personal favorite of all of the assignments.

memory

2007-09-28T11:35:00.001-04:00

Here is my final iteration of our third assignment, a container for a memory. This was certainly the most challenging concept thus far, and I struggled for a week to come up with an idea while everyone else was on their second or third iteration. I'm pleased with the result, I just need that little internal light bulb to turn on a lot sooner for future projects! (The memory represented is of the first time my newborn son held my finger with his hand.)
Of course there were ideas that didn't work. Like the kaleidoscope (ugh!) and the world in the plastic sphere (worse!). The kaleidoscope was actually fun and relatively simple to make. Using three mirrors angled together to form a triangle is the secret. I kept that part around since my son loved to look through it at various objects. Here's a photo of the memory container rejects:

pencils

2007-09-23T19:58:00.000-04:00

Here is the final iteration of my second project, a box for pencils. It's constructed of mat board, clear packing tape, blue painter's tape, and the decorative paper was adhered with a glue stick. The lid is also mat board, and I used super glue for attaching the tiny L-shaped teeth. The lid sits snugly in the four-sectioned grid of the box, but it does not photograph well enough to see how it fits. A big thanks to Suzanne for the suggestion of the "teeth" on the lid--it works well!

Kevin

2007-09-18T12:18:00.002-04:00

My sweetheart: my son Kevin, age 4.
Drawn from a photograph (for practical reasons).

Andy

2007-09-17T20:43:00.001-04:00

This is my second profile drawing. I have to say it does resemble the subject quite a bit. I am surprised that I was able to draw it as accurately as I think it is, especially considering that he kept moving while he was playing video games! :) I couldn't have done this well four weeks ago--guess I'm learning something after all.

People

2007-09-13T11:34:00.002-04:00

A few of my classmates in the computer lab... Those monitors look awfully big!

downtown

2007-09-13T11:31:00.002-04:00

This is the view from behind the old Library (near Bellemeade, behind Greene St.). I have always loved those funky brick things in the windows of that building.

This view is from Center City park, facing the intersection of Elm & Bellemeade (I think). The park is lovely, but boy was it hot!

Ticket office of the new stadium on Bellemeade. Not so great.

I know we're first-year students, and our drawings aren't going to always look nice, but I am actually ashamed of this one. It sucks! No, it's not a multi-layered cheeseburger, it's supposed to be the parking deck... ha!

egg

2007-09-07T11:58:00.001-04:00

bicycle

2007-09-06T16:44:00.001-04:00

balcony

2007-09-06T16:39:00.002-04:00

after

before

slide

2007-09-06T15:29:00.001-04:00

This is a negative space drawing of a pool slide... the twist (about 1/3 of the way down from the top) was really hard to convey. But this was by far my favorite to draw.

fan

2007-09-06T15:15:00.004-04:00

chair

2007-09-06T13:53:00.002-04:00

hand

2007-09-05T20:10:00.001-04:00

This is my blind contour of my lovely left hand. It turned out cartoonish and child-like, which is fine... I suppose I'd never be able to type with fingers that large! While I was drawing this, I was extremely frustrated to the point of wanting to break my pen; I really hated the process as well as the end result. But after seeing it again it doesn't bother me. It was drawn without looking. I kept thinking I was much more on target than what ended up on paper. I suppose the fingernails closely resemble where they should actually be...but contrarily I find the disproportion of the fingertips to the hand to be kind of humorous.
Perhaps I should be more receptive to what does end up on page than what I think should be there. It's more surprising that way!

review

2007-08-30T12:26:00.001-04:00

I stumbled through many blog pages belonging to artists suggested by Suzanne. I chased links to the favorites of these artists, and the favorites of their favorites. I was not impressed more than when I viewed the first suggestion, Ruben Fletcher's site, "crackskullbob". Among the limited search that I performed, his was by far the most humorous site. Sure, everyone's a comedian, but he is actually funny. Why choose funny over everything else out there that was just as aesthetically pleasing? Perhaps because I am thoroughly intimidated by this whole concept of translating visual images onto paper via my own hand; I found the lightheartedness of his work to be rather encouraging. Maybe he doesn't take himself too seriously and what results is sheer genius. His "Common Mistakes" section is particularly witty. His lettering style is fantastic--cartoon-like, but not over-the-top. I hope to draw inspiration (no pun intended) from a talent like Ruben. I will be sure to stay up-to-date with his blog.

Check it out at: http://crackskullbob.squarespace.com/