Fumio Tachibana

Fumio Tachibana is the winner of the Grand Prix at the 21st Brno Biennial, 2004. Born in 1968 in Hiroshima, Tachibana graduated from the Visual Communication and Design Division of Musashino Art University, and completed a Master’s Course in Design at the Fine Arts Research Department of the Graduate School in the Tokyo University of Art and Music. Tachibana participated in the "Artists in Residence" project at the Vermont Studio Center, USA in 1994. He held his "MADE IN THE U.S.A." exhibition in the Sagacho Exhibit Space in 1995. Tachibana is a recipient of the Gold Prize at the 17th International Biennial of Graphic Design, Brno 1996 and Grand Prix at the 21st Brno Biennial, 2004.

Juliette Cezzar

I discovered Juliette Cezzar, a young designer from New York. Her portfolio is impressive.

Graffiti

The general visual style of modern graffiti evolved from the confluence of sociological and material elements. The sociological element is that of young people, originally of under-class demographics but now extending beyond class barriers, who want to leave a public signature (a tag), but quickly, so as not to get caught. The material element is the spray can. The reason that writers use spray cans for anything beyond a small tag (markers work well for those), is that the spray can, easily concealable and portable, can cover a large area quickly yet with control. And even though now there are legal forums for public art, where spray painting may be done in a relaxed manner, the stylish and often spontaneous look of the finished product comes from the roots of this movement. Something that stands out in the best work is the authority of technique and “pulp” energy that results from often having time limits and the knowledge that the work being done is illegal and will probably be gone in short order. A central goal in graffiti is the development of a distinctive visual style, same as it is for most any artist. The development of this individual style is the single determining factor in how a writer is judged among his peers, the ultimate audience to impress. Various writers may be known for other attributes such as can control or color palette, but without an inspired creative letter style, a writer will never be considered in the top tier. Just look up at the billboards and buildings around you to appreciate this other kind of high art. More about this interesting article in AIGA, here.

Faculty evaluations (please)

As you know, faculty/course evaluations are being given online this fall. Eligible students will be sent an e-mail announcement with complete instructions. The evaluation period opens Monday, December 1st, and closes on Tuesday, December 9th, at 5:00 p.m. RESPONSES ARE ANONYMOUS.
The University of Miami would like to create a climate where students understand the importance of evaluations and where most participate. Should any student not receive the evaluation/e-mail, the survey site link also appears under the Course Registration menu in myUM as "Submit an instructor evaluation online" or under "My CoursEvals" on the Blackboard home page.
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Your turn #9

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Similarities

Artists Verne Dawson (left, above) and Peter Doig (right, above) have a lot in common with some of the Expressionist images below.

There is something definitely unique about Surrealist humor! Video clip from Monty Python's Flying Circus - Silly Walk.

The Starfish

L'Étoile de Mer (English: The Starfish) is a 1928 film directed by Man Ray. The film is based on a script by Robert Desnos and depicts a couple (Alice Prin and André de la Rivière) acting through scenes that are shot out of focus.

Your turn #5

Your turn #4

Kids: I'm working the UM blackboard. In the meantime, hit me with emails, so I can build my ARH 346 email/folder list.

Your turn #3

Your turn #2

This second post covers until the beginning of the Nineteenth Century. Go ahead!

Your turn #1

Hi. Below, I've covered up to the Middle Ages. On Thursday, I'll have a new sequence of posts ready, addressing the Renaissance and forward. About your comments remember: 1- A minimum of 120 words describing one (or more of my posts), 2- Even if it's your point of view, make an informed comment (try to approach your ideas by using empathy, by putting yourself -as much as you can- in that moment in history). For example, now that you have a different feel of what these letter forms and illustrations mean, what do you like -or dislike- about them? What's your take on the interdependence between religion and design in hte Middle Ages? Where are the vernacular elements? What do you think of the role and impact of technology in Ancient times? Would it matter the same if you knew that Egyptians composed implied quadrants on the stones they wrote and drew on? (page 19). What's the spoken equivalent of a hyphen or a sans serif face? (page 15). After reading page 57 of the textbook, can you put yourself in the place of a medieval scribe after endless hours of writing? 3- Sign your comments with your name, not an alias. Last, but not least, we need to create an environment of exchange in class. I expect more verbal participation next Thursday.

Update

I'll not open the post for comments, it's a bit too late for that. But the information is still relevant for the final exam. I'll post the topics for review shortly.

Your turn #12

Saed Meshki

Saed Meshki was born in 1964 in Iran. He started his artistic activities at the age of twenty four. During the fifteen years of his professional career, he has worked as a freelance in his personal studio on cultural projects. Saed studied graphic design in the Faculty of Fine Arts at Tehran University. He is now teaching at the same University.Saed is a member of the Alliance Graphic International (AGI), an active member of the Iranian Graphic Design Society (IGDS) and a cofounder of Neshan (Iranian Graphic Design magazine).In 2001, he and three artists of his generation founded the 5th Color Group with an objective to create a link between graphic design in Iran and the rest of the world. The group has organized several exhibitions both in Iran and abroad.Saed has been a member of the Selection committee of 7th Iranian graphic design Biennial , jury member of the first Iranian self promotional Posters Biennial and the 5th Exhibition of Children's books illustrators.

Viola Zimmermann

Here is Viola Zimmermann's site. Click on Portfolio to see her work.

Your turn #11

BANKSY

Banksy needs little introduction. There is substantial public uncertainty about his identity and personal and biographical details. According to Tristan Manco, Banksy "was born in 1974 and raised in Bristol, England. The son of a photocopier engineer, he trained as a butcher but became involved in graffiti during the great Bristol aerosol boom of the late 1980s." His artworks are often satirical pieces of art that encompass topics such as politics, culture, and ethics. His vandalism, combines graffiti writing with a distinctive stencelling technique similar to Blek le Rat, who began in 1981 in Paris to work with stencils. His art has appeared in cities around the world.

Laurent Fétis

Laurent Fétis is a graphic designer. Born in 1970 in Orsay, France he studied at the College of Architecture in Versailles and the National College of Decorative Arts in Paris. In 1999 he set up his own studio where his work enters a number of fields including music, art and design. He has collaborated with M, Tahiti 80, Mellow, Hideki Kaji and the labels: Emperor, Norton, Minty Fresh, Escalator, Trattoria, Emi, Virgin, Universal, East West. His work has been seen in Les Inrockuptibles, Jalouse, The Face, Studio Voice, and Escape. He collaborated on Roman Coppola's first full-length film, CQ. He is represented by Kreo Gallery in Paris, and his work has been presented at the Pompidou Centre, Paris, the Transmission Gallery, Glasgow, and has been the subject of several publications. Laurent Fétis teaches visual communication at the National College of Art and Design in Reims.

eBOY (2)

Stephan Sagmeister (2)

Typolution

Your turn #10

Your turn #9

Roger Cook and Don Shanosky, signage symbol system for the U.S. Department of Transporation, 1974. The poster introduced the 34-symbol to a wide audience. Above, Otl Eicher's pictographs for the Munich Olympiads, 1972.

The Bernbach revolution: If Paul Rand had developed a bellwether approach to advertising integrating words and pharases in a freer organization, using visual metaphors* and puns seldom seen in ads, Bernbach removed the boundaries from verbal and visual communication and evolved visual/verbal syntax: word and image fused into a conceptual expression of an idea so they became completely interdependent.

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* A visual metaphor can be defined as the representation of a new system by means of visual attributes corresponding to a different system, familiar to the user that behaves in a similar way.

Alvin Eisenman combined serendipity, curiosity and tenacity to move from a boyhood love of a printing plant to the helm of the first graduate school in graphic design in the United States, at Yale University. For forty years he assembled diverse and brilliant classes to be taught by the legends of design history, and left the imprint of his interests on several generations of designers. Recently he retired amid much fanfare at a gala party. When pressed on current plans, he said, "All I know is I won't make a firm appointment if it's a nice day to go to a museum." Yet, his calendar is dotted with trips to Silicon Valley to see new products unveiled, with meetings at the Morgan Guaranty Trust—where he is a design consultant—and sessions at his computer to finish his account of how graphic design came to be and his speculation on where it is going (AIGA).

Henry Wolf was known for his bold yet simple use of expressive typography, surreal photography and conceptual illustration. Rather than accept the typical role of an acquiescent layout artist, he closely collaborated with editors to define their magazines' personalities. He selected typefaces; commissioned pictorial features from well-known or newly discovered photographers and illustrators; and decided what to feature on covers. Wolf taught magazine design and photography at the School of Visual Arts, Cooper Union and the Parsons School of Design. He received the American Institute of Graphic Arts Medal for Lifetime Achievement in 1976 and was inducted into the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame in 1980.

George Tscherny

George Tscherny's success as a designer can be traced back to his childhood, adolescence and early professional years when his resolve to overcome the vicissitudes of fate proved to him how important tenacity can be. For the Uris Buildings Corporation, which during the late 1950s and early 1960s was one of the major construction firms in New York, he designed a black-and-white annual report cover showing a few artless building blocks asymmetrically composed—a decidedly abstract yet playful idea, which he says "sneaked its way through because one man was convinced that it was the right symbolism." For Millipore, an manufacturer of scientific instruments for which he designed the identity, Tscherny determined that a style manual—the sacred bible of corporate communications—had little value because "bad designers will use it improperly, and good designers should not be constricted by too many rules." Instead of a typically elaborate and costly system, Tscherny produced a series of "corporate identity samplers" which concisely describe the graphic parameters within which the designers should work. Again, his corporate mentor saw the logic in this strategy (AIGA).