Archive for the 'Art' Category

Yr1 ComDes Study Trip to London

Published by Michael Dancer on February 11, 2012 in Art, Books, Communication, Creativity, Design, Drawing, Education, Illustration, Imagination, Magazines/Editorial, Photography, Publications, Talks and Typography. 0 Comments

Tuesday 24th January

11.00am
APFEL (A Practice for Everyday Life)
Contact / Emma Thomas  t 020 7739 9975

Former RCA students producing intelligent graphic design from a small but perfectly formed studio in Bethnal Green. Best quote of the week “We would never want to get too big that we wouldn’t be able to sit around one table”. Check out an article about them in Elephant Magazine Issue 9 (available from Analogue Books ).
APFEL can be found HERE
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1.00pm
GAIL ARMSTRONG Illustrator
Contact / Gail Armstrong  t 020 8291 9153

Busy former GSA student producing intricate paper illustrations for a varied London and American client base. A great example of how to maintain a thriving creative life, be a mother and a Photoshop guru.
Check out Gail’s work HERE
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4.30pm
BIG ORANGE ILLUSTRATION STUDIO
Contact / Ulla  t 020 7739 7765

Great to catch up with Dan Williams and a few old friends at this vibrant illustration studio. Great advice and insight from Paul Davis who let us see a sample of his published work. Former GSA student Emma Houlston was also generous with her advice for shaping a career after graduating.
See Emma’s work HERE
Check out Paul Davis HERE
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Wednesday 25th January

10.00am
OPX
Contact / David Bennett  t 020 7729 6295

Multi award winning design agency welcomed GSA for an hour of shared thoughts and ideas. Pleased to see that they fill a wall in their board room with inspiration (Post-it notes, ephemera, colour printouts, drawings and scribbles) to assist idea generation for each project. Their philosophy is to involve the client as early as possible in the design process – a blend of inspiring and interrogating them – asking who, what, why and when.
Check out some of their studio work HERE
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1.00pm
THE PARTNERS
Contact / Alex Woolley or Jess Harvey  t 020 7689 4625

Alex and Jess are younger designers at The Partners and took us on a creative journey through their favourite projects. Each team works with an ideas book or sketchbook before any refinement of a concept on the Mac. This approach means that the designers are less precious about the work and allows them to reflect on the qualities of communication and meaning.
Check out the award winning work HERE
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4.30pm
THE CHURCH OF LONDON
Little White Lies Magazine
Contact / Matt Bochenski  t 020 7729 3675

Thanks to Matt, Willo and Adam who gave us a unique insight into the ‘architecture’ of LWLies covering every aspect of its production. For students in the first year of a four year progression, this was invaluable. It was useful to see how they constructed their typefaces, the programmes used and where the inspiration comes from. Read some more HERE
GSA students might be interested in a LWLies creative brief HERE – great opportunity to work on a ‘real’ project.
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7:84

Published by Neil McGuire on January 27, 2012 in Art, Critical Studies, Design, Imagination, Inter-discipline, Media, Theory and Writing. 0 Comments

The arrow and the frame on Click Opera manages to touch on a whole range of topics relevant to current projects; Banking, currency, wild knowledge, art archive, not to mention an interesting reflection on Google adwords. And not only does it contain some very interesting thoughts in the continued thread of good and useful arguments against ternary or binary thinking, but it is also awash with great hyperlinks.

While on the topic, big thanks to Anja and Chris for their currency workshop earlier in the week. There are some pictures below, and a link to Anja and Chris’s bookmarks on the topic here.

Thought provoking diagram of the week

Published by Neil McGuire on January 18, 2012 in Art, Critical Studies, Design and Theory. 0 Comments

from Slavs and Tatars.

Cover Looks (Strangely Familiar)

Published by Neil McGuire on December 6, 2011 in Archives, Art, Critical Studies, Design, Digital, Literature, Magazines/Editorial, Print, Research, Resources, Technology, Theory and Writing. 0 Comments

The latest print incarnation of the Serving Library is out.

Martin Boyce and the Design Research Unit, (unbeknown to him).

Published by Neil McGuire on December 1, 2011 in Archives, Art, Brand, Design, Events, Exhibitions, Identity, Inter-discipline, Product Design, Research and Technology. 0 Comments

BRbadge

“The machine is accepted as the essentially modern vehicle of form. Our designs will therefore be essentially designs for mass production, but at the same time we hope to rescue mass production from the ugliness and aesthetic emptiness which has so far characterized the greater part of its output”. —Design Research Unit, 1943

Another post-talk train ride, another blog write up. Again, seizing on the time allowed by this journey, I’m going to try to condense an interesting talk from Martin Boyce, and an interesting peruse around the Design Research Unit exhibition, currently at the Cooper Gallery in Dundee, into a succinct and coherent blog post.

The talk for me raised some pertinent issues which were hinted at in an earlier post covering an interview with Metahaven, where the politics of aesthetics raised their head, and the point was made about how the politics of a design piece can fade over time, (or at least not be directly replicated in a different place and time). Boyce’s work heavily references, and in some cases perhaps directly appropriates, design forms of various types. And he talked eloquently about about how by processing and representing these forms in a contemporary art context, their meaning is changed, “distorted by the process of recollection”.

While it might be possible to question this appropriation of accepted ‘well’ designed objects – is it primarily for their forms and aesthetic value? – he pre-empted this by talking of his lack of ‘academic’ insight into his work, and interest in “wild knowledge”. He talked about following his eye and instinct, and this reminded me of an idea of Brian Eno‘s, where he talked about the “intellect catching up with the instinct”. I think there’s probably a studio project in this, and the same could be said for his approach to his typographic pieces. It was interesting to hear how these pieces came into being and how they then went out into the world, with seemingly little reference to typographic history or conventions which we perhaps get a little fixated by.

The Design Research Unit exhibition which this talk ran alongside was a concise and functional display of some of the projects undertaken by that design organisation between 1942 and 1972. Again, the key thing it raised for me was that the politics of the time, while implicit in the work, often get overlooked by designers who seem fixated with this orderly way of working in terms of stewarding design and identity today. It’s difficult to put my finger on, but I’m fascinated by why the template laid down by this early move into corporate compliance is so resilient. Maybe it connects to ideas about why a particular way of looking at design, productivity and manufacturing, (and I guess by all this we mean the free market economy in its many facets), achieved such traction in the post-war years. Definitely a subject for further thinking, and a very good exhibition, well worth a visit.

guidelines

N.b. Apologies for the use of ‘Boyce’ during this post. ‘Martin’ seems overly familiar, while ‘Boyce’ sounds a bit pompous. Rock and a hard place.

s[edition] – Owning Digital Art

Published by Brendan Bennett on November 23, 2011 in Art, Digital, Networks and Web. 1 Comment Tags: .

s[edition]

“…a revolutionary new way to collect art by the world’s leading contemporary artists in digital format”

Interesting that this is happening in the advent of ‘Cloud’ storage… do we actually own our digital content? Do you actually own the limited edition artwork if it’s stored online? Ego-massage via your iPad?

Further Dispatches from the Frontline of Joy

Published by Neil McGuire on November 22, 2011 in Alumni, Art, Creativity, Drawing, Exhibitions and Illustration. 0 Comments

From the age of austerity to a Compendium of Joy, documentation of a recent exhibition by vis-com people Jess Copsey and Oona Brown, and below, a sublime passage from the introduction by fellow vis-com person Sam Bellacosa;

With Our not-so-distant forebears, raving ’til dawn in the expansive fields of the English countryside, borrowed a synonymous term to describe the chemical effects of methylenedioxymethamphetamine, a synthetic stimulant producing heightened states of euphoria and a general feeling of well-being and camaraderie. They called it Ecstasy, from the Greek ekstasis, or, “standing outside oneself.”

The French have a characterization for the universe of petit vices to which Ecstasy belongs—the condensé de joie, or ‘condensed joy.’ In tablet form Ecstasy is the Eucharist of late-20th century clubbing subculture, your communion for a few quid. In Christian theology, this tenet—that the bread wafer constitutes the symbolic body of Christ—is known as Transubstantiation; we are brought closer to the Holy Spirit through consumption. When we consume Ecstasy, or cheap lager or copious triple-vodkas for that matter, we are both spiritually and physically altered. This is called being “off one’s face,” and in some major way we lose the material sense of self–our face in the mirror—and join a collective identity of the truly fucked, a frenzied body of pure, condensed joy.

Whilst on the subject of Argyle Street area goings on, I believe the Relocated Gallery / One Hundred Pound Shop is due to open (or rather have an opening) on the 1st December.

Queens Park Railway Club

Published by Neil McGuire on November 12, 2011 in Art, Events and Exhibitions. 0 Comments

Queens Park Railway Club is a new exhibition and residency space.

From their latest press release:

Queens Park Railway Club are delighted to announce their inaugural exhibition, as part of QPRCs curatorial residency program, with Gregor Johnstone and Henry Coombes.

Coombes and Johnstone have spent the last two years collaborating on an iPhone app that would allow the smart phone to measure loneliness. It works by wiping the phone through your arse crevice to take measurements of bum-hole acidity. As personal hygiene declines following long periods of isolation the levels of acidity correlates perfectly to loneliness. The app was a total failure so they decided to make a film about the horror and futility of making art.


A Compendium of Joy

Published by Neil McGuire on November 6, 2011 in Art, Design, Digital, Events, Exhibitions, Illustration, Inter-discipline, Interaction and Technology. 0 Comments

On Thursday 10th November, A Compendium of Joy, (at ReFound, which is in turn at the New Glasgow Society), opens. Curated by Vis Com people Oona Brown and Jessica Copsey, with an introductory address by Professor Sam Bellacosa no-less. There’s a poster for this in the Ref if you need more info, or a more visual interpretation of what’s happening. I’m being critically tense (dense?) later this week so will miss it, but between this and the Good Press opening, I think that makes for a pretty good Glasgow night out. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, or hold the gift of time travel, you could also try to squeeze in ‘This Happened‘ at Inspace in Edinburgh.

Image: Jonnet Middleton, Speaking at This Happened

Communicate & Circulate

Published by Neil McGuire on November 5, 2011 in Art, Events, Exhibitions, Magazines/Editorial, Print, Printing and Publications. 0 Comments

Good Press (at Mono, Kings Court) are about to stage; An exhibition dedicated to print and publishing in the independent arts. On show and for sale are a collection of zines, posters and original works made newly available from self-publishers and small press producers from around the world.

via GOOD PRESS GALLERY.

Identity

Published by Neil McGuire on October 27, 2011 in Art, Brand, Design and Identity. 0 Comments

The danger is that it’s just talk. Then again, the danger is that it’s not. I believe you can speak things into existence. - Jay-Z, Decoded, 2010

via Artists Space | “Identity”.

Very Observant

Published by Neil McGuire on October 4, 2011 in Art, Creativity, Design, Digital, Education and Web. 0 Comments

Via manystuff.org: Art School Observation Club.

Good Press

Published by Neil McGuire on October 1, 2011 in Alumni, Art, Books, Creativity, Design, Drawing, Magazines/Editorial, Media, Printing, Publications and Writing. 0 Comments

Good Press is a new outlet, based in Mono (temporarily, while they find a permanent space), from this Friday the 7th October, starting with the first exhibition, The Family Show.

The Family Show will be exhibiting 30 UK and International artists (two of which; Oliver Pitt and Jess Copsey, are recent GSA graduates) who mostly work with illustration and painting. It’s also a fundraiser for their permanent space, with all the original works being available for £30 for those who may wish to buy them!

In the bookshop there will be a large variation of different independent & self-published books, zines and other printed and handmade things. All Com Des people are invited to attend, more background info here. If you’re interested in selling zines etc, they’ve asked interested parties to get in touch directly, just via that web link, that one, back there.

Vault

Published by Neil McGuire on September 7, 2011 in Alumni, Art, Communication, Creativity, Drawing, Exhibitions, Illustration, Inter-discipline and Working Life. 0 Comments

Oliver Pitt (Vis Com Person) is one of a group of alumni representing Glasgow School of Art at this weekends Vault Art event. I might be missing something but the main vault website seems a bit thin on information, but there are various talks and events and things happening too.

Image Crisis, Image Opportunity

Published by Neil McGuire on August 15, 2011 in Archives, Art, Design, Digital, Identity, Media, Networks, Research, Technology and Web. 0 Comments

From Rob Walker, ‘The Work of Art in the Age of Googled Reproduction‘. Connects (in my mind) with this (or this). (And this).

Back of the Envelope

Published by Neil McGuire on July 28, 2011 in Architecture, Art, Design, Inter-discipline, Publications and Resources. 0 Comments

Back of the Envelope announces the launch of the British Councils ADF papers, which can be downloaded for free, or requested, in ‘reality’. The first series is on ‘collectives’.

The Googlization of Everything: Zooming into the Nightwatchman’s Eye

Published by Neil McGuire on July 5, 2011 in Archives, Art, Data, Digital, Media, Networks, Technology and Web. 0 Comments

The Art Project, (powered by Google) is on one level, fantastically done, and on another level, unsettling.

Then When

Published by Neil McGuire on June 22, 2011 in Art, Communication, Creativity, Critical Studies, Degree Show, Design, Digital, Education, Events, Exhibitions, Inter-discipline, Interaction, Interviews, Media, Networks, Publications, Research, Resources, Talks, Technology and Web. 0 Comments

if not now

IF NOT NOW will broadcast live from the RCA degree show, 24hrs a day we’re told.

Things that are thinking

Published by Neil McGuire on June 5, 2011 in Art, Communication, Critical Studies, Design, Digital, Events, Inter-discipline, Political, Resources, Society, Technology and Web. 0 Comments

The latest installment of Adam Curtis’s ‘All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace’ reminded me about this event that I went to at the front end of this year, and never got round to writing about. The linking thread is cybernetics, and the study of feedback loops. The programme prompted me to look out some notes, and while 92% of them are barely intelligible, I thought I’d repeat the soundbites that were less so. They are not arranged in any sort of order, make of them what you will.

“Cybernetic systems involve a governor, a moderating mechanism which shuts the system down if the feedback goes beyond a certain level.”

“Markets were the first computers”

“The (main) product of commercial TV is not programmes, but the audience” (I wonder if the same is true of the Internet and www? Is the main product there the searchers rather than the search results?)

“Cybernetics, in popular culture at least, tends to be presented in a dystopian light, i.e. Cybermen…”

A fuller (and probably better remembered) review of the event can be found here.

Image: Steve Rushton discusses mindspace, as part of talk.

Pixacao Returns

Published by Neil McGuire on May 31, 2011 in Archives, Art, Film, Political and Society. 2 Comments

One from the archive here: It’s rare for old blog posts here to attract many comments*, but Foreign Report: Pixacao – a report on Street Art from Argentina by Gordon Carmichael – has attracted a few of late, one which is in Portugese (I think, give it a go in google translate), and another of which offers a link to the video above, a really interesting segment from Style Wars. Thanks to Gordon for writing what has turned out to be the sleeper ‘hit’ of the Vis Com blog.

* please complete the “or new posts” or “only when you and lizzie comment on your own posts” jokes at your leisure.