connorc15

[connorc15]

"Old is Cool" by Alex Trochut, 2009

Alex Trochut is a name most haven't heard before, however he is one of the most important designers alive today. He has quite the professional portfolio and has his hands of a lot of people's favorite things in a way, shape, or form. He focuses primarily on typography as an artform, which is part of why I picked him and his piece of art. Another is that he uses many of the principles that were found in many of the logo tutorial assignments. The illusion of 3d typography to create a more striking piece of text that holds the viewers attention. This piece uses that idea, while also taking it to a new level with a more script like font.

This design is the cover of a french magazine, so it has to be able to draw customers in just by the cover and nothing else. This design accomplishes this with its illusion of 3d script lettering that is emphasized to the fullest. The lines along the inside of the 3d lettering take that illusion of 3d to the next level of typography and definitely pulls the viewer in to get them interested in the book. The lettering also emphasizes the message of the typography, which is old is cool with the text evoking a less modernistic feel because of the script typeface. These visual methods and practices all come together to push typography further like Trochut is trying to do. The work pulls you and entraps you in that illusion of the 3d typeface just like the tutorials in the assignment did. These works are truly innovative pieces of typography.

Sources:

https://alextrochut.com/project/old-is-cool

[connorc15]

"Crack is Wack" by Keith Haring, 1986

Keith Haring is one of my favorite artists and is another one that I came across, while researching other similar artists during this class. Haring has a very distinct style with striking and recognizable designs that immediately tell the viewer that this is a Keith Haring Design. His depiction of people have a very unique look that lead to that unmistakability. This piece is a mural made near a handball court in Harlem as a way to bring attention to the rising problem of crack. This is a perfect example of Haring's work and showcases most of his characteristics as ana artist.

Keith uses simple lines and characters to send a message to the viewer in a way most can understand. The message of this piece is clear with Haring's way of putting full emphasis on his message with sheer size and complexity. The lettering in this design is the only thing in this design with any internal design or texture. This doesn't mean that the people have no importance in this design as it is clear through the imaging that this is not the case. Each person is in a dynamic position and connect to each other in some sort of way, which one could see as a message from haring to the viewer that crack needs to be dealt with together. These methods and principles are why I idolize him as an artist and why this piece works for me.

Sources:

https://www.nyclgbtsites.org/site/keith-haring-crack-is-wack/

[connorc15]

"3 Coke Bottles" by Andy Warhol, 1962

Andy Warhol is one of, if not the most famous pop artist in history. His works can be recognized by just about anyone on the street and this is widely considered to be the one that started it all. It has all of the traits that he would be known for later like the very american subject matter of Coca-Cola, which at the time was very tied to american culture. It has traces of that bold color that he would lean more into later in his career. This work also has that cartoonish, yet very accurate styling of the subject of his work. The details of the bottle are all correct, but the coloring, lettering, and sizing are just exaggerated enough to notice, but still immediately recognize it as a bottle of Coke.

Even in this early stage of his style, Warhol still amazes in how he can come up with designs like this. It's not only able to work as an advertisement, but also a piece of art without any drawbacks. 3 Coke bottles may seem unnecessary or redundant, but repetition is a good way to to get into the consumers head. Repetition also works as a way to drive home a specific piece of emphasis that you want to get across in a piece of art. This dual logic that allows for his pieces to be both is the core of Warhol's work in my eyes. These principles are why he was able to make such a big cultural impact and spread his designs across the nation in such a tremendous way.

Source:

https://artbridgesfoundation.org/artworks/coca-cola-3

[connorc15]

"Arte Constructivo" by Joaquin Torres-Garcia, 1943

Joaquin Torres-Garcia is a constructivist artist that I take great inspiration from. I learned about him from researching other artists and designers at the time. He started as a teacher that also designed toys to help him teach and then used those toys to create art. These pieces would be rejected from galleries at the time, which led him to start experimenting with the constructivist style. All of these aspects of his past can be seen in all of his works, but this one especially. You can see the toy like imagery in this graphic along with the bold primary colors that constructivism is known for. The rectangle like sections are like those of building blocks that kids in his classes may use.

This design utilizes the methods and properties of constructivism to the fullest. The bold primary colors put emphasis on those child like depictions of objects, symbols, and places. The geometric shapes keep the style very simple and childlike. The simple style creates a message that anyone can interpret and the bold lines keep the ideas separate from each other, but still connected. I feel that its purpose of being very different than the traditional art at the time comes through even if you don't know any of the context behind it or the movement it is apart of. This work is truly one of the best constructivist pieces I've seen and inspire me to create art like it.

Sources:

https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/joaquin-torres-garcia

[connorc15]

"Yellow-Red-Blue" by Wassily Kandinsky, 1925

This school of design is one that I have had much experience with over my time as a designer. I have had many projects with this style, and I have come to like its philosophy and aesthetic. Bauhaus was started in Germany by Walter Gropius in 1919. It emphasized functionality over decoration and was typically very geometric. This work is a perfect example of what the Bauhaus style is. The geometric shapes, basic colors, and lines that try and focus your attention in the piece. The ideas and aesthetics pushed in this piece are ones that I like very much and allow for a good amount of individual style, while still clearly being a part of a design school.

Designs from Bauhaus had bold colors that emphasized those functional yet minimalist elements. These colors that help bolster the already amazing aesthetic is another reason for why this school worth researching and using continually. The water color like texture and varying line thickness give this piece a very distinct look, but is clearly still of Bauhaus. Visual styles like this helped me recognize pointless and needless design elements that I would include on my projects. It also helped in regard to measuring and realizing visual importance. Bigger design elements should be that important to the message that you are trying to send to the viewer. These skills and ideas that I received from learning about Bauhaus are ones that I will continue to use.

Sources:

https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/the-bauhaus-1919-1933 https://www.theartstory.org/movement/bauhaus/