Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Random things one sees in York...
Being here in York a second summer in a row, there isn't much I haven't photographed. The history of York is steep, with Viking, Roman, Norman and Anglo-Saxon roots...it is also home to such a lovely history of confections and chocolates such as Kit Kats and Terry's Oranges...who wouldn't fall in love with York????
I may not be the most technically gifted photographer, and I might break the "rules" of good photography quite often, but all I really want when I take pictures is to capture a moment, an emotion, a fleeting memory from another life....I want my audience to go there in their sub-conscious, to wish they were in the photograph, to be transported to another place or time....
Here, friends, is a little taste of my first days here in York....Welcome.
London! Here I come! (What Olympics??)
Arriving in London from the States to take up my newly acquired position of On Site coordinator for Design in Great Britain, I was not at all surprised to see Heathrow in full Pre-Olympic regalia.
On every package, poster, bus & newspaper, the brightly colorful and whimsical logo reminds the viewer who may have been under a rock for a bit that London is indeed the host of the 2012 Olympics.
( Even children here are revved up about the upcoming Games, as evident here, at a primary school playground far up in north-easternly York....
)
The design of the 2012 Olympic logo may perhaps be generally accepted by the public, after all, we have had over a year now to get used to it, but in the design world? A total disaster.
Created by Wolff Olins, the jagged and fractured pieces that appear in various sherbert-like shades are intended to accept "...an invitation to take part and be involved" (Lord Sebastian Coe, London 2012 chair. ) and that the reason for creating such a logo is that "By using interesting shapes and angles, and bright vibrant colours the logo creates a sense of energy"...
Such aspiration are honorable and most certainly would be the general goal of any design team, but the question is, did Wolff Olins succeed?
Such pedestrian work is not common for international brand team Wolff Olins, whose client list includes the Tate, GE, Unilever and New York City.
In a country steeped with such a rich design history as to give us mundane as the utilitarian phone booth (made to be iconic in bright red) to as monumental as the Underground informational system (pure genius, can't be improved in any way shape or form), this design contribution, sadly, seems like a lame duck swimming with swans. (Pentagram, btw, began here in London as well...if you, as a possible non-design reader, wanted know....and even if you didn't, I am going to tell you anyways because Kenneth Grange and Company have my complete adoration)
Why didn't the 2012 London logo capture the essence and energy of London itself? For such an infamous city steeped in a rich history (don't tell me you don't see Big Ben in your head every time you even hear the name "London"!!!???), why do I feel as if the 2012 Olympics are going to be held in Miami, FLA?
Here below are some alternative logo ideas that may not be as easy to brand into an insta-icon as the Olins one has begrudgingly become, but do capture a bit more creativity as well as the personality of London...
(Credit to, from left-to-right: James Wren, Oliver Taylor, and Richard Voysey)
Perhaps we need to look even further at past Olympic logos to study truly successful design and take notes.
Two of my favorite Olympic logo and pictagram designs are more recent ones but astutely succinct in not only conveying the message of such a revered event, but also communicating to an international audience the distinct personality of the chosen host city.
Check out Mexico, circa 1968:
New York Designer Lance Wyman put together a team of several other designers, based on their valuable ability to give valid input, that could best analyze and execute such a task, including:
Eduardo Terrazas, for urban design;
Beatrice Trueblood, for Olympic publications;
Manuel Villazon, for the student design team;
Peter Murdoch, for special projects;
(and of course, Wyman on graphics.)
The logo in this case is so successful, as it not only embodies an energy appropriate for the Olympic events, but the continuous line, rounded type face is very reminiscent of the country's pre-Hispanic art history.
Look also at the pictograms of the 68 Olympics. Again, we see a careful attention to soft, muted and culturally appropriate colors pay homage to the nationality and identity of Mexico.
Another very successful design campaign includes the 2008 Games in Beijing, headed up by design director Min Wang.
Simple, organic lines look aesthetically close to the ancient Chinese script "Jingwen" and express a cultural nod to the host country while still communicating a kinetic energy of the Olympic games that would take place.
Either way, the Games will soon be here in Londontown and before we know it, the design by Wolff Olins will have come and gone but the memories are what really matters and the honor of being the chosen city is what will last.
( Even children here are revved up about the upcoming Games, as evident here, at a primary school playground far up in north-easternly York....
)
The design of the 2012 Olympic logo may perhaps be generally accepted by the public, after all, we have had over a year now to get used to it, but in the design world? A total disaster.
Created by Wolff Olins, the jagged and fractured pieces that appear in various sherbert-like shades are intended to accept "...an invitation to take part and be involved" (Lord Sebastian Coe, London 2012 chair. ) and that the reason for creating such a logo is that "By using interesting shapes and angles, and bright vibrant colours the logo creates a sense of energy"...
Such aspiration are honorable and most certainly would be the general goal of any design team, but the question is, did Wolff Olins succeed?
Such pedestrian work is not common for international brand team Wolff Olins, whose client list includes the Tate, GE, Unilever and New York City.
In a country steeped with such a rich design history as to give us mundane as the utilitarian phone booth (made to be iconic in bright red) to as monumental as the Underground informational system (pure genius, can't be improved in any way shape or form), this design contribution, sadly, seems like a lame duck swimming with swans. (Pentagram, btw, began here in London as well...if you, as a possible non-design reader, wanted know....and even if you didn't, I am going to tell you anyways because Kenneth Grange and Company have my complete adoration)
Why didn't the 2012 London logo capture the essence and energy of London itself? For such an infamous city steeped in a rich history (don't tell me you don't see Big Ben in your head every time you even hear the name "London"!!!???), why do I feel as if the 2012 Olympics are going to be held in Miami, FLA?
Here below are some alternative logo ideas that may not be as easy to brand into an insta-icon as the Olins one has begrudgingly become, but do capture a bit more creativity as well as the personality of London...
(Credit to, from left-to-right: James Wren, Oliver Taylor, and Richard Voysey)
Perhaps we need to look even further at past Olympic logos to study truly successful design and take notes.
Two of my favorite Olympic logo and pictagram designs are more recent ones but astutely succinct in not only conveying the message of such a revered event, but also communicating to an international audience the distinct personality of the chosen host city.
Check out Mexico, circa 1968:
New York Designer Lance Wyman put together a team of several other designers, based on their valuable ability to give valid input, that could best analyze and execute such a task, including:
Eduardo Terrazas, for urban design;
Beatrice Trueblood, for Olympic publications;
Manuel Villazon, for the student design team;
Peter Murdoch, for special projects;
(and of course, Wyman on graphics.)
The logo in this case is so successful, as it not only embodies an energy appropriate for the Olympic events, but the continuous line, rounded type face is very reminiscent of the country's pre-Hispanic art history.
Look also at the pictograms of the 68 Olympics. Again, we see a careful attention to soft, muted and culturally appropriate colors pay homage to the nationality and identity of Mexico.
Another very successful design campaign includes the 2008 Games in Beijing, headed up by design director Min Wang.
Simple, organic lines look aesthetically close to the ancient Chinese script "Jingwen" and express a cultural nod to the host country while still communicating a kinetic energy of the Olympic games that would take place.
Either way, the Games will soon be here in Londontown and before we know it, the design by Wolff Olins will have come and gone but the memories are what really matters and the honor of being the chosen city is what will last.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Art & Design on the fly...
Growing up, my father worked for United Airlines and we would fly the friendly skies every few summers or so to go see relatives on the East coast. Some people hate airports and flying, but, ever since I can remember, I have not only loved to fly, but I loved the whole experience in itself.... The packing, the anticipation, the waiting. Yes. The waiting.
What better way to get an insight to the myriad of cultures and customs and languages and dialects and and and....need I say more?
The AND is where the beauty lies. Beyond the fact that these structures, these airports full of bustling humanity and aircrafts needing to get from point A to point B without a hitch, needs to be designed in the most efficient way possible, as to make traveling a bit more smooth and a less stressful experience.
This is done by designing airports in a way that we are not merely waiting on a flight, we are in the middle of an experience. We passengers are surrounded with glistening, gleaming, futuristic portals that help further our escape to (or from) wherever we are but reminding us we are not home. There is beauty in this functionality, if we are willing to only see...
We are given expensive gastronomic cafe choices, and pricey alcoholic temptations that we willingly fork over as if to say "Ya. I'll have that...I'm on vacation...."
So we begin our journeys, with pastry and coffee and perhaps a rum & coke pre-flight in Trader Vics, and we can also note that the airport is filled with visual feasts as well. Not only engaging our noses and bellies, our eyes can rest upon some of the most amazing examples of 2 and 3 dimensional art that is flavored with local talent. In spaces as large as these, art can run along the walkways, fill a myriad of glass cases, or hang in Goliath proportions from the high ceilings. These pieces represent the best of local and historical art and your wait in the airport becomes a mini-museum visit.
This morning, I sit in San Francisco International and admire such work...
The first two pieces, "Namon House", are made of powder coated steel, created by Joyce Hsu, who is a local Bay Area artist. These mechanized fantasy insects and flora are a "fusion of science & nature". The artist wanted them to rest there, at SFO, in their transit home, much as we do when we are ready to "take flight" to our next destination in life.
The second piece, "Salty Peanuts", is by Bay Area artist Mildred Howard and is made of steel and over 120 saxophones. this piece was made in honor of the San Francisco jazz traditions and history.
More can be read and admired here:
http://www.flysfo.com/web/page/atsfo/art/
Happy, safe travels, friends....
What better way to get an insight to the myriad of cultures and customs and languages and dialects and and and....need I say more?
The AND is where the beauty lies. Beyond the fact that these structures, these airports full of bustling humanity and aircrafts needing to get from point A to point B without a hitch, needs to be designed in the most efficient way possible, as to make traveling a bit more smooth and a less stressful experience.
This is done by designing airports in a way that we are not merely waiting on a flight, we are in the middle of an experience. We passengers are surrounded with glistening, gleaming, futuristic portals that help further our escape to (or from) wherever we are but reminding us we are not home. There is beauty in this functionality, if we are willing to only see...
We are given expensive gastronomic cafe choices, and pricey alcoholic temptations that we willingly fork over as if to say "Ya. I'll have that...I'm on vacation...."
So we begin our journeys, with pastry and coffee and perhaps a rum & coke pre-flight in Trader Vics, and we can also note that the airport is filled with visual feasts as well. Not only engaging our noses and bellies, our eyes can rest upon some of the most amazing examples of 2 and 3 dimensional art that is flavored with local talent. In spaces as large as these, art can run along the walkways, fill a myriad of glass cases, or hang in Goliath proportions from the high ceilings. These pieces represent the best of local and historical art and your wait in the airport becomes a mini-museum visit.
This morning, I sit in San Francisco International and admire such work...
The first two pieces, "Namon House", are made of powder coated steel, created by Joyce Hsu, who is a local Bay Area artist. These mechanized fantasy insects and flora are a "fusion of science & nature". The artist wanted them to rest there, at SFO, in their transit home, much as we do when we are ready to "take flight" to our next destination in life.
The second piece, "Salty Peanuts", is by Bay Area artist Mildred Howard and is made of steel and over 120 saxophones. this piece was made in honor of the San Francisco jazz traditions and history.
More can be read and admired here:
http://www.flysfo.com/web/page/atsfo/art/
Happy, safe travels, friends....
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
...The 20's , Vogue and the Duke
I have always had a passion for the 1920s. The whole time period is so effusively avant-garde, a departure from the past Victorian era of stifling conventions and mindsets...art, in its transition from Art Nouveau to Modernism is apparent in poster and print design...ultra delicate yet sexy images of the new feminist movement ( short hemlines, short haircuts, a cigarette and martini in hand- you can almost hear the jazz band in the background rockin the newest in swing). With equally organic and feminine lines...all of this, contrasting with the new, bold fondness for strong, unique fonts, sans-serif style- this was a break from traditional Swiss typogrophy that discouraged any sense of expression. Coupled with dynamic angles and diagonals, radiating lines of energetic movement? All embodied the social and artisitc values of that era.
A perfect example of this design concept are the covers of the magazines of that time. One of my favorite? Vogue magazine covers. Vogue magazine,owned by publishing giant Conde Nast, has always been at the forefront of the fashion movement and their covers always embody the concept of what is fashion for that time period. What is culturally sophisticated, what is au currant, what is chic...is what IS Vogue.
Before there was the use of photography in magazines, there was illustration and design. My heart and soul. I was unable to find names of the artists themselves that created the covers...More than likely, they were just par tof the beast that was a design firm. Design, within a firm, is about team work- from the forming of the ideas to the actual production stage, input from several eyes and minds is standard. But, I would still love to know WHO penned and painted...perhaps, when I procure this coveted tome, I will finally have the answer....
http://www.culturekiosque.com/nouveau/style/vogue.html
Here are just a few covers that I cherish...there are too many to truly post. These examples exemplify just how the cover designers captured the life and heart of that era....
I can only imagine, as you look at these images, that you too are hearing the Duke Ellington orchestra, ready to swing away....
Duke Ellington - It Don T Mean A...
A perfect example of this design concept are the covers of the magazines of that time. One of my favorite? Vogue magazine covers. Vogue magazine,owned by publishing giant Conde Nast, has always been at the forefront of the fashion movement and their covers always embody the concept of what is fashion for that time period. What is culturally sophisticated, what is au currant, what is chic...is what IS Vogue.
Before there was the use of photography in magazines, there was illustration and design. My heart and soul. I was unable to find names of the artists themselves that created the covers...More than likely, they were just par tof the beast that was a design firm. Design, within a firm, is about team work- from the forming of the ideas to the actual production stage, input from several eyes and minds is standard. But, I would still love to know WHO penned and painted...perhaps, when I procure this coveted tome, I will finally have the answer....
http://www.culturekiosque.com/nouveau/style/vogue.html
Here are just a few covers that I cherish...there are too many to truly post. These examples exemplify just how the cover designers captured the life and heart of that era....
I can only imagine, as you look at these images, that you too are hearing the Duke Ellington orchestra, ready to swing away....
Duke Ellington - It Don T Mean A...
Thursday, December 23, 2010
the one and only, Wayne Thiebaud...
Not only have I been a fan of Wayne Thiebaud as long as I have been an artist, art teacher, and fan of pop art, I discovered in Printshop that Mr. Thiebaud mastered the medium of print as well as paint....
This is the video of Thiebaud's recent lecture at UC Davis, which I was honored to have attended and actually interacted with him...
Never in a million years did I think I would ever be at such an amazing school....never in a million years did I think I would get the rare opportunity to listen to, learn from, and ask questions of a man who innovated the West Coast Pop Art movement....
Here are a few of his paintings and prints...
As you begin to watch the video,
check out the chick in the brown bomber jacket, 3rd row, left side...the one with the Gigi Hill bag...and again, forward to about 1 hour, 09 minutes!!!!
IT'S MEEEEEEE!!!!!!
;)
My point?....
believe in yourself...
dream big...
...and never stop doing what only YOU can do....
This is the video of Thiebaud's recent lecture at UC Davis, which I was honored to have attended and actually interacted with him...
Never in a million years did I think I would ever be at such an amazing school....never in a million years did I think I would get the rare opportunity to listen to, learn from, and ask questions of a man who innovated the West Coast Pop Art movement....
Here are a few of his paintings and prints...
As you begin to watch the video,
check out the chick in the brown bomber jacket, 3rd row, left side...the one with the Gigi Hill bag...and again, forward to about 1 hour, 09 minutes!!!!
IT'S MEEEEEEE!!!!!!
;)
My point?....
believe in yourself...
dream big...
...and never stop doing what only YOU can do....
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
It's That Most Wonderful Time of the Year....
On a break from serious blogging, here's some Christmas joy....
My Crack Brownie Recipe
You better appreciate it....This is the first time I have given it up...!!!!
:)
My Crack Brownie Recipe
You better appreciate it....This is the first time I have given it up...!!!!
:)
Crack Brownies:
1/2 cup semi-sweet choc. chips
4 oz. Semi sweet choc. baking bar
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour, plus 2 tblsp flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/8 tsp salt
350 oven. Grease & flour 8" baking pan. Chop 4 oz. baking bar into lil pieces. Over a double boiler, barely simmering water, melt pieces and butter til smooth. Remove from hear and cool to room temp. Stir brown sugar & vanilla into chocolate. Add eggs, mix well. In a bowl, mix dry ingredients then fold into choc mixture, til well blended, then fold in choc chips. Pour into pan, bake approximate 25 minutes BUUUT DO NOT OVERBAKE! the secret us to test them at maybe 20, and keep testing every 2 minutes thereafter until toothpick JUST comes out clean!!! The secret to good brownies is moistness!
FROSTING:
1 stick butter, very soft
Pure vanilla
1 box powdered sugar
Real Ghirardelli baking cocoa ( hard to find, try the Nugget)
Because this is a look/ feel/ taste recipe for me, I have no measurements! It's practice! Beat softened butter till smooth with hand mixer, add about 1-3 teaspoons vanilla, beat again. Add approximate 1/2 cup cocoa powder, beat. Gradually add between 1 cup to 2 cups if the powdered sugar, beating with mixer, depending on how rich you like your frosting. As you beat the powdered sugar n, you will need to add warm water , 1 tblsp at a time, the more powdered sugar you add, or it will be too stiff to spread.
Spread over brownies with spatula once brownies are cooled.
4 oz. Semi sweet choc. baking bar
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour, plus 2 tblsp flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/8 tsp salt
350 oven. Grease & flour 8" baking pan. Chop 4 oz. baking bar into lil pieces. Over a double boiler, barely simmering water, melt pieces and butter til smooth. Remove from hear and cool to room temp. Stir brown sugar & vanilla into chocolate. Add eggs, mix well. In a bowl, mix dry ingredients then fold into choc mixture, til well blended, then fold in choc chips. Pour into pan, bake approximate 25 minutes BUUUT DO NOT OVERBAKE! the secret us to test them at maybe 20, and keep testing every 2 minutes thereafter until toothpick JUST comes out clean!!! The secret to good brownies is moistness!
FROSTING:
1 stick butter, very soft
Pure vanilla
1 box powdered sugar
Real Ghirardelli baking cocoa ( hard to find, try the Nugget)
Because this is a look/ feel/ taste recipe for me, I have no measurements! It's practice! Beat softened butter till smooth with hand mixer, add about 1-3 teaspoons vanilla, beat again. Add approximate 1/2 cup cocoa powder, beat. Gradually add between 1 cup to 2 cups if the powdered sugar, beating with mixer, depending on how rich you like your frosting. As you beat the powdered sugar n, you will need to add warm water , 1 tblsp at a time, the more powdered sugar you add, or it will be too stiff to spread.
Spread over brownies with spatula once brownies are cooled.
Remember!!!!!
ONLY USE GHIRARDELLI COCOA AND CHOCOLATE!!!!!!!!!
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