You Suck At Photoshop

Some of my Faves

A Lesson In Typography

This clip explained what typography is and informed of the elements of type design. The clip demonstrated the skills and techniques involved in typography. It links the role typography plays to careers such as graphic design and art directors.

The clip used a range of visual/graphical typographic demonstrations, along with audio, as a strategy to engage the viewer and develop an understanding of typographical awareness. It was clear, easy to follow and interesting to watch. The intricacies of the visual/graphical representations of text are clear to the viewer and demonstrate the impact typography has on overall design. It is an informative clip, outlining the elements of the arrangement of type and the anatomy of letterform. The clip addresses the advances typography has been exposed to in the digital age. Although the clip was well constructed and interesting to watch, I found that it hastily brushed over the details of typography. It lacked detailed explanation and examples of the techniques involved in typography, and this was a sacrifice made to maintain momentum within the clip. I found that the history and development of typography was not adequately addressed.

Stefan Sagmeister: Yes, Design Can Make You Happy

This clip outlines the career of Stefan Sagmeister. It demonstrates the link he has found between design and happiness. The clip refers to a range of examples of design and links them to a feeling of happiness.

Stefan was interesting to listen to. His explanations included humour and were engaging to listen to. He compared the happiness associated with design in regard to the consumer and the designer. I found this interesting as it is important to understand that design has many purposes. When designing, it is important to keep the consumer in mind, and when consuming, acknowledgement of the designer is appreciated. He discusses the misrepresentation of happiness in regard to visualisation, advertising and the movie industry. He challenges the depiction of happiness in regard to design. Although Stefan demonstrates a deep knowledge and understanding of a range of exhibitions and pieces of art, the clip is focussed around his personal opinions of designs that invoke happiness. He shares designs that have made him happy with a live audience and in turn evokes a positive response. Although funny at times, the clip is rather long and slow. I enjoyed the demonstration of his work at the end of the clip.

Barbara Kruger

The large, bold artworks of Barbara Kruger incorporate images taken from the flood of mass media that is so predominantly a part of contemporary society. Pictures and words derived from television, film, newspapers and magazines comprise the media's powerful ability to communicate. By incorporating these into her art works, Kruger creates her own sexual, social and political messages, and effectively challenges the stereotypical ways the mass media influences society's notions about gender roles, social relationships and political issues.

Untitled (Your Body is a Battleground) demonstrates Kruger's interest in addressing and interpreting heated political issues of the moment. Using as a central image a silk-screened frontal photograph of a model's face, she gives the image additional meaning by dividing the large canvas it occupies into sections: right and left the image reverses from positive to negative, and from top to bottom the face is divided into thirds emblazoned with the slogan "Your body is a battleground." Kruger critiques the objectified standard of symmetry applied in modern times to feminine beauty, and perpetuate at fever pitch by media and advertising.

I'm quite a fan of her work..

Kareem Rizk

Australian artist, Kareem Rizk, studied a Bachelor of Graphic Design at Monash University Caulfield in 2004, with all intentions of pursuing a career in graphic design. After completing the course, he worked for the Herald Sun doing design work but felt he wasn’t being challenged enough or able to express his creativity, ultimately resigning after 8 - 9 months. The Bachelor of Graphic Design encouraged Rizk to explore and experiment with mixed media, which led him to pursue a more fine art style. Collage became the focus of his works.

Rizk’s interests shifted to collage work in 2005. Rizk’s style is one of a vintage type, pretty much like one of his influences Charles Wilkin. He sources his imagery from old publications such as New Idea and would stick to this publication so the works had the same feel to them. Grid paper, torn paper, black and white imagery of cars and people are common elements Rizk uses in his work. To avoid copyright issues Rizk would make an image unrecognisable by scratching out familiar parts of an image, giving it a weathered look. Random typography that has no purpose or story is another major element in his works. Experimenting with oil pastel, acrylic, carbon and pencil Rizk would build up a background, find an image and build around it. His work is highly textured and layered. His technique is very structured as if he was working on a grid, but spontaneous looking at the same time. Rizk’s likes to keep his designs very original, simple and dynamic, never over-doing it.

In 2006, Rizk began promoting his work over the Internet establishing a string online presence. He built a huge online folio, which took about 3 months, where he would provide visuals of his work to sell. After a few weeks of promoting his work, Rizk received feedback from the UK and was given opportunities for printed publication and exposure. Which then led to offers to exhibit his work in galleries. Risks' first major solo exhibition was in June 2008 at Phone Booth Gallery in Long Beach California. Since then Rizk has held exhibitions in Melbourne, Sydney, Los Angeles, Washington DC, London, Barcelona and Milan. Rizk has also had his work published in numerous magazines and publications, on t-shirts, shoes, skateboard decks and mugs.

Rizk believes it is important to get out of your comfort zone, to explore and experiment with different medias and techniques, and take a rizk. LOL. But dude, wanting 400 an hour is such a joke. Like you were good.. but not great.

Andy Warhol

i love..

Roger Ballen

BRUTAL, TENDER, HUMAN, ANIMAL showcases the works of Roger Ballen produced from 1983 - 2006, an exploration of the depth and meaning in his practice. Ballens work consists of black and white silver gelatin and carbon ink prints of minority places and people living in the dorp areas of South Africa. The dorps are the main subject of his works. His early pieces begin with documenting the world, taking photographs of people in their homes going about their everyday lives, to a more staged scenario, where he collaborates with his subjects to create his imaginary world.

Ballens imagery intentionally has no depth and is quite flat. This is achieved by using a flash. Using the flash also creates shadow that adds another important element to all of his images. The walls in his photographs are very important and dynamic component in portraying the story of the subjects lives. They are never dead spaces. Whether it is a shadow, existing drawings on the wall or chalk drawings that Ballen has added, they are a response to, or extension of, a particular situation and the physical context.

Ballen's use of the black and white imagery creates a dramatic mood. His pieces can be described as unsettling, raw, brutal and beautiful. The use of repetition and shape has a way of flattening the subjects into the walls. In some instances, the people in his images form a similar shape to a sculpture or image on a wall. This is evident in Ballens' Crawling Man 2002, where a man is on all fours taking on the shape of a metal stand beside him - becoming one with the object.
Challenging the border between human and animal, nature and culture, Ballen forces us to consider the border between the two as well as the excessive pride in all who think we reside above the natural. Ballen considers his work to be about the human condition as a whole, a psychological journey.