Sunday, December 5, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Last Day Before Final
Looks like the quarter is almost over. Today's class was not so much like all the other days we've had. We spent some time discussing our classes for next quarter and ended class very early. Some of us stayed in class and shared our ideas for our final project. I can't believe it's coming down to the wire. I feel like I have so much to do and I know this weekend will be a challenge. I'm looking forward to everyone's 5 minute video. Good luck everyone!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Beatiful Losers
On Monday we watched the film "Beautiful Losers," which is a documentary film that was released in 2008 about a group of artists during the 1990s. At first, class seemed to be going in a minimal/casual direction, but soon changed due to the lack of participation. I think it is safe to say that everyone had the case of the Mondays, especially after having full bellies from all the turkey over Thanksgiving break. That is why we were assigned to write a response to the film and answer questions about what the ideas and inspiration were. I thought the documentary was moving.
One of the themes I noticed behind the film was the notion of D.I.Y. (do it yourself). There were 12 artists who each had a distinct creative background whether in traditional art or street art. There were painters, graffiti artists, illustrators, and photographers. Each artist had a particular technique, but the reoccurring message was to do art yourself and make something out of nothing. During one of the interviews, someone mentioned that art school is a place where people tell you what not to do. A lot of the artists in the documentary shared this view. Most of the them never desired to become famous or admired amongst the contemporary art world. Instead, they wanted to create art for themselves and went against the mainstream culture. That all changed when they formed relationships together that would propel them and their work to become sought after in commercial advertising, painting, and the film industry. Their growth as artists is conveyed throughout the documentary, while maintaining a handcrafted attitude.
The artists' inspiration appeared to have come from street life and each other. They would share their creations in a gallery called Alleged. At first it was more of a social gathering than a place to present artwork. It eventually became a gallery where people would come and see their work. As the gallery hosted more shows, the artists became friends and their relationships allowed them to inspire each other by sharing ideas. Another thing that ignited creativity and inspiration during the 1990s was the booming skateboarding scene. No one had ever done art on the back of a skateboard. Some of the artists were avid skateboarders and used this outlet as inspiration to express their creativity. The most known artist to do so was Shepard Fairey. These are just two of the things I noticed during the film. There may be other forms of inspiration that were mentioned during the documentary that I missed, but street culture and the sharing of ideas were the two that stood out in my mind.
One of the themes I noticed behind the film was the notion of D.I.Y. (do it yourself). There were 12 artists who each had a distinct creative background whether in traditional art or street art. There were painters, graffiti artists, illustrators, and photographers. Each artist had a particular technique, but the reoccurring message was to do art yourself and make something out of nothing. During one of the interviews, someone mentioned that art school is a place where people tell you what not to do. A lot of the artists in the documentary shared this view. Most of the them never desired to become famous or admired amongst the contemporary art world. Instead, they wanted to create art for themselves and went against the mainstream culture. That all changed when they formed relationships together that would propel them and their work to become sought after in commercial advertising, painting, and the film industry. Their growth as artists is conveyed throughout the documentary, while maintaining a handcrafted attitude.
The artists' inspiration appeared to have come from street life and each other. They would share their creations in a gallery called Alleged. At first it was more of a social gathering than a place to present artwork. It eventually became a gallery where people would come and see their work. As the gallery hosted more shows, the artists became friends and their relationships allowed them to inspire each other by sharing ideas. Another thing that ignited creativity and inspiration during the 1990s was the booming skateboarding scene. No one had ever done art on the back of a skateboard. Some of the artists were avid skateboarders and used this outlet as inspiration to express their creativity. The most known artist to do so was Shepard Fairey. These are just two of the things I noticed during the film. There may be other forms of inspiration that were mentioned during the documentary that I missed, but street culture and the sharing of ideas were the two that stood out in my mind.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Graphic Design Proposals
Today's class meeting ended early. We spent 40 minutes going over our graphic design option proposals. Each of us got to propose our best one and discussed possible ways to improve it. There were a lot of similar ideas and some really unique ones. We quickly went over them because Jimmy wanted to show a film. Unfortunately, there was a problem with the cable so we couldn't watch it.
As part of the CSULA evaluation process, we were given the opportunity to provide feedback to Jimmy about his teaching methods. This was my first time completing an evaluation at CSULA, but it wasn't new to me. I've had to complete evaluations for my professors at Pasadena City College. After filling out the evaluation we were free to leave. I'm excited for the next few weeks coming up. Not only is it Thanksgiving break, but there is also a lot of work to be done.
As part of the CSULA evaluation process, we were given the opportunity to provide feedback to Jimmy about his teaching methods. This was my first time completing an evaluation at CSULA, but it wasn't new to me. I've had to complete evaluations for my professors at Pasadena City College. After filling out the evaluation we were free to leave. I'm excited for the next few weeks coming up. Not only is it Thanksgiving break, but there is also a lot of work to be done.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Class Exercise
It's coming down to the last few weeks of this quarter. I can't believe how fast it's gone by. I have a few ideas for my 5 minute film, but haven't had time to get started yet. I plan on tackling a big portion of it over Thanksgiving break.
Today's class was spent discussing graphic design at Cal State L.A. Jimmy questioned our knowledge of what graphic design is. It is almost everywhere we look. It's in packaging, posters, internet, and business cards. It's amazing when you think about it. We also spent the last 30 minutes trying to come up with ways to improve graphic design awareness to incoming transfer students and current CSULA students. Our assignment is to come up with 3 really good solutions to this. I feel like time is running out. It's CRUNCH time!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Stage 7 - Production
This is the final stage of The Design Process. It's time to hand off the designs to the production team...well, not exactly. There are a lot of tasks that are involved in producing a design. The obvious one is feedback. Aspelund describes positive and negative feedback as both equally important. He mentions that negative feedback will dominate, but will also be the most vital when making revisions and final decisions. I agree that any type of feedback will only benefit and strengthen the design. He also covers prototyping. At this state I wasn't aware of the different types of prototyping. There's concept (rough representation of the design), throwaway (test function of a certain element), and evolutionary (exploration). These prototypes are different approaches to modeling the design. It also helps to better understanding the dimensionality of the forms.
There are other important factors to consider during the production phase. Decision-making will always be a part of the design process. That will never change. The important thing to remember is that sometimes certain decisions can cause changes in the design. For instance, deciding whether or not to continue experimenting with materials can alter the schedule of a design. The deadlines are set and cannot be changed. Aspelund also mentions budgets as another aspect of production that should be considered. Sometimes the budget can put constraints on a design, but must be accepted and worked around in order to meet the specifications of the client. I find this to be the most challenging because the budget could sway the direction of the initial design. As a designer, I will have to adjust and make modifications as I go through my process.
The last section of this stage is about documenting and reviewing the design process. Aspelund emphasizes the importance of keeping well-organized documentation of your work. In my work, I have slowly begun to realize how this is extremely important especially when something goes wrong. I always refer back to my old files. The design process is one that will stay with me and I will continue to refer to it. Although the methodologies mentioned throughout this book may seem obvious at times, they will assist me now and further into the future as I mature as a designer.
There are other important factors to consider during the production phase. Decision-making will always be a part of the design process. That will never change. The important thing to remember is that sometimes certain decisions can cause changes in the design. For instance, deciding whether or not to continue experimenting with materials can alter the schedule of a design. The deadlines are set and cannot be changed. Aspelund also mentions budgets as another aspect of production that should be considered. Sometimes the budget can put constraints on a design, but must be accepted and worked around in order to meet the specifications of the client. I find this to be the most challenging because the budget could sway the direction of the initial design. As a designer, I will have to adjust and make modifications as I go through my process.
The last section of this stage is about documenting and reviewing the design process. Aspelund emphasizes the importance of keeping well-organized documentation of your work. In my work, I have slowly begun to realize how this is extremely important especially when something goes wrong. I always refer back to my old files. The design process is one that will stay with me and I will continue to refer to it. Although the methodologies mentioned throughout this book may seem obvious at times, they will assist me now and further into the future as I mature as a designer.
Friday, November 19, 2010
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