Research Objects

Research Object 1

I recently visited the British museum and saw a very unique and fascinating photograph by Donald Rodney called ‘In the House of My Father’. At first glance i noticed an Afro-Caribbean mans hand holding a small object very delicately with a sense of pride, as if he was showing off the object. With a closer look i realised he was hold a object shaped as a house, with closer inspection i came to find out that the house was made out of his own skin representing skin removed from a operation he had to tackle sickle-cell anaemia. When i came to this realisation the photograph became a lot more inspiring and personal to me as i had a operation recently also and would never think to use it to create art. Whilst other might find the idea of using his own skin strange and slightly disgusting i find it bold and a creative way to use our life experiences to produce work with character and heart. This photograph encourages me to be more daring with my work and not to be afraid to think outside of the box.

 

Research Object 2

Marian Bantjes is a successful typographer, writer, illustrator and designer who is known for her detailed and defined vector art, delicate patterning and dedicated hand work. I admire Marian as a typographer as the core of her designs have a very natural, unprocessed and untreated element to it which reminds me of nature. When looking at her type work the characteristics are very fluid and nature like with the curls, curves and detail which can only be inspired by nature. Her work is refreshing for me as not many type designers especially graphic designers, use nature as a inspiration for there work. Even though it is right in front of us, why should we not make more use of it? With the right techniques and outlook when using nature you can be guaranteed to not be disappointed with your work. Some ways to look at nature for ideas can be as simple as taking a look at something from different angles, for instance from above or sideways or exploring various shapes and textures such as the clouds and their shadows and the patterns of wood from trees to produce original ideas. In addition, you can put opposites of nature together to create an arrangement that works.  So with such easy access to nature and wildlife why not make use of it.

 

Research Object 3

Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Monsters inc and Up are some of my favourite Disney films, that I’ve watched since they established in the 1930s with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The Walt Disney Company founded by Walt and Roy Disney in 1923 is a multinational mass media company which has many divisions and subsidiaries including The Walt Disney Studios, Marvel Entertainment, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios. All of which contribute to one of the most successful global media corporations. Part of their re-nown success is due to Pixar’s, formally known as the Graphics Group, CGI-animated films generated from Photorealistic RenderMan (PRMan)  which is used to create the high quality images witnessed in the films. It is evident when watching Pixar films that they have been created by them as the graphics/animation is of a distinct high standard and as a graphic designer myself I would love for my work to have the same original effect on clients and viewers. Which Pixar’s highly valued animation and audiences of all ages to me they are a worthy company to look up to for my own work.

Research Object 4

Escher is a perfect example of an artist who uses his surroundings to create original and effective work by simple putting a twist on how everyone else would see their environment. He uses simple and to most uninspiring objects to create a experimental and wondrous piece of work. He does this with a more mathematical outlook which u can see in many of his designs. His mind becomes more dominant in his work rather than using his eyes and drawing exactly what he sees. For example, his piece of work called Sky and Water plays on shadow by morphing the water background behind fish figures into bird figures on a sky background. He tends to explore interlocking figures using white and black to make the different dimensions stand out. His work also includes a piece called Drawing Hands in which two hands are drawing each other and appear to come out of the page. Eschers work pushes an individual to ‘think outside the box’ and not be afraid to try something new because it could produce a fascinating design.

Research Object 5

The Dutch type and graphic designer Rudy Vanderlans was bold enough be one of the first designers to create a magazine which showed off the valuable features of the new Macintosh in 1984. Vanderlans was the co-founder of the magazine/journal Émigré for graphic designers and help designers to understand and view the benefits of the Mac. The magazine was originally for emigrant artists and their experiences and what effect their experiences had on their creative work. However as the magazines success grew the different types of readers grew also and so did Rudy Vanderlans as a designer. Along with the Émigré magazine Vanderlans created typefaces including Oblong and Variex, he started a digital type foundry with his wife, he released music, designed and distributed artist books and produced pyjamas and ceramics. He didn’t just stick to what he knew which could have been easy to do living in a country that is foreign to him, no, he branched out to other areas and introduced other designers to what was alien to them. As a graphic designer i hope to branch out and not be afraid to use all resources available to me.