Post Modernism/ Modernism

Post modernism is hard to describe because by describing it, it contradicts the postmodernist's premise that there are no definite terms. The post modernists reject modernism. Modernism is a modern thought, character or practice. From research, I have gathered that post modernism is an extreme theory and reacts much more to classical concepts in art, than modernists. It is a confusing matter as there are many different sides to both beliefs. It could resemble religion and how arguments can never be settled as opinions will never be facts. My view on these two subjects are very vague because they cover much wide areas. In my opinion, the art side does not appeal to me as much visually because I think my style differs.

<http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/postmodernism.htm>

Semiotics

The meaning that inevitably nothing means anything. Semiotics is basically split into three areas which are signified, signifier and sign. The 'DOG' example is the most commonly used to explain this theory. The signifier meaning something that stands for something else. Signified meaning the idea of the thing it stands for and sign being the union of the two.

This theory is automatically done be humans and is what gives us different languages but essentially all with the same meaning. This is an interesting matter because it allows us to question life itself. If nothing means anything, is this study even relevant? Is each individual an individual only by thoughts but underneath we are all programmed the same. We could even be compared to a robot.

Could semiotics be the reason why humans are more advanced than animals. It may well be that our thought process is more complex and at a higher level than any other species on the planet.

This may be the reason why people can go insane. Maybe they have questioned life to a point where they no longer see the point in it and cause them to go mentally insane.

'Today is the tomorrow you were promised yesterday.' (Victor Burgen)

Howells (2003, Pg. 95) 

Paul Rand

Paul Rand is a graphic designer, well known for his corporate logo designs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xb8idEf-Iak

Watching this brief interview with Steve Jobs gave me a great insight to Paul Rands personality and his work ethic. The interview showed personal experiences that Steve Jobs had had with Paul. It showed that he was extremely organised and had complete belief in what he was able to deliver and was very profession. Being part of the apple team to help create the logo must of also been an excellent part of his career as he was able to help create one of the most famous logos in history.

The way in which he looked at design differed from others. Steve Jobs said his designs were both “Emotional and Intellectual.”

Looking into his earlier career, I can see that it follows a similar route which I would like to take. Creating stock images that supplied graphics that were supplied to various newspapers is similar to having an apprenticeship to gain experience. Such similarities in our thought processes would be hugely beneficial for me.

Paul Rand. (2007, April 11). Paul Rand: A Brief Biography [online] available on <http://www.paul-rand.com/foundation/biography/#.T5oPqOlrNSF> (25 April 2012)

Identity

My first thoughts of 'Identity' was to question who I am. It is something everyone has and can affect you day to day life. Identity could be your personality, your company, where you live etc. These are something you can be in control of and can be changed. However, identity is not always up to the individual. The world around us can affect our identity and one example of this is stereotypes. Stereotypes are something that the individual has no control over. This brings me to the question 'Is identity who I think I am? Or others perceptions of me?'

In the film 'Fearless' starring Jet Li, a man was portrayed to be a powerful and fearless fighter who was very arrogant. But further into the story he came to see life from another point of view.

Could identity be an ongoing cycle which we all go through in life. Maybe it could be a learning curve, if we wanted it to be.

Woodward (1997, p. 7) said 'identities are necessarily the product of the society in which we live and our relationships with others.'

Reading a chapter from this book I have come to the conclusion that identity has two sides. It is partially controlled by the individual but the subconscious mind can also be very easily influenced by society and relationships. It could most probably be controlled, but would an individual want to control their identity, or live their life without thinking about it. The individual here is key to their identity.

Chris King

Chris King is a freelance Illustrator and Graphic designer. He has featured in many art based magazines. One of my favourites being 'Computer Arts'

His illustrations are mainly exciting comic culture based. He's had big clients over the years, one of the main being 'Konami'.

Sturnus Vulgairs was a particular illustration I loved for many reasons. Firstly, the colours used are a great combination and the shapes and lines used to make the bird look unique and clear. The white background with the circle and text really adds a sense of sophistication. As I am very much into graphic design, the clean look of the image is very aesthetically pleasing, and I could imagine it being blown up for a poster or for advertising.

Although the clean cut nature of the photo looks great, I find no reason or purpose for the circle to be there as at first glance it bares no relation with the bird in the picture.

A small area of the picture, where the birds wing is sticking out of the circle, caught my attention the most. I like the fact that he chose purposely to make the bird not fit to make the picture seem more natural. This is a great way to compliment nature.
<http://www.chriskingillustration.com/>

Saul Bass

http://designmuseum.org/__entry/3857?style=design_image_popup

Saul Bass was a graphic designer and film maker who was best known for his design of film posters and motion pictures.

An interesting fact I found out about Saul Bass was that he was an assistant in the art department of Warner Bros. He then joined an Advertising agency and later moved to Los Angeles to work as an art director. His path to success looks like a fantastic path to follow. Experience in the industry is crucial for young students who want to succeed. As well as his artwork being brilliant, I think his journey through life is also a big inspiration as it show commitment can lead to success.

Moving on to the artwork, I really like the bold use of colour in his posters, especially in the poster for vertigo, 1958. Using simple shapes to make a simple but complex illusion of a spiral looks like a strong piece of art. It catches my eye straight away and I could see it being used in a tube station for advertisement.

Zaha Hadid

Zaha Hadid is a world renown architect. She has many beautiful pieces of work which look great. However, Zaha Hadids buildings she has designed is not the main cause for my inspiration. I like the way that architecture is not about making a buliding look fancy, but making it well designed for the space and its use. Similar to graphics, the thought process should be quite similar as graphics is not always about how good something looks, but more about how well it works.

I wanted to find out more about Zaha, but instead of looking for the regular information, I thought deriving information from a quote which she had would be interesting.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/167635.Zaha_Hadid

Zaha said “There are 360 degrees, so why stick to one”

I like this quote because it really shows that there can be different perspectives in every aspect of design. One solution should never be the only solution.

Johannes Wohnseifer

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/johannes_wohnseifer.htm

Johannes Wohnseifer is an artist who plays with the cultural transformation of classic landmarks of media, architecture, art and design. He is a minimalist making his pieces of art very basic. To me this is something I dislike because I see no real depth in the image. I like to look at art and try and find out about visually. This is hard to do with Wohnseifer's art as it is extremely minimal. There is also a lack of real artistic technical skills shown which I find quite unusual and makes his art work dull.

From the research I have gathered, I have found that Wohnseifer uses a range of different media to create his artwork which I find interesting because it has shown me that I can be more flexible and try different methods to produce artwork.

In one of Wohnseifer's posters called 'Diamond', there is a very minimal image but the meaning behind it is huge. I admire the thought process that he has gone through to create such artwork, but his end product is a let down in my view.

Overall I think Johannes Wohnseifer is not an artist that I really have much interest in as I find his work quite dull, however art does appeal to the individual.

Ozwald Boateng

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDDJIUMC5LA

From a graphic point of view, looking at fashion for my main inspiration may seem quit absurd, but looking deeper into what inspires me is interesting. Ozwald is the first black tailor to be on Saville Row and had to go through tough scenarios and struggle to achieve what he wanted. Against all odds he succeeded and that strong belief is what really inspires me.

Ozwalds colour schemes he uses are unique and stand out because of the contrast with his very british style. The strong colour schemes are bold and I could incorporate this is some of my designs I use to create graphic pieces in the future.

I also love the lines and mesuring techniques used in tailoring. From this alone I can create ideas that have been inspired by Ozwald and the world of fashion. It makes my designs more unique and personal to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5hOVmFCt24&feature=relmfu

'Style is very individual, style is personal, and is a reflection of who you are and your character.'

This first quote is said by Ozwald at the start of one of his documentary's. I find it to be true and it applies to any art form.

Bruce Weber

Bruce Weber takes pictures, publishes books, and directs movies. The variety of professions he has is what amazes me the most. I have many interests and would like to pursue all of my dreams. His achievements have made my dreams seem more believable and achievable.

Bruce also travels a lot, visits lots of exhibitions, takes photographs and writes stories as a way of gathering his notes and information.

I think photography is a great way to express or portray emotions if done well. Looking at Bruce's interview he reveals that the sexual aspect is very important to the body of his work. Finding an area of your work that you like a developing it till it becomes second nature, seems like a great route to follow as it has proven to be successful.

The passion put into Bruce's work is really strong. I can feel the effects of the strong images he has taken and in some of the photos, I can almost relate to them, just from the feeling alone.
http://the-talks.com/interviews/bruce-weber/

Tom Lane

Tom Lane grew up in the english country side and now lives in bristol. It wasn't until his late teens that he decided to pursue his creative streak. Enrolling at Hereford College of Art was a life changing experience that brought a new path to Tom's life and he would never look back.

He graduated from bristol university and then pursued a freelance career where he has been quite successful.

I can relate to Tom as I also found my creative streak in my late teens and only decided to take up graphic design starting from university. To get Tom through the day when working on a project, he listens to music, mainly Hip Hop as he enjoys it and relaxes his mood. When it comes to working, it seems we follow the same pattern and it has proved to work for both of us as I also enjoy listening to music.

Although freelancing seems like a good path to take, I would also like group work in a large team as it has more socialising and appeals more to me. That is the only disadvantage I see when I look at Tom. He may have more fun working with a team where each artist could potentially boost others abilities.
http://gingermonkeydesign.com/profile

Scott Schuman

Scott Schuman is a well known photographer in the fashion industry. He has done photo shoots with GQ, Gant, and many more. In his early years he studied fashion because he got more attention from girls and enjoyed it. Moving further into his career he designed a blog named 'The Satorialist'.

This blog is now what he is well known for and makes money from as business' such as american apparel who have bought advertising space for the whole year.

I admire Scott Schuman because through concentrating on his true passion and nothing else, he has been able to make a great career out of his own hard work.

I am a graphic designer, and looking at his work has made me interested in fashion photography. The variety of different shots he takes looks so unique and the pictures look very natural as he take pictures of regular people on a street, not at a photo shoot.

I would like if he were to collaborate with a fashion magazine editor so some of his pictures would have text on them, and it could essentially make the images look more interesting.

The blog is a great idea because it allows great freedom to express himself properly.
http://the-talks.com/interviews/scott-schuman-the-sartorialist/