Technology and art

Now that we have begun to integrate coding into our designs, I have thought about the impact of technology in art. Silk-screen printing, cameras, neon, film, and computers have all had an intense impact on the chosen mediums that artists have taken on. In fact, it is largely unknown that Andy Warhol was a pioneer…

The Black Panthers & Typography

This week, following our lecture discussions, I wanted to explore historical usages of typography in social activism. In political messaging, fonts that stand out and catch the eye for strong slogans in protest are important. Certain types of fonts convey this “strength” more than others. For example, this article outlines that the fonts of: Futura, Alternate…

Is there such thing as “normal” in art?

I often think about what leads to social norms in society and some of the overarching ideologies we find ourselves conforming to and even studying. This article points to a collective called General Idea, who between 1969 and 1994, transformed their life together into a “living work of art,” which they presented in performances, objects,…

Natalia Seth: Photoshop master and Imagination Connoisseur

Since we are just beginning our photoshop learning experience this week, I wanted to highlight one of the coolest content creators who I’ve not only met but had the opportunity to go to high school with. Her name is Natalia Seth, otherwise known as @escapingyouth on instagram, and she creates the most fantastical and magical…

Perception of mood and style in design

How do we come to form our distinctive schemas of moods and feelings that images come to convey? This is an interesting discussion and something that Toronto-based developer, Jacob Jackson, is bringing to the surface in his new visual search pattern that works to gather images and art of similar styles. In the article, Jackson…

Capitalist modes of production, protest, and design

We live in a system where consumerism, wage-based labour, and private ownership reign. Brand logos though help symbolize this Marxist theorized mode of production, but what is most interesting to me is when people like Lydia Cambron take these company images we encounter every day and give them a new, social purpose. Cambron’s idea to…

Art museums and “high-art” exclusivity

During my Latin American arts and culture class I took freshman spring, one of the most memorable discussions we had was regarding the divide between what is considered “high-art” versus “low-art.” High art is said to be cultivated by those with taste, often exclusive in access and refined. Low art is considered accessible to the…

Paris, Texas: Rhetoric of a moving image

When asked “Why do you think Paris, Texas was so successful?” American artist, Ry Cooder, said, “It was a sound and an image that went perfectly together.” Reading Arranging Things this week, I immediately thought back to a film that I watched over winter break this year, Paris, Texas. The rhetoric of arrangement is a theme that…