Often known as Canada’s first design guru, Allan Fleming was a key designer in bringing Modernism to the country. He’s most well-known for his logo for the Canadian National Railway, or CN, which was acclaimed as one of the top 50 corporate logos at one point. His first breaking point as a designer was the… Continue reading Allan Fleming: Canada’s First Design Guru
Bonnie McLean: Women in Psychadelic Design.
When thinking about the pioneers of the Psychedelic Design, it’s often the male forefront that comes into people’s mind, like Wes Wilson. Women designers during this era were less well-known, however, this didn’t stop Bonnie McLean from standing out. She, later on, stepped into the ‘Big Five’ group in 1967. Before then, she was deeply… Continue reading Bonnie McLean: Women in Psychadelic Design.
The Group that Defined the 80’s Style.
While only lasted for a short 7 years, the Memphis Milano, commonly known as the Memphis Group, defined what ‘80s design looked like. Compared to the minimalist styles in mid-century modern, the group aimed to bring ornamental style, trying to design objects more than their intended purpose. Founder Ettore Sottsass perfectly explained it, even, saying… Continue reading The Group that Defined the 80’s Style.
Robert Venturi’s Fight Against Minimalist Architecture
Architects often praise the rule ‘less is more,’ a famous phrase written by Mies van der Rohe in support of minimalism in design. This wasn’t the case for Robert Venturi. He flipped this phrase around and used ‘less is bore’ as the main philosophy in his architectural works, especially reflected in his book ‘Complexity and… Continue reading Robert Venturi’s Fight Against Minimalist Architecture
Saul Bass: The Multi-Media Artist Who Invented Film Title Sequences
In the 1950’s, Graphic Designer and Filmmaker Saul Bass was highly well-known for his title sequences. As some would describe him, he was the ‘Picasso of commercial artists.’ He worked on many films, most notably The Man with a Golden Arm, Anatomy of a Murder, Psycho, and more. Although he also created well-known logos for… Continue reading Saul Bass: The Multi-Media Artist Who Invented Film Title Sequences
New Contemporary and Post Modernism: Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s artworks are highly recognizable and personal. In contemporary times, many brands, artists, and/or musicians have used his artwork for promotional uses. The first time I came across his works was through Uniqlo’s shirts promoting his works. I was immediately intrigued by his unique use of colors, techniques, and the iconic three crown symbolism.… Continue reading New Contemporary and Post Modernism: Jean-Michel Basquiat
The Painting that Represented Peace and Chaos
I first came across Pablo Picasso’s Guernica painting in 10th grade history class. I was astonished by the amount of detail that went into it. I felt as if it really captured the horrific event of the bombing of Guernica. This was one of my first exposures to anti-war art, and I became significantly interested… Continue reading The Painting that Represented Peace and Chaos
Historical Type Rationale
For my historical poster, I looked at Bauhaus posters for inspiration. I was particularly interested in arranging my information through geometric shapes. I used a slanted rectangle for the background as I notice a common technique within the Bauhaus posters was diagonal placements. I think this gives visual interest which is one of the criteria… Continue reading Historical Type Rationale
Cubism, Dadaism & Surrealism: Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo, an artist known for her thick, dark eyebrows and self-portrait paintings, is undoubtedly considered one of the most iconic, and vulnerable artists in art history. What started out as a car accident in her early years, set the path for her art career in the future. Although extremely tragic, she spent her time… Continue reading Cubism, Dadaism & Surrealism: Frida Kahlo
Historical Artifact Rationale
The Dada Movement My main inspiration for this historical artifact was the Dada movement. As I researched the different artists during this period, I was specifically inclined towards Hannah Hoch and John Heartfield’s works, primarily on their composition and political topic. I initially had the idea of creating a piece surrounding modern-day feminism, like Hannah… Continue reading Historical Artifact Rationale