1/25 blog post

Critique: The Assignment That Was "Roll On"

Let me start off by saying, "woof." The fonts aren't on this computer I'm blogging from, but trust they are more aesthetically appealing that what you see. I narrowed the cover choices down to three photos. One of Bruce, the actual building and the photo that one the cover, the tupperware of tobacco. I went with Bruce because I wanted to give the story a face off the bat.

Execution was my main problem on the cover. I can tell you I will be revising my typography for sure. As a draft idea I wanted to play with smoke. After trying approx. 10 tutorials online, I learned I didn't have access to any smoke brushes in PSD. Something like this, but not quite.

I would have liked to cut Bruce out and have the background be similar to the smoke and grey in the complex cover. I also loved the burnt/charred Complex logo, and I wanted to do the same with the Vox logo. I tried to use a cut out... this one.

After thinking about it, I realized I couldn't use this image because I didn't know the owner. I am bound and determined to find another way to do this and use it properly!

The photo selection process was pretty difficult. I couldn't zero in on one story. There was the community part and then there was the actual process of making the cigarettes. I decided to focus on the community. The first two photos set the scene of the store. The next two photos represent the diversity of the shop while long tupperware photo reminds the reader why all these people come to the store. The final photo is a nice closer. The angle of the photo makes you believe you're walking out of the store.

The smoke effect I used (make in Illustrator with a pen and brush) is something I will be going back to fix. I wasn't happy with the way it looked muted.  Also, the typography will be revamped on the feature opener.


Response: The Assignment That Was "Roll On"

My example I would have brought to class is the latest cover from Complex magazine.

 I believe this exemplifies the late modern era, specifically the American sector (Chwast, Heller p.190-92).  Complex's art team is ions ahead of other hip hop magazines' art teams. A big part of hip hop now revolves around  pop/street art. This is Complex's reinterpretation of a Warhol/Basquiat gallery pster cover from the '85.

The black and white boxer poses and the stars harken back to the American Late Modern era. Although the ALM era works were mostly in black and white, the pop of yellow can be interpreted as spawning from the Japanese sector of Late Modern art.



3. You Can't Miss
For my "You Can't Miss" this section this week I would like to discuss imitation in graphic design. Is it flattery or is it taboo?

Let's talk about the Complex  cover again.

 

On the left is the gallery poster. Clearly, they wanted to emulate the poster. Does this make the art team lazy or genius? I won't say this is genius. However, I do think it moves the culture (hip hop culture) forward. I'm sure there's plenty of people who have no idea this cover is a remake. Thus, Complex is educating the viewer without really trying. Basquiat is such an important part of hip hop and so many people don't know it. Jean-Michel was The Kanye West of the art world before there was a Kanye West.   He came up as this totally edgy, creative street art dude (SAMO). Kanye came up as this great producer who could rap but no one wanted to hear him rap. Basquiat had to hustle his way from the street art scene to the gallery scene. Once he was there he still had to prove his harsh, yet beautiful art was fine art. Obviously, he convinced enough people, and he became the biggest name in art almost over night. Kanye's rapping career followed the same suite. Now Kanye can't help but sell 750k to 1 million the first week.

I do see the parallels Complex is trying to make. Basquiat transformed the way art was perceived. A$AP Rocky is this new dude on the scene from Harlem who is mixing Southern/Houston sounds into a brash/simplistic New York way. Jeremy Scott is in no way as influential as Warhol, but in the hip hop scene his shoe designs with Adidas have been a staple for quite a few years. He, in some ways, has helped hip hop fashion transform from Nike Air Force One's and Jordan's to more high end footwear like his. Again, he's no Warhol, but they have some similarities. \

The last point I would like to bring forth is the idea of biting. Biting style, steez, swag, etc in hip hop is a big no-no. I still wouldn't say Complex is biting strictly because there's meaning and depth behind this cover. It educates. There'e enough me.


My blog choice is http://www.complex.com/art-design
 My post of choice this week is Pop Illustrations by Fabian Ciraolo.

I don't know much about Ciraolo, but his illustrations are definitely eye catching. Here's my favorite.

I'm not super into Werewolves and Vamps, but I do like old school horror flicks. The Wolf Man is one of my favorites (Teen Wolf might be my favorite movie of all time. Judge me). This play on The Wolf Man is hilariously beautiful. Ciraolo's whole steez is taking these sometimes iconic images and twisting them into his own intricate way. I would definitely check out his illustration of Frida, too. Nevermind. Here you go.

I hate that I never would have thought of this. Well done.

Welcome!

Yo all,

Here's my opening post. Don't judge the logo just yet. It is still a work in progress. I was just watching Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing, so the inspiration came from that...