Marc Bell is a Canadian artist who is situated somewhere between cartoon and fine art. His attention to detail and exploration of forms mixed with a clever sense of humor and a bit of surrealism invite the viewer to get lost in the world each piece of his creates. Bell has self-published several collections of his work, both independent as well as collaborative.In 2006, he edited a compilation of artworks called Nog A Dod: Prehistoric Canadian Psychadoolia which included the works of Bell, Amy Lockhart, Jason Mclean, Dirty Debbie and more. Bell recently published Hot Potatoe: Fine Ahtwerks: 2001-2008; additionally, a touring gallery show under the same name is making it’s way from New York to Nebraska.
Did anything in particular spark your interest in Illustration, Zine Culture, Cartoons, etc? Have you always drawn, or did something get you started later on?
It’s hard to say what it was exactly but I was into Mad Magazine when I was a kid and Richard Scarry. I always drew and created little projects. I created my own version of Mad called “Dumb” Magazine. I watched Pee-Wee’s Playhouse when I was a teenager and somebody in my art class worked at a comics store and he showed me Yummy Fur and that led me to Peter Bagge’s Neat Stuff and I was pretty blown away by these “grown up” comics. This led to turning into a producer of self-published things as oppposed to just being a consumer.
Søren Severin works within the fields of identity, graphic artwork, print and motion graphics. He is from Copenhagen and above is a photo of his studio.
Q: What was your art school experience like? Did your school have a good design program?
I studied at Danmarks Designskole (DKDS) in Copenhagen. The school is not an art school, but a design school, and has programs covering all aspects of design, from visual communication and interactive design to fashion and furniture. Since my first year at DKDS, the school have been undergoing major changes, evolving from being based in the arts and crafts movement – and transforming into a modern, international designschool. This is not an easy transition, and the quality of the education has been lacking as a result. I cannot speak about how things are since I’ve graduated, but during my time at the school, I have been less than satisfied with a lot of things. It is not like I haven’t learned anything at DKDS, but I think that I have actually taught myself most of what I know today. But then again, without the other students and the environment, resources and facilities of the school, I would not have had the possibilty to teach myself anything. Basically, I was left in a bad situation, and it was up to myself to make the most of it – and in the end I think I came out more experienced, confident and independent.
Stefan Sagmeister (1962- ) is among today’s most important and influential graphic designers. Born in Austria, he has lived and worked in New York since 1993. Renowned for album covers, posters, installations and his recent book of life lessons, Things I have learned in my life so far, Sagmeister brings a fresh perspective to the role and work of a designer. In this podcast interview with Debbie Millman, he discusses his year away from his New York-based design practice, his personal time in Bali, as well as discussing his new, in-progress documentary film, Happiness.
Taken from Design Observer, Design Matters with Debbie Millman.
Design Matters is one of the first design shows on the radio, it’s hosted by Debbie Millman. She is the president of the AIGA, Chair of the Masters program in Branding at SVA and she is also the author of one of my favorite books, How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer. Her show was started in 2005 and has recently been adopted/hosted on the new Design Observer website.
She recently did an interview with Mr. Stefan Sagmeister, if you have some free time I recommend giving it a listen…hear it below.
Q: What made you want to teach design? Was there a particular experience during school that influenced you to become a design educator?
A: I think the whole experience of school contributed to me wanting to teach. I loved school. I loved learning. I still do. I think all of my instructors had a lasting impact on me and helped to instill a curiosity. They helped change how I looked at the world. Everything is magic now, and even things that aren’t special now have the potential to become so. They helped to teach me a way of looking at things that leaves room for unlimited potential. That seems special, some how, and if I can maybe help to have that happen for someone else, I should try.
The following are a collection of some of our favorite Crayola Crayon boxes and advertising. In 1903, the Binney & Smith company released their first box of drawing crayons for children; eight colors, sold for a nickel. Since then, Crayola has become an internationally famous brand and has produced over 100 billion crayons in several hundred colors.
A few of us and Rumors (Left: Holly Bottom: Renda Right: Andy)
Rumors is two girls and one guy, they are a design collective studio from Brooklyn. Renda, Holly and Andy spoke about real design matters dealing with web and print projects. Their lecture focused on the logic and dialogue that goes into the early stages of a project instead of focusing only on aesthetics. Rather than having a distinctive style – Rumors takes their audience into consideration by emphasizing context. Function plays an important role in their design ability, allowing them to create intuitive work. Thanks for the great lecture!
The collection below presents posters designed by Iranians during a time of war (Iran-Iraq War). These photos are from a CD purchased at a graphic design exhibition in Iran.
