Sophisticated use of white space...

...has struck again! This time, the quilting world has become its victim. This downhomey craft has ben *gentrified* at the hands of advanced design sensibilities. See exhibit a.

Lusting in the way only a graphic designer can lust

The Sheppard Fairey Obama posters have sprung up around campus overnight, and I am lusting after them. My earlier wariness about Obama's very savvy use of graphic design, about which I've been thinking, "FINALLY a candidate gets it," has turned into a savage lust to get my hands on what I consider to be political/graphic design history. I've since been harassing a friend of mine who is involved in the Obama campaign here to bring me some copies. I've had to be persistent. I think she's a little scared of me now.

the san-serif effect

How powerful can typography be?

Ok, so the premise may be a little exaggerated... there's not much evidence that micro-lending really does much to boost a country's overall economy (though it may have other advantages). Still, it's a very engaging campaign.

bias

Even though I'm an avid crafter and appreciate things that are hand-made, I've always hated scrap-booking. It's always struck me as cheesy and minimally creative, though I suppose following a knitting pattern made by somebody else isn't that much more innovative.

I've finally decided that what really turns me off on that particular craft is that the whole decorating process that goes on in scrapbooking distracts from the actual photos it is meant to enhance.

I recently went with my boyfriend to his friends' house, they are married and the husband just got back from Brazil. They also showed us some pictures from his trip to Russia a few years ago that she had put into a scrapbook as a gift for him. I think we talked more about her decorating style than the actual photos. I wonder how much it was actually a gift for him or a gift for herself.

distinction

There seems to be a fine line between valuing well designed, hand-made, or artistic items, and being materialistic.

positive reinforcement

This is one token cut out of a multi-token logo (inspired by Paula Scher's work for the New York Public Theatre) that I developed for WFHB, the local community radio. The radio broadcasts on four different frequencies in four different locations. I saw this today when taking my bike out of the bike rack. The bike rider cut out the token that represents their area. I love it.

scope

I've recently been renting season DVDs of the PBS show art:21, which has never been carried in my area, but I like it a lot. Not least because I'm familiar with a lot of the artists they profile and so can feel good about my level of knowledge. (Alternatively, if I pick up a copy of Art in America or ArtForum, I invariably feel worse about my level of knowledge).

I make a conscious effort while watching these programs (usually while I'm using my exercise bike downstairs) to stay as open-minded as possible, and listen to the artists speak about their work and their concepts without judging. During my coursework as an undergraduate painting and art history major, I became quick to dismiss certain types of art. It was a survival technique developed by someone entirely overwhelmed by the range and scope of what was out there. I had to narrow the field, so that I could begin to comprehend it.

But the field became too narrow, and for the past few years I've been relatively uninspired by contemporary art, save for a few favorite artists. Now it is time to broaden the field by becoming more open-minded. That is something I have to work on.