Athletics Weblog

The inaugural exhibition in the newly re-located Herb Lubalin Study Center of Design and Typography.

Herb Lubalin (1918–1981) is best known for his wildly illustrative typography and his groundbreaking work for the magazines Avant Garde, Eros, and Fact.

On view in Cooper Union’s new gallery, the installation includes recent posters, publications, and motion graphics by internationally recognized graphic designers that spotlight an emerging trend toward expressive lettering and typography.

Original sketches, magazines, logotypes, and posters selected from the Lubalin Center Archive will illuminate Lubalin’s influence on contemporary graphic design.

Opening Reception

Thursday, November 5, 2009, 6 – 8pm
The Cooper Union
41 Cooper Square Gallery [ MAP ]

This event is free and open to the public.

Exhibition On View

November 5, 2009 – December 8, 2009

Gallery Hours:
Monday–Thursdays 12–7 pm, Saturday 12–5 pm
Closed Fridays and Sundays
Closed November 26, 2009–November 29, 2009

I just put the finishing touches on a new Volumeone Season called
The Road Less Traveled. It was the first time that I had a song written especially for the project before any design was started. The process was a very unique one for me and I wanted to share it.

Making the Song

The Road Less Traveled takes its inspiration from American folks tune from the likes of Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan. I worked with Fletcher C. Johnson to write the song. Fletcher and I sat down and I gave him some general direction. I knew I wanted the song to be about an ophan/misfit kid from Appalachia that travels around playing songs and leaves his hometown to explore the world. I also liked the Seeger/Guthrie idea of the banjo/guitar as a weapon for social change to bring about a new way of thinking. I gave Fletcher a list of terms and ideas and sketched out a few ideas.

A few weeks later Fletcher played me a cassette tape of a rough of the song in his apartment and we agreed on a sparse arrangement that was upbeat but not too silly. I really like the tune and think Fletcher expanded on some of our original ideas to create a great song. With a little spit and polish The Road Less Traveled was done. Now it was up to me to make it into something.

Generating the type

I sat down with the finished song and wrote out all of the key words and phases. I did not want to simply illustrate the song visually because I felt that it could become too cartoony. I drew a bunch of radios and clocks and things until I realized the illustrated approach was the wrong direction.

I have been really into the typographic work of Ed Ruscha and inspired by the typography that appears on old fruit crate labels. Both have a very “American” feel to me just like the song. I decided that I wanted the actual words of the song to be the hero of the piece and set about sketching out different words.

I decided to draw all of the type in Illustrator so that I could more easily it break the type apart and animate it later. Needless to say it’s not easy to make dimensional type in Illustrator and even harder to make all of them look good. After a few months of work I had drawn about half of the words and started to design the overall look of the piece.

Designing the idea

The key to making all the type cohesive was to define a more limited color palette. The palette allowed me to develop a set visual vocabulary so that when I had to create other words or visual elements I had a well-defined approach to start from. In addition, the use of the cork pin board helps ground the visuals in an overall idea. Basically the cork pin board is the final resting place for the memories from the Road Less Traveled story. Like a postcard on your refrigerator, the cork pin board holds postcards containing the words from the song as well as other mementos from the misfits’ travels.

I created two static pin board walls to get a general layout and also created 9 postcards of the most interesting words from the song. With the pin boards and postcards complete it was time to start animating.

Creating the motion piece

I used the static pin boards to create a general flow for the animation and also added in two new landscapes for the chorus of the song to break up the action. All of the scenes for the animation were blocked out using static images of the type and other elements to speed up the process. There was no sense in animating any type until I knew how long the type needed to animate for.

After the animation was blocked in, I set about animating all of the type. To animate each piece of type, every stroke of each letter had to be separated out in Illustrator so that each part could be masked one at a time. Once separated, the letters’ parts were brought into After Effects and masked on one-by-one. This process took several weeks.

After the type was animated, I set about building all of the postcards and other scene components. During this time I basically “filled in” the static rough cut one scene at a time. To save rendering time, I left out all moving footage. After all of the major elements were animated I made adjustments to timing and pacing to lock down a final edit.

After the bulk of the animation was completed, I called up Fletcher and had him come by the studio so we could shoot him on green screen. Up until this point all of the images of Fletcher in the animation were static images of Jason in our studio used for placement only. Now that I had a fairly finished edit I could shoot Fletcher playing and slot him in.

Putting it all together

The final piece took a long time to render because it was built at HD resolution. Before the animation was complete I picked up the postcards from the printer. To give folks online a closer look at the type, I created a scrollable corkboard wall in Flash using the vector files my original static designs.

For me, creating the typography and working to translate it into print, motion and an effective online presentation allowed me to show the piece in different ways and hopefully show others how a design idea can be translated into different mediums. I also feel the postcards reinforce the idea of the motion piece while reminding people of the physical world and the need to go out there and explore.

Overall I am happy with the end product. I wish it had not taken me so long but I hope the time and effort I put into The Road Less Traveled shows and I hope that people enjoy it.

Welcome to 2009. We just finished up a new video piece for Good Magazine. As we head into the last year of the two thousand aughts, we take a look at some of the numbers that shaped our lives this past year. Thanks for the memories, 2008!

Art Making and Authenticity

Originality and Authenticity are central components to the creative endeavor. As an artist or designer, one is confronted with the larger challenge of establishing your own creative voice and by extension, cultivating this voice over an entire lifetime. This is a tall order of course and there are many possible approaches. Looking at artwork in general, two primary approaches come to light.

The one path that most artists embrace is the cultivation of a singular stylistic approach. The artist initially explores many different avenues and ultimately arrives at a stylistic “tool kit” that they refine and modulate through time. Examples of contemporary artists that fit this description are the likes of Ed Rusha, Chuck Close, Jim Houser, Barry McGee. All of these artists have a defined “style” in the sense that if you have seen 8 – 10 examples of their artwork you would be able to readily identify other pieces.

An alternative approach is the cultivation of an “evolutionary” approach whereby the artist cultivates a conceptual sensibility as well as broader stylistic toolkit. The artist Damien Hirst is a good example of such an artist. Hirst has several modes within which he works. From animals perserved in formaldehyde, butterflies in stained glass to a human skull covered in diamonds, Hirst does not have a singular artistic “style.” That said, Hirst does have a larger creative vision that is reflected in his work as a whole. An example of a designer that fits this paradigm is Peter Saville.

The singular stylistic and evolutionary approaches to art making are of course both equally valid. Both approaches share an impulse to find a unique voice that one can call their own. As an artist or designer finds their voice, we see how their creativity impacts the outside world. The key ingredient to understanding the power of authenticity and art making is when we place one’s creative output in the context of the larger culture.

Its all about Context

From the ivory tower of the Chelsea gallery to the disposable pulp of an advertising magazine insert, it is the context in which we experience a creative artifact that influences its perceived value. For example, if we look at a piece like Bruce Nauman’s 1987 video installation “Clown Torture” we see four color video monitors and two video projectors with a clown yelling. Without the context of a gallery setting, the average person on the street would find this piece both ridiculous and unwatchable. It is the symbiotic relationship between the perceived “authenticity” of Nauman’s work combined with the legitimizing context of the gallery that makes the work successful and valuable.

Conversely, we see commercial brands that are attempting to provide a similar context for art making. A recent example is the launch of the Scion Easy Ten Filmmaker Series. Scion gathered 10 budding filmmakers who created shorts (about 15-20 minutes each) that are screened together in a multi-room venue. In this context, the video installations are not given the care and attention of fine art but are treated more like window dressing for a marketing initiative. As a result, we see otherwise legitimate artwork as an excuse to a down few free drinks.

The labor required to create Nauman’s torturous clown piece may pale in comparison to time and energy required to create one of the Scion short films. Nonetheless, it is the labor, authenticity and context of the artwork itself that provides a framework for others to understand the artwork and, by extension, give it value as “art” or jettison it into the cultural landfill of advertising.

The Artist as Brand

In the last 10 years or so, we have seen artists and designers working very closely with brands to cross-promote each other. One of the first instances I recall was in 1999 when artists such as Damien Hirst and Nan Goldin used their artwork on boxes of Camel cigarettes. More recently, we have seen the explosion of the “designer shoe” phenomenon where an artist or designer lends their creativity to decorate a limited edition shoe.

Brands like Nike, Adidas and Reebok have all developed limited edition artist shoes. Through these “collaborations” the shoe brands gain artistic legitimacy through the artist’s artwork and the artist gains commercial legitimacy through the shoe brand. The question that arises is what is the authenticity of these artifacts? Are these genuine art objects or merely marketing gimmicks that go no further than being eBay collectibles?

Artist/Brand collaborations have thoroughly permeated our culture. Artists have “decorated” everything from Smart Cars, Coca-Cola cans, bicycles and even My Little Pony. One of the most extreme extensions of the “artist as brand” is exemplified by the licensing of Don Ed Hardy’s tattoo artwork by Christian Audigier.

Within Tattoo culture, Don Ed Hardy is considered a truly “authentic” figure. Ed Hardy was friends with Sailor Jerry Collins, one of America’s tattoo pioneers and to many, Hardy’s artwork is an extension of the classic tattoo style that Sailor Jerry created. With Hardy’s name and “authentic” tattoo pedigree, Audigier has been able to build the Hardy “brand” into a multi-million dollar venture.

From hats, shoes, apparel, perfume, and even an energy drink, the Hardy brand has grown by pornographic proportions into a worldwide phenomenon. As a result the authentic origin of Don Ed Hardy’s artwork has been completely lost to the general consumer. In addition, the artwork itself has become fodder for economic consumption and as a result has become disposable. For Hardy himself, his artwork now has a life of its own and as a result he must accept that his creative life’s work is no longer special and in many ways is no longer his own.

The parasitic relationship between the artist and brand is not new. The “authenticity” of an artist is a very powerful and valuable commodity. Some artist and designers have embraced the notion of the artist as brand. Other artists see the co-opting of their creative energies to merely sell a shoe or a can of soda as antithetical to everything the creative endeavor stands for.

Most artists and designers fall between these two extremes. To many the short term value of an artist/brand collaboration, be it creative or monetary, is worth the exposure it provides. For creative individuals that have a vested interest in their body of work over the long term, the authenticity of one’s own creative perspective must be regarded as their single most powerful commodity.

Art and its parasitic relationship to celebrity

Many artists have used imagery of celebrities and other authentic cultural figures to prop up their own artwork. One of the most common examples is the celebrity photographer. Photographers such as Annie Leibovitz and Dana Lixenberg have made their livings off of the images of celebrities. As an artifact, the photograph is made “legitimate” or “authentic” by the celebrity image. Conversely, the artifact captures a moment in time that can reveal a sensibility or a perspective that the person may not be aware of. Without the celebrity, the photograph is devoid of the power/authenticity of the celebrity and is merely a photograph of a person we do not know.

Within the sphere of art making, artists have also used celebrity imagery to similar effect. Andy Warhol’s work has featured portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis Presley and many others. Warhol’s celebrity portraits create a kind of mirror, reflecting back our own popular culture obsessions while in many instances revealing the tragic nature of fame itself.

In contrast, other artists utilize celebrity imagery to build their own myth. An example of this phenomenon can be seen in the use of imagery of celebrities and popular culture icons in the work of Shepard Fairey. Unlike Warhol, Fairey utilizes celebrity imagery in a more transparent manner.

Taking cues from Alexander Rodchenko’s Russian constructivism and Chinese Communist propaganda poster art, Fairey “re-draws” celebrity photographs in an effort bring out the “heroic” or “iconic” nature of the person. The most recently successful example of this is Shepard Fairey’s illustration of president-elect Barack Obama. Like the pervasive commercialization of Don Ed Hardy’s artwork, Fairey’s illustration found its way onto everything from “Vintage Obama T-Shirts” to knock off versions for your pet terrier. I have been told retailer Urban Outfitters has made millions in sales on Obama apparel using Fairey’s illustration.

As the authenticity of the Obama brand works in tandem with Shepard’s Obey brand we see a symbiotic relationship that serves an immediate commercial need. The end result may be the creation of a “Nostalgia for the Present” that sells shirts in the short term but may produce a hollow cultural caricature of the “authentic” person whereby popular culture will dismiss the image like we do so many other brand images that – now that the election is over – fall away after the sales cycle.

Establishing your own model of Cultural Production

In this era of “post-integrity” the former polarizing forces of “selling out” versus “keeping it real” have been replaced by many shades of legitimacy and authenticity. As a cultural producer, whether you consider yourself an artist or designer, the challenge is to take advantage of the variety of contexts that help frame your work.

In this day and age, a graphic on a skateboard that hangs on a gallery wall has a far different meaning and value than the skateboard for sale at the local skate shop. The beauty of our current cultural circumstance is that one has the ability to place one’s work in a variety of contexts and as a result our work grows in meaning and value. Cultural production is no longer mutually exclusive to one setting and as a consequence the artist/designer has a responsibility to forge their own path and to flex the power of their own creative voice in responsible and meaningful ways.

As we move forward, we can not prevent the co-oping of the value of a celebrity image or the gross commercialization of an otherwise authentic creative impulse. All we can do as creative individuals is support the contexts we believe in and actively point out the contexts we feel devalue one’s creative efforts. In the end, creativity and commerce are a balancing act with no real right and wrong.

Questions? Comments? Contact Matt via email - .

As a kid – in second grade as I recall – I remember wondering why our television skipped from channel 10 to 12. I’d ask my folks why this was, only to be told that “we don’t get that channel.” This seemed odd to me.

At my buddy’s house I investigated the issue further to discover that channel eleven was this thing called MTV, and they broadcasted a lot of interesting content. Like guitar solos. I realized this was the sort of television for me.

I began to suspect the reason why our television skipped eleven. Shortly thereafter I figured out how to operate the clunky switches in the back of our TV to enable the channel. I’d watch all I wanted while my folks weren’t around, and simply re-disable when I was finished. At the same time, all of my pre-adolescent income (from lawn-mowing, yard-raking, log-splitting, etc.) was diverted from collecting baseball cards to purchasing cassette tapes at the local record store. My folks figured out what had happened, and after a short period of resistance (mostly related to the PMRC’s push for parental advisory stickers on essentially all of the records I wanted to buy) the battle fizzled out: MTV remained unlocked, and my personal identity took a permanent turn.

I loved watching music videos, and for a period of time, I enjoyed some of the additional programming as well. But, as we all know, MTV eventually stopped showing videos in favor of all sorts of weird shows. They had MTV2 for a while there, but I’m not even sure if this still exists.

—

So this week I’m excited to see the introduction of MTV Music, a new video site with a large collection of music videos that date back to the early 80s.

It looks like they’re still building the library, but already it’s quite robust. Check Bowie’s page — there are some deep cuts in there. Also, you can search by director. For instance, Athletics’ David Ahuja.

I’m glad this new site exists. It’s a more focused, and less chaotic version of YouTube.

But in a way this signals the end of the MTV I grew up with. MTV was how I kept up with music: I took MTV News seriously; I watched 120 Minutes with pen & paper in hand, taking note of the videos I liked. MTV Music, however, isn’t a tool for keeping your finger on the pulse. It’s more of a nostalgia machine for revisiting moments from 10-20 years go.

By the looks of the MTV Music home page, it appears MTV understands and embraces this new dynamic.