Design Archives – Page 2 of 2

Erik Natzke: Flash Paintings

November 3, 2009 By Wendy Campbell

Today’s images are by Adobe Flash artist Erik Natzke. Natzke is an interactive designer who is constantly trying to blur the lines between design and technology. With a keen awareness for how and where to push the limits of the medium without isolating the audience, Erik is a consistent risk-taker. Imagination, adventure, and a desire to amaze as much as entertain are all part of the driving forces behind his work. Named one of the Top 10 Young Designers by HOW magazine, Natzke’s commercial, as well as personal, works have received numerous awards within the fields of both design and advertising. (From Function 13 Gallery)

Natzke is exhibiting at Function 13 Gallery in Toronto, Canada until November 15, 2009. To see more of his work, visit ErikNatzke.com or his photostream on Flickr. For a great interview visit Shift Magazine.

David Choe: Painting

November 2, 2009 By Wendy Campbell

The images shown today are by American artist David Choe. Born in 1976 in Los Angeles, California, Choe is is one of the most diverse and prolific artists working today. His art, photos, and writing have been featured in Giant Robot, and Vice magazine among numerous other publications. His client list includes Marvel Comics, Levi’s, IBM, and Nike.

Choe has spoken and lectured at Princeton, DUKE, Dartmouth and other art colleges. He has designed and created fine art, murals, movie sets, movie posters, album covers, shoes, t-shirts, toys, calendars, commercials, cars, magazines, books, illustrations for porn, children’s story books, comics, and animation. He has curated art shows, art directed books and magazines, as well as self-publishing all his own books which have all won numerous awards.

Choe’s art has been exhibited all over the world and he is one of the youngest artists ever to have a solo show at the Museum of Contemporay Art in Los Angeles. His work is in museums and galleries but he still sells art out of his parents’ garage and his mini van.

For more information about David Choe, visit DavidChoe.com. A trailer of the new documentary “Dirty Hands: The Art and Life of David Choe”, is available on view at DirtyHandsMovie.com.

Sources: Jonathan Levine Gallery, No Walls Gallery, The Agency Group

M.C. Escher: 1898-1972

June 17, 2009 By Wendy Campbell

Maurits Cornelis Escher, best known for his mathematically inspired prints, was born on June 17, 1898 in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. Escher spent much of his childhood in Arnhem where he attended school. Though he did well at drawing, Escher did not excel in other subjects and received poor grades. From 1919 – 1922, Escher attended the School for Architecture and Decorative Arts in Haarlem where he initially studied architecture but shifted to drawing and printmaking.

After finishing school, Escher traveled through Italy, where he met Jetta Umiker, whom he married in 1924. For the next 11 years, Escher traveled throughout Italy, sketching for the prints he would make back in Rome. The couple remained in Rome until 1935 when growing political turmoil (under Mussolini) prompted them to move first to Switzerland and then to Ukkel, a small town near Brussels, Belgium. In 1941, as German troops occupied Brussels, they moved once again to Baarn, Netherlands, where Escher lived until 1970.

During his lifetime, Escher created 448 lithographs, woodcuts and wood engravings and over 2000 drawings and sketches. His work portrays mathematical relationships among shapes, figures and space and many of his drawings are composed around interlocking figures (tessellations) and impossible objects. Escher used vivid contrasts of black and white to enhance different dimensions and integrated into his works were mirror images of cones, spheres, cubes, rings and spirals.

By the 1950s Escher had become highly popular and gave lectures around the world. He received the Order of Oranje Nassau in 1955. In 1958 he was featured in Time magazine and had his first important exhibition in Washington. Escher’s work continued to be popular and he traveled several times to North America for lectures and to see his son George who was living in Canada. In 1970 he moved to Rosa-Spier house in Laren, Netherlands, a retirement home for artists, where he died on March 27, 1972.

I remember as a teenager being amazed by M.C. Escher after receiving a book of his drawings. At that time, I was more interested in how cool the optical illusions were. These days, my appreciation for his work goes deeper than that. I am in awe of the skill and imagination it would have taken to create the drawings. His ability to create works of art that master perspective and dimension, reality and fantasy, make him (in my view) one of the greatest graphic artists of all time.

For more information on M.C. Escher visit MCEscher.com or for a more in depth biography visit The Escher Pages.

Sources: MCEscher.com, Erols.com, Wikipedia

Album Cover Art: Pink Floyd – Division Bell

April 13, 2009 By Wendy Campbell

Artwork for CD’s, books, magazines, product packages, etc. have their basic functions for use in promotional materials and advertisements, and as simple protection for the materials contained inside.

The first 78rpm records in the early 1900’s were sold with plain brown paper or cardboard sleeves and it wasn’t until the late 1930’s that the idea of album art was conceived by Alex Steinweiss of Columbia Records. Within ten years, the idea had caught on and most record companies were distributing albums with unique cover art.

As a teenager, I remember anticipating the release of a new album, not just for the music, but what the cover would look like – the story it would tell. It was a part of our teen culture and was the topic of many late night house parties.

The artwork featured today is from the cover of Pink Floyd’s 1994 Division Bell album. I was never a big Floyd fan, but I love this piece. The cover was designed by renowned graphic designer Storm Thorgerson and at first glance, looks like a painting. It is, in fact, a photograph taken of two sculptures by John Robertson. The sculptures currently make their home in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

Since the introduction of downloadable, digital music, some artists like Peter Saville say that the importance and popularity of album cover art is dead. Famed cover artist Ioannis believes however, that album imagery is even more important as graphics for touring and merchandising become crucial parts of money-making in the music industry.

While the purpose of creating art for music albums may have shifted, the artistic endeavor persists. Whatever the reason, the benefits to music and art enthusiasts and designers and artists remains – and that’s a great thing.