Flyhighlivefree's Blog

the herd, ya heard?

flyhighlivefree — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:16:24 +0000

The Birds and The Bees

flyhighlivefree — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:47:15 +0000

Assignment 6

flyhighlivefree — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:04:58 +0000

Metaphor

What is a metaphor? A metaphor it a figure of speech used to suggest resemblance to two seemingly different ideas/things.

How does it function? A metaphor often functions to create a relatable analogy to represent abstract ideas and experiences.

Why is it important? Metaphors help to deepen our understanding of these abstract ideas and experiences.

Cliché

What makes an image cliché? An image becomes cliché when it is overused and has lost it’s initial effect and/or meaning.

DROOG DESIGN

flyhighlivefree — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:00:44 +0000

DROOG DESIGN
When Renny Ramakers and Gijs Bakker presented their group of designer’s pieces at the 1993 Milan Furniture Fair, they knew they had discovered something great. What they didn’t know, is that in the years to come they would help to define Dutch design internationally and influence global design throughout the 1990s. With their straight forward, no nonsense design, and their desire for a more sustainable design functionality, they successfully made their mark on the design world.
After their showcase at the Milan Furniture Fair, Renny and Gijs formed the design collective Droog, translated as “dry” or “wry,” in Amsterdam. This ‘dry’ theme refers to the highly conceptual, minimalistic items, with an added bit of wry humor, that Droog design delivers. Droog functions as a design collective, allowing multiple designers to use the resources that the company provides. One of these elements is the Droog Lab, which is just what it is called, a lab for creating design. This lab, in Amsterdam, is where much of the designs that Droog is known for were created. Droog has been the platform from which many successful designers have began their careers. The company’s designers focus was to provide pieces that focus on functionality as well as the items ability to enrich everyday life. The majority of designs created through Droog are simple household items, such as chairs, tables, and lamps. They are things people see in their everyday life but tend not to appreciate. Droog designers aim to provide a reason to appreciate these everyday items by adding an element of something unexpected, whether it be the material, the way the item functions or a simple humorous twist. One famous piece created by Rody Graumans, through Droog, is the 85 Lamps Chandelier. It is composed of 85 individual, undressed light bulbs that are brought together as a single lighting element. This almost sarcastic design reflects Droog’s idea of taking the everyday and making it into something worth experiencing.
While Droog Design added a fresh element to the design scene of the early 1990s, the idea was not formed without a purpose. After the 1980s, design was drowning in excess and ‘over the top’ ideals. Both Renny, Gijs, and their designers sought to change this thought process. They focused on the simple, sometimes minimalistic approach to design. The luxury of content rather than luxurious materials. This is seen in the design collectives constant use of found materials and recycled objects. “It is a comment on many things: on plentitude, over-consumption, the pretensions that beset the profession,” (Design Museum) was a comment made by Renny Ramakers of a piece created by Tejo Remy. Remy created both the Rag Chair, made of used clothing, and a set of found, used drawers that are stacked and held together by a rope called simply, Chest of Drawers. This sustainable ideal that Droog holds is a very modern. With the current ‘green craze’ that western culture is experiencing, these items would seem right at home, were they not created over a decade ago. This gives the designs an almost ultra modern sense, with their simple forms and highly conceptual nature and the added ‘green’ influences.
These ideals are what helped Droog to become so popular in the 1990s. However, changes over these ideals have caused some turmoil in the Droog design leadership. Today the company is split into two sides. One being the design foundation, which is focused on exhibitions, events, and promoting young design, the other is the business side, a world leading contemporary design studio and manufacturer. This, to cofounder Gijs Bakker, was the wrong direction to take. After opening their flagship store in Amsterdam, and it’s success, the company recently opened a store in New York City. This seemed to be a step away from the company’s ideal of non-consumerism. In 2009 co-founder Gijs Bakker stepped down from all his held positions at Droog Design stating, in reference the New York store,
“It…pushes Droog’s original philosophy to the background,…Its existence also implies that to maintain profitability, only big and expensive products will be developed from now on…I refuse to let the Droog direction be decided by commercial considerations.” (Kennedy)
While the company still states that it will uphold it’s original concepts, in order to continue to function, acquiring revenue must be a part of the business as well.
Throughout the 1990s, a small Dutch design collective began to get noticed and soon became synonymous with Dutch design and ushered in a new wave of modern, conceptual design. Through their use of recycled materials and their sense of dry humor, Droog brought an appreciation and an unexpected experience with the common items we live with and use daily.
Droog Design

Works Cited

“About Us.” Droog. 8 September 2009.

Defining the Next Generation of Global Design. Droog Lab, January 2009.
“DROOG Design Collective.” Design Museum. 8 September 2009.

Droog Design:Spirit of the Nineties. ed. Renny Ramakers, Gijs Bakker. Rotterdam: 010 Publishers, 1998.
Kennedy, Gabrielle. “Droog Design Founders Split.” Design.nl. 8 September 2009.

Markham, Ania. “Droog Design.” Shift. 8 September 2009.

Mina. “DROOG.” Trans. Tatsuhiko Akutsu.Shift. 8 September 2009.

Project 2

flyhighlivefree — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:59:38 +0000

A Really Bad Day

Got Faith?

flyhighlivefree — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:12:17 +0000

What is the difference between using digital technologies as a tool versus as a medium?

flyhighlivefree — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:41:25 +0000

Digital influence on art has been increasingly common over the last few decades. It’s has developed into a tool to create and enhance more traditional forms of art, and has become a medium of art itself. While the use of technology is a common aspect their applications vary in several different ways.

Digital technologies has become a prevalent tool in the creation of many art forms. Technology has developed computer based tools that assist the artist in creating an image that otherwise would have been difficult or impossible without the help of digital tools. One main example is Photoshop, a program that allows the user to manipulate or create images using a variety of tools and existing images. Without a program that allows this manipulation many artists rely upon their personal skills of drawing or painting to create or change an existing image into the mental picture they want to produce for the viewer. Another digital tool that is used is simply the computer itself. Having easy access to computers allows many artists access to seemingly unlimited ideas, images, information, and tools through the internet. Many people use images for collages or printmaking, such as transfers, and these images are readily available to anyone who can surf the internet. The amount of information that is filtered through the internet can sometimes seem overwhelming, but if it is used as a tool for art it can greatly influence an artist and how they produce their projects. The fact that information about artists, their work, and their techniques can be available to such an enormous audience means that not only can it be used as a tool of influence and research for other artists development of skills and ideas, but also as a tool for promotion. An artist that is emerging in Europe, can still be appreciated in the United States because of the internet. Before artist had to be able to make it into books or museums to become known world wide, now the internet can connect every corner of the globe and make some artists popular without a single museum exhibit. This has especially effected the fairly new category of street art. Whereas before you had to be in the city the art was created in to experience it, now through video and image distribution on the internet these individuals artwork can be seen and appreciated in several countries around the world.

However, the internet and digital technologies cannot only be used as tools for creating art, but as a medium of art, developing an entirely new way to create and experience artwork. Digital art as a medium uses art to develop, create and display a piece of art. It has especially helped in the artworks direct interaction with the viewer. As the digital art medium develops more interactive ‘art programs’ are created. These programs require a certain level of understanding in computer programming. In order to create a digital program that will interact with the viewer, very complex computer programming and coding must be used. Many of these artists programs are available on the internet, making them easily accessible. Although, there are many artists that use installation pieces to produce a viewer interactive artwork. These installations allow the viewer to interact in physical space to change and mold an image within the artists computer program. In spite of the increasing number of viewer interactive artists, many artists who use the digital art medium do not have an interactive aspect to their work. These artist still use installations, and while the viewer interact with the piece in physical space, it is not in the same sense as a viewer interactive piece. The non-interactive piece stands alone as a piece of art and does not need the viewer to develop or shape an image. These installations can use digitally generated images, projections, sound and music, or any combination of these.

The extreme diversity of art has increased with the introduction of digital technologies. Allowing artists to create and manipulate images in ways they were not able to before and to create art that would be impossible to even conceive without the use of digital capabilities. Whether someone uses the digital world as simply a tool to help create their mental image of their work or as a medium to create an entirely new way to develop and interact with an art piece, the use of digital technologies in today’s art world cannot go unnoticed.

Assignment #3- Design in Advertistment

flyhighlivefree — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 17:09:22 +0000

What makes an ad successful? An ad is successful when a product or service is shown in a understandable and relatable manner, causing the viewer to desire the shown product or service.

How does the ad use formal elements to convey meaning? This ad uses foremost balance to convey it’s message. The way the image is split shows that the two halves put together make a complete and balanced image, or ‘story’. The repetition of the blue in the pants in the background and the foreground figures reinforces this balance, as well as the harmony of the image. The figures also add balance with the use of space. The group of police has more visual mass, but the isolated figure is much more dynamic and has the added effect of the red object which visually balances it with the police. As the text crosses over the corner, it creates rhythm and a way for the viewers eye to further connect the two halves. The focal point of the BBC WORLD logo uses the emphasis of color to attract attention.

How does the information flow? The advertiesment has a strong left to right movement in both the image and text.

How are you visually led through the image? The dynamic action of the isolated figure leads you around the corner to the police figures. The text also aids in the visual movement.

Assignment #1- How digital art impacts Western Culture

flyhighlivefree — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:50:34 +0000

Digital art is prevalent in almost every aspect of modern western culture. From the commercials we see on TV, or the billboards on the highway, or art in a museum, digital art has become an indispensable tool in American culture.

Digital art is becoming more common in the art fields. It increases the abilities of some artists to create an image that otherwise would have been impossible without digital art. It can also give an artist the capability to create an artificial image that looks genuine to nature. It also introduces and entirely new form of creating art. Especially in photographic imagery. With digital capabilities photos can be cropped, distorted, superimposed, and manipulated in several different manners.

Americans are exposed to digital media everyday, almost everywhere. Advertisement plays a huge role in American life, and digital art is the most common form of producing advertisements. From television commercials, to internet advertisements, to product packaging, digital art, or graphic design, is a booming industry in todays economy. Without the advancements in computers that has occurred, our media ridden lifestyle would not exists as it does today.

space kitten

flyhighlivefree — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:06:30 +0000