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Joshua Davis: design, painting, programming
Holiday Reflections (2008)
Anderson Ranch 2011
Bags for Miquelrius (2008), and The SAK (2010), demitasse for _______? (2009)
Prius Plug-in Hybrid: Signature Series (2011); Toyota collaborates with four artists to bring you a collection of unique, custom decals for the first-ever Prius Plug-in Hybrid.
Design as Art
Designer Joshua Davis www.joshuadavis.com hacks Flash and Illustrator to make “paintings” with software. He was a groundbreaking web designer and embraced code early on, in the 90’s, as a painting medium. He is another example of interdisciplinary thinking “within one’s own head”. As a young painter and illustrator, Instead of being put off by code, he went for it, conquered it, and took it on as a tool for making form that would not be possible any other way. It’s interdisciplinary in the sense that he invents his own tools to make his images. He uses programming languages like Pearl and Python, meant for other kinds of computation, to generate visual complexity. He pushes the limits of technology. Further, he applies his flat work to products (bags, dinnerware…). Interdisciplinary thinking allows us to ascend creatively; once something is done, use it to make something completely new. It’s about ascending levels of involvement, thinking and production. Again, it’s about asking, “what if?”
In 2002 he published Flash to the Core, which has an online version, too. http://flashtothecore.praystation.com/
Once Upon a Forrest is an online work of his.
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This below is from an Adobe profile of Davis, August 11, 2007 by Elise Malmberg:
http://www.apple.com/pro/profiles/joshuadavis/
“I’ve always done kind of weird, strange things, and that’s what I get hired to do: weird, strange things,” he says. “The type of work you make is the type of work people will hire you to do.”
“And since I work with programming, I can do things I would never dream of doing manually. For example, I might say, ‘Let’s draw a seahorse, then add it in again 20,000 times.’ Believe me, I don’t want to be the guy that’s sitting there copying and pasting a seahorse 20,000 times. But a program can do it in less than a second.”
Once Davis has determined which elements to combine, much of his creative process involves watching and waiting as the programs arrange his forms into different configurations. “I might spend two weeks just waiting for that perfect composition, that beautiful accident,” says Davis. “I decide what to keep, what to add, and what to eliminate. I have the best job in the world: I get to be the designer, the programmer, and the critic!”
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From an interview on the website of the Design Museum in London, around 2002:
http://designmuseum.org/design/joshua-davis
Q. Describe your working methods. How do you begin work on a new project, for example? Do you sketch, make notes, write code or go straight to the computer? And how does the process develop from then onwards?
A. I’m totally into free-flowing consciousness. I tend to NEVER sketch. I just sit down and start exploring ideas. Some nights will pass and I’ll have made eighty builds of pure crap. Other nights I’ll make sixty things and turn out with one good idea or exploration. I try to let the work lead me instead of the other way around. I guess I still want to explore, create accidents, make mistakes – and planning or sketching seems too serious and rigid for my taste.
Zvez: Good example how method cannot be prescribed. Take the general guidelines and develop your own method.
Q. What do you consider to be the main challenges facing web designers right now?
A. Learning what’s already been done, the hacks, the work-arounds, failing, succeeding etc. I know designers who still don’t know how to write HTML by hand. It’s like being a print designer and not wanting to know about typography or paper.
Convergence of GD and programming
THE CONVERGENCE OF COMPUTER PROGRAMMING AND GRAPHIC DESIGN
A paper by two professors from Creighton University:
David Reed, Chair, Department of Computer Science Creighton University davereed@creighton.edu, and
Joel Davies Director, Graphic Design Program Creighton University joel@creighton.edu
Published in the Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges, Volume 21 Issue 3, February 2006
The conclusion of the paper states:
As the computer science and graphic design disciplines converge, it is inevitable that cross-pollination between the two result in a blurring of the lines of professional practices. Computer scientists increasingly need exposure to design trends and principles, so that they might take advantage of lessons learned by graphic designers. Likewise, designers will require the computer science experience to accurately and efficiently code projects, in addition to the ability to comprehend new technologies as they emerge. Collaboration between computer science and graphic design educators is imperative to ensure that each discipline learns from the other and is prepared for future developments.
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This is an interesting scientific paper that argues for skilling the programmer with design basics.
Georgia Tech
Interesting things are happening at Georgia Tech intersecting design, art and technology. Amazing collaborative classroom set up!
Description of an upcoming event at Georgia Tech>
From a 3-D drawing experience that incorporates artificial intelligence to a competition that features cutting-edge musical instruments such as a partially edible toy piano, there will be something for every arts lover on campus the week of Feb. 13.
TechArts, a campuswide initiative inspired by Georgia Tech’s strategic plan, will present three events during the week. The initiative is co-chaired by Aaron Bobick, professor and chair of Interactive Computing, and Gil Wienberg, associate professor of Music and director of the Music Technology Center.
“With TechArts, our goal is to both push the boundaries of research and innovation in art and technology and to enhance and nurture the creativity of the entire community here at Tech,” Bobick said.
“Art and technology are more entwined than ever before,” said Rafael L. Bras, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “If Georgia Tech intends to define the technological research university of the 21st century, we have to find ways to incorporate the arts into everything we do, from research to our curricula. These events are the first major step that TechArts is taking to accomplish this.”
http://www.id.gatech.edu/news/new-techarts-initiative-delivers-events-inspiration
Also video that describes what they do in their interdisciplinary design studio>
ice typography by nicole dextras
canadian graphic designer nicole dextras embraces the cold climate of her native country through her ‘ice typography’ installations – a series of larger than life words spelled out in block letters made from ice. the three-dimensional texts are fabricated using moulds
dextras pours water into (sometimes colored for a more dramatic effect), allowing it to freeze and assembling the letters in a means that speaks to how a viewer’s gaze frames and informs the landscape in which the frozen statements are placed.
varying in size from as low as 18 inches in height to a whopping 8 feet tall, regardless of where the texts are installed -whether it is in canada’s northern province of yukon, or the metropolitan city of toronto – it is always the temperature which determines the life of the works, and how long it will take for nature to takes its course and change their state of solid to liquid. as dextras states, ‘this phase of transition becomes symbolic of the interconnectedness of language and culture to the land
as they are affected by time and by a constant shifting and transforming nature.’
the visual poetry which the designer’s ice typography creates, aims to subvert the authority of the english language and the commerce of signage, selecting words which represent a sense of vulnerability and transition. ‘words cast in ice interrupt our literal narratives, allowing a more integrated reading of the land we inhabit, as opposed to the past and current commodification of land as limitless resource. this fundamental split in perception lies at the crux of our environmental crisis. I therefore choose to create within an ephemeral vernacular to accentuate the collective physical and psychological experience of flux and change,‘ dextras says.
arkitypo
the ‘arkitypo‘ project by london-based design studio johnson banks creates a physical ‘alphabet of alphabets’: a complete set of 3D printed letters, each showcasing the character and history of a particular typeface.
the project is a collaboration with ravensbourne, UK-based digital media university, developed as a means of testing and showcasing the school’s inhouse 3D prototyping technology.
for each of the letters ‘A’ through ‘Z’, the designers selected a typeface beginning with that character, which is used in the sculptural work. each piece furthermore encapsulates a bit of the history of the typeface: the ‘J’ adopts the form of a metro system map, because its fontface ‘johnston’ was originally designed for the london underground; the ‘C’ is composed of ‘courier’, used in 1950s typewriters, and thus is composed of an
assemblage of typewriter keys.
‘arkitypo’ took over six months to complete. johnson banks first researched each letter, and then developed drawings, maquettes, and simple 3D renders before transferring the imagery and ideas to the team at ravensbourne. there, designers further developed the 3D models, collaborating virtually with johnson banks, before beginning the first test prints. some ideas worked immediately; others required refining in order to not fall apart.
the most involved of the letters took as long as eight hours to print.
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This is great. Here’s some more info:
• johnson banks was set up by Michael Johnson. He trained in Marketing and Design and set up johnson banks in 1992 after spending his twenties working in London, Sydney, Melbourne and Tokyo.
• Ravensbourne sounds like a for-profit college
• A blogpost with info on each letter:
http://johnsonbanks.co.uk/thoughtfortheweek/
Some quotes:
“Some of the ideas worked straight away, some needed refining. Some fell apart, some were perfect…”
http://www.johnsonbanks.co.uk/thoughtfortheweek/index.php?thoughtid=711 accessed 3/4/12, no author listed
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“For each letter we carried out extensive research, made drawings, built maquettes and did simple 3d visuals on our machines, before handing the ideas over to Ravensbourne’s team.”
http://www.johnsonbanks.co.uk/thoughtfortheweek/index.php?thoughtid=711 accessed 3/4/12, no author listed
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Project credits:
Design: johnson banks
Client: Ravensbourne
3d imaging and prototyping: Jon Fidler
Photography: Andy Morgan
Project client: Jill Hogan
Project advisor: Ben Caspersz
W — Wilhelm Klingspor Gotisch
Rudolf Koch, who designed this font in the 1920s, drew heavily on the shapes and curves learnt during his training as a calligrapher, as he developed this ‘blackletter’ design.
V —Verdana
A font specially designed for use on screen: after being bundled into Windows software from the mid-nineties onwards it has become one of the pre-eminent typefaces on the worldwide web.
M —Machine
This infamous ITC typeface of the seventies took its inspiration from the American Midwest a century before. Now a classically brutal font perfect for all things industrial, it is interpreted here with a system of interlocking cogs.
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This is a great example of graphic design interfacing with technology. These forms would not have been possible without the rapid prototyping machines (3d printers). It’s interesting that the tech facility (college) came to them to test the limits of their machines. This means that technology needs design in order to improve. I also love how there’s the micro and the meta form in these pieces — the tiny, granular letters that make up the larger letterform. This project uses existing and sometimes old-fashioned form in a fresh new way. Finally, I’m struck by the clarity of the method developed by the designers: Take each letter, research a typeface starting with that letter, and go into a back and forth of drawing and printing the sculptural form. This is an illustration of the power of design us to establish processes for cool things to happen. In other words, process is a huge part of design. We design the process as well as the product. Designers can develop processes for interdisciplinary work well.
All this speaks really well to our method chapter.
e-volo personal helicopter
“the ‘e-volo‘ multicopter is a prototype personal transport vehicle, steerable via joystock and powered by sixteen propellers to hover in the air. a team of german professionals– physicist thomas senkel, programmer stephan wolf, and designer philipp halisch, as well as alexander zosel– have just completed the first prototype and test flight of the craft, which they imagine for use towards entertainment purposes, aerial photography and inspection, and short-distance travel.
in ‘e-volo’, altitude, directional control, and balance are automatically managed by onboard computers, while the driver steers by using a simple joystick. the designers note that the program could be integrated with GPS and obstacle detection systems to enable unmanned flight. each of the vehicle’s sixteen motors uses an off-the-shelf battery and is independently controlled, easing maintenance and repairs.
the craft is energy and economically efficient, with a one-hour flight estimated to cost about 6 euros’ worth of electricity. redundancy engineering permits ‘e-volo’ to land safely even if up to four of its motors fail, and the vehicle can also be protected by safety parachute. currently ‘e-volo’ should permit flights of up to 20 minutes, but by integrating a hybrid gas system, or as the capacity of batteries increases, the engineering team suggests that flights could last over an hour.”
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The e-volo team
Thomas Senkel developed the concept as a graduate physicist. He did the complete mechanical and electrical construction of the e-volo multicopter. His specialties are research & development of electric drives and ultralight vehicles and aircrafts. He is an enthusiastic paragliding and ultralight pilot.
Stephan Wolf developed the software from scratch, which controls the e-volo’s onboard flight computer. He has more than 25 years of experience developing core drivers and embedded software development in the industry. Alexander Zosel is responsible for marketing, sales, and public relations. He has developed several patents and utility modules and is an avid paragliding pilot and flight instructor.
Thanks to
Philipp Halisch for the design studies. He is a qualified product designer. He studied in Germany, Mexico and Spain, where he realized projects in urban space. He investigated the needs and practicability of an electrically-operated multicopter as an urban means of transportation.
interactive car windows by GM + bezalel future lab
“with the ‘windows of opportunity’ (‘WOO’) project, GM collaborated with students in the ‘future lab’ masters course at bezalel academy of arts and design in jerusalem to transform car windows into interactive displays. the project’s focus is primarily on enriching
the experience of backseat passengers.
the bezalel design students produced full scale functional prototypes of a rear passenger seat and side windows, using ‘eyeclick‘ motion and optical sensor technology to transform the glass into an interactive surface on which they featured their game designs.
the concepts are not planned for immediate production, but four application designs offer users glimpse of what this technology may be used towards in the future.”
Wayne White
“My mission is to bring humor into fine art”
“I want to take this painting idea and see if I can do a puppet version of it. I want to take cartooning and turn it into a set. I want to take a set and turn it back into a painting.”
“Do what you love. It’s going to lead to where you want to go.”
— All three quotes by Wayne White, from the trailer to “Beauty is Embarrasing”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xQsN1zhRUjU#!
waynewhiteart.com
Link to his monograph by Todd Oldham, on Amazon
Another example of a fluid thinker, like Andrew Byrom, is Wayne White, a puppeteer, art director, illustrator, painter and sculptor. He’s been a production designer (?) for Pee Wee’s Playhouse, and has designed videos for Peter Gabriel and the Smashing Pumpkins. I’m drawn to how he works with type, particularly how easily he works in both two and three dimensions. For example, “The Sound of Cutting Slack” is executed both as a sculpture and a painting.
When White fuses monumental lettering and thrift store painting, he creates a new idea and hence pushes both disciplines further. Sure, his precedents are Ed Ruscha and Jim Shaw, but I don’t think Ruscha embraced the figurative the same way, while Shaw doesn’t share White’s lettering skill. White did this for the 2000 cover of Lambchop’s album, Nixon, as well as in many other paintings of his.
Craig & Karl
These guys are great, but I sense they’re both very much graphic designers. What we really need are collaborators where one is a gd, and the other from another discipline.
This logo illustrates collaboration between two people really nicely.
Craig and Karl are co-founders of the Australian design collective Rinzen.
craig & karl
craig redman and karl maier live on opposite sides of the world but collaborate daily to create bold work that is filled with simple messages executed in a thoughtful and often humorous way. they specialize in illustration, installation, typography, as well as character, editorial and pattern design.
craig & karl have exhibited across the world, most notably at the musée de la publicité, louvre. they have worked on projects for clients like lvmh, google, nike, apple, vogue, microsoft, converse, MTV and the new york times.
craig is the creator of the blog darcel disappoints, often working in collaboration with iconic parisian store colette and in 2010 he opened a solo exhibition there, titled ‘and a miserable day to you too’.
‘the objective of the project was to breathe new life into the space which, having been rendered in concrete with little inlet of natural light, felt quite dark and heavy. working closely with the owners, who possess a keen design sensibility, it was decided that the mural would cover all surfaces in a blanket of bright color. there was also a request that the larger wall surfaces be left blank with an eye towards potentially introducing additional, individually commissioned works at a future date. nevertheless it was vital that the installation feel and function as a complete work in its own right. the resulting design is a dynamic mix of overlapping geometric forms that mirror
and respond to the angularity of the architecture. the whole piece is tied together by a winding, ribbon-style device which, acting as a central axis, leads in from the driveway, through the space and out to the garden beyond.’ – craig & karl
An immersive mural for a private residence car park in Sydney, Australia. Mural installation by Edward Woodley. Photo: Katherine Lu.
A mural for Bikes 4 Humanity, an organization that collects pre-loved bikes for donation to communities in Africa. The mural was commissioned by Lend Lease for a collection depot they set up at the Barangaroo site in Sydney. It was also painted in large part by Lend Lease employees. This project was facilitated by Gallery A.S.
Sculpture of film director Michelangelo Antonioni, installed in the Castle Estense Ferrara, the city of Antonioni’s birth. Thanks to Slam Jam for making it possible.
