Richard Avedon, MFA Boston

After living in the Boston area for a little over three years, I finally had the opportunity to visit the Museum of Fine Arts this past weekend. Like many museums, the MFA is filled with an overwhelming amount of art from various time periods and styles. While I appreciate all forms of art, there was one artist who made an immense impression on me, Richard Avedon.

Avedon's work was on exhibit during my visit and his photography spoke to me. I have seen his work on many occasions; however, seeing his photographs on exhibit in their purist forms was absolutely breathtaking. Avedon is a fashion photographer whose work has been published mainly in Vouge and Harper's Bazaar. He revolutionized fashion photography by capturing his subjects (mostly women) in glamorous clothing, poses and surroundings. The content and compositions of his photos are pure art. Avedon has a unique ability to capture moments and movement in still frames that portray beautiful stories. One of the most notable qualities of his work is that he began his career before Photoshop and was able to conceptualize such interesting compositions without the aid of today's technology.

Below are a few of my favorite Avedon photographs. If you have the opportunity to visit the MFA before January 17th, 2011 I highly recommend spending some quality time in the Foster Gallery with Avedon's work.

The Devil is in the Details

An idiom that I believe all designers (graphic designers, web designers, fashion designers, interior designers and the like) are familiar with is, “The Devil is in the Details.”

I can’t recall the first time that I heard this expression. However, it is forever instilled in my mind.

As I previously mentioned, I began drawing in detail at a young age and my education taught me to appreciate such attention and thoughtfulness.

To this day I love to explore details that others place into their work, whether it is the depth and texture of brush strokes in a painting, the hidden objects in logo design, well thought out web design concepts, my neighbor’s landscaping or my dingy office lighting, all of the many intriguing details that surround us in everyday life.

Details don’t have to be intricate. There is something extremely beautiful about subtle detail as well. Details to me signify passion, interest, knowledge and a love for ones work.

Pencil vs Mouse

Over the years technology has without a doubt transformed most aspects of our daily lives. However, recently I've been feeling the effects of technology interfering with my passion and ability to illustrate by hand. Although technology makes my job undoubtedly more productive and streamline, in some cases I can sense it hindering my creativity, imagination and freehand.

I discovered my love for drawing at a very young age. My mom frequently reminisces about my ability to entertain myself for hours when I was young. I would sit alone at the kitchen table and create my version of "Where's Waldo" illustrations by incorporating my family, friends, and pets into the detailed sketches. Throughout high-school and college I always had a sketchbook nearby, constantly doodling and jotting down images from my imagination. I miss those days!

Today my sketchbook, pencils, pens, sharpies and colored pencils, for the most part, have been replaced by a mouse, Adobe Creative Suite CS5, a scanner and a Wacom Tablet. There are days when I feel the rush of creativity at work; however, it isn't the same freedom and feeling you get from the nostalgic sound and feel of dragging a pencil on paper. Last week I made it a point to purchase a brand new sketchbook and am now making a resolution to dedicate more time for my abandoned passion and hobby.

(I asked my mom to dig up some of those old sketches, hopefully I will be able to post one or two in the near future.)

Design Evolution

Every design develops from a process, involving research, brainstorming, and trial and error. To me one of the most interesting design evolutions is that of brand identity. It always fascinates me to see where a logo started and how it has evolved over the years in order to conform to trends, style, and the growth of its brand or company. However, not all logos change over time, there are some logos that will forever remain classic (such as Coca Cola). While there is controversy in the design world debating whether or not brand reformation is beneficial and ethical, my opinion is that it depends greatly on the unique situation and brand. Some of the most well known examples of logo evolutions are shown below. However, some of these evolutions have many more steps than what I am showing. One of my favorite examples of brand development is from my alma mater, Penn State. When the new lion illustration was introduced in 2001 the majority of Penn State fans, students and alumni were not pleased. This failed attempt at a logo change resulted in Penn State going back to their logo roots four years later in 2005.

The Fine Lines of Advertising

I love the nostalgic quality of billboards and how they only provide a brief moment to capture their audience's attention. Billboards are good old fashioned print design at its best. However, many designers miss their mark with billboards and either don't captivate attention in their moment of opportunity, or do capture it but leave viewers questioning the message as they drive by.

I love the concept and aesthetic cleanliness of Pom's recent ad campaign; however, one of their billboard designs has left me  feeling uneasy on several occasions, whiling driving North on 93. I personally feel that suicide and imagery of  a noose is a very heavy and touchy subject; a subject that is excessive when comparing it to the health benefits of a fruit juice. While Pom's goal was to present edgy marketing and to capture attention regardless of the viewer's emotion, Pom has gone overboard with this one.

Collaborative Power

The design industry requires designers to be creative, sharp, witty, conceptual, communicative, knowledgeable and up to speed on current events. One of the many things that I love about this field is the willingness and ability of designers to come together as a community, for both design and humanity. There are numerous design competitions/exhibitions out there, but the ones that intrigue me the most are those with a cause and those that are striving to open our society's eyes for the greater good.

A fellow Penn State Design alumna, Leif Steiner, and one of his colleague's, Josh Higgins, are founders of an ingenious creative fund-raiser. Their project brings designers together in order to benefit victims of the the 2010 Haiti Earthquake. Artists and Designers donate limited edition posters to The Haiti Poster Project, the posters are then sold online and all proceeds are given to Doctors Without Borders. Leif Steiner also organized a similar fund-raiser for Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Hurricane Poster Project donated all proceeds  to The Red Cross in order to help aid in the Hurricane Relief.

The most recent design competition that instantly caught my attention was GREENPEACE's effort to rebrand BP. This competition is not raising money for a cause; however, it is raising attention and awareness to the already ill fated oil company. The winning logo will be used internationally in a campaign against the oil company. The winning designer will have the opportunity to work with a top graphic designer in order to refine their logo for the campaign.

Along with the attention and concern for current events, design competitions and exhibitions similar to the three mentioned above, are always a fascinating venue in order to see how unique and contrasting designers thoughts and styles are. Unfortunately, I have yet to find the time to design for any of these mentioned exhibits; however, I plan to set some time aside soon from my 9-5 and extracurricular activities in order to participate in an exhibit that speaks to me.

Conformists vs Nonconformists

As graphic designers I feel that we have a responsibility to not only communicate to our appropriate audiences, but to also create visually captivating aesthetics that improve our environment. There will always be styles and trends in the design industry; however, the challenge in our careers is to not conform to the craze, but instead interpret our clients’ needs in a timeless and beautiful fashion. So many designers make the mistake of getting caught up in the current trends for no relevant or conceptual reason. One of the most noticeable examples today is the logo design for the 2012 London Olympic Games. While current teenage fashion is reminiscent of the 80′s bold graphics and flashy colors and patterns, this is a noticeable style that will rapidly become outdated (once again). The logo, with it’s bright colors and choppy, geometric numbers, seems completely irrelevant to the Olympic games, yet oddly brings me back to my youth.