Field-trip to the Getty

This past Saturday. my drawing 201 class went to the Getty Center to see the Rococo to Revolution: 18th-Century French Drawings from Los Angeles Collections exhibit, and I must say that it was absolutely amazing! A lot of the art work that was exhibited had a lot of expression in them, and also had an incredible amount of detail to them,too. There were a lot of figure drawings that were done in chalk and ink (which i unfortunately did not get to snap pictures of), but there were also quite a few pieces that had incorporated white gouache, like the second picture shown above, to create extremely white whites. I, for one, am a huge fan of 18th and 19th-century art, so this was a real treat for me. Unfortunately, this particular exhibit ended this weekend, so cannot necessarily tell anyone else to go see it, but I will say that the pictures do not do the pieces justice. They look pretty awesome in the pictures, but they were even more mind-blowing in person.

MOCA Exhibition

I couldn't find the Sagmeister exhibit, so I enjoyed the Urs Fischer one instead.
The Urs Fischer exhibit is on display from April 21st to August 19th. I found these three exhibits particularly interesting.

Bread House                          Portrait of a Single Raindrop

The Untitled piece with a house made of bread has the appearance of a cabin constructed of bread. The long baguette pieces act as structural timbers, while the sliced pieces look like the running bond of masonry bricks. Upon a closer look, the piece is actually constructed of wood and merely covered and filled with bread. I think the piece would have been much more interesting if it were solely constructed of bread, but there are probably structural limitations to how well stale bread can hold itself up.

The Portrait of a Single Raindrop is a huge 'hole in the wall.' I love how the negative piece is resting against the wall in the back, supporting the idea that 'nothing' is wasted. The rough cut of the wall really reveals the massing and draws attention to the structural light gauge steel.

The juxtaposition of these two pieces becomes an interesting way of drawing attention to the architectural structure of construction. The bread shows the concept of connections made by tectonic pieces, while the Portrait of a Single Raindrop becomes a cutaway expression with the lack of structure. 

 
Suspended Line of Fruit

This Untitled piece contains a line of fruit that is elegantly suspended only inches from the ground. Each of the six pieces of fruit hangs from a thin, clear string that is attached to the ceiling. Although the fruits are in sequential order by size, the grape at the end (or beginning) of the line is barely noticeable. As the fruits age and rot, it's clever how the fruits are suspended so that ants won't crawl on them; however, this is in a museum, so they probably make sure there are no insects to disrupt these art pieces.

An Inspiring Day: Shelf-Life and Huntington Library by Steffi Wong

Today I went on two field trips for two classes: One to Huntington Library for my Architect's Sketchbook class, and the other to Shelf-Life for my Design Fundamental class. Well, you can't really call Shelf-Life a field trip since it was located in school, but nonetheless, it was a departure from my regular location on a Saturday afternoon. So much artistic activity in one day naturally led to some growth and revelations on my part.

In the morning I took off for Huntington Library to meet with my architecture teacher and fellow students, and as I was waiting I took a look around the Entrance Hall and saw some of Colleen Toland's amazing jewelry. I was stupid enough NOT to take any photos, but the pieces were absolutely exquisite! Colleen specializes in creating floral jewelry, and there was this one particular pink and green floral necklace that especially charmed me. Unfortunately, she was still setting up and not open to selling stuff yet when I was there, and I left Huntington Library still deeply yearning for some of her jewelry, but thinking back now I don't think I could've afforded any of it anyways. I looked up prices online and yikes, they run from anywhere between $150-$200! But you could definitely see why it was worth so much from the materials used to the craftsmanship and design of the pieces.

Moving on, we went to sketch the Chinese Garden at the Huntington Library. Usually during this class I'm very cautious because we need to draw in the basics of perspective lines and stuff, but today I decided to just use pens instead of starting with a pencil, and we were in an environment apart from school, and with more natural scenery and open space. I think it was these factors, along with a talk with my teacher the other day about developing personal style and not being so cautious, which allowed me to let loose and draw freely. Ironically enough, with a pencil, when I am "allowed" to make mistakes, I am so cautious and go so slowly I end up hampering my progress, but with a pen, when I am "not allowed" to make mistakes, I became almost absolutely reckless and out of control. But the result was great and a great start to allowing my personal style shine through. I also think it would not have been possible had I not trained myself in the basics and fundamentals of perspective sketching either, and I must continue solidifying this aspect to make my drawings even stronger. The teacher was very pleased with it, and he even showed it to visitors that were passing by! Naturally, all the compliments made me very happy and gave me a nice confidence boost, and I look forward to finishing the sketch, drawing more and seeing how I can apply what I've learned to design as well.

After lunch, I went ahead to Shelf-Life at Roski. By the time I arrived it was already 4PM and unfortunately I had missed all the panels, but it was still great to look around and see what all the artists were up to. There was an interesting silk-screening demo going on in Watt Hall Entrance place, but what interested me the most was in the Harris Courtyard. There were a surprising amount of students displaying stuff there, and I talked to a couple of them. There were students from CalArts and Art Center majoring in graphic design, painting, photography, etc., and it was interesting hearing about their experiences. I've heard a lot about the animation and character design programs at CalArts and commercial and entertainment art at Art Center, but it was great to be exposed to the lesser known side of these two schools as well. I ended up buying a book from Sarah Heysel, one of the CalArts students because I really liked the stuff in that book!

Another notable booth I went to was Tom Neely's, where he was selling a bunch of comic books made by himself and his friends. Being an aspiring comic book author/artist myself, this table was very interesting to me and I spent a long time looking through almost every single comic book. It was great seeing the stylistic and sequential differences, and what I found especially interesting was the high quality of the paper and the paper covers as well. But being from small-press/self-published works, this makes sense. I ended up buying Tom Neely's book of comic strip poems because I found the concept very interesting. He basically created comic strips based on several lines of self-written poems, which came in the form of dialogue, narratives, etc. I found some of his illustrations particularly beautiful, and I love how some of his panels were just an entire illustration divided in four as well.

Today was a great day, and in the end I think it was a great lesson on personal style. I was informed of my own and my process in learning to get mine out in the morning, and in the afternoon I explored other artists' and designers' personal styles.

The Sky (Getty Exhibit)

I am always amazed on how the sky can make me feel so little, how it constantly changes, and can shift the ambience of a day. There's an exhibit at the Getty Center focusing on the sky from July 26 to December4.

Although this is a photography exhibit, I think we can learn a thing or two about composition through these photos. The sky is such a large expanse of space and we can see how the photographers compose their shots to create mood and illuminate the beauty of the sky.

California Design Biennial @ PMCA

The California Design Biennial is held every year to showcase artists in product design, transportation design, architecture, graphic design, and fashion. Each of these artists has found a new and innovative way of expressing their ideas under an overarching theme of Sustainability bringing together our attention on Action/Reaction.

Rose Apodoca who was one of the 5 curators and also a local professional, explained that each of the artist formulated their projects as a new way of handling the problems we are facing today. And going throughout the museum it was easy to see that the majority of these designs were meant to form a response to the ecological problem that our world is facing today but more than just the going green sense. It was the problem our country but more specifically our people as an American society of are facing today.

Under fashion design Kai Suwannagate who's women's wear was among the most elegant I consider to have ever seen and yet they were handcrated in North Hollywood out of recycled wood, leathers, and local-materials. Rose Apodaca's purse fashion was meant to instill quality over quantity of her set of clutches handmade in Italy from feathers and gold rings which were set up in the showcase to resemble a bird flying from a cage. The oddest design in the I saw as Michel Berendi's First Earth Battalion. He normally makes menswear but in the show he had women's wear which i find difficult even to explain as it is made of leather, fur, a helmet, stalactite heals, and a lot of hair.

Under transportation design my favorite was the Model S designed by Tesla. Another was the Virgin Galactic Space Shuttle which currently takes passengers to the edge of our atmosphere to view the stars. But the design in the show was of a model space ship they will use to take passengers into space.

In architecture the Charlie Sava Swimming Pool stuck to the theme most specifically in my opinion because of its use of concrete and its positioning in a park.

My favorite piece in the show was a music video done by OK GO and created by OK Go and Syyn Labs it was called This Too Shall Pass. They used an intricate set up which I can only describe as a path of destruction of a trail of art. Another piece in the back exhibit that I thought was awesome because I had just based one of my designs on his work was done by Gajin Fujita though I have no idea how it tied to the exhibit as a whole I thought the exhibit was amazing and made me realize how wasteful our society is and what we should be doing to overcome the mess we've put ourself in among our consumer culture.

The PMCA

The Pasadena Museum of California Art was an enlightening experience. I have never been to a museum as contemporary as this one, and it sure brought me up to speed with the contemporary art world. The theme of the Museum's Biennial was sustainability. I found the theme quite relevant to our present world, due to climate change, renewable energy, and global warming (amongst other issues) being important concerns of our times. By far I thought that the designs which dealt with transportation embraced the theme the best. Most of us use some form of transportation everyday, and it tends to be expensive and/or rather industrial. The designs for transportation were sleek, innovative, and best of all, took account for the transportation's environmental impact. I found the purses made of beetles and/or feathers to be the least compelling. I though that in comparison to transportation and other designs, that they were the least useful and wouldn't appeal or effect on a grand scale that efficient technologies would.

BLT TOUR

BLT TOUR

I toured the BLT design studio this afternoon with AIGA, and I'd have to say it was an INCREDIBLE experience. I really didn't know how the design industry worked on a behind-the-scenes basis until I saw their studios. We got to tour the facilities and see how all the different aspects of marketing and poster production- photography, design, illustrators, etc.- are all housed in the same building. Although they still keep a few traditional illustrators employed, I was really surprised at how digital the whole process is. I was inspired by the level of dedication and love that the designers have for their industry and their work- it takes so many sketches and paintings before a finished product can ever be decided on. I'm not including any photos or detailed descriptions, because the BLT studio allowed us to see a lot of confidential procedures and information behind the scenes, but I will definitely say that it was an eye-opening and inspiring experience. In fact, for my Drawing homework this weekend I'm thinking about making movie posters for some of my favorite classic films.

The Star Trek poster at the top was designed by BLT for the recent JJ Abrams film- it was my favorite poster I saw during the tour. So elegant.

Action/Reaction: The 2010 Design Biennial

The Pasadena Museum of California Art recently hosted the 2010 California Design Biennial, titled "Action/Reaction." The exhibition attempted to display "how California's established and emerging designers are responding to and finding inspiration in today's economic, political, and environmental challenges and uncertainties." The objects curated into the exhibition focused on themes such as environmental sustainability, consumerism, and urbanization. The featured artists were chosen for their work's ability to "challenge the notion that design is just aesthetics by showing it as a vital cultural force that shapes and responds to our changing world."




The overarching theme of the exhibition was broad enough to encompass a number of smaller subjects. For example, the work of Tanya Aguiniga responds to the modern feeling of isolation. The modern person finds him/herself struggling to accept globalization while at the same time maintaining a sense of individuality. Aguiniga reacts against this sense of loneliness and lostness, claiming that her woven rope necklaces speaks to the "interconnectedness of societies, the beauty in struggle and the celebration of culture."



Michel Berandi's First Earth Battalion (2009) struck me as one of the most extreme representations of the exhibition's theme. His sculpture takes the form of a women clad in a black leather jacket and heels constructed of antelope horns while a shock of hair resembling "a compressed billow of smoke" erupts from the back of the biker helmet. His vision is brooding, characterized by a "darkly romantic aesthetic colored by an apocalyptic reaction to modern life." Though many of the designs featured in the biennial displayed bright colors and hopeful themes, Berandi's work sat at the head of the opposite end of the spectrum. He represented a more pessimistic view of the future, where people must turn inward to protect themselves, rather than opening out to embrace tomorrow.




I found Raven Kauffman's work the most interesting of the exhibition. Her designs were, first and foremost, aesthetically beautiful (and also gloriously curated -- the suspended objects projected eerie, gorgeous organic patterns upon the wall that added an additional dimension to the display), which I have always considered the primary purpose of both art and design. But not only that, but her work was conceptually fascinating as well as functional. She designs purses and handbags in the image of objects in nature. Each of her accessories are painstakingly intricate and one of a kind. Her work challenges the conformity of modern materialism, responding with consumer goods that are unique instead of mass-produced, crafted by hand rather than machine.

Meanwhile, I found the work of Koi Suwanngate to be the least compelling. Her fashion designs, while constructed of recycled materials, struck me as very conventional. Floral influences, feminine ruffles, traditional silhouettes -- classically beautiful motifs, but also very common tricks. Perhaps this aesthetic is her intent. While fashion pretends to move forward, it often falls back upon tradition for tried and true molds of success. Nevertheless, I did not see her work as particularly innovative, merely pretty.




As a whole, I found the exhibition to be fascinating. It encouraged me to consider Design in ways I tend to neglect. I habitually think of "design" in terms of graphics, ad campaigns, and other such obviously aesthetic objects. I forget to also consider the beauty in functionality. Product design is as vital a branch of Design as a flashy iPod commercial. "Action/Reaction" reminded me that the best designers are those that adapt their work to remain beautiful and useful in an ever-changing world.

PMCA filed trip

PMCA exhibit:

The theme of this Fall art exhibit at the PMCA was sustainability in design.
I found many creations very appealing esthetically and functionally. I was very impressed by the Toyota Prius initiative. Not only we can lower green gas emitions in our outdoors, we can also contribute in making it a prettier place to look at, especially on city freeways.
The second thing that attracted my attention was the Icon A5 aircraft. With the capability to be flown out of ground, grass, water, it represents a possible future option for human commute.

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Other designs geared towards outdoor activities were on display such as the Inflatable Kayak which allows for easy handling and storage in small transportation vehicles, and offers the same
advantages of traditional kayaks.

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I also found the AR Bicycle really cool. With its scientifically studied aerodynamics and carbon fiber make, it is an example of modern technology and how it used to optimize human athletics and physical activities.

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And finally the wing house, a house that was completed using real jet wings to serve as a roof. A prime example of how recycling can work in new environment and architecture in particular. While it is an attractive idea, it in fact quite costly to achieve such a result, as was experienced by the owner if the house during the building stage. Transportation cost for the jet wings and the logistics of keeping the wings intact, were particularly challenging especially considering the rural location of the house.

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Design Biennial

(Images are coming... having trouble uploading. I'll edit the post once I figgur' it out.)

The theme of the Design Biennial was Action/Reaction caused by the problems facing society today. Each piece of art was a response to how our world is quickly developing and changing, centered mainly on the need for more eco/green products friendly to our Earth and the environment it creates. Although the works fell into widely different "categories" of art (graphic design, fashion design, transportation design, etc.), the main theme was to take what we have in society today and develop a safer, more sustainable version for the future. This theme is extremely relevant because of the problems we face and solutions we seek in the world today. Listening to the news or looking at the newest ad campaigns for environmental/social/political problems has become more common throughout the past ten years, reaching the peak of its popularity now more than ever.

The theme was clearly expressed through many of the objects on display. The idea of "eco-friendly" was very obvious throughout the exhibit, as well as the process of recycling, reusing, and rethinking. One object that caught my eye was the Tom's Shoe cloth doormat/pot-holders. I'm not sure if it was the use of a brand name or the fact it was on the floor, but it caught my eye because of the way the designer took one familiar, already socially beneficial object and turned it into two more things, both of which were environmentally beneficial.

The idea that captured the theme most clearly, for me, was the Toyota Prius landscape ads. Aside from taking the idea of going green quite literally, the piece effectively communicated its purpose through the materials and the design. It assessed a current issue (the excessive use of fuels, a cars impact on the environment) and communicated the way of rethinking the idea in general as well as the idea of how to advertise it.

I found the majority of the fashion design pieces the most interesting, probably because I used to work in a fashion boutique. Although, I did really find the way of designing and using natural materials to create unique pieces of jewelry very intriguing. Looking at how carefully crafted the pieces were, I couldn't help but realize how much more I would appreciate accessories if they weren't mass-produced like many are today. I find that my eyes are constantly drawn to favor something different and foreign than something familiar and popular.

The piece that I found the least compelling, although beautiful, was the cut paper decoration hanging from the corner. I was very intrigued by how large and carefully constructed the layers were, but I didn't get the point of what it had to do with the theme of Action and Reaction. It was a captivating piece, but almost seemed of a waste of paper thinking about the green aspect to the exhibit.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the exhibition for many reasons. I never had much time before I came to college to seek out exhibitions and museums like these, so getting the chance to finally see artwork in Los Angeles was a nice break from campus life. Also, I'm very interested in the Green Movement, so I appreciated seeing how many different ideas centered around Earth's environmental crisis. The artists could have reacted to many different things, but the focus on Earth was encouraging.

b i e n n i a l : a c t i o n / r e a c t i o n

the biennial theme confused me at first... i understood the concept of action - reaction, but for some reason didn't put that into context with sustainability and green design. this was a pleasant surprise for me. i was really inspired by the simplicity and clean lines of all the designs. when put in context of products, architecture, clothing, etc... it really reads well, and shows how we can still make beautiful (if not more beautiful) designs using sustainable materials.

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i loved the combination of shapes in the following design. there's a really nice balance of randomness and consistency, and the color combination works really well.


juliette bellocq's "celebration" designs were really amazing. they evoked so much joy and happiness, and the fact that she combined inspirational phrases with such ecstatic designs was very effective.


tanya aguiniga's designs were breathtaking. i loved the felt chairs that she did, but I was most inspired by the images of the fabric. there's such texture and movement to them - it's as if they're 3-dimensional.


i also really liked the concept of redesigning signs in la. it's not that the current signs aren't successful in communicating what they need to, but there's no creativity, design, or even thought to them. by redesigning street signs in los angeles, it will not only make our city more visually appealing, but it will also modernize it greatly.


overall, the museum was very inspiring. i saw that simplicity is key, and less is more.

PCMA 2010.10.16

1. The theme of the biennial was consciousness of the world's fast-approaching limits and a call to designers to creatively address the issue. It's relevant because it's no longer about what's Green and what isn't. It's about what the philosophy of the designer is, and what pushes our understanding of their topic into society's mainstream.

2. Even if most all of the objects were design first, philosophy next, the theme of the collection ran strongly, even through the clever OKGO music video.

3. If we're talking not just environmental consciousness but Global Consciousness, I would have to credit Willem Henri Lucas, with his books and poster project "The Culture and Globalization Series 1". It was a well of information filtered and designed for easy translation. I saw it as a guide to interpreting the world facts we never see. Fascinating and necessary and enlightening.

4. It is not a coincidence that the most interesting thing I found was the design piece mentioned above. It was arresting. I literally started to walk away from the posters, thinking I had read them all, when a new angle in it popped out and I had to get a closer look. (This happened, really, like 3 times)

5. I found them hilarious and wonderful, but I don't think the designs of the Pirate and Victorian-Age problem solvers by Dave Eggers' group did the best job fitting the theme. Were they well designed? OhMyGoshYes. I loved them and wanted to steal each and every one. But I felt that they were a little out of place when the philosophy's communication came through.

6. The field trip was enlightening and impactful, especially because there was something for every young designer there to attach to. They did a fine job of covering all of the bases with design carefully considered enough to display. Also, the poster design for the exhibit was amazing.

Field Trip

The exhibition at the PMCA was very eye-opening and perfectly themed around problems we are facing on a daily basis, such as environmental sustainability. The art gave examples of things that were “action/reaction”. Nothing portrayed the theme better than the music video where they set up a huge domino effect; everything preceding the action that was taken (whether it was a ball, a domino, a switch, or water) affected the following action. It was the most literal way to define the theme, in addition to it being environmentally friendly as well, since mostly all the appliances they used in the music video were recycled trash.

What least fit the theme, in my opinion, were the fashion artworks. I did not understand, metaphorically how it fell under the “action/reaction” category. I thought it could be an emphasis on women’s stance in society, since one of the figures was a woman with a motorcyclist’s helmet on, showing a more masculine and dark side of the slim woman.

Architecture really captures my eye wherever I go, so the models in the exhibition were very intriguing. I really appreciate architecture that revolves around and coexists (not affecting) with the environment. All of the models looked beautiful, complex, and environmentally friendly. The action is taking the initiative and creating a building that contains less unnatural resources inside of it to save energy and keep the environment around it cleaner, and plant resources in the building that are natural. In addition, the buildings are filled full with plants and sunlight, to give it a more natural appearance. The reaction of this amazing action is beneficial to the people, the environment, and ultimately the decision of other architects to follow the same mentality when creating a building.

Since environmental studies is my minor in college, overall a lot of the art gave me hope and determination, knowing that even artists are fighting through an era where hope for our world is becoming slim to none. This exhibition made me realize that art is one of the most powerful means of, indeed finding an influential reaction from an even more influential action.

Field trip

Initially, I had a difficult time understanding the exhibit's theme of "action/reaction." It seemed far too vague and vast of an idea to be a theme, as every action we as humans do is a reaction to something, and art especially is more or less defined as a reaction to an idea, emotion, or happening. But even though the theme was so nebulous, it was very interesting to see a secondary theme surface, a cohesive thread of sustainability through many of the works. Sustainability is incredibly relevant and can be considered a theme of humanity right now, something to which the entire world is being affected and reacting.

It's hard to say who captured the theme most clearly because all of the objects on display expressed action/reaction in some way, and often two given responses were of two entirely different species. To compare them would be like comparing apples to oranges.

For example, as explained by our docent, the way in which architects respond to action is a world apart from how the graphic designers respond. Francis Anderton responded to the daily struggle of the gallery architect: How do you bring architecture to life for your gallery viewers?

This task is just as relevant as The Social Awareness Project's mission of promoting literacy for elementary schools, and both artists expressed action/reaction.

As far as clarity, I thought the Toyota Prius campaign captured their theme of sustainability most clearly by making their ads (the Harmony Floralscapes) out of plants. It was very effective to compose their ads out of the idea they were trying to advertise. Very different from the "do as I say but not as I do" mentality of many other sustainability ads that create a contradictory amount of non-biodegradable waste in the process of expressing their campaign idea.

For me, the most compelling objects on display were pieces that I could actually incorporate into my everyday life. In my opinion, it's all very well to build houses that are constructed out of old airplanes, but that isn't exactly attainable by the general public; there's no intimacy in an idea like that, no real world application.

The two pieces I really appreciated and will hopefully get to use one day were the Home Garden Registrar and The Better Bikeways Project.

The Home Garden Registrar, featuring Victory Garden Registry & Victory Seed Envelopes, is a project that promotes sustainability by creating an exchange network. If you grow tomatoes at home but always have way to many every year and not nearly enough carrots, you can find a local gardener in the registrar that has carrots to spare and one that needs some tomatoes, and exchange seeds. I will totally use this one day!

Also, I absolutely loved Joseph Prichard's Better Bikeways Project, which is so simple and yet can have such an impact on the community and the world if it picks up. As defined by the project, Better Bikeways "aims to provide more useful navigational information for cyclists," but the sustainability idea is much more encompassing than that. Approaching transportation not from the angle of automobile efficiency, but rather biking as a reasonable and more accessible form of everyday transit is a step in the right direction for global sustainability. (The signage also has a lovely element of graphic design, which is important in getting people to look at and use the signs).

I will also use this one day.

The least compelling ideas, in my opinion, were the fashion-oriented pieces. In particular, the costume design collection by Michael Schmidt on the far back wall. Although the artists of the exhibit were in no way obligated to incorporate sustainability in their works, I didn't even see how his expensive, flashy costumes fit in with the action/reaction theme. Many of the other fashion artists reacted to the problem of decreased quality and individuality of industrial design by hand-making unique items out of recycled fabric or other atypical materials that were still attainable for the general public. These costume pieces, however, cost a fortune and were of use to one performer for one tour. So, not only did I fail to see their relevance to the exhibit, I also didn't sense a global purpose for the designer's work except as transitory eye candy.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit. Being a die-hard environmentalist myself, I'm thrilled to see how artists are reacting and taking action to the sustainability issue at hand, and I can't wait to see the pieces in the exhibit take to the real world. I took note of a few of the projects on display and will be incorporating them into my everyday life; the field trip was definitely a positive experience!

Fieldtrip at PMCA

The theme of the biennial was Action/Reaction. This deals with problems in the world and how each designer/artist reacts to these range of topics. I feel that the theme very relevant as I walked by and examined the art pieces up close. At first, I thought when does fashion, furniture, consumer products/transportation, and architecture get grouped together. Then, I realized in each field, there can be specific problems that can be solved through sustainable ways. The overarching motif seemed to be "being green."
The theme was expressed through the objects displayed. I really liked Coffman's purses and her concept was inspired from the Forever 21's quantity/cheap over quality aspect. Her purses were made out of beetle wings and feathers. Each handbag was made in a unique way. Her message was reacting to the problem overproduced, trendy fashions that now dominates the fashion world. It was subtle but very related.
I feel that the felt chairs fit with the theme most closely and I liked the idea the most. What do you do with uncomfortable cold chairs? You put felt on them to make them feel nicer to the touch. This is a unique product design. It's a simple idea but also a very effective one.

 

I thought that the Method laundry detergent design by Alyssa Walker was maybe too simple of a reaction to more "green" products. 

I had a great experience at the exhibit learning what kind of thought the artist/designer put into their artwork and it not only comes from pure creativity. It had a wide range of topics for each person to relate with.

Field Trip

1. The theme of the Biennial was Action/Reaction, which translated into simple terms, means how artists react to current events (sociopolitical, economic). The show was divided into four categories: fashion, transportation, graphic design, consumer products and architecture. I found the theme extremely relevant out of sheer timeliness. Artists drew inspiration from world around us based on what is happening now. Despite such broad topics, an underlying theme was the environment and eco-friendly design.

2. Every object in the show seemed to fit the theme rather well. An emphasis in sustainability was definitely evident throughout. One example in particular that exemplified the theme was the Prius roadside "living billboards" that used flowers and plants to create an image. I thought it gave a new meaning to the old saying, "stop and smell the roses."

1. 4. For me, the object that matched the theme most closely was designer Raven Kauffman's detailed and ornate response to the rise of trendy, cheap clothing, embodied by companies such as Forever 21. The action was the fashion waste associated with high volume sales of cheap clothing. The reaction was a throwback to the days when everything was handcrafted and made with attention.

5. I thought the most interesting piece were the Method detergent bottles. I really appreciated the thought that went behind being eco-friendly. It was a good balance between functionality and artistic design. Not only was the bottle made to use less plastic, but the overall feel of the packaging communicated a modern, sleek brand identity. Method took the popularity of eco-friendly packaging and made it cool to look at and use.6.I thought the least interesting piece was made by designer Michel Berandi. Although the design was interesting to look at, it was not aesthetically pleasing. Maybe his fashion just wasn't within my stylistic sensibility, but I was not impressed. His designs on the wall did not seem like they could be brought to life in physical form, which I believe is a key quality to good fashion. Otherwise, it's not fashion, it's more fine art.

7.I was impressed by the overall concept and execution of the exhibit. Although many artists were reacting to similar issues (i.e.: sustainability), they all did so in very different ways. Through the various categories, I understood that sustainability is a zeitgeist of our time. It was nice to be able to see such a diverse collection committed to this common theme.

Fieldtrip

1. The theme of the Biennial is Action/Reaction, which depicts "the influences of our changing world"; the art reflects designs responding to current events and issues we are facing while each work also includes ideas based on sustainability. I do find this theme to be relevant because the designs relate to current sociopolitical, environmental, and economic events and conflicts we face daily.

2. Each object does express the theme in some way, especially the innovative architectural designs. Urban Planner James Rojas developed a colorful map from found objects in his "Messy and Vital" project, rather than creating city models out of plastic or environmentally unfriendly materials. He displays the key changes or landmarks through the state of California. Another architectural example that portrays the theme of action/reaction and sustainability is the "747 Wing House" by David Hertz, which clearly combines novel designs and recycling. His creation uses parts of a Boeing 747, which he bought to reuse for the client's ideal image of beauty and the house's stability, instead of letting the old plane go to waste. Recycling to create a healthier environment and creating innovative designs based around that recycling concept illustrates the theme very well.

3. The designer that seemed to capture the theme most closely was probably the Toyota Prius Harmony Florelscapes designed by Chris Reel, Ryan Jacobs, Mike McKay, and many others. The Florelscapes benefit the environment while simultaneously remaining aesthetically pleasing. The murals made out of plants and flowers advertise the Toyota Prius by beautifying the freeways and promoting the eco-friendly product.

4. The design I found most interesting was the "Field of Thoughts" activity designed by Amy Franceschini, Michael Swaine, and Corinne Matesich. The custom made game is a version of bingo that combines culture, interaction, and education. By inviting people to bring potluck items from the world's 75 lowest GNP countries, this game creates an interesting method of becoming informed about current global issues and cultures around the world.

5. If I had to pick the least compelling design, I would have to say I was not captivated by the "Bedsider," created by Peter Antonelli and his associates. This was supposed to be a comical film that reinforces people to use birth control. Unfortunately, when touring the exhibit, I initially passed by the video without even noticing it. The display did not evoke the theme in an exciting manner, though it is supposed to serve as a birth control reminder, which is important in today's society. It has the potential to exhibit the action/reaction theme based on its idea, but it lacks the interesting display to grab the viewer's attention.

6. Overall I was extremely impressed by the innovative designs created to educate and inform people about sustainability and current events, while managing to reach a wide audience with interesting artistic set-ups.

Action/Reaction: 2010 California Design Biennial

After visiting the Pasadena Museum of California Art's 2010 California Design Biennial, I think it's clear that the chosen theme of "Action/Reaction" is very relevant to art and our culture, due to the prevalence of artists' collective push towards sustainability.

Works that focus on such topics such as solar power,recycling and carbon footprints, showcase many of the significant social issues in California, therefore allowing the theme to successful correlate to present-day California. The inflatable kayak(below), by Advanced Elements is the perfect example of sustainability, as its ease of use and the green nature of the product defines life of a Californian: one that is fast paced, on the go, conscious of our surroundings, and full of adventure.

Designers Indhira Rojas and Ellen Keith of the California College of Art grasped the theme of "Action/Reaction" the most precisely in their installation, "Where Does it Go?" The piece(top), which plays out like an interactive game for the spectator, uses art to encourage the recycling of the objects that we encounter in our daily lives. The strong illusion to the literal interpretation of the theme, where playing the game is the action that causes the reaction of production of recycled products, cements the biennial's focus and explains its placement as the center piece of the exhibit.

After examining the exhibit closely, itwas clear to me that the Metro Neighborhood Posters(above) were the most interesting, because of their relevance to many of the cultures that Los Angeles has. Not only do the pieces showcase the power of knowledge for Exposition Park and USC, but they illustrate the diverse neighborhoods of Los Angeles such as Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Koreatown, and East LA. While these posters show the differences in culture that are prevalent in pockets of our city, I find it importantthat its underlying motive is a push towards the use of public transit is a tie to sustainability. Another piece, a screenshot of Google maps seen below, furthers the Metro poster as it shows how using public transportation is being integrated into the mainstream, with directions on Google Maps.

For me, the least compelling piece in the Biennial was the bottle designs by Method. While their designs are conscious of our environment, I did not think that the aesthetic design was as original as other designs on display.

As a whole, the exhibition successfully illustrated its theme, and was curated very well. I found it interesting at just how many forms design can take. Products like iPads and inflatable kayaks are just as dependent design as illustrative posters, and that idea is something that I will hold onto, throughout my dabbling with design as a whole.