25 Differences: Blueberries

The first time I did this assignment I used a carton of blueberries that proceeded to be eaten the following night. After learning that I actually needed those guys to create a composition, I bought another. Unfortunately, that poor carton was fated to grow moldy with neglect -- but in my defense, what kind of ethical supermarket sells berries that go bad in three days? Anyway. Here I am. Take three. Better late than never, eh?

Shape:
1. Spherical
vs.
2. Disc-shaped, flatter
3. Symmetry of form: "star" on top aligned with "bellybutton" on bottom
4. Round
vs.
5. Oblong

Size:
6. Disc-shaped berries tend to be larger, wider
vs.
7. Rounder berries tend to be smaller
8. Varying heights of raised edges of "star"
9. Size of "bellybutton" not always proportional to size of berry

Color:
10. Blue skins all over
vs.
11. Red skins on bottom surrounding "bellybutton" of the berry
12. Darker, saturated skin shades
vs.
13. Lighter, desaturated skin shades
14. Yellow stains when squished
vs.
15. Purple stains
16. Yellow flesh inside
vs.
17. Green flesh inside

Texture:
18. Wrinkles of the skin
vs.
19. Smoothness of the skin
20. Speckles in the skin
vs.
21. Uniformity of color and shade throughout single berry
22. Dents in the berry
23. Squishiness
vs.
24. Firmness
25. Juiciness when squished

t-shirt differences

1) comprised of different material
2) different sizes
3) one is more wrinkled than the others
4) one looks more used than the others
5) one stands out more (brighter)
6) some sleeves are rolled up
7) some are hung perfectly, some are not
8) some droop lower than others
9) one takes more space than the others
10) one looks like it belongs in another column of t-shirts
11) one looks better maintained than the others
12) one fits into a different category of styles
13) one sticks to the other t-shirts
14) one is corduroy
15) one overlaps 3 other shirts
16) one is trying to hide amidst the other shirts
17) one looks like it was never worn
18) one needs to be washed
19 ) one looks like the material is thinner
20) one looks warmer than the others

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.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

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!