Tuesday 29 September 2015

Congratulations to Briege Letham


Visual Communication graduate Briege Letham has just started her first job as s a Graphic Designer at Coventry Sports Foundation (Xcel Leisure Centre)

"I’m obviously over the moon about this as it’s my first job. I’m also lucky that it’s local and honestly very grateful they have taken me on." said Briege

Monday 21 September 2015

Graduation 21 September 2015

The Grand Theatre provided a welcoming location for over 200 School of Art graduates and their friends and family at the September 2015 graduation ceremony. Presentations were made by Professor Geoff Layer, University Vice Chancellor.

At this year's ceremony an Honorary Fellowship was awarded to Paul Birch in recognition of his  services to Music and Revolver Fair Trade Coffee.

Congratulations to all 2015 graduates.











Lucy Williams, winner of The Sheaffer Prize for Use of Language in Graphic Projects with Dr Louise Fenton
 

Wednesday 9 September 2015

Type Talks - 2015/16


The Typographic Hub part of the 
Centre for Printing History & Culture
is pleased to announce the 2015/16 series of free

22 October 2015
James Langdon: In conversation with the Ikon Gallery
Simon Taylor and James Langdon discuss Fiona Banner’s use of type and the origins of ‘Font’, used for her current exhibition at IKON Scroll Down and Keep Scrollling.
More information here.

12 November 2015
Yves Peters: Trajan in movie posters
Soon after its appearance on the font market more than twenty years ago, the Adobe Original Trajan was embraced by Hollywood. Now it seems to grace more movie posters than any other typeface. Its stately and classic character shapes made it the go-to choice for Oscar material. Yet in recent years the popular font has apparently fallen from grace, and a pretender to the throne is vying to take its place.
More information here.

26 November 2015
Stacey Barnfield: Local heroes: the creative minds that helped shape Birmingham
From Joseph Chamberlain to John Feeney and from John Baskerville to George Cadbury Birmingham built a manufacturing prowess thanks in no small part to creative thinkers and generous leaders. Arising from his passion for the city’s conservation, heritage and aesthetic legacy during times of constant change and regeneration Stacey Barnfield looks at some of the key players in the city's industrial, design and creative legacy.
More information here.

10 December 2015
Morag Myerscough: Title to be confirmed
Morag Myerscough is one of the UK’s most prolific designers.Her work is characterized by an engaging boldness, creating specific, local responses to each distinct audience that will see and experience the design, using it to create community and build identity.
More information here.

14 January 2016
John Neilson: Words in stone
People have carved stone inscriptions since the invention of written language. Britain has had one of the richest lettercarving traditions in the western world, flourishing in the eighteenth century and then again in the twentieth in the wake of the pioneer Eric Gill. John Neilson will outline some of this historical context in the UK and continental Europe, and then illustrate what a present-day lettercarver gets up to with examples from his own work.
More information here.

11 February 2016
Sebastian Lester: Peace, hellfire and outer space
Seb Lester charts his life in letters from student days to working for some of the biggest companies in the world to current art and design projects. The presentation includes a section on designing a logo for a NASA space mission. Seb will also be speaking about how he ended up with over a million followers on social media.
More information here.

10 March 2016
Robert Green: Salvaging the Doves Press type
The Doves typeface was used to print some of the most famous books of its day and became hugely valuable … Then the man who created it hurled it into the Thames. This is the story of how Robert Green and a team of divers from the Port of London Authority managed to recover 151 piece of type.
More information here.

14 April 2016
Jean Francois Porchez: Adding value to the invisibility of typefaces
In the beginning was the word. Then came the writing, an almost universal way to convey a message in a sustainable way, a thought, an emotion. For most readers, typefaces are neither understood nor effectively analyzed but only interpreted (often instinctively) as a tool that supports reading. Despite their omnipresence and constantly reuse type and typography remains transparent to the public. So how does one develop something that is invisible?
More information here.

Tuesday 8 September 2015

2015 NUS National Student Survey Promotional Competition

I am writing to let you know about the 2015 NUS National Student Survey Promotional Competition. This competition represents an outstanding opportunity for portfolio and personal development.

Each year, NUS gives students the opportunity to showcase their design skills to a national audience and create the poster which forms the basis of the National Student Survey promotional campaign for the following year. The contest is open until 5 October 2015 and represents a fantastic opportunity to gain experience in the design industry.

It also represents a great opportunity for recognition for your institution, as the winner’s institution will be featured on the promotional posters which are displayed in every university in the country and are targeted at the over 300,000 students eligible to participate in the survey.

The winning student will receive:
  1. Portfolio-building national recognition as the winning poster will be displayed in every university in the country and will be seen by millions.
  2. A day working with the firm responsible for running the NSS, to develop and adapt the poster, getting it ready for use in the promotional campaign.

Follow this link for more information and a copy of the design brief: http://www.nus.org.uk/nssposter.


Kind Regards
Kate Little
Senior Project Officer (NSS)
National Union of Students


Thursday 3 September 2015

Ann-Katrin Katsis - MA Show



"Our planet is our home, our only home. Where should we go, if we destroy it" (Dalai Lama, 2004)

My project is about creating an illustrated book. I have produced clear, thought-provoking and colourful Illustrations, which reflect what we do in our environment and how we need to look after the planet and think about the impact we are having in order to make a difference in the future" said Ann-Katrin.

My basic sources are the environment, art that uses rubbish, and illustration. By following the example of the artists who use rubbish in their work, I gathered bits and pieces that littered the streets. My main objective was to transform the old into the new, the useless into the useful. I want to include the rubbish directly into my work because it enlivens the idea as well as the form, rendering it more tangible and authentic.

Steven Hobbis - MA Show


"Throughout my Masters study, I have explored the ethical, diplomatic and political power Internet communities have and the way they choose to use this power. In my research one name kept cropping up: Julian Assange, who gained notoriety in the 1990s in his involvement with the ‘Cypherpunk’ movement." said Steven

"My project concentrates on the international controversy Wikileaks has caused, as well as looking into the man behind the organisation. Advocates of Assange praise the organisation for its attitude towards political transparency, information ethics and historical recording. Assange believes a civilisation is able to advance through an intellectual record, chronicling a nation’s development and uses this to legitimate his activities. Through publishing these highly sensitive documents, Assange has become one of the most controversial figures in the world and I explore the significance and complexities of the Wikileaks case as well as tracing the rise and fall of Assange."

Nadja Brunk - MA Show



The theme of Nadja's MA project is Travelling  she describes this as 
"a journey which takes you to strange places you have never been before, enables you to explore foreign cultures and experience moments away from daily life. With my project I want to motivate people from different backgrounds to get out of their comfort zone and try independent travel, away from all-inclusive holidays. 

In doing so I am creating a brand, which is represented through its website, where the user can chose their destination and their way of travelling. In the next step the user gets send an individualized box with useful supplies (postcards, travel diary, tips, selection of typical sweets, recipes), which encourages, motivates and inspires the user to try a new way of travelling even it seems scary at first. It is unlike typical travel guides. It confronts the user with questions and reflections, engages cultural interaction and gives the impetus for unique experiences and experiments."

Ramona Bietenbeck - MA Show




Ramona describes her project and show as containing contains two components, both of which are about representations of Japanese culture. 
"The first part is a film, which illustrates excerpts and impressions of the Japanese community in my hometown, Düsseldorf. The Japanese community comprises a smaller community within the German urban environment and influences our understanding of cosmopolitanism and global exchange.

The second part is an adaption of a Japanese woodcut of the Edo period that has been updated for the contemporary in the modern city of Düsseldorf. My interest in the art of the Edo period, as inspired by the artist Hokusai, inspired me to do a study of soft cuts and digital imitated cuts, which show a series of different views of the Rhine Tower of Düsseldorf. The pictures being created are modern interpretations of the art of the Edo period and the different art styles of that time."

Laxmi Bhatti - MA Show





"My project focuses on the interaction of the use of digital technology in Hinduism, which is about maintaining the authentic and traditional aspects of the religion, whilst also recognising the importance of integrating religion and technology." says Laxmi

The Dharma Project is a Hindu Foundation that aspires to participate in various awareness- raising campaigns to effectively create a positive link between Hinduism, technology and globalisation. The campaigns strive for a betterment of human life and mankind in order to reach the main objective of bringing together global communities in order to collect funds to support worldwide charities.

Current projects include, the launch of branded t-shirts introducing the existence of the foundation. The android application, which is another project provides a fun platform for educating Hinduism. The app portrays the symbolism of Hindu Deities and teaches true meanings and how these can be incorporated in the modern Hindu lifestyle.

Wednesday 2 September 2015

Andrew Edwards - MA Show




Andrew has been keen to explore character development and animation in his MA project. 
"I decided early on to create one central character to base my project around, and the character featured in my project went through many changes during the project until I felt he was both engaging and relatable. The relationship between fantasy and reality has always been an interesting topic for me, so I was keen to take this opportunity to incorporate these themes into my film. My project is a short film animated in a 2D traditional style, using TV Paint. It centres on a boy named Craig who spends his time drawing and painting in his bedroom. Craig covers every inch of the room in drawings of dragons, knights, aliens, monsters and anything else that springs from his imagination. He creates characters and scenes as a form of escapism, and wishes to be a part of the worlds he creates."

Jolien Hampson - MA Show


"For my project I hope to develop my understanding of what it takes to be an illustrator, particularly with regards to children's books." said Jolien 

"Through researching and comparing work from well-known artists I have realised that the most honest form of expression is simplicity. Stripping back all of the unnecessary components and using the story and characters as a guide. By doing so it can allow the reader to form their own opinions and find their own meanings in the work. I have chosen the theme of bereavement for the book because I believe it is a subject that children long to understand. They question it and can sometimes be fearful of the lack of answers or acknowledgement on this subject.

The book allows the child to breach the subject and in some small way begin the process of accepting its place in life."

Melina Beil - MA Show




Melina's show focuses on what makes us unique? From a purely scientific point of view nothing but our DNA makes us unique. DNA carries most of the genetic instructions used in the functioning of all known living organisms.

For social reasons we feel the need to define our identity and do this in different ways, such as the way we dress. One key way of marking or adorning our bodies is with jewellery, which has always been used in human culture. It was used as a way of showing one’s identity and affiliation.

"My project combines DNA and jewellery. By extracting DNA, it can be made visible and turned into or used as the basis for jewellery. It can be your own DNA or that of someone dear to you. The DNA inside jewellery can be used to show your literal identity, your sense of belonging, or even your love for someone else." says Melina

Tim Baker - MA Show




Tim Baker's MA show is titled the Lions of Dissent and involves Music, visual and video communication
Is it a band? Is it a record company? Composer? Producer? Is it an art installation? Design? Music? Visual? Video? Is it one man? Is it ten?


Tuesday 1 September 2015

Jiamin Zhang - MA Show




"This series of works is based on my autobiographical account of my journey from China to the United Kingdom" says Jaimin. 

I became aware of the correspondences and similarities of certain sights and experiences between life in China and the UK. With this inspiration and the enlightenment of the fantastic ‘light and shadow work’ by artists Tim Noble & Sue Webster, the final work encapsulates the idea of ‘communication and connection’ seen in the parallels between China and UK in different areas including culture, architecture, foods and lifestyle, and as presented by two forms: illustration and shadow artistry.

The illustrations were fused by two photographs, which were taken in Britain or Europe and China separately but from the same perspective. Each illustration has its own subject but all indicate that there are certain connections and communication between them.

Joana Schlutter - MA Show



"Mental health awareness is very important in order for society to function well. Physical health has a lot of provision for care and mental health needs to be treated similarly." says Joana

"The pace of modern life in Western societies can lead to growing levels of stress and anxiety, and this often leads to depression. In this campaign I want to raise awareness about depression. While recognizing the variety and degrees of depression it is something that hampers the full functioning of the individual and can be debilitating. Many people with depression struggle to look after themselves. It is important that families and friends lend a helping hand to make life easier and to show the sufferer that they are cared for. This in turn can alleviate feelings of isolation and despondency.

This campaign shows the effects of reaching out and caring, and show carers that they can be helped too" she continues.

Sinjun Lui - MA Show




Sinjun's work is a documentary about the children who live in areas of poverty in China.

"There is a small village in the south of China, which is isolated by the mountains. It is not too far from the city but there is a great difference in the standards of living between them. The children who live there live in extremely bad conditions in comparison with the children who live in the city. Most children in that village have a shared dream, which is to see what life is like outside of the village.

One day a volunteer started an online campaign to found his activities to help those children. However, lots of people doubted him at the beginning. One day however, his destiny changed – a football fan group noticed his campaign work and its members started supporting him by doing voluntary work in the village."
Sinjun Said

Alan Lee - MA Show




Not just a fluffy tale is a short 2D animated film aimed at children and the young at heart, produced by Alan Lee during his MA study

"The film is about a wandering bunny that finds a carrot but encounters another bunny who also wants it. A fight over the carrot ensues however they’re too distracted to notice a third bunny that swoops in for the prize and even watches the brawl from the side-line!
 The moral of the story is; when you quarrel, someone else gains, something that children or even young teenagers can learn from.

Most of the film was created in cut out animation in After Effects and all the sets and characters were built in Photoshop. Through the visuals, I tried to mimic old cartoons with a simple style and block colours to help keep the sense of humour flowing even through the ‘violent’ fight scene like a Tom and Jerry sequence."
says Alan

Charlotte Kelly - MA Show



The central theme in Charlotte's work is the use of collage to explore contemporary culture.

"My practice asserts the medium as a site to collect the disparate fragments that constitute the self, in order to reflect the post-modern narrative self and post-human considerations of the self. Collage presents the subject as a conduit for these societal and cultural signifiers, explaining the anonymity and fragmentation of the self within post-modern culture.

My dissertation engages with the exploration of collage as a way to consider the body in relation to technology. Focusing on the edge of a component within a collage as the site of meaning formation initiates an investigation into the blurring of the boundaries between the human and the machine. Hannah Höch’s Dada photomontage will be viewed as anticipating current realities; her work becomes a fore warner of capitalistic society, and the blurring of boundaries between the biological and technological."