Howarde Read & Dave Colton - The 9th MMU Postgraduate Research Conference

The 9th Manchester Metropolitan University Postgraduate Research Conference focused on the theme of Changing Lives. 

Visual Communication Senior lecturers, Dave Colton and Howard Read, contributed work to the art exhibition at the conference. 

Dave Colton's work was developed from his research into chance driven creativity and was entitled; The Luckybag of Life: Can we appropriate William Burroughs’ aleatory cut-up techniques to gain insights into our personal lives 

Howard Read's exhibit focused on his PhD research on the role of drawing in the regeneration of urban space. A previous post on Howard's research can be found here and his drawings can be seen online here.

Sarah Hyndman - Type Talk to Visual Communication students

The second careers week event staged in the Visual Communication department has been a Type Tasting talk by Sarah Hyndman. An experiential typographic studio founded by Sarah four years ago, Type Tasting explores the psychology of typefaces and multi sensory typography. Sarah works on collaborative studies with the Crossmodal Research Laboratory at the University of Oxford and her work includes:

• Explorations of typeface personality and typographic perceptions leading to conclusions related to cost/prestige, identity, motivation, openness, trust, skill, mood, emotions, energy. 

• Analysis of the impact of the form of type, including serifs vs sans serifs as well as deconstructing shape associations. 

• Innovative exploration of multi-sensory (cross modal) typography, focusing on perceptions relating to smell, taste and touch. 

Sarah's Type Tasting talk was enjoyed by Visual Communication students 

"My aim through Type Tasting is to change the way people think and talk about type. I am quantifying the experiences of the type consumer to create language that describes the experience of type, which does not require the terminology of design experts. 

Research into the perception of typography underpins the Type Tasting approach. I am quantifying the type consumer experience (or user experience) to provide information that can inform design decisions, nudge behaviour in a positive way, and increase awareness of the impact typefaces have in our everyday lives." said Sarah 

For more information on Sarah’s work

https://typetastingnews.com

https://typetasting.com

Sarah's latest book How to Draw Type and Influence People will be published in April.

LE GUN Art Collective Visit Visual Communication

Visiting Wolverhampton Visual Communication students to give a talk and workshop, art collective LE GUN have shared their approach to creating idiosyncratic imagery blending punk, occult, pop and surrealist influences, to achieve a distinctive aesthetic. 

Established in 2004 LE GUN collective 
consists of five artist illustrators (Bill Bragg, Chris Bianchi, Neal Fox, Robert Rubbish, and Steph von Reiswitz) and two designers (Alex Wright and Matt Appleton) who met as graduates at London’s Royal College of Arts. The collective are known for creating large scale collaborative works, often in the shape of 'walk-in drawings' or narrative environments, where all five members will work on the same drawing/painting/sculpture simultaneously.

LE GUN presentation to Visual Communication, Fine Art and Fashion and Textiles students, was by Robert Rubbish and Steph von Reiswitz and included innovative techniques to stimulate group drawings. The results of this exciting workshop on Fabriano paper can be seen below:

LE GUN also producer a self-titled magazine, the group is internationally recognised for their enigmatic installations, design projects and art shows. For More information on LE GUN visit here

Graduate Success - Lisa Wilson

Visual Communication graduate Lisa Wilson was winner of The Daler-Rowney Prize for Excellence in Graphic Communication as well as The Sheaffer Prize for Use of Language in Graphic Projects. She was also shortlisted for The Penguin Random House Design Awards shortlist 2016 – see more about her entry here.

Lisa has a passion for paper cutting and is about to run paper cutting workshops 

“In 2013, I used paper and a scalpel for the first time to produce a ragged self portrait. Yet despite my humble attempt, I soon realised that this basic material had endless possibilities and my journey with paper began.

My work uses a combination of digital design with handcrafted papercuts and multilayered illustrations. This is where my artistic heart lies — fusing the past with the present to produce imaginative and expressive results.” Said Lisa 

For more information about Lisa’s work and her next workshops visit here

Lisa Barrett - Graduate Success

Designed with Ryan Dean-Corke

Visual Communication Alumni Lisa Barrett works as a freelance graphic designer based in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter and her work primarily focuses on branding and brand development 

“I particularly enjoy working with independent brands who share my love for honest craft & good values.” says Lisa

“I was working full time and freelancing evenings and weekends and even the planning for the planning to work for myself was going out the window. I was beginning to think that I would never be ready to take the plunge and become self employed. By not planning I was disappointing myself when in reality I should have just gone for it. In Summer 2015 I quit my job and have never looked back. Right now, I have freedom, I have more time for life, as well as more money to live and I am feeling happier than I have ever felt.” Lisa continues.

To see more of Lisa’s work look here and to read her online journal including her guide to freelancing, look here