Poster Post-Better Late Than Never.

Cut paper is over looked. A few simple shapes, one or two colors, and you have a bold statement. I found these posters on Google, assuming they are reimagined by a younger generation.

Dirty Harry

  Simple is beautiful and forces an artist to use economy, the principle nobody adds to their elements and principles list. With so little visually said, you have to get straight to the point, and make it loud. It's like the equivalent of shouting haiku during poetry hour. In this poster, there is not any depth, just two dimensional shapes. The negative and positive space reverberate, one fighting over the other for focus and emphasis. But once again, the viewer understands: Gun, lone bad ass, ass-kicking.

The Blues Brothers

It's weird how SNL gave birth to so many stars. Without knowing who John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd are, the viewer might be at a loss for what genre the film is in.
That is why the stars are prominently apart of the poster. Here the color scheme is exactly the same and only shape and color convey the message. The height of the hats on the plane describe the stature of the two male figures. In using minimal aesthetics, the viewer is asked to complete the picture with his or her imagination. In that way, the poster is more interactive.



Halloween

While there is form and dimension in this poster, it is relatively flat and high contrast, giving away lots of drama. Simple text. The emphasis is placed on the highlighted mask, which has become an icon for 80's horror films. In this poster, so much of the darkness surrounds the half highlighted face, it becomes a frame and creates emphasis by isolation. 

End Of The Semester Musings

http://thisplanetsmellsfunny.blogspot.com/2011/05/wacky-mania_30.html

At the end of the semester, looking back, I'm adding here a few things I've learned. 

TIME MANAGEMENT: Time management is something I've never been great at. In fact, I've always been a little envious of people who come prepared, people who turn in the most resolved projects by the deadline, people who are not susceptible to distraction. I REALLY suck at that. However, I know I'm in good company. 

It has become a personal goal of mine to make projects more manageable by setting time aside to do something before I absolutely have to. It hurts. But it hurts more when you procrastinate. 

ASSUME A MARGIN OF ERROR:

I always think things are going to turn out better than they actually do. I think I do this because I don't want to face the reality that it probably won't. In this case, I have to set aside more time for errors, and reworking a project. But I'd rather pencil in drinking an Avocado smoothie and watching YouTube. Sometimes the space and time you designate for a project won't be enough. You need a cushion. Make sure you have a cushion. 

EAT RIGHT:

Woman cannot survive on Starbucks alone. Really, in the fast food world, chances are, you are buying refined sugar, fat, and caffeine. So caffeine isn't so bad. It just shouldn't be a major food group. While refined sugar may give you a boost super quick, it also leaves you feeling blah not too much later. How productive can you be when you have the blahs? SO you go to Starbucks to get your legal upper fix. By the end of the semester, your body, your brain and your spirit is dead. Don't do it. Eat veggies. Buy protein bars. Opt for something healthier than a bag of sugar/fat.

SOCIALIZE:

All work and no play makes Jane a bitch. If all you do is work, your mental and emotional well being suffers. Your relationships suffer. Your work suffers and then your grades suffer.  You turn into a bitch and nobody wants to be around you. YOU don't even want to be around yourself. Find balance. Go be a kid and play a little. A little! Not a lot!

ASK FOR SUGGESTIONS:

So artists get artist's block. It just happens. Ask people around you for help to get a fresh perspective. Just make sure not to ask an asshole. Always say thank you afterwards and offer to critique their work too.

BREATHE:

No matter what is happening, you have enough room to breathe. Will it resolve your problems? No. It will just center you for a moment and give you a break from life. Don't think about anything else but your breath and don't worry about shit. Just breathe and relax. 

and finally….

STAY POSITIVE:

No matter what, it helps to stay positive. You can do it!! And if you really can't. Don't worry. You'll get another opportunity to! You're fucking awesome!!

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR FINAL PROJECTS AND FINALS!

Nobody Thinks Art Is Hard Work. Is It Undervalued?

By  Benjamin Sabatier

"Oh you're an art major? That must be fun."

"Sometimes it is. But I have to dedicate a lot of time to my projects. Sometimes my efforts aren't fruitful."

This is a sample of several conversations I've had with people when I tell them I'm an art student. Art is hard work. And I'll say it again. Art is hard work.

I finished my AA in liberal arts, so my general education is done. This semester has been the first semester that I've taken only art classes. It has by far been the most challenging for me. Some artists are naturals. If they accidentally got cut, blood would fall in a beautiful pattern and create a piece de resistance. I bet even their signatures look fancy, like a founding fore father's. But most artists aren't so fortunate. You work, and work and work some more. After throwing out 3 earlier versions and messing up some umpteenth times, you turn something in just for your instructor to tell you that you didn't do it right, or that it needs to be tweaked. It's the way it is. It takes a persistent, patient, hardworking soul to be an artist. But somewhere along the way, art became undervalued and under appreciated.

You would pay a plumber for their time, equipment, and skills. Artists also spend their time into a project, use their materials and tools, and all the skills they went to school for. And somehow, plumbers work gets more respect. 

Maybe art is seen as unnecessary. It is one of the subjects to get offed first when there are budget cuts within school districts. But if art is so discardable, why is it that when an invading country or sect wants to obliterate a people's identity and culture, the first thing they do is burn or destroy their arts, music, and literature? Because art is valuable and so are those who create it.