Installation Update

Today the vinyl went up on the window. The next step will be applying vinyl type to the ground. The type will reflect into the window.

Weeding

Preparing to install my installation. Step One: the vinyl is printed and prepped for application.

After all the talk about installations I'm nearing the point of installing my own! Here is a shot of my location (more pictures to follow shortly!)

The Wall Project

Today is November 9, 2009. Twenty years ago the Berlin Wall was torn down. Now, on the 20th anniversary of that epic event The Wall Project is resurrecting the structure in Los Angeles. The Wende Museum on Wilshire Boulevard is hosting this dramatic installation from October 17-November 14. Artists involved in the making of this piece include Kent Twitchell, Shepard Fairey, and Thierry Noir. I am grateful I got to see this piece of history exactly 20 years from the day it was torn down. (Read more about the ceremony and installation here.)

Guerrilla Bikes

I'm in sunny California this week and have my eye out for creative installations and guerrilla marketing ideas. I came across this classic Schwinn chained to an electrical pole in Newport Beach. This picture was taken a few yards from the ocean. Beach-goers interested in seeing more of the area can rent a bike ($5.50-8 per/hour) to explore Newport and Balboa Island. This cute vintage bike was placed nearby to promote the sport. I came across the same idea two years ago in Charleston, SC. The city wanted to promote bike riding for various reasons (parking, environmental, etc.) and did a fabulous job putting together bike installations with themes and colors to match surrounding shops.

I dug up the old pictures from Charleston. The last image is of the Blue Bicycle Books store. The adorable blue bike with a stack of appropriately colored books is irresistible! Who wouldn't want to stop in to browse? 

Installation

So I've been pondering installations, guerrilla marketing campaigns and the like. I will soon be creating an installation so a little research is in order. There are great examples to be found of guerrilla marketing. These campaigns generally grab the viewers attention in a less obnoxious way than traditional advertising.

As a graphic designer I naturally want an installation to have a purpose... this could be to convey a message or to promote a product. The best example I thought of for installations promoting products is the store window. And when it comes to store windows who does it better than Anthropologie? They have a way of blending their installations into the space to create a functionally beautiful vibe.

Despite my musings on beautifully decorated shopping experiences, I don't know if that is the goal of this project, so I'll be researching more in the hours to come!

 

Most of these lovely Anthro images were taken here.

Synthesis

This project challenged me to combine my way of working with that of another artist. We were encouraged to choose an artist who worked in a completely different medium than our own.

Recently I have been experimenting with simple vector illustrations that use clean lines resembling those a pen might make. I wanted to find an artist who creates illustrations with strokes similar to mine. Kagan McLeod is an artist working in Canada. His work has a watercolory feel to it, so I wanted to incorporate my graphic strokes with his washy watercolor style. Below are photos documenting the process leading up to the final piece.

Materiality: my project

Early stage process photo from Project 1

 

Completed Project 1