Being ‘T Shaped’
For me, the T shape task served as not only a chance to broaden my interpretation of good design but also a point of reflection. Upon collating the images and scaling them back to fit a ‘T’, I soon remembered works of real historical importance from my own discipline whilst also really thinking about other disciplines with design that I have a real appreciation of.
Looking at the broader or horizontal side of my T first, we can see on the left a mention to my fascination with brutalist architecture. We see London’s own Alexandra Estate and Ernő Goldfinger’s Trellick tower. If asked to identify what particular feature of brutalism attracts me to its design I would mention its lack of concern to dress itself up as comforting or even aesthetically pleasing. This ethos paired with the raw exposed concrete and fortress-like structure amounts to a structure large in character.
As we move further to the right we come to Southbank, London. This image features the under croft that sits between the Hayward Gallery and the Thames. The under croft only exists as a by-product of the gallery and officials left the area free to whatever decides to occupy it. Southbank is marked as one of skateboarding’s longest lasting ‘spots’ that has served skaters for over five decades. I think what I like most about this piece is its rich history and its unplanned fruition and its pairing with the high energy of skateboarding talent and creativity of graffiti artists that make it their home.
Adjacent to Southbank we have some motion graphics, we see Hitchcock’s North by Northwest which was a revolutionary step forward for film. Previously seen as an afterthought, Saul Bass changed the relationship between credits and film and integrated them with each other to create a seamless transition between graphics and film. The sequence introduces itself with projected lines forming from either side of the screen, linking to create an offset 3D grid effect onto a muted green backdrop. Soon the words would emerge on screen and disappear after giving the viewer the chance to read them, helping to set a pace for the film whilst also mimicking the opening elevator sequence soon to follow. The lines then continue to dissolve and reform into a New York skyscraper, looking onto a busy Manhattan street; one of the many locations used to shoot the film. The criss-crossing lines form to convey the idea of train tracks, another important central motif used throughout the film.
It is through this seamless marrying of type, perspective and relevance to the film’s plot, Bass’ contributions to North by Northwest managed to successfully revolutionise not only motion graphics but the entire mindset producers adopted when beginning to tackle opening credit sequences.
Looking to the right of my T shape, there is a nod to fashion and its role in design. We see some famous shoe silhouettes that have been adapted to suit a more niche purpose in design. The iconic ‘Nike Air Force 1’ (a basketball shoe) has been modified to be more applicable in all weather conditions. Notice the thicker sole for better traction and the raised shin support/tightening strap pairing. The classic adidas samba which was originally intended to be used as an indoor football shoe, has been redesigned and remarketed as a skateboarding shoe. Here the shoe has been given a galvanised gum sole to allow better feel for the rider and a prime knit coating to give a lightweight presence. I find this ability to redesign and remarket something to be truly inspiring and an ode to general creativity.
To the right of the shoes we see a collection of skateboard decks as part of a collaboration between skateboarding collective supreme and Damien Hirst. Preferring the concept to the actual design, I rate this work between designers as it’s a point of historical significance in skateboarding and counter culture. Like Vivienne Westwood’s ‘sex’ storefront, Supreme’s original New York presence was a small yet vibrant hub for an emerging group only in this case, skateboarders and graffiti artists with an intolerance of the corporate culture and the establishment in general. For Damien Hirst to collaborate with Supreme is a big moment in not only skateboarding history but also in the post anarchist movement.
Finally, we come to set design. Cinema has always been a big part of my life, however I never truly valued the contributions made to a picture by solid set design. Until undertaking this task, set design simply blended the film together for me and I never properly appreciated or thought about it too much. Now since going back to films such as ‘Scarface’ I realise the detail and thought that’s gone into the visualisation of an imaginary world, and it really helps to accentuate Tony Montana’s high stakes lifestyle. Grand mansions decorated with expensive ornaments, drinks and of course cocaine helps the viewer invest themselves deeper into the plot. I feel that this ability to seamlessly integrate set design amongst costume design, location filming and story is an important skill to feature in my T shape.
Looking at the vertical portion of the T shape now you can see my appreciations and knowledge of my own discipline of graphic design. To start things, I have chosen two album graphics which I feel are trying to create a similar feel. We see The Streets’ “original pirate material” and Nas’ “illmatic” which both to an extent represent a youth culture only The Streets are more applicable to the UK listeners whilst “illmatic” speaks for the youth in Queensbridge, Brooklyn. Both albums feature a similar muted or dull colour palette which stands for the dullness and mediocracy of living. We also have text on both pieces, illustrated in a graffiti style to represent the youth from their respective backgrounds. This ability for a piece to quickly be recognisable for what it represents is a real talent for a graphic designer and shouldn’t go unnoticed.
Looking further down the base of the T, we come to some skateboarding magazine publications, most notably ‘Thrasher’ which basically serves as the global authority on all things skateboarding. The magazine has a rich cultural history and has served the scene since 1981. This lifestyle magazine holds a very stylised, almost punk feel. For the most part the articles are covered in a grungy aesthetic that holds its route in skateboarding. Today, Thrasher has its own iconic type based clothing that is often mixed with the high fashion world much to the brand’s distastes as it only wants to serve skateboarders. I feel as though any publication that has supported its demographic this long is admirable and should be recognised.
Next, we have the Japan flag. Having been designed in 1870 the “Hinomaru” is staggeringly modern in appearance. It’s minimal design at its finest, interpretable to those within its demographic which would be the Japanese people, scaled back colour schemes and well balanced in terms of ratios. The rising sun features many historical religious connotations which works perfectly for the country. As mentioned previously, the design holds up well to this day, perfectly fitting for a progressive technology driven country.
Sitting below the flag we arrive at Rizla rolling papers. I decided to feature this work as it’s as iconic and timeless as imaginable. Dating back to the 19th century Rizla papers have been left virtually unchanged since. The typeface is clinical in design, the colours gold and red give way to the idea of an ecclesiastical presence when matched with the cross at the end which is shorthand for saying “la croix” (the cross in French”). I think what gives the Rizla papers a lasting appeal to this day is elements like the perspective tilt which brings a slight modern twist to a draconian font which is impressive given the brand’s deep history.
Of course, in my T shape “Helvetica” deserves a quick mention. Tackling the issue of modern typography, Helvetica sets out to create a clean, unified font that despite being so clean holds a lot of personality. Helvetica is one of the most interchangeable fonts ever created and is applicable to almost every statement. This universal dominance of design is admirable and to a degree inspirational.
Finally, we come to the bottom of the T which happens to feature my most recent image of graphic design. In the summer of 2017 Supreme and Louis Vuitton collaborated upon a huge clothing and accessory line with a heavy branding orientated philosophy. The collection itself isn’t anything more than logos and brand classics but what it stands for is important in both graphics and fashion. The fusion of a Supreme box logo with Louis Vuitton’s design marks a significant change in Louis Vuitton’s attitude towards cultures outside of high fashion. Most notably, when supreme created a parody skateboard deck of a fake collaboration between themselves and Louis Vuitton back in the year 2000, Vuitton issued a cease and desist letter to Supreme demanding the decks removal from the market as they couldn’t afford to be associated with something as ‘low’ as a skateboard brand. Fast forward to 2017 and we have Supreme’s largest collaborative collection to date marking a historic change in high fashion’s acknowledgement of streetwear.
