Abstract: The Art of Design Ep 1 Summary
“Abstract: The Art of Design” is a new Netflix series that highlights designers and artists in different fields. The first episode, which features illustrator Christoph Niemann, talks about the essence of creative work and abstraction. Abstraction is the ability to look at an object in a completely new way that helps connect the artist to the viewer. Christoph, the narrator, and focus of the story, was born 1970 in Waiblingen, West Germany and is an illustrator, graphic designer, and (co-)author of several books including some children’s books. Christoph takes the viewer on a journey through the wonders of abstract art, and also his personal experience in the field of an illustrator. This episode hits hard on some of the trials and tribulations of this profession as well as the realities of his job. The main aspect that Christoph tries to get across is the difficulties of gaining creative inspiration. In the episode, Christoph states that most of the time he is trying to come up with something he is staring at a blank piece of paper. Another problem, depending on who you are, is the deadlines. For Christoph, deadlines are usually two weeks; however, depending on the need he has been given work that needed to be completed in twelve hours. Christoph tells the viewer that he enjoys it since it gives him some stimulation and drive to complete the work, but it is still draining. Christoph spends most of the video talking about his experience with abstract art and what intrigues him. He first talks about his early experience with art and drawing, where he was at first going for a more “ultra-realistic” look which seemed like the main goal when becoming a professional illustrator. During his years at State Academy of Fine Arts (in Stuttgart), he began to understand the charm of abstract art. Christoph explains abstract and realistic as two opposites of each other. He explains that ultra-realistic art is something that is extremely detailed that is akin to real life like a heart which is shown with arteries, blood, veins, and cartilage. Ultra-Abstract art, on the other hand, is shown to be extremely simplistic such that if we were to draw a heart again it would be shown as a red dot. Christoph continues to explain that the ideal image is one that is between ultra-realistic and ultra-abstract which should give the ideal image for the design of the heart which we use for valentine’s day. Christoph also goes over the effects of new technology to his field and private work. Christoph generally adapts to new changes to improve his skill set and challenge himself. Another thing this video goes over is the viewer’s reaction to abstract art. When an artist makes an abstract piece, he must make his art something that is easily understood. Most people believe that it is their job to decipher the artist’s work, but it is important for the artist to make his work easily understood, or at least not too difficult to understand. Throughout the video, Christoph helps us understand the mysterious nature of abstract art and how to best utilize it. “Abstract: The Art of Design” is a very intelligent look at this art form and I would recommend it to anyone to watch.