Poster Recipes: Recipe for Passion — Yields One Solution, Repeat as Needed.
This post is part of our Poster Recipe Series, dedicated to getting an inside look into the techniques and design practices used by some of the world’s most remarkable artists in creating their posters.
The art of the Iranian poster is a one-of-a-kind phenomenon, unmatched in its plasticity and artistic language, and Parisa Tashakori is one of its great artists. The graphic code of her art escapes the boundaries of a domestic school of thought and extends into the global understanding of the way of the world. Parisa’s delicate ornaments of the East are strangely intertwined with the contemporary images and the latest issues of the day.
As with any creative person, Parisa’s approach to the poster recipe is unique, unconventional, and incredibly heartfelt.
Ingredients
One problem that needs to be solved
One playful mind (can sub with curiosity)
A handful of passion
A pinch of concentration (can sub with effort)
CONCEPT
You might have heard how delicious and aromatic Persian food is. Based on my friends’ reactions, and my life before being a designer, I am a good cook. People always ask me about my secret recipe. Although saffron is a key ingredient in Persian cuisine, I say that, above all, the most important element is passion. Add passion and love to your recipe and your food will give people comfort and happiness. Add it to gardening, and your flowers will blossom. Use passion in your teaching method, and it will change the quality of learning. Finally, use passion in your life and career, it will transform your whole way of thinking.
PASSION
Passion is what started my love story with the Poster.
I first met Poster when I began my second year of design school. They were handsome and charming, not very young but attractive and confident. Poster was mischievous and had an interesting sense of humor, although their personality would change frequently. Sometimes Poster was serious and classic, sometimes thoughtful, sage and profound, and other times romantic and poetic. Their fluid nature was what made them attractive. Nobody claimed to be bored by the Poster.
Poster was popular on campus and in the design community. Everyone was drawn to them and some even wanted to take advantage of them. Our relationship got to the point when I wanted to devote all my time to them. It became an obsession that brought me almost to the brink of insanity.
As I was good at sewing, knitting, and crafting, I dedicated lots of my time to creating various hand-made, glamorous costumes for them. Threads, yarns, fabrics, and stitches connected us and brought life and color to our love story. We really loved one other, but I was not their only lover. They had many other advocates and fans. They became a bridge that connected me to the world and to many other passionate groupies.
We are still together and love each other, but we spend less time together. They are older now and prefer to be with people who truly appreciate them not just for what information they have but for their beauty and charm. Walkways and alleys are no longer their domain. Nowadays Poster is mostly seen in museums and galleries because there is much less demand for them on the streets.
They tried hard to adapt to the digital world, but it was obviously hard. I know that Poster thinks that they don’t belong to this era, but I still have faith in them and believe that they still play an integral part in helping the design world move forward.
EFFORT
People always talk about “quality over quantity” or the importance of natural talent. I actually don’t believe in natural talent. Practice with passion is what leads to quality and develops true talent. If you are passionate and obsessed with something, it forces you to concentrate and go forth with all your strength.
SUMMARY
The East is still a mystery to us, but Parisa’s dialogue of images and metaphors is a connecting thread that helps bring together Eastern and Western visual cultures.
Olga is an exhibition curator and graphic designer residing in Los Angeles, California. Having a passion for the graphic arts, Olga Severina founded PosterTerritory initiative that became a launching platform for contemporary art shows and poster exhibitions in the US and abroad. Under its umbrella, she curates graphic art campaigns that tackle a variety of social issues and feature artworks by some of the biggest names in the international design community.
