A millennial in the art industry: Graphic Design for art businesses
Alexandra Lunn is a young Graphic Designer who’s passionate about art and specialised into working with art galleries and other art related entities to design brand identities, books, brochures, and more!
1. To start off tell us a little bit about yourself! Where do you come from? Please also tell us about your academic and professional background and your interests.
I’m a graphic designer from West Yorkshire. My mother is Polish and I was very close to my Polish grandmother who used to stay up all night telling me stories about her escape from Nazi invaded Poland. I am interested in design from other cultures sociology and psychology. I studied graphic design at the Glasgow School of Art. I was dissatisfied with the course that’s why during that time I spent a year studying traditional animation at Moholy Nagy University Budapest where I learned hand drawing techniques from the artists who created society propaganda films in the 1960s. I then moved to Berlin where I collaborated with a videographer to make music videos. I graduated from the GSA in 2014 and then moved to Amsterdam to work with a research art and design studio — Metahaven.
2. Do you go to art fairs art museums art foundations and/or art galleries events? What are your all-time favourite art spaces/events? What is your latest discovery?
There is a really good exhibition at the moment at David Robert’s Art Foundation and I am looking forward to seeing the Jean Basquiat exhibition at the Barbican. Basquiat never went to art school however was taken under Andy Warhol’s wing. I love the fact that he never went to art school because I think a lot of what they teach is rubbish and that the real lessons are through life.
3. What is the best art related project you have worked on and what is your future dream project?
Typesetting a book on how technology and light impact contemporary art I had to learn the subject matter in order to place images and type together correctly. My future dream project is to design the visual identity for an artists’ show — story telling through design.
4. Who is the latest contemporary artist that you have discovered? Tell us a bit about his/her work and why you enjoy it particularly.
I really admire Wolfgang Tillmans’ work because of his honest tone and political narrative.
5. If you could change something about the art world what would it be?
More artists of colour. That people push the boundaries even more than they are do. We’re living in such uncertain times I’m surprised that there isn’t anything truly groundbreaking out there at the moment.
6. How would you explain what art is to a five-year-old?
Art is very important and it’s hard work to make, but it can also be fun. Nothing has meaning until you give meaning to it. I’d ask them to find as many meanings as possible for a piece of artwork by looking at its shape, form, colour and ask them about whatever else it reminded them of. Then they make up their own meaning and figure it out themselves.
Don’t forget to follow Alexandra Lunn on Instagram
