Politics and Colour

I chose to do a poster based on an issue in Vancouver. I chose to portray the homeless situation and the lack of affordable housing in the style of a Russian WWII poster. The colour scheme is the same as many posters of the era which was 2 colour screen prints. Considering that this message needed to reach the masses, 2 colour printing would and is more cost effective than full colour especially when money needs to be saved in an effort to fight war. The fonts used are the fonts very popular in American posters. Futura was probably the most used, as well as slab gothic such as avantgarde and franklin gothics. Because lettering was hand painted, artists tended to use these blocky slab fonts in order to save time and frustration in the actual creation of the design.




The slogan came from this American WWII poster I found that encourages Americans to buy Victory bonds for the future as well as aiding in the war. I thought the same kind of slogan, which was and is still effective in it's clear message would helping in the message of homelessness in Vancouver.

Classic Colour Schemes and The Simpsons

To show how much of a colour geek this class has made me thus far, I give you this post. So I was watching the new episode of The Simpsons tonight, one of my favorite shows, and while watching noticed all the various colour schemes used in it. All the colours are high chromatic and use variations of all the classic colour schemes at once. A lot of cartoon use very primary, very pure colours, I'm assuming which started out in animation in order to keep children's attention but now seems to denote just a cartoon or animation, in and of itself.

The Simpsons Kitchen for example uses a triad colour scheme of purple, orange and green. Marge Simpson and Bart Simpson with their outfits both have the triad colour scheme as well. I've always liked the look of The Simpsons, and I knew the use of bright pure colours was one of the reasons that attracted me but now I'm wondering if the colour schemes have something to do with the visual appeal as well.

Dale Chihuly - Glass Artist using Light and Colour

This artist I had never heard of before until tonight I saw a documentary about him installing a glass installation in San Francisco. His work uses a vast array of highly saturated colours. The medium of glass also allows for even play with colour and form when the light shines through at different angles. Each piece uses a variety of colours or a singular colour to create dfifferent moods. All the piece are just awe inspiring.

Me Posting About Yet Another Artist Using Light

Amazing Building Mapping - Vimeo Festival from Dan Ilic on Vimeo.

After talking about it in class, I'm noticing and stumbling upon more and more artists playing with light. This one is really cool.

Journal Exercise 5: Colour creating "Fantasy", "Otherness" and "Consumer Spectacle" in Design

Colour Attempting to Create a Sense of FANTASY:

Example: Parade of Lost Souls, Vancouver


I'll try to make this my post that references Day of the Dead but I can't promise anything. Although I didn't get a chance to go this year, I couldn't make it this year and lovingly remembered the parades that have passed.......so theoretically in my mind, it happened during the week. =) Anyways, this parade is filled with crazy colourful costumes.





Colour Attempting to Create a Sense of OTHERNESS:

Example: Scenes in Movie "Eat Pray Love"





Colour Attempting to Create a Sense of CONSUMER SPECTACLE:

Example:

Journal Exercise 5 - Use of Colour in Society

PART A:
Colour and It's Anti-Authoritarian Potential

Example: Hospitals


Hospitals may be conservative in colour for many psychological reasons such as for ease of anxiety in stressful life
changing situations that may occur in a hospital but for all aesthetic reasons it is completely chromophobic. One beige hallway leads to the next beige hallway with some stainless steel thrown in here and there. It is all too completely surgical and void of personality. So I decided to add lots of crazy Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas type psychedelic colours to it.

I added a super saturated pink that could either stimulate you or may your eyes and stomach, depending on the person. And some op art type carpeting that if on major medication may send you into an Alice in Wonderland type environment. So maybe the colour change wouldn't be that great of an idea for all of the hospital but in a couple areas I think it would do well for uplifting spirits and giving you an otherworldly experience right inside the hospital. I'd be all over that.

PART B:
Lack of Colour Where We Expect it To Be

Example: Fireworks


Fireworks are great because who doesn't like giant, shiny, exploding things in the night sky? But it's the colours that make fireworks so amazing. The blooming flower effects of some fireworks with white centers of sparkles and growing green,blues and purples falling all around. Without colour....


In this example I took all colour out of the fireworks and turned it into one shade of desaturated yellow. Kinda bland. Still somewhat exciting I'm sure but the lack of colour doesn't give the fireworks the WOW factor anymore.


Example: Day of the Dead Art

I love the artwork relating to Day of the Dead. It's always colourful and perfectly portrays the whole message of the Day of the Dead... to celebrate and remember those who have died. Most of the artwork is of a morbid nature but the colours used are intense and saturated giving it a different life.


Without colour, it just plain looks creepy. It looks like artwork that was solely created to scare or creep out the viewer. No longer is there a strong feeling of celebration in the piece.

Journal Exercise 4 - Contrast and Colour Theory

The design I chose to represent in sculptural/3D form is a Japanese movie poster by artist Tadanori Yokoo.


The original poster as well as the 3d version have many variations of contrast. However, the poster is very flat and it's the colour that gives it live. When putting this in 3D form, the work becomes more alive and it provides movement to piece where it wasn't before.

The contrasts used in this piece:

Contrast of Saturation:
This contrast is prominant. The bright saturated red that is used throughout the piece and leads our eye all over the piece, is a big contrast against the light blue of the sky. The light blue sky makes the red rays pop even more. The red rays in the 3D form take over the piece as the first item that you HAVE TO see before your eye can travel throughout the diorama.

Contrast of Light and Dark:
This contrast is obtained again by the bright, high value red and yellows and the low value blue. The spots of black as pop against the light blue background.

Contrast of Proportion:
The bright red and yellow give the most visual weight to this piece. They take up the majority of the piece are give it that pop factor.