Sustainability

Sustainable art is art that is produced with the consideration for the wider impact (Sustainable art, n.d.). Whether that be physical or metaphorical. The Australian artist under the pseudonym Marina Debris creates art from rubbish that washes up onto the beach. These include dresses and sculptures. Her unconventional art narrates that waste does come back to haunt us. It begs to question the use of single-use plastic and what that means for marine life, oceans, and the overall environment (About the Artist, n.d.).

Her art pieces, entitled ‘Trashion’ are made from debris that she collected from the beach and fashioned into an article of clothing. By collecting this rubbish, she allows it to be kept out of landfills and transforms them into stunning art pieces. The debris that she uses in the state she found them- dirty and foul, to highlight the seriousness of the issue (Mathisen, n.d.). This postcard contains the piece, ‘Cuidado’. The dress is fashioned from cation tape that had washed up on the beach near her home. Cuidado is a Spanish word meaning take care or watch out, Debris’ use of this tape makes the meaning of this art piece blatantly clear: we must act now to protect the environment. Her ‘Trashion’ impacts viewers and highlights the devastation of ocean pollution and the urgency of it.

 

Identity

Identity is the way we perceive and express ourselves. It can be altered by personal experiences. Identity is the basis of who we are as humans; this can be political beliefs, or how one dresses (MoMA | Investigating Identity, n.d.). Identity consists of permanent and non-permanent components. Artists tend to explore personal and social identity through art: who we are as individuals and collectively as a society (Cultural Identity – Essay | Tate, n.d.).

Georgina Starr is an English visual artist whose work focuses on the theme of identity ‘You Stole My Look’ is a piece that formed part of a portfolio consisting of eleven prints by London-based artists, published in 1977. The art explores the personal significance attached to different styles of clothing (Martin, 2015). The piece was drawn and scanned into the computer to form a collage. Within the print, there are five portraits of Starr creating a new identity for herself based on the style of clothing she wears. Each outfit Starr models is unique and different from the next. Reminiscent of a teen magazine the piece explores the sense of identity that can be found in clothing and how crucial teenage years are to develop a sense of self and identity through self-expression.

 

Innovation

Innovative design is the process of identifying and understanding the needs of the viewers (Murphy, 2019). Graphic design has come a long way since it began. Now used in advertising and marketing, it’s imperative to stay up to date with technological progressions in the world to progress. New innovation within the graphic design world is the use of 3D imagery. 3D imagery pushes the boundaries beyond the ordinary and allows for hyper-realistic aesthetics. (Kramer, 2021). Appreciating its potential Designers have advanced 3D imagery even further.

Graphic design is usually seen as flat 2D imagery, but the developments of 3D art and imagery have allowed for more design doors to open. New compositions and ideas are realised within the work. Since the beginning, 3D imagery has evolved into something more subtle and architectural. An example would be the Flora Project by Cristian Magalon and Nuria (Flora Illustration & 3D Design – Mindsparkle Mag, 2018). Their designs of abstract vases combine illustration and 3D design to produce these colourful and quirky ‘still life’ designs (Penney, 2018). There is a soft colour palette laced with an element of fantasy. These designs show how 3D design can be used as an advertising asset.

 

Communication

Nike is one of the most recognised brands in the world. Known for its sporting achievements and triumphant attitude, this company is successful not only in sport but in leisure too. Part of this success comes from the logo. Designed and created by Carolyn Davidson in 1971, the logo is fluid and clear. In Greek mythology, Nike is the winged goddess of victory, the subtle V shape within the logo references this. The ‘swoosh’ is derived from the sound of her wings and is used as an onomatopoeia symbolising power, movement, and speed, all things Nike represents and has worked carefully to craft into their branding (Redding, 2018).

The simplicity is complex. The Nike logo is humble contrasting greatly to the company’s branding of victory and success. The logo is universally well known that oftentimes ‘Nike is omitted from campaigns and advertisements. Nike uses the font Futura which is straightforward and is most effective at reflecting their slogan ‘Just Do It’ (Campbell, 2017). Originally the swoosh was red, representing energy and passion, much of what the company values, while the background remained white representing charm.

 

Gender

Gender can be defined as the range of characteristics associated with masculinity and femininity. The graphic artist Barbara Kruger’s work challenges the segregation between gender. The piece can be interpreted as a child and mother. The child is flexing their arm whilst the mother points in astonishment. Across the picture reads ‘We Don’t Need Another Hero’, cut into a red block. Reminiscent of the ‘We Can Do It’ propaganda art by J. Howard, the piece questions both gender and power within society (Rubin, n.d.). It revokes the damsel in distress narrative that has captivated the older generations, portrayed by the mother in this image, whilst the child looks in disgust and confusion, representing the younger generation.

Another thing worth noting is the child’s gender is unidentifiable. Gender is a social construct and the parody artwork clearly defines this. It questions the stereotypes for men and women in society; for example, if the child was a young boy, the image portrays him being pressured into the hero stereotype and assumes he has more power than women. The black and white depict the traditional gender roles within society, whilst the red challenges this representing more modern views (Barbara Kruger, n.d.).

 

Place

‘Release’ is a monumental sculpture by the South African artist Marco Cianfanelli, created and established in 2012.  Situated in KwaZulu Natal Midlands, South Africa, the sculpture is composed of 50 steel columns representing the 50 years since Nelson Mandela’s capture (Nelson Mandela Monument by Marco Cianfanelli | Inspiration Grid, 2012). It is interesting as depending on where you stand beside the sculpture, the view of the sculpture changes. Ultimately, if the viewer stands in a precise location, the steel columns form a portrait of the former president. The steel columns representing the prison bars Mandela was incarcerated behind, but in this sense it the bars are much freer and more liberal where the sculpture is situated in the open environment.

Viewers will walk down a path, before arriving at the sculpture, the image becoming clearer as moving closer. Behind the sculpture, a plaque commemorates the location where Mandela was arrested. The illusion of this sculpture uses place and location to make it interactive with its surroundings but as it is situated on historical ground the place is tied to a political stance.

 

Bibliography

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