NATIONAL EXHIBITION - REVIEW 4

Channel Branding of TRTÉ

Design of on-air branding of RTÉ TV's tween/teen channel TRTÉ.

Alan Dunne // Brand Design, Illustration, Art Direction & Classical Animation.
Stephen McNally // After Effects Compositing & 3D Animation
Ivan Fitzpatrick // Sound Design & Music Composition

On 20 September 2010 RTÉ launched the biggest overhaul of its children's television schedule to date. It consists of two new programme strands. RTÉjr is broadcast for under 6’s and TRTÉ for children aged 9 to 16 on RTÉ2. RTÉ Young Peoples Programme commissioning editor Sheila de Courcy said the new programme strands were "quintessential public service broadcasting for 21st century audiences.” RTÉjr would be a "safe, fun, magical place for children" while TRTÉ would reflect the demands of the older cohort. "These schedules ensure that our audiences are never more than 30 minutes away from Irish production, from stories and output that reflect their immediate world and their lives," she said.

Whatever was to replace The Den had a legacy to live up to – there would be anticipation and expectation – not only among the current crop of children and teenagers but it would also come under the scrutiny of the generations who fondly recall the years of joy The Den brought– of which I am one! RTE decided early on in the branding process that a programme which catered for an audience aged between 0-16 created a major branding issue. The decision was made to take a ‘divide and conquer’ approach; RTÉjr catering to the 0-6 year olds and TRTÉ would cater for an audience of 9-16 year olds. 7 and 8 year olds wandering somewhere between, perhaps having to resort to reading a book or partake in some appalling outdoor activity!

The TRTÉ identity does indeed look to be part of the extended RTÉ visual family which would, no doubt, have been a main focus point of the design challenge. There is an inherent familiarity to the colours and the form that place it as part of the RTÉ family. It leads the audience from the safe world of RTÉjr and ushers them into the adult world of RTÉ Two. It resides visually somewhere between the two, echoing certain distinguishing traits of RTÉjr such as its position over the RTÉ logo while looking like the more angular older sibling. Infact it seems that the efforts to establish its familial lineage is its’ problem. The decision to position the new TRTE logo over the main RTE logo is questionable and diminishes the communication considerably. The viewer is essentially presented with two visual entities appendaged together. Why the reluctance to drop the main channel logo? To a degree, it smacks of a lack of self-confidence, and demonstrates a degree of ownership that visually constrains and smothers the fledgling programme strand. The name itself binds the newbie to its mother but it would have been advisable to cut the apron strings. One gets the feeling that the decision was very much a management one as the visual effect is quite compromised, especially when viewed in relation the rest of the design work produced for TRTE. (If your wondering what the ‘T’ in TRTÉ stands for, its a “deliberate enigma” according to the channel, but one assumes it alludes to some extent to the target audience of tweeagers and teenagers.)

Most tweens have aspirational tendencies. Aspirational as in they want to be spoken to like teenagers by brands. So the visual style seems to target a slightly older audience, hinting at MTV in its efforts to entice. The visual inspiration seems to come from an urban, surf/skater culture, and is reminisant of the tendency of Irish teenagers to customise their schoolbags and pencil cases with intensely detailed pen doodles. All of which works well as do the colour combinations for the branding.

This back to basics doodle approach by RTÉ's in-house Graphic Design Department is really effective. The highly detailed doodle illustrations communicate ‘street cred’ and I while I would never purport to understand the teenage mind, there is I feel a distinct element of ‘cool’ here. The hand drawn classical animated idents have a beguiling psychedelia to their style and kudos must go to their originator Alan Dunne. He produced something in the region of 1500 hand drawn frames for the animation process and the result is an approach that one imagines would have huge audience appeal and appreciation. It offers attainability and a level of achievable aspiration.

The unique ‘hands on’ approach has a strong level of visual sophistication that stands out for all the right reasons. Often it is just too easy to go down the route of 3D animation or the route of something which is obviously computer generated artwork, traditional classical animation has an air of timeless craft in the field of motion design. The notion that a fluorescent light box would be a key piece of equipment for the project is admirable, well that and some After Effects courtesy of Stephen McNally! This video post production work really brings the illustrations to life. Most importantly it looks like fun and punches above its weight among competitor’s identity designs that in the main feature big budgets.

I, for one, am easily impressed when it comes to motion graphics, filled with giddy “how do they do that” enthusiasm. There is available to us such a procession of styles that have evolved over time – those that are earnest in their initial efforts and as technology advances they gain an extroverted confidence. (A similar pattern is visible in the realm of print, from an illustration on the cover of an early 20th century magazine to the holograms and special effects possible, and visible, on covers today). And so with TRTE it is enjoyable to see simple 2D animation revisited in a contemporary context. It is refreshing in a world of highly polished computer game graphics to be presented with an exciting rendition of achievable grounded animation. Yes, it lacks that mesmerizing allure of polished perfection, but it is precisely in its ‘girl next door’ qualities that its’ success lies. Now there’s a message to bring into the home to your average 9 to 16 year old!

CULTURAL EVENT – REVIEW 3

Church on Sunday and the visual merits of the local parish newsletter

‘O SHE WAS THE SUNDAY IN EVERY WEEK’
The Planters’ Daughter, Austin Clarke

At the outset let it be clear that I have a degree of unease in dealing with this topic, pertaining as it does to Sunday Mass, as I am not a mass goer nor do I have any great affinity with the Church. However, the subject interested me from a purely visual and typographic standpoint and in relation to the theme of engaging with your audience that my last two reviews have touched upon.

There‘s something special about Sunday, a day of rest, a day of reflection, quiet, all stop. For many people this day begins with the weekly pilgrimage to the parish church, to take care of their Christianly duty and for the rest – cuttin’ a dash’ in your Sunday best; who won the match - it’s all about community.

The parish newsletter is an important piece of that community. It’s where the tittle tattle of daily parish life is played out on a folded piece of A4 paper… a months mind mass; a local sale of work; the time of the under 12s match on Saturday. It’s the most traditional of mediums and embodies how Church and community still are bound, in rural Ireland at least. The front cover of this most modest of communications usually has a more ecclesiastical theme and grounds the newsletters’ function as Church document. An opportunity to speak to the converted.

Herein lies the kernel of the matter. The newsletter provides the Church with a rare and unique opportunity to ‘speak’ to the parishioners and it appears that the Church has lost its voice, visually in any case. Just think for one moment of the vast and rich visual heritage of the Church. Some of the most pivotal masterpieces in history are derived from biblical stories and metaphors of Church and religion, from the Sistine Chapel to the illuminated manuscripts.

The function of religious art, directly or indirectly, is to win converts. With architecture to inspire, teach and house a congregation, while interior mosaics and stained glass illustrate divine stories - not unimportant in ages where illiteracy was the norm. It came at a price and Papal overspending on art was an important cause of the Reformation, as it led to higher taxes on the common people, and greater corruption among the officers of the Church. Even so, during at least the nine centuries between 800 and 1700, the Church of Rome was by far the largest patron of the arts. With art the Church wooed its’ audience and used it’s vast collections and grandiose architecture to impress upon them the Churchs’ power and wealth.

The Sistine Chapel

This creativity and visual exuberance was continued across illuminated manuscripts, and into the age of printing, with the first book off Gothenburg’s’ (and the worlds’) printing press being the Holy Bible.

So how is it, that amid all this visual grandeur and with centuries of a suitably seduced and impressed public, have we arrived with our contemporary parish newsletter? How has all that high art been reduced to clichéd images of sunsets, silhouettes and bad clip art? What a lost opportunity to engage your audience, if only visually seduce us.

Why so little regard for creating a degree of impact? Why no thought for the layout, font choice, imagery, atmosphere? Why no attempt towards typographic sensibility? It could be argued that the newsletter is a simple communication, produced by a local priest with the assistance of a parish committee and on a minimal budget, however there is no escaping the fact that this humble item carries huge potential to engage with a dwindling and often under stimulated audience. Ultimately, irrespective of budget and the local scale, this is an opportunity. Not just locally, but for the wider Church. Given the preponderence of visual communication today the Church has used the same channels of communication for decades, if not longer – architecture, iconography, written and spoken word. Some improvement could doubtless be achieved by using centrally available templates. These templates could offer contemporary design and layout and give the viewing public a more compelling and aesthetic form. See the work below for inspirational directions from some contemporary practitioners of “word”.

Sample of some of Phil Baines' work





Illumination inspired samples of the work of Marian Bantjes,

(The top image created tongue in cheek using pasta - a reference to Rome perhaps?)

Contemporary typefaces designed by Jon Barnbrook, with a decidedly ecclesiastical feel
Typefaces: Mason, Priori, Exocet

On a simpler level, a quick online search led me to faithclipart.com An American site offering “34,000 Worship Templates to help you communicate with relevance – for only $129/year!” The site offers newsletter templates and clip art under a vast array of titles from the kitsch ‘Virgin Mary clipart” to the intriguing sounding “Transfiguration clipart”. While I’ll not debate the merits of what’s available here below are a few examples, in the land of the cliché no doubt, but perhaps an improvement on what currently blands our eyes at the average Sunday service.

At a time when the Church is in crises with mass numbers ever decreasing, vocations at an all time low, and with the country itself in a depressed recessionary state, the potential for the sense of community that this weekly 'cultural event' has traditionally brought seems clear. Now, for the first time in a number of years, and perhaps despite the revelations of the Murphy and Ryan Reports, people are once again seeking comfort, direction and camaraderie. It has always been during these times that the Church has fared well. The parish newsletter speaks to, and of, the fabric of every town and village across the land and the Church who are responsible for its publication would benefit from giving it greater attention.

LOCAL EXHIBITION – REVIEW 2

‘Staged and Screened’ James Brooks


Gallery 126, Queen Street, Galway. 4th-26th February 2011

REVIEW

"Art is a state of encounter" Nicolas Bourriaud in ‘Relational Art’

‘Staged and Screened’ is a solo exhibition by British artist James Brooks. This work is being shown at Gallery 126, Queen Street, Galway. 126 is an artist-led exhibition space whose ethos is based on it being non-commercial with a focus on supporting traditionally unrepresented artistic projects. It provides a platform for work that other galleries may find difficult being more bound by economic considerations. As such, 126 is earning a reputation as a space that supports experimental and emerging artists bringing cultural and artistic innovation.

The gallery is of particular geographical relevance to this exhibition of Brooks’ work with its location on the west coast of Ireland . It looks across the ocean to the US – contributing to the notions explored within the work which questions who is the symbolic ‘actor’ and who is the ‘audience’.

This interplay of actor and audience forms the inspiration for ‘Staged and Screened’. Drawing on cultural sources such as cinema, theatre, music and television, the artist produced a series of works in drawing, video, print and audio. The show in part attempts to spotlight an audience’s role within an auditorium or public space – where to sit or stand, the etiquette surrounding the appreciation of and participation in what is on view. A key aspect of the work is the exploration of the role of the viewer – the importance of a physical encounter with a work of art. This affirmation of the viewers position physically and psychologically as an integral and important component to the work itself is fascinating to me.

This is something I attempt to address in my own work – engaging the viewer emotionally and intellectually. And while the remit of the designer and design as a medium can rarely, I believe, achieve the self expression of the artist, the scope and potential that exists to speak to your viewer is immense. In my own work I strive to create a dialogue between the client, myself and the viewer, creating a piece of visual communication that by necessity can only be completed by the viewers own interpretation. Yes, in many respects the existence of an economic message affects the flow of this communication but in essence it is this aspect of consumption that drew me so much to this exhibition and threw up so many questions and parallels. I am reminded of John Bergers ‘Ways of Seeing’ where the potential ‘ideal’ for the viewer (via consumption) is considered a substitute for actual reality. Brooks himself cites Walter Benjamin's 'The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction' as an influence. (Benjamin arguing that through reproduction, an old master painting's modern context is severed from that which existed at the time of its making.)

The viewers presence and actual experience form an integral part of the message itself and this seems to be fundamental to what Brooks is exploring, and again this is something I aim to articulate in my own work – its existence at the place where it happens to be, being viewed by whomever happens to be viewing it, and the unique response evoked. These questions and parallels really played on my mind in viewing this work. Could it be argued that perhaps ‘pure’ art assumes that what matters is its own existence, not its’ being on view, and that graphic design exemplifies this function of ‘view’ – its’ intrinsic link to social function always binding it to the viewer in this way?

The work in this exhibition, both aesthetically and conceptually, demonstrates a strong sense of logic. (Perhaps here again the artist appeals to the designer in me). One part of the exhibition presents a series of 31 audience seating layout drawings of New York City theatres. By presenting the audience as the artwork, Brooks plays with the viewer, disorientating us, urging us to question the practice of cultural consumption by intentionally inverting our expectations. This brought my thinking to the competitive nature within an audience – the notion of “cheap seats” and “best seats in the house” – the opportunity for snobbery or one-up-manship that this affords. How where you sit affects your experience - not just of the stage production - but of the social aspects aligned with it too. Perhaps the possibility of self-reinvention exists? Perhaps it is not just the actors who play at being someone else? Aesthetically the simplicity of the visuals really appealed and I applaud the breath of communication and thought provoking ability in that simplicity. My only complaint with these pen on graph paper drawing is in their scale – they seem somewhat bound and confined by their smallness, and while it could be argued that as such they possess a certain intimacy, for this viewer at least, their size diminished their potential.

Brooks’ video piece “Reversed Performance” appropriates the 1970’s Film – “Performance”, starring Mick Jagger, then at the height of his fame, in a semi-acting/ real life role. By re-filming the rewinding visuals of the thriller from the back of a television, the narrative content of the film is lost and the result is an abstract light presentation. This flicking changing light brought to mind music concerts where the light projects out into the audience from the stage position. It’s unclear (apart form perhaps the title) as to why the artist chose this film for the basis for this piece, but as I’m unfamiliar with the film itself it was something I was left questioning. The visual effect itself was an interesting one however, and while message of ‘inverted’ audience was again being made in this piece the artist took a very different approach.

The analysis of the engagement of an audience – be it active or passive – was continued with the audio work ’Absent Friends’. In this piece Brooks edits out the narrative and visual content of a generic episode of the American TV series Friends, leaving just the sporadic punctuation of canned audience laughter for its duration. I really liked this piece, and again despite the simplicity of its’ delivery, it did not fail to trigger many questions. While it may seem there is real vacuousness to the canned laughter and that this work maybe highlights its use as a synthetic device, it also brought my thinking back to the notion of audience reassurance e.g. ‘yes – this bit is funny’ or ‘ its ok to escape – laugh with us’. It reminded me too of some aspects that occur in my own world of design and advertising where in selling a product, the viewer is often lulled into a similar sense of belonging (if we make you think its funny by adding the laughter, then you will find yourself laughing along – marketers use this approach all the time). Once again back to the notion of consumption I mentioned earlier. This work also had an unnerving element to it after a while, where the laughter became uncomfortable in its controlled nature, becoming sneering and later dictatorial almost.

The internal exhibition space at Gallery 126 did not work entirely well for this show on some levels and there was room for improvement in the way in which some the works were presented in my opinion. The works at ground level suffered somewhat in their placement so low down and there may have been a benefit in creating ‘snug’ type spaces for the video work. All in all I found ‘Staged and Screened’ to be enormously enjoyable and wonderfully thought provoking. Traditional conventions were ignored and the artist succeeded in creating an intriguing show where the viewer and the viewed become cyclical elements – where the audience became the show and the show became the audience.

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION – REVIEW 1

AIGA "50 BOOKS / 50 COVERS"

December 9th 2010 - April 11th 2011,
AIGA National Design Centre, 64 Fifth Avenue, New York

50 Books / 50 Covers selections are also published in AIGA’s online archives.

(click yellow link above to view exhibition)

The collection will also be preserved in the AIGA Design Archives at the Denver Art Museum in Colorado. In addition, selections from each year’s “50 Books/50 Covers” competition are housed in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Columbia University.

“AIGA Design Archives is one of the richest online resources available to those who practice, study and appreciate great design. It represents the quality of work being created, as well as shifting aesthetics and sensibilities of the designers of the day.”

REVIEW

AIGA’s “50 Books/50 Covers” is a competition resulting in an annual exhibition that recognises excellence in book design and production. This exhibition showcases the best-designed books and book covers published in 2009, as selected by a distinguished jury that includes David Drummond (Salamander Hill Design, Quebec), Paul Kepple (Headcase Design, Philadelphia), Peter Mendelsund (Alfred A. Knopf Publishers, New York), Molly Renda (North Carolina State University, Raleigh) and Tracey Shiffman (Shiffman & Kohnke, Los Angeles).

The exhibition design that frames this collection has visual impact but is, in a few respects at least, problematic. The height of the display benches relative to the viewer seems too low; the tiered benches, upon which the books sit, lack adequate depth so that the books overhang (and no doubt fall off as viewers on a higher tier brush past); and, while the exhibits may be picked up and held, the layout relies on the careful return of books to the benches by each viewer - the integrity of the display becoming compromised with careless placement. Finally, there is no seating provided for a comfortable browse or a thoughtful ponder, this is book exhibition after all and the hardness of the exhibition environment is a deal breaker for me.

The online exhibition space however is a far more successfully designed environment. The content is presented in a distinct way, with narratives that place it in context and explain its relevance. The user interface for the display and navigation of the exhibits is intuitive and offers the viewer 4 viewing options (from thumbnails of sliding scale, to multiple views of the key exhibits and their accompanying descriptions from the designers and even comments from the juror/curators). In addition there is a listing of the industry sectors from which the projects have been drawn and a geographical breakdown of the design studios involved in their making. It’s well considered and thorough. A gold star moment certainly.

This is a very full and expansive body of work with 100 individual projects on show, and with many featuring multiple samples of the book layout within the online exhibition environment. The most noteworthy element that immediately strikes the viewer is the sheer variety of styles encompassed here. While a number of design studios have numerous submissions (Rodrigo Corral have 10, Phoenix Color Corporation showing 6 for example) the fact is, of course, that even within the same design studio we are presented with wide variation of styles depending on the nature of the brief and the subject matter of the book itself. The restraint in the execution of the exhibition and the pacing afforded by the on line show, help to unify the large variety of differing design styles included, and provide unmediated access to the work.

It is in this wonderful variety that the richness of the experience of this exhibition emerges, with everything from modernist-made-new – see “F1984T2008”, by Golden Tree, Korea, (exhibit 30), to the poetic expression of designs such as “30 Beautiful Everyday Sounds” by Why Not Smile, New York (exhibit 98). This is an exhibition that reframes notions of conceptual design, modernist restraint, rich exuberance and measured formatting.

The viewer is presented with a body of work where elegantly set text partners with succinct imagery, and where radical, sometimes fierce, sometimes sober, typography is married with imaginative and engaging communication. It is all artfully blended together to create a unified whole. There is a smart sense of flow to the curation and the result is a visual delight that is accessible, engaging and not in the least bit precious – just as it should be given the nature of the items on show.

There are a few exhibits which are, for this viewer, noteworthy in their sheer excellence.
“Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types” (exhibit 97) by Werner Design Werks Inc. is a joy to behold and quite literally sent me running to Amazon to snap it up. The book features illustrations of ‘beasties’ created using the letterform their name begins with - so far so clever - but in addition to this, at the bottom of each page, there is a charming letter guide that demonstrates great understanding of the end user – a curious and observant child. Here we are artfully informed that “a lowercase ‘a' can be a ball and stick” or that “a lowercase ‘a’ can wear a little hood”. As the mother of an eager to learn 4 year old this is simple genius that clearly explains this typographic anomaly. Alphabeasties shows children that typography can be fun and that “although a Clarendon 'g' looks completely different from a Futura 'g', they both make the same g sound”. This book also features die cuts and foldouts that ensure children engage with it and have fun as they learn and discover.

“Ideas + Buildings Vol. 02: Perspective-Global Context” (exhibit 58) designed by Perkins + Will, Atlanta, Georgia is the second in a series of books that showcases 20 of the firms’ projects and aims to communicate the cultural inspirations that shape their work, and indeed the culture of the firm itself. The result is a book that possesses true graphic sensibilities, where aesthetics meet functionality with impeccable aplomb. The discerning typographic treatments are a lesson in ‘how to’ for the uninitiated, with sleek styling, effective font choices and bold sizing of elements such as the section numbers. From its information design elements, to its kicking colour palate, to its bold imagery this is a success on so many levels. Its designer, Mimi Day, has considered every box – and wholeheartedly and creatively ticked each one.

There is a catalogue for artist "Shelagh Keeley", designed by Underline Studio, Toronto, (exhibit 88) that I also feel merits special mention. In addition to the beautiful typography and layout, the catalogue features a cover that is nearly 40 inches in length, which the reader is required to unwrap in order to reveal the essays and the artwork within. This echoes beautifully the artists major work – an almost 10 meter long painting.

This is a hugely enjoyable exhibition and competently demonstrates the breath of current design practice in this field. What is a little disappointing is the degree of bias towards US based design firms. While the work of some Asian and European studios feature, there is a degree of absence here and this does take from the international flavour of the exhibition. The AIGA is an American organisation and all but one juror are also American so perhaps a degree of preference is enevitable, if a little shortsighted.

In an age of digital publishing, of websites, e-readers and electronic papers it is easy to get distracted or diverted, and there is still something indescribably wonderful about opening a book. A traditionally printed and published book is indeed an artefact – the crack of the spine as the binding flexes, the smell of the freshly printed ink, the paper, the typography – all contribute to the readers experience of the content. This exhibition is testament to an industry that “stoically avoids the regular rumours of its demise… the process of making books – with worthwhile text, good typography and inspiring covers – still lives.” (John L Walters). All in all, the AIGA’s commitment to “using selections from its annual competitions to demonstrate the process of design, the role of the designer, and the value of design to business, culture and society at large” has been evidenced in this show and the result is an exhibition that glows as brightly as the monitor it was viewed on!