posters + dress

Now that the poster project is over, I think about how to archive it. Yesterday, 

I had this idea of presenting them with matching dresses of mine. I am still

not sure if it is a good idea, but these two test-shots are quite funny (sorry for

the blurry one). By the way, the avocado-forest will be a folded, double sided, 

offset printed poster later.

Miranda July once did it the other way around: Her book "No one belongs here more 

than you" comes in different colours. If you ask me, I would buy all of them, 

but unfortunately I always only see the yellow one which I already own. Still love 

her book promotion: http://noonebelongsheremorethanyou.com/00031

a frozen book (work in progress)

When Larissa and I worked on the "Poetic Censorship Project" we suddenly had the image of a frozen book in our minds. How would that look like, what would it mean? In which way can a frozen book stand for censorship? One of these advices, that we internalized during studying here is: If you have an idea, then go for it (which means not only do it, but do it 100%). Although our final result of the project is something very different, I am happy, that we put the book in the freezer. It is beautiful, isn't it?

design collective GRAPUS (1970–91)

For 20 years they provided inspiration to graphic design 

students all over the world, with their idealistic principles 

(of bringing culture to politics, and politics to culture), 

and their highly distinctive form of image-making: an 

accessible and unpredictable mixture of childlike scrawl, 

bright colors, sensual forms and high-spirited visual pranks. 

(McQuiston, Liz (1993) Graphic agitation : 

social and political graphics since the Sixties 

London: Phaidon. p.56)

-----

The design collective Grapus was founded during

the student revolts in France in 1968. Members

were Pierre Bernard, Gerard Paris-Clavel, Francois

Miehe, Jean-Paul Bachollet and Alex Jordan.

In graphic design, on the one hand they saw a

means of bringing the protests and social ideas

forward and on the other hand they wanted to

re-invent the function of graphic design itself from

being a selling tool to a tool that communicates

visions of living together and social change.

http://www.aubervilliers.fr/rubrique113.html
http://www.noustravaillonsensemble.org/1789.html.fr

to be printed 1) veggie poster

 Looking forward to be back to Wolfgang Rademachers 

 brilliant offset workplace at HfG Offenbach soon. 

be idealistic.

 A sunday evening (night) with upcoming goodbye-feelings is a good

time to be idealistic (although I think that it's always and in general

good to be idealistic and optimistic as well). So, designers and everybody

else: Lets take part in the wish to create a better world. 

 

(1) www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xYi2rd1QCg

(2) http://backspace.com/notes/2009/09/the-social-role-of-the-graphic-designer.php

(3) http://www.manifestoproject.it/milton-glaser/

3 things to keep in mind

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1 favourite picture of the punk graphic design exhibition 

(see blog post punk / graphic / design)

2 seen in Peckham 2 days ago

3 found it while researching screenplay-covers

poster for a word: awkward

Finally, I found a reason to stretch type. (A tribute to awkwardness.)

8 days, 8 posters

Last friday, we started the 'A Poster a Day' project. This means, that there is an email with a new poster task every day. The email arrives around 8–10 am. We have 24 hours to fulfill it. Its nice to receive these emails with the mission of the day. Today, for example, it said: 

Poster 3: For public information.
Create a poster from a piece of advice that someone once gave you

 
(start by summarising the advice into one sentence or phrase). 

With the brief, we got some texts about posters.
I realize that what I love about the poster, and what defines poster-ness for me, is the way it is conceptually attached to a motivating force — a product, or some event that will happen or has happened on a particular date and at a particular place. Temporal and physical fixity are integral parts of the visual language of the poster, anchors that help prevent it from floating into the ether of art. Ultimately it's the tension between those anchors and the tug of the designer's artistic ambition that produces the powerful, beautiful poster.  
Design Observer / Alice Twemlow: When Did Posters Become Such Wallflowers?

Design Observer / Alexandra Lange: Stop That: Minimalist Posters

Susan Sontag: Posters: Advertisement, Art, Political Artifact, Commodity
Looking Closer 3, Michael Bierut, ed. (Allworth Press, New York, 1999), pp. 196-218

saturdays, 6am

Every Saturday early morning, my Flatmate Jo visits to the car-boot sale. 

Once I had the pleasure to accompany her. We went to Wimbledon and visited 

the market which is next to a dog race stadium.You have to pay entrance 

as a visitor, depending when you arrive (the early morning is more expensive). 

It was a pleasure seeing Jo doing her job. She has a special view and 

discovered things there I did not recognize at all. Later, she gives them 

back to the public: on her blog, in a webshop, at Spitalfields Market 

and recently also at Brick Lane Market.

east street market

East Street Market is the closest market to where I live now in London. 

It rules life on East Street in Camberwell every day except monday. 

You will find everything you need for your everyday live. It feels 'authentic' 

cause it is mainly used by the (multicultural) surrounding neighborhood. 

 East Street Market is one of London's oldest, largest and busiest markets 

and is as fondly visited now by local people as it has been for decades. 

There are a wide a variety of goods on offer, from fresh fruit and vegetables

to African clothing and materials. 

(Southwark Council website, more informations e.g. opening hours there)

Also I found these 1990s beauties there. 

trees, embracing

--------

In Offenbach, there is a painting on a garage door that I pass from time to time. 

It shows two trees standing next to each other, overlapping a bit. Since I saw

this picture I always think that that's the way trees are embracing each other, they

just grow into each other. Once they decide to do it, there is no going back. 

I was thinking of this, when I saw these two trees in Hamstead Heath last autumn. 

For now, it's not more than a hand shake. But there is no going back.

ask questions!

Yesterday, we went to the Natural History Museum. (By the way, a lot of other people did this). I really liked some of the exhibition design styles and the way, you are trained to ask questions. Although you expect from a museum visit like this to get answers, I always go out with more questions in my head. I think, we should ask more questions in general. It is a valuable culture we have to keep and to train.

 For a toddler, a single toy may become a close companion.

the new

GOODBYE 2012

After saying goodbye to London in December, there where incredibly many 

Hellos back in Germany, unavoidable followed by the same high amount of Goodbyes.

Back to London, we had a proper New Years Eve Dinner in our flat and then a 

proper New Years Eve Party in our Flat, too. I think, dancing is the best 

way to welcome a new year. (Now some left over decoration still reminds to 

this ritual and to the very new year, that has just started.)

HELLO 2013

disappear (3-2-1)

Leaving London for the first time after starting to feel at home. 

Christmas holidays in Offenbach-Eppstein-Hetzhof. Good bye.

christmas decoration

This tree was one of the first christmas decorations I noticed (in Camberwell). 

I like the way, the house looks–as if it decorated itself as well, although 

it's just the normal lights glowing together with the christmas bulbs. 

a british colony in peckham

-----------

In Peckham, you see mostly caribbean and african food stores or chicken and fries

take-aways. One day, a friend suggested me to eat at M. Manze, a place for 

original pie and mash. I always passed by this place but never recognized it! It is delicious. And an interesting cultural experience. It feels like being in an 

english colony in multicultural Peckham. A sign in the shop says: Founded 1902. 

Opened here 1927. The home of pie and mash. It's so nice to have both: the 

choice to have food from all over the world and a place to feel traditional, 

nostalgic and very british (whereas the minced soya-pie is quite contemporary).

They also sell this amazing Peckham postcard. 

M. Manze The Home of Pie 'n' Mash

on the corner of Peckham High Street and Peckham Hill Street


Mon 11am–2pm


Tue-Thurs 10.30am–2pm

Fri 10am–2.30pm

Sat 10am–2.45pm.

letterpress 01 / 99

Finally, I started working in the letterpress workshop. It is AMAZING.
And addictive. Unfortunately, I have to wait till January to go on.
I started with setting the weather forecasts - just with the aim to get
into working there. James, who runs the studio asked me if this is an
on-going project and if I will make many of them. I did not think about
it before, but: YES, I will! (this one is set in Bembo, 60 point and Bembo
italic, 12 point. Unfortunately I just recognized that there was is a
wrong o in the case. >>Try to find it)

this print comes in an edition of 12.

and on light blue paper in an edition of 14.

the perfect light

Burgess Park, Saturday 8 Dec. 2012, 3 pm

Around 3 pm, before it gets dark, the London sky has the perfect light 

in the last weeks. Pastel colours in many shades. The sea feels very close. 

Or as Adam said: You are entering a Turner painting now. 

everyday life

Every morning when I go to College, I walk the same way from Peckham to Camberwell. 
I like these repetitions, it is like a meditation. The first part of the way is a 
small park. The second part is Peckham High Street. During this part I pass many interesting things. I always think: One day, I have to make pictures of all of 
this. On saturday I made some. It felt strange getting out of my daily routine which
is being a passenger outside the windows. But on the other hand I got a closer imagination of all these other daily routines which take part behind the windows. 

mono.klub #40 / Robert Montgomery

Last week, mono.kultur newsletter said:

Dear Friends, 
since Robert Montgomery came all the way from London to join us for the release
of our shared publication Echoes of Voices in the High Towers a few weeks ago, 
it seemed only fair to return the favour and make our way over to the grand isles
to present our book in person to our English friends. So if you happen to be 
in London next week, please join us for an evening of conversation with Robert Montgomery and publisher Kai von Rabenau, on the lovely premises of Ti Pi Tin bookstore. We promise to be on our best behaviour and Robert might even be 
persuaded to sign copies in the most unexpected ways.

 

We look forward to seeing you there,
 mono.kultur

I said: YES. I am in London. And I went there and it was good to be there. 
It was a familiar talk between publisher and artist and many nice people around them. 
What I keep in mind: Robert Montgomery said, that poetry is the genre of literature
of our times. It is short. You can even read a few poems during sitting on the toilet
or standing in the bus. Sometimes people criticize him to be too romantic, his work 
to be close to kitsch. He says: I like romantic and I think that we desire it. This is
my language. And a woman in the audience said: Maybe people criticize it because they are afraid of it. Or because they desire it even more. Furthermore, he said that his work speaks the language of life in the big cities: this similar feeling that you 
can find in London, New York, Berlin, Madrid, Paris and so on. For me, this life is defined both in being very poetic and having a big lack of poetry as well. So, let's read poems. A good place to start, here in London, is the Poetry Library. A library at lovely Southbank Centre. For poetry only.

"ROBERT MONTGOMERY WORKS IN A POETIC AND MELANCHOLIC POST-SITUATIONIST TRADITION"