Thesis Interview w/ Dan Winistorfer

What is the theme for your thesis?

For my thesis, i can honestly say i dont have an exact idea of what is going to be created, but i can say that i want to combine two different mediums. I prefer illustration over any type of visual art. Being a graphic design student, i have slowly strayed away from illustration, besides small sketches of different design ideas. I would like to work on creating different portrait drawings, but also using them to their full advantage in new design ideas. What i am trying to communicate with this combination of illustration and design, i do not know yet, but im sure with a little bit of time and drafting, i will find a good concept.

What are your strongest qualities and weakest qualities when it comes to your art ethic?

My strongest qualities in my eyes are my drawing abilities, and color palette selection. I try to use it to my advantage as best i can, and when possible or necessary. I am very good at replicating images, and often combine specific qualities from several images to reinvent a whole new image, idea, or concept. I'd say my weakest qualities are my ability to navigate through the technicalities of using computer programs. My instinct to be illustrative may be too strong at times, because i revert back to old habits, instead of using newer tools to make new habits. Also, I feel that I need much improvement in being minimal, but also communicating a message. Minimalism meaning using negative space, composition, and text size correctly. I feel like the solution to this is to spend more time in front of the computer, but also make test prints a little more often.

Do you have an artist idol or an artist that has a great influence on your work?

No current artist in particular. I feel like thats also another weakness of mine. I enjoy looking at many different works of graphic designers and illustrators, and also try to keep myself updated on different design websites. but i never followed a specifics artist work in large quantities. The only artist that I can honestly say i have seen and been influenced by all of his work is M.C. Escher.

What kind of style would you say you have?

I have a visual style. Id like to work on my conceptual approach to my work. Ultimately i would like to have a style that combines illustration and design.

How long have you been in the art game?

I've been drawing my whole life. Ive got a few old notebooks at home that i filled with drawings from kindergarten through elementary school. Looking back on them, its interesting to see how well i payed attention to the smallest details. But i've literally been drawing since then. once i figured out that i could draw, i started trying other ways for me to use my talent for attention to detail.

Do you make art for the purpose of the audience or self satisfaction?

Id say both. my satisfaction comes from the audience. But at the same time, if someone doesn't like something I've done, I wont always agree with them. If i think it looks good and i consider it finished, than thats all that matters to me.

What do you want your audience to think when they view your thesis?

I want them to understand my love for illustration. I want my audience to understand that i am an illustrator, but also see that i can be creative by not just using a flat piece of paper to draw one. I want to bring illustration to digital media.

In 5 years, where do you want to be with your art?

I want to be happy. I want to be confident with my work, but at the same time, i want to enjoy what i do. Nobody knows where they'll be in five years, but i still dont doubt that i will still be drawing, no matter on what surface or program i use to do it.

Pioneer Modernism

After the World War, the art world changed and evolved as the public's situations and life evolved. Pioneer Modernists were the "go getters" that seeked and searched for this new way of life. Thier mindsets and goals were set on ideas and concepts of communication through vision. Their strong suit was abstraction and manifestos. I respected the effort and visions that the pioneers shared because they broke the standards so that a new fresh life could emerge. But like most strong forces, their weaknesses became obvious and its exposure grew. This group of strong willed intelligent individuals were maybe to good for thier own sake. The unity between the pioneers began to dissolve because everyone had their own opinions and views on certian aspects of life. Each designer wanted to bring something the world has never witnessed before but at the sametime their ideas were migrating from one central idea. Also their abstraction made sense to them but it wouldn't have made sense to the general public. So lack of communication was the main reason why this group never succeeded together. Even though the fianl result was a fail, in a way it was success because future minds and minds of today can look back at this unique group and gain motivation from the work that these pioneers did.

The Marriage & Divorce of Art & Design

M/M delivered interesting opinions about the difference between design and art. Various artists and designers presented their ideas and opinions on the subject. There is also the discussion of what constitutes a gallery and what makes a room a gallery? Also, how does the objects and art work relate with its surrounding environment. As I read this article I realized that design snuck its way into this art discussion because galleries and the way artwork are placed in them send visual messages to the viewers. So in a way the art is relating to the people because the design sends messages. Kees Dorst article explores the boundary between designers and artists' limits and purposes. This reading seems to give an advantage to artists because artists are more free than designers. Artists do not have to follow rules and regulations like designers do. But designers are very professional and strict on their assignment. This article also sought out to see the affect of the crossover of design and art. In a way they compliment each other because in order to produce an art piece you must first brainstorm a design and in order to design you must have a sense of art. The superflex article was a tad bit different from the two other articles I discussed because it focused more on the social side and the relation that art has to the public. After going through these documentations I realized that art and design are definitely compliments of each other.

Buckminster Fuller

Buckminster Fuller was a man with one of those fascinating minds of our time. Based on his readings and sayings, he was probably one of the first futurists and global thinkers. His ideas were unique and one of a kind and he thought beyond design. Fuller thought of things that the average designer wouldn't even think of and his level of creativity was very high. After watching his video I realized that architects of the future and even of today should take his ideas into consideration so that life for people can be easier and more convenient. The most intriguing thing that I discovered about Fuller was the map he made in which he flattened the global map so that all the continents were viewed as one island in one ocean. That really caught my attention because I never viewed the world in that way and when I think about it all the land masses are connected and people just segrated the oceans but they are also one big ocean. Buckminster Fuller to me is like the Einstein of design.

10 Ways To Save Paper

1. Documents could be printed on both sides of the paper
2. There should be paper recyclable bins in every building
3. Do not use a whole page of paper if there is only a small portion of text being written
4. Email more than print as much as possible
5. When sick, get a handkerchief instead of using tissue
6. Teachers, companies and officials at meetings can use a powerpoint projector instead of distributing handouts
7. Use recycled paper
8. Pay bills online
9. Keep any used paper that isn't completely used for future use
10. Use trusted companiesthat really recycle their materials

American Apparel

I found " Innovation and Exploitation- A Critique of American Apparel" a very interesting article because it exposes one of the most popular clothing companies in the country and shows the dark side that the avergae person does not know about. Before this article, I saw American Apparel as a hot store that are flocked to daily by teens everyday I go to the mall. With their appealing advertisements it was like a trap for clothes seeking teenagers and young adults. But Anna Kealey did a great job on showing the downside to this giant. It was very intriguing on how I used to see these american Apparel advertisements and not notice the similiarities that they all shared. As Anna pointed out, women were always sexually presented as if they were a dinner coarse on a canvas for the viewer. As I continued to read the article I learned that one man, CEO Don Charney, did most of the photography so this just added a new dimension. Not only did the same man did most of the sexually depicted pictures and advertisements, but it shows what was going on his mind. Then there were cases of sexual assault and that just poured more salt onto the wound. This shows, in a way, how art revolves and how there are many ways in which people utilize art. This also shows how emotions can be birthed from different art styles. Great essay.

Ethical Design Education

Susan S. Szenasy's "Ethical Design Education" was a well thought out optimistic view on the power of designers and how we can change the world into a better one. She presented many sad ways in which humans abuse materials like killing monkeys for their fur and palm trees that are cut down for little snacks. In this article she is challenging us designers to take a step in action to improve the current state of our worldly community. She showed how alot of designers, especially her students, did not see how designers had the ability to improve the world because most believe that this world is ran by "greed and ego". They view this world as an ugly, untreatable planet that has been damaged beyond repair. But what Susan is trying to show is that designers are able to heal this injured world but we must first use our skills. For an example: Susan brought up the idea about recycling and how materials are used. Designers can create a new resource or material that can be recycled forever. Designers can also create a system in which present day materials are used in a healthy manner for the inhabitants of this Earth and Earth itsself. She brought up various designers that fought for this cause. Artists such as William Morris and Walter Gropius. Im pretty sure that by the end of this seminar Susan's design students have a whole new mentality on what they can each do to save the world. "Ethical Design Education" is a very compelling article that will help give designers motivation and encouragement to try to better their envoironment and society.