Posters
Through a careful balance of form, typography, and color, this series of posters explores color as a means of expression. The collection embraces bold, experimental approaches to color application, pushing the boundaries of conventional design practice and revealing new insights into creative processes and core principles. Posters are vital in graphic design as a versatile tool for communication, brand building, and advertising, combining text and visuals to convey messages that are memorable, emotionally resonant, and impactful. Their visibility and adaptability make them highly effective for promoting ideas, influencing perception, and leaving a lasting impression. This body of work demonstrates the power of design to engage audiences, provoke conversation, and showcase the expressive potential of visual storytelling.
Jillian Mayar: Visiting Artist Lecture Series
Designed for the visiting artist lecturer Jillian Mayar, this poster served as a means to explore the explosive methodologies of Paula Scher to explore the themes that Mayar confronts.
I wanted this piece to first serve as a method of formal exploration, and secondly depict a lightbox of layers that represent the Mayar;’s fascination with “the points of tension between our online and physical worlds and makes work that attempts to inhabit the increasingly porous boundary between the two”.
By using layers to represent Mayar’s confrontation with technology, I employed vibrating colors to create a sense of movement, contrasting textures to add depth, and paradoxical typography to evoke tension. When these elements are layered together, the viewer is left gulping for air and overwhelmed by the formal restlessness of the composition. Ultimately, this project represents a unique and emotional opportunity to explore the intersection of art and design and to push the boundaries of what is possible in visual communication.
Acid Jazz Singer: The Fratellis
Inspired by the vibrant and eclectic genre of acid jazz, this poster series seeks to capture the essence of the genre through the use of distorted, layered photography.
The first poster in the series pays homage to the early movement of acid jazz, which was characterized by the addition of electronic dance beats and percussion to jazz tracks from the 1960s and 1970s. This movement is represented through circular shapes that symbolize the percussive elements that were added to the jazz tracks that created a new and exciting sound.
The second poster in the series focuses on the later movement of acid jazz, which was heavily influenced by the early recordings and emphasized groove as a central element. The linear sections emulate distorted sheet music that has been electrified by vivid blue, magenta, and green as if the electric energy was so strong and vibrant that it burst through its traditional form and distorted the sheet music itself.
CADEM: 2018 Bus Tour
With high-profile speakers such as Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Gavin Newsom in attendance, it was essential to craft a visual identity that reflected the tour's progressive message and the caliber of the speakers for the CADEM 2018 California Bus Tour promotional poster system. The cohesive visual identity that featured kinetic typography and a glimmer of Russian Constructivism ensured an eye-catching advertisement for the tour, reinforcing the importance of design in effective communication.
Elliot Earls: Visiting Designer Series
This exploration into the post-modern design of Earls, whose work has succeeded in blurring the boundaries of traditional media, This exhibition aims to showcase the distinct and unique strain of design seen here as a post-modern digital acid trip,
Through the seamless integration of various media forms, Earls has achieved a level of innovation that challenges conventional design norms and can be traced back to the creative disruption heralded at Cranbrook.. This exhibition seeks to engage viewers in a dialogue about the potential for creative expression through the breaking down of traditional boundaries, and the ways in which it can lead to exciting new forms of artistic expression.
“Elliott Earls is a graphic designer, performance artist, and musician. Earls’ hybrid multimedia work blurs distinctions between high and low, performance and object, design and art. Since 2001 Earls has been Designer-In-Residence and Head of the graduate Graphic Design department at Cranbrook Academy of Art. In 2021, author Jared Fuller in an article entitled “How Cranbrook’s Design Program Redefined How We Make and Talk About Graphic Design” states “Under Earls’ leadership, the 2D Design department has blurred the lines between graphic design and art, with students working across traditional design, fine art, sculpture, and performance.” As a designer and artist, Earls's work is part of numerous public and private permanent collections including the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution, The Wolfsonian Museum, The Miami Art Museum and Cranbrook Art Museum.”
Co-designed with Jenny Song and Margaret Andersen
Museum of Direction: Winds of the Apocalypse
The "Winds of the Apocalypse" explores the concept and meaning of direction within design through photography and collage. By using fragments of images showing direction and movement, I wanted to exploit the idea of directionality within our current climate crisis. This exhibition aims to shock viewers into facing the stark reality of our collective predicament, portraying an ominous villain of trash that, through the use of forced perspective, appears to be menacingly hurtling towards the earth's atmosphere, contrasted by the sickly sun behind it. Through the melding of disparate photographic elements, this poster demonstrates the fragility of our planet and aims to leave the viewer unsettled.
The Connotative Poster: Frank McCourt
Through this artwork, I aim to explore the tension between humor and horror that is inherent in McCourt's writing style. While his work is often characterized by witty and lighthearted moments, it also contains profound insights into the human condition that can be both unnerving and profound. By juxtaposing these disparate elements in my poster, I hope to create a thought-provoking and visually arresting piece that will challenge viewers to reconsider their preconceptions about the nature of fear and humor
The centerpiece of the composition is a linoleum board that has been aggressively carved with the name of the acclaimed author Frank McCourt. The rough texture of the carving is accentuated by the striking use of red food coloring, which creates a dramatic effect as it pools at the base of the board and drips down its grooves.
The background of the poster is equally compelling, comprising crumpled pages from my favorite book by McCourt, "Teacher Man". These pages have been distorted and dyed a deep green to offset the vibrant pigment of the food coloring. The color palette of the poster is designed to evoke the mood of a cheesy horror film, one that is both playful and unnerving.
The CalArts Writing Center
These posters were created to promote the CalArts Writing Center, which provides support for students experiencing difficulties with their writing. Drawing inspiration from the common struggle of writing anxiety, I sought to create a set of posters that would catch the attention of busy students.
To achieve this, I used a contrasting color palette that would effectively stand out among the busy campus environment. In addition, I utilized typography as an object to represent the anxiety and stress that often accompany the writing process, thereby creating a powerful and evocative message for the target audience.
Andrea Bowers: Visiting Artist Lecture Series
This piece was designed to resemble a handmade protest poster for artist Andrea Bowers. Her work addresses “contemporary political issues…within the larger context of American history and protest movements” and “regularly invites people who have a stake in the issues that concern her to enter the gallery spaces where she exhibits and directly engage with art world regulars.”
Instead of screen printing this poster, I wanted to imbue it with the type of energy that is so prevalent in protest posters In three massive linoleum blocks, I carved the words “she dead’ and hand-printed each poster with different values and layers of blue ink. I wanted it to evoke chaos, urgency, and frantic energy, while at the same time being deliberate and powerful. On a fourth block, I carved the artist’s name and instead used a very loosely mixed combination of burnt umber and black acrylic paint. I wanted the artist’s name to feel carved deeply into the poster while at the same time appearing burnt.
