Line of Enquiry
The goal of my project is to explore how cultural specificity can be developed into a style of illustration. My initial iterations are inspired by the Coronel Aureliano Buendia, the main character of the novel Cien años de soledad by Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
After losing 32 successive battles, the defeated Coronel retires and dedicates the rest of his life to making small fish out of gold. Each fish he makes he then melts down and remakes, in successive infinite iterations until he dies. My 100 iterations are 100 slightly different ways of drawing the same fish, using various textures, pens, lines, shadows, and effects. Based on these initial drawings, I began researching the history of design in Latin America, hoping to find a style of illustration that would communicate the same cultural specificity of the novel and capture the rich amalgamation of art and design tendencies that define the region.
In order to anchor my project in an authentic and culturally specific aesthetic, I began experimenting with the way in which pre-hispanic cultures illustrated their histories in both written and sculptural form. These initial iterations helped define specific forms, shapes, patterns and colors that are central to pre-hispanic designs and as such will form the basis of new iterations going forward.
Annotated Bibliography
Reading List
Andrew, B., 1994. An Opening: Graphic Design’s Discursive Spaces. Visible Language, 28, pp.205-217.
According to Blauvelt, if graphic design is seen as a cultural activity then it becomes subject to the history that shapes it. As such, the subjects and objects considered graphic design supersede individuals and speak to the larger, more complex, cultural cross-currents that created and influenced the design in the first place. The perspective of the historian becomes essential to the telling of the story, the limitations and positions inherent in their viewpoint influence the way in which the history is told. My work seeks to understand how cultural specificity can shape a visual style, and thus draws inspiration from Blauvelt’s perspective on the importance of moving beyond graphic design as simply a study in artifacts and designers, but rather a more in-depth analysis of the forces that shape it and why.
Colomina, B. and Wigley, M., 2016. Are we human?. Zurich: Lars Müller.
The authors posit that if the externalization of the human experience can be seen as shaping the evolution of thought and identity, then the artifacts produced by that externalization are a mirror of the society that created them. As such, the narratives and designs deliberately chosen by humans to identify and record the world, in turn shape the way those humans perceive themselves and the world. Furthermore, the ubiquity of design and its imprint on the human experience form an archaeological palimpsest of the world’s societies. Even when those societies no longer exist in the same form, the way they designed their lives and the products they created to mirror those designs, continue to exist as a cultural and anthropological influence. My work seeks to reshape the artistic and social references apparent in Latin American history and design, creating a new visual artifact that mirrors the specific history that forged the unique identity of the region.
Outside Source
Rand, P., 2014. Thoughts on design. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
For Rand, design does not stem from a preconceived notion, but rather is a process of research, analysis, interpretation and formulation. A graphic designer acts as a synthesizing force, bringing together subjective material into a newly subjective product, but unlike an artist must take into consideration not just aesthetics but also purpose and audience. The communicative success of a product is what gives it its value, not its aesthetics, form, or experience, although all of those considerations impact the design. The point of view of Rand’s designer is much like that of Blauvelt’s historian, their perspective shapes and defines a design as much as the cultural influence of their source material. In my work I am following the process of design as outlined by Rand, bringing a deliberate and specific perspective the the analysis and synthesis of specific elements of the history, art and literature of Latin America. The hope is that the illustrative style that emerges from this process will possess both the individuality of my experience as well as a more broad yet culturally specific posture that is understandable, relevant, useful and successful in its communicative ability.
Garone Gravier, M., 2020. De la historia del libro a la historia del diseño gráfico en Mexico: reflexiones en torno a una bifurcación disciplinaria. In: V. Devalle and M. Garone Gravier, ed., Diseño latinoamericano: Diez miradas a una historia en construcción, 1st ed. Bogota: Editorial Utadeo, pp.21-69.
According to Gravier, the history of graphic design in Latin America has been largely ignored by historians of the discipline, who look to the United States and Europe as purveyors of the objects, trends and products that are deemed canon of the profession. The work that has been singled out for consideration from Latin America has been that which excels within the rubrics, aesthetics and purpose outlined by Western-centric critics, historians and designers, creating a self-referential bubble of work. Upon closer inspection however, it becomes apparent that there has been a culturally-specific evolution of work in the region, one that is heavily influenced by the modes of production, cultural sensibilities, and societal points of reference. In uncovering and elevating a body of work that is unique to a geographic perspective, it is possible to better understand the evolution, perspective and potential of multicultural design. In my work, I hope to explore design that has been marginalized or exoticized and use it purposefully as an influence in a newly conceived visual language.
Individual Practices
Steven Harrington. 2022. Home – Steven Harrington. [online] Available at: https://stevenharrington.com/ [Accessed 9 May 2022].
Steven Harrington’s work embodies and reflects the skating subculture in California. His illustrations and designs are both specific in their cultural influence and message, while also possessing a universally pop aesthetic. His illustrations function much like the mirror referred to by Colomina and Wigley; they are both a product of the individual choices of the designer as well as a reflection of those who consume and identify with his work. The goal of my work is to find an expression that is both uniquely Latin American but also relevant and interesting to a contemporary audience, taking a page from the evolution and influences of Harrington’s style.
El Pais. 2022. La vida y obra del artista Vicente Rojo, en imágenes. [online] Available at: https://elpais.com/elpais/2021/03/18/album/1616077749_999313.html#foto_gal_1 [Accessed 9 May 2022]._
Vicente Rojo was a graphic designer, fine artist and sculptor who is widely recognized as the father of graphic design in Mexico. His cover art for the first edition of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novel Cien anos de soledad, introduced his designs to millions of readers across the region, and showed how culturally-specific design could be distilled into a modern style. In my project I aspire to the subtlety and specificity of his work, as well as its ability to synthesize influences to create a singular aesthetic.