Feist Heists my Heart

Feist gives me meist.

I don't know if Feist just put out two different covers for her "Let It Die" album, but this is the image iTunes grabbed for me.

And I just noticed how brilliant it is as an album cover.

When I saw this, I immediately believed in its ideal romance- the man's lips are, ever so gently, kissing our lady's high and graceful cheekbone. His eyes are shut, too busy savoring the moment to let any other senses work. The red color and dark contrast convey a moment of intimacy, and the white text brings our eyes down to her lips, which are open- and just, as if she were inhaling from surprise (think back on your own kisses- do we not inhale?). Then... then! The meaning of the words begins to dawn, and suddenly the entire picture becomes entirely depressing. Her eyes are wide open, looking to a future away from his touch. She is not savoring but allowing the moment. The previously intimate red transforms into a threatening shade and overwhelms the innocent "Feist" that trembles upon her skin- his entire soul in this little act of love- as she exhales a little command under her breath, so short in length and ignorable in size, but devastating, "Let it die."

Thus spurring listeners to anticipate songs that are cautiously honest...

Ahh! I want this to be a poster, and I want it on my wall. So deceptively simple. If this isn't the album cover, it really should be.

Lo!

I know, I'm the most consistent blogger you know. Definitely a personality flaw I'll spend the rest of my life working on. Not enough self-discipline and utter shamelessness- these are the characteristics of a woman bound for rise and riches. Or, street spelunking (strumpetisms).

My biggest summer inspiration was my History of Graphic Design class (great textbook choice, I'm going to buy this for my library when I can: Megg's History of Graphic Design ). This class was instrumental in helping me describe my reasons for loving design beyond "I like visual synthesis and beauty" and "I try to make information accessible". Beyond communicating ideas visually, design facilitates further understanding and expansion of ideas... much more dynamic than fitting puzzle pieces together.

My teacher, Instructor Allard, posted a great page online summarizing the different levels of design understanding.

~~~

THE LEVELS OF DESIGN CONSCIOUSNESS

DESIGN AS FRAMING - Design redefines the challenges facing the organization. Framing sets the agenda, outlines the boundaries and axes of interest, and moves design from executing strategy to shaping strategy. Disruptive innovation lives here.

DESIGN AS PROBLEM SOLVING - Design finds new opportunities by solving existing problems. Design process generates alternatives within a problem space. Design also narrow down those options to a specific solution.

DESIGN AS FORM AND FUNCTION - Design makes things work better. This is the classic practice of design - but it's still commonly limited to incremental improvements through iteration over existing solutions.

DESIGN AS STYLE - Design is the gateway to be hip and cool. Design is stylish, but too often is percieved and practiced as a cosmetic afterthought.

DESIGN AS NO CONSCIOUS DESIGN - Design value isn't recognized. This attitude fosters design by default - however things come out is fine, because there are more important issues to deal with.

~~~

Note that it reads "Form and Function" instead of "Form follows function". The saying "Form follows function" has been bastardized, misinterpreted to mean that form is secondary and unnecessary. But Louis Sullivan, creator of the phrase (originally "Form ever follows function"), never adhered to such dogmatic definition... as evidenced by his Art-Nouveau influenced ornamentation on the Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company on South State Street in Chicago.

Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. (Built 1899)

Hokay? Form + Function = Perfection.

Solve Sundsbo

Solve Sundsbo, Norwegian fashion photographer.

Utterly gorgeous! I'm usually unaffected by fashion photography... just because most recycle the same angles and make the fact that someone was posing so obvious. These, though, make me think the photographer invited these women from other worlds. I especially dig the manipulation of the Reverberations (second series) pieces. Mixing fine art and play, Solve? This is the kind of attitude I'd like to bring into my own work.

1. Joe the Pirate

I woke up from a daydream and thought, "Today, I am going to make my blog useful. Today." So here I am, a year later...

One design-inclined ego, Citylightsytic, at your service. My other egos will be getting frisky at different addresses.

In Citylightsytic I'll be employing every single neuron and synapse to mull over artwork, events, and creatives. This will serve a combination of purposes: to be a library of references, a showcase of personal work, and a vehicle for inspiring (read: forcing) my own exploratory design thinking. The latter is especially important since for too long I've remained acquainted only with the elements and principles of art/design, and I definitely intend on graduating into history and theory. Until then, I will be holding my glass of wine with all the delicacy of a child, "This is a beautiful color of wine. Look how the curvature in this glass reflects shit in a really cool way. Shiinnyy."

Naturally I hope you enjoy this and I always look forward to any discussion.



A little background:

The moment I recognized my dad drawing a pirate from the name "Joe" on a napkin at our regular Saturday McDonald's visit (yes, because I am loved. Also at 5 years old I think I screamed "McDonald's" all day long), I fell in love with the fact that there was a secret in the picture, a "layered" meaning. Since then I've always derived pleasure in art, trying to understand the mysterious nature behind paintings and hiding my own stories in overdecorated doodles. There is a gross amount of vanity and confidence in this, but I could never stop indulging myself. I experience inexplicable joy in connecting pencil to paper. Drawing is also the way I've recorded important occurrences or feelings in my life. From drawing the picture of a happy stick figure family being devoured by sunlight, to scratching in the accusing, abstracted faces in my sketchbook, to painting surreal destinations on canvas, I am freed in ways writing and conversation never do. In writing, I am always imprisoned by the end of a piece and in conversation, confined by a paralyzing fear of being exposed as ridiculous and childish (truth). For example, that roaring in a workplace is a "bad idea" still baffles me. I'm pretty sure the same person who made this rule also invented The Pear of Anguish. Or had it rammed up his ass multiple times on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Probably in his nostrils, too. Then I might understand why he just couldn't forgive the world. Anyway, so I dig Art, which eventually lead me into Design. And the story continues from here. in probably disorganized thought bits.

Have a good night, I'm off to hunt my dreams for The Great Crispy Bacon Whale on tsunami waves of fantasy expensive foam mattress.