To say that the end result is what counts is just not true. Especially in design. Rather, a good designer is more concerned with the process; that winding, potholed road he embarks upon every time he gets a new job.

“Manifesto.” is an ongoing project that leaves the final result to one side so as to focus on the creative process. It brings together under one roof the personal manifestos of some of today’s smartest and most renowned international designers.

Whilst some of these statements are very well known, others have been prepared exclusively for the project: some are programmatic pieces of writing, some are detailed work manuals, all are passionate tributes to graphic design, creativity and the design culture.

Reading these manifestos without the authors work shown alongside is an interesting set up as the reality of the finished product does not interfere with the readers interpretation of the words and ideas. Although I am aware of many of the designers work it was still novel to read the words and not see the work – the ideas on process and ‘design philosophy’ can then be taken at their face value and I can imagine more easily applying those ideas to my own work and design processes.

Going back about seven years, when 20three was a working studio, I toyed with the idea of writing a manifesto, or a statement of intent. It never materialized and looking back I think I was lacking the clarity of purpose that is needed to put such concise thoughts to paper. Reading these collected manifestos is inspiring and has given me the motivation to look again at seeing if I can sum up my own design philosophy in a short manifesto.

I wanted to re-produce a couple of the manifestos so readers of this blog get a taste of the book – there are a few I could have chosen but The cult of Done by Bre Pettis and Kio Stark is definitely one of my favorites, possibly as it made me smile the most.

The cult of Done Manifesto

01 There are three states of being. Not knowing, action and completion.

02 Accept that everything is a draft. It helps to get done.

03 There is no editing stage.

04 Pretending you know what you’re doing is almost the same as knowing what you are doing, so just accept that you know what you’re doing even if you don’t and do it.

05 Banish procrastination. If you wait more than a week to get an idea done, abandon it.

06 The point of being done is not to finish but to get other things done.

07 Once you’re done you can throw it away.

08 Laugh at perfection. It’s boring and keeps you from being done.

09 People without dirty hands are wrong. Doing something makes you right.

10 Failure counts as done. So do mistakes.

11 Destruction is a variant of done.

12 If you have an idea and publish it on the internet, that counts as a ghost of done.

13 Done is the engine of more.

Although the book is now sold out, you can read the manifesto’s here: http://www.manifestoproject.it

op

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1. Jost Hochuli: Detail in Typography
2. Degree Show: University of Brighton
3. Science Fiction book covers: a small selection

Dark Chamber

From the site:

Dark Chamber is a new exhibition of pinhole photography which opens at Dimbola Lodge on 1st April 2011. The exhibition brings together a selection of photographs by Billy Childish, Nhung Dang, Wolf Howard and Dave Wise.

Selecting pinholes made over the past decade Dark Chamber aims to reveal something of the daily lives, travels and interests of the respective photographers.

Find out more here.

op

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1. Photographer: Nhung Dang
2. Photographer’s stamp
3. Holga Experiments

The show is a mixture of disciplines and to my mind some of it erred on the interactive for the sake of it side, sort of pretty and funny but not much to it and then there was work that was truly impressive. The winner of the Prix Ars Electronica in the music and sound art category, Ryoichi Kurokawa was one of the most satisfying digital works I have ever seen.

A beautiful installation of 5 vertical screens, described as a time-based sculpture Rheo: 5 Horizons from the Greek meaning river, it showed landscapes which were broken into digital analyses with corresponding audio tracks. It was so beautifully realised in every way that I would of happily spent 4 days looking at it.

One of the big surprises for me came on the last morning, I’d been recommended to seek out an installation in one of the basements called ‘Song for Earth’, a truly woeful title but by all accounts a lovely piece. I finally found the right corner of the complex and found a low basement space with a single electric guitar on a stand plugged into a small practice amp, there was an electric screwdriver attached to a mic stand which rotated a piece of cord against the frets of the guitar creating a nice sustained drone, as you moved through the space other guitars were placed throughout creating a shifting phased drone that followed you. A really simple piece that was really effective. It was made more impressive by the fact that it turned out to be the work of an 8 year old boy. Sort of demystifying both modern sound art as well as the avant music scene. Nice work.

It’s impossible to adequately describe the scope of the work due to the sheer amount going on but some highlights for me were Merrick by Daan van den Berg, 216 prepared dc-motors / filler wire 1.0mm, 2009 by Zimoun, Chapter I: The Discovery by Félix Luque Sánchez and Earth by Finnbogi Pétursson. There were also some great performances going on over the weekend, notably the Braun Tube Jazz Band by Japanese artist Ei Wada, I don’t know how he did it but he managed to make a collection of old CRT televisions behave like bastardised Theremins and he gave a really joyous demo of what he was capable of, a weird mix of Taiko drumming and Gabba.

On the other hand Telenoid was massively disturbing and it made me feel a bit funny. Why the flipper arms?

Ars Electronica has been running in Linz for 31 years and is testament to the forward looking nature of the city, I will hopefully return next year for another showcase of great work.

dl

Related posts:

1. 20three generative work 2002

To keep my talk manageable I have decided to talk about the development of typographic design in relation to the birth and growth of Modernism, starting from the early 1900’s and up to the present day.

Details about were and when my talk is happening can be found here.

Find out about Flash Brighton here

op

Related posts:

1. Photographer’s stamp
2. Jost Hochuli: Detail in Typography
3. Typographic Brighton

From the Blast Theory website:

Blast Theory is renowned internationally as one of the most adventurous artists’ groups using interactive media, creating groundbreaking new forms of performance and interactive art that mixes audiences across the internet, live performance and digital broadcasting.

Anyhow, I was invited along to the ‘premier’ of the documentation of their latest work Ulrike and Eamon Compliant at Blast Theory’s quite swanky studios just outside Brighton. Having not experienced Ulrike and Eamon Compliant firsthand I can’t comment on it, but the short film and supporting book documenting the work was enough to make me want to experience it for myself. The wine was nice too.

The book is beautifully designed by John Hunter, simple two column grid with a swiss flavour. I particularly like the cover, no messing about:

Blast Theory

To read all about Ulrike and Eamon Compliant go here:

The DVD and book I am told should be on sale from the blast theory website soon – also check their website for information on upcoming projects.

op

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1. The Glenkiln Sculptures

The collection is housed in what used to be a recording studio and the location sits very well with the objects and images, small rooms linked by smaller corridors opening into a larger room, filled floor to ceiling with the most obsessive imagery I’ve ever seen. The collection is selected by artists, musicians and writers but don’t let that spoli it, you might like David Byrne. Each curator has written a small text explaining their choices. Some of these are very annoying, some are better. Nick Cave managed to get to the nub of it for me with the text ‘Louis Wain is my favourite painter ever’. Fair enough eh?

There are some truly startling paintings, illustrations and installations on view here, the product of a persons obsessions and compulsions. This is not art made for the consideration by others, this is true art, made because the artist has no other choice but to get it out of their head. Highlights for me were the Aleksander P Lobanov collection and the Henry Darger panels, a twisted Norman Rockwell of adolescence and fear.

Get up there and see it, don’t think it’s going to be on for much longer.

dl

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Well, I am a little late posting this, last chance to see it is the 11th June. The standard of work is pleasingly high and I expect the degree show website will be live for a little longer.  Good luck to the graduates.

Here are a couple of images that I thought were particularly interesting.

Chris Smith: BA(Hons) Illustration

Saly Troughton: BA(Hons) Graphic Design

Joe Wood: BA(Hons) Illustration

Lizzie Wylson: BA(Hons) Graphic Design

op

Related posts:

1. Photographer: Nhung Dang

The work Donwood produces is diverse, his process and approach I really admire – he is an accomplished printmaker, his woodcut work for Thom York’s solo album Eraser (see below) a great example of his expertise in printmaking. I also appreciate his use of type – the In Raindows and Hail to the Thief album artwork both utilise type to great effect.

Donwood has produced a exclusive print for the show; find out about this cynical marketing ploy and more about the exhibition here.

The Eraser Thom Yorke

op

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