Archive for the Art Category
Apr18
Refresh for digital music standard MIDI
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MIDI’s new logo and identity was created as an interaction between visual and sonic, for the next generation of music makers and music lovers, by musician Yuri Suzuki together with graphic designer Sascha Lobe – both Pentagram partners.
„Taking centre stage in the identity, the trademark is inspired by musical forms, such as the Stuttgart pitch, which is an oscilloscope reading of sine waves at a frequency of 440 Hz. The Stuttgart pitch serves as a tuning standard for the musical note of A above middle C, or A4 in scientific pitch notation. A440 has been widely adopted as a reference frequency to calibrate acoustic equipment and to tune various musical instruments.
The wordmark design also references the shape of Lissajous curves, which are graphs of a system of parametric equations used to describe complex harmonic motion. The finalized design represents a modulation shape between 440 Hz – 880 Hz which is globally recognized as a tone for tuning instruments.
The sonic logo complements the wordmark design, creating a mirror between sound and vision. The pitch starts out at 440 Hz and then rises to 880 Hz, with subtle wave shape and stereo modulation. There is an anticipatory feeling to the sonic identity, similar to that of an orchestra tuning to 440 Hz or Strauss’ ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’. The simplicity and power of these pitches can create a Pavlovian response. Minimal orchestral strings complement the sine waves.” – tells Pentagram.
Since 1981, MIDI is globally recognizable by musicians, DJ’s, producers or educators, and it has radically changed the way electronic musical instruments communicate between them, facilitating the connection of computers and other audio devices.
MIDI standards are overseen by the non-profit MIDI Association.
Who hasn’t heard of Chiquita? The most famous banana celebrates art through great 12 female portraits, “made” by famous artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Picasso or Andy Warhol.
Since 1944, when the name Chiquita was introduced, until now the stamp has changed many times, often hosting artistic contributions, such as that of Romero Britto (2018).
The 12 stickers, created by comics artist Mariangela Rinaldi, reinterpreting famous artworks in a personal manner. “Each banana thus becomes a new and fun way to pamper yourself in a moment of excellent taste, both with fruit and art”, she says.
And so, on the Chiquita stickers we find the portrait of Adele Bloch-Chiquita, by Gustav Klimt, The Birth of the Chiquita, by Sandro Botticelli, The Portrait of a Chiquita Banana with a Hat, by Amedeo Modigliani or The Banana L’étoile Chiquita, by Edgar Degas etc.
We invite you to recognize them yourself!
Jul25
Abstract: The Art of Design, a new Netflix documentary
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If you don’t saw yet the new free series of creative documentaries made by Netflix, entitled Abstract: The Art of Design, well, maybe now is the time. The whole series contains 8 episodes, but we have choose for now the most important for us: Paula Scher: Graphic Design.
Netflix: „In this episode: Graphic designer Paula Scher paints with words, developing the visual language of iconic brands and institutions around the world.”
Abstract: The Art of Design | Paula Scher: Graphic Design | FULL EPISODE | Netflix
Aug24
Few logo design principles and thoughts
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Paul Rand, one of the most influential graphic designers of the 20th century, alongside with Saul Bass and Milton Glaser, evokes in his book A Designer’s Art (1985), Cézanne‘s letter to Émile Bernard (Aix-en-Provence, April 15, 1890): “It treats nature with the help of the cylinder, sphere, cone, everything to bring it to an appropriate perspective, so that each part of an object or plan is directed to a central point.” He things that the statement is “perhaps, the most influential statement to affect the course of modern painting, not because of the blind grip, but because the reference to the cylinder, sphere and cone was taken out of context (see Theodore Reff, ‘Cézanne and Poussin‘ – 1960) and misinterpreted innocently: a simple lesson from the Renaissance perspective was constructed to mean that geometric simplicity will now play an important role in how we perceive modern painting.
Léger and Malevich‘s work, circa 1912, literally illustrates this error and shows how accidents are often the source of important discoveries.”
In addition to that, Rand highlights the fundamental role that simplicity plays in visual communication, beyond all 7 principles of logo design stated by him: distinctiveness, visibility, useability, memorability, universality, durability and timelessness.
Twitter, WWF or Apple logo are just a few examples of simplicity.
Of course, there are many famous logo designs, like these, in the business sector, but beyond them, Paul Rand concludes: „It is easier to remember a good designed image than one that is muddled. A well designed logo, in the end, is a reflection of the business it symbolizes. It connotes a thoughtful and purposeful enterprise and mirrors the quality of its products or services. It is good public relations – a harbinger of goodwill. It says ‘We care’.”
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