12 April 2011

Ctrl - Z

Ctrl - Z represents a cross-section of work done by the ENGL304 - Digital Art class held for the first time this past winter. Students were introduced to aspects of graphic design and illustration and asked to employ these principles to make 2D print art (i.e. not time-based or interactive art). The works were primarily created in either Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator or a combination of both.

On top of having to learn the digital architecture of these programs students were given further formal restrictions pertaining to each assignment: line, shape and colour (no free-form lines) for assignment 1 and text with/or not with shape and/or colour and/or line (again, no free-form lines) for assignment 2. For the final assignment they were asked to have a drawn/scanned or photographic element in combination with text, shape, colour and line (free-form permitted this time) to render their concept or idea.

The problem to be resolved here is that graphic design more times than not brings the form and content (the expression, the message) to the viewer, it is direct, quick and almost percussive in its effect. Art, on the other hand often asks the viewer to come to it, to be immersed and engaged, by being more subtle. So I have asked the students to try and make art by using design elements, parameters and digital design programs. This is parallel to asking for a musical ballad on a digital synthesizer switched to the drum module.


The works are by:            
  Andrea Fredeen, Dandan Lan, Gloria St.John, Gwynne Bilski, Jae Waller, Jan McEachen,
  Jeremy Johnson, Jinyuan Hao, Joanna Smythe, Josh Shortt, Lakeysha O’Neill, Miranda Marcotte, 
  Yuqing Xu, Yusuke Harato.

The show runs April 11 - 30th, 2011 with a closing reception on Thursday the 28th at 7pm.

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