OUGD504 Studio Brief 03 - "A brief history of...website" (extended brief) - Briefing

Content:

My summer project consisted of my digital experiments with type focusing on contemporary Graphic Design, blog culture, new aesthetic and rejection of a well ruled modernist approach.

Relating to the previous 'My Design Process Brief', I approach all briefs carrying existing Morals, Aspirations and Inspirations. Informed by these, my interest in such an aesthetic and concept focuses my interest here.

My work in last years 'Speaking From Experience' began a keen interest in blog culture and an attraction to this new aesthetic along with conceptual art and design. I have been curating my own blog for 2+ years; this is the origin of my interest.

http://kieranwalsh.tumblr.com/  

After further research into such an aesthetic, the title of 'The Pretty Ugly' became the classification of the style. At this point I know a lot of research into the style/movement has to be done, I have ordered several sources of content to indulge in but for now, my basis of research will be online.

'Pretty Ugly' by Twopoints.net.

The description of the book: 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The painting "The Young Ladies of Avignon" by Picasso was initially scorned but is now considered to be seminal to the development of cubism. The dissonance and complex rhythm structures of Stravinsky’s ballet music "The Rite of Spring" caused a scandal when it premiered, but the composition now ranks among the most important musical works of the twentieth century.

While art was allowed to be ugly, design had to function. Although for hundreds of years new artistic styles were established through aesthetic upheaval, new trends in graphic design and visual communication were, until recently, variations on what was generally considered to be appealing. But in the last few years, those working in these creative disciplines started to rebel. Dada-esque graphics or unreadable typography began to be used as a way to claim a unique style advantage.

"Pretty Ugly" is a diverse collection of these recent aesthetic, methodological and conceptual rampages not only in the fields of graphic design and visual communication, but also in product design, fashion design, art, and photography. The originators of this work consciously use unusual or negatively perceived forms, colors, and perspectives or transgresive process in an attempt to blaze new creative trails.

The variety of examples in "Pretty Ugly" may still be considered by some to be ugly, but they are already influencing the vanguard of tomorrow’s design.'

A very short email conversation I had with the author of the book, he seemed reluctant to get into great discussion, it would have been great to get an opinion on the style/ concept in a contemporary context:

I purchased the June 2012 issue of Creative Review, the month in which the book 'The Pretty Ugly' was released, inside there is an interview with the books editors, the man I attempted to talk with, Martin Lorenz and Lupi Asensio.

The interview can be found online here:
http://twopoints.net/en/project/pretty-ugly-in-creative-review


Similar to the publication, Type only is a focus of contemporary typographic design. Distortions, gradients, angles, illusions and effects are present, similar to that classed as being 'Pretty Ugly'. Conceptual design rejecting agreed 'good design' modernist principles.

The relation of the content to my research is ideal, I have also proposed to create a discussion on the topic of this relationship between art and graphic design for my context of practice module. Hopefully this shall inform my COP work and vice versa.