Barack Obama Poster

Barack Obama Poster

This Shepard Fairey acrylic paint is the most widely distributed version of Barack Obama poster and came to represent his 2008 presidential campaign. Design was created in one day and Fairey sold 350 of the posters on the street immediately after printing them, and the image became iconic, one of the most widely recognized symbols of Obama's campaign message. In 2009 Fairey's Obama portrait was feathered in  the book Art for Obama: Designing Manifest Hope and the Campaign for Change.

Interestingly, the poster was  more often associated with autocrats and dictators, just like Lenin. There is an opinion that Fairey transformed the photograph and created a powerful new, radically different meaning. These trivial changes makes creation process not clear and are behind the poster. Fairey found ab photograph of Obama using search and creating the original poster design in a single day. In interviews, he has said that he made various alternations to the image he used and that the poster is hand-illustrated image. In fact, Fairey produced two other versions, based on different photographs, officially on behalf of Obama campaign. He himself was commissioned to create a number of works in the same style.

According to Steven Heller, graphic designer, the poster was inspired by Social Realism and, while widely praised as original and unique, can be seen as part of a long tradition of contemporary artists drawing inspiration from political candidates. Doubtless, Fairey primary objective was to depict Obama in a way that would increase his chance of winning. Using patriotic palette such as red, white and blue, and eyes gazing upward, create political pose that would elevate him to iconic status. Eyes on the horizon and soaked face in red-and-blue create optimism that Obama could be a constructive figure enough to build hope.

REFERENCES:

Heller, S. Vienne, V. (2012) 100 ideas of Graphic Design, London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd.

law.marquette.edu/.../the-obama-“hope”-poster-case 

www.gq-magazine.co.uk/.../shepard-fairey-obey-hope-art-posters-interview 

Afghanistan Girl

Afghanistan Girl

Afghanistan Girl ( Sharbat Gula) by Steve McCurry is his most iconic photograph taken in 1984 at a refugee camp in Pakistan. Not typical for photo-journalistic work captures not only stunning moments and also the dramatic stories behind the moments. At the time the photograph was taken, Sharbat Gula was anonymous until 2002 when National Geographic Explorer sent a team to try to find her. The second time when McCurry saw her, the girl was older and more worn, but she had the same haunting eyes.

Rather than focusing on the war in Afghanistan itself, McCurry concentrates on the human consequences. Putting a face with meaningful eyes he captured her very soul. Girl’s eyes are sad and hopeless as life in Afghanistan, the most challenging  place for women. “If you wait people will forget your camera and the soul will drift up into view” (McCurry).  In my opinion, this is source of McCurry’s portraits being as alive as the energy is coming through showing the humanity in the scene. Vibrant colours and subject work in perfect harmony together, but driven by a sense of wonder about the world and human condition towards disadvantaged population.  

McCurry is widely acknowledged as one of the best photographers in the industry, and has been for decades. He seems to thrive on the adventure and has the reputation as one of the hardest of hard-core shooters. He’s been arrested in Pakistan and Burma; mortared, shot at and robbed in Afghanistan, beaten up and nearly drowned in India; and almost killed in an ultralight crash in Bosnia. Even through all of that, when you look at McCurry’s portraits you can see “A picture can express a universal humanism, or simply reveal a delicate and poignant truth by exposing a slice of life that might otherwise pass unnoticed” (Steve McCurry).

Reference:

http://www.trustineducation.org

http://fadedandblurred.com

Urban Emptiness

   Urban Empitness

This icons 1942 oil painting Nighthawks by Edward Hopper is one of the most famous American works of art of the 20th century. According to the artist, the painting is based on a real restaurant in Hopper's New York Greenwich Avenue, but its carefully constructed composition has universal quality.

It seems to be a scene taken straight out of a classic Hollywood film. The dark streets outside is contrasted with the florescent light illuminating the inside. The lady sitting at the bar between the barman on the right side and a man on the left side at the bar draw viewer attention. She looks like femme fatal with her red hair, red lipstick and evening dress from the popular Hollywood movie trend. Two professional looking men remind classic detective films too, wearing dark suits and hats being a staple costume of Humphrey Bogart.

Edward Hopper features these film character archetypes in the form of three night persons sitting at a counter in a late night diner, usually a straight-laced male private eye detective and a mysterious and seductive female fatal referenced to the popular Hollywood movie such as The Maltese Falcon, one of the most famous examples of classic Hollywood film and based on a detective novel by author Dashiell Hammett. Streetlights, night time settings, dark street, front empty dead space, man sitting alone looking down at the bar all together build sterility and mystery.

Depicted night dinner in which three customers lost in their own thoughts implies message lying beneath glamour that define America. Although some of his composition conveys sensuous imagery sexually charged, his men, and especially his women display a sense of distance. The male viewer might look at Hopper’s women as sexual objects, but hardly as a potential wife to bear. Hopper’s painting transforms reality to the modern experimental life and art with deep understanding light playing on simplified shapes. The four anonymous and uncommunicative night persons seem to be separate and remote from the viewer as they are from one another. Loneliness of a large city, human isolation and urban emptiness show universal human condition with viewer participated. Despite its surface beauty, this world is one measured in cups of coffee with a deep desire, but ultimate inability, to connect with those around us.

References:

smarthistory.khanacademy.org/hoppers-nighthawks.html 

http://www.edwardhopper.net

Adidas Logo

  Success of the Adidas Logo

               Branding images in nutshell presents evolution of one the most iconic company logo.

In 1949 Adidas logo was designed and introduced by founder, Adi Dassler, who first used the three stripes on Adidas footwear making the company instantly recognizable. In 1971 highly simplistic black three stripes evaluated when Käthe and Adi Dassler created the Trefoil logo as an additional mark of the Adidas brand. The theme of three stripes is still evident in the look, they cross the leaves diagonally. This logo represents the fact that Adidas brand was a lot larger and more diverse that it used to be while still keeping the classic Adidas look. It is still used on some of their products, particularly their line of classic products.

Most of their high-performance products have moved on to a third and final logo. The slanted three bars were introduced by Peter Moore as an integrated corporate design and it represents some of the finest equipment that Adidas sells. This logo more than the others is supposed to have a lot of meaning. Keeping the three stripes being known for, company also add something to give the logo some power. It was made to look like the shape of a mountain to symbolize challenges to be faced and goals to be achieved.

Success of the Adidas logo probably started in a very simple design. Three black stripes makes for a very striking design, and it can be placed on almost any product. The fact that no Adidas logo changes too much from the original design means that all of their logos empower their brand without the risk of going unrecognised.

Opinions about the design of the Adidas logo may be different but there is no doubt that it is effective as almost anyone who sees it can tell it belongs to Adidas. It seems to be Trefoil the most appreciation in opposite to bars which may look for somebody dumb.

References:

www.adidas-group.com

http://uk.complex.com/

ttps://www.logaster.com/blog/adidas-logo

http://www.neogaf.com/forum

Google Logo

Google Logo 

Deliberate simple approach effective captures attention and daily inspiration gets the message across straight away. The literal indoor scene, sofa with the keys may suggest the importance of buying new own home giving strong first impression. However, wider meaning is created together by the keys in the central part in the picture and Google logo with search field in the bottom right corner.

Because we can’t find here any details of the literal estate agent, the message behind the primary image is: how much simpler life would be if we possess the keys - Google searching - to find everyday objects that have tendency to go missing. 

Daily inspiration, minimalist style in white and subtle tones with colorful Google logo highlight remarkable concept for creative resolution to advert a multimedia Google’s campaign. Great idea, Fantastic, Destination very large – there are just few opinions about the advert. In great average positive impression there are also some negative, e.g. …biggest key shadow could be well “photoshoped”, These don’t make any sense, No agency given, but  - in my opinion -  there is Google clever invitation to go through the research.

References:

www.pinterest.com/integraphix/print (accessed 12 10 2014)

www.dailyinspiration.nl/creative-ads-google (accessed 11 10 2014)

www.dzinepress.com/2010/.../30-coolest-minimalist-print-ads (accessed 11 10 2014)

www.smashingtips.com/35-creative-ads-that-makes-you-look-twice (accessed 11 10 2014)