Yesterday I watched Milton Glaser: To Inform & Delight a movie by Arthouse Films directed by Wendy Keys.

Starting it I had no expectations about the movie. As a graphic designer studying art history I really want to learn more about the designers who have made an impression on the art world – Glaser is definitely one. Two of his most famous contributions are the iconic Bob Dylan poster

and

In truth I do not believe their is a person in the modern world who can say they have not seen his influence.

Watching him work, directing others on what he wants designed on a computer screen it reminds me that he comes from a time before computer design. A time I honestly wish I had the chance to experience and it makes me cheer to see someone who believes that a computer can never fully replace the artist and his pencil. For all the technological advancements there is something very powerful that one gains from stepping away from the computer screen and approaching design with only your hands.

Glaser’s work is known around the world and influenced more than poster design and the movie shows the many areas he has explored including restaurant design. So many moments during the movie I wanted to write down what he was saying, there is an enormous amount of wisdom which he shares of the design, art and the world. At one point he talks about the importance of travel and opening your self to the world that you cannot see the works of Gaudi and not be effected. I love this, so often travel and exploration is seen as frivolous and something that people “try” to fit into their lives rather than make part of their lives. Think of all the great things that could happen if everyone actually did experience the world more, all the inventions and changes in attitude of other culture. I think the answers to everything lay in that thought.

If you don’t have a chance to watch the movie (Netflix has it on watch it now), the next best thing is to just read Ten Things I Have Learned. I wanted to applaud the man with each point he made – pure brilliance and true creativity.

Links:

• milton glaser
• designboom article

Book are a very big part of my life, and I think that they have always been. I was not a child that had a TV in my bedroom, so I would read at night and when we would visit my grandmother for the summer I would take all the Nancy Drew books out of the library by her house that I could find.  Part of my inspiration for this blog was the book Art Talk and over the last few years I have been collecting art books of various types and not actually reading them. When I looked the other day I realized that I have at least two unread books on Monet, a book on Sargent that I did not realize I had and I have added half-a-dozen art museum related books to my goodreads to read list in the last four months. What has happened now is that I have too many books that I want to read and don’t have the time to do so.

If I decide to follow this path all the way to teaching I will have to be the one writing the books. A weird concept to me, to have my work published, work I believe in and care about. One day several years back  I was interviewed for a book. When it happened I was at my old job and really did not want to be doing any work so I went along with the phone call figuring that the worst that could happen was that I would kill a few hours that day. Honestly I never thought that this was real or that I would ever hear from the guy again, but a few months later I received an email to sign off that I had said these things and that he could publish the information. Again, never thought the book would actually be printed. Well it was.

I have never actually seen the physical book but have seen my name in print on Google books which is pretty cool. The quality of the information or rather there way not be much value in the book Breaking Into Graphic Design now as things change so quickly in the field. With school I have been doing a lot of reading lately, not as much as some other people I know, but have completed ten books so far this year.  I will add another to that list later this week and if I were to count all the essays, chapters of books I have been reading the number of pages would be another book alone.

Just a week ago I finished a book on Remedios Varo, Unexpected Journeys and found it fascinating  I had learned about Varo in my Latin American Art class I took last spring and am now working on a research paper on her so that was “required reading” but one in which I really enjoyed. Once I complete my research paper I want to do her justice on these pages, but until then I will simply say that fitting her work into one category is not possible.

Her fantastic worlds and uncanny juxtapositions are pure Surrealism (hours of reading on Surrealism have taught me to say “uncanny juxtapositions”), but her technique is to detailed and narrative to be Surrealist. Her paintings are completely her, I do not know who I would compare her to.

Listening to now: Adele Turning Tables via YouTube