#I realized my passion really is just. Toys but also animation and combining the medium would be a DREAM

[glitterhoof]

i want to have my own toy line and movie so bad

[bennettcollective-blog]

Artist: Elizabeth Aline

(Disclaimer: All photographs on this post are courtesy of Elizabeth Aline)

Elizabeth Aline is an 18 year old photographer from Kent, England. Elizabeth's work varies between film, polaroid, and digital photographs which combine to make a beautiful collection of hazy, colorful images. She uses both Tumblr and Instagram to share her work with the world.

As a Tumblr user myself, it is hard to ignore the popularity that 90's culture and fashion has on current teens. The soft focus and intentional griminess of photography witnessed in grunge style has definitely had an impact on the photographs that teens have been making in recent years. Elizabeth's work has those aspects as she experiments with multiple ways to create a photograph, but her work explores much more than that.

Through the use of color and personal points of view Elizabeth creates a different type of photography that takes shape into the form of a dream. Her photographs bring the viewer along as she documents her unique personal points-of-view.

[Back to Basics]

Favorite food? Pasta or hummus on toast.

Spirit animal? Alpaca or deer.

Favorite childhood toy? A small dog called Skippy I got when I was five, and I haven’t let go of him since.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Cornwall, England. It’s a very calming place with a dynamic landscape that’s always changing.

Your top 5 favorite songs? Atomic by Blondie, Oh! You Pretty Things by David Bowie, Grudges by Paramore, Jaded by Green Day, and Feel Right At Home by Dead Sara.

[Down to Business]

Bennett Collective: How and why did you start shooting?

Elizabeth Aline: When I started taking photos I didn't have much reason... it was something I really wanted to start doing with art. I was never patient enough to practice drawing, but the spontaneous documentation of photography allowed me to practice, and I had my first commission within seven months of picking up a camera. It felt like an instant connection, I didn't have a reason to start taking photos. Now it has evolved into my spontaneous mind whirring and allowing me to take instant photos and instant works of art, something I've always wanted to do.

BC: Who and what inspires you?

EA: I'm heavily inspired by Impressionist art and painters in general. I know for a fact I wouldn't have experimented with art and found photography if it wasn't for a book on Claude Monet my mum would get out the library.

Artists such as Frida Kahlo give me a ton of inspiration. She painted in such a surreal manner that has me almost scared to look at it. With paintings, the thing does not need to exist, with photography, it has to exist to be captured. And I hope one day we can take Surreal art into photography fully, and create scenes that are concerning and weird, but exist, and that's what'll makes them weirder.

As for photography, David Hockney's photography is a huge inspiration to me. The candid nature and the mixed medium messes with perception, and I love that.

Finally, my own anxiety and perception of self inspire me to take many self portraits, to keep my documentation raw and personal, with a touch of Abstract and Surreal art in there too.

BC: I think it's unique how you're using photography to blog, but your photographs are also documenting something. Was this your reason for starting your (Tumblr) blog?

EA: I started my blog about a year ago. I had a lot of photography in my mind at that time that I didn't know how to document and I used my blog to simply post my progress as an artist, but also to look and see how other photographers and artists used their blogs to document art. My blog became a place of artistic experimentation that allowed me to discover the joy of spontaneous documentation.

BC: Have you found inspiration on Tumblr and if so how has that changed/helped your work?

EA: Tumblr taught me to experiment really, allowing myself to try editing, to work with point and shoot cameras and make everything into art. I'd say it has helped me gain confidence in my work and I've definitely been inspired by other creators on there.

BC: How has Tumblr's response to your photography been like compared to Instagram?

EA: On Tumblr, the comments in the tags, the reblogs, likes and occasional anonymous messages feel so much more genuine than the comments and likes on Instagram. While both have given me lots of opportunities to be seen by creators and get some commissions, it feels like those who reblog my photography on Tumblr genuinely like it, as opposed to just double tapping and scrolling away on Instagram. There is more of a sense of community on my Tumblr page, which I like. But, Instagram makes sharing faster and it seems to reach a larger audience, although I have more followers on Tumblr. Both have their pros, but I always share my work on Tumblr first. Tumblr just feels like a safer place to be hyper experimental and creative with all art.

BC: When I looked at your Tumblr archive and saw a bunch of photographs at once it felt like everything is connected. It also feels like I am a fly on the wall looking through someone's personal documentation of their life. This is what I see, but what do you see in your work?

EA: For me, my photography is very much personal documentation in the most surreal and eerie way I can imagine. I want to just capture every instant in life, my anxiety comes and goes, but I like to keep every moment in my photography surreal and somewhat anxious. For me, I just want my photography to be a place of personal thought, with a surreal edge to it that creates the feeling that the photos are all simply a dream.

BC: The colors in your photographs are gorgeous and definitely heighten the emotion in each one. Is color one of your main focuses when you look through your view-finder?

EA: For sure, I went through the usual teenage phase of 'black is my favorite colour'. I think after awhile I realized how much I love colour, how much I love to experiment with colour and how much colour changes my creative process. My film photography looks at colour in a soft, natural way that I think can only truly be documented on film. My digital photography focuses on those neon, emotion tugging colours that I adore and that stings the eyes and plays with the mind. As much as I love my soft colours, I'm very happy to be experimenting with colour and emotion far more than before.

BC: You said that your blog tracked your progress as an artist, do you have any ideas of what your photography might bring in the future? Any hopes?

EA: In an ideal world I'd love to become a full-time photographer, with my photos in galleries across the world and use my art to make money by selling prints, etc. But, I think if that never came around, I'd love to curate other people's photography for galleries. Writing and talking about photography is what I'm passionate about, and by curating I'd be able to keep the conversation of photography as an art form alive. In fairness though, who says I can't do both?

[meganvermaakillustration]

Event 6: Self-motivated project

I started my project by answering the various questions we were given:

Who inspires you? Why?

A lot of people inspire me, but the three main ones in the creative field are: Laura Carlin, Marie Cardouat and Jon Klassen.

I am inspired by Laura Carlin (see figure 1) because she loves to tell stories through her work, often in unusual ways; she is inspired by children, just like I am; and she likes to use open narrative, which I find very interesting as the reader is then able to choose how the narrative ends, giving the story endless possibilities.

I am also inspired by Marie Cardouat (see figure 3 and 4). I recently came across her work and immediately loved it. She inspires me because she is young, just like me; she illustrated the board game Dixit which is just beautiful; and the way she became a board game illustrator was actually an accident, which I find inspiring and exciting because you never know what you might end up doing in the creative field.

Lastly, I am inspired by Jon Klassen (see figure 2). I have been inspired by his illustration technique for a while and I recently read an interview with him discussing his book ‘Sam and Dave dig a hole’, which I found really inspiring. Jon Klassen spoke about how illustrations in a book are the child’s territory and how the illustrations can give out extra information- information that maybe even the author isn’t aware of. This inspires me because it really shows the importance of illustrations in children’s books and also the endless possibilities for illustrations in a book.

What inspires you? Why?

Again, a lot of things inspire me, but three main things that are relative to my creative work include children, teachers and therapists.

I am inspired by children because of their creative imaginations, their willingness to learn, how they play and how they pick up on things that adults often miss.

I am inspired by teachers and therapists because I actually wanted to be a teacher or an occupational therapist before I decided to study design. They have such a big influence over the lives of children and I wanted to be a part of that influence- now I am finding that I can still do that through my creative work which really inspires me.

I was further inspired when I read an article about why illustrations for children’s books are important. The article mentioned things like: it motivates children to read; it strengthens visual thinking; improves listening; builds self-confidence and control; serves as effective learning tools; refines the skill of children; simplifies things and in a safe manner; and it builds vocabulary. This inspired me because it reassured me that I can have an impact in children’s lives by being an illustrator.

What types of illustration do you like?

I obviously enjoy child-friendly illustrations and I also love humorous illustrations. After being exposed to Marie Cardouat’s illustrations I realized that I also have a love for illustrations with a ‘magical’ quality. (See figures 5, 6 and 7).

What types of illustration do you dislike?

Some types of illustration that I am not too crazy about include very realistic or geometrical illustrations and illustrations that are too abstract. When I say that I dislike these illustrations I mean that I don’t enjoy creating illustrations that look this way- it doesn’t mean I don’t like to look at them or that I do not appreciate those kinds of illustrations.

What are your strengths as an illustrator?

I have realized that I am good at time-management, vector, watercolour, working neatly and that my illustrations naturally tend to be child-friendly.

What are your weaknesses?

I often find that I play it too safe when I illustrate and that I stay in my comfort zone too much. I have also begun to realize the difference between neatness (which is a strength) and perfection (which is more of a weakness when it limits my creativity and image-making).

What direction or industry do you want to pursue?

I definitely want to pursue a direction involving children which could lead to things in play therapy, education, clothes, book illustration or board game design.

Specific industries that I would like to be in include textile design for children’s clothes, book illustration, board game illustration and educational illustration.

How will this fit with you as an illustrator?

I will be able to use both my creativity and my passion for children to create something that will positively affect children’s lives. I can show that illustration has a deeper, more meaningful purpose and can be used to help a child in their education.

Mediums and techniques?

For my final project I would like to try and combine by vector and watercolour technique together and see what the result is.

List of possible projects?

I made a long list of projects I could possibly do for my final event- a children’s book that isn’t bound and has little or no text; a children’s book that has a fold out or incorporated game; 2 games, one for children and an adult version; giant illustrations of a narrative and the narrative would change depending on how you walk through them; a children’s bedtime story and pajama series; a children’s book and memory game that follows the book…

I thought big and small and just wrote down any idea that came to mind. This gave me a lot of possibilities and allowed me to really think creatively.

My favourite project idea?

When I looked through my list of projects I realized that there were three main recurring ideas: a children’s book, a game and clothes. I decided to combine these three for my final project idea:

A children’s book using my concept for my zine about mix-matching animals. A children’s game that is an extension of the book and then a range of iron-on stickers that children can use to create their own, unique characters.

My inspiration for this project can be seen in figures 8, 9 and 10.

Why?

I am able to work in a variety of mediums and produce a variety of ‘products’. It promotes children’s creativity and imagination. It is also educational and encourages children to play and, therefore, develop. The game could promote language development and negotiation. It’s a fun way to learn and it would also challenge me- learning different mediums and digging deeper into children’s education.

Possible extensions?

The extensions to my project are endless- toys, pillows, readily printed t-shirts, cards, gift bags….

How will this project strengthen your portfolio?

I have already touched on products for children in my previous projects and so this project will build onto that. I have also briefly touched on bringing children’s creativity, imagination and development into my previous projects and so this project will speak to that. In previous projects I have worked in watercolour and vector separately, showing my skills in each area -this project will give me the opportunity to bring these two mediums together, showing a development and progress in my creative work. This project will also show how I can work on a variety of different ‘surfaces’ or ‘platforms’ and will emphasize my passion for children.

[dawnajaynes32]

Art, Technology & Optical Illusions: Bradley G Munkowitz’s Phenomenal Places and Spaces

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You may not know the name Bradley G Munkowitz, but if you’ve seen the movies TRON: Legacy (2010) or Oblivion (2013), then you know his work. Munkowitz, also known as GMUNK, worked on many of TRON: Legacy‘s concepts and designs, including its opening title. He also created interface graphics for the movie Oblivion.

Artist, director, visionary, futurist… Munkowitz has won countless awards and exhibited his work internationally. He boasts big name clients such as Audi, Microsoft, and Samsung.

GMUNK’s BOX

In this HOWdesign.com interview, Munkowitz discusses technology, art, design, and creativity, as well as BOX, a project that he calls “something really special.”

What lead you to design BOX, and whom did you partner with?

GMUNK BOX was meant to be a technology demo for Bot&Dolly, showcasing the technologies of projection mapping onto moving objects while being captured with a motion-controlled camera system. However, after about 6 months of dedicated development, we decided to refine it into a more of a design and performance piece as well. We simply thought the technology was too impressive to not push the aesthetic, choreography and music—the essentials of a great film—and as a result turned it into something really special.

[Related: French Agency Graphéine on Illusions, Typography & Sustainable Businesses | Beyond the Screen: The Future of Virtual & Augmented Reality in Design]

BOX has won Vimeo’s Top 10 Videos of 2013, The Creators Project’s Best of 2013, SIGGRAPH’S Best in Show 2014, and a Silver Lion for Innovation at Cannes. Years later, it’s still going strong. What’s your response to the accolades and attention it’s received?

GMUNK The best part about this film was that we had no expectations on how it was going to be received—we didn’t expect it to be as influential as it has become, which feels great when the amazingly positive feedback is so unexpected.

What have you and your team learned from working on BOX that you’ve been able to apply to other projects?

GMUNK For me personally it was an introduction into design and animation for the physical space and practical, in-camera effects. Collaborating with the roboticists, architects, cinematographers and mighty wizards at Bot&Dolly taught me to get my face out from in front of the screen and to start thinking about motion graphics in an entirely different way. Fast forward a few years and designing and directing for the experiential space has become a heavy influence in my work, and also a huge passion.

When you get new commissions and work, if clients have seen BOX or your other design and directorial work, do they want that same visual sensation—a similar aesthetic they’ve seen in your other work—infused into their work?

GMUNK Yes, they sure do! It’s challenging sometimes to break free of the typecast you (or others) create for yourself, as right now I’m the Projection and Lighting Guy—I have been for a few years because of BOX (and Audi A3 Sportback) and other Light-Based projects.

Orbis Integra

So to break free, I’ve been doing other types of work with Drones (Car vs Drones), Car Commercials with heavy CG (Audi A5), Cymatics and High-Speed Macro Photography (Orbis Integra) and interactive Driving Simulations (Acura Mood Roads). In sum, I’m just trying to stay diverse so I have a body of work that potential clients will see and realize there’s more to the Munkowitz than just projection mapping and lighting. I think as a Director in general, in such a competitive field, you always have to stay busy, making and learning, evolving styles and approaches so you can keep up with such a demanding and saturated scene.

Orbis Integra

Have you begun working with optical illusions when designing for augmented reality (AR) and/or virtual reality (VR)?

GMUNK Everything in my creative repertoire is always influenced by optical illusions—be it in design, animation, lighting, camera techniques etc. I’ve always been inspired by the psychedelic palette and it’s a huge influence in my work. Regarding AR and VR, I’ve just started collaborating with amazing Unreal and Unity teams to realize some of my more insane ideas in the space. What excites me about the space is the immersion, the detachment from reality as it can take over all your senses and feel very immediate in its feedback—which plays well with my more subversive palettes and aesthetic.

Cars vs Drones

Your work is future-forward, pushing the boundaries of design, technology, and illusory space. Naturally, people who look at your portfolio get inspired to make their own future-forward designs. You mentioned psychedelic palettes earlier, which is a throwback to the 1960s. What else inspires you, be it art, music, or design from the past?

GMUNK My inspirations are always evolving, to be honest. The crush lately is shooting with the Technocrane—I shot a Target commercial using one and I’m hooked—I’ve been dreaming of new ideas with them. That’s how it works with me, there’s a repository of ideas and techniques that I want to do, and in the end hopefully a majority of them get explored (but I secretly know that less than half actually will). Other crushes include learning studio photography with medium format cameras, more Infrared Madness in Iceland and Hawaii, Drone arrays in nature as Light sources, Robotics combined with cameras and light sources in unison with long sweeping motion control moves. Vibe-wise, I’m keen on long, drawn out shots with cinematic, almost opera music punctuating a mood—taking my time in edits, really feeling moments. Ha, I don’t know anymore.

Alaska’s Tracy Arm Fjord

In addition to art, design, and directing, you do a lot of photography, such as the landscape images you captured in Alaska’s Tracy Arm Fjord last summer using your modified Fujifilm X-T1 IR full-spectrum camera. The resulting infrared images look as if they came from someplace off-world. How important is experimenting with technology, and how do you apply what you’ve learned on your next commissioned project?

GMUNK Experimenting with technology (toys) is everything to me—I’m always trying to learn new things, collaborating with new people and just pushing myself into being a much more diverse creative. If you keep executing the same techniques and aesthetics, you’ll get bored real quick, especially for people like us who are always pushing to stay relevant and in demand. For creative output and overall conceptual knowledge, it really helps to learn as many technologies as possible, and document these findings so when the next commissioned project rolls through you and your people have a ton of knowledge to call upon to continue to push the envelope. I will say, the most important people in this learning phase are my collaborators—in this industry to do big things, you must have a crew of people whom you rely on to create, without those special people I’m not sure where I’d be right now.

When it comes to technology today and where it’s headed next, what gets you excited? Is there something, some tool, medium, or media, that will help you go above and beyond what you did with BOX?

GMUNK I think real-time movement is exciting—making experiential project scope really compelling. I’m not 100% sold on the VR headsets, but am super keen on large-scale real-time experiences, stuff that Daito Manabe (rhizomatiks) is doing with their real-time tracking and LED sources. Also super inspired by Sila Sveta and Nonotak, how they’re using real-time tracking, immersive lighting, architecture and reactive audio in their projects. Also super into the Bi-Neural technologies in the VR space—makes for incredibly immersive experiences. I gotta say, it’s a really exciting time right now—so much is evolving, and there’s soo many talented studios and individuals putting out incredible work that is more accessible now than ever before.

edited from a series of interviews conducted via email

gmunk.com instagram.com/gmunk twitter.com/gmunk behance.net/gmunk vimeo.com/gmunk pinterest.com/munkowitz

Learn more about Munkowitz’s BOX—a visual phenomenon difficult to explain but rewarding to watch and re-watch—in “Designing Wonder” from HOW’s summer 2017 issue. The article also features other artists and designers who use optical illusions in their work.

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