Design Museum

1)      Brit Insurance Design Awards

Architecture: Open Air Library, KARO Architekten and Architektur+Netzwerk, Germany. I thought this design was very innovative because the open air concept is unlike that ever seen before. I found it interesting because it’s if weather was not taken into consideration. I also thought it was remarkable that this library was based on a trust system. In addition, I liked that the book selves were made out of old beer crates (nothing like showing some German heritage).

Furniture: Thomas Heatherwick’s Spun. This innovative chair was not only interesting visually but entertaining to sit in. Personally, from a science background I found this innovative when considering physics because any person (not matter what size) can sit in this chair, spin all the way around, and not fall out. Aesthetically, it’s modern looking and provides a great conversation piece.

Transport: Yikebike by Grant Ryan, New Zealand. This mode of transportation is very interesting because it’s a folding electric bike. I have never seen an electric bike quite like this; it sort of reminded me of a segway that you sit on. I think this is innovative because it provides city dwellers with safe and fast transport because unlike a moped/motorcycle you aren’t competing with traffic. Also, unlike regular bicycles you wouldn’t get sweaty getting from one place to another.

Graphics: London College of Communication “Power of Ten” Summer Show 2010. I would give this design the Brit award because I think its innovation is in the form of its message: “promoting a sense of pride in a community as the local area around the college regenerates.” I also thought the display model was unique and their use of “Power of Ten” and the choice type face was impressive.

2)      Wim Crouwel:

The Wim Crouwel, A Graphic Odyssey exhibition was fascinating because it celebrates the prolific career of an influential graphic designer. At first I was overwhelmed by the amount of work that was on display. I felt that many of his works were very similar and that he doesn’t deviate much from the 1960s computer and space age style. Therefore I became indifferent to many of the posters. Personally, I think that Wim Crouwel’s work is too minimal and for a poster I would like to see more visual elements rather than simply text with colors. Although, I did like the Stedelijk Museum posters, they seemed to be the most fitting for the subject matter. Overall I would describe the exhibition as timeless, astonishing (career), colorful, legacy, and overwhelming.

When looking at Wim Crouwel’s posters I don’t think any of the shapes resembled Jackson Pollock. In my opinion Jackson Pollock’s work is much more abstract and I don’t see that in Crouwel’s work. Although I do agree that Math Rothko’s colors, especially contrasting colors, emerge in Crouwel’s posters. Although unlike Rothko, Crouwel has distinct transition between colors whereas Rothko’s work seems to be more of a blending transition.  I also recognized the Donald Judd inspiration of repeating shapes in Crouwel’s work especially in his use of squares and rectangles. I even noticed those repeating rectangular shapes used in the creation of his 1964 calendar which was my favorite piece.

After some research I came across an artist very similar to Wim Crouwel also working in the 1960s, Mr. John McLaughlin. John McLaughlin was an abstract artist that also focused on modernity. I feel that Crouwel’s work resembles McLaughlin’s much more than any other artist because both focus of simplicity, modernity, minimalism, and color.