Category: Art is everywhere

I created sculpts of three charismatic megafauna from Africa. Some subspecies of Giraffe are critically endangered in…

… or The Ballad of Joe Blow & Joe CEO

Joe CEO made lots of bad bets.
Joe CEO ended up with bad debt.
Joe CEO says government is bad.
But Joe CEO doesn’t follow his own fad.

Hungry & Poor? Get out of line!
Joe CEO is running out of time.
You see, Joe CEO is TOO BIG TO FAIL !
As for Joe Blow… that’s another tale.

Joe CEO is now in the sunny Caribbean.
Sipping piña colada and watching the scene.
But Joe Blows of the world have a role to fill;
We are the ones stuck with the bill!

Copyright © 2008 by Kofi Garbrah

Honoré Daumier says it best… Tax-dollars go in, favours to friends of the king come out!

The writing’s on the wall for old views…
…Or more precisely, what is Visual Art? My definition has changed considerably since high school. I once thought that only realistic painting was “true art”. Having studied graphic design, I now realize that the same principles of design that make paintings memorable are also what graphic designers, photographers, cinematographers, and digital sculptors use to make their work memorable. I have since expanded my definition of art to include many mediums and many forms (e.g. Abstract Expressionist paintings). This definition may be too broad for some critics but I will attempt to justify it.

Communication requires retention. When presenting new ideas to students, how much information is retained can often influence the success or failure of the idea. In Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point – How Little Things Can make a Big Difference, he points to 3 things that make for effective communications: the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor (Retention), and the Power of Context. In both visual communication and education, the Stickiness Factor is probably the most important.

Why are symmetrical faces considered more attractive than less symmetrical faces? What makes Macs so appealing to some consumers? Why do some homes sell fast and others take a long time to sell in the same area? Balance, Rhythm, Emphasis, Unity, Movement, Pattern, and Contrast. These design principles are everywhere. Design makes the difference.