30.5.08

View Post

25.5.08

Beckmans Kvällskolan

I have been feeling a creative beat under my skin. So applying for the evening classes on Graphic Design and Advertising offered in Beckmans went from crazy idea to actual fact.
Being done with the courses and the PhD - O.K. more dropped out than finished - I prepared for the assignments, and these are my results.

I would love to read any comment about them and, obviously, I'll let anyone reading through my little window what happened eventually. On the overall it ended up being a lot of fun, support and stress. Something really nice to think of anyway.

Uppgift 1
Berätta med visuella medel om en avgörande upplevelse i ditt liv.
Talk with visual media about a decisive experience in your life.


The most meaningful, decisive experiences are life journeys instead the starting point is perceived while the end could only be realized from the distance provided by time. However, I still hesitate about that something as an end does even exist – experiences could be just signs highlighting bifurcations in the continuous path of life. In one way or another, one of the most meaningful journey and primary influencer in who I am, my interests and standpoints, started at the age of 14, when I bought a glossy for the first time. It was VOGUE, actually.
From the early consumer focus on trivial fashion and beauty tips; my horizons were increasingly broadened and opened up to a whole new and exciting world to discover, to reflect on. A runaway from the close-mindedness and lack of criticism common in the small town I grew up. The evolution of the seasonal pattern in such a fast-changing globalized market, the hidden message underlying clothing, the internalized meaning and associations of brands in dreamers minds, the tradeoff between creativity and business, the link with art, its interaction with reality, better said, the economic, social and historical context we are all embedded into. From mere models, campaigns and clothing to cover the body with, to artists like designers or photographers, meaningful icons, art, communication and interaction. Such constrained crystallization of art and communication, where the design process is built upon brought me here.
I do not feel this trip to be done yet and being honest, I do not want that either.


Uppgift 2

Formge affisch och vernissagekort till Andy Warholutställningen "Andra röster, andra rum" på Moderna Museet.Affischens format ska vara A2 som viks en gång så att det går in på A3.
Design a poster and a flyer for the Andy Warhol exposition Other voices, Other rooms at Moderna Museet. The poster format needs to be A2 so it folds and goes into A3





The poster is intended to trigger the viewer’s inner smile: Andy Warhol arrived and, found his way to Moderna Museet. Attract the sight and, noiseless transmit the message clear and concisely. Recognizable symbols instantly evocating Swedish essence – bulle – are combined with the tiny doll in a fresh, easy to understand wink. Serifs in a clear, classical typography facilitate understanding while color contrast highlights the message without being intrusive – bold simplicity to stand out among the colorful clutter and stick to mind.
The show was named after a parallelism between “the quest for identity in „other rooms and voices‟ – a novel by Truman Capote – that is fundamental in Warhol‟s life” and focuses on his versatile evolution, from drawer to painter, from art director to businessman. The flyer is therefore a double-sided communication-sword, to be understood by the mass as well as call the attention of more trained eyes.
The Campbells‟ Can is plenty of recognizable cues, instantly associated with Warhol so the mass-public will instantly get the message. However the message on the back, as well as the substitution of tomato soup by open up mainly link with what this specific exposition deals with.
On one hand, it is suggested to open up, to go beyond the can and look or reflect on what is inside – silver-colored metal usually covers the inner of cans - because Warhol’s oeuvre was overall multifaceted, evolutionary and meant far more than soup.
On the other, open up, beyond can and silver inside convey a deeper message, an elevated wink for those keener on modern art which is related to what The Factory – where a vast extent of the exhibition is centered - meant. Silver walls delimitating that area where anything was possible, where varied souls and stories converged attracted by the magnetic charm of Warhol, trying to materialize their dreams, to go beyond what they were told to be able to – or could (can). Diversity became inspiration for that passive voyeur as well as some broken dreams eventually turned against him, driving a evolution on his work. His work offers a lot to reflect on, especially when taking into consideration the curator’s – Eva Meyer-Hermann’s - description “…Warhol's surfaces reflect the world…”



Uppgift 3

Ta fram namn och logotype för en ekologisk restaurang.
Design a name and a logotype for an ecologic restaurant

Ecological food and restaurants involve a premium which is worth for an increasing segment of health and environment-conscious consumers. Almost homemade, slow cooking, slow harvesting, lower production convey a higher price but also tastier, more natural, healthier dishes to delight body and mind. Natural growth requires nicer climate, like that in the southern Europe.
Payés is the Spanish term for those traditional, agriculture-focused regions in Catalonian and Balearic Islands where wheat crops whose shades go from green to yellow, had traditionally grown slowly and naturally under the sun.
Catalonia is a primary holiday destination among the Swedish, where the restaurant is intended to be placed. Therefore, the name has been slightly modified to maximize the connotations conveyed by på when eating – the first thing popping up to mind, på bordet. The second half is far more international, an energetic yes! to the good life, tastier food, mens sana in corpore sano.
Catchy, differentiated, recognizable, short and, easy to remember. To increase the association trigger on the average customer’s mind, the restaurant logotype has been chosen as a typographical one. Name recall is facilitated so that it comes in top of mind when, in the surge of board reservation, sources like eniro gula-sidorna or the web are consulted.
Two different typographies have been combined with three hues from the wheat color scale. The sans-serif font signals a modern manner of sitting to a table, innovation when time comes to eat, a fresh, better way of being på bordet. In contrast, a more traditional, font with serifs comes in bold and italics as an emphasized, spirited assertion of what truly matters – and has always been important with food being at the basis of Maslow’s Pyramid, regardless of social trends or history.
Yellow signals the sunlight, the joie de vivre and warmth intrinsically associated with Spain, under which amazingly tasty and natural food is cultivated Green, as sign of nature, growth, renewal, and health is used all over the logo. A lighter, brighter one to enhance newness while the more obscure leaves relevance to form and the final exclamation on the second part.

Uppgift 4
Ilustrate the book the heartbreaking art with amazing geniality with three pictures in a free manner.

Illustration 1


Human beings are inherently social. Thus, there is no person who could possibly had evolved as such on its own sake. No human sign appears as stand-alone silo. Consequently assuming personality as the result of an evolutionary process coming from successive contextualized interactions, any artwork will ultimately relate with other artists’ creations either conscious or unconsciously because they live hidden within the network of associations constituting mindsets.
As visual parallelism, any heartbreaking creativity or idea, i, will result from accumulated knowledge and experiences. In this assumption, previous artworks became metaphorical pigments in the early days evolving into pixels on this modern era that the artist can combine to create something new.

Illustration 2

My mother lacks the sense of smelling, she is a great chef though. Does the lack of a sense disable a person from art? Shouldn’t amazingly creative heartbreaking works arouse more than the eye? Why do artists continue to be so limited when communicating with humans that can identify a larger array of stimuli? Setting the focus on cue translation, from shape to smell, from color to flavor, might enable artists to truly pop up the envelope of communication and open up to significant newness.


Illustration 3

This is personal tribute to the recently disappeared – on May, 12th – Robert Rauschenberg. His smile, while relating performances, first Swedish experiences – being one of the 4 Americans show in Moderna Museet, 1962 - comes to mind when wondering about extreme versatility, geniality and heartbreaking creativity. Freedom and joy might simply be the key for ground-breaking art.
View Post

14.5.08

Descansa en paz.

Robert Rauschenberg, American Artist, Dies at 82

Dios mío. Shock. Dios mío. No me lo creo, no puede ser verdad, no, tú no joder.

Porque mi favorito no es Andy, sino Robert. Su cabra, su logo para Moderna Museet, su sonrisa, su alegría de vivir, su espíritu, su creatividad, su eclecticismo, sus combines.
Porque sí, su exposición era el show itinerante aquel mágico domingo de invierno en el que descubrí el Moderna Museet.
Porque sí, su voz risueña, su falta de pompa y naturalidad, me mantuvieron pegada a sus videos, performances e historias varias durante más de tres horas.
Porque él, marcó un antes y un después en mi forma de pensar, intereses y maneras de percibir la realidad.
Porque más ironía sobre uno mismo es lo que necesita el elitista mundo del arte moderno.

Los genios no necesitan dárselas.
Y él, era mucho más que eso.
View Post

7.5.08

Even when the clouds cover up the sky...

Angels will always be there, for you. Popping up from nowhere, turning tragedy into hope.
My day... Was something like this.

Something I loved ad cared about... Got broken. Instead of crying, I temporarily patched it.


Once having hit home, I thought about my skills, realized that I actually could do it by myself... And fixed it. In my own.


Problem solved, wound healed and even better... It is actually stronger now so that it will not break again - not so easily, at least.


Thanks shiny angel, because you suddenly showed up and saved the day - of course, as you always do.


View Post

6.5.08

Angels

They actually, come in trios.


Blue headphones isolate might you, while running upstairs frozen - partly due to wearing shorts in a chilly morning, partly due to the lack of warm water for your wake-up shower :_( - but men, Swedish girls are tough and my beloved Caroline is the toughest - and sweetest too - of them all.


The '85 kid, businesswomandesigner is studying architecture - in an amazing building - "Kinda Konsfack but messier" - with rainbow letters - what could I love MORE??.
Nice as she is, she invited me to share her desk during the morning - instead of being alone sitting in KTHBiB. Sure - and also glad - I accepted.

Everytime I met an architect - like it used to happen to me when I perceived the passion with Christopher talked about his projects, the shivers I still feel when seeing his pictures - everytime I step into one of this schools, go through a magazine... I get that bitter feeling, again and again.

Why didn't I know?
Why wasn't strong enough to realize about my interests, strengths and weaknesses?
What could make me happier than nothing else when I got to University?
Why engineering instead of architecture?
Why Zaragoza instead of Barcelona?

If I could turn back in time... I would pick what you did, my dear strawberry lover - you can still be creative, express yourself while working.

However, I didn't so I instead try to stand on what I know and develop new skills that bring closer the path I would like to walk thorugh. So I've just started to learn Flash. And this is my first creation - proud of it - to help my cousin's old fashioned trade:

{Still trying to get a free webhost to embed it afterwards}


But anyway, after a great day, it came a great afternoon.

Caroline showed me around, introduced me to her friends as the girl she was going to Spain with - fair enough - and asked me to come with Andreas - her sweet good friend - and shout at the iLife shop assistant.

Andreas, for whom Java is a coffee, is - almost - as lovely as Dani. He, as good architect, bought an Apple laptop. His HD broke down. Twice, actually. And he got a bitter suprise when realizing about the meaningless of guarantee and customer service at the time he was asked to pay 15 hundred :- just to try whether his data could be recovered.

Caroline proved to be a good lawyer too. Meanwhile I was going through the sales - Apple® silicone skins for iPod... Lovely NEON PINK AND ONLY 50:-!???! - and decidine to make the card shout a bit.

- Don't you make student discount on these, do you?
- No... - smiling - Just when you get a computer.

- Well... I'd empty your shop if I had the bucks.
- Until that moment, you can take it ;D

- Really? For free? For me?
- Sure!!

- WOW... Thanks :__D

As I always tell you... Happiness lives in small details.

Andreas will have to wait a bit to see if our complains get higher and we get the service - free of fee. Then, Caroline & me head to Konsfack and got juts in time for one of the greatest lectures I've ever been - that of course will have its own post, since it made me think so much...:

"INFINITE to FINITE" by Castello Hansen

Ring: 18 kt. gold, cibatool, paint & reconstructed corall


Brooch: 22 kt. gold, acryllic, oxydised silver & steel pins

The jewellery of Castello Hansen are reduced to a minimal number of principles and materials, and the early modernistic expression “Less is more” is somehow descriptive. The forms are clear, strong and definite, and Castello Hansen uses simple forms to explore space and the use of space. Due to the minimum range of materials the work draw the attention to the depth and the notable characteristics of the media. The aesthetic follows the strict rules against illusion. The jewellery simply exists.

artist statement
At the moment I believe that it is impossible to understand jewellery by the means of words. I regard jewellery to be purely visual and tactile media defined by it´s own phenomenology and as such only capable of communicating symbolically. Jewellery is it´s own explanation. If I have to say something about jewellery it must be via a metaphor: A piece of jewellery is like a keyhole situated in the wall of understanding ourselves. Looking through and across time and culture.

Getting back home under the sun, silver sneakers beside silver ballerinas, great conversation overall, glass of red wine to water some tasty red berries, green asparragus on the grill and, mummy on the phone.

The good life.
View Post

5.5.08

Blue Skies.


What's great about great days is that they never come alone.

Or maybe is in your hand to make a great day out of what could seem a bad one.
Anyway, after some sort of frustating supervisor-PhD conversation, when you realize that you don't get how can people be SO unfocused, harm everyone - no comments about those doing the Master Thesis (my beloved Anaïs & Jordi) who are getting almost NO help at all... - you go back, finish your writings for the dialogue seminar and have lunch under the sun, beside a great book too.
- Hi Mark!! How was the long-weekend?
- Working, as always.

- Do you have the components I need to pursue with what I got stuck last week - even If I still don't get why should I be doing that... - ?

- Er... Thought you'd be in Spain these days.


- No, that's towards the end of this month.

- Ok. Well, we'll discuss about it later on but I've changed my mnd about that.

- {¿?O_o¿?¬¬¿?¿} Cool. I'll be there somewhere, reallocated since I don't have an office, someone took the little room I had been sitting and I don't fit in my old desk with the laptop - containing photoshop I need to work on my Design course - see you then!



Wait for a meeting that will never happen - at least, not today - you make up your mind, leave the office and get lost walking. Just music, sun, the city and your footsteps.

Getting lost, alone as I've always done to clear my mind of bad thoughts, gone are the dark spirits and welcome the hope. Maybe I'm just running from my reality, who cares as long as I smile like I do?

When you're happy & don't think much about the reason for this and that, your decisions come unconciously from the bottom of your heart, that back of your mind where truth lives and that's what actually matters: Even when you arbitrarily pick streets you've never walk through before. They will, poetically, take you where you wanted to get from the beginning.

As Job's loves to say, let your heart guide you and when turning back the head... The dots will merge into a well defined and significative line.


Happiness has always been there, in the little details: One just needs to learn to appreciate the beauty living in them.
View Post

4.5.08

Un día genial. - To André.


Sunday, 4th May.
Last call to give a look and reflect on Andy Warhol's work - specially The Factory era, when he turned from paintings to video and went back to become a business artist after being shot by Valerie Solanas on the '68 - Moderna Museet: Other Voices, Other Rooms.




How could anyone judge tacit knowledge? Is there a way to distinguish good from bad art? Can art be good or bad? After carefully thinking about my perceptions of artwork, I would state some points with regard to this.
First, I don't feel credible on my judgements - even if any personal perception will eventually be subjectively biased - any art piece without some time distance, knowledge about the socio-cultu-economic-historical context as well as the artist biography because for me, on the intersection of these is the real relevance - or meaningless - of it.
Second, people should read more. I mean, Andy is not the guy of the tomato can and you will not get anything out of the 80:- you paid to see it unless you read something about him.

"Yo soy yo y mi circunstancia"
- Ortega y Gasset

Finally, don't buy the poster. "It is not the cowl that makes the monk" so, you'll not turn into a curator either.


Truly inspiring the Tid & Plats series they are carrying out.

Tid & Plats #1: 1956-1964, Rio de Janeiro.


An unprecedented climate of optimism gripped Rio de Janeiro in the 1950s, as the city emerged from its traditional past of a port to become a metropolis of 2.5 million inhabitants, with a modern cultural identity. New forms of art, architecture, music and film appeared almost simultaneously. The names of these movements encapsulated the climate of new beginnings: Neo-Concretism, Bossa Nova, Cinema Novo. Neo-Concretism created a unique form of Brazilian modernism that emphasised simplicity of form and spatial construction. (...)

They even organized FREE Bossa Nova concerts a pity that Swedish people are not so into dancing...


Tid & Plats #2: 1958-1968, Milano-Torino

Towards the end of the Second World War, the centre of Milan had been devastated by air raids and a new, modern urban development now emerged, with an emphasis on industry, banking and trade fairs. Meanwhile, the art world spoke of reducing colour and subjective expression and of expanding the boundaries of sculpture and painting.

A birth of an identity - New monochrome - colourless but bold - gave birth to Arte Povera.



"It's so beautiful..."
- 80:- is the price to be like Andy, flying silver balloons from The Factory's window


"Silver is the colour of the past - like Hollywood starts on the silverscreen - and the future - like NASA astronauts" - By combining the industrial structure of the unfurnished studio with the glitter of silver and what it represented, Warhol was commenting on American values, as he did so often in his art.


Please, forget about Miller's tacky character - Sedgiwck was a lot more than what a nutshell movie can tell - and read or watch Poor Little Rich Girl or The Kitchen, instead 'cause you'll get a much better and realistic picture of what she actually ment.

PS: Hej André... Do you know who just got her MODERNA MUSEETS VÄNNER CARD?!??!
Events, mingles, concerts and much more... Here I come!!! So hope you'd take me with you! ;P
View Post

3.5.08

Monthary 2008/03/18

El 18 de cada mes, hacemos meses.

Pero lo raro es que, en dos años y... Hemos pasado muy pocos de esos días juntos. Era genial, que llegar justo el 18 a la ciudad, invitarlo a cenar a Landet qué bucólico y que bonito. Pero claro, siendo yo, nada podía ser como en las películas.

El viernes estaba reventado - normal - así que lo dejamos para el sábado.

- Cenaremos en horario español, que como cierran la cocina a la 1AM - harto extraño en Stk, donde el horario de los restaurantes en sábado termina más bien en torno a las 23 - nos lo podemos permitir.
- Excelente.

Así que allí nos dirigimos, línea roja, hasta TelefonPlan. Con mi vestidodelBlancoadoceyuris, que se traduce en un glamouroso "bought in Spain" más contenta que chupitas. El otro con su chupa de cuero, muy populäraste aquí en Stk.

- Te va a encantar, es un sitio super especial, en una plaza super especial, que descubrí con gente - David H., Andrea, Caroline, Yta a.s.o. - super especial.
- Dolor de barriga, qué intriga!

Total que llegamos.

La plaza - donde Ericsson construyó sus primeros headquarters en el añolaTana, incluye calles ilustres como Mikofonvägen y Ericssonsvägen - tan singular como siempre, con unos neones flexibles rodeando una torre nadie sabe por qué - historias del KF, for sure.

Y Landet, con sus farolillos de colores y una orquesta en la planta superior que se oía a lo lejos.

{Excelente}

Entramos, chapurreo mi cutresueco para pedir una mesa y la mêtre nos invita - amablemente, que para eso es sueca - a abandonar el local. Claro, no tenían gente y han cerrado la cocina pronto.

Mi gozo en un pozo. And even worse... Do you recall when do restaurants usually close in here?

22:30, tirados a media hora de metro del centro, sin restaurante ni plan alternativo para encontrar uno suficientemente especial como lo que la ocasión merecía abierto.

:_(

Joder. Me he acostumbrado a sus normas, a planificar mi consumo de alcohol y comprar en el System Bolaget - aunque implique acarrear botellas de vino a lo largo y ancho de la ciudad, a no aparecer cinco minutos antes de la hora de cerrar, a entregar mil formularios a tiempo, a limpiar el corridor, reservar laundry y reciclar el vidrio por colores, pero... Cómo combatirlos cuando ni ellos mismos las siguen?
{No panic. Algo se me ocurrirá.}

Cinco minutos para el siguiente metro. 20 más y en Södermalm. Todo cerrado o a petar de gente bebiendo. En fin... De vuelta al tubo, probaremos en Stureplan, que en Grödan tienen restaurante y como es garito de copas... Puede que cierren tarde!

Y de nuevo, la señorita del cordón de terciopelo nos comenta desolada que han cierran a las 23.
Pero bueno, el Friday's está abierto hasta la 1AM, con lo que podemos ir allí.

{ME NIEGO!!! Para una vez que salimos, que sea especial... Y eso, para mí no incluye costillas de cerdo humeantes}

Cuando se cierra una puerta se abre una ventana. Y como no, Riche seguía sin moverse de la esquina de Grev Turegatan. Uno de los sitios más antiguos y míticos de Stk, uno de esos sitios por los que siempre pasas y miras, sueñas... Pero nunca entras.

Y sí. Estaba abierto.

Just hold on long enough, you'll always find the light at the end of the tunnel...



"En Uggla med pants" - Así me enteré de que Uggla significa Owl. Lo que convierte en Henrik Owl a mi profe de branding, isn't it funny?

No hay cena sin vino. Y no hay vino sin Pinot Noir.



Bröd med smör - Swedish starter.

Lo que parece galleta dura es el knäckebröd si a alguien le pica la curiosidad que puebe WASA, que lo venden en el Corte Inglés - Recomendación personal... Fibre Plus. Con la etiqueta de color azulillo claro y unos granitos de sesámo :P

Las elecciones de la noche.


Starters a compartir - con la consiguiente perplejidad de la mesa de al lado, al ver tanto plato, tan tarde.

Assorted Marinated Herrings with Cheese Créme


Wasabi Marinated Salmon with Chili Pickled Cucumber


Kräftsallad


The best of the night came when I went to toilet and discovered Lilla Baren where top models and small rich guys - our beloved cacahuetillo - danced like crazy 80's tunes.

Sh. We joined the move after a shared truffle ^_^

Another 15' walk from the restaurant to Stadion.
Tunnelbana & back home.
Magic is everywhere when sharing the time with the right people.




View Post

3.5.08

Two Weeks.

Enrique - desayunando como un campeón, sí - llegó hace dos semanas. Para quedarse.

- That's great, until when?
- Forever.
- For a month?
- No... For-ever. Or well, until we get tired of the country. But at the moment, we are landing roots.
- WoW. That's a big step...
- Actually, it is. However, it was now or never. And well, if this gotta be, better to start now. And if not, the sooner we both know, the better.


Y es raro.
Encantador a la vez, pero raro, no sé.

Pasar de llegar a casa, cocinar sola, hablar con mamá a ir a comprar acompañada, a ayudar con los CVs y las job applications en sueco, a comentar live las chorradas del LaB, a hacer planes para el weekend, a enseñar, a presentar, a conversar - en lugar de hablar para mis adentros, colaborar, lavar, plegar, ir a andar - por abuelo que le suene a Ricardo aka mi compañero de PhDolores - es lo que siempre he hecho.

Te das cuenta de que vivir sola te ha covertido en una versión beta de tí misma. Corregida y aumentada. Un poco más maniática aquí, un poco más tolerante allá, pero a la definitiva, la misma de siempre, que es lo importante. Supongo que es un mal común así que... El tiempo dirá.

Siendo el que más veces había visitado la ciudad - Septiembre '06, Febrero '07, Noviembre '07 - era el que menos turismo había hecho, sin mencionar el haber visto brillar el sol en contadas ocasiones, el que siempre se hubiera puesto antes de las 19:00 y el no haber caminado nunca, sin abrigo. Así que estas semanas han tratado de ponerle remedio, a éste y a otros problemas - como el housing - con lo que, como todo viaje en el que soy anfitriona... Su estancia comenzó con un frukostbuffé en Café String.

Esa cafetería del SoFo, con moto, semáforo y carteles locos variados. Donde no hay dos sillas iguales y la taza del WC es roja - aunque eso, pasa también en Konstfack.

Donde por módicas 65:- puedes servirte tooodo lo que quieras, y prepararte el mejor brunch de la ciudad.
Donde hay pepino, queso, tomate, knäckebröd, crêpes, helado, mermelada, fresas, frambuesas, arándanos, piña, yogur, huevos, tostadas y Kalles Caviar. Sí, todo lo que un sueco puede soñar con desayunar. Para mí, la mejor forma de comenzar a descubrir lo que siginifica esta ciudad.


Es curioso, que una de las personas más encantadoras que he encontrado en Konstfack, Andrea, además de encantador, milanés, creativo y diseñador industrial... Sea también camarero del Café String. Supongo que los sitios encantadores, atraen a personas adorables.

Poco a poco, seguiré con la crónica de estos días.
Supongo que quiero guardar una database de los momentos dulces, para tener algo que mirar y sonreir cuando las nubes vuelvan a cubrir el cielo.


View Post
© dontplayahate. All rights reserved.
DONTPLAYAHATE