8 Things

These are the images I sourced for one of Jo's Context of Practice seminars, in which we had to bring in 8 images, (2 of typography, 2 of logos, 2 of photography and 2 of illustration). They had to be images that we loved, and we had to give reasons why we'd chosen them.

TYPOGRAPHY

I chose this piece because it looks so fun and decadent, with the use of red and gold, and the nostalgic typeface that's reminiscent of the golden age of cinema, and the idea of the hollywood stars 'names in big lights.' 

Damien Correll's work looks more modern in contrast, and what I like about this piece is the use of shading and the way he has played with the typeface to create something interesting. The type although different in each letter, also works perfectly as a typeface, and the amount of craft that went into this is really visible, which I find to be a good thing. 

PHOTOGRAPHY

This Tim Walker photograph got chosen because everything about it is so joyful and fun. I really like work that doesn't take itself too seriously, and especially in fashion photography, a lot of the joy can be lost because they just want to market the clothes, and not create any kind of story, or they just lazily photograph it in an exotic location and hope it works. Generally, this defeats the object, because fashion magazines, at least the good ones, are a form of escapism. The colours are also fresh and bright, the oversized bouquet masking her identity adds humour and the composition works really well. 

Again, Ryan Mcginley is another photographer whose work doesn't appear to try too hard, there's always an element of spontaneity about his images. This is my favourite photograph of his, because of the way the colours within the fire and the sparklers work against the black backdrop, creating the shadow of the figure, and making her lack of clothes seem less crude. The use of the naked figure, as in all of his photos, appears to be the model just living in the moment, as if they've decided to go skinny dipping, which creates the fun and the childishness of it. I also like the way the fire, smoke and sparklers create a sort of dreamlike air around the image as well.

LOGO

The V and A logo is a classic. The way the logo subtly plays with the anatomy of the A is incredibly clever, and the typeface and colours keep it very formal, stylish and in keeping with the museum it stands to represent, which is of course the main goal of a logo. 

Unfortunately I don't know who this work is by, but what I like is the nostalgic yet modern feel of it. I love the typefaces used, and the use of colour and pattern all work very well together. 

ILLUSTRATION

These illustrations are I think my favourite thing that I've posted on here. I'm really drawn to things that look fun and illustrative, because I think they are just more pleasing to look at than something serious. The calendars have a sense of humour, and they also work well in defining the seasons in a unique format and style. I like the hand rendered typeface used, and also the hand drawn style of the images. The colours they've used are also very successful, subtly complementing and contrasting with each other, and evoking the feel of Autumn Winter Spring and Summer.

What I'm Lovin' about Cory Loven's series of illustrations is the very retro style of them. The use of colour is also kept to a minimum, but cleverly picks up on the colours most iconic to the character he is illustrating, like the use of red, brown and a paler colour for the Milkybar Kid. Again, they are fun to look at, but they're also less traditional than many children's illustrations, which sets them apart.