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Masters of Bamboo
—Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, Feb. 2-May 6
Ok, you've heard of "basket weaving 101," well this is basket weaving with an advanced Ph.D. from Caltech and a degree in astrophysics, meets old school craftsmanship. These works seem to be ancient masterpieces, yet the shapes express the complexities and nuances of modern science and philosophy. The work features 76 contemporary Japanese bamboo artists over a span of 150 years. If you are in SF make sure to see this and know that you will soon think of "basket weaving" with a lot more respect after seeing this.
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Zoopsia: New Works by Tim Hawkinson
—The Getty Center, Los Angeles, March 6-Sept. 9
Shapemaker and artist, Tim Hawkinson, cobbled together a menagerie of zoological shapes using household materials and images of his own body parts to amaze and bewilder audiences. The topper is an assemblage/rube goldberg "Überorgan" that plays music (just barely) that is generated optically from rough black blotches on a long piano-like role. The shapes are lovely, the idea is exquisite and the sounds can be likened only to that of a dying and flatulent brontosaurus. Cover your ears!
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The Sculpture of Ruth Asawa
—Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, March 10-May 27
Born on a farm in California, interned in an internment camp during WWII and ultimately educated in the late 40's at the beatnik bastion Black Mountain College where she studied with luminaries such as Merce Cunningham, Buckminster Fuller and Joseph Albers, Ruth Asawa is one of our national treasures. Her wire sculptures are gossamer in shape and introspective in mood. Asawa's shapes are both extremely simple and very complex. They will leave you in wonder.
Google took satellite pictures of earth and stitched them together, so that visitors can see our world all at once or zoom in far enough to see places in more detail. The earth looks like this perfect sphere, but as we get closer we see crenellations and peaks and billboards and Manhattan and somehow the notion of sphere does not seem quite right.
A shape is defined by its edge and in nature there are no true edges. Everything overlaps and is imperfect, so by calling a shape a circle or a square we are arbitrarily deciding where the edge is and what the shape is. Shape, whether conceptual or geometric, differentiates one area or idea from another.
Our understanding of shape is personal and emotional. Some shapes are sexy and alluring, others violent or defensive. Our alphabets, our languages and our homes are assemblages of shapes into forms that are expressive, tell stories and even describe other shapes.
The shape of the world, a nation, a company or a product is tangible and can be envisioned and communicated. When we say something is in "good shape," we are referring to its state of being, not its geometry.
When the world is in "bad shape," people try to reshape it with swords, words, laws, or in the case of the artist/designer - art, design and music. Art, design and music, express emotions and ideas with powerful singularity and focus. In fact, when we imagine a historical period, often a single work of art will symbolize all of our knowledge and feelings about that time.
One example of a work of art that shaped the world of the 60's is the anthem "Shapes of Things" by the English rock band the Yardbirds. Its emotional impact inspired a generation to rebel against the status quo and change the shape of the world. The song is a montage of music and sound effects that paints a picture of reality that is complex, multilayered and morally ambiguous.
Either by our cultivation or training we arbitrarily decide how to define a shape and where that shape begins or ends. Nature's edges are more like an ice cube in a glass of water. We see a shape but the shape is in a state of flux - the edges are well defined but the form is ever changing.
The 21st century visual artist/communicators are faced with a crowded tableau and myriad of media opportunities and platforms. Navigating this universe is complicated and requires both discipline and extreme levels of creativity.
Multidisciplinary design studios are being enlisted to help companies and organizations shape their identities to strategically address the organic nature of the new marketplace. Identities need to be distinctive and play well across a vast array of media types in the 21st century and new media designers are leading the way to create unified comprehensive strategies for communicating across multiple platforms.
And more: A lot of filmmakers, writers, composers, architects, sculptors, cooks, wives, thieves and bakers have devoted their lives to making and celebrating shapes. A shapely evening might include tasting delicate slices of sashimi at The Hump in Santa Monica and catching Metropolis, Sketches of Frank Gehry, My Architect: A Son's Journey, or the Powers of 10. If you haven't been to the Walt Disney Concert Hall, heard the haunting Silophone, or played the Sound-Seeker, then you are missing a shapely sonic experience. Also, explore the visionary architecture of Antonio Gaudi and Santiago Calatrava. If that isn't enough, wrap things up at The Institute for Figuring. If you are bright enough to get what they are doing, it will leave you cross-eyed...go figure!
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Virgin Records
—Corporate Music Portal
Virgin Records' goal was to transform its online presence from a sleepy catalog site to a powerfully branded showcase for its popular acts like The Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson, KoRn, Ben Harper and KT Tunstall. The design challenge was to organize the artists into a single, easy-to-navigate portal, creating a framework for a broad range of musical cultures and styles while also reaffirming the Virgin brand.
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Joss Stone
—Virgin Records Artist Website
This site was designed for the popular British soul singer and songwriter's third album, "Introducing Joss Stone." FS created a psychedelic and animated user interface that celebrates Joss Stone's love of 60's hippy art. Fahrenheit also built the destination's interactive features including an easy-to-use media player, photo gallery, and extras like downloadable wallpapers and buddy icons, which incorporate the portal's overall Flower Power design.
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Axiss Audio
—Identity & Consumer Electronics Website
The Axiss Audio website is part of a comprehensive effort to reposition this high-end audio distributor from audiophile niche to luxury market. FS authored the brand strategy, directed the naming effort, created a new identity system, and designed and implemented a new website. The re-brand has successfully transformed Axiss Audio into an important player at the highest end of the consumer audio marketplace.
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Navellier & Associates
—Corporate Financial Website
Navellier & Associates is an investment management firm that retained FS to help them differentiate themselves from other financial competitors. The existing site had become too large, confusing and unwieldy. FS analyzed and re-organized the content, created a clear information architecture, designed and built a zippy 2.0 website that is resplendent with financial tools, closed captioned video, and above all tells the Navellier story. As a result of FS' work, the new website has become a key element in Navellier's positioning and re-branding effort.
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UNA Los Angeles
—Luxury Retail Packaging
FS was hired by UNA, an upscale women's apparel boutique chain, to "tighten up" their brand and to design their retail packaging. Luxury boutiques rely on their packaging to be a key element in the making of their brand. FS's design is a pure expression of UNA's classic modern aesthetic and sensibility. It has garnered rave reviews and was featured in the rollout of new stores in Los Angeles.
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The Shapes of Things
—Photo Gallery
FS' latest photo gallery explores the perception of shape as an overlay that allows us to make sense of our world.
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Design Awards + Publications
FS was recently honored by:
:: Summit Creative Award (Silver) for Virgin Records website
:: Summit Creative Award (Bronze) for Joss Stone website
:: American Corporate Identity 2008 for FS Identity System
Check out the latest book featuring several examples of our work:
:: "Web Design: Music Sites"–TASCHEN
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