Design Madison
www.designmadison.com
2003/04 Season
11/13/03: Glenn Adamson
"There's nothing more aerodynamic than a wiener." -- Brooks Stevens
He put wieners on the streets and boomerangs in the kitchen. Milwaukee native Brooks Stevens was unquestionably one of the most influential industrial designers of the 20th century. From the olympian hiawatha passenger train to the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, from the iconic 50s boomerang graphic (designed in 1950 for formica) to the Miller Bbrewing logo, stevens' work spanned five decades of the fastest-changing century in human history. His influence extended beyond the functional and the visual to the conceptual. It was Stevens who put a name to a uniquely modern design theory: 'planned obsolescence.' And Stevens counseled his clients on the importance of corporate branding, decades before the concept achieved the buzzword status it enjoys today. Glenn Adamson, curator of the Milwaukee Art Museum's acclaimed Brooks Stevens Exhibition, offers us a look at the life and work of this prolific, influential designer.
Event Recap:
For our first speaker event of the season, Milwaukee Art Museum curator Glenn Adamson took us on a tour through the amazing work of twentieth-century industrial design giant Brooks Stevens. After the third slide it became clear that mid-century modern is infinitely cooler than early-millennium monotonous. At least we've still got the Wienermobile...12/11/03: Design Madison Filmfest
Event Recap:
The room was cozy, the screen tiny, the sound quality iffy. It was the perfect setting for our first-ever movie night, aka the design madison film festival. Some attendees watched intently, some glanced over occasionally, many drank copiously --ensuring dm's continued welcome at our beloved sidecar. So, first annual or first and last? Tune in next year...01/29/04: Art Chantry
"A 'team' is not a good 'process'- it's a good army."
If that strikes you as pro-teamwork, then Art Chantry is not your ideal lab partner. Too bad, because those lab reports would've looked amazing. Chantry has spent the last 30 years creating amazing imagery, achieving legend-in-his-own-time status in the process. And in true legend style, he's done it his own way, no compromises, no regard for convention, no membership in the mac of the month club. Screw the computer, hand me that press-type. But despite production methods firmly rooted in the past, or perhaps because of them, Chantry's work is remarkably timeless. He blew Seattle scenesters' minds back in the 80s with his seminal gig posters and the music rag the rocket; today he's blowing their kids' minds on gigposters.com. (Even a luddite can love the internet as hierarchy-busting communicator.) Get your own mind blown when Art Chantry comes to Design Madison and talks about whatever he damn well pleases.
Event Recap:
On january 29, Art Chantry schooled a capacity crowd on the creative merits of devil chicks, hot rods, flames, and tikis. And press type, of course. Chantry rolled through a three-decade survey of his work, tossing out bits of historical gossip along the way. (Reid Miles hated jazz. Doesn't sound surprising? Look him up...) Along with the visuals, Chantry served up his unvarnished take on the world of design. One contention: nobody's designing anything new. We all appropriate. That said, he offered a few helpful guidelinesArt Chantry's three rules of appropriation
- Take obscurely
- Alter significantly
- Use appropriately
Words to live by. Chantry does, and we packed a room on a sub-zero evening to see the result. And it was grand. Thanks, Art!
02/26/04: Student Workshop
"Would you like fries with that?"
Good looks, a nice smile, and the gift of gab will only get you so far. Eventually, you'll have to whip it out. Your portfolio, that is. Design Madison invites you to attend this year's student workshop: 'get a job!!' This year's panel discussion is slated to include professionals from madison, milwaukee, minneapolis, chicago, and this one guy from tomahawk. They'll give you the low-down on r…sum…s, cover letters, self promos, interviewing, and, of course, portfolios. Afterward, each of our esteemed panelists will be stationed at a different 'topic table.' What are the topics? Well, you'll have to attend to find out.
03/11/04: Kevin Lyons
"My process is to wait until the last second and then go crazy."
Kevin Lyons is definitely one of the big guys. As art director for Urban Outfitters, Lyons serves as an arbiter of youth-culture cool. A lofty post, but he's got the just the right mix of pedigree (degrees from Risd and Calarts) and street cred (his work with Tokion Magazine, for example) to pull it off. That mix, plus an ability to sift through urban culture and pick out the good bits, have made Lyons a hot commodity. He's done work for Nike, Stussy, Jordan Brand, and Spike Jonze's girl skateboard company. And in 2000, I.D. Magazine named him one of the top 40 designers under 30. Lyons will talk about heading up the art department at our favorite urban retailer, and how he finds outlets for more creative energy than his day job can possibly hold. One such outlet: a limited-edition serigraph he's cooking up just for us. When they're gone, they're gone, so you'll definitely want to show up early for this one.
04/22/04: Jim Coudal
"the separation of physical and geopolitical space between like-minded individuals is getting less and less all the time."
Jim Coudal's internet is cooler than your internet. he's got a wealth of links to the ridiculous and the sublime. he's got designers from weworkforthem and praystation batting a photoshop file back and forth competitive collaboration. but the coolest thing about jim coudal's internet is that it could be yours. see for yourself when coudal gives us a guided tour, starting with his blog-cum-agency-website, www.coudal.com. he'll take us through a photoshop tennis play-by-play, and riff on how our silicon-based connections can spark carbon-based inspiration. he'll be joined by a partner in one of his most successful collaborations: eric helin of l.a.'s Slowtron is one of the creators of the acclaimed western state documentaries. he might have a new film in the can by then, so bring your popcorn.
05/06/04: Steve Sandstrom
"if somebody out there is going to render you obsolete, it better be you."
Portland, Oregon-based Sandstrom design definitely haven't rendered themselves obsolete. Instead, they've filled a refrigerator with every major design award in the book and boast a client list that reads like a who's who of american consumer culture: Nike, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Sony, Levi Strauss, Tazo Tea, and on and on. Visit Sandstrom's website and you'll find surprisingly little imagery (though there are a few shots of clios in the vegetable crisper). The smart, funny, copy-driven site suggests a company that's interested in creating more than just pretty images whose relevance ends when the next shiny object comes along. Founder Steve Sandstrom, who started the firm in 1988 after a four-year tour as senior art director at nike, will join us for a talk about relevance, obsolescence, and why 'medium rare' ranks as one of the greatest designs of all time.
06/10/04: DM Gallery Show (2004)
"If you can't understand my work, it sure as hell is not my fault."
Introducing Design Madison's first-ever member show. Here's how it works: we send out a call for entries to Design Madison members. You submit up to five pieces. We hang them. People look at them. And maybe, just maybe, they understand. There's no jury, no theme, no sense of decorum. Just your work, up against the wall for all the world to see. Look for the call for entries early in 2004. And remember, it's members only, so join already.