All posts by amt

Faculty Steven Guarnaccia Featured on PBS’s OFF BOOK

Illustration Faculty

Watch as Steven contributes to the episode, The Art Of Illustration. Illustrators articulate what a photograph cannot. Using an array of techniques and styles, illustrators evoke stories and meaning in a variety of mediums, from editorial illustration in magazines and newspapers, to comics books, to activist media. And as their tasks over the years have become less informational and more expressive, their individual voice as artists becomes all the more critical and beautiful, revealing an exciting and awe-inspiring age of illustration.

OFF BOOK explores cutting edge arts and the artists that make it. Breaking the mold of the definition of art, OFF BOOK explores the avant-garde, the experimental and the underground artforms that are supported by online communities. The bi-weekly, web exclusive series includes episodes on typography, steampunk, internet culture, video game art and more.

Student of the Week: Emmy Reis

Current Students

This week’s student of the week is Emmy Reis, illustrator, pattern/printmaker, and animator.
Along with a few of her peers, Emmy was chosen to speak at a special student character design panel at Pictoplasma (which unfortunately was cancelled due to the storm).

Scroll down to view a sample of her work and her artist statement:

Emmy Reis, Be My Valentine, personal

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Emmy Reis, Kicking a can, Senior Thesis 1, Lauren Redniss

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Emmy Reis, Hikkoshi / New Home, personal hikkoshi_0001

Artist Statement:

Emmy Reis likes to work with characters -some animals, some more ambiguous creatures- that live in a strange but whimsical world. She also likes to draw buildings or strange structures where things grow on top of each other sprouting plants or strange bubbly growths. Emmy Reis enjoys hand-drawn line art, digital rendering, and simple animations.

To view more of her work, please be sure to check out Emmy’s website: emmyreis.com

Pictoplasma condensed to Sunday due to blizzard, new venue!

General Info

First Sandy…now Nemo! Pictoplasma NYC has been pushed back to this Sunday, for a POWER session, 10am to 4pm: Theresa Lang Student Center, 55 West 13th Street, Room 202 – 2nd floor

Unfortunately the unexpected has happened, again! The original venue, the Tishman Auditorium, along with the entire New School, has been shut down for today and tommorow due to the current blizzard warning.

BUT WE WILL NOT GIVE UP!

The program will be a little dense, but inspiring none the less. Also, we expect things to get far more cozy and familiar than in the original venue. 
In the meanwhile we’d be thankful if you could help spread the word of this change with all those you know who were also planning to attend this weekend. Tweet, Facebook, text and shout! Thanks so much!

 

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Student of the Week: Kristen Davis

Current Students

The first of many weekly student of the week posts featuring exceptional current Parsons Illustration students that deserve a little extra shine.

This week’s student of the week is Kristen Davis, illustrator, printmaker, fine artist, and writer extraordinaire.

Scroll down to view a sample of her work and her artist statement:

Kristen Davis, Ghosts III, Senior Thesis 2, Jordin Isip (faculty)

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Kristen Davis, Lilypad, personal
*Featured on Fab.com for a special promotion

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Kristen Davis, The Witch, Senior Thesis 2, Jordin Isip (faculty)
(larger version available on her website)

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Artist Statement:

Kristen Davis works equally with digital and traditional illustration, often bringing her subtle painterly touch to her digital pieces. She specializes in narrative based works, including character and landscape design, and concept art. Her art is crafted through atmosphere and storytelling, and while her color palette is often limited, the worlds where her characters exist are steeped in a rich air of mystery and pending adventure. She works primarily with oil paint, graphite, printmaking techniques, and digital media.

To see more work from Kristen, be sure to check out her website: kdavisillustration.com

Pictoplasma Returns to Parsons! Starting This Friday!

General Info

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THE WORLD’S LEADING CONFERENCE ON CONTEMPORARY CHARACTER DESIGN AND ART FINALLY RETURNS TO NYC WITH AN IMMERSIVE WEEKEND OF ARTIST TALKS, SCREENINGS, PRESENTATIONS AND LOADS OF CHARACTER!

February 8-9, 2013
 
Hosted by Parsons The New School for Design
Tishman Auditorium, 66 W 12 St, 10011 New York

UP TO 250 PARSONS STUDENTS AND STAFF CAN SIGN UP FOR FREE ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS, BUT REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.


WE WILL SEND YOU A REGISTRATION CODE AND TICKET PICK UP INFORMATION TO THE EMAIL PROVIDED.
THE RESERVATION SYSTEM WILL SHUT DOWN ONCE WE REACH CAPACITY.
 
In its 4th US edition, the Pictoplasma Conference originating from Berlin returns to New York to present a marathon of inspiring lectures, talks and panel discussions by some of the most outstanding artists, illustrators and designers pushing the edge of contemporary character visualization. The event offers the unique chance to learn from (and rub shoulders with) artists such as Gemma Correll, introducing her appealing zoo of doodled cats and hand drawn pugs (not drugs!); Mark Gmehling, indisputable master of contortionist 3D illustration and oversized murals; Julia Pott, responsible for some of the most beautiful illustration and animation depicting self-consciousness and awkward social constellations; Ryan Quincy, former Animation Director of South Park and father to a vast, hairy family of ever expanding critters; Andy Rementer, illustrator extraordinaire famed for his dead-pan humor and dude-style 70s comic imagery; craft artist Anna Hrachovec, who takes knitting to a place where no needle has gone before; Adrian Sonni, Argentinean creator of colorful cuteness with a dark twist; Jason Freeny, whose anatomical exploration of character toys uses reverse forensics to bring life to our childhood friends through eye popping illustrations and meticulously crafted sculptures.; David OReilly, whizz-kid animation director, uber-talent film maker and FREE FACTS twitter phenomena; and graphic artist Buff Monster, with an infinite output of his pink characters as paintings, graffiti or sculptures. Saturday morning Parsons students and alumni take the stage to present their work in a Pecha Kucha session hosted by Steven Guarnaccia, who will also moderate a panel with Taylor McKimens, Marc Rosenthal and Olimpia Zagnoli in the afternoon.
 
The Pictoplasma Conference invites a diverse audience of graphic designers, illustrators, animation filmmakers and producers, fine and urban artists and character connoisseurs of all shades to gather under one roof and dive deep into the world of character-related art and design. The presentations, panels and artist talks are accompanied by feature-length ‘Characters in Motion’ screenings, showcasing a selected mix of new and outstanding character-driven animation, motion graphics, music videos and shorts.
 
The event’s unique mix delivers tons of inspiration, while the lively exchange between the various disciplines highlights the importance of contemporary characters in today’s global visual understanding.
 
For more information and full bios, visit here:  http://nyc.pictoplasma.com/conference
 
Details:
Conference takes place at Tishman Auditorium, lobby of 66 West 12th Street

Schedule of Speakers and Events:

Friday, February 8: 
3:00-4:00 p.m. – Doors open, attendee registration
4:00-6:00 p.m.- Welcome address, lectures by Buff Monster, Mark Gmehling
7:00-9:00 p.m.- Lectures by Anna Hrachovec, Adrian Sonni, Jason Freeny
9:30-11:00 p.m.- Screening – Characters in Motion 1

Saturday, February 9:
11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – Doors open, attendee registration
12:00-1:00 p.m.- Pecha Kucha / Parsons’ Pitch
1:00-3:00 p.m.- Lectures by David OReilly and Gemma Correll
4:00-5:00 p.m.- Lecture by Andy Rementer
5:00-6:00 p.m.- Panel with Steven Guarnaccia, Taylor McKimens, Marc Rosenthal and Olimpia Zagnoli
7:00-9:00 p.m.- Lectures by Ryan Quincy and Julia Pott
9:30-11:00 p.m.- Screening Characters in Motion 2

AIGA/NY @Parsons Lecture Series: Designer’s Debate Club #3

General Info

A limited number of complimentary tickets are available for New School students, faculty, and staff (NSU ID required). 

CLICK HERE FOR RESERVATIONSImage

 The reservation system will shut down once we have reached capacity. 

TIME AND PLACE

Tishman Auditorium
Lobby, 66 West 12th Street

Wednesday, February 13, 2013
6:30PM Check-in
7:00-8:30PM Presentation

In collaboration with Designer’s Debate Club, AIGA/NY is proud to announce the third session of this ongoing debate series!

Motion to be Debated: Formal design education is necessary for practicing designers.

So you spent 2-4 years of your life dabbling in “experimental” typography,  producing faux packaging for high-end artisanal ramen (while subsisting on the low-end stuff),  and pumping out unsolicited rebrands that would make any stodgy corporation look like a post-war era retro dream—and you got the portfolio to prove it.

Everyone is looking for a leg up,  a workaround the mediocre middle. Is a formal design education the best way to get there?

Practitioners,  professionals,  thinkers,  scholars. Hustlers,  hackers,  bootstrappers,  ballers. It’s time to bring your A-game and settle the score. Is it the dawn of the DIYers,  the age of self-taught talent? Is design education outdated,  outmoded? Or does a formal design education still make the grade?

The Proceedings:

Opening vote: Audience chooses to side For the motion, Against the Motion, or Undecided.

Round 1 : Opening Statements

Round 2 : Rebuttal

Round 3 : Floor Speeches (Audience jumps in the Brawl)

Round 4 : Closing Statements

Closing Vote : Audience votes again and winner is measured by which side has swayed more votes.

 

Moderated by:

Scott Stowell, Proprietor of Open & instructor at Yale and SVA.

 

Arguing For the Motion:

Alice Twemlow, Co-Founder of SVA’s D-Crit MFA

Matteo Bologna, Founder and principal of Mucca Design

Mystery Guest, Chief of Radness at a Place

 

Arguing Against the Motion:

Able Parris, Associate Design Director of Big Spaceship

Peter Vidani, Design Director at Tumblr

Liz Danzico, Co-founder and chair of SVA’s MFA in Interaction Design