Thanks to Trey Hoyumpa
for this fantastic and fun shot of
the Illustration Senior Show–Art TK–this past Monday.
Category Archives: Follow Up
Follow-up: More pictures from Pictopia and Pictoplasma!
Editor’s Note: Please enjoy this selection of photos taken by friend of the department, Lasse Krug. They were taken at the “Ugly is Beautiful” exhibition at the Pictopia Festival in Berlin this past March. Thanks, Lasse!
Follow-up: More Images from the Bologna’s Children’s Book Fair
Editor’s Note: Here’s a selection of photos from the Hi-Q Project and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair taken by friend of the department, Julie Sodre. Thanks, Julie!
Guest Entry: Roxie Vizcarra at the Pictopia Festival!
Editor’s Note: This guest entry comes from Illustration Senior Roxie Vizcarra, who participated in the Pictopia/Pictoplasma Festival in Berlin, Germany this past March.
When the Illustration Department invited me to help represent them at this year’s Pictopia Festival (part of the acclaimed character design organization Pictoplasma), I was excited to be able to visit a city I’ve never been to, especially one with some much history as Berlin. What I didn’t know at the time was that there couldn’t have been a more perfect location for Pictopia to take place. It’s impossible to go very far without encountering some form of art that incorporates strong character design.
I spent a couple of days watching over Parsons’ exhibition, Ugly is Beautiful, at the Collegium Hungaricum, which also featured work by other Pictopia Character Walk artists. The set-up for the show was long and tedious, but in the end it was worth the effort as everything looked fantastic, and I can attest to the fact that most people who came by to have a look were rather impressed by the variety of unique characters Parsons students have to offer.
Dan Yaccarino wins prize at Bologna Children’s Book Fair
Parsons Illustration Alum Dan Yaccarino (’87) got an official Mention in the Fiction category for his book, EVERY FRIDAY, at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair this past March.
Here’s what the jury members had to say about his work:
With consummate awareness, Dan Yaccarino goes back over a key moment in the history of illustration, echoing with great skill the unforgotten magic of the years between the two world wars when posters, home furnishings, design objects and styles of fashion all came together to create a certain elegance of living. Yaccarino re-defines the light. The compact forms he draws and paints forego the weight of contours. His colour palette never includes the banal. Limpid perspectives are so clearly defined as to seem an accomplished exercise in style intent on inhabiting each scene with a serene, enlivening spirit. Yet as he returns, re-reads and re-thinks, Yaccarino shows a talent all his own that shows through in his own unmistakable style. The result is a magical encounter with a great artist and an unforgettable moment in the history of illustration.
Congratulations, Dan! And if you’re in the NYC-area, you can catch Dan signing copies of his new book at Books of Wonder soon. Here are the official details on that event:
Join Books of Wonder on Saturday, April 25th, from 12 to 2pm as we welcome an exciting new crop of books for spring by seven of today’s most talented authors and artists. On hand will be author KATE FEIFFER who will present her three new books: The Problem with the Puddles, her first chapter book for young readers; Which Puppy? a picture book illustrated by her father, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, author, and artist, JULES FEIFFER, and My Mom Is Trying To Ruin My Life, a picture book illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist DIANE GOODE.Also joining us will be author MICHEAL J. ROSEN who will introduce his new book of poems, The Cuckoo’s Haiku: And Other Birding Poems; husband-and-wife team WENDELL and FLORENCE MINOR to present their latest collaboration, the delightful If You Were A Penguin; and best-selling author and artist DAN YACCARINO who will share with us his fascinating picture book biography, The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau. Each of these talented authors and artists will present their books beginning at noon, answer questions from the audience, and then sign all of their many wonderful books.
Stop by and catch Dan in action!
Guest Entry: Emmanuel Tavares at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
Please enjoy this guest entry from Parsons Illustration senior Emmanuel Tavares, who accompanied our chair, Steven Guarnaccia to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair from March 23rd to Thursday 26th.
Man, do my feet hurt. The Bologna Children’s Book Fair did this to me. It also introduced me to a ton of publishers, directors, artists, and books that i had no idea even existed. The fair is one of the largest children‘s book fairs in the world. It has been held annually in Bologna, Italy for 46 years. After taking Pat Cummings’ Children’s Book class I thought I had an idea of what to expect, and I sort of did. There was just so much more of it. There were hundreds of booths, samples, framed pieces, and words I could not understand. Fortunately we deal with images and the amazing artwork more than bridged the language gap. There were publishers from everywhere including India, Jamaica, Portugal, New Zealand, Israel, Sri Lanka, Finland, and Australia ( I never understood why a continent would be listed as a country). In all there were 1,300 exhibitors from 69 countries.
Prior to my trip I was put in touch with Marcella Terrusi, the moderator for the week long forum of scheduled discussions at the fair called the “Illustrator’s Café”. Between here advice and Steven’s introducing me to some of his friends in the publishing world there I was able to meet and speak with many publishers who my personal work would pair well with. This was a great opportunity to get insight on what the decision makers in the children’s book publishing world are thinking about when looking at an artist’s work.
I was also asked to speak at the Illustrator’s Café on a panel discussion about Illustrator Blogs. It was a great honor to be on a panel with illustrators Pablo Auladell and Anna Castagnoli and to represent Parsons to such a diverse group of professionals.
The fair was an amazing opportunity to make very important contacts that I was able to take advantage of. The response to my panel discussion was also very reassuring as there were even a few of the audience members from New York who later spoke with me about later contact. I look forward to maintaining contact with the people I’ve met during my trip. And so I’m off to complete a long list of e-mails!
Emmanuel
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Here is a gallery of images that Emmanuel collected during his visit. Also make sure to pop over to his website and his blog for more about Emmanuel’s life, art, and career.
Thanks for the recap, E!
Hi-Q: The winners!
Congratulations to the winners in the Bologna Haiku contest!
First Place: Christine Young
Second Place: Ana Mouyis
Third Place: Katie Turner
Along with the winners above, several other students’ haikus will be featured in the traveling exhibition, Hi-Q, along with student works from Accademica di Belle Arti di Bologna, ENSAD-Paris, HAW-Hamburg, and Kyoto City University of Arts:
Astrid Mueller
Kendra Yapyapan
Zachary Zezima
Michelle Farkouh
Bernadine Brocker
Paula Searing
Ema Chen
Shu Okada
Meg Eldredge
Roxanna Vizcarra
Evan Turk
Yael Levy
Naomi L. Koffman
Hannah K. Lee
Emmanuel Tavares
Finally, a big thank you to all the students who submitted–everyone did amazing work!
Follow-up: Level Reviews F08
Follow-up: All that black tape!
Guest entry by Sean Lahey, Jr. Concepts Instructor
What’s with the tape on the floor?
The Junior Concepts class bombed the hallway outside the illustration department office a few weeks ago as the final piece of the classes in-studio project that week. Students were asked to start the project by writing a list in their sketchbooks. Things that excited them or scared them or got under their skin. Things that motivated them to go out and change something. Hot topics. Buzz words. Whatever.
Then they selected one, and were asked to imagine the call had come. The biggest city daily newspaper has requested a small spot illustration for a piece on your most passionate topic.
Three inches by three inches. Black and White only please… They were asked to make their illustrations strong. Give them visual impact despite their size. Be attentive to balance and weight. This was their shot.
Lastly, the hook… and the fun part of the lesson.
3 inches by 3 inches translates to 3 floor tiles by three floor tiles very easily when your line weight is suddenly one inch thick.
Enter the plumbers tape, selling at every corner bodega for about 90 cents a roll.
In this extremely cluttered visual environment that we all compete in, a lot of getting yourself out there is just making the leap and trying to figure out a new way to get noticed. The “Concepts” agenda for this project was think big and different, think public but non-permanent, and as always, keep it cheap.
Your word is out. Or, in this case, at least the illustrated version of your word.
And it’ll be seen by everyone in the department for, ohhh… about the several weeks (or months).
Give or take the strength of the cleaning solvents used by the janitors.
Thanks to Sean for the explanation and his students for the art!
Follow-up: Picturing Politics Symposium
Check out some highlights from this past weekend’s “Picturing Politics” symposium, hosted by Parsons Illustration and the Politics department of the New School for Social Research. You can see more images here. Our thanks to everyone who participated and attended!