Parsons The New School for Design will present Pictoplasma NYC, a conference celebrating the artistic creation of character design, on Saturday, November 13 from 3-10 p.m.. Featuring lectures, panel discussions, and short film screenings, the event is part of Illustration Week, an annual programming series across New York City that showcases the best in international character design and art.  The conference will be held at Tishman Auditorium, The New School, 66 West 12th Street, New York. Admission is free, but registration is requested via email to pictoplasmaparsons@gmail.com. Pictoplasma NYC is supported by folioplanet.com.

The conference was organized by Pictoplasma founders and curators Lars Denicke and Peter Thaler, and Steven Guarnaccia, chair of Illustration at Parsons. Among the featured participants is Ice Age character designer Peter de Seve, a well-known illustrator, New Yorker cover artist, and Parsons alumnus, who will discuss the process of creating iconic characters. In addition, Guarnaccia will moderate a panel discussion on how creative skills developed in art school can translate into work-life projects and careers, featuring a range of Parsons alumni: animation director Aaron Stewart, artist Motomichi Nakamura, and ornamental painter Andy Kehoe.

Also presenting are two members of the Australian design collective Rinzen, known for its video and audio remix project, RMX. New York-based designer Craig Redman has a creative output filled with twisted optimism and simple messages executed in a colorful, bold style. His character Darcel has become a fashion icon and is often featured at famed Parisian boutique Colette, where he recently had a solo exhibition. Berlin-based designer Rilla Alexander is inspired by vintage children books and mythical stories to create characters with complex identities through a blending of illustration, graphics and 3D design. Her RMX project, Neighbourhood, involved 20 blank plush dolls that were passed around the world being reworked and remade.

Illustrator Nathan Jurevicius will discuss his most acclaimed project to date, Scarygirl. Since her creation in 2001, Scarygirl has developed a following of fans throughout the world and has been the subject of a game, graphic novel, numerous limited edition vinyl toys and travelling shows, and a forthcoming feature film.

The program will conclude with a screening of Characters in Motion 2010, a 75-minute collection of animated short films, music videos and motion graphics. Each film was selected for its innovative and style-setting character design and the intriguing way these protagonists involve the viewer in surreal settings.

Pictoplasma is acclaimed for its unique focus on contemporary character design and art. Timeless publications showcase the work of a global scene of illustrators, graphic designers and animation filmmakers. The annual conference in Berlin is the meeting point for an international audience. The inimitable mix of selected animation programs, the lively exchange between the various disciplines and face-to-face artist lectures, allowing a personal glimpse into the character centered universe of the protagonists, have proven highly inspiring and highlight the importance of characters in contemporary visual culture. Whether illustration, animation, graphic design, street or fine art – the emphasis is not on the limits of style or format, but on the shared dedication to explore character-driven aesthetics. After its US premiere in 2008, the event is now returning to New York for the second Pictoplasma NYC edition. For more information, please visit www.pictoplasma.com.

In the BFA Illustration Program at Parsons The New School for Design, one of the most prestigious and comprehensive schools of art and design in the world, students are poised to become influential, pictorial communicators. Through studio and digital course work, the program builds proficiency in drawing and media-based skills; creativity in concepts and problem solving; awareness of art and design and current social and cultural concerns; and fluency in technological tools and software. For more information, please visit http://www.newschool.edu/parsons/bfa-illustration/.

Pictoplasma NYC 2010
November 13, 2010
3-10 p.m.
Tishman Auditorium
66 W. 12th

Free and open to the public, but please RSVP to: pictoplasmaparsons@gmail.com.