Arabesque

This is an image from Arabesque: Graphic Design from the Arab World and Persia. Although I don't think this is advertising anything (the book just says that it's an experimental work under photography, Photoshop, and freehand), it really stood out to me. The artist, Ibrahim Eslam, is from Egypt, and that is clearly where he got the majority of his inspiration. The head is really similar to the mummies of ancient Egypt, which I've always been fascinated by. There are numerous other elements in the image, including what looks to me like a human heart (hanging beneath the head), as well as gears, pulleys, and wires. It's almost like the artist is trying to mix old and new with living and dead, and in my opinion, it just makes for a very striking piece.

The Metal Underground

I found these band logos in Lord of the Logos: Designing the Metal Underground by Christophe Szpajdel (I think). The first is for a band called Acherontia Styx, and the second is for a band called Apparitia (I think...the text is a little hard to read because of the typeface). They really fit into logos typically used by metal bands--hard-to-read type that's kind of goth-looking in nature. I like the top logo way more than the bottom one just because of the use of the death's-head moth motif...the second one just looks like it has a weird face on its back. I just think they're kind of different while still managing to follow traditional metal band logos.

AARGH!

This is a page I scanned from Comic Art Propaganda by Fredrik Stromberg. It's from a section about AARGH!, which stands for Artists Against Rampant Government Homophobia, which was formed as a reaction against a piece of anti-gay legislation passed in the 1980s in Britain. This legislation basically stated that nothing promoting homosexuality would be published intentionally--so of course a bunch of comic-book artists formed a group to purposely defy that law. Published as an anthology, AARGH! features work from many well-known and successful artists, and the page I scanned featured a number of different works. I really like that a group of artists would come together to decisively to protest a piece of legislation they didn't like, and that their work is still relevant today. It's a quick glimpse at the anthology they published, but it's really interesting getting to see all the different artwork and how everything comes together in the book.

Logo Design

This image is from Graphis Logo Design, edited by B. Martin Pedersen. The book doesn't have a whole lot of written information, but instead lists all these different logos and designs used by companies. This page really stood out to me because of the huge range of designs. Each of these logos is a different company and are done by different designers, but I think they are all pretty successful. For the most part, they're simple, but some have a little pop of something else that makes them stand apart. My favorites are the fourth and fifth ones. The fourth one is by Okan Usta for the Sinefekt Post Production Company, and looks like a voodoo doll with pins stuck in it--it's kind of funny. The fifth one is by MBA for White Hat Creative. It took me a minute to see it, but the image is of the top of what looks to be a white Stetson hat. I just thought it was really cleverly done and works really well.

Women in Chinese Graphic Design

This ad is from Chinese Graphic Design in the Twentieth Century by Scott Minick and Jiao Ping. I chose this particular image because it was listed in a section about how women were beginning to be represented in graphic design in the 30s in China. Prior to then, women were often depicted as vulnerable and dependent. During the 30s, though, they began to be shown as having courage, resilience, and strength, and also showed women having more active social and sporting lives. I thought this ad in particular really shows that off, because this woman appears to be wearing some kind of military dress, and also seems to have some of the inner strength the book mentions. I'm not sure what it's advertising, but it does appear to be a good design, and I'm certain that it really grabbed attention when it first came out in 1946.

Alibris

This is a logo for the online company Alibris, from Logo Design That Works by Lisa Silver. This is a company that sells books online. This logo was actually designed by Pentagram, and the company wanted to create a logo that "looked modern and fresh but also hearkened back to classic book design." According to the book, they were inspired by the letterpress books of the 1950s. This logo looks as though it could have been designed on a letterpress, and I'm a big fan of it. Using the Bodoni typeface also helps, because I think it's one of those that can be used in modern typographic designs and logos despite the fact that it's so old. Overall, it's just really a well-done logo.

Menu Design

I thought this was really cool. I got these images from Menu Design 5 by Judi Radice. The picture on the left is the menu for a restaurant called Inn of the Anasazi in Santa Fe, and the one on the left is the restaurant itself. I really like how the menu contains motifs commonly seen in the Santa Fe area, and that the walls also contain those same elements. According to the book, all the images are replications of authentic Anasazi cave paintings found in the area, and natural fabrics and pottery pieces were used as well. The graphic design elements are really nice, and I like how it all gives the place a warm and welcoming atmosphere.