Monthly Archives: July 2010

Blik and Illustration Create Alternatives to Print

Guest post by Heather Koopman of Blik

Last spring, Blik participated in the Art Center’s Advanced Illustration Studio class. Fourteen students at the Pasadena campus enrolled in the course, which is part of the Illustration Department curriculum that focuses on design beyond the printed page. Led by the chair of the illustration department, Ann Field, the upper-term class taught applications for illustration including wall graphics, fabric, ceramic plates and interior design.

According to Field, part of the magic was how quickly the project with Blik was pulled together. Each student created one design and submitted it to Blik to be turned into a printed wall graphic. During the process, Blik tutored the students in how to create and set up their illustrations as files for print production. The final designs were presented and installed in the classroom.

“One of the great things about this class is the opportunity to work with companies, like Blik, who have a high-design aesthetic and impeccable attention to detail,” says Field. “These qualities combined with Blik’s contemporary products and history of working with established artists makes for a good working partnership.”

Blik also worked with one of Art Center’s star graduating students and Spring 2010 valedictorian, Patrick Hruby, to manufacture his final project, Imagine Something Beautiful. Each year, the Art Center faculty gives a wall in the main school entrance way to one student to display their final project. Patrick’s project was selected for the space and he approached Blik to help execute his vision.

Blik is proud of the students’ work and looks forward to continuing our relationship with Art Center again in the future.

For more on Blik: Blik’s Blog, Blik Custom: Art Center, Blik Custom: Patrick Hruby

Lighter Design for Solar-Powered Camel Packs

Change Observer brings us an update on the Camel Mobile Clinic, a system for transporting medicine via camel to remote African communities. The innovate solar-powered camel saddle packs were envisioned in a 2006 Designmatters project, Integrated Mobile Health Clinics for Remote Communities in Kenya, which was selected as a finalist in the World Banks’ Development Marketplace competition in 2007.

These remote African communities have few roadways and harsh terrain, making travel challenging. Camel convoys are the most efficient means of transportation for these areas, and the only way to deliver much-needed medicine and vaccines. A lack of equipment and refrigeration has made providing supplies to these areas almost impossible. The camel packs, powered by solar panels, can bring refrigerated medical necessities to these areas—in turn saving countless lives.

From the article: “Over the past year, further field-testing of the saddle-packaging system led to design modifications that are more in line with what local people use. In the original version, for example, a larger semi-circular contact area with the camel—which caused the saddle to slip if the animal changed its gait—was replaced with a smaller system with only one point of contact, making it more stable.”

The new design has been tested over short distances, and later this year it will be field-tested on a longer trek delivering medicine.

Read more: Camel Mobile Clinic Update and Integrated Mobile Health Clinics for Remote Communities in Kenya

Ansel Adams Negatives: The Real Deal?

Could it be? A Fresno man thinks that a stash of antique negatives bought at a garage sale are the early work of famed photographer and Art Center faculty member Ansel Adams.

Check out this very interesting L.A. Times article about the negatives and the debate surrounding them—some think they are legit; Adams’ family says otherwise.

One theory is that scorch marks on the negatives are proof that they survived a 1937 fire in Adams’ studio. Adams reportedly tossed stacks of negatives into a bathtub to save them from the flames.

Reporter Mike Boehm writes: “Alt theorized that Adams brought the Norsigian negatives to Southern California in the early 1940s as examples for his students at what’s now the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. ‘It would not be unreasonable for him to show the fire-damaged plates and regale his students with what was surely a great story,’ Alt wrote. He added, ‘In almost all of the photographs, the compositions are virtually flawless,’ indicating ‘a photographer of singular vision and talent’.”

What do you think? Are these the real deal, or just wishful thinking?

Read more: Ansel Adams negatives revealed? Fresno man makes his case and
Experts say lost images of Ansel Adams found

In Case You Missed It

As you know, there’s always something going on when it comes to Art Center alumni, students and faculty. Some of the latest:

Jorge Pardo, "Bulgogi"

  • A new mixed media installation by Fine Art alum Jorge Pardo, Bulgogi, at Gagosian Gallery. artdaily.org
  • Top-seller at Vroman’s Bookstore features cover illustrations by Art Center students. Pasadena Star-News
  • Catching up with top hot-rod designer and Art Center Transportation Design alum Chip Foose. Los Angeles Times
  • Photography and Imaging alum Dan Chavkin discovers mid-century inspiration in Palm Springs. MyDesert.com

Big Picture Lecture Series: Paul Vangelisti

Don’t miss today’s Big Picture Lecture Series featuring Paul Vangelisti.

Vangelisti is a poet and broadcaster who has written more than 20 books of poetry. A noted Italian translator, he helped create the graduate writing program at Otis.

Have there been any lectures that you missed? You’re in luck—podcasts of the lectures are up at Art Center’s iTunes U site.

Big Picture Lecture Series: Paul Vangelisti
Monday, July 26, 1 pm
Los Angeles Time Media Center

But Where are the Flying Cars?

What will the Los Angeles skyline look like in 2030?

Newsweek asked three well-known architecture firms—Michael Maltzan Architecture, cityLAB UCLA and Gensler—to envision the future for this fun interactive feature. There aren’t flying cars from The Jetsons like we expected, but some pretty neat features nonetheless.

“A future Los Angeles … will alter today’s predominant subdivision, tract-home, and automobile monoculture into a more multicultural, multimodal, interconnected, and sustainable modern city,” wrote the Maltzan team.

Read more at Culture Monster: Architects imagine Los Angeles in 2030

Save the Date: Car Classic ’10


The hottest event in town just got a whole lot cooler. Art Center is pleased to announce that Car Classic ’10 will take place on Sunday, October 17, at Art Center’s Hillside Campus. The event has been moved from its traditional July date to ensure cooler temperatures and allow attendees to spend even more time enjoying the beautiful cars, world-famous speakers, and inspiring student work.

This year’s Car Classic will celebrate the thrill of motion, capturing the joy and excitement of various modes of transportation that allow us to move well beyond our own human abilities. Stay tuned for more information on this beloved campus event. And be sure to save the date for October 17—you won’t want to miss it.

Car Classic 2010
Sunday, October 17
Hillside Campus

Now Showing: Grad Art Alumni and Faculty

Our Graduate Art Department members and alums have been busy this summer! A few current exhibits:

Emilie Halpern, Marble Letter

  • Through August 7: Alumnus Brian Kennon has a solo exhibit, Group Shows, at Steve Turner Contemporary.
  • July 30 through August 20: Alumnus Tad Beck is in a group show/event, Its Own Nothingness, at Krowswork in Oakland. He is also will have an installation, Palimpsest, as part of LACMA’s Manly Pursuits, July 25 through October 15.
  • Through August 21: Grad Fine Art faculty member Walead Beshty organized the exhibition Picture Industry (Goodbye to All That) at Regen Projects, featuring more than 30 artists.
  • Through August 21: Alumna Emilie Halpern is in a group show, Long Long Gone, at Leo Koenig in New York. Her work can also be seen in the curated online artist resource “Culturehall” issue #46: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
  • Through September 4: Alumna Jennifer West is in a group show, Just a Matter of Time, at Iris Kadel in Karlsruhe, Germany.

What did we miss? If you know of any student, alumni or faculty shows, let us know.

Big Picture Lecture Series: Jean-Pierre Hebert

Don’t miss Monday’s Big Picture Lecture Series featuring Jean-Pierre Hebert, who will present the lecture, Art and Science.

Artist-in-residence at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Hebert’s 40-year interest in mathematics, physics, music and computer science has resulted in the production of a large body of work at the intersection of art and science.

Big Picture Lecture Series: Jean-Pierre Hebert
Art and Science
Monday, July 19, 1 pm
Los Angeles Time Media Center