Laura Solomon
Pretty Hurts (Art 257) started out as a class that stirred debate and outright defiance both within Art Center’s student community and online publications. As the instructors of Pretty Hurts we would like to highlight the outcomes of the course as well as the projects that originated as a result of the class and how the ideas discussed fractured away from the class to influence Art Center College of Design’s student and faculty community. Continue reading
Beyoncé Inc. (S, M, L, XL), by April Bey. Oil on maternity mannequin and board, 36”X48”, 2014
This guest blog post comes in response to recent digital conversation sparked by an article on MTV.com taking issue with the description for an undergraduate Fine Art course (co-taught, not incidentally, by a woman of color) entitled “Pretty Hurts.” This piece, composed by Fine Art department chair Vanalyne Green and course instructors Ariel McCleese and April Bey, was intended to contribute to this vital and momentous exchange as well as to elucidate the intentions animating the description’s provocation. We hope the dialogue will continue as we wholeheartedly embrace the values of inclusivity and gender equality that have informed this conversation as well as the work of all the artists discussed below. Please continue to weigh in with your thoughts and ideas on this dynamically shifting terrain in the comments section below.
Brendan Monroe, Demetrius May and Ronald Kurniawan
Of all the role models one might expect an ambitious young illustrator to tap for inspiration, Jay-Z hardly qualifies as one of the usual suspects. But unpredictability, in all its forms, has always been imperative to the outlaw mentality embraced by each of the panelists at “Most Wanted: Young Guns of Illustration,” this month’s lively discussion, featuring Illustration alums Ronald Kurniawan, Demetrius May, and Brendan Monroe. The three young mavericks enthralled the crowded Ahmanson Auditorium discussing the work in multiple sub-markets and the various facets of the industry. And, yes, the hip-hop mogul’s name was invoked, when May cited his sage advice to young entrepreneurs — “I’m not a business man, I’m a business, man…all of you are your own business.” – as a useful mindset vital to anyone determined to stand out in today’s crowded creative marketplace.
The panelists also stressed the importance of joining the ‘maker’ revolution. “I consider [Illustrators] as picture makers. You have to be a designer. You have to be able to create everything and anything out of your head. You have to be flexible,” said Kurniawan, an Art Center graduate (with honors), currently working at Dreamworks, whose work has been inspired by ideograms, letterforms and syllables. Kurniawan has a wide array of experience in feature and television animation, visual development, character design, advertising, and book illustration – both in-house and freelance. With extraordinarily realistic lighting and interplay of color, Kurniawan’s work is a feast for the senses. Kurniawan’s clients include Sony Pictures, LACMA, LA Weekly, Mattel, Inc. and Disney Consumer Products to name a few. His work has been recognized in several publications including Communication Arts, American Illustration and Society of Illustrators.