Cameron Hackl's Process Book

“Art will be easy”

Rene Magritte - “Golconda� - 1953 (cover)

Art Will be Easy Cameron Hackl ART 130 - Fall 2017 St. Norbert College

Neville Brody

The designer presentations allowed me to learn how to find good visual examples, draw research from reputable sources, and engage with the class in a timely manner. What drew me to Neville Brody was his ability to make abstract things that are visually complicated but also ones that always make sense or match the project’s intended motif.

I did not feel nervous about presenting to my classmates because they are all people who I am comfortable around and also people who want to help make me better. When the time came I still got a little jittery but I held it together and went with the flow. If I were to research one of my classmates designers it would probably be Dick Bruna. I say this because I tend to find beauty in things that are super simple. No work could be any more simple yet satisfying than Dick Bruna’s. To me there is just something special about doing more with less.

(Portrait of Neville Brody)

(Left: word art portrait design by Neville Brody of Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke, Middle: Free Me From Freedom poster by Neville Brody, Right: Fontwork design by Neville Brody for Oceans12 movie cover.)

D-School

We did the D-School exercise in order to get used to working fast and under pressure. I think the point of this exercise was to get us out of our comfort zones and working with limited time. Engaging with a real person changed the direction of my prototype by giving me insight on how others might perceive it. It gave me a different perspective and allowed me to consider changes based on others constructive criticism. Showing my unfinished work to another person bothered me a bit because obviously it was not anywhere near where I would have liked it to be, however, I like it because it was simple and just portrayed our initial thoughts. I don’t think anyone judged each others but instead enjoyed seeing some half ass work. The fast pace was a little uncomfortable because I was not able to make everything how I wanted but I think that was the point of this activity. I did not mind the fast pace too much though because I am used to going fast paced in football and having to think on my feet. If I could go back and continue my project I would add some color and a clearer shape to make my object better understood. However, I would still use the same materials because I think the wire is a unique way to construct things.

(Rene Magritte - “La Lampe Philosophique” - 1936)

Dot Line

The purpose of the dot line exercise was to get us working ubundantly and iteratively. We did this by creating several abstract compositions with shapes after many trial and errors. I enjoyed the article “Shitty First Drafts� because it talks about the importance of unconventional ways of writing. I think growing up we are all taught the basic ways of doing things such as the five paragraph essay. However, I think it is important to be different and create something of your own. Thinking of something different and abstract also takes more time to think of and is harder to start to me.

Formulating my ideas and portraying them accurately in my work has always been a slow process for me. This is why whenever I get an idea I have to write it down and then once I have all of my drafts and ideas written down I can begin to bring them all together. It is almost impossible to think of an idea and put it to work without any planning. That is why sketching and creating many different iterations came in handy with project and others.

(Three of my final dot-line iterations each meant to represent another word. Left: stability. Middle: faith. Right: seperation)

Words and Letters The objective of this assignment was to experiment with different forms of letters and examine how their forms can impact how they are recieved. Hand lettering taught me that there is much more to lettering than the literal word they represent. Some people may think of things literally but different fonts help artists create new meanings and connect to the viewers on a deeper level. I also learned that based on the word it is constructed with lettering can make viewers think deeper about the word. Additionally, different fonts can give the same word a different meaning.

I learned that selecting a type of font and creating several different versions of it also helps the artist think about ways to improve the lettering through trial and error. This helped me find better versions of my words even when I thought it was finished. All in all working with fonts and lettering really pushed me to go further than what I find acceptable and allowed me to think outside of the box.

(Three of my final iterations for the word “Cure”)

(Word graph for the word “Cure”)

Object Iterations

The purpose of this assignment was to get us to communciate clearly and explore laterally. I did this by researching and showing different wolf characteristics and by portraying them in different forms and styles. I learned that my object (the grey wolf) can be portrayed much better when elements of its surroundings and behavior are included in the work. This gives the iterations a real life feel and can add nice motion. I also learned that the wolf has a lot of sharp angles that work good for geometric designs.

The most challenging media to me were the collages because I had a hard time finding abstract elements that clashed nicely. The most enjoyable media to work with were the geometric iterations because I enjoy working with shapes and am confident in my abilities. Considering this was my first time using photoshop I learned a lot of new useful things. This basically ranged from importing and cropping a picture to editing blemishes and contrasting colors with curves. If I had to continue doing this project I might represent the wolf in 3D iterations to bring it to life and add actual objects to construct.

(Final poster for wolf iteration)

(Left: geometric iteration of a wolf, Middle: collage iteration of a wolf, Right: geometric iteration of a wolf.)

Dataviz

With this project we explored collecting and visualizing data. We had a lot more freedom with this project to use color and make something of our own. I was expected to represent a set of data in order to get my intended point across. I wanted to find out and represent the amount of people that are aware and appreciate the Shrine of Mary on campus. I created a visual hierarchy by presenting the most important points in the largest most simple say. I think that the large size of the title is important because my main point is that the Shrine of Mary is hidden and not many people know of her. By making this project I learned an immense amount about photoshop; specifically how to add color in different ways, and how to insert text. I also learned how to gather information efficiently and effectively in order to answer my question correctly. Using color was refreshing because we have been working in grayscale for so long and also because coloring is therapeutic.

(Data based off of my questionaires)

(Line drawing of Hidden Madonna Poster)

(Final Hidden Madonna poster)

Vocation What is the greatest failure you’ve experienced?

The greatest failure I’ve ever experienced was when I received a football scholarship after my senior year of high school and quit 3 months after arriving at one of my dream schools. Looking back I quit for the right reasons but it was tough dealing with the disappointment. My family and friends just wanted to see me to big things and I felt like I let them down. However, it wasn’t the right fit for me and I am much happier with where I am today.

What is the difference between a good life and a significant life?

To me a good life would be an average life. Someone who lives for themselves and the ones they love and go about life being a kind person to others that cross their path. However, a significant life would be a life dedicated to making others peoples lives better and working towards better and better change.

Are you called to creative work? If so, how do you recognize that calling

I believe I am called to creative work just maybe not in the art field. This semester has taught me that I do enjoy art and that I can come up with some creative ideas, however, my ideas really never turn out how I want. In other words I just don’t think that I have the creative hand and skills that other people do. On the other hand I do think that I have a creative mind. I think that whatever I end up doing with require creative thinking and planning just maybe not the application side of things.

(Rene Magritte - “Son of Man” - 1964)