COMMUNICATION ARTS INTERACTIVE ANNUAL 22
Gabriele Wilson Design Zulu Alpha Kilo Pat Perry Neil Summerour David Clerihew Student Showcase Exhibit
INTERACTIVE ANNUAL 22
March/April 2016 Twenty-Four Dollars commarts.com
D
avid Clerihew fizzes with excitement about his new studio. Situated on a quiet residential street five miles from central London, it needs some repair, but that’s not the point—Richard Avedon used to shoot there. “I’ve been thinking about getting my own place for years—and the thought that Avedon shot there!” he says. “David Bailey, Albert Watson and Richard Avedon were my big influences coming up—An Autobiography [Avedon, 1993] and Cyclops [Watson, 1994] were my two bibles.” It’s not the first time Clerihew has crossed paths with his heroes. Born in Biggar, a Scottish town with a population of just 2,000, he fell into photo graphy after he was denied admission to an illustration program. A fine art major at the University of Dundee, he soon discovered Watson had studied there in the 1960s. “I looked at Albert’s work and thought, ‘My God, the guy that’s done everything, one of the most successful photographers in the world, studied here,’” he says. “The fact that this Scottish laddie had gone off and done it made me feel that I could, too.”
DAVID CLERIHEW BY DIANE SMYTH
Twenty years later, he’s shot for some of the biggest brands in the world, initially specializing in sports, but now branching out into wider celebrity portraiture. He’s photographed Olympic runner Usain Bolt, soccer sensation David Beckham, actor Stanley Tucci and musician David Grohl, and he’s worked for Nike, adidas, Speedo, Guinness, Samsung and Hugo Boss. In 2009, he signed with Visual Artists, the same agency that represents photographer David Bailey. “It doesn’t do any harm at all to be represented alongside Bailey,” Clerihew says.
“It’s the intensity of David’s portraits that struck me from the beginning,” says Matt Nicholson, managing director at the Londonbased agency. “His images also have an integrity and a beauty in the classical sense that I’ve always respected. There’s no doubt he’s a master of the human anatomy, but his approach is pure artistry. Tech nically sophisticated and genuinely passionate about his subject, he manages to capture a unique energy in his portraiture. It’s not always pretty, but always honest and powerful.”
Right: “I captured Chinese boxer Zou Shiming in a gritty environment in London, during the lead-up to the London Olympics.” adidas Global, ad agency/client. 36
Interactive Annual 2016
Communication Arts | commarts.com
37
INTERACTIVE ANNUAL 22: STUDENT WORK
Closer to Nowhere “An unexpected, exploratory experience that successfully combines animation and interactivity.” —Gabe Kean
Overview: Avi Naim and Adar Rom had never coded or made frame-by-frame animation. But for their last big school project, they challenged themselves to combine their two passions, design and music. The resulting interactive game, Closer to Nowhere, enables players to make their own sound track. Players can vary the rhythm by touching the handheld device’s screen—smooth strokes for longer notes, fast jabs for staccato. The unique style of their bespoke sound track then controls the game’s story line. • Naim and Rom composed original music for the game using synthesizers, guitars and samples from old Israeli records. • Currently in demo version, the project contains about 25 minutes of game play, with about thirteen different screens. • The project won the grand prize for the 2015 Adobe Design Achievement Awards.
Avi Naim/Adar Rom, designers Ronel Mor, instructor Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design (Jerusalem, Israel), school 42Lions, project design and development © Avi Naim, Adar Rom 162
Interactive Annual 2016
behance.net/gallery/19266209/closer-to-nowhere
“Call me if you want a job.” —Drew Ungvarsky
Comments by Avi Naim and Adar Rom: What was the thinking behind the navigational structure? “The player explores an animated world while making music in different ways throughout the game. The player’s musical choices are weighted into points that are represented by a bar around the screen, with two choices for how the game should proceed. For example, if the player makes pleasant, calm music by activating certain loops, the adventure will proceed in one direction. But if he makes loud, more intense music, the adventure will go in another direction. Players can try to find out how the different styles of music affect the story—or just enjoy the ride and let their musical taste make all the decisions. In this experience, there is no specific goal, and you can’t win or lose. It is built in a way that every player, even those with no musical background, can make music.” What software, back-end technology and programming languages were used? “The project was coded in ActionScript 3 and was made with Adobe Illustrator, After Effects, Flash, CINEMA 4D and Ableton Live.” How did this project compare with others you’ve worked on? “This project is different from anything we have done before, which has mostly been branding and app design. It was more abstract research of interactivity and communication through music and animation. We learned a lot from people’s reactions to this game—in particular, we learned how people react to music and animation without any instructions.”
Communication Arts | commarts.com
163
1
FRESH ALEKSANDRA KINGO
Photographer Aleksandra Kingo walks the razor’s edge between discomfort and sexiness, toying with our senses of disgust and attraction. The London-based artist describes her images as “feminine, colorful, a little bit awkward and full of irony.” She studied fashion styling and photography at the London College of Fashion, and then worked on finding herself. “It took me quite a bit of time of wandering around and trying different photographic styles and techniques until I nailed my own style and aesthetic”—at the ripe age of 24. Mostly a still life and fashion photographer, Kingo has expanded her repertoire to include editorial commissions and commercial clients, such as Hunger magazine and the British public service broadcaster Channel 4. She finds creative fodder in memes, pop art, the 1970s and 1980s, provocative fashion photographer Guy Bourdin, and the art magazine Toilet Paper. Hardworking and adventurous, Kingo recently directed her first video for the French pop diva Yelle, and it abounds with humorous moments, including a bouncing, googly-eyed bum. Her advice to others says a lot about her own work: “Have fun and don’t be lazy.” aleksandrakingo.com
172
Interactive Annual 2016
3
2
4
5
6
1. For a story about the futurist trends in cocktail making. Paul Hogarth, creative director; Camille Boyer, set designer; M&C Saatchi, ad agency; The House of Peroni, client. 2. Advertorial for Swatch watches featured in Rollacoaster magazine. Valentina Syed, stylist 3. “Ode to Procrastination,” an online editorial for Interview. Teresa Howard, stylist; Andrea Katonova, set designer. 4. Advertising campaign celebrating all things pop, plastic and fresh. Giedre Anuzyte/Tanya Popova, stylists; Rasa Accessories, client. 5. For a story about Bar Termini in Soho, London. Tadas Karpavicius, art director; Paul Hogarth, creative director; M&C Saatchi, ad agency; The House of Peroni, client. 6. Editorial titled “Balancing Act.” Natasha Freeman, stylist; Camille Boyer, set designer; Betty, client. Communication Arts | commarts.com
173
“JUST SAY NO TO ‘LOREM IPSUM.’” —Jason Fried, via Signal v. Noise
“The page metaphor is dead, and people are finally understanding what to do now that we don’t have pages.” —Liz Danzico, via Communication Arts, 2008
“If we want users to like our software, we should design it to behave like a likeable person: respectful, generous and helpful.” —Alan Cooper, via Quotes on Design
“JUST BECAUSE IT’S SIMPLE DOESN’T MEAN IT MAKES SENSE.” —Morgan Ashley, via the Layout
“Frustrated that my meditation app takes so long to launch.” —JEFFREY VEEN, VIA TWITTER
“WEB DESIGN IS RESPONSIVE DESIGN. RESPONSIVE WEB DESIGN IS WEB DESIGN DONE RIGHT.” —Andy Clarke, via Stuff & Nonsense’s blog
“ALL OF MY BEST IDEAS COME FROM MISUNDERSTANDING SOMEONE ELSE’S BAD IDEAS.” —KIM REES, VIA TWITTER