ISSUE 01 DECMBER 2013
flux. Q U A R T E R L Y
Sacramento's creative quarterly magazine
PAGE 01
UNWANTED BEAUTY
PAGE 07
GO ANALOG
PAGE 25
STARVING CREATIVE NO MORE
PAGE 29
FUSING FUNCTIONALITY WITH CREATIVITY
FEATURE
SMALL BUSINESSES,
BIG IDEAS. Local businesses tap into design to create unique experiences for the customers.
STORY & PHOTOS BY WILLIAM LEUNG
PAGE
15
NEW EXHIBITIONS JAN 2014
PROJECT MANAGER John Forrest CREATIVE DIRECTOR/DESIGNER William Leung WRITERS/CONTRIBUTORS William Leung Amanda Ortiz Brittany Baledio Emezie Anyanwu PUBLISHER Repro Graphics FLUX QUARTERLY 2013
FEATURE
SMALL BUSINESSES, BIG IDEAS PAGE 15 Local businesses tap into design to create unique experiences for the customers. The value of branding speaks for itself as shops like LowBrau, Devine Gelateria & Hot Italian give the community what they want.
CONTENTS
PAGE 01
UNWANTED BEAUTY Follow the writer as he journeys & documents Sacramento’s vast collection of murals & graffiti.
PAGE 07
GO ANALOG Technology has pushed the nostalgic analog trades of the past into obsolescence. Find out why these old methods are still important.
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STARVING CREATIVE NO MORE The Creative Class is a serious career choice. Know how much you can make in the industry.
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FUSING FUNCTIONALITY WITH CREATIVITY Local Welder Gina Rossi turns her passion into bike rack sculptures all around Sacramento.
CONTRIBUTORS
WILLIAM LEUNG is a designer set out on achieving big goals. Design has a big part in his life. It is probably what gives him OCD. What he loves most is the ability to solve problems & help others with his creativity. His biggest design pet peeve is forced justified paragraphs. Seeing a newspaper or layout designed like that just drives him nuts.
AMANDA ORTIZ Having a passion for the fine arts her whole life, Amanda found a new love for design amidst her winding journey through college. Besides doodling in her sketchbook & experimenting with watercolors, she now finds joy in creating organized layouts, messing around with Bezier curves & has developed a new found appreciation for good type.
BRITTANY BALEDIO Brittany is a graphic designer with a love for typography. Besides design, she loves creative writing, photography, music & digital retouching. What she enjoys most about design is the ability to express her imagination & creativity in a meaningful abstract way.
EMEZIE ANYANWU is an Illustrator, Photographer, Animator, Sculptor & Designer. His eyes see the world as a work of art that everyone collaborates to create & sustain. Through design he wants to show everyone how he sees the world & revolutionize how people communicate visually.
MISSION To inspire & unite the creative community of Sacramento.
www.bowscollective.com
UNWANTED BEAUTY The hidden art & discarded history of Sacramento STORY & PHOTOS BY EMEZIE ANYANWU
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11TH & K Street On the side of Jade Liquor Store
2013
EVERY DAY IS BORING‌ everything is the same. Everyday we wake up & go about our lives getting lost in the traffic & monotony of the city. Work, sleep, & responsibilities; all blend together into a blur of requirements & tasks that need
to be done in sequence to survive. Each one of these daily tasks follows a rule-set that society puts forth to rotate the wheels in the machine that is our economy. However there are individuals in our society that go out into the starkness that is the cityscape
& try to add their mark of beauty to the city using art. These artists do this legally & illegally, on train cars underpasses, & on occupied or abandoned buildings. The act of creating something is what art essentially is. Art is everything around us from the
“ These artists spend hours of their time trying to brighten the community�
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landscape to the architecture. What differentiates good art from bad art is how well the people that walk past it perceive it. In a city of tall geometric buildings, copy/pasted homes, & gaudy typography, interesting art is hard to come by. There are many passionate artists in Sacramento that get overlooked, disregarded & even persecuted because their art is not in a museum. Their art gets regulated to the run down parts of the city, & dark unlit back allies; where people 1931 Del Paso Blvd are more likely to associate them On the side of Prime with the smell of garbage than the Time Boxing gym original meaning that the artists intended. One of the very first art forms ever created started with painting on the sides of boulders & caves to tell the great stories of a community. This tradition has developed over the thousands of years that humans have been on this planet into the art form of creating murals. I set out on a Friday to capture the unnoticed creativity & beauty in Sacramento, & was confronted with the task of digging though the gray, bland, & sterile design of this city. On most major city streets of Sacramento people are more likely to find a poorly kerned store sign, than stumble across a fine work of art. Only when I went onto back streets or hidden alleyways did I actually see examples of art that are scattered about the city. Hidden next to dumpsters & parking spaces I discovered that there are hundreds of murals around the city that most people do not pay attention to.
2013 25th & J Street
Alley way behind
Alley way behind
Sacramento Ballet
Beach Hut Deli
Most murals have been constructed or painted by artists long forgotten or unknown to the viewer. These artists spend hours of their time trying to brighten the community of Sacramento, wall by wall. On that same Friday I stumbled across one of these artists that paints murals for a living. He was painting a mural in the back of a restaurant called Beach Hut Deli next to their trash cans, because that is he had permission to paint. Apparently in our society the most logical
place for a business to approve of a mural is in the back alley of their building. The artist said he had been painting every day since Monday for six to eight hours each day to finish the mural, which was almost done. He mostly uses spray paint has his main media he also painted a couple abandoned buildings on Del Paso Boulevard in North Sacramento a week prior. In the twenty minutes that I stood there watching him paint a colorful version of a woman & a hound,
multiple people drove though the alley & commented on how well the mural looked. Why a person that spends most of his time trying to make our city look more appealing, is relegated to the back of an alley while poorly designed signs are relegated to the front is baffling to any viewer. Life is too short to speed from point A to point B without enjoying things that are well made. The difference between a mural & the urban environment it is placed in is a stark contrast. The generic sterility of the city verses the organic fluidity of an artist’s visual handwriting on the wall; is why there is a functional & visual esthetic appeal of murals to the community.
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“ Murals have the duty of occupying walls denying & preventing the incoming onslaught of graffiti.”
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25th & J STREET Alley way behind Beach Hut Deli
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just a painting & becomes a part of the neighborhood, & from the community’s perspective it would seem weird to destroy something that they are so familiar with. Anyone can walk, drive, or ride around the city & through any community & see it’s character by looking at the murals that have lasted though time. Unlike buildings the murals will tell a
comes second. However unlike a building, a mural has to be well designed in its space to claim its spot, most people will not paint over or vandalize a mural that they see value in. A mural has to fit the community & building that it is placed in or is quickly discarded. The longer a mural lasts the more you know the community approves of the work, because a mural in essence is a message on a wall approved by the community. Murals also raise the value of the surrounding community by adding visual appeal to the surrounding area; & in this economy when shops close down & leave empty rundown buildings, murals have the duty of occupying walls denying/preventing the incoming onslaught of graffiti. Murals can be a time line of a community & show what cultural events have happened in that area in the past. They also reflect on the history of the area due to how long they last, because when a mural stops representing its community it will be quickly replaced or erased. However, when a person grows up in an area with a mural, the mural changes from being
story of the people that have lived in the area. Murals are an integral part of our society & history, which is why it seems like a disservice to place murals in the most obscure out of the way places in our society, since they are so important to the culture of Sacramento; in a sense the character of each community is being hidden. This is the age of information where time is a precious commodity, because time equals money. Who has time to stop & look at the message an artist painted in the back alley next to the recycling bin? Who thinks art should be left out in the back alley of an abandoned building? By walking around this city I realized that there are too few people trying to actually make it better visually, & the ones that do get ignored. Our community should go out & appreciate the work that is all around us. Because there are artists & designers out there trying to preserve the culture of our city, & when we participate in the creativity of our society we will learn more about each other, the creativity in our community, & the history of our city. —
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The visual contrast between organic & geometric forms of a mural & building is similar to the contrast in notes in a great song; the shapes compliment each other & in turn make the overall architecture pleasing to the eye. In comparison most unadorned buildings are not visually pleasing because they have to serve as a building first & beauty always
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2013
Finding Inspiration Through Lost Art Forms
GO ANALOG FLUX QUARTERLY
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STORY & PHOTOS BY AMANDA ORTIZ
GO A
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THE 21ST CENTURY IS KNOWN FOR BEING THE era of technology & innovation. Never before have we been witness to so many wireless gadgets & connective devices being used on a daily basis. With each new technological platform, we strive to be more advanced, more intuitive & faster than ever before. With every new update, version or release, we are ultimately creating a grander, more convenient reality for us to live in. However, though technology has allowed us to reach higher levels of efficiency as well as knowledge, it also involves certain drawbacks. Our immense involvement with technology can be simply put: We rely on it too much. Modern day technology has also spurred much change to the artistic world; not only has it made art & creative based professions more accessible, but it has allowed people to explore new mediums, techniques as well as styles, & in turn, it has taken on new forms entirely. However, because of this forward movement of the arts enabled through new age technology, we are beginning to forget our “roots� & the traditional tools we have once used before this virtual time. In this digital age of machinery & robotic arms, many traditional & hand-crafted disciplines have become overshadowed by their digital predecessors, which has caused us to lose appreciation for these thoughtful & personalized works. Traditional disciplines such as sign painting, print making, leather tanning, wood crafting, & jewelry making, to name a few, have either become adopted by industrial manufacturers, or have just plainly become obsolete. We are no longer thoroughly engaged in our work, because computerized programs & digital software have been created to do most of the jobs. Film photography is another example of an analog trade that has greatly experienced the impact of technology. Digital cameras have enormously changed the dynamic of the photography trade. Instead of manually developing film through a multistepped process with various chemicals & solutions, photographers can now easily view their images
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ANALOG CONTINUED
before the development stage, & later digitally print them at their leisure. This is an obvious benefit for consumers & photographers alike because digital cameras eliminate the mystery—& not to mention the expense—of having to develop film. Moreover, digital cameras have also been shaped to be user friendly, where any person will find it relatively easy to learn to use. From once being a revolutionary device in the 1900’s, film cameras have been increasingly pushed to the sidelines from people flocking to its digital counterpart. Though digital technology has made many processes more convenient, as well as less expensive, technology should not be defaulted as the answer
to everything. Traditional disciplines that require hands-on work can actually be extremely beneficial to the creative process. In lieu of the film versus digital camera instance, we interviewed Professor Nigel Poor of the Photography department at Sacramento State University, to gain her insight & feelings on how traditional film photography is being increasingly phased out by digital cameras. We wanted to see what her stance was on preserving traditional art disciplines, & what she thought would be a good way to preserve them.
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“ Oh, I don’t have to worry too much, because I can fix this in Photoshop” FQ: As a photographer, do you prefer working digitally, or with a traditional film camera?
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NP: I used to have a preference but now I feel like I select the process that is appropriate to the project. For instance, when I am photographing inside of San Quentin Prison, my time there is very restricted, & the lighting conditions are very challenging so I use my digital camera. However, I have many other projects that I do in my studio where I prefer taking my time, as well as using them as a meditative process, so I use my large format film camera. FQ: What skills or knowledge do you feel that your students learn from starting out with a film camera that they cannot learn from a DSLR? NP: I feel that students learn to be more patient when using film; they are forced to slow down & consider each image composition they take, & with digital work I think sometimes people take
“Oh, I don’t have to worry too much, because I can “fix” this in Photoshop”, & that is not a desirable attitude. FQ: New technology has greatly overshadowed film photography because it has made it easier & inexpensive to take & develop photos. In your opinion, do you think it is important to preserve analog photography regardless? NP: Yes I do. Is it important to preserve painting? I think so. There was a time when people thought photography would make painting obsolete & of course that was ridiculous. Digital may take over certain types of photography: journalism, commercial work, social media presentation but that is only a small part of what photography does. FQ: How do you think we can help preserve these dying trades, or support these individual artists? NP: We can support individual artists by buying their work. Society in general could support artists by recognizing that contemplation & exploring ideas is a worthy venture even if it does not produce a commodity. I am afraid we don’t value contemplative activities. We
are obsessed with outcomes & earnings & less interested in the process of thought & the value of thinking & grappling with abstract ideas. FQ: What do you think we will lose if these trades completely die out? (Charm? Authenticity? Value?) NP: Individual expression, perhaps the interest & ability to think abstractly, the ability to slow down, to ponder & let answers come to us slowly, for things to be revealed over time. Our problem solving skills will change, I am not saying they will be better or worse but they might function in a different way. We lose a connection to the past & a visual language also disappears. That would be sad.
CONTINUED hundreds of images without even thinking. They say to themselves,
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As Professor Poor has put it, just because we live in an age where even our most trivial activities are affected by technology, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we must forget how to work with our hands, or how to be creative physically. There is always something to learn from these types of disciplines. As artists, designers, sculptors, photographers, & even architects, letting our process incorporate hands-on work allows us to experiment, pushes us to play, & ultimately encourages us to be more thoughtful & engaged in our work. There is a huge discrepancy from solely being in contact with a computer mouse in comparison to a pencil & paper, so don’t let technology be the only component of your creative process. Despite the advancement of the arts through the vehicle of new technology, we should not forget our analog roots, & never let go of the humanistic qualities we are losing in this highly digitized era. —
VINTAGE CAMERAS
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1 2
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[1] NIKON FG-20 is a 35mm
[2] GRAFLEX GRAPHIC 35
film SLR camera that was
was a 35mm rangefinder
LAND CAMERA is an instant
produced between 1984
camera. The camera was
camera developed in 1961
to 1986. The Nikon FG-20
focussed by push buttons
by Polaroid Corporation.
is the successor to the
located on either side of the
The camera which was in-
earlier Nikon EM & Nikon
lens, & the shutter was
vented by Edwin Land uses
FG cameras. It uses the same
released by pulling outward
self-developing film. Land
vertical-travel metal focal-
on a lever mounted on the
Cameras are instant cameras
plane shutter as the FG.
front of the camera body.
with self-developing film.
Production ended in 1958.
[3] POLAROID MODEL J66
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PHOTO BY WILLIAM LEUNG
[4] PENTAX K1000 is an afford-
[5] KODAK SIX-16 BROWNIE
able 35mm film camera for
SPECIAL was designed by
the amateur photographer.
Walter Dorwin Teague. This
It was a fully mechanical,
large box for film size 616
manual camera designed
was manufactured by Kodak
without any program modes.
in the United States between
It survived much longer
1938 & 1942. It is built very
than originally intended
firmly of metal. It was a
& became the archetypal
larger version of the Kodak
“student’s camera.”
Six-20 Brownie Special
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STORY & PHOTOS BY WILLIAM LEUNG
UC SA E US
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Local businesses tap into design to create unique experiences for the customers.
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ISSUE 01
hen locals think of Sacramento, design isn’t usually the first thing to come to mind. Places like Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Boston, & New York seem to resonate design more than Sacramento, especially in their architecture & urban city lifestyle. Businesses at these metropolitan cities whole-heartedly adopt good design practices & set the standards for other local businesses.
LowBrau Customer Experience
Hip atmosphere Large Beer selection • Unique sausages & pretzels • Great social spot • Branded decor • •
2013
“ I think design has helped build a connection between our business & our guests.”
LOWBRAU
Clay Nutting, Part-Owner of LowBrau
Sacramento,
1050 20th St CA 95811
From exterior to interior, these small businesses really pay attention to all the details. Sacramento on the other hand, hasn’t quite reached it’s full potential. The city has a wealth of great business concepts but so often, these business owners have a hard time seeing it through.
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However, some have been able to take big business strategies & find success. In doing so, there has been a progression of creativity & growth To really understand why
walk into your business & the
LowBrau. That unquantifiable
design should be important to
perception they have towards it.
experience is what modern
business owners, they first need
Branding can be doing activities
customers seek nowadays. It is
to understand branding. Branding
& communications that reinforce
also what businesses should strive
isn’t just a logo or a product; it is
a brand, i.e., what a company is
for too. Many owners still can’t see
something that triggers associations
known for. It is also the elements
that value & become content with
in a customer’s mind. It is the
that make up a brand. That can
their success. But success
experience people have when they
be the logo, packaging, colors,
& growth are two different things.
reputation for customer service,
Hot Italian, Devine Gelateria,
low prices, high quality, etc.
& LowBrau have definitely
However, business can still
put their mark design-wise on
be successful without having
Sacramento, pun intended.
comprehensive branding. That’s
These places are hip & keep
why branding & design is such
people coming back. These
a low priority for so many small
businesses give customers a new
business owners. The real question
experience. They all tell a very
is what value does a business
different story in their branding
with less brand presence have
by tapping into the “customer
compared to one that does? That
experience.” Everything from
value has no number but can
the exterior design, interior
be felt at local businesses like
design, logo, menu, atmosphere
Hot Italian, Devine Gelateria, &
all the way to how the workers
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in the Sacramento business scene.
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2013 Hot Italian Customer Experience
• Many branded interior elements & collateral • Custom art pieces • Delicious Italian style pizza • Lifestyle merchandise • Community events
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Andrea Lepore, part owner of HOT ITALIAN invested in local design firm Fuel
types of music & art on the wall induce a feeling represented by Starbucks. That feeling never changes & customers rely on it. These branding strategies have always been a part of big companies & smaller
Creative Group to create
businesses are finally catching onto the success.
an identity standard for the
of their success as a business to branding & design.
modern Italian pizza bar.
Clay Nutting, part owner of LowBrau attributes much “I think design has helped build a connection between our business & our guests. At the heart of our concept, we are a beer & sausage joint, our brand tells a deeper & more meaningful story to our guests & showcases the soul of our business. Plus, in our humble opinion, it just looks really cool, so people are always taking pictures of our brand assets & sharing them across their networks.” On any given day, people can be spotted all along their patio enjoying craft beers
HOT ITALIAN
& packed inside their large picnic tables. With an
1627 16th St
events & marketing background, he helped create a
Sacramento,
place where people can get behind & have fun at.
CA 95814
Everything they did serves a purpose; to make their business succeed & continue growing. Other local businesses haven’t had such an
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immediate impact like LowBrau. When asked why he thinks others do not invest, Clay responded, “I think they are tentative to invest. Starting a business can be very expensive & if you are not comfortable with knowing how to appropriately create a brand, it can seem like a daunting task & maybe an expensive process to get it right, so they end up just having a logo & assets haphazardly put together & call it a day.” talk to you attribute to that customer experience. It inherently
ISSUE 01
strengthens the company & what it stands for. Customers get more then just a product & in turn are more loyal & value that company more. Big companies like Coco Cola, Starbucks & Google use the same strategy to resonate their product & values into customer’s minds. Starbucks stays on top of other coffee chains because they also value the customer experience. They’ve gone out of their way to get their customers to live there with the oversized couches & free wifi. Even the
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Devine Gelateria Customer Experience
Beautiful exterior branding & signage • Unique & seasonal flavors to die for • Mom & Pop feel with great service •
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Every time a person drives by Devine Gelateria, they
Other locations around town that have seen success & recognition
see the logo & windows.
from customers are Hot Italian & Devine Gelateria. All of these
Every time someone
owners have something in common. They all manage & trust others Andrea Lepore, owner of Hot Italian invested in local design firm Fuel Creative Group to create a solid identity standard for her modern Italian pizza bar concept. She knew that she wanted something extremely modern that caters to the bike/scooter crowd. With that extreme focus for her target market, she created the whole atmosphere to strengthen her brand into a modern, stylish & hip Italian pizza bar. Small details that go the extra mile can be seen all around the restaurant: The map wall decals, Italian words in black tile, murals
outside & integrating Italian words & phrases into their menu. At the end of the day, a company product. Branding can only help so much. Even though branding can visually make an impact, it is still only an identifier of the product. Devine Gelateria is known for their homemade specialty flavors of gelato & delicious desserts. The brand revolves around what successful business. Whether it is gelatos, pizza, or hot dogs & beers, you have to ask yourself these questions: does it cater to the
is it practical & amongst all, how much does it cost? Every time a person drives by Devine Gelateria, they see the logo & windows. Every time someone hears the name, they think of gelato. Branding reinforces the business with more points of association & it also gives creates an opportunities to expand. Deciding to open a business is a daunting task let alone put branding as a high priority. If the product has value, then everything else that is associated can either
1221 19th St
Sacramento,
CA 95811
24
they sell which is key for a
is it something that fills a need,
GELATERIA
they think of GELATO.
can not succeed without a good
people in the surrounding areas,
DEVINE
hears the name,
raise its values or lessens it. Locals all know that Sacramento will never be one of those large metropolitan areas. The closest we have to city life is Downtown/
Midtown. Even then, there is a lot to offer. Businesses who are not afraid to take the next step in creating a refreshing experience have made an effect in the local economy. People are out more, enjoying foods, hanging out with friends & taking in all the new experiences. It makes the city as a whole feel more hip & trendy. Sacramento is surely coming into its own as a nest for good music, good food & good design. The movement towards a better visual & creative community has slowly begun & with time, Sacramento can transform into a city with a lot of quality businesses with exceptional customer experience. —
FLUX QUARTERLY
to help their brand. For instance,
BY WILLIAM LEUNG
STARVING CREATIVE NO MORE Full of new opportunity, the creative class establish themselves in our workforce.
ISSUE 01
25 Creative jobs have always been synonymous with low salaries. One reason behind this is that before the Internet boom, most creative jobs were those of fine artists. Even though there has been an influx in creative jobs that have breached into the corporate world, the public’s perception is still a bit skewed. They still have the idea that a creative is some shaggy late 20’s early 30’s guy living in a studio apartment, scraping by with his so-called talents. But today, someone who has the title of ‘Creative’ might be that tech wiz making a 6-figure income working for companies like Google or Apple. Here is a little insight on some creative career choices. Jobs in this industry are continuously changing & new titles are being made all the time. Positions that might not exist now, can be the next big thing as more businesses rely on the web & mobile devices to relay information to customers all around the world.
These are some of the statistics from the 2013 census for creative class salaries. Statistics are provided by AIGA design salaries, salaries.com & AIA compensation report.
2013
Other Creative Class Careers include:
ARTS
LAW
DESIGN
ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA
HEALTHCARE
EDUCATION
ARCHITECTURE
CREATIVE CLASS IN CALIFORNIA RATIO
WOMEN
MEN
Napa $80,859 San Francisco $91,361
AVERAGE CREATIVE CLASS SALARIES IN CALIFORNIA
San Jose $101,827 Salinas $77,086 Santa Barbara $78,173 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks $78,481 San Diego $80,036
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Art Director $58,000 $70,000 $85,000
Web Designer $45,000 $55,000 $85,000
Print Designer $40,000 $47,000 $55,000
Marketing Director $50,000 $73,000 $100,000
Mobile App Developer $55,000
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$80,000 $90,000
Motion Graphics $50,000 $63,000 $80,000
Usability Anaylst $63,000 $78,000
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$100,000
Copy Writer $45,000 $60,000 $75,000
Architect 1 $39,000 $44,000
50% EARN LESS THEN
$48,000
Photograher $44,000 $49,000 $64,000
25% EARN LESS THEN
75% EARN LESS THEN
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TOP FREELANCE EARNERS
Reported Median Rate
$100 $85 $80 MOBILE APP DEVELOPER
USABILITY ANAYLST
$75 $70 $70 $58 ART DIRECTOR
MOTION GRAPHICS
COPY WRITER
MARKETING DIRECTOR
$50 $45 $30
WEB DESIGNER
PRINT DESIGNER
ARCHITECT 1
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PHOTOGRAPHER
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FUSING FUNCTIONALITY WITH
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Innovative sculptural bike racks interact creatively within the Sacramento community
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ho knew bike racks could transform in to such an admirable piece of art? The metal dragon located in front of the Shoki Ramen House, the comedy & tragedy masks by the New Helvetica theatre & the word “KAY” in front of The Broiler are all extraordinary pieces that share a common goal: to function creatively within the community. Bicyclists, passerbys, & customers can appreciate these fun, exciting, interesting works of art. Whether they’re running errands, getting a quick haircut, or stopping by a local coffee shop, adding just a touch of creativeness displays the fact that the community cares for its bicycle riders & want to ensure that they have a safe place to secure their bikes. Not only are these bike
racks functional, but they also add a lively touch to Sacramento by recognizing the creative talent within the community. THE WELDER BEHIND THE MASK These bike rack works of art are the creations of Gina Rossi, a metal sculptor & welder based locally in Sacramento. Growing up, Gina became a self-taught artist using household items to create art. Art & imagination allowed her to express herself freely & helped stabilize most of her troubled childhood. Gina came up with the idea of crafting creative functional bike racks four years ago when she watched bicyclists look for places to lock up their bikes. Lamp posts, poles, & fences became common for bicyclists to lock up their bike
CREATIVITY STORY & PHOTOS BY BRITTANY BALEDIO
“ Gina came up with the idea of crafting creative functional bike racks four years ago when she watched bicyclists look for places to lock up their bikes.”
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“ Her eye is sharp in assessing the elements of pieces & determining their best uses for
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her sculptural projects.” to. Seeing this as an opportunity to put her creativity to use, Gina seized the moment & fused creative design with functionality. Now, Gina currently has fourteen of her artistic bike racks installed throughout downtown & midtown. Her business is continuing to expand, with businesses as far as Lodi requesting for Gina’s clever bike rack creations.
RECYCLED ART Gina turns trash into treasure by using recycled metal, glass & other materials to sculpt her designs. She scavenges for unwanted treasures & saves them from being thrown out. Her eye is sharp in assessing the elements of pieces & determining their best uses for her sculptural projects. A broken golf club is used as a nose. The heads of old wrenches are used as
dragon’s teeth. She never tosses anything away because she knows that it could be useful for later projects down the road. Gina’s clever fusion of creativity with function has local businesses opting for her fun designs, rather than paying for something bland. Not only do these bike racks add flair & personality to businesses, but they also connect & enrich the community through art. The integration of function & art taking place in a public area touches the lives of individuals every day, exposing them to art & allowing them to interact with it.
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There’s no doubt that Gina’s use of creative functionality has benefited the community greatly. Four years ago, bicyclists helplessly searched for potential sturdy platforms to lock their bikes to. Now, they can easily spot one with a twist of funky personality dedicated entirely to them. Functionality is art’s best form because it becomes integrated with our lifestyle. Over time, we realize its importance masking its beauty. Through creative functionality, the Sacramento community has come to life, instilling creativity & bringing the community closer together. The next time you lock up your bike rack on Gina’s creative works of art, consider stopping by her studio to take some classes on how to fuse glass to create a colorful masterpiece. You’ll reach a deeper understanding of art that will inspire you to pursue creative functionality on your own.
If you are feeling inspired, be sure to
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check out Gina’s innovative works of art near the following locations:
R U TAN
2318 K Street
KAY STREET
By 12th & K street
NEW HELVETIA THEATRE
1730 Broadway
SHOKI II
1201 R Street
PARAGARYS
1401 28th street
COFFEE WORKS
3418 Folsom Blvd
Also visit rossisculpturaldesigns.com to book a class & make art!
FLUX QUARTERLY
CREATING WITH THE COMMUNITY Gina’s unique bike racks have inspired the community to create some artistic pieces of their own. Located in midtown, Gina’s studio, Rossi Sculptural Designs, has couples, friends & families signing up for classes, eager to get hands-on experience to creating art. Classes consist of eight to ten students so that each student can get the individual attention they need in order to feel comfortable & inspired in their environment. The class begins with the introduction of tools, safety procedures & a step-by-step process on how to create beautiful pieces with glass. By the end of the day, students feel closer to each other than they were before. Most importantly, they feel more connected to art & gain a greater appreciation for its beauty. This is the accomplishment Gina hopes her work will continue to do—to inspire the community to create their own stories through art.
Share what inspires you.
Email us at inspire[at]fluxQ.com
ISSUE 01 DECMBER 2013