Seismik was commissioned to produce printwork for Backlit galleries next two seasons programme of international artists.
The client wanted a promo mailshot with a different feel, a keep sake, something that reflected the diverse and interesting nature of the featured artists and programmes content.
Looking at the lineups and subjects covered by the two seasons artists some overarching themes emerged. The first season “Sound Architect" shown in the video was an installation that used the propagation of sound to create tension using industrial objects creating natural familiar soundscapes. Part two of that seasons programme concerned the transformation and creation of the upper gallery floor (formally transformed by Samuel Morely in the 1850’s).
The next season “Ritual of Spaces”involved Nottingham based artist Frank Kent reinterpreting Backlits folding gallery wall spaces by staging an architectural intervention within the gallery focusing on a haptic and multi sensory experience (hence the evolving folding geometry in the printwork).
Transformation, evolving propagating sound, tensions through use of apposing media, folding moving spaces. The two seasons content led us down the path of using the op art approach, here we had an approach that had the traditional aspect of print media combined with an interactive element that through motion infers a link to more modern media consumption. The packaged printed grill gives people the power of transformation through movement. We feel this thinking aligned well with the programming.
The client wanted a promo mailshot with a different feel, a keep sake, something that reflected the diverse and interesting nature of the featured artists and programmes content.
Looking at the lineups and subjects covered by the two seasons artists some overarching themes emerged. The first season “Sound Architect" shown in the video was an installation that used the propagation of sound to create tension using industrial objects creating natural familiar soundscapes. Part two of that seasons programme concerned the transformation and creation of the upper gallery floor (formally transformed by Samuel Morely in the 1850’s).
The next season “Ritual of Spaces”involved Nottingham based artist Frank Kent reinterpreting Backlits folding gallery wall spaces by staging an architectural intervention within the gallery focusing on a haptic and multi sensory experience (hence the evolving folding geometry in the printwork).
Transformation, evolving propagating sound, tensions through use of apposing media, folding moving spaces. The two seasons content led us down the path of using the op art approach, here we had an approach that had the traditional aspect of print media combined with an interactive element that through motion infers a link to more modern media consumption. The packaged printed grill gives people the power of transformation through movement. We feel this thinking aligned well with the programming.
The outer packaging with its printed grid means as soon as people pull the insert out it will cause the effect without instruction needed. As well as the primary kinetic piece on each side there is a secondary more subtle one in the background.
The idea and conception is first done on paper, then the required animation is created in after effects (for simple animated geometry the computer is best but more organic animations such as walking etc are best done by hand then either live traced or scanned direct). The part are then all laid out within illustrator in this case. Also as you can see below the interactive effect can be tested virtually using after effects.
The idea and conception is first done on paper, then the required animation is created in after effects (for simple animated geometry the computer is best but more organic animations such as walking etc are best done by hand then either live traced or scanned direct). The part are then all laid out within illustrator in this case. Also as you can see below the interactive effect can be tested virtually using after effects.
The mailer consists of the lined outer and the printed insert. The printed insert is perfectly valid as a piece on its own as the key illustrative elements still convey the themes discussed. The posters fold out to create what could be a poster on the wall so the mailer has many different uses and settings.
One of the resource images researched for the "Samuel Morely" side of programme. The original logo was the "flying wheel" so it felt apt to use this kinetic feeling logo as part of the imagery and bring it to life. Samuel Morely was a trailblazing character very much a future thinking character full of gusto. A character ahead of his times and modern. The inclusion of Samuel within the imagery gelled again with the mash up of traditional and future feeling media befitting of his attitude and his resonance with the current use of the building.
