Mick Welbourn 'BLUE BOOKS' Exhibition

I visited the 'BLUE BOOKS' Exhibition by Mick Welbourn at The University of Leeds. I decided to base my postmodern poster of Mick's books. The idea of my poster to have something type-heavy so I thought that the words that I could have on the poster can all associate to his inspirations of the designs and other words relating to monoprinting since he had created them all by using the monoprint method. His designs are inspired by swimming pools - hence the amount of blue books. Mick is also one of the technicians in the print room at the Leeds College of Art building on Vernon Street.

Keywords for the practical design

Since my design will be type-heavy, most of the page would be filled up with words. I thought the easiest way to get words was to use some terms from monoprinting along with the exhibition words such as:

• Mick Welbourn
• Blue Books
• Wild Pansy Press
• Collection
• Stencil
• Ruler
• Scalpel
• Paper
• Screen
• Registration marks
• Roller
• Printing press
• Printing ink
• Oil
• Printmaking
• Drawing 
• Craft
• Books
• Series
• Exhibition

Practical exploration

What were your initial ideas?
To create a type heavy poster on existing/current shows/exhibitions.
What process/strategies have you used and why?
Digital because postmodernist Graphic Design work focused mainly on using digital design.
What literature have you read have you read that informs this work?
Rick Pointers: No More Rules

Is the work effective (in terms of your aims?) In what ways? How do you know it is effective (testing)? 
The design will bold and stand out since I will be experimenting with type settings. I know that I will be using sans serif as it is considered a postmodern type. I will ask others about how I would need to improve and ask for suggestions.

Does it communicate what it should do (in what ways)?
Yes because it would type-heavy, filling up the whole page so it limited the negative space which would show postmodernism.

What are the successful elects and why?
The use of a sans serif typeface and the exhibition since it will be easier to make since the exhibition only requires one colour.

What areas need improving or developing further and why?
The research area since I need more of an idea on how artists create their type-heavy designs.

Practical exploration

Research
My practical work will be inspired by type heavy-artists such as David Carson and Paula Scher.

David Carson

As a general analysis, all his work seem to be layered on top of each other or with letters flipped horizontally. Some of his designs can be difficult to read or to even wok out what it is since they've been placed so it overlaps onto each other. 

Paula Scher

Paula Scher's designs are more legible and easier to read. She uses different weights and points in her typefaces so some letters stand out more than others. She doesn't really overlap her designs so it is more practical as an advertising poster. The poster is still very type-heavy but it also is clean and fits inside the page.