Here is the brief!
"Regardless of whether you intend on starting your own creative studio, joining a small studio or working for one of the design behemoths we want you to understand the importance of sending out mailers to people that you want to work for, work with or just be friends with.
After today, we want you to take one step further and turn it into a mailer, make something that you'll want us to keep, make it unusual, make it brilliant, maybe the piece you'll make will end up being a screen printed cassette tape cover that you'll make a bit of music for us to listen to? Who knows?!
We want you to post us the mailers to our studio by Monday 26th October so that'll mean you should have it in the post for the Friday before."
Prior to been given this brief, myself and other members of the class had formed a music/design collective. We currently consist of 6 people in total and have recently been trying to give ourselves a name. We want to be able to run as a type of independent record label; releasing music, hosting exhibitions and putting out design work, as well as merchandise is what we aim to do. There are cassette labels that have a cool DIY approach to them that we're inspired by and thought about running as a cassette label. Harry from our group came up with the name 'Sixtapes', because it relates to cassette tapes and there's six of us in total. However we decided against it, but as soon as we were delivered this brief, we thought it would be a great excuse to use it as an initial project for our collective and we have decided to run with the name 'sixtapes' just for this brief. Especially since the description of the brief mentions that cassette tapes could even be made.
Our main idea we have formed from today is that sixtapes will be a project where each of use produce a cassette tape with our own designs and our own mixes of music we like, which correlates perfectly with our aim as a collective. The term 'sixtapes' is also a play on words, as it's similar to 'sex tapes'. We want that to be highlighted, so we're considering making a logo which makes it hard to differentiate between the two terms. As todays session involved us doing our own collages, we will carry this style of design on within our own cassette sleeve designs. We all feel that this project will create an innovative package of design and music for DR.ME. When speaking to them today about our idea, they were really hyped to see what the outcome would be.
Artist Research
DR.ME
DR.ME's work usually involves collage elements and are most known for their project which involved them creating a collage for every day of the year. Below are examples of their designs. They said themselves that they usually cut out the images by hand, which is easy to spot when compared to collages that are done digitally. They also said that they find it more enjoyable when doing collage by hand as it creates an interesting look, the more jagged shapes can appear to be more effective.
Throughout the majority of their collage work it usually consists of only 2 images creating a contrast between the images. Merging across 2 different images results in an interesting disparity.
MERVE OZASLAN
Collage artists Merve Ozaslan from Istanbul uses old photographs to creates
collages that puts the relationship between nature and humanity in question.
Using vintage photographs and photos of nature, Özaslan is trying to show the audience that they're all part of their own environment. Below is a quote taken from her website explaining her approach .
"Natural act is composed by several collages
based on the questions of the relation between nature and the humanity. It is
basicly a critical presentation referring to the fact that each of us is part
of the nature. it seeks the answer whether greed, urbanization, mechanization
and detaching from the nature is favorable or coherent for human or not. In
that sense natural act appears with its all colors when our emotions are
paralysed in the vital points of the clishe and dull city life."
I like her take on collage, but I don't think it's the most creative. From looking at her images I noticed that she has used the same images of trees over and over again, which I don't find very innovative. In my opinion it's too obvious and not very effective. A lot of collage involves landscapes and contrasting imagery, but this seems a bit watered down and isn't as abstract of different in comparison to other work I've looked at so far for this brief.
HUGO BARROS
Hugo Barros's work features the typical culmination of 2 different images being brought together. The edges and outlines of the featured backgrounds in the images are cut out and reveal images of outer space and planets. I love the contrast shown here, it's quite surreal. There's also a massive vintage/retro throwback feel that comes across in the images, mainly due to the textural and grainy quality to the images used within the work.
JULIAN PACAUD
Pacaud's collages are digitally produced, and this is obvious from looking at the images. All the objects are perfectly cut out and placed upon different backgrounds and behind over elements.
His work features vibrant colours, cut outs of vintage photos that are placed into really obscure/strange sceneries. More elements are featured throughout his work than the other artist's above, It's much more crisp and detailed. However I have to say I prefer collage work that is cut out by hand or design that is less digital, but I do find this refreshing as the other work I've seen has all been hand done.
BETH HOECKEL
This is by far my favourite artist that i've researched so far for when it comes to collage. Here work is simplistic, effective and beautiful at the same time. Usually only using 2 or 3 images in her work like many other artists, her style still maintains great effective use of these images. They often have the background replaced by a totally different image or change what the people in the photos are doing/interacting with. I would really love a print of her work, in my opinion its just cut out better than anyone else's. The compositions are very well put together.
Q-TA
Q-TA is a Japanese artist from Tokyo with a weird collage style. His technique also involves multiple elements, landscapes and images taken from different time eras. I think the work works well and he has created some interesting compositions but to be honest, i'm not to keen on the weird digital approach altogether. I also just don't think the work is very effective, their could be a lot of better images used to create more of a contrast within his work, a lot of the chosen images are just strange and don't work aesthetically.
INITIAL CASSETTE TAPE RESEARCH
As a collective design and music group, we are obviously influenced and inspired by others that we have come across from online. They're are tonnes of independent music labels and design collectives but all of the following release music and consist of really rad design work. A lot of the music featured on these labels is something that influences me personally, the majority of these artists are beatmakers.
http://astralblack.bandcamp.com/merch
Astral Black is a record label that releases tapes, vinyl records and hosts parties. Featuring artists like DJ Milktray and DraeDaSkimask. The label has a really solid logo put in use and looks good among they're merchandise. All of the artists have killer sounds and I'm a fan of the design work being used on their releases. I like how each cassette doesn't feature a stock font on the actual cassette itself, it's different on each one. We have looked into the costs of getting our tapes custom designed with type but it's too much right now. However in the future we aim to do this.
https://dirtytapes.bandcamp.com/music
Dirty tapes is a record label based in New York, who have a very big DIY approach to their work and specifically focus on cassettes; hence the name. I'm very fond of the huge homegrown vibe to everything they do, the logo even represents as it's hand drawn/printed. The packaging and designs used for the cassettes are really innovative too and feature some really cool illustrations and designs. A couple of my favourite beatmakers, Tuami and Ohbliv, have their music released by dirty tapes.
http://www.candydrips.net/
Candy drips is a label and online store that sell limited cassettes. Rap and new age hip-hop artists are mainly featured such as; Lil Pain, Slug Christ and Supasortahuman. The final outcome of the tapes are more professional and well presented than most other labels I have come across as they have put the effort in to take proper photographs of the tapes on white backgrounds.
Giant claw have a really distinctive aesthetic. Every release has very futuristic artwork, featuring gradients, statues and 3D text. The music is very strange, there's a lot of niche genres involved in their music such as vaporwave and others that are mainly electronic.
Opal tapes are also another independent label that only release cassettes. They're overall aesthetic is really recognisable, it's very dark, bleak, distorted and glitchy. A lot of the cassette sleeves are in black and white as well. The design matches the music too as it's all quite experimental.
Radio juicy is a hip hop platform based in Germany that releases limited cassettes and vinyl records. All of the music released is fantastic, my favourite beatmaker 'wun-two' has had his music put out via radio juicy. Their soundcloud is amazing and has an abundance of great hip-hop music and mixes. The designs are quite trendy and maintain an appealing look throughout, if I had the money I would definitely be spending it at their bandcamp. But quite often these independent labels sell out of cassettes very quickly.
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