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Abstract: The Art of Design | Paula Scher: Graphic Design

In your own words, what does it mean to be in a state of play?

Paula Scher said that "You have to be in a state of play to design. If you're not in a state of play, you can't make anything." To me, being in a state of play means that your mind is always thinking about creating art or anything creative that you do, the materials, the process, different ways to create, and the techniques. I feel like being in the state of play means being in the state of maintaining your creativity to create whatever you want, and that the ideas you are forming are not fully developed thoughts yet - they are able to be modified and adjusted. 

Where do you discover your best ideas?

I discover my best ideas while browsing Pinterest or just people-watching in general, anywhere I go. I like to people-watch because usually I see interesting poses to draw or ideas on what clothing combinations work, colour combinations, and just how unique everyone looks from each other. Pinterest is helpful to see different art styles as well as different illustrator and photoshop techniques that I want to learn. As Jim Jarmusch said, "Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light, and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery - celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to." I believe as he says, no art is actually original and everyone is inspired by their favourite artists and things around them. That is why I think browsing Pinterest or Google or Tiktok is good for my creativity to flow. I get to see different art styles and different ways to make whatever I feel like creating.

What do you like to create?

I like to create things that represent my culture and my background, such as stuff related to Japan, Hong Kong, India, or Dubai. I like to draw 2D with pencil, charcoal, or ballpoint, I also like to paint and use Copic markers. Digitally, I like to create pen tool drawings of cartoon or anime figures, I also like to edit pictures in Photoshop and design websites and logos in Illustrator.

Explore the graphic design work and art of Paula Scher. Choose one of her pieces that you absolutely love. Post the image. Discuss its appeal / reflect on your choice in writing.

Paula Scher is an American graphic designer, artist, and educator. She is best known for her iconic and bold graphic design work that often combines typography, image, and color in innovative and powerful ways. Her style is characterized by a playful use of typography and a dynamic integration of image and text. She likes to work with maps in her free time as an outlet for her creativity and her interest in statistics. 

The work that stood out to me from Paula Scher's work was the creation of The High Line logo because of how clear yet impactful it is. Paula Scher's design solution for The High Line's logo is a stylized map of the park and its surrounding areas, which is both simple and instantly recognizable. The logo effectively conveys the park's sense of place and provides a clear visual language for wayfinding and signage. 








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