The collection of ten field journals have been inspired by readings done while taking the class GID 1: History of Graphic Design at Foothill College. Each week I would further investigate on a person or topic that appeared in a chapter and documented my results in the form of a blog.
I had never been into art and didn’t know much about it before taking this class. To me art was just something of beauty to be admired, never considering that what was created had a meaning behind it that the artist was trying to convey. Through this class I have learned that art is much more expressive. By using different symbols, images and even words you can portray a simple idea, thought or message without having to write it all out in words. Now every time I see a piece of art, whether it’s a painting, furniture or even a magazine cover I think to myself, what font is being used? Was the artist inspired from a certain time period of art? Why straight lines versus flowing curving lines? All sorts of different questions pop into my head now whereas before I never had any question.
Looking back on all the information that I learned, it is amazing to see how each piece of art created is reflective of the time period that it was created. It clearly demonstrates how an artist is influenced by their surroundings. I enjoyed how eye opening it was to see that the creation of the alphabet was an art form and how incorporated into our everyday lives it has become. After the alphabet was created, literature books became an art form that lead to the education of citizens. Every time I open a book I notice the type of font that is being used and the layout of the page since each element goes into the design aspect of the book.
Initially, I thought that this class was going to focus more on modern day graphic design and less on how it evolved. I had a hard time with the format of an online class, since this is my first, but also struggled when trying to take interest in the ancient art, especially when it wasn’t involving America. I did though become more interested in the more recent and modern information and wish that there had been more focus on the recent information since that is what we interact with today.I remember when the first cell phone came out and it started to evolve from black and white, to color, to having a camera and now the internet. Once the cell phones had a camera on it I thought to myself what are they going to come up with next? The cell phone evolution is similar to the graphic design evolution, it just takes one new idea to continue pushing it into a new direction. What direction will graphic design head in next? The next thing may come from someone exploring a completely new concept or taking an old idea and reinventing it with a new twist. My best prediction is that an older concept with be reinvented through the use of the most recent technology available. Our lives are consumed by technology that it only makes sense that technology will be a part of the future of graphic design.
Overall I have learned that art is all around us. From the jagged lines on a key, to the billboards you see on the road, to furniture and appliances seen in stores to brand logos, art surrounds us in all aspects of our life.
