SHORE INSPO

A handful of my favorite photos by Shore and some inspiration for possible design aesthetic of my font and print materials...

Notes on Stephen Shore:

~ screen shots of his field of vision

~ really observes what he is seeing and how he sees it

~ takes inspiration from Bill Eggleston and Walker Evans

~ low key spectacle

~ common place becoming splendid

~ color was not seen/used in fine art photography in 1970s

~ his photos change the way people look at ordinary things

~ large format photos

~ explores medium, perception, psychological levels

~ sense of time being compressed

~ what world looks like in state of heightened awareness

~ looks at world with clear and focused attention

~ a lot of art is decision making

~ spends a lot of time exploring structure and space of picture

~ growing structural complexity

~ reinvents himself over time to raise new questions

~ interest in postcards, snapshots, visual diary

~ analyzes experience of travel and what he discovers in America

~ looks at repeated events: 

(what he is eating, who he is meeting, what beds he is sleeping in)

~ shows what was on his mind at the time

~ interest in taking photos that strip away artifice of visual convention

~ wants a more immediate experience

~ highest complement - "your pictures are so clear"

~ "the apparent is the bridge to the real"

~ not sentimental, but natural and unaffected

~ has no style - his style is the result of his own exploration

~ responds more to the mundane than the dramatic

~ naturalness is just another posture; visual casualness is just another style

~ produces images that are generated by conceptual framework

~ allows for visual articulateness

~ visual poetry

~ work stems from intentionality

~ searches/documents not just the main streets across America, but the quintessential main street

~ how does the world he wants to photograph translate into an image?

~ one point perspective - vanishing point in center

~ dense information to organize

~ common, typical subjects

~ takes screen shot of field of vision

~ work is not framed, not matted, and posted on wall on grid of 3 rows

~ color raises all types of issues

~ every culture and age has a palette of color

~ color can communicate elements of taste of specific time period and culture of that time period

~ he takes ordinary desk objects and if in right state of mind, can make them look vivid, tactile, and alive

Project Redo

OVERVIEW:

I have decided to redo and combine 2 of my past projects. The first is a magazine layout showing the work and capturing the essence of renowned photographer, Stephen Shore. The second is a typeface called Extant that I designed from the inspirations and research of my brother, John. I chose to redesign these projects because I don't have a solid typeface that I can really say that I am proud of in my portfolio and I think I can apply this new typeface to broader and more useful applications. I would like to design my typeface off of Shore, himself, and use this typeface throughout the new layout, for example, in the title, pull quotes, and possibly text. I will also display this in the form of font specs and posters incorporating Shore's photography. Ultimately, I will be developing and creating a successful 'brand' of Stephen Shore through this new typeface that will encompass the overall themes of his photographic style.


CREATIVE BRIEF:

Client
Stephen Shore is an American photographer born in 1947, who is most known for his banal scenes and objects in the United States and for his innovating use of color. He worked closely with Andy Warhol in his Factory throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and at age 24, had a solo exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In his 1982 book Uncommon Places, Shore documents his travels across American and Canadian landscapes. Many artists have acknowledged Shores influence on their work, especially for his ability to make the colored photograph a work of art.

Product/Idea
Shore promotes and sells his photography. At this point in his success, he is very well known and a solid brand for him is established. His strength is in his work. People are familiar with it and are confident in its uniqueness and beauty. There are always opportunities for growth and greater recognition, especially as new, younger photographers are entering and establishing themselves in the art scene.

Purpose
The goal for this project is to create a typeface that is inspired by Stephen Shore as a person, as a photographer, and as an artist. It mimics his style and it accompanies his work nicely. From this typeface, a logo for the photographer will be created. These elements will then be applied to print materials including a feature story in a published magazine, posters displaying Shores photography, and an expanded book cover for Uncommon Places.

Audience
Males and females, ages 30-50, interested in photographic culture

Insights
The audience is already familiar with Stephen Shore and are fans of his work. They have preconceived expectations of what this typeface will look like as a result of having seen Shore's photography. This typeface will only solidify Shores work and establish a sense of firmness in him as a photographer who is still able to let this work be known.

Single Most Important Thing
A typeface inspired by Stephen Shore and representing Stephen Shore in order to commemorate his past and bring about a new familiarity with the present.

Must Haves
Must be clean. Must be mature. Must be subtle. Must be informative. Must be familiar. Must enlighten. Must revisit the past works of Shore and must tell a new story simultaneously.

Avoid
Too much photography - this is more about the whole picture than about the work itself.
Bright colors - but, color IS IMPORTANT, because that is what Shore is known for. VIVIDNESS NOT OVER-SATURATION
Playfulness - this doesn't mean it has to be too serious, but Shore is a subtle guy.