Your usual stroll through the busy streets of NYC is quite what you would expect. The blaring car horns, casual citizens conversing at the top of their lungs, and constant commotion are all too familiar by now. Then, something catches your eye. It doesn’t immediately draw you in, but it captivates you for just enough time to spark your curiosity.
Print Production
Illustration
Paper Sampling
The cultural phenomenon known as Hip-Hop is distinct by nature. Birthed out of collective struggle and community celebration, Hip-Hop has grown to inspire the brightest minds and most exciting parties in pockets worldwide. From music, media, and fashion to politics and academia, Hip-Hop has proven its worth and value. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way for people to experience Hip-Hop’s rich history all in one place?
In an exercise in paper sampling and print production, I designed a set of posters for a conceptual museum exhibit. This poster series, which utilizes products from the Neenah paper company, would advertise and celebrate the exhibition of this Bronx-born cultural entity.
My biggest challenge was determining a focus for my approach. This art form which has evolved over its nearly 50 years of living, continues to metamorphose. So, I decided not to focus on any one motif at all. Instead, I focused on several motifs and centered them around the exhibit theme.
My biggest challenge was determining a focus for my approach. This art form which has evolved over its nearly 50 years of living, continues to metamorphose. So, I decided not to focus on any one motif at all. Instead, I focused on several motifs and centered them around the exhibit theme.
The next step was to determine the kind of surface to print these posters. How should these illustrations look and feel in hand and at a distance? Is there a way I can add to this experience in a tangible way? It didn’t take long to recall a recurring aesthetic in Hip-Hop; texture.
The next step was to determine the kind of surface to print these posters. How should these illustrations look and feel in hand and at a distance? Is there a way I can add to this experience in a tangible way? It didn’t take long to recall a recurring aesthetic in Hip-Hop; texture.
The final set of posters used dark backgrounds, bright icons, and uniquely textured paper types to visually align with the vivid grittiness often expressed in the art form. Utilizing selections from the Neenah Paper line, I was able to give the posters a distinguished look and feel, playing into the cultural aesthetic.
The final set of posters used dark backgrounds, bright icons, and uniquely textured paper types to visually align with the vivid grittiness often expressed in the art form. Utilizing selections from the Neenah Paper line, I was able to give the posters a distinguished look and feel, playing into the cultural aesthetic.
Each poster design embodies a different tonal vibe, giving the motifs expressed within them a slightly different connotation.
Each poster design embodies a different tonal vibe, giving the motifs expressed within them a slightly different connotation.
