Posts Tagged ‘New Wave’

Musings of the Mad

Friday, February 24th, 2012

detail, Sean Visits Georgia O'Keefe, Sean Adams, 1984

I recently found some notebooks from my time in college. It’s nice to think that you’ve changed over time, matured, and found some wisdom. But these notebooks prove two things: I haven’t changed since I was 20 years old, and I was clearly insane. While other students were hastily taking notes about Roland Barthes, I was intently drawing the objects I deemed “mean.” The notebooks reveal a person obsessed with bizarre trivial ideas. Why did I create a narrative where Georgia O’Keefe serves me toast? I catalogued the world around me, which Southern California of the early 80s was new wave Vals (Valley teens), Bevs (Beverly Hills teens), and their shopping habits. I also include a page on semiotics to prove that while I was busy drawing LA Eyeworks sunglasses, I was also trying to understand structuralism.

The sad part of this, or the good part depending on your point of view is that my current notebook is no better. Today I finished a rather intricate drawing of a riverboat during a meeting.

Sean Visits Georgia O'Keefe, Sean Adams, 1984

detail, Sean Visits Georgia O'Keefe, Sean Adams, 1984

Portrait of Post Mods, Sean Adams, 1985

detail, Picture of Post Mods, Sean Adams, 1985

Art Things, Sean Adams, 1984

Nice Things, Sean Adams, 1984

Mean Things, Sean Adams, 1984

Picture of Different Glasses, Sean Adams, 1985

Actual notes, Sean Adams, 1985

Notebook cover, "Save me from the pig" added by me

Living in the 80s

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

Poster, Spring Dance Ensemble, 1985

Poster, Spring Dance Ensemble, 1985

I’m often asked to bring in my student work by my students at Art Center. I went to CalArts from 1982–1986, so the work tends toward the New Wave. I was fortunate to have some great instructors including Lou Danziger, Lorraine Wild, April Greiman, and Roland Young. Here are a few of my projects. Now, remember, this was when type was generated by an old Merganthaler VIP photo-type machine, or by letterpress, and you needed to make giant negatives and print posters either as a slikscreen or Diazo print (blueline). So they ain’t as purty and slick as the fancy pants digital printed student work today. And I walked ten miles in the snow to get to school after milking the cows.

Poster, 4 Australian Poets, 1986

Poster, 4 Australian Poets, 198

Poster, Phil Garner Visiting Artist, 1986

Poster, Phil Garner Visiting Artist, 1986