From Fish to Typographic Identities: New Talent 2023 Latest Entries

Students from the ArtCenter College of Design have immersed themselves in both the silly and the serious in these entries for the New Talent 2023 competition. 

Studying at the ArtCenter College of Design, student JiYun Choi created two fascinating illustrations. Studying under professor and illustrator Paul Rogers, the prompt for the first piece was to create an image for the 2012 film of the same name, “Anna Karenina” (above, left). Seeing as Rogers is known for many different poster designs, this prompt makes perfect sense for him to assign. The main character, Anna, is depicted with detailed line work, and stands front and center, as the largest element, in the center of the illustration. Visual elements such as the snowflakes, stage lights, and the train recall themes and motifs from the book; for example, several major plot points take place either on passenger trains or at stations in Saint Petersburg or elsewhere in Russia. The color palette of blues and yellows, with some variations and a few other colors, also works well to convey the mood of the character and film; while Anna herself is bright and passionate, the world around her is cold and less than kind.

Choi also created “Fish in the Bathtub” (above, right) based on another assignment prompt, this one from Professor Cliff Nielsen, a graphic artist, designer, and fantasy illustrator. Based on the saying “fish out of water,” Choi’s disfigured fish is staring at the viewer as if in shock, with one eye socket showing the image of a factory with smoke blowing out of the eyeball and out of the illustration’s frame. Choi says the illustration is demonstrating some of the dangers presented by environmental destruction, and it does reek of toxicity between the factory, the poisonous colored bubbles, the leaves in the bath water, and the fish’s fangs. While the piece is serious, Choi also gives it a humorous take by setting it in a bathhouse, with the two characters on the side seemingly offering fishbones to the fish itself. All in all, this illustration’s contrast to “Anna Karenina” shows the breadth of Choi’s ability as an illustrator and their ability to adapt to any given assignment.

Led by professor and designer Simon Johnston, another ArtCenter College of Design student, Jo Iijima, used a logo they created as inspiration for an entire typographic and visual identity for the Typo Lyon International Conference on design and typography, as hosted by ATypie (Association Typographique Internationale). The resulting project, entirely in black and white, is quite exhilarating to see unfold. Coining the system as “The Shift,” Iijima horizontally extended the stems of letters in the alphabet from the bases of letters throughout the alphabet. “The Shift” mechanic also often shifts upon itself to expand upon the typographic identity and create new connections and associations throughout the mind of the reader. By keeping the design and photographs in black and white, the typography is more approachable to the reader, encouraging engagement and curiosity. “Typo Lyon: The Shift” (above) is a fully fleshed-out project, spanning from banners and ticket stubs to website layouts and posters; nearly everything for the international conference is not only accounted for but exceptionally designed too.

If you would like to enter your work into our New Talent 2023 competition, click here.

Author: Graphis