Web design bits

The Biennale has seen me doing more design work again, which I really enjoy. I’ve created a few call to action buttons for www.bos17.com, as well as an eDM banner and couple of ads for partner sites Two Thousand and Art Asia Pacific.

Complete lack of blog posts … and down time, but the Biennale is amazing. Image: Serge Spitzer, Molecular, Site specific installation for BoS17.

#BoS17

I’m working for the 17th Biennale of Sydney…It’s a sweet gig and I’m working very hard. On a completely objective level, have you seen the Biennale’s visual identity? Holy shit it’s good. Designed by font nerd extraordinaire and all round nice guy Barnbrook.

Currently the whole of Sydney is covered in sleazy Biennale pink (pantone #C1003E, indelibly etched in my mind). Barnbrook studio created a series of blocks inspired by the work of Harry Smith, who is a major point of reference for David Elliot’s theme ‘The Beauty of Distance… Songs for Survival in a Precarious Age’. It’s so striking en masse all over the CBD, and inevitably typography enthusiasts everywhere are pretty excited by it.

Barnbrook’s theme includes graphic blocks, irregular fonts and is an intentionally awkward mish mash bricolage of images and texts. I love it, I was initially reminded of Monty Python (and NOW, for something completely stupid…) and with some further research found out that those pythons had borrowed heavily from Harry Smith initially.

Not to get too gushy but the exhibition catalogue is a gorgeous book that I feel pretty privileged to have a copy of.

See you later London

So i’ve got that ‘See you Later’ glow today. I’ve finished work and now I’ve got a couple of weeks to enjoy some of London’s winter delights.

Of course leaving london isn’t going to be such an easy premise. i can’t even begin to embark on a list of everything i love about london, particularly the east end. i’ll certainly miss scummy moody hackney amongst all the endless brilliant blue skies and err fake tan in sydney. Image: moody London Fields

Suddenly it transpires

Very few people do a job that they enjoy…it’s slightly more realistic to expect to learn a few things from good managers, get the opportunity to be stretched mentally and creatively, meet a few nice people or at least have a little bit of respect/ belief in the organisation that employs you.

With the exception of meeting a few nice people, i enjoy none of the above at my current job. I know it sounds nerdy, but I crave good fair management and to be in a role where i’m actually challenged and not just treading water. I mean, i’ll undoubtedly make a few mistakes but at least I won’t hate 60% of my life and spend my working hours in some kind of glassy eyed glazed over hell.

J says working for yourself is the only way forward…but then how do you learn to manage people? I don’t want to be another shitty boss. Universally everyone moans about their job, but a really bad working life is like a bad relationship…poisonous.

And seriously, working here is making me more stupid…and possibly more melodramatic…maybe…