David Carson (graphic designer)
David Carson ( born September 8, 1957 in Corpus Christi, Texas) is an American typographer, graphic designer, teacher and surfer / surfers. He is head of his company David Carson Design Inc., since June 2007, has its headquarters in Zurich.
Life
The pro surfer David Carson was in the world rankings in 1970 as a 14 -year-old among the nine worlds best surfers. According to a 1977 study carried graduated from San Diego State University in Sociology " with honors and with distinction " and the Oregon College of Commercial Art David Carson became a teacher at the Real Life Private School Grants Pass, Oregon.
In 1980 he started a graphic studies at San Diego State University with a change to the Oregon College of Commercial Art During this time he also completed an internship at Surfer Publications in Danan Point in California. Then was David Carson from 1982-1987 teacher of sociology, psychology, economics and history at the Torrey Pines High School in Del Mar. This period also saw a three-week graphics course fell in Rapperswil in Switzerland by Hans -Rudolf Lutz and the design of the journal " Transworld Skateboarding ".
In subsequent years, David Carson designed as a layout, the magazine " Musician" (1988) and the magazine " Beach Culture " (1989-1991 ), published by the only six issues, but won over a hundred design awards. Using the computer for layout work he was from 1991-1992 responsible for the redesign of the appearing for over 30 years magazine " Surfer" and 1992-1995 for the design of the magazine " Ray Gun".
Meanwhile, David Carson was also a graphic designer and consultant working for companies like Burton Snowboards, Gannet Outdoor, Gotcha Clothing, Hallmark Corporation, Levi Strauss & Co., Nike and Pepsi. Even musicians such as David Byrne and Prince took his services. 1994/95 he worked on the realization of TV commercials for clients such as American Express, Citibank, Coca -Cola, Hardee's, MCI, Nations Bank, Ryder Trucks, Sega, TV Guide and vans.
In 1995 an exhibition of his work in Munich "new collection " and it appeared his book, " The End of Print ", the hitherto best-selling graphic design book. Further design work and subject-specific books followed. So he did design work for the 1997 MTV Zoo TV tour by U2 and published on the basis of his first publication, the book "2nd Sight: Grafik Design After the End of Print ".
More releases followed:
Style
David Carson's work polarized his critics. Carson, who never graduated from a graphic design of the old school goes without typographic and design rules to his designs. The viewer feels the concepts either as innovative and limitless or counterproductive, naive and misguided. Carson himself felt that it was time to break through the traditional design rules, a new approach between typography, images and the overall composition to suggest the viewer.
Effect
These innovations Carson took one hand recognition at a young audience and rejection in hardcore graphic artists. He therefore also tried every campaign to lend their individual "I " by never repeated a design from him. Despite this constant change Carson's critics still try to see a continuous pattern in his works. You mean that there was a certain predictability of the unpredictable.
Proponents, however, of the opinion that Carson's work has its own language developed at a level beyond the Word; on a plane umginge the logical and intellectual areas of the brain and turned to the intuition. His language functioned similar to the music, she -human one before they " can stop at the limits and identity papers asks " someone (to quote David Byrne ).
The End of Print
With "The End of Print " David Carson announced the end of the written word. This first book of Carson, published in 1995, has sold over 200,000 times and translated into five languages. It is a classic of design literature, which focuses on the Carson - magazine design of " Beach Culture " and " Ray Gun". " The End of Print " considered by its proponents as a pioneering manifesto of a subjectivist view graphics and as time document. Opponents of this position note that the supposed end of the print culture was announced in a printing factory.
Ray Gun
1992 Carson rose in the music trade magazine Ray Gun as a graphic designer. His concept: the music trade magazine should not only be unpredictable, but they should not even be able to copy. This principle, each issue to give a completely new, unpredictable style, Ray Gun made the eye-catcher and helped her to gain a certain celebrity.
After a period of " Fame " then stepped but a certain predictability of the " unpredictable " designs one: many magazines and other products now copied this concept of constant change. David Carson then wanted to go in the direction of "reduced concept " and change the format of Ray Gun, but had doubts that such a change of the journal is to be counter-productive. It was followed by the consideration and finally the realization, colors, shapes and textures to stress differently and thereby suppress the former primary role of typography. The typography, which until then had central importance was provided by the peculiar selection of photos, the charisma and effect of works of art, from the power of contrasting juxtapositions of custom headings and subheadings in the shade.