http://www.hillmancurtis.com/hc_web/film_video/source/fof/sagmeister08.php

I collect bugs! 8:13 AM

Yeah I know, why would I do that especially knowing that somehow I'm allergic to cockroaches. Funny story, I've always been afraid of bugs for one reason or another and this past summer I wanted to shoot something different for my photo portfolio. My RD from last year loves bugs and has a huge collection of exotic ones. I asked her if I could borrow them for a little bit. When I first started touching them, I had the creeps and it took me forever to finish shooting them. Well a year later and I've started my own collection and can handle bugs without a problem. Keep in mind, they're dead-- I'm not quite sure how I'd do with live ones.

Stefan Sagmeister brought back my passion. 4:45 PM

My contribution to Sagmeister 's piece.

Die-cut cover with one of mini books.


The wall of 3,000 bananas on the first day.


Angry monkey wants his bananas!

Wall of bananas the day before the show closed! The place smelled like it and some of them had mold on them.




I don't know how many people can say that they've been lucky enough to realize for themselves that they need a change in how their life is going and actually do something about it. This realization came to me in a rather interesting way.

This past Tuesday a group of us went to the lecture by Stefan Sagmeister for a class- "Design Therapy" as we like to call it. I'll be honest, my knowledge of Sagmeister's work was basic at the time. I had done some research for the same class earlier in the semester and thought of his work as interesting yet didn't think much of it. I typically do some homework on a lecture, musical or anything that I go and see. For his lecture, I had no pre-concieved notion of what it was about. When it came time to decide whether or not I was actually going to the lecture,the selling factor was saying to myself "hey he graduated from Pratt, let's see what he's done with that degree", considering the fact that I had just gotten over the two most horrible weeks of my life where my existence at Pratt as a student was i jeopardy.

I decided to buy the book [Things I have learned in my life so far] before the lecture started and as I looked through the list of his "life lessons", the first one that I read is the one that has stuck with me since and has given me my passion for design back. It reads: "Thinking life will be better in the future is stupid. I have to live now" Here's someone who I had never met before telling me what I needed to hear.

That quote opened my eyes. Throughout the whole lecture I kept thinking to myself "Now why can't I enjoy the work that I'm doing like he is" I purposely registered for 7 design, studio classes and no liberals so that I could do "great things" and not be hinder by stupid essays and journal entries for such classes. I've always been the type of person to worry, constanly thinking about the future. I've been telling myself that I will have great pieces at Survey that everyone will be amazed by and that itself has gotten in the way of creating those "great pieces". In advertising it is hard to design work for yourself and still pay the bills. This is my time to explore and experiment and try new things and not be sooo caught up with what others will think as much. I mean yes, I want to get a good grade but should I have to sacrifice my opportunity to explore and have fun. My survey wall and book will be great because they will showcase those great pieces that I will have fun designing.

Going out for beer and wings after the lecture with those who I was with was also amazing. There I was sitting with those who have been around and go through the same assignment at Pratt as I do. I got the sense that at least one life lesson from Sagmeister made an impact on their life.

Above are images from the book as well as photos I took from the gallery show on Grand St. with some of the actual pieces. I'm not one to go out and venture into the city to check out shows by myself yet for this one, I was happy that I spent the afternoon on my own, being inspired- I needed that!

My favorite quotes:
1. Thinking Life will be better in the future is stupid. I have to live now.
2. Complaining is silly. either act or forget.
3. Keeping a diary supports personal development.

Photographs 2:41 PM

Zambezi River, Africa


Bath Houses, Capetown, Africa


Colors are the links. The photograph above was taken by my friend Amanda when she visited Kenya last spring break.


I've started to collect different images with patterns found in nature as inspiration for my design work. Ian showed me a book he took out from the library back home that was all design inspired by patterns in nature and I found that to be an interesting idea. Above you have a close up on a bird's feather.




Opposite end of the spectrum in subject matter yet it speaks for itself in it's connection. Here's some background info on the image --[An angiogram of a human heart shows blood vessels in sharp detail. To take an angiogram, or arteriogram x-ray, doctors must first inject the patient with a special opaque dye that allows a clear view of the heart's blood vessels, including the large left and right coronary arteries.]

Deep sea creatures and anything that has to do with underwater fascinates me. I'm drawn to colors and intensity. I also LOVE LOVE the ocean. As a child I would spend every weekend at our beach house back in Cuba. As far back as I can remember, the ocean has been part of my life and yet there are soo many things that are foreign to me that are part of that habitat.

Afghan girl by Steve McCurry is my choice as a reaction to Lois Greenfield's from a previous post. Both photographs show intensity in a much different way.

...on a personal note

I recall seeing this photograph and falling in love with it. Everyone in my family has the same green eyes as the girl in the photograph except me. I'm envious of anyone who has those eyes, it is the one physical trait that my family was known for and I'm the only one that doesn't have it.

It is interesting how Afghan girl stands for her culture/country and for me, it's far more personal.

Deeply meaningful 3:12 PM

Photographs by Lois Greenfield of Margie Gillis