An Eclectic Design

This mural is one of the many eclectic pieces of art found around the 4th avenue area of Tucson. It is on the corner of 4th avenue and 6th street, right in the middle of it all. There are many designs in this particular piece of art. If one were to look at it, the observer would see a "human jukebox," a man in a truck selling vegetables, the "Tucson Yacht Club," and many other scenes of varied Tucson life and thoughts. The 4th avenue area is a haven for artists. It is also a great place for musicians, college students, farmers, partygoers, shoppers and families. It is a place where people come to work and play. Right in between the industrial, commercial and collegiate parts of Tucson. All of these elements are presented in this large mural.

Trashy art

This trash can is a perfect example of the culture found on 4th avenue in Tucson. It is a conglomeration of various parts from all over. The theme of this trashcan is a bicycle, which is a very important part of the Tucson culture. The more important theme is the mixture of gears, frames and other parts of a bike that make it work. Much like the city of Tucson, or any city for that matter, a mixture of people are required to make it work properly. A city cannot have the same person doing the same thing, much like a bike cannot have just one gear to be called a bike. All these parts could be used to make a bike, or they can be arranged like they are in this trash can. Regardless of what these parts were used for before, they are now a functional piece of art.

A Jeepers Masterpiece

This Jeep is a rugged machine made to climb over the biggest rocks imaginable. Many people would simply consider this awesome, but it can also be seen as a work of art in its design. An artist will spend a long time completing his masterpiece. This Jeep is one artist's masterpiece. The artist, or team of them, who completed this truck, spent a lot of time and effort building this machine. It is completely customized, not unlike a picture hanging in a museum. It has been revamped with a large suspension lift, oversized tires, body upgrades etc. A painting is made to hang, look pretty and cause observers to wonder what the artist was thinking or going through. This Jeep is also made to look pretty, but it is made to go out into the environment Jeeps were made for as well. Much like the Mona Lisa is home in the Louvre, this Jeep is home on the rocks.

A Man's Soul Expressed In His Music

A man completely expressing himself on his guitar is the subject of this photo. Stevie Ray Vaughan was one of the most impassioned, soulful and skilled players to ever pick up a six string. This picture is the essence of who he was. His guitar is worn down to the core, which could construe a metaphor for the blues music SRV was famous for. Even though at the time of this picture, he could afford any guitar of his choosing, he still stood by and recorded some of his best music on this guitar, famously dubbed "Number 1." This portrait shows a man who couldn't care whether he was playing in front of one man or one million. He is so intertwined with the sound coming from his fingertips, that whatever he is playing is the only thing that is important at the time. The expression on his face is that of a true musician, a true bluesman. His life ended shortly after this picture was taken, but because of his music, and soulful images like this, Stevie Ray Vaughan will continue to live on.

A Smokin' Design

The hookah pipe, or Nargilah', is an ancient cultural design from the Middle East. Some can be extremely intricate, consisting of hand-carved gold designs several feet tall, fit for a Saudi prince. They can also be simple like the design on this particular hookah. This one is a daily smoker, nothing special, but is none the less beautifully designed. It imparts on the smoker a feeling of cool smoke coming through the hose even if it is fairly warm. This is done by the use of the color blue and the chrome metallic pieces used throughout the pipe. The clear glass bowl at the top also creates an illusion of ice. Whenever a smoker picks the hose up on this particular pipe, he or she will instantly think that the tobacco being used in their session is top quality, even if it is low grade. A hookah like this does not cost a lot to make. Regardless, it looks expensive, and that is the purpose of the design.

The Buffet

The design of this painting is of realistic influence. It could be said that the man laying down out front of the bar is a metaphor for a man down on his luck. Truth be told, the Buffet Bar in Tucson, Arizona always, without fail, has someone passed out in front of the doors. These people tend to be the homeless that live around Fourth Avenue. This bar draws the destitute, who are regulars, and the college crowd at the same time due to its design. It is the stereotypical dive bar, with five dollar pitchers and holes in the wall, but it is also much more than that. Being the city's oldest continually running bar, it has a sense of history. This history can be felt upon entering the bar and the observer will see thousands of scribbled graffiti marks on the walls from seventy five plus years of drunken scribblings. This bar and painting is beautiful in its thematic design for the simple fact that is has none.

Visual Metaphor

In this piece, the light bulb represents the visual metaphor, as the viewer associates the object with an idea. Even though a light bulb has no physical similarities to an idea, it still has the "power" to portray an identical message. A world without new ideas would be boring, dull, and dark. When one is contemplating a subject, and finally reaches the point in which an idea arises, it is as if there is a spark within their head. The light finally comes on, and they can clearly visualize what it is they need to do. The other significance of an idea is that it not only "lights up" your brain, but it brightens the world around you. This phenomenon is one that is not easily understood by the average person, so the metaphor of the radiant light bulb is used. It seems like many metaphors are used in this way, as they simplify a complex subject or occurrence, in order for one to make this connection so the point is more readily understood.

Incomplete Manifesto for Growth -- Bruce Mau

I found this piece of writing to be very enlightening and uplifting. I believe that each unique point made by Bruce Mau has the potential to lead the designer to his/her desired destination. However, these simple words of advice can be used to attain success in virtually any project or situation. One of the points I have personally found to be most useful is something that many people seem to forget, and that is to laugh. Mau makes a great point when he says that laughing is the only way to truly show someone you are comfortable with expressing yourself. It is not only important to laugh with others, but it is also helpful to laugh at ourselves every now and then. Laughter truly is the key to the heart, which is exactly where that design should come from. If we can't laugh about it, then we will never truly be able to use design to express ourselves to others. Another great point Mau makes is to take risks. If we constantly refrain from taking risks, we will never grow, and we will never learn. I absolutely love the way he justifies this point, "Time is genetic. Today is the child of yesterday and the parent of tomorrow. The work you produce today will create your future." I cannot think of any possible better way to say it. He uses this metaphor to remind us all that our time is short, and we can't be afraid to make the best of it.

The Power of a Typeface

How does one label say it all? Of course, pictures are one strategy that the advertiser uses to grasp the viewer's attention. But what other component of an advertisement catches our eye? I believe that a typeface can be a very powerful tool used within marketing. As the consumer, we associate certain shapes, colors, and even typefaces with a particular product and/or brand. This method has been used for many years, as we can see in this advertisement for Budweiser in 1979. The bold typeface at the top of the image draws in the viewer, and causes the eye to continue to follow the ice cool glasses of beer, down to another typeface. This specific typeface is automatically associated with "Budweiser," the king of beers. Also, you will notice that each letter in "king of beers" is capitalized to emphasize the claim that there are no other beers above the Budweiser brand. It's quite interesting that such a minor detail can be such a powerful marketing tool within an advertisement.