On a recent early spring morning I arrived at work as usual to find newspapers hanging all over the office walls. They were intentionally hung as a piece of art. I was immediately taken back to last spring where I spent a many hours in the printmaking studio at the university. Squeegee in hand, screen prepped and ready to go, non-toxic paint flooding through the fibers of my screen, and presto, a piece of art.
The newspapers on the office walls were not your normal Sunday’s news because they had been altered and turned into something unexpected and intriguing. Large imperfect black squares with typography lay dead center of each piece, each containing “words of wisdom” to all the creative individuals in the building. With a passion for the silkscreen printing process I insisted on gathering more information about the pieces. Who did these? How’d they do that?
As the posters hung on the walls it was apparent that many people in the office were asking the same questions. I was pleased to find out that the posters/prints were actually done by someone in-house, so I tracked him down. Scott Gericke, currently Director of Design at Momentum Worldwide St. Louis and designer of the prints was enthusiastic to share the story behind the prints.
I, like most people I associate with, am keenly aware of my surroundings – the environment in which I work, live and everywhere in between. My creative life has taken many twists and turns, but one thing has remained common – the motivation to inspire others. It’s the academic in me. And although those days are gone, the need is always there (just ask my kids!).
Those of us that work in a creative environment are lucky. No boring walls. No standard carpet. No incandescent light bulbs. Stimulating debate about what people think and how they perceive. Opinions are all around. The need to be clever and poignant is all consuming here – as it should be. So why not surround ourselves with clever and poignant stimuli?
We are a team of craftsmen, those who focus on words and those who focus on pictures. When the two harmoniously meet, it makes for great conversation. And when the vehicle from which the device is produced is reminiscent of anything new technology hasn’t touched, even better.
The newspaper is metaphor for a dying art, a reliable companion, a collaboration of many talents, and an all-consuming need in an eco-conscious world. When we find time to read, to notice, to think about the world or our neighbor down the street, does it really sink in? New words mask old words; void of color; pinned on top; slight crack of paper curling as people rush by. Gritty, real, imperfect. –Scott Gericke
Prints were printed at a cooperative art space, the All Along Press in St. Louis, Missouri.
Many thanks to Scott Gericke for taking time out of his day to share with adesignmafia readers.
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