3 weeks ago I created my new poster series Human vs Machine. Here is a photo from behind the scenes.
Category: Behind the poster
Interview with Santiago Gómez, Elizabeth Flores and Doris Lovato
Interview with Santiago, Elizabeth, Doris and Christopher
Entrevista con Santiago, Elizabeth, Doris y Christopher
How does it feels to be selected for a international competition?
¿Cómo se siente al estar seleccionado para el concurso internacional?
Elizabeth
I feel so exciting to know I was selected in the competition and it is a good achievement for my Graphic Design career.
Me siento muy emocionada por saber que quedé seleccionada en la competencia, lo cual es un gran aporte para mi carrera como diseñadora gráfica.
Doris
I felt so happy when my classmate told me I was selected in this moment I was very shocked and the only i could say was thank you. Later I reacted and cannot control all of my happiness.
Me siento muy feliz cuando mi compañero mi dijo que quedé seleccionada, en ese momento me quede conmocionada y solo pude decir gracias, después reaccione y no pude con tanta felicidad.
Santiago
Simply it was an emotion i cannot describe with words, only cry with happiness. The satisfaction with my classmates and my teacher gave us all a result the passion for our profession.
Simplemente es una emoción que no se puede describir con palabras, solo me quedó el llorar de alegría. La satisfacción de tanto trabajo con mis compañeros y con mi profesor da como resultado la pasión de nuestra profesión.
What is the meaning of ‘Pachamama’ word for you?
¿Qué significa la palabra ‘Pachamama’ para usted?
Elizabeth
It is an indian word and to be a country in South American it is teached that it is the place where I live and appreciate.
Por ser una palabra indígena y por ser de un país sud americano me enseña que es el lugar donde vivo y valoro.
Doris
It means mother earth, she gives us food, clothes, and life. We need to take care of her, loves her and respect her. Without her we cannot exist.
Significa la madre tierra la cual nos da de comer, vestir y vivir. Por lo cual tenemos que cuidarla, amarla y respetarla, ya que sin ella no podríamos existir.
Santiago
For me encompasses all of the meanings in only one word, Life.
Para mí, engloba todo su significado en una sola palabra VIDA.
What was your inspiration for your selected poster?
Cuál fue su inspiración para su afiche seleccionado?
Elizabeth
I was inspired by the colour green, which represents nature and the damage that it has taken.
Me inspiré en el color verde que representa la naturaleza y los daños que se hacen hacia ella.
Doris
My mother, and all of the womans who are mothers. Because in their belly’s we are protected and supplied of all aliments.
En mi madre y todas las mujeres, pero más en mi mamá. Porque en el vientre de la madre estamos protegidos y alimentados.
Santiago
We are human beings and we all have the necessity to breath and that is the reason I choose the tree, because the tree provide us with the air, and that is my inspiration to give the message stop deforestation.
Nosotros como seres humanos tenemos la necesidad de respirar, por lo cual el árbol nos provee de Oxigeno y es lo que me inspiró a dar el mensaje “Para la deforestación”.
What was the process for creating your poster?
¿Cuál fue el proceso de creación de su cartel?
Elizabeth
The elaboration of a lot of posters, led me to thoughts of positive ideas for pachamama.
La elaboración de muchos carteles que me llevaron a tener ideas positivas de pachamama.
Doris
The idea of encouraging and protecting life and making various sketches had taken me to the result of a silhouette of a woman.
La idea de incentivar a la vida y protección, realizando varios bocetos lineales que llevaron como resultado a obtener la silueta de una mujer embarazada.
Santiago
Doing alot of sketches, to visualize the deforestation and the results of that gave me a global message, stop the deforestation.
Mediante muchos bocetos y la visualización de la deforestación, como resultado quería dar un mensaje global.
Why is it important to create social posters?
¿Por qué es importante la creación de posters sociales?
Elizabeth
Because changing the mindset to a positive outlook on life.
Porque hace cambiar la mentalidad a algo positivo de ver la vida.
Doris
To encourage awareness and reach everyone of the bad things we are doing to the world and be able to improve.
Para incentivar y llegar a concientizar a todas las personas lo malo que se está haciendo en el mundo y poderlo mejorar.
Santiago
To educate the people to change the world and we can live in a better place.
Concientizar a la gente para poder cambiar al mundo y vivir en un lugar mejor.
What have you learnt from your experience?
¿Qué ha aprendido de su experiencia?
Elizabeth
To be perseverant in my goals and objectives knowing that I will have good success and have a positive mind.
A ser perseverante en mis metas y objetivos, sabiendo que tendré buenos logros y a tener una mente positiva.
Doris
That with perseverance and effort you can obtain these two goals and grow as a person.
Que con perseverancia y con esfuerzo se logra obtener todos los objetivos que se plantea y a su vez crecer como persona.
Santiago
That all things that take much effort are the best rewarded.
Que todas las cosas que necesitan mucho esfuerzo, son las mejor recompensadas.
Final words
Palabras finales
Professor Christopher Scott
Im so proud of my students, they all worked very hard and that is so important to all students of Graphic Design.
Estoy muy orgulloso de mis estudiantes, que hicieron un trabajo muy duro y eso es muy importante para todos los estudiantes de Diseño Gráfico.
Dreamlab Generation Awards 2004
This was my first Design award almost 10 years ago which started my interest in the digital arts and also was the springboard to a career in Graphic Design.
How a life can change in 10 years.
Notice magazine – The story of Dead Leaf
The unique untold story of my poster ‘Dead Leaf’ will be published in the 1st Issue of the new creative magazine Notice by Jade Healy.
The story of Dead Leaf
My poster ‘Dead Leaf’ has definitely been the defining moment of my design career so far. I know for certain I would not be where I am today without this poster.
The important creation elements of this poster I remember quite vividly. I was constantly frustrated with the university projects I was given at the time which resulted in average marks. During the very last semester of my final year of study the students were given the freedom to create their own brief and that was when I was able to concentrate and focus on developing exactly what I wanted to achieve in a brief.
I have always been interested in travel and adventure. As a child I was climbing trees, building tree huts, going into caves and strange places. I also am a huge fan of the Indiana Jones films and exploring exotic places around the world (not in reality but in books and videos). After 2 months of research I eventually arrived on the topic of the Amazon Rainforest and in the beginning of the project I wanted to communicate how magical the forest is to the people. However after a month of creating various images I felt the creations where lacking impact and power of which was quite frustration. So I decided I needed to research the Amazon Rainforest deeper until I found something I could grab with both hands. What I realised from the extra research was that although the Amazon has much beauty it has alot of deep and dark problems. Of which include issues such as deforestation, poverty, oil exploitation and drugs.
The one issue that somehow connected to me was the deforestation. I guess the connection could be based on the climbing of trees and making tree huts when I was younger. It felt this time I was definitely on the right path and it just was a matter of time before I came up with the right poster to communicate the message that the project deserved.
So I began sketching idea after idea for about 2 frustrating months and again I had the feeling that the project was stuck and it was going nowhere. Until one night I went to bed and I could not sleep. So I was just laying there and it was such a weird experience because suddenly everything started to come together in my brain. I will never forget that night for as long as I will live.
Waking up at 7am I knew exactly what I needed to do that day. The first thing I did was to grab a plastic bag from underneath the sink in the kitchen and then I walked to the local park of which was only a few minutes walk. I carefully started to select the dead leaves from the park until I had my plastic bag full. One by one I began to scan them into my laptop and so the creation of the actual poster ‘Dead Leaf’ started to come into reality.
8pm and 13 hours later the poster was finished. I had no food during the process just a few cups of water. I guess I was so emotionally involved in this creation that I simply could not stop; especially after 5 months of frustration it felt like 13 hours of intense work was nothing. Little did I know what I was actually doing would change my life forever.
Just over one year later (June 2009) I would be sitting in Triennale Design Museum in Milan drinking an Italian beer in the cafe and my poster ‘Dead Leaf’ a few metres away from me after being selected for the international social poster competition ‘Good50x70′. This was my first ever award and “Dead Leaf’ would continue to win awards (12 in total) and to be selected in exhibitions and events all around the world.
Since creating ‘Dead Leaf’ it was always my ambition to visit South America and finally just over 4 years later (March 2012) I would get that opportunity and also to give a lecture at the Universidad Metropolitana del Ecuador. Later that year (September 2012) I went to Ecuador again to give a workshop this time and also to accept the position of Professor of Graphic Design at the University.
When I look back at my poster ‘Dead Leaf’ it was definitely the link from where I was and where I am now. So the poster will always mean alot of me personally and it always will.
Pencil wire at “Innovation in Education” International Poster Exhibition in Turkey
My poster Female surrounded at Poster for Tomorrow – Mexico city
