Running Utensils

I got a huge American Kitsch vibe when I saw this 1994 poster for the Waiter/Waitress Olympics. It's very lighthearted, cute, and fun. Even down to the color choice of a yellow background, it's a very inviting and friendly design. The bending of the two left tines on the fork symbolizes the bending of a runner's legs. It's all very cartoon-ish as well. The font choice also looks like an American Kitsch type usage as well. The function of this poster design is to garner interest and get people to check out the Waiter/Waitress Olympics. I found this image in the 1995 July/August edition of Print magazine.

Electrifying Design

This image by Andy Warhol is scary and thought provoking, much like most of Warhol's works. This poster was created to help the finance the defense of the "Chicago Seven." Warhol must have felt a lot of compassion for the "Chicago Seven," otherwise he wouldn't have made the effort to give a helping hand by making this poster. The colors are very eerie with a black and green grainy and grungy looking electric chair photograph. The message, "Conspiracy means to breathe together" jolts the viewer's attention with the accompanied electric chair. The message is in a bright red, which sticks out perfectly against the dark image. The red also hints at death. The function of this design was meant to garner compassion and sympathy for the "Chicago Seven" and help finance their defense. I found this image in Power to the Imagination: Artists, Posters, and Politics by Jürgen Döring.

Art Nouveau From Under The Sea

This poster for Pearl Beach is very Art Nouveau styled in my opinion. There's a lot of swirling and curvature in the line usage, there's a female figure motif with the swirling flow of her hair strands, and there are floral motifs present as well. It stuck out to me because of the vibrant color choices. Mostly greens and yellows are present, but there's a splash of red here and there. There's a very decorative border, which fits in nicely with the sea elements. The overall feel is very fairy tale inspired which works well with the function. I believe the function of this design is to get people interested in visiting the "awe-inspiring and beautiful" Pearl Beach. The typography on the left and right side as well as the bottom does throw me off, however. There's different phone numbers and locations listed, as well as a stock image purchasing option, so perhaps the function is actually about purchasing images such as these that are available at different locations. The book didn't give me a clear answer, so all I have to go off of is the image itself. I found this image in The Workbook Illustration Vol. 21.

Fear the Ruins

Ever since I read the book, I had to see the movie for "The Ruins." It was pretty good. I'm always into the book more, but that's okay. What's incredible about the movie, however, is the front cover. I absolutely love it! This is totally up my alley and exactly what I'd like to create. I don't even mind that it's all symmetrical. The title looks great all rugged and grungy against a dark background. The center figure is up against a glowing red background, which further puts the spotlight on her. The image is very creepy: a human seeming to fade into a ruin with vegetation growing over her. I'd say by the look on her face that today's just not her day. The image works very well with the movie and book's concept, if you've ever seen or read it. The function is obviously meant to captivate interest amongst horror film fans to get them to watch or purchase the movie. This image belongs to DreamWorks Home Entertainment.