Geographic Wear

I have recently become intrigued by bolo ties, the ones with a (usually) southwestern motif like eagles, cowboy stuff etc. I am intrigued by them because they offer both a stylistic version of the traditional necktie and can be modified to display many different things that go beyond the regional stereotype of silver and turquoise.

I have never been much of a necktie wearer because I have a squat neck. The tie makes my head look like a balloon tied off at the stem about to explode. Plus, the idea that this ubiquitous piece of men's wear has been around for well over 100 years just makes it out of place on me. Admittedly, I am not a cutting edge person, but I am more in tune with 2008 than 1888. No matter how patterned or wide it is, we're still talking necktie.

For a while I thought a bowtie was the way to go. They come in a variety of styles, colors and textures, enough to appease my artistic eye. But I began to notice that there seems to be a cultural stigma on bowties that signify stereotypes I want to avoid. If you are a wearer of bowties, I apologize for any categorizing I may be imposing. I'm passing this judgment on me.

At some point, I noticed someone wearing a bolo and thought, "this is for me." Sure, the southwestern lifestyle is heavily associated with the bolo but it differs in that the actual medallion can be changed to suit the personality of the wearer. Being a graphic designer, I envision historical designs as well as typography that can be used in place of more traditional artwork.

I am about to move to another part of the country, the northeast, completely diagonal from the southwest. I see myself wearing my bolos here. When I mentioned this to my sister, she said rather bluntly, "you can't wear that in New York, that's a southwestern thing." I smiled and thought to myself how odd to restrict ones fashion sense because of a geographical location. She may be right, but I don't agreee.

So for now, I am beginning my collection of Bolos and see it as simply expressing myself. What I am saying is up to you.

Masters Thesis Catalog Text

Below is the text that accompanied my work in the University of Houston's Masters Thesis show in April. It explains very briefly, the meaning behind my work. Enjoy.

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A typeface originates as part of the aesthetics of the historical period in which it is created; its final form a result of the cultural associations unique to the type designer who creates it. The associations I make as a designer between the object and what it is communicating are part of my understanding of relationships of form and meaning, visually and mentally.

A typographic form is more than a functional letter. The subtleties within its form remind me of feelings, thoughts or people. My personal experiences with others become part of how I relate to typographic form. It is a language of its own. Printed, drawn or sculpted, letterforms communicate with me as characters on a stage, each one acting according to its role. I am witness to their efforts.

Bleary Eyed

I can tell this is not going to be a deep, philosophical post because I am tired. I think I've been tired for weeks now. Graduation is supposed to be a freeing experience. People ask, "aren't you excited?" I say, "I will be once I finish teaching my class, grading projects and finals, finish writing my thesis, complete my CV and cover letter, make reservations for my elderly mother to attend my graduation, give directions to family members on how to navigate to the actual location, finish sending invites, defend my thesis artwork, clean my room in preparation for visitors etc. You see, nothing much to worry about.
I should be happy. Actually, I've had moments of happiness but they are usually washed away by the realization that all this other stuff is keeping me from concentrating on a job to pay off the chunk of student loan I have. And of course, instead of the bank saying, "congratulations, you've earned a degree," the letter reads, "we see that you are about to graduate making you eligible for your student loan repayment." Real nice bedside manners that bank has don'tcha think?

Why am I complaining? I've heard that i now have a much higher earning potential with a master's. That may be so, just point me to the nearest job and we'll see. I'm anxious to start but I'm too tired to think.

Maybe a few months off after graduation isn't so bad after all!

Nearing My Goal

I am now within two months of achieving my goal of obtaining a MFA. I re-read my post of a few years ago stating my hopes for grad school. What I have actually experienced is way beyond what I could have guessed at the time. Let's see, I am three years older now, divorced after my first year, full of newly acquired artistic descriptive phrases to describe my work and crit others and a *whole* lot of scars from battles that I have won. Am I better off, you bet!

I liken the experience to that of maturity. I had already been in the professional graphic design field for 16 years. What new things could I learn? Hmmm...well, I found out and it wasn't anything I had expected, so much more. History, research, critical analysis, dissimilar attractions, academia itself, so many areas I had never considered.

The scars I mentioned earlier were the deep, dark times of distress I went through in my first year as I desperately tried to understand why my work was being viewed so critically. This rarely happened in the professional world. I was going through so many changes that year, especially at home. The year ended up in divorce. The end, or a new beginning? I hung on and made it a new beginning. Slowly but surely, things began to make sense. Modes of thinking and aesthetic values begin to seep in. I was on my way.

But now, at the end of year three, as I am about to embark into practice, I feel like a kid again, about to search for a position that has been, in reality, ten years in the making. I'm ready and eager to teach, work with professional peers and see what a mark I can make on impressionable minds. The future looks bright.