psychogeographic and memory map poster

The first poster was to be based on a childhood memory mapped out with found and photocopied typographic elements. This particular memory map was conceptualized around one of my most cherished items on the playground, the swings. The feeling of flight and freedom while soaring into the air always made me happy and this map remembers specifically the school I attended for 9 years had trees lined behind a fence parallel to the swings. Everyone would see if they could swing high enough to touch the leaves towering over with their toes. The lower case ‘a’s in this typeface reminded me of the organic leaf structures that was the target of interest during the activity. The periods are placed in a moving repetition that makes one think of the chains of a swing that sway back and forth. They are arranged in a way to give the viewer the same since of light and carefree movement through the air that I remember.

This psychogeographic map was to be set up describing a personal Drift while we learned about situationism and Derive. The basic concept was to do so was putting oneself in an untypical situation from the daily routine, getting of the beaten path, and experimenting with places beyond your comfort zone while limiting the terrain to the city of Chattanooga, TN. This map is in response to my visiting and observing several different coffee shops in the downtown area. I have recently and unintentionaly integrated going to Starbucks into my daily routine. It’s easy, convenient and they know my drink. It became all too comforting and addicting. This sparked my mapping concept and it became about branching out, trying out other coffee shops which I had never noticed or some even heard of, despite being located in such a close proximity of where I spend most of my time. I recorded my observations and experiences on plain white paper coffee cups, one for each place visited. Certain portions of scanned in distortions are taken from each cup because each coffee shop seemingly had its own unique personality, array of customers, and all I could do was take in how distracting it seemed. These sections are pieced together and begin to form a solitary structure building the relationship to my ending thought that all of them still share many key things in common. This form is presented on a circular poster painted with coffee to subtly reintroduce where the mapping began on a cylindrical cup of coffee.

chattanooga times free press

Latest trip with design class was to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. So intruiging and richly full of character and history. I kind of felt like I was in a movie or five years older (in a good way) the whole time. I realized the urgency a newspaper press must uphold but definitely got a more accurate perspective on it and was thoroughly impressed by what they do.
Frank Anthony, the Vice President of Operations, gave us a tour with insight pertaining to the companies extensive history , general facts, and their present day role.

This is while we were waiting in the lobby for everyone to arrive. There were matted and framed old newspapers that were so dated it was beautiful. I love old things.

Speaking of old things, Frank then directed us to the first portion of the tour, the museum. The old machinary looked quite extensive (manual wise) then what we are used to today. He gave us a little history and described the evolution starting with the Hand press, then Linotype, platen press, and rotary press. After these description, there was a glass case full of photo negative glass plates. This was hands down my favorite part of the trip. Oh so lovely.

We continued on to see a small demo on the photo polymer plates to be printed for the press made up of steel and plastic. Even got to feel them + take one to school. 1 sq inch is made up of 10,000 dots!(of ink)

From there we built up some momentum into the newsroom and then on to the photo room where Frank talked to us about their photographers use of the dark room, toning images, and color flexibility. He then led us upstairs where we made our way to the printing press ! This things is 10 feet wide and 37 feet long, no big deal. Each unit runs individually and are rarely in use at the same time. It is made up of 3 levels and pumps out 18,000 feet a minute. holy crap. Times free press goes through 11,000 tons of paper a year, one roll weighing one ton. Thoroughly impressed by what these machines can do, speed and percision. Also kind of makes you want to recycle. That reminds me, Frank says their standard is IMMEDIACY AND SPEED. Looks like they’ve got it.

Bells ringing, factory hustling. Is that ink? Yes it is. Lots of it. Times Free Press uses water-base ink which is why the print is precise and smudge free right when it rolls off the press . They do this so there is no running and its nice and dry once it gets to someone’s door.
Chattanooga Times Free Press is ON IT. Starts the press at midnight, usually runs until 3 a.m. and is at your door around 6! Definitely impressive and visually and conceptually beautiful along the way.