Learning: the meaning of SUCCESS

Learning: the meaning of SUCCESS

Image by PistoCasero
teach me more!!

Matthew Yokobosky, Chief Designer

Image by Brooklyn Museum
Where are you from?

I grew up in Republic, PA which is about 2 hrs from Pittsburgh. When I lived there, the town had about 2,000 people, so everyone definitely knew each other.

What were you doing before the Brooklyn Museum?

I was the Associate Curator of Film and Video at the Whitney Museum of American Art. That's actually why I first moved to New York- because I got a job there.

In the evenings, I was doing some freelance set and costume design at the La Mama theatre and one of my designs won a Bessie award. So the Whitney asked me if I'd ever thought about doing exhibition design, and I tried it out. One of the first shows that I designed was the Joseph Stella retrospective in 1994 and I continued to design shows like the 1995 Biennial and others, on a freelance basis while I was curating.

Then, I had a career "refocus" and decided to focus on design. You know, film curating is really time consuming (because it's a time-based art). So, when I first started working here, there was an entire year when I just didn't go to the movies! This was after ten years of watching 10 or 12 films a week. I really loved doing it and loved making film series, but the reality is that people end up seeing one or two films from a whole film series...it's not like an art exhibit...people rarely see the big picture.



What do you do here?

As Chief Designer, my biggest responsibilities are one, to design exhibitions; and two, to manage the design department and all of its activities: exhibition design, graphic design, and all print materials.

What exhibition have you enjoyed working on the most?

I always tell people, my favorite exhibition is the one I'm working on now . . . and right now that's Tipi: Heritage of the Great Plains. Some exhibitions are easy, and others are more complicated. Where you end up at the end of the design process is one thing, and when the exhibition opens is another. You see it by yourself and it's one perspective because you've been in this cocoon with the curator for so many months. But then you start to look at it completely differently when it opens because often the public has other expectations...

So by the end, I'm never really sure if an exhibition is a favorite because I've enjoyed designing it, or because the public had a positive response to it. It's hard when you put a lot of effort into a show and it's not well attended...it's just hard to know what people will be interested in. You have to be a fortune teller almost.

You spent a lot of time working on Who Shot Rock. What was that like?

Who Shot Rock was exciting because I love music and I enjoy film and pop culture. I love working on shows that bridge the focus of my various careers. Yeah, I have to say, I really loved working on Rock.

When designing exhibitions, it's all about the relationship between you and the curator. I really just love working on different topics. That was really appealing about coming to work at the Brooklyn Museum. I've traveled a lot (I've been to 45 countries) and I started traveling because I wanted to see art in person. I didn't want to only be reading about it. And here, I get to work with different experts in so many different fields. It's not just American art. It's not just 20th century art like at the Whitney.

Tell me more about your travels.

The first year I moved to New York, I went to Paris, Milan and Venice . . . and I've been traveling ever since. I think of traveling as my continuing education. A really well-known artist that I used to hang out with told me that you can either read about things, or you can actually go out and do them. That was really good advice.

One of the most interesting travel experiences I had was a recent trip to Ethiopia. It was really eye-opening because I hadn't ever been to sub-Saharan Africa, and I chose it because they have a lot of cultures that live as they have been for hundreds of years. There was a lot of camping involved...and I have to say, I'm not such a good camper. But at a certain point, I realized if I didn't learn to camp, I wasn't going to get to see certain things. I learned so much about people's creativity there . . . especially with their appearance: hair design, jewelry design... Everyday it was like going to an Ethiopian Fashion Show. Let's call it "Tribal Couture..." Now, that would be a great exhibition.

Do you have a favorite work of art at the Brooklyn Museum?

Oh, that's hard. I like a lot of things, especially after being here so long. There's a Songye figure in the African Art galleries which I love. I look at it all the time.

The Arts of Africa galleries were actually the first galleries that I designed here. I had never worked on anything like that before, so a lot of it was just learning about African history, architecture, and culture. There's just something about those objects.They have this different feeling about them...maybe it's because the art and sculpture is made for completely different reasons than why we make them. But they seem to have this spirit in them and a particular energy...it's almost magical.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was little, I said I was going to be a doctor. My first year in college I was pre-med. I actually still find it interesting...I watch Discovery Health Channel all the time.

But I think the moment when my focus changed was as a pre-med student, I was required to participate in a lot of extra activities, and I worked for the school's crisis hotline. It was really traumatic, and I wasn't sure I wanted to continue doing that kind of work. I was always really good and two things growing up: science and art. So the next year, I called my mom and decided to do art, and eventually, majored in film.

I think if I ended up in medicine, I'd probably be a plastic surgeon or something...brow lifts, and what not. It's the design part of medicine...

What's the design aesthetic of your own apartment?

As far as furniture design, it's all modern. And there's really not much of it. There's also no art on the walls. You know, I look at amazing art all day long, so when I go home I kind of need to clear my eyes.

And finally, what's your commute like?

I live in midtown, so I have a reverse commute. It's great because I always get a seat on the subway, and can drink my coffee and read the paper. Then, I feel ready to go when I get here.

Jacob Cass - Public Portrait - @justcreative

Image by imjustcreative
Website : justcreativedesign.com
Twitter : @justcreative

Hi, my name is Jacob Cass and I am the founder of Just Creative Design, Logo Of The Day and Logo Designer Blog. On Just Creative Design you will find my personal design portfolio as well as a blog on the main subject of graphic design which provides free graphic design tips, articles & resources on all subjects of design, ranging from, but not limited to; print design, logo design, web design, branding, typography, advertising & more.

I am self-employed as a graphic designer specialising in the fields of corporate identity (logo) design, web design, print design and branding with the majority of my time spent designing and implementing marketing promotions for small businesses such as logos, websites, brochures, letterhead, business cards and more.

I am 21 years old and I am in my 3rd year at Newcastle University studying Visual Communication (Majoring in Graphic Design) based in Newcastle, Sydney, Australia. Even though I am in my 3rd year at University I have had multitude of experience, gaining my first freelance design job at the age of 16. Since then I have never turned back…

My life is design, I love it and I surround myself in it every day.

I also love to travel and currently have been to over 31 countries, of which I have spent 1 year as an exchange student living, working, and studying in Gothenburg, Sweden. When I’m not looking at a computer screen you will find me on the beach, travelling, or listening to music - maybe even all at once. You can check out some more pictures and stories of my travels.

Jacob Cass

American Graphic Design

Image by Alki1
Designed by the legendary Woody Pirtle for Champion Coated Paper.

My very first freelance job was back in 1962 and I specified Kromekote cover stock to the printer's disapproval but my client loved it's heavy, glossy finish. Commercial printing has come light years away from those days.

Graphis 91 illustration.

My New job!

Image by mollybennett
Okay, this has been a BIG week of BIG announcements around here. As if the WPJA acceptance wasn't enough, I have also accepted a full-time job as a graphic/web designer with www.imagekind.com/!

From the Imagekind.com website:

Imagekind.com is one of the fastest growing online art sites on the internet. Our newest partnerships allow us to bring almost unlimited options in the world of framed art, poster art and wall art.

Imagekind is about three things:

Creating art from digital files
Providing an online marketplace for selling art without any actual inventory
Providing the world's largest online venue for shopping for unique fine art prints

Our goal is to develop a fresh new online art experience that allows both consumers and professional artists a new outlet for sharing, creating and buying actual wall art from digital files. We often describe Imagekind as a cross between an art gallery, a photo-sharing service and a print-on-demand service.

Could a job GET anymore freakin' perfect for me? I am so excited about this opportunity! I'll be honest: I wasn't even LOOKING for full-time work. I love freelancing (and I love all of my clients), and it's been great to focus on my creative vision and freelance business for awhile. I updated my www.monster.com resumé to toss my hat into the ring for some steady contract/part-time positions, and got a call from an iMatch recruiter for Imagekind the very next business day. As soon as I looked at the Imagekind website, I was in love. I love the Imagekind.com business model, their Web 2.0 flare, their Flickr partnership, and the fact that they have an office dog named Fenway. (Go Sox!) I knew that this was my Next Right Thing. There's a paradigm in my life of the Universe (God/higher power/fate/the force/whatever you want to call it) presents perfect opportunities to me exactly when I'm ready for them. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way, says, "What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do. When we do what we are meant to do, money comes to us, doors open for us, we feel useful, and the work we do feels like play to us."

I am being hired because of my background in user interface (UI) design. While I always design with the user in mind, I rarely get to do UI design on projects for which I am the actual target audience! I am so excited to bring my web, design AND photography experience to the Imagekind team to further the business and vision.

So, what does this mean for you, my amazing freelance photo clients?

Well, I'm finishing up the last of my family photo sessions by the end of the day tomorrow because I know you're excited to see your photos and have them ready for the holidays. I am still booking wedding, portrait, pet, kids & families, and coquette sessions for 2008. You know me—I've always done my own freelance thing on the side when I've had a full-time job. I love what I do; photographing candid moments, authentic memories and real people is my passion. I imagine I will be more selective about the sessions I take so that I can sort of pretend that I know what "work/life balance" means, and I might take a look at my stated image processing times. What WON'T change is my dedication to excellence while capturing the important moments of your life that tell the story of who you are. So if you have a session you want to book, drop a line!