Fish Series exhibition at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa

Installation View. “Spirit Lake, Iowa Fish Series,” an exhibit of Giclée prints by David Versluis, will be on display through Dec. 11 at Luther College in the Kristin Wigley-Fleming Gallery of the Center for the Arts. Luther will host a reception for the artist Monday, November 23, 5:15-6:15 p.m. in the Gallery.

Versluis’s artist’s statement:

“God must like the smell of fish – but dead fish? It’s interesting that God’s first blessing, stated in Genesis, was for the fish of the sea and birds of the air. The works in this series are intended to be free metaphoric associations but some viewers have suggested these images speak about environmental concerns.

This series of Photoshop assemblages began in 2004 and comprise digital prints featuring a beached and dead yellow perch photographed at Spirit Lake, Iowa, in 2002. The fish image itself is loaded with meaning and conjures up many metaphors and can be thought of as a primordial symbol.

Perhaps the underlying basis for this exhibition comes from a 1966 Christian Art magazine interview with New York artist, Joachim Probst (1913–1978) who coined the statement, “Art is the stand against decay.” Probst elaborates,

Now how do I mean that art is a stand against decay? The moment you say art has something to do with line, form, color, you bring it into life and this means a stand against decay. By decay I mean rot. You live in fear or you face it through art…

— From an article in Christian Art, An interview with Joachim Probst and edited by Helene E. Nelson, Graphic House Inc., Chicago, 1966.

Spirit Lake, Iowa: Fish Triptych, Digital Prints, 2004 — from the permanent collection of Dordt College.

As a stand against decay, my artwork tries to suggest an exploration and inquiry into the art-making process through a deeper understanding of composition, subject matter, interpretation, medium and technique. In addition, my work shows an affinity for the construction of the elements of art/design, but it is also tries to be successful on multiple levels as a form of expression and communication. I try to make work that uses enough careful observation and detail so that it is able to sustain viewer interest. In other words, it’s about the balance between form and content.

Other themes in the work may allude to ideas about trompe-l'œil by the use of drop shadows and sliced images that seem to push the optical illusion of the paper surface. By emphasizing the halftone, moiré, pixilation, and transparency I consider this body of work as being honest with the digital media. The images seem to suggest the software technology and special effects that was used to make them. I also see these images as emblematic of metaphor, simile, the design process, and the art of Japanese fish printing (gyotaku).

Giclée printing for this series is eight-color inkjet archival inks printed on Hahnemühle German Etching paper, natural white, made from 100% totally chlorine free (TCF) pulp. Images were printed summer 2007.”

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reconstituted design

Sundogs
Café drop-ceiling panel proposal for the Urban Institute of Contemporary Art (UICA)
Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2009.

In the summer of 2009, a national call for proposals went out for architectural interior installation art and design for the new UICA building — completion date of Spring 2010. The stipulation and criteria stated that all designs had to utilize recycled or “green” materials with a maximum $3000 budget. Potential designers had to select one space from a choice of four: the reception desk, the ceramics studio ceiling, the film theatre ceiling, and the café ceiling and submit one proposal. The initial thought for this design came from an e-mailed message from somebody at Unity Christian High School of Orange City, Iowa asking if anyone had need of used CDs. The project began as a collaboration | discussion with Paul Hanaoka and Jon Dykstra.

A panel, which is displayed above, shows recycled CD disks snapped to clear jewel cases mounted to 24” x 24” acoustic ceiling panels, painted black. Identical and subsequent panels would fill the drop-ceiling metal grid system.

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Dean Heetderks… Pantone 032C Red

Portrait of Dean Heetderks as he discussed his graphic design work to the Dordt AIGA Student Group last Thursday evening, November 5. As a side, Dean's favorite color is Pantone 032C Red. Photo by Paul Hanaoka.

Dean R. Heetderks, Creative Director and Director of CRC Proservices for the Christian Reformed Church came to Dordt last week and presented some of his work to the art and graphic design students. On Thursday evening, he discussed aspects of his interest/passion for graphic design, communication, liturgical art, and illustration. He was interesting, experienced, and an inspiring master.

Dean started his presentation by showing his favorite type fonts. His list includes the classics: Caslon, Bodoni, Univers as well as Minion, Lubalin, Georgia and Brickham for a script style. Not wanting to give advice he made suggestions such as, when given the opportunity, always try to do pro bono design assignments for organizations that need design help. Because, it provides the experience of working for a client.

His other suggestion was learn how to draw in order to draw out your ideas. Your drawings not be highly finished renderings but rather show your thinking process with rough sketches.

As for web development, Dean listed the following favorite websites and software as especially helpful for him: Smashing Magazine, Stuff White People Like, Stuff Christians Like, Life Hacker, BritBox, Six Revisions, A List Apart, Daring Fireball, and 22 Words. His other favorites: 1Password software, Adium, Disk Utility, DVD, Font ExplorerXpress, HandBrake, Highlight, iCal, Chrome, Firebug, Yojimbo, Transmit, MPEG Streamclip, Toast Titanium, UpperBlip, Snapz Pro X, Focus IE.

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Dean Heetderks, designer and art director, will be at Dordt to discuss his work on Thursday, November 5 at 7 pm.

The Dordt AIGA Student Group is very pleased to announce that Dean R. Heetderks, will discuss his work as a designer and art director on Thursday, November 5, 2009 in the Art Department’s room 1223 at 7 p.m. For over twenty years Heetderks has served the Christian Reformed Church of North America as Creative Director and Director of CRC Proservices. He also serves as Art Director of The Banner magazine and Reformed Worship, a quarterly journal. Heetderks has authored some three dozen articles on the visual arts in worship, which have appeared in Reformed Worship since the publication began.

On Friday, November 6 at 10 a.m. to 10:50 in the Digital Media Lab, room 1310 he will attend the web design class and talk about design, function and the user. There will be a Q and A during the session.

In celebration of the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, Dordt College presents
The Calvin, Worship, and the Arts Workshop on Saturday, November 7, 2009.

During the conference, Dean will be a sectional leader presenting the topic, Out of a Heritage of Visual Austerity into a Culture of Visual Density: The Visual Arts in Worship. The conference brochure says this about Heetderk’s sectional: Art. Our worship spaces finally accommodate it, our membership is calling for it, and we can’t wait to get started. But how do we approach the visual arts in worship to ensure that we don’t fall into the traps John Calvin was trying to guide us safely past? In this session, through examples and practical tips, we’ll try to define and refine the proper place that art has in worship.

The Calvin, Worship, and the Arts Workshop is sponsored by Dordt’s Andreas Center.

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New York based photographer, René Clement will show and talk about his current book project.

No Pictures! is a photograph, courtesy of Paul Hanaoka, which was taken when René Clement, was here last April. Clement’s photographs of the conflicts in Palestine/West Bank and Haiti were featured during Dordt’s Justice Matters Week.

At the invitation of the Dordt College AIGA student group, Clement will graciously take time from his project to come and discuss his book project. His presentation will be Wednesday, 28 October at 7 p.m. in the Dordt art department, room 1223. Look for posters on Campus. All are invited.

Documentary Photojournalist and portrait photographer, René Clement is back in Orange City, Iowa working on his most current project, a book, about the people of Northwest Iowa who are of Dutch ancestry. René is very interested in the cultural contrast between Europe and America. In particular, he looks at how the “new world” interprets it’s “old world” roots. The book has a Dutch publisher.

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Dordt competes against Iowa State University

Graphic design class takes on ISU in logo competition. Ed. note: this article was originally published 15 October 2009 by the Dordt College Student Newspaper, the Diamond. This piece was written by Sarah Groneck/Diamond Staff Writer.

Dordt’s Graphic Design III class and AIGA [student] members have a chance to gain statewide notoriety through a recent advertising initiative sponsored by the state government.

In search of fresh ideas for promoting its Iowa e-Health Project, the Iowa Department of Public Health contacted state colleges to participate in a name and logo design contest.

The project requires that students market their name and logo to their peers as well by creating a survey, presenting the name to a focus group, or through some other means.

Dordt College and Iowa State University are the only schools that are currently in the running. That means that Dordt has a 50 percent chance of winning $500 and gaining statewide recognition for a chosen logo and name.

“I would not have applied for the project if I didn’t think we weren’t capable of this,” said art professor David Versluis. “We have a good group of writers and designers in the class so that will help.”

Versluis assigned his Graphic Design III class to groups to work on the project. AIGA students are also taking part.

Some students are feeling pressure from the project. Only one logo and name may be submitted from each college, and the deadline is at the end of October.

“My first thought was that this is going to be a very involved and challenging project,” said Andrew Hornor.  “Half of it is figuring out exactly what it is we’re trying to represent, then coming up with a name for it, researching and focus-grouping it, and lots of detail work.”

However, others are excited by the project’s possibilities.

“I think that working as a team is a great thing for this project,” said Ryan Van Surksum. “We all have great ideas, but working in a group allows us to share our ideas with one another and build off each other’s ideas.”

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Dordt Alumni in Design: Ben Meyer, will be at Dordt to discuss his computer animation work on October 23, 2009.

The Dordt College AIGA student group is delighted to announce that Dordt alumnus, Ben Meyer (class of 1994) is scheduled to present and discuss his computer animation work with students and faculty on Friday, October 23, 2009 at 1:30 to 3p.m. in the digital media lab, 1310. This is a continuation of the AIGA student group’s initiative to host monthly design professionals as guest speakers and visting designers. All those who are interested are invited to attend this event.

Meyer is assistant professor of digital design at The University of Cincinnati (UC), in the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP). Ben specializes in graphic design and computer aided animation, having worked in industry for international clients and having previously taught graphic design at Montana State University. The range of Meyer's experience includes development of animated children’s games for Hasbro, Inc., for Warner Brothers Studios as well as other clients. In addition, he has provided design expertise to such clients as Hewlett Packard Co., Motorola, Inc., Houghton Mifflin Co., the Museum of Jewish Heritage (New York City), and to PBS, for the channel's “Terra” program.

In terms of his own research, Meyer hopes to pursue scientific visualizations — computer animations related to medical research and forensics.

He is a faculty member in the Digital Design program, in which he’s responsible for most of the advanced motion graphic, and interaction design courses. Graduates from this program pursue careers in interface design, motion graphics, human factors, and information design. Ben stresses the import of giving students a strong foundation in type, composition, form, and animation.

As a side, DAAP is frequently ranked as one of the best art and design schools in the nation. Recently, Business Week ranked their design programs as one of the world’s elite. I.D. (International Design) Magazine listed UC among the globe’s Top 10 design schools. (Information from the UC website).

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