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A2CAF 2017: Iron Cartoonist
Watch Ben Hatke, Raina Telgemeier, and even more of your favorite cartoonists battle it out in a series of themed drawing rounds with random elements thrown in by you! Will you help them draw toward victory, or make them squirm? Watch guest cartoonists fight for the title under the watchful eye of your host, Zack Giallongo! Your choices will help determine this year’s Iron Cartoonist!
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Diego Rivera and the Detroit Industry Murals
In this fascinating presentation, Detroit Institute of Arts docent Ken Szmigiel discusses the art, history, and importance of the Detroit Industry Murals.
These famous murals, painted by noted Mexican artist, Diego Rivera in 1932-33 and on display at the DIA, provide an opportunity to consider both the working conditions within a major automobile factory of the era and a glimpse of social and political issues of the times as interpreted by the Marxist muralist. Commissioned by the DIA and funded by Edsel Ford, the project to cover two walls of the museum's Garden Court soon expanded as Rivera researched his subject and chose a broader theme of the evolution of technology.
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Graphic Designer Aaron James Draplin: "Pretty Much Everything": The Story Behind Making Our Very First Book
The Draplin Design Company got a book deal! The call up to the big leagues!
This is the harrowing account of making the DDC's first book, "Draplin Design Co.: Pretty Much Everything," released in May 2016.
From the contracts to the scheming, from the pagination to the design, from the tears to the nightmares, Aaron James Draplin explains what it’s like to cram your whole half-wit design career into 256 pages and live to tell the story. He packs in stories from the run-up, release, and surreal fallout, as well as updates to other tricky ventures DDC has been up to. The entire presentation is dipped in his signature color, Pantone Orange 021!
Aaron James Draplin is a graphic designer and the founder of the Draplin Design Company, based in Portland, Oregon. His clients include Nike, Burton Snowboards, Esquire, Red Wing, Field Notes, Ford Motor Company, and the Obama Administration.
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Mystery Hole Walkthrough with Jason Shiga
Jason Shiga, California cartoonist best known as the creator of the interactive comic Meanwhile, visited AADL in June to create his most ambitious interactive comic yet! Jason's 150+ panel installation allows you to make choices that will affect the outcome of the story. The protagonist, Jimmy, encounters a mystery hole and hear's someone calling from inside. Would you choose to help or walk away? Come visit the 3rd floor gallery and explore the many story paths.
Jason is known for incorporating puzzles, mazes, mathematics, and unconventional narrative techniques into his work.
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Nerd Nite #32 - Beyond the Video Frame
Take a walk beyond traditional filmmaking and into the world of interactive video art and video mapping. Our journey will go behind the scenes on how this artist’s projects were created from concept to execution. Discover more about the strange world of video beyond the rectangular screen.
About Martin Thoburn: Martin is a local animator and artist working in a variety of different media. He has produced and directed several short films, both animated and live action. Determined not to be confined to any one medium, Martin continually explores photography, live video mixing, design, collage, animation and motion graphics. Working with both modern and antique technologies sometimes in tandem, his work explores the uniqueness of the medium, technology, and/or tool. He is involved with YPSI24 and the Ann Arbor Film Festival and you can follow him on Twitter @duiceburger, or visit martin-thoburn.com.
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Nerd Nite #32 - Are Film Cameras Dead, and Why Not?
“Didn’t Kodak go bankrupt?” After the year 2000, sales of photographic film plunged by at least 95%. Yet there’s still a dedicated fringe who appreciate film’s tangible physicality and distinctive look. In a digital age, why are new converts dusting off decades-old, chunky, glass & metal cameras? For this talk we’ll bust out the 35mm Carousel projector and look at examples of why “slow photography” matters even today.
About Ross Orr: Starting with a bakelite Argus at age 8, Ross photographs Ann Arbor (and beyond) using cameras from every era. He bought his first copy of Photoshop in 1995, but celebrates his ongoing love for the photochemical image at silverbased.org and on Flickr. He has contributed numerous articles to MAKE: magazine, including the DIY panoramic pinhole camera chosen for The Best of Make: Vol. 1. He also helps coordinate the web’s largest camera encyclopedia, camera-wiki.org.
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Nerd Nite #29: Where's My Hoverboard?
Ready to assume vivid astro focus? Nick Tobier's talk follows the evolution of space-age design from the euphoria and optimism of the 1950s to the more cynical ‘70s, and shows how artists’ conceptions of the future have influenced history and in turn, our society.
About Nick: Nick is an Associate Professor at the Stamps School of Art and Design and the Center for Entrepreneurship in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan. With a background in sculpture and landscape architecture, Nick has long been interested in the social lives of public places and his work has been seen at the everywhere from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to Detroit’s Brightmoor neighborhood.
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Nerd Nite #26: Runs with Lasers
Local laser artist Mike Gould discusses his recent experiences with the Illuminatus Lasers Troupe, including:
– The Quest for Mystic Fire – Lasers at Saline Celtic Festival (because, of course)
– Talks with Lasers lecture/demo to educate kids and families to the wonders of coherency
– Tetraptych: 4 Panels, 12 Lasers, One Wall art piece for DLECTRICITY 2014
– L is for Laser, his science museum piece
Mike has also done lasers for the UM Stadium half-time show during a night game (Notre Dame, we won). He’s part of the Ann Arbor Art Center’s tech+art exhibit, and has made appearances at various Maker Faires, Art Prize, Ignite, FoolMoon, etc.
For more about Mike, wander over to his website, of that of his crew — Illuminatus!
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Interview with filmmaker Gina Kamentsky
Filmmaker Gina Kamentsky, on the inspiration and process behind her film "Secret Bee."
Interviewed at the 50th anniversary of the Ann Arbor Film Festival in March 2012.