printing and soon relief printing. Letterpress should be a required course for all designers. I have such a greater appreciation for typography since having to set paragraphs of type by hand. Also, I have designed my own typeface while at Wisconsin (terrible one), but it was priceless experience. The one real design professor we have is a typographical wizard, and his sole focus is on typography and typeface design. As for previous printmaking experience, I have designed for screen printed applications for my entire design life, so I was always very aware of the process. My first experience in screen printing was around 2005ish. I went to Screwball Press, in Chicago, and learned from Steve Walters in what he calls his “Screwball Academy.” He has taught a lot of well know printers including Jay Ryan of the Bird Machine. (screwballpress.com).
Tell me more about the Bases Loaded project As a graphic designer, and as someone who had never really done a lot of self-initiated projects (like the Hurrican poster, Haiti poster or your Eephus League) it was a great challenge to let go of any restrictions or requirements coming from a client. I needed to reprogram the way I designed and determine my own goals. After having an independent study over Summer with one of my professors, I finally
Tell me a little about yourself, your career, and your artwork. I’ve been designing for around 11ish years (had to think about that) and started out freelancing out of undergrad. After a year of freelance, I worked at Oakley (the sunglass co) for about 3 years. I designed logos for eyewear, apparel graphics, packaging, and graphics that were applied to eyewear/goggle straps etc. At the end of my time at Oakley, I started to freelance for other action-sports industry clients like Rusty, Lost, OAM, O’neill etc. Once I got to a point where I was busy enough, I went freelance full time and opened Newbaric Design Co. My work has always had a major lean towards apparel graphics for surf/skate/snow brands as well as logos/identities for the same clients as well as start-ups. I went to grad school, away from California, because as much as I want to keep doing that work and have a foot in that door, I was also craving a new perspective on graphic design. I wanted to design with more than a ‘target market’ in mind. I wanted to have a concept and meaning behind my work, something that you rarely get to experience with client work. They already have their brand, market and ‘look’ and it wouldnt do them or, myself, a service to try and
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incorporate my aesthetic and desire into their work. SO, I went to grad school to give myself time to explore, research and dive a little deeper into the graphic design world...
What made you choose Wisconsin? Did you have prior printmaking experience? Great question, and one that we discuss (my fellow grads and I) all the time. I did choose Wisconsin because of the strong printmaking program. I felt that all the “graphic designey” stuff was great, but I had been working on that for over a decade and didnt feel the need to be surrounded by a typical, formal graphic design school. Wisconsin is the furthest from a formal graphic design school as you can get, while still offering plenty of design courses. My goal was to get back to the nuts and bolts of design, the ideas. I also have this weird thing about the lost ‘craft’ (i know it’s cliche and overused) of graphic design. Back when the ‘great’ graphic designers were not even graphic designers at all! When you look at old trade-marks (logos) that are in masonery or on glass jars, those were done by craftsmen, the typography and care they took is amazing and yet they treated it as a craft, not a profession. I like Wisconsin because here I can focus on letterpress, screen-
had the release of guilt (not sure if thats the right word for this) that I had to do ‘traditional’ design with fonts and computery ‘stuff.’ My best work for clients has always been my hand drawn graphics and typography. That has always been my paycheck. But when it came time for me to design, I felt I needed approval to do it... Bases Loaded was that approval, for me. I love baseball, the nostalgia, and the history. It has the greatest story lines and most dynamic characters of any other sport. It also lent me the opportunity to design a series around it while using my hand-done approach, as well as using printmaking as way to produce the series. I never like to design things that are not authentic. If something is not appropriate (hand-done graphics) for a project, I will not do it just because “its my aesthetic.” So I felt bases loaded provided that authenticity. I chose the content based on research, surveys and my own bias. I tried to cover the most interesting and pivotal players/events, not just the best. Obviously it is lacking the Mays, Aarons Williams, etc etc and they were next to be included, but they did not have the dynamic story lines that the others did (except Williams with his war efforts etc. But I had already addressed war with Hank Greenberg). The Cubs events (Billygoat, Wrigley first night game & Ernie Banks) are my bias showing. I do feel they are significant events etc, but probably more so to me because I am a brainwashed Cubs fan. I really did want to get Ernie Banks in from a positive stand point on baseball. There was so much heavy material and events, and I thought his “kidlike” attitude was refreshing for the series. I chose to print them onto wool felt banners to reflect the pennants of past eras and to get the nostalgia and authenticity I was looking for. Having them printed digitally would have severely undercut the message of the exhibition. I know I am all over the place but... The undertone for the show (that I don’t really make a point) is that NO computers were used inthe design or the production. I am always being asked/told “Oh, you’re a graphic designer. So you work on computers? Or you do computer graphics?” NO!!!! I use the computer as a tool. I really wanted to get off the computer and let my brain direct the project, not Adobe...
So, I’m assuming the color palette you chose is another nod to the Cubbies? No, actually I never thought of that! It is to baseball being America’s pastime. The colors of our flag (muted and tweaked a bit) I thought Red White and Blue might be cliche and obvious, but then my logical side took over and determined, “why not?”
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