janfeb2008preview

Colorado Posters Kyoko Hamada Turner Duckworth Josh Cochran Bailey Lauerman Big Spaceship Exhibit

January/February 2008 Eight Dollars www.commarts.com

Colorado Posters This page: Eric Brechbühl, Switzerland. 100 Beste Plakate 2006.

Cultural, 161⁄ 2 × 231⁄ 2.

Marta Granados, Colombia. 50 Years Foundation Alejandro Angel Escobar. Cultural, 271⁄ 2 × 391⁄ 4.

Andrew Lewis, Canada. Stevens Signs & Displays. Commercial, 271⁄ 4 × 391⁄ 4.

Right: Jan Rajlich Jr., Czech Republic. Ekoplakat. Social/Political, 231⁄ 2 × 351⁄ 2.

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JOSH

cochran

by Anne Telford

O

n the fringe of Los Angeles’s Korea town behind a storefront screened by what appears to be giant plastic origami, is the studio and printmaking atelier of illustrator Josh Cochran. Cochran shares this small retreat from the bustling sidewalks and streets surrounding the two-story former video store with four designers—three graphic and one environmental.

A large table in the center of the ground-floor room cleverly converts to a silkscreen surface, handy for the projects in which Cochran silk-screens his images onto vintage paper. A letterpress sits in front of one of the space’s large shop front windows, nicely screened from the street by a thin layer of formed plastic. A “digital cloud” hangs overhead, another fabrication by one of his studio mates; it’s attached to a computer and lights up in rainbow colors. It’s clear that much invention and collaboration happens in this tidy space. “I love sharing this space with people of different disciplines,” he claims. “Sometimes we’ll collaborate; I’ll occasionally work on assignments that require a great deal of graphic design and it’s nice to walk across the room and get some help.”

Cochran lives nearby his studio with his new wife, Jenny, a manager at Progressive Insurance, and their two Boston Terriers, Cody, and the hyperactive Porkchop, who curls at his feet as we speak, calm now after an enthusiastic greeting that sent him flying over backwards. The impression is of order but there are many unusual objects to admire. Collectible toys are displayed in a glass case, not his, Cochran points out, although he knows the makers of these trendy Japanese-produced objects and admires the marketing extension these works give their creators.

The 27-year-old Cochran has an infectious smile and an easy-going nature despite his self-admitted caffeine addition. Or perhaps the calm is a side effect of his recent honeymoon in Bora-Bora, where he sheepishly admits he did half-heartedly try to retrieve his e-mail once before relaxing into a destination meant for escape.

Exotic locations are not new to Cochran, who considers himself a world citizen.

Born to a Chinese mother and Scottish-Irish father—both missionaries—he moved frequently, leaving Taiwan at age eleven and entering fourth grade in the U.S. By then his trajectory had also taken him to Regina, in Canada’s remote Saskatchewan province. Like many children who follow in the wake of their parents’ vocations— Right: “Cover of Mysteries Unwrapped: Mutants and Monsters! a children’s book, written by Oliver Ho and illustrated by me, on different mythological and mysterious creatures around the world.” Lauren Rille, Sterling Publishing, designer.

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Gwenda Kaczor

© Wendy Wray

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Location: Denver, Colorado, and www. gwenda.com

I’ve been a professional artist since 1994 and have worked in this illustration style for about a year.

Duration:

Staff:

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Me.

Education: bfa in illustration from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

Cultural Influences: I’ve lived in and been affected by my experiences in la and nyc, but I think that my roots in the Midwest (North Dakota) have influenced and stayed with me the most: the open space, colors, textures and the personal connection to a sense of history and permanence.

I’m fortunate to live and work in an old storefront space with lots of windows and light. It’s a wonderful, unusual place where I have the room to experiment and create.

Environment:

Trust yourself and your own unique experiences and allow that to manifest in your work.

Philosophy:

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1 Self-promotional piece.

2 “One from a personal series of illustrations based on favorite books, inspired by Watership Down.”

3 “One from a personal series of illustrations based on favorite books, inspired by The Awakening.”

4 “Illustration for a story about a woman and her autistic son, whose enthusiasm for a children’s birthday party at a restaurant makes everyone nervous and defensive.”

Dorothy Yule, art director; San Francisco Chronicle, client.

5 “Illustration for an article about creating special family traditions for the holidays.”

Ginger Heafey, art director; FamilyFun magazine, client.

6 Personal work. “Illustration about couples who are obsessed with their pets.”

7 “Illustration for a story narrated by a mother who is feeling over-protective of her young daughter with regard to her size.” Dorothy Yule, art director; San Francisco Chronicle, client.

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8 “Personal illustration about made-to-order babies.”

9 Self-promotional piece.

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Communication Arts

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© James Brennaman

Samia Saleem

2 Location: Brooklyn, New York (since September 5, 2007; before that Seattle and before that, New Orleans) and www. samiasaleem.com.

Duration:

Since 2004.

Staff: Just me; I’ve recently (June 2007) gone solo as a freelance interactive designer.

ba in graphic design from Loyola University in New Orleans.

Education:

Cultural Influences: I’m really influenced by my upbringing in New Orleans. The city has a gritty urban edge, but it’s also a place where nature is overwhelmingly omnipresent. Basically an island in the midst of a massive swamp, it’s a place where the roots of one-hundred-year-old oak trees cause groundswells that buckle roads and sidewalks, and where the heat and humidity decompose entire houses.

I really enjoy using textures from the decay and elements from my physical environment in my work.

I’m working in collective studio space called Athletics (www. athleticsnyc.com) here in Brooklyn. There are about six of us in the studio working on our own projects and collaborating.

It’s a good place to work on your own things, but still have that social environment where you can bounce ideas off one another and learn from other people.

Environment:

Don’t settle for mediocrity, and do what you say you’re going to do.

Philosophy:

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