Rather than saying that Remix is a newly born art in the 70s and 80s, it is better to say that Remix art is a creative method that has been discovered, discussed and widely disseminated. Before the concept of Remix was proposed, people had already used Remix extensively to understand existing knowledge. I think whether Remix can be regarded as a way of learning. Because the process of learning is the process of acquiring existing knowledge and digesting it into our own insights.
In the 1970s and 1980s, with the rise of computer technology, many art forms were promoted to develop rapidly. Take Frank Gehry‘s architectural art as an example. He claims to be an architect trying to achieve painting effects in architecture (Hugh Pearman, 2014). The architecture created by him can be said to subvert the traditional architectural significance. His architectural design has a strong manifestation of personal consciousness, showing vigorous vitality in lifeless buildings.
The picture above shows the fish-shaped sculpture designed by Gehry for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Village. This work uses three-dimensional software for design. It represents a technological breakthrough in Gehry’s design work. With the help of 3D technology, the shape of the fish merges with the building, showing a unique and graceful curve.
Aliaksandr Mazurkevich / Alamy (Available at: https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/best-of-frank-gehry-slideshow)
The picture above is a construction project in 1996 between Gehry and Prague architect Vlado Miluníc. Unlike the fish-shaped sculpture, this building looks to be an evolution from a traditional straight building. Including its metal mesh, glass and concrete constituent materials, they are no different from traditional ordinary buildings. But Gehry gave it the curves of the human body. Make the two parts that are snuggling together appear to have a dancing rhythm.
It can be seen that Gehry’s understanding of architecture is associated with many elements that seem to have nothing to do with architecture. First of all, this is due to the ingenuity of the designer himself. Remix not only requires designers to fully understand existing things, but also needs to discover the connections between existing things and integrate them reasonably. Such a discovery can make the remix of the two produce an artistic beauty that transcends the noumenon.
Similarly, in the field of graphic design, Wolfgang Weingart also made remix explorations.
Exhibition poster, 1982. (Available at: http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/reputations-wolfgang-weingart)
In Weingart’s graphic design works, you can see that elements such as text, images and texture are grafted together through clever typography. Unlike traditional Swiss typography, Weingart breaks the grid’s restrictions on the composition of the plane. All the elements seem to be struggling to break free on the plane, and restrain each other. Shows a more vigorous plane expression effect.
In the design process of Weingart, he has always been more inclined to use manual or montage for design exploration. Although he admitted that new technology can speed up the design. But manual techniques seem to give him more effective inspiration and help (Yvonne Schwemer-Scheddin, 1991).
Regarding the negative impact (plagiarism) brought about by the remix method, Weingart believes that imitation is also a proof of success (Yvonne Schwemer-Scheddin, 1991). In order to achieve innovation, designers will be forced to maintain a high degree of sensitivity to creativity. In Weingart’s design results, procedural work is also a very important part. In the remix work of fonts and images, the “imitation” process shows the designer’s understanding of the content. Newer and more effective “imitation” is a kind of learning and integration. It can be seen from the final result that the boundary of imitation depends on the designer’s subjective consciousness.
Nowadays, Remix art still helps us understand what we see and hear in our subconscious mind. Although the elements used in remix art are existing artistic achievements, after transformation through the form of remix, it can actually reflect different designers’ different understandings of the same result. This has a positive impact on the development of design art. It prompts artists to reflect on existing art. Instead of blindly thinking, trying to create meaningful new designs out of thin air.
Related resource:
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/best-of-frank-gehry-slideshow
https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/frank-gehry-new-building-louis-vuitton?gclid=Cj0KCQjwl_SHBhCQARIsAFIFRVXSL3P_FpwzE_SRDiHXWJrwQR-KEKKOLaQXTgWdDcIrX63jMEsR03gaAtWJEALw_wcB
http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/reputations-wolfgang-weingart
http://www.typetoken.net/publication/wolfgang-weingart-weingart-typography-museum-of-design-zurich-%E2%80%94-my-way-to-typography-lars-muller-publishers/
