Eepmon Interprets The Story through Design
Thursday, November 08, 2007
If you’ve visited us lately, you probably noticed the huge art installation in our lobby. Spanning 7.5 feet high and 17.5 feet long, the kaleidoscope of colours and shapes jumps off the black background and demands a lingering look.
Inspired by our company motto “The Story through Design,” this striking piece was created by Eric Chan, aka Eepmon, a hybrid new media artist who worked with us as a summer student. Eric has developed a unique artistic process, blending traditional drawing with software programs like Flash, Illustrator, and Photoshop to produce intricate patterns and unique images. His work has garnered international acclaim and been recognized with numerous awards including the 2007 FlashintheCan Best Self-Promotion and 2006 FITC Best Canadian Student Portfolio.
No matter the project, Eric says his process always begins with brainstorming. For this particular piece, he thought deeply - and talked with us extensively - about what our motto means. Eric came up with a visual representation of the creative process itself, which is fundamental to the story through design.
Eric envisioned a large cluster of intense colours and patterns funneling to a point and then emerging on the other side as a smaller pattern. It would represent the period of brainstorming and creative input, the process of creative refinement, and the creative output. It was a strong concept. But something was missing. What happens in that “magic moment” when creative input is transformed into something new? What could aptly capture this?
Eric worked closely with a few of our designers to find a solution. They played with the idea of putting our company wordmark in that spot… and it worked perfectly both conceptually and visually. It puts Fleming Creative Group - and our three divisions - at the centre of the creative process, showcasing our role in transforming creative input into creative product.
The next step was moving from concept to artwork. Eric refined his sketches and then turned to the computer. He has developed Flash programs that output his sketches using algorithms. He then manipulates the output pieces until he has a collage he is pleased with. He usually generates lots of assets, most of which will be discarded because they don’t fit with the overall theme of the piece. This project was no different. Eric output countless iterations, dismissing one after another for various reasons. In one instance dotted lines looked too much like a flight path. In another, the dragon-like shapes were too literal and not sufficiently abstract. Finally, after numerous inputs and outputs, and much fine-tuning, Eric arrived at a design he was happy with. Processing and final compositions were completed in Photoshop and Illustrator.
The final composition of “The Story through Design,” was output using lightjet print (photographic/RGB process) on gloss paper. Matte laminate, rather than a gloss overtop, was chosen to minimize the reflective quality of the predominantly black background. It was mounted to a .5” MDF with a black laminate edge. We affixed each of the five panels to our lobby wall with cleats, making adjustments throughout the installation to account for the curved portion of the wall.
Eric’s installation definitely makes an impression! It’s proving to be a great conversation piece and has received accolades from the online design community (check out Josh Spear’s blog). If you’re in the neighbourhood, please feel free to drop in to see a stunning piece by an up-and-coming young artist.
