Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Dangerously good design for Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice




I thought our CAIP blog visitors may like to hear straight from the artist designer who has designed our cover for the book "Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice, Inquiries for Hope and Change". James Dangerous from Calgary, Alberta, is one of the most knowledgeable designers I have ever worked with in terms of the history of typography and typeface and the art of letterforms. An artist and "interdisciplinarian" James is also a musician, writer, editor and poet as well as an actor... and (soon-to-be) father.

In the post below James Dangerous generously explains his design process:





"The design of the text—being for a book of many parts and visions—is complex yet intended to read simply. The bulk of the book is set in the Adobe Caslon family, as it a classic-style typeface with a plethora of stylistic variations and ornamental options. This allows for a clean, modern look to the text while gesturing towards the weight and trace of historic authority, while allowing a wild amount of creative variation when needed.
Many of the titles and subheads in the book are set in Arno pro, a typeface that has
many of the same positive qualities of Adobe Caslon (modern-yet-classic, many variations, etc.) but is much more suitable and adaptable for titling. The sans face used for captions and some subtitles in the book is Bell Gothic, a clear and functional face with small radical flourishes: traditionally associated with the avant-garde, Bell is a wonderfully adaptable and useful sans serif type. Each of the book's major sections are heralded with the use of a font mimicking an old Dymo label-maker. Aside from adding a bold splash of contrast to the opening section, it gestures towards a "hands-on" approach to creativity in interdisciplinary practice, as well as helping the book develop a strong design identity (i.e., utilizing the classical-yet-modern stylings of Arno and Caslon to show erudition and a familiarity with history, Bell to gesture towards avant-garde approaches, and Dymo to gesture towards an idea of bricolage).
Pages are set according to a very tight grid based on the lead: 0.2312", to be precise. Margins are also based on the lead, with the proportions of 3:3:4:5. Using a tight grid allows for a precise uniform sense of layout, enabling good spacing and gutters, and yet it can be manipulated in a very precise way to allow for interesting and dynamic layout of pictures, captions, tables, and more. The margins themselves can be "violated" by having type, text, or image bleed into the margins; as long as the items laid out thusly remain on the grid, they can puncture the margins without offending the eye. There are thirty-four gridlines across the page and forty-two from top to bottom, giving an immense range of space to play in while keeping a strong sense of precision.
With regards to the cover, the "butterfly" theme could easily stray into a thematic design more associated with less important and rigorous works than Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice. Fairly or not, the butterfly could easily be misinterpreted as "frilly" or "flaky", as its importance as a symbol of transformation, rebirth, weightlessness, and beauty have been appropriated many times by less-than-skilled artisans of the visual metaphor.

In the case of Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice, Inquiries for Hope and Change a butterfly of living grass grows on dead paper. This has the suggestion of creativity allowing life to bloom where it did not before, as well as gesturing towards creative mediums (paper, canvas, etc.) The grass is also a landscaper's sod, as opposed to wild meadowgrass: this is a cultivated and urban life, rather than one of the wilderness. The cover uses Arno Pro and Bell Gothic Typefaces to present a face that is uniform with the interior of the book.

About James Dangerous


James Dangerous edits and designs non-fiction books of all sorts. He also designs filling Station magazine, and—with his wife, Jocelyn Grossé—edits the non-fiction section of the same magazine. His most radical design work has been seen in posters and packaging for musical acts. Many designers begin as visual artists; James found his way into the field via an enduring love of typography.
As a writer, James has published fiction, poetry, non-fiction and more in Canada and Sweden, and free-lanced as an interviewer and reviewer, most notably in FFWD Weekly. He also loves to draw and read comics, and occasionally releases graphic reviews of graphic novels.
When he's not designing, writing, or drawing, James works as a musician. He leads the nine-piece radical country band, James Dangerous & the CIA; homeless children, animal lovers, political junkies, senior citizens, and death metal enthusiasts have all delighted in the CIA's music as they've brought their boundlessly enthusiastic live show to everything from charities to metal bars. James also plays lead guitar in The Ogden Owls, Bowser's Brood, and with Elise Hall-Meyer's solo work; he frequently sits in with bands Haggard Beat, crime scene inFUNKstigation, and The Pickled Hicks. Much of his live music performance borrows heavily from his days as an actor working in theatre — He hopes to re-engage in film and performance in the future.

His latest adventure is fatherhood.



Visit James Dangerous at www.jamesdangerous.com


About Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice,
Inquiries for Hope and Change


Meet our editors

Available July 2010.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Lights on for the CAIP Blog

We've turned the lights on here at the blog. If you've visited before you may have noticed the change of colours and lighter background. We've had some feedback requesting that we use a lighter background so that the posts would be easier to read. I'm listening. Hope you enjoy the new look.

CM

Monday, April 19, 2010

Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice Travels Across Disciplines with a Message for Hope and Change

The American Society for Clinical Pathology publication "Critical Values" has published an article about the book “ Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice, Inquiries for Hope and Change” in the July issue Vol. 3, Issue 3, pg. 36 - 40. of the quarterly magazine “Critical Values”. The society represents 130,000 members across the U.S. working as pathologists, physicians, pathologists’ assistants, laboratory professionals, medical students and laboratory students. The ASCP is based in Chicago and provides education, certification, and advocacy on behalf of patients, pathologists, and laboratory professionals. The society has recently featured a new section called "Arts and Culture" in their official publication of the ASCP, which is yet another important indication of the growing international interest in the arts in practice across disciplines.

To view the article visit the website
go to archives Volume 3, Issue 3, navigate to pg. 36-40

At the Dietitians of Canada national conference On Friday May 28 in Montreal, Quebec, there will be a panel and session titled, "Crafting Our Stories: Art, Leadership and Change in Dietetics" hosted by The Advisory Committee for Professional Affairs.

Among the speakers, Cheryl McLean, Publisher of The International Journal of The Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice will be presenting about research and the growing momentum in the creative arts in interdisciplinary practice and significant interdisciplinary connections between the arts and dietetics education and practice. Cheryl McLean will present a story and narrative workshop designed to help dietitians access and express their own personal stories through writing and performance.

June 9, 2010 The 16th Annual Palliative Care Conference in Orillia, Ontario will be held for palliative and hospice care providers. The theme of the conference will be “Stories In Palliative Care”. Cheryl McLean, will be the keynote speaker at the conference presenting “Living Stories of Hope and Change” featuring dramatic examples of research based performances in stories about aging and end of life as well as new research and accounts about the creative arts in Interdisciplinary practice for hope and change. The presentation will be followed by a workshop, “Honouring Life, Expressing Stories for Hope and Change”.


All of this is encouraging news as we share our work in the creative arts in interdisciplinary practice,


The journey continues,

Cheryl McLean, Publisher, IJCAIP


Thursday, April 1, 2010

Harvard Medical School Reference Good News for IJCAIP

Every so often, driven by curiousity, I do a quick IJCAIP search on the internet to see who is citing IJCAIP, (The International Journal of The Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice) and what individuals or institutions are referencing our international journal or referring to our books. Since our beginnings in 2006, we have published research and articles from leaders across disciplines active in the creative arts in interdisciplinary practice and we frequently see our journal listed on CV's with researchers' lists of publications.

In a recent article, The Department of Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia referenced an article from Issue 8, "Stories and Society Using Literature to Teach Medical Students About Public Health and Social Justice" contributed by Martin Donohoe MD, FACP.

IJCAIP, The International Journal of The Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice has been indicated among the medical reference journals listed at The Stanford School of Medicine, Center for Bioethics.

In the March 2010 report by UNESCO prepared by the Council of Ministers of Education and Canadian Commission for UNESCO, article 211, IJCAIP, The International Journal of The Creative Arts in Education, was referenced. "The International Journal of the Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice is a Canadian‐based open access and peer reviewed journal that focuses on research and knowledge about the arts in health and interdisciplinary practice. The March 2007 issue (the journal was then called Canadian Creative Arts in Health, Training and Education Journal) had articles on such issues as teaching opera in medical school to raise awareness about issues of death, loss, and suffering; the use of storytelling in nutritional counselling; and integrating dance and choreography for teaching children with cerebral palsy."

I see Harvard Medical School, considered one of the most prestigious medical schools in The United States, listed the IJCAIP website as one of the references for The Harvard Medical School, 2010 Longwood Seminar.

Ontario Medical Association recently referred to us in their wellness web links.

We are pleased to witness these recent developments. Such high profile references are encouraging news for the creative arts in interdisciplinary practice and IJCAIP as we contribute toward the accessible knowledge in the field.

To some people a reference may be just a reference but as a publisher of academic journals and books I find this all very exciting. In the age of Open Access one never knows where things may lead or how far the story goes...

The journey continues,




Cheryl McLean, Publisher,
International Journal of The Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice IJCAIP