Students in Andy Bills’ Graphic Design class recently took a field trip to the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester.
The purpose of the trip was to study art history through objects of art in their historical development and the contexts of genre, design, format, and style. Students learned how to detect visual styles of both representation and abstraction, how styles expressed artistic sensibilities, and how they changed over time.
“By studying art history, graphic design students are better able to connect design problems with stylistic solutions that best illustrate their concepts,” Bills noted.
Students were particularly fascinated by a work titled “Gautama 2017,” a woolen rug designed by Faig Ahmed. It is one of the new acquisitions at the Currier. Ahmed designed the rug on a computer and traditional weavers from Azerbaijan produced it, using techniques that go back thousands of years. The flowing, trompe l’oeil paint components of the work are actually made out of woven wool.
