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Latest Episodes:

15 Matthew Rolston on Glamour, Death Anxiety and the Unity of Opposites Sep 18, 2018

Show notes

Matthew Rolston is a photographer and director known for his distinctive celebrity portraits and award-winning music videos. His images have appeared in such publications as Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Harper's Bazaar, as well as the covers of more than 100 Rolling Stone magazines. He has directed music videos for numerous iconic artists including Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Beyonce. More recently, he has applied his creative talents to fine art photography and produced three acclaimed large-scale exhibitions over the past five years. For the past half century, Matthew Rolston's artistic voice has resonated far and wide, shaping our concept of glamour with his unconventional lighting techniques, detailed sets and a high-contrast sense of the unexpected.

In this episode, Matthew and ArtCenter President Lorne Buchman discuss Matthew's creative influences, his aesthetic of the unity of opposites, his ambivalence about the fashion industry's unrealistic standards of wealth and beauty and his fortuitous meeting, as a young ArtCenter student, with his childhood hero, Richard Avedon.

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14 Jackie Amezquita on Crossing Borders to Create Change Jun 12, 2018

Show notes

Jackie Amezquita graduated from ArtCenter's Fine Art department this past spring. Jackie, who entered the US illegally from Guatemala in 2003, finished her experience at ArtCenter with a timely and deeply personal final project: a 178 mile walk from the US/Mexico border in Tijuana to Downtown Los Angeles, completed over eight days and concluding with a symbolic bath in an oil drum.

Jackie's life and work has been shaped by several extraordinary journeys that have called upon her extraordinary stamina, courage, and resilience. While her powerfully symbolic final project received widespread media coverage for offering a rare first-hand perspective on the hardships experienced by undocumented immigrants. The story of her original border walk, at age 17, from her native Guatemala to the United States on foot with a group of strangers, is perhaps even more impressive, inspiring and hauntingly reminiscent of the recent wave of distressing of young immigrants captured and separated from their families at the border.

In her conversation with Change Lab's Lorne Buchman, Jackie shared the harrowing tales of both of her border journeys, the meaning behind the creative elements of her project and how our bodies become tools for telling stories.

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13 Courtney Martin on Activism and Inspiring Social Justice Through Writing May 25, 2018

Show notes

Courtney E. Martin is a recognized author, cultural critic, TED speaker, social activist and weekly columnist for the Webby Award-winning website, On Being. Her work is vulnerable yet powerful, filled with cultural insights and passionate appeals for social change to create a better world.

Courtney has said that she writes the books she needs to read. In doing so, she is the literary equivalent of a first responder, lending her voice to some of today's most urgent issues, bringing context, compassion and a call to action to the conversation.

In today's deep and poignant discussion, Courtney explored her two selves: the one who's brave the the one who's afraid. She also shared about her writing process, her convictions about the healing power of community and why she doesn't believe any one person can save the world.

Learn more about Courtney's work:

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12 Chris Kraus on Writing Through a Mask May 08, 2018

Show notes

Chris Kraus is the rare writer to capture both the literary imagination and the pop culture zeitgeist. When her 1998 novel, I Love Dick, was re-issued in 2006, it was embraced as a feminist classic by a new generation. Among her admirers were the creators of two of TV's most progressive and popular shows: Girls by Lena Dunham, and Transparent by Jill Soloway. I Love Dick's confessional narrative consists of a series of unrequited love letters which play out as a celebration of personal and professional failure with unapologetic gusto. It seemed to give female readers in particular a gleeful permission to abandon the futile imperative to "have it all."

Chris, a writing professor in ArtCenter's Grad Art program, has always been driven to question norms and forge new creative frontiers in her work. After stints in New York's experimental filmmaking communities she found her calling as a writer. In the twenty years since, she has been remarkably prolific, publishing three novels—Aliens and Anorexia, Torpor and Summer of Hate—as well as several collections of essays and her most recent work, After Kathy Acker, a biography of the '90's New York art-world icon and experimental novelist, released last year.

In this episode's lively and candid conversation, Chris discussed her background in experimental theater, her commitment to stripping artifice from her characters, and her ambivalence about the success of I Love Dick in the context of her lifelong exploration of the spiritual and creative value of failure.

Learn more about Chris's work:

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11 Ellen Lupton on Design as Storytelling Apr 24, 2018

Show notes

Ellen Lupton is a design thinker of the highest order. As curator of contemporary design at Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York City, she has produced numerous exhibitions and books, including Thinking with Type (2004), which is used by students, designers, and educators worldwide. Her most recent book, Design is Storytelling, published in late 2017, explores the connection between good design and a compelling narrative.

In this episode of Change Lab, Ellen makes a compelling case for the integral relationship between storytelling and design, drawing connections between a well-designed experience and the mythological hero's journey and citing Ikea as Exhibit A for a successful experiential design narrative.

Finally, Ellen reflects meaningfully on her role as an educator and the importance of approaching design as a full-body sensory experience guided by the physicality of the materials used and the making process itself.

Learn more about Ellen's work:

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10 Yves Behar on Creating and Designing through Technology Apr 03, 2018

Show notes

Yves Behar is a Swiss-born entrepreneur and ArtCenter alum who has become the design world's reigning rockstar.

As founder of the industrial design and branding firm, fuseproject, Yves has become a leading force in forging the future of sustainable technology. Equally important to Fuseproject's business model is a deep commitment to the social good. Yves regularly partners with nonprofits to create groundbreaking products like One Laptop Per Child, See Better to Learn Better, and more.

In this episode, ArtCenter President Lorne Buchman speaks to Yves about his most innovative products, his inclination to question conventional wisdom, the ways in which the DIY punk movement inspired his passion for making and his commitment to designing products that prioritize human connection over time spent with screens.

Learn more about Yves' work:

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09 Paula Scher on Conjuring Instantly Recognizable Design Mar 20, 2018

Show notes

Paula Scher is one of the most influential graphic designers working today. Having spent four decades at the top of the graphic design field, she has achieved iconic status.

Paula was the first female principal to join Pentagram, the largest independently owned design studio. Even if you've never heard of Scher you know her work; She designed the logos of Citibank, Tiffany & Co., Microsoft Windows 8, The Museum of Modern Art, New York City's Public Theater and a slew of album covers by legendary bands.

In today's episode, ArtCenter President Lorne Buchman asks Paula about her process, her influences, and some of her most important work.

Learn more about Paula's work:

Pentagram

Paula's Maps

The history of Paula's design work

Paula for NYC's Beaches

Paula's Discography

Paula's recent work on a Brooklyn high school

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08 Amy Ziering on Giving Voice to Survivors of Sexual Abuse Mar 06, 2018

Show notes

Oscar nominated documentary filmmaker and producer Amy Ziering has spent much of her career fighting injustice. Her film work includes the films Outrage, about the hypocrisy of closeted gay politicians; The Invisible War, about the epidemic of rape in the military; and The Hunting Ground examining the prevalence of sexual assault on university campuses.

While Amy may not think of her own work as courageous, many would disagree, saying that she focuses on bringing to light important stories and giving a voice to survivors of abuse. In her conversation with ArtCenter President Lorne Buchman, Amy explores her career, the impact of making a film about philosopher Jacques Derrida, and the source of her strength and why she wants to be an agent of change.

Learn more about Amy's work and the other work mentioned in this episode:

The Invisible War

The Hunting Ground

Derrida

This Film is Not Yet Rated

Outrage

The Memory Thief

The Private War of Women by Helen Benedict

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07 Wendy MacNaughton on Telling Stories Through Illustration and Text Dec 19, 2017

Show notes

Wendy MacNaughton is an illustrator, author, and graphic journalist whose work shines with warmth and humanity. One of her most recent works is a bestselling young adult novel that she created with her partner, author Caroline Paul, called The Gutsy Girl. Her history as a social justice worker and her passion for social justice are present in her work, which is regularly featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Time Magazine.

In addition to The Gutsy Girl, Wendy's other recent projects include Women Who Draw, a website that functions as a directory of female artists and illustrators, and Focus, a poster she created with writer Courtney Martin inviting artists to leverage this uncertain moment and create work driven by the moving imperative, to focus on the light.

In today's episode, Wendy traces her path from childhood, discusses her history with depression and art's role in her wellbeing, and her work with disadvantaged and disenfranchised communities.

Explore more of Wendy's work at wendymacnaughton.com and womenwhodraw.com.

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06 Niklas Gustafsson on Creating Meaningful Brand Stories Nov 28, 2017

Show notes

ArtCenter alum Niklas Gustafsson is the Global Director for PepsiCo's Design and Innovation team, where his duties range from developing more sustainable and efficient packaging to developing healthier drinks and snacks at scale. All of this is in an effort to create a profitable model while positively impacting global health.

Niklas discusses his upbringing in Sweden and how it sparked his passion for art and design in a larger cultural context. He also talks about the challenges of designing for a company whose product has changed roles in the public eye. Plus, how research and asking the right questions can make a world of difference and how making a profit factors into all of this.

Learn more about Niklas Gustafsson's work at PepsiCo's Design and Innovation team at http://design.pepsico.com

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