Op Art Modernist case study, Burton Kramer
Most well known for his iconic, geometric, and order-based mark used for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Burton Kramers’ work spans just over five decades, two continents, and too many design trends to count. Despite such a large breadth of time designing, Mr. Kramer has remained a seminal figure in Optical Art, modernist theory, and logic-based reasoning applied to design solutions. And then there is the beauty of his work, which rips... Read More
It’s Official. It’s a co.
The fact that FORTPORT has not featured OMFG co. yet is practically a crime. It’s nearly impossible to be in this town and not be exposed to their stunning array of works strewn about. The three men behind the odd acronym (which when I first heard it looked like swear words, condensed) are Jeremy, Mathew, and Fritz. They have been working hard building out and polishing up a new space for their creative efforts at ADX Portland and were kind... Read More
Guest post – Honest Design
I’d like to introduce a friend of the FORT, one Ryan Bush – who has been instrumental in previous posts, playing an obscured role in the shadows of this blog. No more, we say! Ryan wrote a piece on what he sees happening to our craft, and I’ve a response of mine below if you care to hear it. If you’ve got beef with it, love for it, or are just here for the 1/2 priced cocktails, be sure to voice your fabulous opinion in the... Read More
Tien-Min Liao
Somehow I stumbled across the lovely work of an ambitious young designer from Taiwan now living in New York. This lady can cut, grid, and layout like a champ. One of her pieces is a book about her homeland and it is comprised of paper craft and information graphics. Bed fellows I’ve not seen too much of before. Tien-Min makes them look like they were made for each other. Tien-Min was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan, and now is a graduate... Read More
Spanish designer & artist Camilo Carmona
I first came to know the work of Camilo Carmona, known professionally as DOSCE, by her illustrated Tribes of Colombia. I’ve never really seen this sort of illustration style, they look like superheroes that went to Japan for a year and then came back via Illustrator CS5. The level of compassion and care is so apparent, it’s difficult to not fall in love with the idea of people that express their heritage and identity in dress and appearance.... Read More
Oral histories of North South Portland
There are three very talented designers sitting with their hands in their laps among piles of cookies and hot tea poured in real mugs in North South Portland for the next few weeks. North South Portland isn’t meant to confuse you, Field Work sits on the Northern border of South Portland, and you should go visit. Justin Flood, Sarah Baugh, and Nicole Lavelle are crafting a visual representation of a region no one really knows about. They have... Read More
Pictographs by Eggertsson
Well travelled, heavily awarded, born in 1984, and the pride of Iceland, Siggi Eggertsson has more g’s in his name than anyone you will ever know. Siggie says that work has always been his hobby. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say it quite like that before. Usually around these parts we get the line “do what you love/love what you do” – but thinking of work as your hobby makes complete sense. I think I prefer... Read More
Will Bryant invades Portland
Will Bryant is still in the city as I write this, but soon he’ll head back south to his lair in Austin, TX, and the gents over at Public School. During his visit he was kind enough to share some of his work in real-life with Portland up at Land Gallery on Mississippi Avenue. Walking into a room full of work I’d seen on the internet over the past few years was surreal! Chuck Norris, girls holding their breath, Bulls, all of the work that... Read More
Desktop Wallpaper, Whales of Oregon
Whales, medium ones, that live in Oregon. This is what the new desktop screenspace from FORTPORT looks like. 3 friendly medium-sized giants, categorized for your desktop! Actually there are quite a few whales that call Oregon home, but these three spoke to me in particular. They’re almost all exactly the same size, and also happened to fit nicely together on screen. I’ve got several sizes for you, including iPad & iPhone, just in... Read More
Andy + Natsuko, In Search of This World
This post is long overdue. But since these guys are opening a show this Thursday, let’s pretend my tardiness was planned. I’d love to introduce two talented designers calling our grey city home. Andrew and Natsuko met while studying graphic design at Portland State University and have a show for you. It’s awesome, they let me squeak in for a sneak peek. Here are the show details: The Littman Gallery (1825 SW Broadway, Portland)... Read More