We Can Create 2011 - Day 1
Hosted by The Church, and spread over the 26th and 27th of August, We Can Create is New Zealand's biggest art and creative industries showcase. This story takes a look at the lineup and catches the response from the crowd on the day.
- For the background and my preview of the event, click here.
The familiar stage of the Aotea Centre in central Auckland is set with a couch, rug and lamp in a nod back to We Can Create's Semi-Permanent roots.
Projection screens though have been rethought, and the opening title sequence for the event makes solid use of all three, giving the crowd a taste of the presenters to come.
Our host is the popular Te Radar, Semi Permanent veteran, who manages to hit most of the right notes throughout the two days - even if most of them begin to verge on toilet humor, or should have stayed in the bedroom.
The response is an all round positive one though from the crowd.
Radar's intro story is an interesting choice, focusing on the tale of the Taranaki Highway Man.
The relationship to the event might be a little stretched, but that's refreshing; and the kiwi flavor of his narrative reinforces that this is indeed a New Zealand event - by and for New Zealanders.
Introducing first speaker, Kris Sowersby of Klim Type Foundry, by reflecting on Jessica Hische's presentation at Semi Permanent 2010, Radar manages to offend a whole new generation of typography nerds by coining the term "fountain of font!".
With each mention of the word "font", there's almost a tangible shudder as the crowd comes to terms with that fact that our host is not a designer.And so the story of the "Typographic Magpie" begins. Sowersby takes the stage, running again with the Kiwi theme and moving into type history through observations of artwork by the likes of Colin McCahon.
Kris works through some of his own influences and catalogue, delighting the crowd with the details of his work and the thought process behind the characters that compose his more popular typefaces.
In all, Kris's presentation was accessible, insightful, relatable, and thoroughly enjoyed. The "homegrown" beginning to the event sets inspiration flowing.
- New York based Illustrator Sara Blake came next. Quite the crowd favorite, she charmed the audience by telling us we were the largest group to whom she's presented after her cat.
