The 2010-2011 LOEB Fellowship poster, Urban Futures, is in the mail. John Pobojewski and Rick Valicenti have collaborated on the LOEB Felloship poster since 2007. They have been recognized by the AIGA Design Annual, the STA’s Chicago Design Archive and Graphis Posters.

This year’s process consciously created an un-spoken dialog with AGI member, Philippe Apeloig’s seminal poster of 1999. It’s a reflection on the urban landscape in transition—a perfect expression for this year’s Loeb Fellows at work transforming the urban landscape.

Printed by the expert craftsmen at the Graphic Arts Studio, in Barrington IL.

Wear your pride for Chicago’s own Bandit, by wearing his mug-shot and his famous words
“I’ve got this thing, and it’s bleepin’ golden.”

Pre-order yours now on thirstore.com.

Shirts begin shipping July 14th. Place your order by July 27th to guarantee your size.

Pre-order yours now on thirstore.com.

Thirst’s work for Wright Auction House and the MCA are featured in the new book Impressive, Printmaking, Letterpress, & Graphic Design by Gestalten Books.

Impressive is a topical exploration of the interplay between current trends in graphic design and traditional handiwork such as letterpress printing, hand-cut linotype, chiselled woodblocks, and embossing.

The work in this book is really… Impressive. Purchase Impressive for $69 at gestalten.com

IIT Spring 2010 Lecture Series

IIT Fall 2008 Lecture Series

Curiosities: Rick Valicenti + the 21st Century Thirst

Our presence in Print Magazine highlights Rick Valicenti’s tote bag — designed for the Print Carry Hope initiative. Proceeds of this tote go to CASA, a not-for profit organization to which John Pobojewski and Rick contributed their design time while working with EPIC in 2009.

For nearly 25 years, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Cook County has been helping abused and neglected children who have become lost in an overwhelmed and under-resourced foster care system find a place to call home.

Graphis Posters awarded their distinguished Platinum Award to Thirst’s IIT Fall 2009 Lecture Series Poster. Rick and Bud Rodecker collaborated on this typographically-tight design.

LESS is (a lot of things and) MORE, an 8-page typographic entry to the Fourth Annual Suite Sixteen issue of i4Design Magazine features eight graphic design students at Harrington College of Design. i4Design Publisher, Mitch Obstfeld, a Harrington Board of Trustee member made his pages available for Brad Kisner’s students. Rick Valicenti, also a Harrington Board member, served as design director, writer, and mentor. Richard Wright of Wright Auctions was this project’s patron and closes it with his virtual applause.

The Harrington Eight (in order of sequence):
Katelyn Smith, Allan Nacapuy, Tre’ Henry, Jonathan Girton, Vanessa Eggers,
Nina Castillo-D’angier, Christina Elizabeth, Brian Steiling

Special thanks to Harrington photographers:
Danyel Duncan, Joe Byrnes

Last week our friend Arik Levy opened Luminesence at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. It’s a simple staging of three sculptural pieces and a collection of drawings from his Absent Nature collection which premiered in Chicago’s Wright 21 Gallery.

To coincide with the SMMoA opening, Rick Valicenti and Bud Rodecker designed the 128-page catalog of Arik’s Absent Nature collection. John Pobojewski collaborated by creating the perfect way to automagically enhance and add another layer of voice to the conversation surrounding three of Arik’s pieces.

Here are a few of our favorite page spreads

Since 1998 we have enjoyed a lovely relationship with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. While a handful of designers bring Lyric’s marketing voice to their audiences, our designs set the annual brand personality. Our presence shows up at street level, on program covers, and the recent annual commemorative poster. Bravo!

20 N Wacker

Subscription Brochure typographic collage

The 2009-2010 Program Cover

Full page Chicago Tribune Advertisement

1-8

Designer/friend, James Victore, extended an invitation to Rick Valicenti and other international design-thought leaders to imagine what they would do if they could design anything. Contributions will be published by Rockport Publishers under the title LUST later this year.

Since every message has already been designed (at least once) and almost all of the layout issues have been resolved over and over, Rick proposes dedicating the rest of his waking design time creating experiences and things that catalyze the best response of all–I LOVE YOU. Because of this project, the first in a series of SAY, I LOVE YOU installations will be revealed at the close of this summer.

Lust Contributors List:
Pierre Bernard Jr Paris
John Bielenberg Maine
Neville Brody UK
Art Chantry Washington
Matthias Emstberg New York City
Will Freeborn Scotland
Fernando Gutierrez London
Christian Helms Austin
Rodovan Jenko Slovenia
Hjalti Karlsson and Jan Wilker New York City
Chip Kidd New York City
Fanny LeBras Paris
Keizo Matsui Japan
Matthew McGuiness Brooklyn
Poitr Mlodozeniec Poland
Christoph Niemann Berlin
Mike Perry Brooklyn
Kari Piippo Finland
Paul Sahre New York City
Ahn San-soo Korea
Morgan Sheasby Brooklyn
Rick Valicenti Chicago
James Victore Brooklyn
Wang Xu Beijing
Catherine Zask Paris

ENFORCER, Rick Valicenti’s 8-page typographic introduction to the important overview of Chicago’s Typeforce,  exhibition catalog.

Rick comments on his own work by saying, “While it looks economical, don’t be fooled as it says all and more. Over the eight pages, I added a dash of multi-faceted commentary along with a heavy dose of respect to Chicago’s neo-naughty naissance.” He went on to say, “I do tend to speak in visual language tongues, so I suspect only a handful will get the entirety of what I am attempting to communicate — oh well, it was so much fun to play the role of E N F O R C E R “. Rick shared the opportunity with his favorite collaborators, John Pobojewski (also a Typeforce exhibitor), Bud Rodecker, and Jason McAloon.

The original big warm red letter is from the previous Burger King vacu-formed sign propped up against the wall of Mike Essl’s office in the new Cooper Union Building which Rick photographed during a recent visit on his iPhone. Why this letter? Rick reminds us that “this letter has important Chicago origins (Oz Cooper’s Cooper Black) even though it was bastardized in the name of commerce”.

We’re excited to announce that our very own John Pobojewski and Bud Rodecker are participating in the upcoming Printervention exhibition. Their modern WPA poster will be displayed alongside posters from over 70 of the best designers, print-makers, and artists from across the country.

We have asked artists from around the country to create works that raise awareness of social and political issues of our day. Printervention underscores the necessity for the support of artists and the idea of civic responsibility to the greater society…

A true collaboration — this poster results from John’s custom programming,
handwork from Bud, and impassioned direction from Rick Valicenti.
Printed at The Post Family with help from Ina Weise.

Give a shit and do some good means stand up, care about others, and do something;
hold the elevator for a stranger, volunteer, donate to a charity, or even fill out your census.

Other contributors to include:
Alex Valentine / Angee Lennard Spudnik Press / Bryan Baker / Chad Kouri The Post Family /
Chris Roberson / Christi Jo Mace / Christina Vantzou / Cody Haltom Public School / Colin Matthes Justseeds / Cynthia Juarez The Printstitute / Damon Locks / Dan S. Wang / Danimal / Delicious Design League Billy Baumann and Jason Teegarden-Downs / Derek Dietrich-Muller / Dominic Fortunato /
Ed Marszewski / Eric Nyffeler Doe Eyed Design / Gregory Calvert / Ina Weise / Jennifer Farrell Starshaped Press / Jenny Beorkrem Ork Posters / Jessica Owings / Jessica Taylor / Julia V. Hendrickson / Justin Cox Public School / JW and Melissa Buckanan The Little Friends of Printmaking / Kathleen Judge Judgeworks / Katie McCauley Strangelight / Katy Keefe / Keith G. Herzik Alamo Igloo / Kenton Quatman / Laura Klein / Letterform, Inc Julie Morelli & Andy Schwegler / Lise Haller Baggsen / Luke Williams / Marvin Chan The Printstitute / Mary Tremonte Justseeds / Michelle Mashon Spudnik Press / Nick Adam / Nick Bahr / Nick Du Pey Young Monster / Nicolas Lampert / Rand Renfrow / Rebecca Ann Rakstad Rar Rar Press / Richard Repasky The Printstitute / Ryan Duggan / Sanya Glisic Spudnik Press / Seripop / Shaun Lind Public School / Sonnenzimmer Nick Butcher and Nadine Nakanishi / Steve Walters Screwball Press / Superkonductor David R. Head, Jr. and Jen Hazen / Thirst John Pobojewski & Bud Rodecker / Tyler Galloway / Veronica Corzo-Duchardt Winterbureau / Will Bryant Public School

The spring 2010 IIT lecture poster features the latest incarnation of Rick Valicenti’s custom typography. At first glance these letterforms may seem chaotic and illegible, however chaos and illegibility do not live in Thirst’s lexicon without a  foundation of hidden complexities and connections. During the refinement phase Rick and Bud Rodecker collaborated to find just the right balance between the lines of type and background image. On the reverse side our John Pobojewski applied a virtual magnetic field and metal fillings around the typography.

Inspired by Rick Valicenti’s Notes to Self paintings, Bud Rodecker has set a personal goal to create something everyday in 2010. Restricted by a self-imposed discipline, Bud is posting the artifacts of his making process on the close of each day at richardaily.com.  Reasonable prices are assigned and in the first two months of this year he has yet to miss a day… only 301 more to go!

A little bit of this, a little bit of that. RicharDaily is my playground to create, and leave it at that. If there ever was anything that could motivate me, it is a deadline, and in a way RicharDaily is my daily deadline to force me to make something new everyday. –Bud Rodecker

In conjunction with Curiosities, We have produced a 214 page book of all the alphabets from The Playground.

“Our friends accepted the invitation to create an alphabet of 26 illuminated characters designed not to start a sentence, but to begin a thought.”

Contributors include: Ed Fella, Paula Scher, Marian Bantjes, Matt Daly, Nikola Djurek, Mike Essl, Geoff Kaplan, Kiyoka Katahira, Satoru Nihei, John Pobojewski, and more.

Ed Fella

Paula Scher

Marian Bantjes

Matt Daly

Nokola Djurek

Mike Essl

Geoff Kaplan

Kiyoka Katahira

Satoru Nihei

John Pobojewski

Heartbreaking; great. -Marian Bantjes
Rick Valicenti, one of the world’s most thoughtful designers -Michael Bierut

We’ve just completed a 410 page volume that catalogs Rick Valicenti’s 500+ Notes To Self / 12.31.2007 – 08.31.2008. In Rick’s intro to this work he describes his experience.

…while visiting the The Shanghai Art Museum, I found myself enamored with its calligraphy collection… I knew then that I wanted to make something for myself that would capture my presence and reward me with that moment. I created over 575 Notes to Self with a plastic syringe and a foam brush to apply Sumi ink to 22″ x 30″ Rives BFK.

The book is an exercise in presenting a large and complex group of images in a stream of consciousness re-enactment manner. Rick Valicenti, Bud Rodecker, and John Pobojewski developed a system that would place all 570 paintings in their correct groupings; singles, diptychs, triptychs. Unique background patterns provide the viewer with information about image typology.

To request 1 of 10 limited edition signed copies, email editions@3st.com.
Price available on request.

View all the works on rickvalicenti.com

Built into the background of the pages is a dot pattern that provides image typology data. These paintings are organized into three categories: Notations, Archetypes, and Chance and grouped as paintings: Singles, Diptychs, and Triptychs. Just as you read from left to right, you read the dots from left to right.

To request 1 of 10 limited edition signed copies, email editions@3st.com.
Price available on request.

The full graphic is below, but if you want to learn what these numbers really add up to, run to your closest newsstand and pickup a copy. Who knows, maybe you’ll even catch a few red-hot sex secrets!

Rick Valicenti and Bud Rodecker created a dialog between the typography in the image and the poster’s information. The design process was layered with an awareness of Chicago vernacular signage where everywhere you look sans serif type is stacked on top of more of the same.

Jeff thought it would look good set it in trade gothic,
Rick had a new alphabet.
Jeff reset the type.
Rick re-adjusted the type in anticipation of folds.

Jeff placed the logos and Rick’s secondary type.
Rick re-arranged these elements and tweaked what he considered
the key to unlock the visual’s reason for being:
uniforce
unihorse
unicorn
They both thought it did all and more.
Rick took a phone call and returned to say the poster still wasn’t cool enough.
They looked to the bag o’ photoshop tricks and tried applying the always magical liquify filter.
They then tried the watercolor filters one of which worked, but only after it was sharpened.

Rick still wasn’t completely satisfied.
Jeff took a phone call and Rick took the mouse applying the lens flares in various sizes and locations.
By the time the call was done so was the poster.
They both thought it felt just right, as was working side by side.

a collaboration between Jeff D Stark, graduate of SVA May 2009, and Rick Valicenti.

Works 1: Infrastructures for Change is Archeworks’s first publication documenting the result of their students’ research. Martin Felsen came to Rick Valicenti with an idea for an Archeworks Publication, together they developed a template and format. Rick and Bud Rodecker worked together to bring this inaugural issue to life. Which included the development of AW, a riff on Mathew Carter’s Bell Centennial, with ink traps that replace function with style.

Martin describes works like this:

This first issue of Works documents the ongoing physical and social infrastructural design projects undertaken at Archeworks including: design speculations on Chicago’s network of parks and public zones of activity, the implementation of new community-owned Pocket Parks in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, an examination of an alternative, safe, convenient personal mobility infrastructure, and an investigation into the politics behind vital natural resources, which evolved into a global public education campaign to increase awareness of water scarcity.

Here are a few images of Works. To subscribe and get a copy of your own, support Archeworks here.

Curtiss, Rick, Bud:

Just wanted to thank you all for letting me join on press yesterday.
I really enjoyed my GAS immersion, and now have a much better understanding of the printing process.

And of course it’s just cool to see this thing become real.

katie

–
Katie Vail
Organization Manager
ARCHEWORKS

We’re excited to announce that last night Thirst had five pieces accepted into the Chicago Design Archives. The winning pieces are: Wright’s Utopia Catalog, AS+GG’s website, MCA’s Dry Ice Invitation, Thirst’s Top Five Love Songs, and the 09-10 LOEB Fellows poster.

A little bit about STA’s Chicago Design archives from the official press release.

Archive09, is an annual competition presented by the STA to recognize the best in Chicago design. This year’s competition drew hundreds of entries. Of that total, 44 were selected for the Chicago Design Archive (CDA), an online compendium of the most significant design work in Chicago’s history.

It feels great when others recognize work you’re mighty proud of. Thank you STA for a great night.

Here is a sample of our winning pieces.

Photo by Thea Dickman

Photo by Brian MacDonald

This falls under the category, we just had to share. We posted previously about winning a Sappi’s Ideas that Matter grant… well, in addition to winning a generous grant to make the one drop project we also received these incredible cookies! What else will they think of? Thank you Sappi, and Elini’s.

For more information on this program, please visit onedrop.movingdesign.com
Go here to read our original announcement on this project.

It was a sad day last week to read of the demise of Paul Rand’s seminal YALE PRESS logotype.

While I have always loved the simple magic inherent in these four constructed letters, a few years ago I decided to channel Mr. Rand’s spirit into a collection of typographic experiments and expressions including the Thirst logotype. Whenever I work within the Yale Press linguistic typology, I think of myself as someone who is carrying the spark of life belonging to someone else. It has been a personal and professional pleasure leading me to creative places I could never have imagined two years ago and therefore, I am both changed and grateful to this Mr. Rand’s press mark.

Now, upon re-reading the dialog that surrounds the announcement of Yale’s decision, I am disappointed by the decision to put this iconic form to pasture and in turn swap it with the ubiquitous/generic. The only question that comes to my mind is why didn’t they adopt this typographic brilliance to represent the university? Cowards all of them.

from yale daily news:
The two organizations, which have “complementary missions,” may be trying to bring together paths that have diverged in recent years, University Printer John Gambell said. Although Gambell said he was fond of Rand’s logo, he added that the design had plenty of critics.

“A lot of people didn’t like it,” Gambell said. “A lot of people found it kind of asymmetrical and untraditional and kind of a little bit hard to decode.”

i4 Design Editorial Spreads

AIGA Miami Lecture Poster and Classic Color’s Las Vegas Poster

Lyric’s ‘09 Season Poster

Jessica LaGrange Valentine

Moving Design’s Logo

Armin Vit has given our poster for the Damnation of Faust a great review on FPO. Saying:

The poster features Valicenti’s trademark thin, mono-weight ligature-heavy lettering which, in itself, is cool enough, but set against a background of ravishing fire and two menacing, Tolkien-worthy horses, you have a darn cool poster that you would never expect from an opera institution. Let it burn, devil, let it burn!

Our client, who has provided us with so many opportunities since 1989, has this to say after reading the review:

tres tres cool.

We are in the process of curating a micro-site devoted to showcasing our poster work. Check out our work in progress at posters.3st.com.

View this poster on 3st.com.
Read Armin’s review on FPO.

Thirst is proud to announce that Moving Design’s One Drop initiative has been chosen to receive a grant from Sappi’s Ideas that Matter.

Moving Design is thrilled to expand this program further and thanks Sappi for their generous contribution to this incredibly important cause.

For more information on this program, please visit onedrop.movingdesign.com
Go here to read our original announcement on this project.
See the other Sappi grant recipients on Sappi.com.

Hot off the presses! Take a moment to enjoy some devilish type over an epic image. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen so much ink on a piece of paper, you really have to see the printed piece to get the full effect.

Faust and Méphistophélès gallop to hell on two demon horses — beaten by the wings of giant screaming birds as they thunder through rainstorms of blood! Made in collaboration with Real Eyes.

Guitar and DJ Heroes you can’t see anywhere but here! If Thirst’s Rick Valicenti were to make the final selection on behalf of our friends at Pentagram, these are his selections:

btw
Rick’s long-time collaborators, Bill Cornman at Real Eyes and Thirst’s John Pobojewski and Bud Rodecker, were all instrumental in turning up the volume on these variations.

Read the about the rest of the project on Pentagram’s site.

Marshall Field built the Merchandise Mart as the epicenter for commerce in Chicago. When the building passed ownership to Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., the father of future U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1945, Merchandise Mart Properties extended beyond Chicago and the physicality of the Mart.

Today, under the leadership of Chris Kennedy and the ownership of Vornado Realty Trust, the organization is now referred to as MMPI complete with a new identity representing its mission statement: MMPI is the world’s leading owner and operator of showroom buildings and trade show facilities, bringing buyers and sellers together in more than 300 markets events, trade and consumer shows and conferences each year.

One Drop is a simple learning initiative for use within Chicago Public Schools created by Moving Design in collaboration with Archeworks, a not for profit educational and research institution in Chicago dedicated to designing 21st century urban infrastructure.

One Drop is a three-week, after school curriculum designed to engage this next generation in basic water issues and inspire them to make a difference.

Learn more here.

Week One will focus on the students tracking their water usage via an interactive website.

Week Two will feature daily 15-minute classroom lessons and group activities to explore how water is important to all and how our actions affect the Lake Michigan watershed. A 32-page workbook outlines the activities for both teachers and students.

In Week Three, students then track their water use again online, using what they’ve learned to reduce their usage and then reveal the difference that they made.

Together with experts at Archeworks, Chicago Public Schools, Friends of the Chicago River, and the State of Illinois, Moving Design hopes to develop this program into a scalable curriculum for elementary students.

In order to fund the pilot program, Moving Design has applied for the Sappi Ideas that Matter Grant and looks forward to bringing this idea into life.

Moving Design encourages innovation through creative research, done in collaboration with students from different disciplines and forward-thinking organizations. All research programs encourage creative experimentation, keen observation, and intense curiosity, and present relevant new ideas that shape the public’s point of view.

Rick Valicenti & John Pobojewski Founders, Ideation, and Art Direction
Melanie Gibb & Bud Rodecker Design and Content Development
Barb Valicenti Project Management

Good printing on good paper with good design came together to win an unheard of second consecutive best in Category for Hi-Fidelity Printing from the Printing Industries of America. Not to mention another Benny for Classic Color. Good printing rocks, design makes the difference.

View more of the project on 3st.com.

We’ve posted this year’s LOEB poster. It commemorates the Burnham Plan Centennial with Thirst’s own variation on Burnham’s ubiquitous quote.

More images after the jump.

Massimo Vignelli

Ahn Sang-Soo

David Hillman

Markus Dressen

Neville Brody

Irma Boom

R.O. Blechmann

Congratulations to De Stefano Partners on being awarded the AIA Chicago Firm of the Year in their 20th year of practice.

Subject: GORGEOUS

Hi Mary Jo. Your firm’s 20-year card is beautiful. Who designed it? I just opened it and it made my day. I should leave and go home happy right now.

Zurich Esposito
Executive Vice President
AIA Chicago

We’ve posted a new promotion designed for Artistry Engraving to our website. Artistry engraved and debossed this design by Thirst on Vintage Rag paper made from 100% recycled clothing by Arch Paper. See the full piece here.

The Sears Tower gets a brand refresh announcing a landmark renovation effort to reduce 80% of the building’s energy use. 2 video presentations and accompaning supporting graphics were created to announce the project to the international press.

View more of the project here.

The AIGA design archives documents selections from AIGA’s annual design competitions. These archives provide broad accessibility to an extensive collection of contemporary design for research and reference. This definitive resource on design will continue to expand with each year’s selections and the addition of special collections.

Under Consideration’s new venture FPO has featured the Tom Vack book saying…

Thirst created a promotional that exploits the prowess of the new UV press while showing off some juicy product shots as well as some digital and typographic trickery.

Read more here.

For those who flock on Wednesday and Saturday mornings to Chicago’s now legendary Green City Market, founded by the late, Abby Mandel, pick up a tote bag.

From: susan@lyricopera.org
Subject: the 2009 brochure
Date: January 23, 2009 3:29:00 PM CST

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

susan
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago invited Rick to conceive and design the theme invitation for their annual fund raising gala. This year Rufus Wainwright performed for an intentionally limited attendance of 200 guests. Works by Holzer, Koons and Eliasson were also auctioned to attendees.