Divergent Thinking | RISD President

Innovation happens when convergent thinkers—people who march straight ahead towards a clearly defined goal—combine forces with divergent thinkers, those who may wander professionally but who are comfortable being uncomfortable and who look for what is real. RISD harbors a lot of divergent, agile thinkers. . . . – John Maeda, RISD President 2008-13https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/risdxyz_fall2013/1004/thumbnail.jp

Welcome to the Doll House

From the Barbie dresses he made as a boy to his first splash in the New York art world, Martín Gutierrez 12 PR is working to perfect what he has always done naturally.https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/risdxyz_fall2013/1000/thumbnail.jp

Wandergesellen Waltz On

[Wandergesellen] is a way of life that points to the distant past – to medieval artisans travelling from village to village to practice and perfect their craft, bringing their skills where they were needed most. But for Eugene (Yevgent) Gladun 00 GD, the world of wandergesellen – or German journeymen – is more relevant than ever.https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/risdxyz_springsummer2013/1002/thumbnail.jp

Humanimalia

No one paints wild animals quite like Walton Ford 82 FAV, whose unsettling twists on traditional natural history are now on view in a NYC solo show.https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/risdxyz_springsummer2014/1003/thumbnail.jp

RISD XYZ Spring/Summer 2014: Natural Instincts | Full Issue

As ANIMALS, WE\u27RE ALL PART OF NATURE, sharing DNA with fish, trees, rocks—everything that came to be with the big bang. We’re also dependent on nature for everything: water, oxygen, food, life. And as the animals currently at the top of the food chain, we’re responsible for respecting and caring for it, too... So what do we do when faced with both the fury and fragility of nature? Do we shrug it off, thinking: “the planet is ruined and we’re screwed,” as Associate Professor Damian White asks (page 52)? Or do we take science seriously and recognize that whatever we do to the earth we do to ourselves? This is just the tip of the iceberg fueling a resurgence of interest among RISD artists and designers who are grappling with matters of human folly, sustainability, global warming and more... . From the editor\u27s message by Liisa Silanderhttps://digitalcommons.risd.edu/risdxyz_springsummer2014/1004/thumbnail.jp

Interweaving Media

Five artists working in wood, glass, clay, metal and fiber collaborate with Pollack’s design team to create a new line of fabrics. Pollack, the NYC textile design firm founded by Mark Pollack 76 TX, embarked on a two-year project with Rachel Doriss 99 TX, to collaborate with five artists and designers working in different media. The goal? To create a line of newly released fabrics—called simply The Makers Collection. In the end, Pollack selected knit designer Liz Collins 91 TX/ MFA 99 TX in Brooklyn, ceramicist Nathan Craven MFA 08 CR in Roswell, NM, glass artist Katherine Gray MFA 91 GL in Los Angeles, furniture designer Matthias Pliessnig 03 FD in Providence and jewelry artist and former RISD faculty member Klaus Bürgel, who divides his time between New York City and Massachusetts. Each artist was chosen based on clear evidence of individual expertise in his or her preferred medium.https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/risdxyz_fall2013/1001/thumbnail.jp

Found in Translation

Four international alumni find a common language between their RISD education and their own rich, evolving cultures. Ng\u27endo Mukii 05 FAV of Kenya, Anjali Mody 09 ID of India, and architecture/design team Eduardo Sucre BArch 01 and Karina (Schrappe) Sucre BArch 00 of Brazil returned to their native countries to find the cross-cultural lessons and adaptability learned at RISD have proven critical to their success back home.https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/risdxyz_springsummer2013/1000/thumbnail.jp

Cultural Context | RISD President

Art and design remind us to look at things from different angles and to value what is unique about ourselves and our culture… . John Maeda, RISD President 2008-12https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/risdxyz_springsummer2013/1003/thumbnail.jp

New Naturalists

Artists Tavares Strachan 03 GL and Sophia Sobers MFA 13 DM tap into scientific authority in commenting on our evolving relationship with nature.https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/risdxyz_springsummer2014/1000/thumbnail.jp

Seductively Solar

Under the direction of project lead Jonathan Knowles BArch 84M, RISD is entering a prototype for a net-zero home in this summer’s Solar Decathlon Europe.https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/risdxyz_springsummer2014/1002/thumbnail.jp