Friday the 26th of June Demi Horsman graduated from the study Graphic Design in Zwolle. After four years at ArtEZ are finished, she says it is a shame. “I have enjoyed myself immensely here.” During this story Demi reflects upon her period at ArtEZ, her graduation project and looks forwards towards the future.
“I have lived my whole life in Zwolle and knew from the very beginning that I wanted to go to the art academy. When I was admitted it felt like a great success. My first week at ArtEZ was unreal. I walked around the place I had always aspired to be and that felt very special.
Physical Design
My first half year at the academy was tainted by the fact that I did not have a laptop. I did not really need one yet, but I was the only person without one. It meant that I designed things far more physically than if I had had a laptop. That has most certainly defined my own trajectory as a designer, because when I eventually did get a laptop and had mastered the software, I remained in between physical and digital design.
One example of this is the project Global Identity that I did in my first year. I designed a vessel with a 3D-printer in which I placed leporello (zigzag folds) photo booklets. Those booklets were handmade. I had edited the texts digitally and printed them, but the photos were cut out and glued on. In fact, this mode of manual labour still appeals to me; it has meant that the design has a strongly physical component.
The ultimate book
For my graduation I researched the pursuit of the ultimate book. It is not a surprising subject considering the fact that books have always fascinated me. It is the medium I worked with most throughout my study. When I started my intern ship at Studio Renate Boere in The Hague I felt at home. She designs lovely books, so you can understand my own enthusiasm.
What I noticed during my intern-ship: as a graphic designer you are a cogwheel, playing a small part of a process. During my study I got used to making books from beginning to end. But this is not how it works in your daily practice. It allowed me to see that craftsmanship is very important. Not only the designer’s, but also the publisher, the binder, and everyone else who works on the book. Every craftsman has their own expertise and knows everything there is to know within that field. With the older generation I see a certain kind of knowledge of the physical product that younger generations no longer have. They are separated from the physical product. The expertise of the older generation is getting lost because they are disappearing from the work process.
Publishing
For my graduation work I did about thirty interviews with publishers, designers, binders, and more. The professional jargon that emerged from these I recorded in a separate section of the book (the handbook) in order that the knowledge does not get lost. Now that my graduation assignment is finished, I am going to self-publish the book. I am planning on starting a crowd funding campaign and to ask for a kickstart subsidy. In that way I hope to get my work to people and that it serves a function, in stead of becoming a lonely copy on my own shelf.
Artistic context
The most important thing I learnt from doing interviews is to be faithful toward yourself. You have to give everything from your own passion. This is what interviewee’s do and what makes them strong. If you channel your own personal fascination and fantasy in your work it will get better. Besides this it is important to look people up, and to get out of your own comfort zone. As a graphic designer I am often quite withdrawn, but by looking for contact you create an artistic context in which you can think more about your own work that you are making.
Freedom
I have had no restrictions to finish my graduation project. That is freedom that I have been given by ArtEZ and for which I am very happy. Am happy with the work that I have done. Everything comes together in the book: my intern ship report, my dissertation and the journey that lead towards it. It is a special representation of my own personal fascination for the book.
First a gap year
Next year will be a gap year for me. A period in which I can finish my book. After that I want to do a master, perhaps in Eindhoven or Arnhem, where they can teach me more about graphic design. That will ultimately help me – whether alone or in a team – to start my own design business. After all, this is ultimately the aim.
Safe environment
ArtEZ is a nice environment to develop yourself. It is not also nice, but also safe: it is not bad to make mistakes. Above all the atmosphere is nice. Teachers accompany you well and are very personable. I have had a nice exchange with each one of them. I have been very content and do think it is a shame that it is over.”
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