Character Three
The Role of Accident in Graphic Design
As Character is based on critiquing current graphic design practice and putting these issues up for open discussion, the third in the series was based on the role accidents play in the creative process. This culminated in an exhibition on the theme Accidents not so grotesk, which opened Character 3 and was followed by a forum featuring a panel of speakers discussing the many aspects of this theme; Has graphic design become so professionalised that it may have forgotten the spontaneity of the happy accident? Is our drive for technical perfection and predictability at the cost of accepting happenstance? What can the acceptance of accident offer us as creative thinkers? Speakers: Anna Gerber (United Kingdom), Kevin Finn (Sydney), and Simon Pampena (Melbourne).
“Congratulations on another great Character forum. I very much enjoyed the theme and the mix of speakers and came away with a list of artists, designers, books and ideas to investigate. The Edge auditorium is great venue too. Please pass on my thanks to Anna, Simon and Kevin.”
“…Character3 as it was a wonderful experience. It was fantastically organised and executed…”
“A very successful event. I think all speakers were very entertaining and thought provoking. Not a hitch …that I saw anyway. Good turn out as well. You can take much personal satisfaction from it.”
“Just wanted to say thanks for the character forum on Saturday. I already appreciated the value of accidents, but feel really invigorated emotionally and creatively from the sheer support the event offered. I work in a pretty up-tight stifling environment where if you get the paints out people say, ‘what are YOU doing?’ and where corporate and political values dominate, so it was really great to be both validated and reinvigorated by the event.”