HONG KONG MUSEUM OF ART

The Hong Kong Museum of Art’s mission is to preserve the cultural heritage of China. Its collections now number in excess of 14,000 art objects, including Chinese paintings and calligraphy works, antique Chinese treasures, paintings of historical significance as well as creations by local artists.

I visited the museum in 2004. The work I was most interested in was from the ‘Vietnam Behind the Lines’ exhibition. This collection featured Communist propaganda posters from the time of the Vietnam War.

It was really interesting to see what the war looked like from the Vietnamese point of view. I was surprised at how similar the posters were to western propaganda posters, both in layout and the messages which they were promoting. They were full of national pride and a ‘dig deep’ mentality. They graphically portrayed the Americans as evil monsters who were attacking innocent Vietnamese people, including women and children.

After viewing these posters I had a much greater sympathy for the Vietnamese people. I suppose this is proof that this type of poster is effective, especially in a war situation. It makes me wonder if the British Government felt it necessary to produce war propaganda posters today, how different would they be to those Vietnamese posters produced all those years ago? My guess is, not much.

ONE PLANET

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page” St Augustine

I think this is so true and for this reason I think travel is definitely one of the best sources of creative inspiration.

One Planet is a celebration of life, curiosity and the experience of travel. It is a collection of quotations and inspirational photographs from around the world.

The stunning photography of real people and places capture things that have to be seen to be believed. For example, the nomadic ‘Sea Gypsies’ from Indonesia (pictured, top) look more like characters from the film Water World.

BANKSY GREENPEACE POSTER

The beauty of this poster is that it will appeal to everyone from children to the elderly. Most people have seen the Disney film, Jungle Book, probably when they were small and this poster revokes all those feelings you had when you first saw it. We have some kind of emotional attachment to these characters, maybe more than we do to the real-life jungle animals and people, and the thought that someone’s about to take them away from us, provokes a kind of protective reaction.

Visually, I really like the effect of combining a black and white photograph with colourful cartoon drawings. The idea of taking these fictional Disney characters and putting them into the real world in a sinister context, is really quite arresting.

I wonder if it would work better for Greenpeace as a poster though if it displayed their logo in the corner. Although this would take away from the poster aesthetically, it would add weight to the message, making people think more seriously about it, rather than just seeing it as another quirky piece of art by Banksy.

LYNX

This is an online viral ad for Lynx. It’s promoting the “spray more, get more” philosophy. It works because it’s such a simple, clever idea. It’s refreshing, as this kind of thinking isn’t usually seen in advertising aimed at the young male market.

It works well as a viral as it’s relatively short. This means people may well be inclined to watch it more than once and send it onto their friends.

In contrast to this viral, the most recent Lynx "naughty to nice" ads that are currently being shown on TV are over-complicated. They are not clever, sexy or cool. This is a shame as in the past Lynx ads have always been so good and spot-on for their target market.

THIS IS ENGLAND

This is England is a British coming of age drama which gives us with an unbiased insight into the skinhead movement of 1980's Britain.

The film is both gritty and uplifting. Filmed in the Meadows in Nottingham, it is a powerful demonstration of British filmmaking at its best.

The frequent add-libs demonstrate the actors’ natural dry wit and add to the realism that resonates throughout the film. It is moving without being over-sentimental: a trait that ruins many Hollywood films.

My favourite part of the film was the opening credits (similar to the start of the video above), which sets the scene of 1980’s Britain perfectly, capturing the energy and mood of the time. While this might provoke a feeling of negativity, the evocative period Ska soundtrack gives the opening sequence, and indeed the whole film, an optimistic twist.

WOODHOUSE

Woodhouse is a deprived area of Leeds and as a result has a bad reputation. From a creative point of view though, I find it stimulating.

The large student population gives the place a laid-back, optimistic feel. Day and night, a range of music can be heard echoing from various bedroom windows. It’s full of life.

Visually it is also very interesting. The rows of red brick terraces are full of character and are reminiscent of a bygone era.

In contrast to this, the fly-tipping and the graffiti which springs up over night keeps things fresh and can be a great source of inspiration.

JONATHANYUEN.COM

Jonathan Yeun, a multi-disciplinary graphic designer, has created a self-publicising portfolio website with a difference: it doesn’t feel like a self-publicising portfolio website.

Instead its tranquil, simply animated scrolling pages feel more like a beautifully illustrated children’s book.

The focus of this 'site is not Yeun's portfolio of work, it is the 'site itself, which he uses as a demonstration of his creative talents.

This confident move is what differentiates Yuen’s ‘site from the thousands of other portfolio ‘sites out there.