Simon Gray: March 2010

Melbourne Sports Museum Critiques

Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) Logo

Current

Critical Description

This design is very symbolic. For a very well known sports venue famous around Australia, there is a lot of pressure on the logo. It is imperative it uses all the art elements and principles well, as well as other art styles.

The logo is fairly straightforward, in a proportional way. The colours range from yellow, green to blue in varying shades of analogous hues. Combined with white, it produces a rather pleasing visual effect.

Elements and Principles

Linework is used in the form of 'fingernail' shaped blue lines around the circle in the centre of the logo representing the grand stand. While there isn't exactly a texture to the logo, the gradient in the centre circle certainly makes up for it. Shape is used well: the central circle not only represents the playing field, but I think it also gives a nod to the shape of an aussie rules football in the fact that it is not a straight circle but more of an oval shape.

Going on to the principles: the logo is very centrally and equally balanced. There is nothing dynamic about it at all - apart from perhaps the grand stand blue lines. However these are more rhythmic than anything else, and seem to shimmer around the central circle playing field.

Art style

The art style is a lot more contemporary and doesn't really have much of a 'professional business' feel to it that many big company logos have. The typeface choice is very square and contemporary, however it is centered in the middle of the logo and seems diminished by the surrounding 'fun-style' iconography.

Concept/Theme

The concept behind the logo is very clearly the MCG itself. The playing field is represented a green circle with hints of blue and yellow at each corner, anchoring it into what is kind of recognized as the Australian theme colours. The blue curved lines around the circle are reminiscent of the grand stands of the MCG. What is interesting is the several variations of the logo around the place (which I am unable to include here). Some have the text built out of circles, and others have the large playing field fluorescent lights swirling around the MCG.

Personal

I believe the logo itself is very effective. It is both fun and has the flicker of an air of professionalism to it. What I find disappointing is the usage of the logo... it seems to conflict a lot with the other logo variations - I believe this confuses people in regard to the logo (it confuses me at least...!) I think a stronger use of a simple logo would promote unity and make things a lot easier.

http://www.mcg.org.au/

http://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/stadiums.php?id=71

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne_Cricket_Ground

Sydney Swans Uniform

Current

Courtesy of http://www.abc.net.au/

Critical Description

This is the Guernsey of the iconic Sydney Swans AFL team. It uses a variety of different artistic styles to assist in its portrayal. Negative space is used on the front, with the Sydney opera house silhouetted out of the bottom of the red 'V'.

Elements and Principles
While there isn't a lot of linework (bar the Guernsey material texture) or and no texture at all, the shape of the items on the uniform really pop out and cement the elements of design. Colour is used in an attempt to assist with this, the hue is very garish.

The logo is centered on the vertical axis, but spins dynamically on the horizontal. The red 'V' intersects the asymmetrical opera house on this axis. No rhythm or sense of scale is really used.

Art style
There isn't an art style as such to the uniform, it is kind of line a national flag in that regard. There is no doubt as to the symbolic value of flags and uniforms, both aim to evoke a sense of pride rather than wow with visuals.

Concept/Theme
To be honest there isn't much of a concept behind the uniform. Sydney was the South Melbourne Football Club until 1982, and the colours of red and white date back to the 1890s. The red V was introduced in 1932, and it seems that in the 1982 move to Sydney a silhouette of the Sydney opera house was tacked to the bottom of the red 'V'.

Personal
I feel that this uniform is a bit of a failure. The 'V' could be done in a bold aggressive way, but not only is it a basic, stock standard 'V', but a failed portrait of the Sydney opera house is intersecting its otherwise sharp point. The opera house is done so small that it is unrecognizable us such unless you get close and stare hard for a a good 10 seconds. At a glance, a rookie to the game may in fact think it represents a little patch of footy turf.

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~nickname/afl.html#swans
http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/Swans/TheClub/History/tabid/7210/Default.aspx
http://www.smh.com.au/news/afl/day-the-bloodstained-angels-were-born/2006/09/01/1156817102957.html

Critiquing Tools

ART VOCABULARY LIST
Negative space is the space between objects or the parts of an object, for example the area between a cup and its handle. Also the space between an object and the edges of the canvas, i.e. the space around an object.
http://painting.about.com/cs/paintingknowhow/g/negativespace.htm

Smudge (or scumble)— There are two senses for this term. Its earlier meaning: a broken passage of opaque or translucent color (often paint) skimmed or dragged across the surface in such a way that each color is visible, each modifying the other, or, to apply a color in this way. This technique was developed by the Venetian school of painters (chief among whom was Titian, c. 1488 - 1576), who passed dry, opaque coats of oil paint over a tinted background to create subtle tones and shadows. Although this painting technique dates to the 16th century, use of the word "scumble" in order to refer to it is unknown before the late 18th century. The origins of the word "scumble" are blurry [!], but the word is thought to be related to the verb "scum," an obsolete form of "skim" (meaning "to pass lightly over"). A later sense for scumble: to smudge or smear the lines, edges, or colors in an image by rubbing lightly. This use appeared in the mid-1800s.
http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/Sc.html

Proportion is a principle of art that describes the size, location or amount of one element to another (or to the whole) in a work. It has a great deal to do with the overall hamrony of an individual piece.

http://arthistory.about.com/cs/glossaries/g/p_proportion.htm

Rhythm is a principle of art that's difficult to summarize in words. Assuming that you've picked up on a rhythm in music before, take what you heard with your ears and try to translate that to something you'd see with your eyes. Rhythm, in art, is a visual beat.
http://arthistory.about.com/cs/glossaries/g/r_rhythm.htm

Middle ground
A point of view midway between extremes: "the middle ground between news and amusement" (Roderick Anscombe).
http://www.answers.com/topic/middle-ground

courtesy of http://www.greatimpressions.co.uk/personal1.htm

ADJECTIVE LIST

Concerning Colour:

Shade - A color to which black or another dark hue has been added to make it darker, tending to make them neutral in color. For example, black added to green makes it a darker shade of green. Value changes from pure hues are called shades and tints. You can see this in the color wheel below. On the right, pure hues are marked by dots. The shades made from those hues are under them.
http://www.artlex.com/

Warm
warm colors - Colors are often described as having temperature — as warm (reds, oranges, and yellows), or cool (greens, blues, and violets). Warm colors are often associated with fire and the sun. They appear on one side of the color wheel, and opposite the cool colors. Psychologically, warm colors are said to be stimulating and passionate. Optically, warm colors generally appear to advance, coming toward the viewer.
http://www.artlex.com/

Garish
1.
a. Marked by strident color or excessive ornamentation; gaudy.
b. Loud and flashy: garish makeup. See Synonyms at gaudy1.
2. Glaring; dazzling: "Hide me from Day's garish eye" (John Milton).
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/garish

Polychrome
• adj. painted, printed, or decorated in several colors.
• n. varied coloring.
∎ a work of art in several colors, esp. a statue.
• v. [tr.] [usu. as adj.] (polychromed) execute or decorate (a work of art) in several colors.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-polychrome.html

Analogous colors are colors that are adjacent or next to one another on a color wheel. An analogous color scheme is one in which only three adjacent colors are used. The theory is that colors work well or harmonize together. Usually one of these colors is dominant, or used more than the other two, in the painting.

http://painting.about.com/od/artglossarya/g/defanalogous.htm

courtesy of http://www.roguescene.com

PRINCIPLES and ELEMENTS of DESIGN LIST

Basic ELEMENTS of Design

Line

Line can be considered in two ways. The linear marks made with a pen or brush or the edge created when two shapes meet.

Colour

Also called Hue

Texture

Texture is the surface quality of a shape - rough, smooth, soft hard glossy etc. Texture can be physical (tactile) or visual.

Shape

A shape is a self contained defined area of geometric or organic form. A positive shape in a painting automatically creates a negative shape.

Form (aka shade/value)

Value is the lightness or darkness of a colour. Value is also called Tone

http://www.johnlovett.com/test.htm

Basic PRINCIPLES of Design

Stability (better known as Balance)

Balance is one of the principles of art which describes how artists to create visual weight.
http://www.alifetimeofcolor.com/study/g_balance.html

Dynamics

a) characterized by action or forcefulness or force of personality; "a dynamic market"; "a dynamic speaker"; "the dynamic president of the firm"
b) of or relating to dynamics
c) moral force: an efficient incentive; "they hoped it would act as a spiritual dynamic on all churches"
d) active: (used of verbs (e.g. `to run') and participial adjectives (e.g. `running' in `running water')) expressing action rather than a state of being
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Rhythm

Rhythm is one of the principles of art. Visual rhythm makes you think of the rhythms you hear in music or dance. Artists create visual rhythm by repeating art elements and creating patterns.
http://www.alifetimeofcolor.com/study/g_rhythm.html

Scale (also known as Proportion)

Proportion is one of the principles of art which describes the size, location or amount of one thing compared to another.

http://www.alifetimeofcolor.com/study/g_proportion.html