Paper Instillation artists Zim and Zou Analysis.

Zim and Zou are a french graphic design studio who who specialise in paper craft and creating pieces of artwork using paper. One of their recent projects is called "back to basics" and focuses on recreating vintage technologies using bright retro 80s colours. Their other projects include the "low gravity" project which is an advert for Windoo, a couch surfing and networking site which allows people to share information on hospitality services.



Back to basics

The picture to the left displays a range of outcomes that  they produced for their project. As yo can see it is all technology from the 70's and 80's era. Walk men, Polaroid cameras, floppy discs and early games consoles/games.

My first reaction to the piece was shocked when I found out that the items were made out of cut card which was shaped and put together and what was even more shocking was how each of them are very accurate in their sizes. The part that draws my attention is the selection of bright colours. The artists have used bright coloured card and layered it so that the items look more 3D and life like.

The sensory effect that this piece has on me is quite different to the one that may be expected and is contextually affected by modern culture. This is because in recent years, vintage art as been re-born and re-used in our every day lives. Vintage clothing and fashion is being purchased by the younger population, images and retro styles like the strait edges are and bright colours are being used in music videos and adverts and being merged with current styles to form new designs. This is evidently present in this modern era and this work can be related to an earlier part of the blog when I analysed some t-shirts that were made by a company called the joystick junkies. Even though they are a relatively new company, there is evidence that their brand was inspired by retro gaming; e.g use of the word joystick with the green console command type blocks as well as the colours on the deadmau5 t-shirt which are similar to the ones that are used on these items. A technique that they have used,, which is very common when presenting new technological products as well as fashion, is the use of a clean background with lighting shone onto it making it apear as if they have re invented the products. This being the case, when I see this I think of modern pop and electronic music. The 70s and 80s were at the beginning of  modern technology and was greatly influential on modern fashion; due the to the fact that since then we have made significant progress I think that modern artists and designers like Zim and Zou have decided to use this contrast of old and new because it gives this genre of digital pop culture a modern-urban twist.

This is one of the items that Zim and Zou have re created. It is a walk man which is what people used before modern day mp3's. The user would put a cassette tape into the player and then would play the music that was on it. One feature that draws my attention is how the artists have re created the actual magnetic tape that holds the music information. It appears that they have got a long strip of paper and winded it around another bit to form the reels. Another amazing feature is that you can open up the player and put the tape into it so it has moving parts.

Low Gravity

The low gravity project was an advertising campaign for a company called Windoo. I believe that the idea for the name low gravity comes form the action that the user of the sight would take which is surfing the web. The idea of floating around the internet and then homing in on the selected sight. This is relevant to the audience that the sight is intended for. The sites was made for back packers as a social networking site where they could rate the hostels or boarding facilities that they used and then share the information with other back packers so they can find a place stay and then see whether others recommend it, or suggest that they avoid it. As back packers also travel around looking for new things, surfing the  the globe, the designers intentions for the instillation are clear.

The logo is retro keeping with the theme of some of their newer  projects . It  uses isometric  patterns and pastel like colours which are very calm and gentle. This would make the audience and potential site users think that the site is friendly/user friendly and is there for the purpose of helping them. The colours are inviting and the design is likely to appeal to the younger population which are most likely to be back packers and using this site.

Again this instillation is representative of back packers for the obvious  reason that they give the  viewer the feeling that they are orientating the globe and the internet/ their site holds a  world of information. The paper planes represent playfulness and fun but also the idea of travel and taking planes to your destination. The use of the colour blue as the background makes the audience think of adventure into the unknown like the deep blue sea or soaring new heights into the sky.