guilt-trippin' Art

As a country, Canada tends to have a much more peaceful reputation then it's history would reveal (The previous reading room residents Katie Earle and Sarah Nesbitt tackled some of this subject matter in their thought provoking and hauntingly beautiful exhibition at the VAV earlier this fall). I have chosen to take a closer look at some of Canada's educational institutions, what's going on inside and what are the promises they are making to us as students and Canadian society as a whole. I've been trying to do some snooping around Montreal's other universities, trying to see what feels like in an UQAM student's shoes for a day, or the prestige of Mcgill's "Ivy League of Canada" repuation...damn that place has a wicked library (and reading room- but the staff at ours is way sexier). Anyways, before I get myself into too much trouble I wanted to share with you a great electronic resource from the big Mc, In my serching for some "Canadian propaganda", I came across a bank of propaganda posters from the first and second world war. enjoy

How To: Concordia's Visual Identity

all of the following information can be found on Concordia's Communications and Print Graphics Standards Manual and The Faculty of Fine Arts Graphic Standards and Procedures Manual

The overwhelming view of Concordia is that we are a daring, approachable and engaged university; an institution that is rich in diversity and committed to the highest standards of learning and research. Based on this information, University Communications Services was given the mandate to examine how Concordia communicates its key messages visually, in speeches, and through published and electronic media. They identified four characteristics as being essential guides for our visual expression and key messages. These are: high quality, daring, diversity, and approachability.

Our logo is a symbol of our commitment to innovation, excellence and involvement in our community. It reflects our growth and development, the renewal of our campuses, and above all our vision of becoming a leading university in Canada. All Concordians and alumni from each of our founding institutions should be proud of this logo. It preserves our heritage by maintaining the emblems that speak so eloquently of our past, and transforms these symbols into a dynamic expression of our confidence in our future.

-Concordia Colour Palette:
Burgundy: C = 0, M = 100, Y = 60, K = 46
Gold: C = 0, M = 25, Y = 50, K = 35
Light Gold: C = 0, M = 15, Y = 30, K = 21

- Fine Arts Visual Identity Standards:
1. Horizontal line (in Concordia burgundy) with a rough or hand-drawn feel, which represents a connecting thread between the departments, units and Faculty;
2. Required Concordia graphic signature (book element) appropriately integrated into the horizontal line.
3. Department or Faculty of Fine Arts logo (primary) with option of adding the Concordia logo where visually appropriate.
4. Gill Sans as the primary title or body text font (no Ultra Bold or Black); 5. Composite image representing each department and the Faculty, presented in a diamond-like shape on a white background withthe horizontal line running through it.

was the old logo really that bad?


and here are some P.C. tips courtesy of the Editorial Style Guide,

INSTEAD OF: Professionals and their wives….
USE: Professionals and their partners are welcome at the event.

INSTEAD OF: Each applicant must send two copies of his academic record….
USE: Send two copies of your academic record to the Registrar’s Office. Or All applicants should send two copies of their academic records.

INSTEAD OF: Professors worked closely with the Chinese on the project.
USE: The Chinese community worked closely with professors on the project.

INSTEAD OF: John Capobianco praised his grad student John-Christopher.
USE: John Capobianco gave PhD candidate John-Christopher Boyer enthusiastic praise for his contributions to their research project.

i n s i g n i a

One of my favorite forms of visual wartime propaganda are printed textiles. We are all familiar with posters of saluting soldiers and the rays of a rising sun in the background, but printed cloth was a much more subtle form of propaganda, one which could be transformed into everyday garments. The library has some great books available with many examples, like this silk scarf from Wearing propaganda: textiles on the home front in Japan, Britain, and the United States, 1931-1945

And this repeat print on cotton, which would have been used as yardage for garments from Soviet textiles: designing the modern utopia

Printed clothing is a powerful way to express your identity, weather it’s your favorite band or affirming your school pride. Much like the printed cloth mentioned above, your school sweatpants are not only a way of advertising the institution, but also reaffirming a belief in a brighter future. Just like this lady sporting her McGill gear.

Hi There

It's me, the mysterious fine arts reading room resident Pippa making my first attempt at a post here. I've been awful quiet with my research but I thought I'd share some of my findings with you. I’m currently investigating the post secondary educational institution’s visual imagery as a form of propaganda. Montreal, which houses 4 major Canadian universities and over 10 college level schools, is an ideal location to question the promises of an education and the reality of the job market and graduates drowning in debt.

First off, did anyone else notice the fine arts reading room's own Zoë Ritts in the infamous Maclean's 20th anniversary University rankings issue?

The caption “ Crafty Concordia: Fine arts students don’t just learn how to paint, they learn how to apply their talent to real-world design” was under an image of Zoë working hard on a loom in the fibres department. The article titled "No Ivory Tower here" (you can read it here) promoted Concordia’s diverse faculty of fine arts, which I interpreted as some sort preemptive apology against Concordia's defensiveness of its continual low ranking on the Maclean's list.

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