Design as Conversation: Revisiting Old Friends

As Lady Gaga tries to bridge the generation gap of music by singing with the famous Yoko Ono, those from our generation thrive to do the same in the realm of art and design. Through the popular art site of www.deviantart.com, artists and designers alike come together to form a tight-knit online community where art is shared on a daily basis.

DeviantART is home to thousands of aspiring artists all over the world as they are given the chance to display their work on a profile similar to an online portfolio. From paintings and writing to photography and sculptures, deviantART doesn’t put a limit on what one can do. And with so much artistic freedom available to its members, deviantART has spawned several “reboots” of the familiar faces that we know and love.

Below are a few examples of how familiar friends from the past have taken new shape and form:

Then...

...now, by osy057 on www.deviantart.com

Then...

...now, by spacecoyote on www.deviantart.com

To some, these regenerations of the past outshine the originals we grew up with. To others, they disgrace their original counterparts. With a line drawn clearly across the sand, dividing those in favor and those opposed, we constantly ask ourselves where we stand. Which side of the line are we on?

As old ideas are portrayed in new perspectives, younger artists have practically embodied design as a conversation as their work has generated criticism regarding their methods of inspiration. With so much “call-and-response” used by the latest generation of artists and designers, older generations question youth’s ability to be innovative and original. It’s true that many have gained attention from revamping ideas from our early childhood. But does this define our generation? Does this mean that we are simply a generation of copycats? I would like to think that this is not the case.

Although we have based our own creativity on the creativity of artists before us, doesn’t this simply mean that we are displaying our talent through the showcasing of modernized art? And by lending our own perspective to older works, a perspective that many consider to be fresh and inventive, couldn’t one consider this to be bridging the generation gap? If we were to take this viewpoint rather than the one that downplays the creativity of the younger generation, then surely we would be able to open our eyes to new forms of artwork and design. For our generation is not one made up of copycats; it’s one of pioneers.

And besides...

Then...

...now, by bri-chan on www.deviantart.com

...in times like these, a fresh new take on things could be just what we need.