Entry 5: Art vs Design

Continuing from my last week's mission to find more references that create both art and design. As through looking at the artworks and design works really inspired me to improve my design by using art, since art is my stronger subject of the two.

This week i came across an artist/designer called Olga Cuzuioc.
http://www.coroflot.com/public/individual_details.asp?individual_id=296861
http://www.olgacuzuioc.com/

I admire the flexibility of her skills, as she is capable of being a designer as well as a fine artist.
unlike the previous references i looked at, Cuzuioc have a huge rage of styles and compositions in her collection of works. She is skilled in both realism and abstract forms of art, at the same time being a graphic/web designer. I am very inspired by how she adapt to the freedom in forms of art as well as the restrictions and rules in design. By looking at her designs, it is hard to pick out a consistent style flow as each work is for a different client, therefore it will have to suit each client's needs.
However by studying her paintings, i could see similar soft brush work style in all the paintings, despite she did a range of works from abstract to realism.

Another reference i came across for this entry was Lucas Musgrave.
http://www.lucasmusgrave.com/

By looking at Musgrave's website, i am highly attracted to his illustration style/skills, as well as the screen-printed appeal. He started out as an artist/ illustrator and then achieved positions for designs later. Looking through his works, i can see that he is heavily illustration based. With his artworks as well as designs (even for logos he design). Therefore in contrast with my last entry's artist/designer references, Musgrave is more of an artist who let his artworks influence his design rather than basing his art style on his design works. The result is, his design appear very visual and fashion/life-style themed which mirrors the style of of illustrations. Rather than the corporate and more serious appearance that Olga Cuzuioc's logos and design works have. This is interesting as i realised that an artist or designer can also be categorised by the style of their works, this can also determine what sort of companies they are suited to work for and their target audiences.
I personally find Musgrave's artworks very interesting and inspiring, as i am very illustrations/screen print based myself with my works. Therefore i find his style easy to relate to.

This week's finds have been particularly interesting for me. I am amazed to find people like Olga Cuzuioc exist, who is skilled in both art and design; as i always thought mastering the rules of design and the visual freedom of art would be impossible. Additionally i found a new artist/designer: Lucas Musgrave, whose style is very attractive to me and made me realise the aesthetic of a style can determine the areas and audiences a person can work with. Thus Musgrave's artworks can attract fashion/sport-apparel brands and musicians. In contrast, artists/deisgners like Cuzuioc have to change and adapt her style to suit the demand of her client.