We go to museums and galleries to gaze at sculptures,
paintings, drawings, and photographs, but there’s an art form that’s so much a
part of our day-to-day grind that we rarely get the chance to step back and
appreciate it. We’re talking about design — what makes everything from cars to
mobile phones to liquor bottles to the magazine you’re holding so easy on the
eyes. Our area is home to many a talented image maker, and the local chapter of
the American Institute of Graphic Artists gives some well-deserved props to the
field’s stars with its biennial Best of New England awards. From nearly 600
submissions of work produced by New England‑based
graphic designers during 2007 and 2008, a trio of high-profile judges selected
about 50 pieces. Those items, which include everything from candy wrappers and
books to posters and web sites, make up the “B(oNE) Show,” which will be
on display at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design’s Bakalar Gallery
(621 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 617.879.7333) from June 12 through July 11. The
winners will be unveiled on June 11 at an evening ceremony that will kick off
the month-long show. Pay a visit to “B(oNE),” and you’ll find yourself at the
whirring crossroads where art, commerce, and utility intersect. “Design’s role
is to communicate something to you,” says Tracy Swyst, director of operations
for AIGA Boston. Designers are “really critical thinkers,” Swyst emphasizes. “I’ve
been talking with people about ‘design’ as a verb. It’s a problem-solving
experience.... It’s very relevant to business and to everyday life.” For more
information, check out www.boneshow.org.
