AGI Conference: Chicago

Paul Sahre was the first presenter at the AGI graphic design conference in Chicago. Paul is the owner of The Office of Paul design incorporated, based in New York City. He attended Kent State University in Ohio. He is known for his innovative and often times sassy book covers and silkscreen posters. One thing that I took away from his presentation is his concept of “problems.” As graphic designers we have a very different concept/ connotation attached with the word “problem;” making something positive and drawing a conclusion out of a given statement. He brought up the very important idea that problems never end, and neither do solutions. For instance, he very strangely used the example of his brother’s death as an inspiration in his life. His brother was a free-spirit who worked in for the circus and had a love for elephants, so much so that he had one tattooed on his leg (on its hind legs with a monoical in its hand and a top hat. Well, Paul loved this about his brother, and as a final good-bye, and as a means for his own healing, he painted the elephant on his brothers casket. Though this is a little strange, it demonstrates the power of art and design in our lives, as both a means for expression and for healing.