PROJECT

The First Man – A2 Poster

Master of Arts (Honours) Thesis –

Design component

The moral dimensions of design: the re-emergence of the design manifestos and their effect

TEXT

Julia Park

EDITOR

Sue Felix

My thesis highlights the infinite possibilities that design offers within any given context to the community of users and determines that the incorporation of responsibility must be part of everyday design practice.

The A2 poster titled ‘The First Man’ is a design response to analysing an iconic image - that of the ‘hooded man’ depicting torture at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison. The objective is to present a view that engages with the design process, challenging the viewer to take a more subjective approach and enabling the meaning to be interpreted in a multi-dimensional form.

The intent was to engage in thoughtful action as a design agent to demonstrate the capacity for and value of the moral dimensions inherent in design practice.

This poster was inspired by Albert Camus’ The first man (1994). The text is set in Trajan to reflect ancient Roman inscriptions and to identify the perpetuation of repetitive violence and revenge. The red text subtly mimics the shape of the hooded man as well as that of dripping blood.

Finalist: Ideology for the Hong Kong International Poster Triennial 2007

Poster Title: The First Man

Exhibition: 25 November 2007 – 19 May 2008 at Hong Kong Heritage Museum

Catalogue: Beyond the Surface – Hong Kong International Poster Triennial 2007, Hong Kong: Hong Kong Heritage Museum, 2007