TIFFANY BURNETTE Updated 04/10/2008
The Costa Rican mug is actually a set, the dessert dish and mug so I sent you two images, one of just the mug and one with both. The description follows below. Thanks again!
Paper coffee or horchata cup and dessert dish inspired by Costa Rican ox-cart wheels and the Tico's love of children. Costa Rican ox-carts are used during almost all national and local festivals as they portray a national icon. The set was designed with a child and playful adult in mind.
We found a refreshing breath of South American culture in Tiffany Burnette’s Costa Rican dessert dish and mug. Burnette, an Industrial Design senior at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, created this paper set inspired by the country’s traditional ox-carts. The hand-crafted ox-carts, or carretas, are now typically built as folding miniature trolleys to serve as small tables, and the rising folds of this angular piece certainly reflect that.
We love the inspiration of brightly-painted mandala wheels and flower-laden festival carts of Sarchi [http://www.fascinationcostarica.com/entry.cfm?nEntrada=4112], but Burnette certainly took a smartly edited approach to her color choices that appeals to adults as much as to children. This sophisticated tabletop set, though an appealing memory of Costa Rican festival, is better-suited to an afternoon cup of coffee in your stylish adobe kitchen after a siesta, than to simple street food.
See Tiffany Burnette’s Costa Rican dessert dish and mug with the work of other top innovative seniors at the Pratt Show. Pratt Students display the creative edge that alters consumers’ lifestyles and promotes company growth. More than 1,000 representatives from 400 companies attended last year’s show. See for yourself!
The Pratt Show
May 6-8th, 2008
Manhattan Center
311 W. 34th Street (at 8th Ave.)
New York, NY
Public Show Hours:
Tuesday, May 6th - 9 AM to 5 PM
Wednesday, May 7th – 9 AM to 9 PM
Thursday, May 8th – 9 AM to 1 PM
Posted by Annie Beth Ericsson
MIRO KODAMA Updated 04/10/2008
How can you add a little hint of color and humor to your living environment? The DOOR SPLAT is the solution; it's a door stop that looks like a splash of paint. Made of 100% rubber, the DOOR SPLAT comes in five playful colors.
The whimsical nature of Pratt’s student body is exemplified in Miro Kodama’s Door Splat. Kodama, an Industrial Design senior at Pratt, turns a basic necessity into a visually stunning splash of color, like the fantasy form of a typical art student’s paint mess. And it seems ironic that such a liquid, wildly biomorphic shape would be the very structure to hold your heavy door open. Because when we first saw Kodama’s design, we couldn’t help but think of the holy grail of petty – I mean putty – distractions… Nickelodeon’s Gak! { http://www.retrojunk.com/details_commercial/2644/}
For children of the 90s, Nickelodeon is probably our first universal example of “Well, back in MY day… everything was SO much better.” And back in our day, there was Double Dare, a game show that made the most ridiculous, slimy messes a reality. Not to mention that we could have our very own green slime at home with Gak, a moldable compound that blew Play-Doh out of the water and we’re sure inspired an artist or two (plus, who could forget the noises?). Then came the Gak Pak, Floam, Smud, Goooze, Squeeez, and Squand. It was the decade of onomatopeic cool!
We’re impressed that from such a funny concept, a refined design is born. There’s nothing more important than maintaining a sense of humor and childlike inspiration with success. And now that we’re mature, sophisticated New Yorkers, it’s nice to know that we can still have a door stop that looks like a splat!
For more information, check out www.mkodama.com.
See Miro Kodama’s Door Splat with the work of other top innovative seniors at the Pratt Show. Pratt Students display the creative edge that alters consumers’ lifestyles and promotes company growth. More than 1,000 representatives from 400 companies attended last year’s show. See for yourself! 
The Pratt Show
May 6-8th, 2008
Manhattan Center
311 W. 34th Street (at 8th Ave.)
New York, NY
Public Show Hours:
Tuesday, May 6th - 9 AM to 5 PM
Wednesday, May 7th – 9 AM to 9 PM
Thursday, May 8th – 9 AM to 1 PM
Posted by Annie Beth Ericsson
PRATT SHOW 2008
Faculty Success
Nancy Grimes updated 02-20-08
The ugly truth is that only a tiny percentage of artists realize high-profile careers. Mo st of us never even achieve the type of dependable prosperity enjoyed by accountants and dentists. So, if you’re the type of person who needs that retrospective at the Whitney and a six-figure income, try another field. For those who choose to persevere, be prepared to suffer.
Yes, you will suffer. So, from one who has been there, here are eight serious and not-so-serious tips on how to manage the pain.
1. Do it for the work, not the career. Presumably, most artists become artists because they are interested in art. Cultivate this interest. Nurture it and fan it into a consuming passion. Make it a necessary condition of your existence (like food and sex).
2. Make work that will sustain you over a lifetime, not just a few seasons in Chelsea. If the problems you set for yourself in the studio are too narrow or trivial, your work will eventually bore you (and everyone else). Instead, challenge yourself. Ambitious work takes longer to develop, but it nourishes you through lean periods.
3. Don’t allow yourself to be brainwashed by prevailing fashion, which has a frustrating habit of changing just when you’ve figured it out. Following fashion may lead to some initial successes, but only because you are being used to validate the artists you’re imitating.
4. Develop a clear-cut set of artistic values and stick to them. Don’t be derailed by promises of short-term reward. This strategy may cost you some sales, but remember, self-respect is priceless.
5. If you must kiss ass, make sure it’s an ass that you respect. Few things feel worse than being rejected by a dealer, curator or critic that you think is an idiot.
6. Develop a network of friends who share your artistic values. You’d be surprised how the support of a few good friends can sustain you through periods of professional and creative drought.
7. Avoid colleagues who, when you run into them, ask if you’re still making work, then list all the shows, grants and residencies they’ve got lined up. NEVER INVITE THESE PEOPLE TO YOUR STUDIO.
8. Make work that you want to see. It may be unfashionable and not particularly commercial, but you’ve got to live with it—and yourself.
Life After Pratt
Megan Huntz Dresses updated 02/15/08
Made in Italy by an American girl
Throughout my entire life, the one thing I have always needed and never tired of is a dress. For anything, anywhere.
I'm bored of everything in life being so casual; there's no sense of true elegance anymore. Of course times change. I even wear my dresses with sneakers. No matter which context, even the most casual, I can feel like I have an elegant edge when I wear one of my dresses. In the summer with heals or in the winter with thick wool tights, boots and an over-sized cardigan. And when I travel, I always grab one of my dresses because I can quickly throw it into a suitcase, wash it in a hotel sink, and it doesn't require the use of an iron! Low maintenance dressing is another thing I'll never tire of, among cashmere sweaters, diamonds, and great big glorious sunglasses. All of which make a perfect combination with my dresses. Now that wasn't so hard, was it?
So with a hint of style from the most elegant ladies of days gone by (the ones who carried telephone dialers, wore gloves and hats, paid attention to the seasons, and when and where not to wear black or white) I have designed a line of dresses with a realistic vision for contemporary dressing. Made in Italy in a limited quantity of hand washed silk and special over-dying and color treatments, which give an added value to the style of the dresses. First the dresses are made, then color is applied to the dress in an artful way. Lastly they are washed in a dye bath, rendering each garment distinctly different.
The First View of Megan Huntz Dresses was held January 16-18 in Barcelona at Dou 16, a new boutique making a big impact for fashion research and young designers. The line is now available at Dou 16 and Zsu Zsa, both in Barcelona, as well as to buyers and individual clients, and will be sold in more stores this coming spring.
About Megan:
American fashion designer Megan Huntz is originally from Atlanta, GA but has been living in Italy for the past five years. She currently lives and works in Treviso, Italy, a small town north of Venice. Her graduate studies at Domus Academy in Milan brought her to Italy in 2003, and since then she has worked for one's of the country's premiere denim companies, Meltin'Pot, one of the Europe's most important concept stores, Spazio Lazzari of Treviso, as well as for Max&Co and New Penny, brands of the Max Mara group, one of Italy's strongest clothing companies. Her background in Industrial Design, for which she has a bachelor degree from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, has allowed her to explore various aspects of the fashion industry as well as cross over into other types of work.
She recently participated in Project Fourt, a project that visually invigorated the working space for the Global Marketing and Creative Excellence groups at Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta. January 2008 saw the launch of Megan's signature dress line; a reflection of her personal expression of fashion that reflects her accumulated research and experiences.
telephone:
Italy +39 333 979 4785
USA +1 404 606 2807
email: megan@meganhuntz.com
website: www.meganhuntz.com
Stephanie Mongon updated 02-07-08
Career Services helped me find a job as an interactive graphic designer immediately after I completed my MS in Communications Design. Currently I design and produce web sites and banner ads. The first three months at work were mostly about acclimating to the environment; now it's more about finding a niche. Of course you're expected to meet the requirements of your job description, but I've also found that if you can somehow advertise your other design skills to co-workers it opens up opportunities beyond what you were originally hired for. For instance, all of the designers I work with can comp a web site in Photoshop, but the ones who draw as a hobby also get chosen for animated illustration projects.
The flip side of advertising your skills is being up front about your limits. Luckily, I'm in a workplace where it's okay to say "I'm not sure, but let me figure it out"…which also means that I spend a lot of late nights combing online forums and tutorials for ActionScript code and video editing techniques. It's just as much of an education as grad school was…although this time I'm getting paid instead of paying :)
Mary Rieser Heintjes updated 02-07-08
Survival as an artist comes in many forms and as an artist that process is inherent. After receiving a BFA at Pratt in 1979 (painting/drawing and minor in stained glass), I decided to complete my MFA. Through tuition remission, working full-time at Pratt granted a certain amount of credits per semester in the evening. Developing my art in the hours left following work and class was great training in itself for the years to come. Although strenuous, these years searching for the meaning in life/art and finding protected time to develop were like the pit stop during the race.
After completing my MFA, I worked freelance in a stained glass studio in Manhattan. It was my dream job. But I soon realized that working in the arts did not make ends meet, nor give benefits to support my growing family. I also realized the fumes at the job site slowed my own progress.
Finding a beneficial humanitarian full time job ensured the freedom to work on my art. It seemed that the pit stop schedule suited me. Maybe due to lack of sleep or lack of time…every 86,400 seconds/day counted and my mind filtered in ideas constantly. It opened up the possibility to develop L & M Studio. Now, no matter how frustrating daily life deterred progress, my own art filled my life with hope each day.
After our children were born, I started documenting photographically ideas that I wanted to develop into paintings and drawings someday. That collection of ideas became entities in themselves. The dichotomy of city trees/nature and the architecture that surrounds us has always intrigued me. It was not meant to be so, but the photos were so appealing and strong that their extension as my art could not be denied. Some of those works were accepted by the American Museum of Natural History and others I have been printing as PhotoArtCards, a way for the art to be shared universally.
It is important to maintain an open channel, to experiment, to keep working on your art and especially after a gallery or art proposal is rejected. You will discover other opportunities are out there. It takes great courage to present ones work to those in the position to decide your future. Development of the portfolio is key. Learning new technology so that the portfolio is the best representation of your work is an endeavor in itself and very rewarding. So go for it. Life is an open book ready to be written. MRH 1-20-08
For more information, please see:
-www.LMStudio265.com
-Art by Mary Rieser Heintjes: Opening April 22, 2008 at the Brooklyn Public Library @ Grand
Army Plaza Central Library featuring “City Trees: Dichotomy of Architecture and Nature”
paintings, drawings, photography and stained glass of trees/nature in Brooklyn/New York City.
Mary Rieser Heintjes: Inherent roles of survival for me as an artist:
-Wife with Lawrence Heintjes, Alumni of Pratt Institute
-Mother of our daughters, Lana and Lia
-Co-Director, L & M Studio:
Larry: custom woodworking, mold making, sculpture, art fabrication, painting/drawing
Mary: painting, drawing, stained glass, photography, website & research/development
-Full-time, Executive Secretary to the Chair, Internal Medicine, TBHC
-Tutor, Portfolio Development to middle school students for specialized H.S. art exam
Leon Reid IV
The instances of success in my life have resulted from a combination of grinding labor, a healthy tolerance for danger and acceptance of sacrifice. “Grinding Labor” I use in the literal sense; I spent countless days using an angle grinder to take down the welds put on works of street-art still in the making/ The strength of these lawless street projects, crafted in Pratt’s metal shop, got me through my undergraduate program—one of the most prestigious in the nation—with a BFA degree. The health tolerance for danger came in handy while installing these works on the streets of New York and later London. There was no telling what might happen at the end of the day; I could be sitting in a jail cell or sleeping in my comfy dorm room bed. Although risky, I learned later that these same street works were well known on the international art circuit. The works would soon bring me numerous all-expenses-paid trips to exhibit in European and South American cities. Thirteen years of placing work on the streets has brought me places unseen and situations that have proven book-worthy (The Adventures of Darius and Downey, AS told to Ed Zipco, Thames and Hudson, 2008). But the core of my success has always been about what I have given away to the world. This is the definition of sacrifice and is a requirement of any success.
Akosua K. Albritton
Pratt and Ft. Greene are Forever
Can anyone really have a life without Pratt? After all it’s a cute campus with state-of-the-art tools and interesting instructors. Can you really imagine a day without walking down Dekalb Avenue, Myrtle or Fulton Street? For some, Pratt and Ft. Greene are forever. Other people bought homes in the area and went to work at the Pratt Center, PACC, The Brooklyn Hospital, or MetroTech Center. There’s nothing wrong with staying close to great memories.
A continuing relationship with the school may mean being active in the Alumni Association, attending receptions and seeing great shows. It could mean reading the quarterly alumni newspaper or working as an instructor or in administration.
Your friends may look at you sideways. Hey, when is Jean going to cut the umbilical cord? Yeah Jean, are you a little too attached to your alma mater? Of course there’s a life after Pratt. That was the point of submitting the admissions app and getting financial aid. Life after Pratt means you have the tools to work any place in the world. In the world you put your lessons into practice. In life you get a chance to lead the conversation rather than being led.
Ms. Yates
After I graduated in industrial design with a minor in film I put together an advertising program for a manufacturer of precision parts. I brought all phases of the process in-house: integrating databases, releasing advertising comps and producing displays for the trade shows, The program was a huge success, and I was ready for a new challenge. I redefined myself at a time that the advertising industry was re-inventing itself amidst the emerging Internet. I accepted an opportunity to join the Massachusetts Software Council Fellowship program. The dot-com bubble was about to burst, but many of the Internet movers and shakers of the time were speakers at our weekly meetings. The hype subsided during the fellowship, but my work with a software company gave me the fundamentals that I applied as I pursued my goal of becoming a software engineer. The council no longer offers fellowships. I work in an industry that is under intense cost cutting pressure. I have been MCSE certified for over two years. I look forward to my next challenge: another round of mergers, acquisitions and downsizing.
Ana Tourian
I must say that the reality of Advertising world is tough, no one really tells you what you are in for but with a little patience and perseverance you can have those doors open wide. In 2004 I graduated with a Masters in Communication Design from Pratt. Best decision I ever made. Even though it did take a while to see the fruits on my labor.
It took 300 resumes and a lot of running around from interview to interview. And After three months I landed a job in healthcare advertising at one of the largest companies in NY that specializes in Pharmaceutical advertising, Draft Fcb.
The first thing that struck me was the rhythm of the place. From fast to hyper speed. In School, we were pampered with the timelines; however here there was no “can I get an extension.” There were some resemblances between the pitch work and the classes we had, concepting, branding, all of that was extremely helpful. But if I were to give anyone still in school advice, I’d say take as many internships as possible. If you want to get into advertising, there are two routes—freelance of internship. Those are your two best bets. Once you’ve started the jobs will come in. There are the headhunters to help you, but you have to know the right one, and that takes some time. Use as many resources as you can. Because advertising works on word of mouth too. If you re good, you will be noticed.
In school no one mentioned the late hours, the weekend work, those were things that I found out on the job. So be prepared, understand that there is no avoiding it for at least the first couple of years. Your team is your family; you are there as long as everyone else is. If you can go in with knowing this then there will be no surprises. Be comfortable with yourself in interviews. Do not stress it; the person who is interviewing you is a human being just like you. Try not to think that you are being judged, they need you too otherwise you would not be there.
As far as the financial aspect of it, there are rewards. I had no idea of the industry in healthcare when I was in school. I always wanted to be in consumer advertising. Healthcare advertising is the most financially reward able industry there is and it does top the consumer industry. This being said, the limitations of it are there also, the freedom to dome up with any idea that is “out there” no longer is possible. You are targeting a different audience, doctors, patients, and people with serious conditions.
Efe Buluc
My name is Efe Buluc, I was born in 1975 in Ankara, Turkey. I received both my bachelors and masters degrees in industrial design from Pratt. I have been active as a professional for about six years, doing work all around the world as a designer and filmmaker. I have been collaborating with a friend of mine named Todd Bracher and our teacher Mark Goetz (both Pratt alumni) under the name to22. You can see our work at http://www.to22.net.
Being from Pratt means belonging to a family. I always somehow feel connected to Pratt, and its not because I have two partners from Pratt, but because Pratt has the ability to make you discover yourself and rewards you well when you do good work. Talent is recognized and taken care of very well—such as me winning the Taki Fuji prize and being flown to Japan to receive the award. I owe much to the many great teachers who shaped me at Pratt; I try and pay it back with any evidence that their effort and belief in me did not go to waste.
Now at age 32, having a background from Pratt and six years of work I get published around the world on a constant basis, such as Metropolis, Dwell, Surface, Wallpaper, Frame, Abitare, Intramuros and others. I get invited to countries such as Italy and Sweden to share my ideas and philosophies on design. I do work for the best companies in the world and the world gets received well, both as to22 and just Efe. This sort of success at a very young age was almost entirely shaped by the people at Pratt, because Pratt makes you understand something very well, and that is: believe in yourself and just go out there and do it. Don’t listen to the people who never tried to climb to the top, what kind of advice will they give you? “That’s too hard,” “It’s impossible!” “You have to pay your dues first!” People at Pratt have been to the top, so it’s a great place to listen. Thank you for reading and good luck.
Internship Success
RAMYA RAVISANKAR
As a graduate student I was eager to get some real world experience to help acclimate myself to New York. I felt very fortunate to land an internship at Pierogi Gallery in Williamsburg. It was the perfect introduction to Brooklyn because it was low key and relaxed, but I learned a lot about the artists, artwork, and current artistic trends. The key to making my experience at Pierogi beneficial was to closely study the flat files, to pick the owner's (Joe Amrhein) brain, and to make myself useful by being proactive and asking for more work to do. The best part of the experience was that I felt a sense of accomplishment and purpose and discovered that if given the opportunity I could be an asset to a private art gallery.
The second internship I had in graduate school was at the newly opened Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum. It was an amazing opportunity to get involved in the ongoing dialogue of feminism and art. I spent about a year at the Sackler Center learning about the Dinner Party by Judy Chicago, researching women throughout history, and gaining a breadth of knowledge about Contemporary Feminist art. It was important to dive into the message of the Sackler Center and believe in the importance of Feminism. As a diligent worker I proved that I was up to the challenge of working the opening weekend, which allowed me to meet a lot of the artists who participated in the acclaimed Global Feminisms exhibition. This proved to be an amazing experience for a young artist like myself. In addition to working hard I tried my best to build a rapport with the staff including the fabulous curator Dr. Maura Reilly. It was a great working environment and I was able to learn through experience, research and conversation with Dr. Reilly. At the end of my internship I was sad to leave, but I will always remember what I learned and I will proudly admit to being a Feminist Artist.
LUKE GEHRKE-RODRIQUEZ
Bonjour, my name is Luke Gehrke-Rodriguez and I settled in Paris after graduating from Pratt Institute. During my senior year, my thesis at Pratt Institute discussed the act of layering material, the crystallizing properties of that material and its removal from a site. It sounds more like an experiment in chemistry; in fact it sort of followed the same principles.
I majored in Interior Design. My project was a Hostel located in the neighborhood of TRIBECA in lower Manhattan. Perhaps the endless amount of working hours or the excessive consumption of coffee triggered a change in me. In several ways, the main argument of my thesis referenced back to my life. I found the true college experience; I grew tremendously and my person was altered. I carved a path full of mistakes, but making mistakes and being confused proved to strengthen me. I made the decision before graduation to move out of America. I would find a place and make a name. Being naïve greatly helped my choice to drop everything and start life in Paris. I recently arrived in Paris; don’t expect to see my face any time soon. My goal is to apply to a graduate design school in Paris. Unfortunately, not speaking French makes it hard to enter in that situation. Classes will be in French; obviously I need to learn their language! After graduating, I immediately took classes at the Alliance Française in New York, continuing with the same school when I arrived in France.
I took the risk. I made the choice to give everything up, to leave my friends and my family. I left potential jobs in New York. I would not be speaking my own language. I retired my identity, one thought, shamefully wearing the badge of an expatriate. Later, how I perceived expatriates developed into one of reverence. I left to represent my Nation elsewhere and state that I am proud American.
Then I thought, how was my choice to leave home any different than that of the brave students from other nations? Pratt is home to many foreign students. They all left their homes and started a life in the city. You need to understand that I was born in New York, so my entire life has been a huge bubble. It was necessary to move away.The one thing I miss is the unbelievable culture in Brooklyn, which centers on Pratt. That area holds a number of scenes and movements, but you need to step back in order to see. Brooklyn holds its own identity, surpassing any borough in the arts and New York culture. I had no understanding of the significance Pratt. I would love to return to Brooklyn and work on design.
DAN MASSO
I’ve always wanted to draw comic books. When the time came I knew I only wanted an internship at Marvel Entertainment. I applied for their production internship program in hopes of getting accepted for the summer semester. As the summer came closer I started to lose hope, until the first week of May when I got a call from Marvel. They wanted me to interview. Unfortunately, unknown to me, I was interviewing for a position that I didn’t apply for, and one that I was not prepared for—the toy department. I left discouraged sure that the interview didn’t go well. It turned out that I didn’t get it. I was upset, but I didn’t give up. I reapplied immediately. By the end of the summer I got called back for another interview, this time for the position I had applied for. I ended up getting the internship and have been happily handling, scanning and touching up the artwork of the artists who have inspired me. Recently, I have been given more significant work with my first official credit in a major comic book, She-Hulk #23 coming out November 21st. I think it’s a good start towards my dream.
QUOTES PULLED OUT OF SUMMER 2007 INTERNSHIP PROFILES
- I would suggest putting yourself out there and not being afraid to ask question and to get to know people.
- I would say be brave enough to approach those in the positions you yourself want to be in.
- Embrace an internship with an open mind and be ready to have anything thrown at you.
- Don’t lose steam! Doing busy work can be annoying and degrading but it is worth it. You have to pay your dues!
ALISA STERN
I graduated in May with a degree in traditional animation. Ever since high school I’ve wanted to work in the animation industry, especially stop-motion. I knew that the industry in general is small and tight, and that stop-motion is especially difficult to break into. With the help of one of my professors, I secured an (unpaid) internship at Bent Image Lab, a studio in Portland, Oregon that specializes in stop-motion animation. There are very few studios like it anywhere, and my professor assured me that my internship would most likely lead to paid work and would be a great opportunity to prove myself to industry folk. So I took the risk and moved to a city I’d never even visited so I could maybe one day have my dream job. I worked for free for two months on some pretty cool projects including an independent feature film and a music video. In august I got hired as an art department assistance and have been working full time since. I’ve helped with puppet, set, and prop fabrication and also done some set dressing for several commercials currently airing on TV. I love it! I guess the risk was worth it.
Stay Tuned
The Peer Counselor's at Pratt's Office of Career Services are accepting stories of successful career experiences including internships, entrepreneurship, and other career moves. To submit your story for review, email it to peer@pratt.edu.
-The Peer Counselors
