Parsons School of Design Graphic Design Department student work
Online Access
Available digital items: https://digital.archives.newschool.edu/index.php/Detail/collections/PC021201
Summary
The items in this collection represent work created by students enrolled in Parsons School of Design's Graphic Design program. Screen-printed posters constitute the majority of the collection, with other examples including books, cards, jewel cases for compact discs, plastic mats, and a thematic sculpture series documented in color photographs and one sample. The majority of the work was produced for classes taught by Katarzyna Gruda.
Dates
- 1996 - 2010
Creator
- Gruda, Katarzyna (Teacher, Person)
- Morrisey, William (Teacher, Person)
Extent
10.9 Cubic Feet (2 boxes, 4 oversize boxes, 5 folders)
Scope and Content of Collection
This collection consists of original student work in the form of books, cards, jewel cases, plastic mats, and over 200 screen-printed posters. Additionally, a folder of color photographs documents a plastic bottle-based sculpture project on the theme of opposites. One representative sculpture has been retained and is part of the collection.
The bulk of the student work was executed for courses taught by Katarzyna (Kasia) Gruda, many in conjunction with William Morrisey. Other identified instructors whose students' work is in the collection are Martin Mazzora and Alexa Nosal. Although design prompts and course syllabi are not included, it appears that students often redesigned preexisting, found texts or used current exhibitions and political or cultural events for inspiration. For example, the book design project No One's To Blame by Alison Chan (2006) employs quotes found from different Internet sites reproduced in fonts of varying weight to reflect upon the United States' invasion of Iraq, while The Curious Cinematician is a compendium of biographical and professional information about director David Lynch.
Projects are organized by format and arranged alphabetically within each format by student designer's name. If the archivist was unable to identify the student designer, the project is identified by title.
Language of Materials
The bulk of the materials are in English, although other languages are present.
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research use. Please contact archivist@newschool.edu for appointment.
Use Restrictions
In accordance with The New School's Intellectual Property Rights Policy, copyright is held by each project's respective artist. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the user.
Historical Note
Parsons School of Design has offered courses in graphic design since the early twentieth century under various program titles, such as "Poster Advertising and Commercial Art" and "Advertising Design." The AAS (associate in applied science degree) Graphic Design program could be considered to have started in 1975 as part of the newly established Evening Division (continuing education), with course work leading to a degree in Graphic and Advertising Design. As of 2016, the Graphic Design AAS program is situated in Parsons School of Design's School of Art, Media and Technology. The AAS program has traditionally been geared toward working professionals rather than students who have just graduated from high school and, consequently, is comprised of an older student population with prior design experience.
A native of Poland, Katarzyna (Kasia) Gruda studied architecture at the Technical University of Cracow before coming to the United States, where she earned a bachelor's degree in architecture from City College (City University of New York) in 1973. She then studied photography at the Boston Museum School and received a master of fine arts degree in photography from Yale University in 1977. Gruda began teaching at Parsons School of Design in 1993 with a silk-screen printing class, and in 1998 was promoted to a full-time faculty position. From 1998 until 2004, Gruda served as the AAS Graphic Design coordinator for Parsons, while serving in a student advisor capacity. In 2004, she became director of Graphic Design and General Studio and remained in this role until 2012. As of 2016, she is an associate professor in Parsons' School of Art, Media and Technology. Gruda has won numerous awards for her photography as well as for her design work and has exhibited internationally. Her design work can be seen in numerous publications produced at Parsons, including re:D, Parsons' alumni magazine; Work, the journal of Parsons' associates degree programs; and Release, a joint publication between Parsons and Eugene Lang College, The New School's undergraduate liberal arts college.
Sources:
About. Katarzyna Gruda. http://grudak.com/about/. Accessed 18 March 2016.
LinkedIn profile. Katarzyna Gruda. https://www.linkedin.com/in/katarzyna-gruda-9505224. Accessed 18 March 2016.
Parsons School of Design. Graphic Design AAS program. http://www.newschool.edu/parsons/aas-graphic-design-programs/. Accessed 18 March 2016.
Parsons the New School for Design. Parsons Continuing Education Catalog 1993 Spring Vol. 10 No. 4. 31 Dec 1992. Parsons course catalogs. New School Archives and Special Collections Digital Archive. Web. 18 Mar 2016. http://digitalarchives.library.newschool.edu/index.php/Detail/objects/PC050101_pe1993sp. Accessed 18 March 2016.
Organization and Arrangement
Organized by format and within each format in alphabetical order.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Transferred from the office of Katarzyna Gruda to the New School Archives, 2012.
Processing Information
Processed by Christopher Patten and Cami Halladay.
- Books (Type of Material) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Graphic design. (Subject) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Jewel cases (Type of Material) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Matchbooks (Type of Material) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Placemats (Type of Material) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Posters (Type of Material) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Screen prints (Type of Material) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Student projects (Type of Material) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Title
- Guide to the Parsons School of Design Graphic Design Department student work
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- New School Archives and Special Collections Staff
- Date
- April 19, 2016
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin