The other day I was driving down the road when a large,
brightly painted food truck turned into the intersection right in front of
me.
I am used to seeing these monoliths
herded together at festivals and local ‘food truck nights’.
Seeing one on a solo journey, up close and personal from my car window momentarily took my breath away. After taking this class
my vision is hardwired for seeing graphics in a new way.
Throughout our reading
we have seen graphic design evolve as new industries make their debut.
Food trucks have been around for a very long
time, mostly as sterile aluminum coated vans, but recently they have flourished
on a new level. Regionally infused, ethnically diverse, these cafeterias on
wheels have to compete for eye share.
Food truck fonts are seen in large scale, colors are bolder, and the
business names need to be more intriguing.
Psychedelic, punk, Japanese modern, vernacular styles make food truck
art truly postmodern.
As stated in Meggs' History of Graphic Design,
the term supergraphics was coined to describe "bold geometric shapes of
bright color, giant Helvetica lettering, and huge pictographs warping
walls, bending corners, and flowing from the floor to the wall and
across the ceiling.." "Psychological as well as decorative values were
addressed, as designers created forms to enliven dismal institutional
architecture.." The pedestrian, institutional look of the aluminum sided
food truck has been elevated by these large scale applied graphics.
Street Sweets artists, Landers Miller Design, incorporated
typography into the food truck art in the spirit of the facades of French
patisseries. Incorporating the concept
of street maps, the design takes on a vernacular, Parisian flair.
In a reversal, one of my favorites, Curry Up Now, started
out as a food truck and then opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in San Mateo.
Perhaps the food truck business is simply a trendy micro industry, or an
extension of an existing corporate identity system. Either way it is an example
of the ever-evolving call of commerce that design answers.
I wonder how Robert Venturi would design his own food truck. Oh, and there is even a food truck for dogs.
Resources:
The Place artist: Laura D. Luo
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