Interview: Sara Nagy

For this assignment I interviewed Sara Nagy.  Sara is a graphic design major with a minor in art history.  I don't think I have every met a graphic designer, so it was interesting to talk to one and find out about more about the subject.  Enjoy!

 

Amy Glass:  So let’s start off with an introduction question, why Rutgers?

Sara Nagy:  I chose Rutgers because when I came to college I had only taken one year of design and wasn’t sure if I wanted to make a future out of it.  So I chose a university over an art school just in case this wasn’t my calling and I needed to change majors.  I also liked that Mason Gross had a great reputation as a university art school and was small enough so that attention could be paid to every student.

AG:  Is there anything that you would change now that you’ve been here for a few years?

SN:  The one thing that upsets me about Mason Gross is that they took away a lot of design classes and combined them into one design course.  A class such as typography was diminished from a whole year to one semester.  I like that every semester of design teaches a different area of design, but I wish there were more classes to take if I took a specific interest in one of the areas. 

AG:  I don’t really know anything about design.  I mean, for painting and photography we research artists and their works to get inspiration and just to get a better understanding of those aspects of art.  I personally have been inspired by such artists as Clyfford Still and Sally Mann, are there any specific artists that you constantly look at for inspiration?

SN:  I look at a lot of artists and try to understand all design and how they got to that conclusion.  I love looking at magazines and the layouts and how design attracts the viewer to read an article.  However, late Caravaggio has always been a favorite of mine.

AG:  Caravaggio? That’s an interesting pick, why him?

SN:  Because I love the style he fell into of this chiaroscuro effect that is so photographic.  It is like he was way ahead of his time by keeping things in perspective as he saw them.  Nothing was compromised for beauty, his figures are shown in their actual state.

AG:  Are you doing anything outside of school, like an internship or job, that allows you to continue your design studies?

SN:  I am interning at Conde Nast Traveler magazine and am looking forward to the experience.  I can't wait to see how the design team functions and comes up with ideas and also to see how a huge publication is produced.

AG:  What are your plans for after graduation?  Where do you want design to take you?

SN:  My plan after graduation is to work in the publishing industry.  I look at a lot of typography and the different way designers connect words with images.  I like the idea of working for a company and working with clients where the product will be mass-produced and I can say that I did it.

AG:  What would be your ideal job?

SN:  My ideal job and ultimate goal is to become an Art Director / Creative director.  I know where I want to start and the position I want to work up to.

AG:  What got you into design as a major?

SN:  I always wanted to do something with art.  [During my] Senior year [of high school] I took a graphic design class and I loved making logos and working with words and different typefaces.  When I came to Mason Gross I [knew I] wanted to do design. 

AG:  So then what got you interested in art in general?

SN:  I always knew I wanted to be an artist from the moment I was introduced to a coloring book.  I was either always coloring or drawing and it was always a passion and a natural talent.

AG:  Throughout artist's careers they tend to work up a style.  Do you think you have one yet?

SN:  I wouldn’t say I have certain style.  I try to keep an open mind.  I’m not biased to a certain kind of design.

AG:  You mentioned you are interning for a magazine, have you designed anything for them or for other organizations?

SN:  I did some freelance work for a hairdresser, gym and football team (see above image).  I like doing freelance work I feel it gives me a sense of what the real world will be like, working with clients and having a sort of assignment to build off of and give my own creative input.

AG:  As a photographer I find myself critiquing photos in magazines and advertisements, do you notice yourself critiquing professionals?  

SN:  I do find myself critiquing designs whether it’s a logo or a page layout and I think about how I could make it better. 

AG:  What other form of art could you see yourself doing if you weren’t a design major? 

SN:  If I wasn’t a designer I would probably be a photographer.  I feel that through photography you can really make anything beautiful no matter how ugly or clichéd it may be.

AG:  I know I freaked out over the summer thinking I had to have an idea for thesis the first day of classes, and I know the direction I’d like to start off going towards, but do you have any thoughts of what you want to aim for?  

SN:  I actually have an idea for thesis. I like watching shows like Dr. 90210 because I love plastic surgery and think it is definitely a form of art in itself. I want to take this idea of plastic surgery and young women and make a project out of it.

AG:  What interests you about plastic surgery as a topic?

SN:  I love the art half of plastic surgery.  I am able to see the body as a sculpture that can be molded in many ways.   If I were more into the scientific part of it, it would be my dream job.  I would love helping women feel more beautiful and help people who need reconstructive surgery feel better about themselves.  I would love the reward of knowing I helped boost someone's confidence.  What I plan to do in this project is to show how the body can be altered and how it has become more popular amongst young women.

AG:  Have you studied anything related to plastic surgery?   For example, have you taken an anatomy class?

SN:  I have never studied plastic surgery or taken an anatomy class, but I do take an interest
in it.  I watch shows such as Dr. 90210 and I read articles about people with either botched surgery, good surgery, regretted surgery and even procedures that have caused death.  There are many different opinions about having cosmetic surgery.

AG:  I know from speaking to other design students that they are unsure as to what direction they want to present their thesis project in, do you have an idea as to where you want to take this idea of plastic surgery?   Meaning would you look at it from an advertising view or from a pros/cons campaign etc.? 

SN:  I definitely still have a lot of issues to work out.  I found my direction with plastic surgery amongst young women but I'm still figuring out how I am going to get my message across.  I would probably look at it more as an advertising view over a pros/cons campaign.  I am not trying to sway people into thinking it is good or bad.  I just want to make a statement where people can walk away with their own opinions.

AG:  Have you looked at such artists as Orlan?

SN: I have looked at Orlan, her work is very interesting.   Her exhibit about reconstructive surgery is good inspiration for my project.

AG:  Do you have an idea of what medium you want use?  

SN:  I plan on using photographs and Adobe programs to provide information on the photographs.

AG: I’m only familiar with Photoshop, so when you get your ideas onto the computer what programs do you like to use?

SN: I like the whole Adobe suite and I like learning different tricks whether its self taught or something I learned in class. Working in Photoshop or Illustrator is fun but scary at the same time because I feel as though there is so much I don’t know about it. My favorite to work in is illustrator.

AG:  I’m not a fan of digital photography, although I am a photo major, is there anything about design that you’re not crazy about?

SN:  When it comes to design I love the fact that we learn all different kinds of design.  So far my least favorite would be web design because it was very difficult and time consuming, although with today’s technology building a website has become accessible and easy to anybody.  I would say it was cool to learn how it was originally done though.

AG:  It seems fairly easy to abstract other forms of art and I feel like it’s waaaaay to easy to draw a line and call it art, but is it easy to abstract things in design or do you find it more of an organized art?  

SN:  Design is not as easy to be abstract with because if your designing a logo or advertisement it has to have meaning and connection to the content it is displaying.  I can’t draw a line and say it’s a logo for a coffee house or something like that.  I feel as though design requires more thought, compromise and collaboration.

AG:  How do you come up with your ideas for designs and layouts?

SN:  To come up with ideas for a project I start by writing words down that pertain to the subject.  For example, for my logo for the gym I wrote down all words that have something to do with being in a gym.  From there images start forming and I start sketching, then I go to the computer.

AG:  When I interned at a gallery library the majority of their correspondence were in handwritten books.  The handwriting was breath taking to say the least.  You said earlier that you are into typography, have you ever researched old hand written manuscripts or have you gone to a library that has them available for viewing?

SN: [When I studied abroad in Italy] I went to see the first printing press and they had many books that were hand written and it was amazing to see how precise the handwriting was and where “typefaces” originated from.

AG:  Oh wow that’s awesome!

SN:  I learned that typography and the production of books is where the invention of glasses came from because some books were written in maybe 3pt characters.

AG:  That's pretty incredible!  So I guess my last question would be when you get a job where would you go?  Meaning would you stay on the East Coast or would you go farther West?

SN:  I will definitely stay on the East Coast.  The best jobs in publishing are in New York and that’s where I plan to work my whole life.  That and I don’t think I could move away from my family.

If you are interested in plastic surgery/physical transformation here are some artists to check out:

Orlan

DH Cooper

Cindy Sherman

Yasumasa Morimura

Nikki S. Lee