Retrospective of Randy Clark Spiritual Journey

As one of the most traditional visual forms and methods in graphic design, how can posters and printing remain timeless in the digital age? Being obsessed with the freedom of creating something out of nothing, designers strive to effectively convey information while reflecting artistic ideas on a small-sized paper. And that is how Prof. Randy Clark is addressing this dilemma with his artwork.

This exhibition presents the posters designed by Prof. Randy Clark, during his teaching in the Michael Graves College (MGC) at Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU) from 2016 to 2022. These art works are based on the spiritual journey centered on Wenzhou, weaving visual collisions, printing challenges, and aesthetic considerations in the Chinese and Western cultural contexts. On the basis of his favorite screen printing, the printing workshop is open on-site.

The poster world created by Prof. Clark is diverse and direct. Some of the posters present the glamour of the retro era through the overlap and silhouette in the foreground, while others reflect the tradition to imbue the rules of typography with emotional colors. During his six years in China, he created a far greater number of posters than in the previous ten years. He will soon return to his homeland in the United States, but the journey remains the key to his understanding of Chinese culture, as well as the light of inspiration for his visual journal.

As one of the most essential design colleges in the Sino-US cultural exchanges, we have been committed to the development of programs, shouldering the mission of taking design and architecture to a wider public audience. At the crossroads of aesthetic education, reviewing and contemplating the cultural studies of the professor's works is an appreciation to every mentor who leads young students to explore the sparks of contemporary design.

Again, I want to pass my gratitude to Qinshuo Wang, coordinator of the CHEN Tianlong Museum, Wenning Shi, Research Assistant of MGC, and my colleague Prof. Randy Clark.

Huang Yaoyao

Executive Director, School of Design, 

Micheal Graves College