MalcolM Garrett, You don’t have to commit been anyway. The computer that the computer will make nology is that of new combi - communication it is finished.” (assorted iMaGes), yourself to a final design at just allowed for quicker de - a name for itself mostly as a nations. That is where First, I would like to know London, 1/25/89 an early stage. velopment of certain aspects new production tool that I see design change, aestheti - more specifically about what EmigrE: What has been the of the kind of work that I am makes things go faster and cally, more so than out of the type of books you are talk - most significant influence doing. more cheaply? inherent stylistic qualities of ing? And secondly, what April Greiman, Los Angeles, 10.28.88 EmigrE: What type of comput - that the computer has had on EmigrE: Since we are malcolm: Both. The computer the technology, which I think exactly do you think will be ers do you work with and your work? entering a new era, with peo - does allow you to do things will disappear as the equip - the alternative? what do you use them for? malcolm: Do you mean stylis - ple using computers more and faster and more cheaply, ment becomes more and more malcolm: I’m talking about Emigre: Do you design differently now that you work on a computer? April: malcolm: For some years we tically? more, do we as graphic de - that’s inherent with the com - sophisticated, allowing the the printed word in general. used the Robocom system, EmigrE: No, not just stylisti - signers have a responsibility puter. It also allows you to do style or personality of the de - As access technology devel - which is Apple IIe-based. We cally, but you can start with to explore a new design aes - more complex tasks. But what signer or client to come ops, we won’t need to use This would be very hard to articulate. I think that I design completely differ - also have a couple of Macin - that. thetic that is appropriate to intrigues me about the vari - through more dominantly. books for communication or tosh Plus computers. For a malcolm: That’s not an easy this new technology? ous advances in technology is I think all of the technical de - for reference. I am kind of ently since I’ve become Mac-fluent. Everything at one point or another goes short while we borrowed the question to answer. I guess malcolm: Yes, although the the ever- increasing ability velopment that we are seeing overstating it when I say that Macintosh II, but we had to the computer has affected my aesthetic will come about by that we have to draw on vi - at the moment is accelerating the book is finished. What I return it because we couldn’t work in many ways. Different default. sual references from many the potential of the stage mean is that conceptually it’s through the cone of my Mac. We’re able to bring in 35 mm slides, scan them really afford it. aspects of my creative output EmigrE: Are there any spe - different cultural sources and we’re already at. The next on the way out. The only rea - EmigrE: They are quite have been altered by using cific qualities that you have combine them in a hitherto true creative development we son for retaining books will expensive in Europe, I hear. computers. But overall I don’t seen in digital design, both unseen manner. I call this will see will be in artificial in - be for pleasure reasons. Just into the Quantel graphic paintbox, bring in a Mac image or a digitized image, malcolm: Yes, it’s a lot of think they’ve had any effect high and low resolution, that "Retrievalism.” The real de - telligence. At the moment as the camera replaced the money. But for what you get, Gon my work oAther than make Rpoint towards a nRew design signE aesthetic that isTcompT uters are becoming role of the painter, what I call it’s worth the expense. These it more like it would have aesthetic, or do you think emerging out of today’s tech - more and more able to assist the “world information li - bring in live video, then put all these things together. This provides a whole are the computers we have at the human brain. The devel - brary” will replace the book. the studio. In addition, I have opment of true artificial Even though painting still ex - worked with the Crossfields intelligence will have a signif - ists, its role has changed new texture. And for sure, the most profound part of this is the Synnervision system, which an area by making a stencil, and indicate this area to be icant effect on mankind as a significantly. The New York is an image manipulation whole, and its effect on the Times doesn’t send out a system, comparable to the visual arts will be on par with painter any more to docu - Macintosh influence. Emigre: You used to combine imagery from various Quantel Paintbox. It’s PC- 100% white and remove all other colors. When you get the introduction of the photo ment a five-alarm fire. They based, so it’s as easy to use camera, which changed the send out a photographer. So as the Macintosh and much visual arts completely. The the documentary aspect of sources before... April: Yes, but the "textures" are different now. Emigre: more economical than Paint - back your digital piece of film, you’ll see that where it is camera completely changed painting is finished. In the box. I’ve also done a fair the role of painting from same way, the information amount of work on the Scitex being documentary to being communication aspect of the What "textures?" April: I’m talking about real texture. On the one hand, you response page planning white, the film is completely clear. That’s great if you more philosophical. book is finished. system. EmigrE: In the article about EmigrE: And what do you see can go for a very seamless image with high-end equipment (like EmigrE: When did you get you in Graphis (No. 248, as the alternative? involved with computers? want really tight control. But the problem with the Nov./dec. 1988) , you say that malcolm: It will all be elec - malcolm: About five or six “you firmly believe that the tronic. the graphic paintbox.) What’s a shame about that is that when you see the final years ago, when we bought graphic paintbox is that it makes things too book is now an invalid form EmigrE: I understand that, the Robocom system. of communication. It’s a valu - but can you paint me a more GREIMAN EmigrE: Why did you buy it? able reference work and a precise picture of how you results, you don’t realize that it’s created on a computer—it looks like malcolm: Because I am seamless. So I, in a way, like to use the video paint - decorative object to enrich see information being dis - obsessed with technology. one’s life, but as a form of persed in the future? The first computer I came straight airbrushed photography! What’s great about the paintbox is that it’s across was the Sinclair com - box from Quantel, because that still has that fabric or puter, which was the very first home computer. It cost totally in communication with the printing process, and you have complete about a hundred pounds. My texture of video. But the nice thing about the graphic colleague at the time immedi - ately bought one because... control over color separations, etc., On the graphic paintbox, you can select because it was something you paintbox is that you can import all these different kinds just had to have! EmigrE: What do you achieve by working on a computer of images and you can retain that high quality seamless - that you cannot achieve by working with traditional methods? ness (like eight by ten photographs that have been malcolm: That depends on what computer you are talking about. Different com - laser-scanned), while at the same time you can beef up puters can do different Malcolm Garrett (Assorted Images) things. But the main thing you Boy George, 12” record sleeve, 1988 . can achieve is that once you some of the more textural things that you might import have material stored in the computer’s memory, you can from other tools. Emigre: Are there still things that you output it in quickly and easily modifiable form. So it allows you, very quickly, to run through potential design op - tions at a fairly finished level. April Greiman Poster for Caremark, U.C. Irvine, 1987. malcolm: Whatever the EmigrE: But there are still is demonstrating in very real Japanese will come up with a great number of design and tangible manner to these will replace the book. The schools that teach their stu - people who buy the Macin - book will be replaced by elec - dents how to set type by tosh that they are not tronic communication. The hand. Do you feel this is still designers, and in the process, laserdisk library, higher reso - valuable for future designers find are impossible to do on a computer, but that you hopefully they will realize tions. Emigre: Will the Macintosh contribute to a change in graphic design lution TV screens, parallel who will have to deal with Fax and understand more the role processing, transputers that machines and sophisticated of the designer and the im - can speed up processing and pre-press computers and who would like to do? April: I have one problem with the portance of his or her mostly in the area of production, or will it influence design aesthetics as analysis.