Infographics are, to say the least, nothing new. Take, for example, Florence Nightingale’s famed polar chart in her 1858 book Mortality of the British Army, making her one of the first statisticians to make extensive use of imagistic aids. Or French engineer Charles Minard, largely credited with starting the trend, who mapped out Napoleon’s retreat (among other things) from Moscow in the early 1800s.
Though the history of the infographic is extensive, the useful imagistic tactic to communicate numbers and facts has exploded thanks to the talent of graphic designers and the creation of innovative software.
This is precisely the reason Phone Booth Gallery is hosting its newest exhibit, Info•Rama, featuring two of Long Beach’s best graphic artists, Tom Whalen and Kevin Tong.
Intentionally opening at the start of the school year for students across Long Beach on August 23, Info•Rama aims for one simple thing: to show how intelligently designed images can simultaneously function as art and resource, with its ability to convey information quickly and correctly in a way that is also captivating.
“For the show, Tong, an illustrator whose work often ventures into the realm of fantasy, has designed a multi-part, brightly colored guide to human anatomy,” said Garry Booth, owner of Phone Booth Gallery. “Meanwhile, Whalen is an artist who frequently re-interprets vintage design motifs in his work, has imbued his series of infographics with an old-fashioned whimsy.”
One of Tong’s featured piece is that of Tesla, a Jules Verne-esque, futuristic take on the forward-thinking life of Nikola Tesla while Whalen’s Octopus [pictured left] is a banner-like breakdown of the power of the common octopus. (Yes, an octopus can propel 25MPH thanks to funneling water from its gills to its siphon. Awesomeness.)
“Any educator who purchases a print from the show will receive a discount,” Booth said, “but the information Tong and Whalen artfully present should appeal to anyone curious about how the world works, whether they have students to teach or not.”
Info•Rama will have its official opening on August 23 at 7PM at Phone Booth Gallery, located at 2533 E. Broadway.
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