He has been amongst the top ten surfers in the world, yet his international repute is due more to his ingenuity and creativity in the field of design. The man we are talking about is the American, David Carson, a genuine graphic design guru who took part today in the Architecture and Design Forum at CevisamaLab, the cultural component of international trade fair Cevisama. The buzz of expectation in the lead-up to his session meant that there was far more demand than there were seats available at Feria Valencia’s Function Room. His latest work, his first foray into ceramic, carries his imprint and is on show at Cevisama courtesy of tile manufacturer Cas Cerámica.
During his talk, titled “Designing spaces with emotions”, Carson showed some of his best known magazine and television work, which in many instances was related to the world of surfing. He compared it with the ceramic tile industry, asserting that they share one point in common: “they are so competitive, the standards are so high, that it is hard to stand out in either of them.”
In a relaxed talk that lasted for over an hour the artist explained some of the keys to the decision making process a designer faces when confronted with the challenge of a new piece of work. He spoke about the combinations and experimentation that some projects require, the need to think about the product “and the atmosphere you are trying to create” and finished by remarking that sometimes “simplicity is the key.”
Carson concluded his address, delivered to an audience of 400 people, by highlighting the potential that ceramic offers as a material and showing part of the Cas by Carson collection.