Nous travaillons ensemble
Nous travaillons ensemble (abbr .: NTE; German: we work together ) is a design collective with a studio in the 20th arrondissement in Paris . In addition to the regular tribe ( Alex Jordan , Ronit Meirovitz, Anette Lenz, Isabelle Jégo, Vanina Gallo and Valérie Debure), we work with other artists on certain projects.
History and present
NTE was founded in 1989/90 in Montreuil-sous-Bois as a working group within Grapus . The initiators were Alex Jordan (Grapus since 1976, co-director) and Ronit Meirovitz. Anette Lenz joined the two. After the dissolution of Grapus in 1991, Isabelle Jégo and Vanina Gallo, Valerié Debure in 1996, and Sébastien Courtois and Elodie Cavel in 2006 joined the collective . The head of the group is Alex Jordan, a master student of Joseph Beuys , with Grapus from 1976 to 1990 and since 1993 professor at the Berlin-Weißensee School of Art .
aims
The motto of NTE is not to forget some humor in the work despite political, social or cultural engagement . The smile can also raise awareness and convey a message without a “command” tone. The humor is not only conveyed through the graphics, NDE often also work with several text-based levels of meaning. Means of communication by NDE are provocation in all visual possibilities and images with a simple, direct language, at the same time with a meaning from the social reality of local life or the global village.
All ideas and concepts are discussed together at a large round table. The influence of Grapus cannot be overlooked: As with Grapus, the works are only signed with the name of the studio. NDE also often work with provocation, with sketchy images, with bright and strong colors. NDE continue to work in the graphic tradition of Grapus, but are no longer as avant-garde in their design language as Grapus was in his time.
to form
The forms of representation are very broad: NDE often work with black line drawings, watercolors, photographs, sculptures, illustrations, e.g. B. with matrices (printing technique), scribbled, marked, simply composed manuscripts and very lively colors that irritate the retina and are used in a structured and / or gender-specific manner. Except that the computer is more of a secondary work device at NTE, there is no hierarchy in the use of the media. Everything is tested and checked for its specific function.
NTE's commissions include communication campaigns, educational policy campaigns, scenographic work (exhibition design), identity design, catalogs, publications, and multimedia work. In addition, they fight or support third parties in free work. NTE's customers include medium-sized cities such as Nîmes and Dieppe , Parisian suburbs such as Aubervilliers or Bagnolet, the metropolis of Paris, institutions such as the Paris transport company, the French Ministry of Youth and Sport, the Ministry of Education, humanitarian and educational organizations such as Emmaüs and Le Secours populaire français , museums such as the Museum of Jewish Art and History and socio-cultural centers, festivals and events such as the European Social Forum .
Graffiti and the work of Grapus and NTE
- Bombing / Quick pieces: pictures painted in one color
- Outlines: high-contrast borders
- "Street art": conquering public space ( Reclaim the streets )
- Menetekel function (warning of disaster): work as a political thermometer
- Provocation, stimulating and painful graphics that fascinate and direct the eye at the same time
- anarchy
- engagement & and graphic design - project on post-grapus graphic collectives in France info
literature
- Florence Robert, NTE: Series design & designers, Volume 018 / graphistes: Nous travaillons ensemble, Pyramyd ntcv Verlag, Paris 2003 Not available in Germany!
- engagement & graphic design - numerous interviews and images on post-grapus groups such as B. NTE, ne pas plier, graphiste associés, etc. ( ISBN 3-926796-62-6 ) View