El Recorrido
Andrea S. Jassir
El Recorrido is a collection of ten hand-painted posters depicting objects you’d find in everyday Latin American working class settings. I want to elevate these mundane tableaus, and celebrate the culture of “el pueblo.” As a child growing up in Barranquilla, Colombia, I’ve witnessed extremes of socioeconomic stratification, and this is something I wish to address in my thesis. I want to show how in communities with scarce resources, you’ll find a richness of culture, and a generosity of spirit. Like this, the posters are inspired by a walking tour though the city center.
Through the use of graphics and other visual elements, I want to draw attention to the resourceful ways these communities design their way of life, in conditions where means are limited. Objects such as a red plastic chair, a fruit cart, and a bus wheel are accompanied by typography to reference the skilled, yet untrained eye of the amateur sign-maker. The vernacular designs you find in these communities are fuelled by the necessity to make a living wage, yet they’re so much more beautiful than they need to be. These naive banners communicate something profound, beyond the quotidian needs of the vendor. They speak to the human condition. The posters are printed on newsprint.