This small document presents 16 selects works I did from 2010 to 2012. As mentioned in the cover, a complete portfolio exists at dariocanata.tumblr. com.

The work presented here is a small sample that I considered enough to represent my interests and my way of doing things. It isn’t necessarily my best work.

1/2 Selinunte suitcase

2012

This was a portfolio for the architecture studio CF. It was made for the exhibition “Architects meet in Selinunte: Partire Tornare Restare”, that asked for a suitcase with something relevant inside that would show the studio.

The box was one of those painting suitcases that comes full of oils, brushes and stuff. It was polished in order to take all the varnish away as well as the brand that was on the front. The inside was then painted with white ink. The hardcover book was hand made at the suitcases proportions and a thick base, smaller then the book, was added so that the book would be slightly elevated and fixed to the suitcase. This also allowed to book to open. Without an elevating base the book spine wouldn’t have space to rotate. Also, the suitcase could be closed by pressing and things wouldn’t be loose inside. Even though the book was glued to the wood, it helped to know that gravity had no effect inside. The front of the suitcase had a yellow stamp of the letters CF. I did a small stencil and painted various layers of acrylic. The book itself had a bass relief with the same letters on the hardcover. The layout was quite simple. Good quality images were centred in the page with a small description in the bottom. Very catalogue like.

During the exhibition this suitcase won the public choice prize being selected by the public as the best one in the exhibition.

The large A3 pages and the thick paper demanded a side stitch and a hard cover. Only one was produced. The suitcase was around 50x60cm.

1/2 6 People Touched by God

2010

From the book: “This book explores a relation between 6 people, the fact that they have been touched by god. They are marks of history, they changed the perceptions of human conscience and they were outstanding humans with a passion capable of anything. History shows each one in different ways. Sometimes we say genius, sometimes saint, or even messiahs. Life is action and the flow of energy. The most simple act of breathing, that we all do. But this 6 people did something different. From their actions I can think of one main intention. To achieve the sublime. The experience of the unexperienceble. An universal action that has replicas all over the future world.

Indeed, they all achieved this goal and they knew it. Devotion is the common adjective of this 6 people. They have different devotions, but they are all very strong and passionate about it. The devotion is the driving force of their lives.

I realize that there is nothing new and important that I can say about this people individually. Their lives have been meticulously studied by various specialists and that information is quite well distributed. Therefore I feel in no obligation to explain who this people are and what they do. I can only connect dots and find the relations between these figures of history. The next 6 pages will show you their faces and their names. That should be enough to explain who we are talking about. Then a series of thought, arguments and premises. ” (…)

The book is 18x10cm.

1/2 Le Livre des Monts

2011

3 colours silkscreen print, 23x13.4cm, 32 pages, 50 copies; All the book is printed over a single 100x70 paper - This small book follows the work developed in France, Arras, at the workshop Le Quai de la Batterie.

From the book: “After seeing the Terrils, huge piles of dirt, the leftovers of coal mines, I developed a series of engravings about the human artificial activity within the Natural.

The north of France presents an ideal geography to observe this human phenomenon due to its flat land. The black pyramids abandoned over the landscape reminds us that even if they are man made, therefore artificial, they are also natural, therefore part of the biological universe. Plastic is an ideal symbol for human artificiality, if one considers that nowadays, trough each product, there is petrol consumption either trough its production, transportation and packaging. I find it overwhelming that nature has found the capacity to build mountains through humans. We should not fight the idea that artificial is natural, because that will only make us forget the problems of our own ignorance. Man kind, as a species capable of conscience, will never be in harmony with the universe if he continues to consider himself as an exterior element of Nature.

All the production of culture, knowledge and conscience should also be considered as natural. To think the artificial as natural should raise the human knowledge even higher. We can imagine knowledge as an invisible mountain, probably higher then all I presume since I cannot see its peak.”

1/2 CF

2011

Identity for the architecture studio Cannata & Fernandes.

I drew 20 Cs and 20 Fs and by randomly combining them the identity defines itself by the letters and not by the shape, or at least, it is defined by an ever changing shape. It is an open identity since new C and F shapes could and should be added to the party. The proportions are always the same so that the always C fits the same square and the F the same rectangle.

After drawing the letters by hand I used the architecture program Autocad for the vector drawing. I must say that it is an amazingly precise program and a very good tool for this kind of work.

The image in the next page represents only 42 from the 400 possibilities. A friend actually helped making a little javascript that would make it possible to preview the entire spectrum of possibilities so that one click would make the letters start changing and another click would stop it.

1/1 Artes

2011

This was a logo for the identity of a Contemporary Art Program called Artes.

The letters were first hand drawn and then I did the vector drawing with the architecture program Autocad. All those parallel curved lines would be almost impossible with something like Illustrator.

1/2 Patuá

2011

Identity for the restaurant/gallery bar “Patuá” in Porto downtown.

“Patuà” is portuguese for talking a lot. Not exactly a lot, but it is similar, it is more like easy talking, or a mixture between a lot and easy talk.

For the front display I only suggested a light box and a big velvet curtain. The place was quite exposed to the street and I thought a little privacy would be nice. Besides, the interior space was quite cold and white. They needed some colour.

Great inspiration from Alan Fletcher’s work.

2/2 Patuá

1/2 Duque de Saldanha nº26

2012

This poster was the first of two exhibition that I worked for in the same space.

The one on this page was for an exhibition by the artists Francisco Babo and Vítor Israel. They had a clear idea of what they imagined and they had the title “War Paintings”. They also mentioned they wanted to have the map of Bonfim in the poster. Bonfim is an area of the city of Porto. The University of Fine Arts is located in the south of this area and therefore many artists have a strong connection to it.

I used a detailed map of the entire city of Porto and I cleaned it up until I only had the required area. Considering a silkscreen print, I reduced the amount of detail so that the print wouldn’t become saturated with information.

The next page shows the poster for the exhibition of the artist Fernando Sebastião. The work he presented surrounded the theme of direction and the obstacles of movement.

The house had no identity and only the address (R. Duque de Saldanha) represented it. By keeping the same structure on both posters I hoped to have some sense continuity.

Silkscreen 50x70

2/2 Duque de Saldanha nº26

2011/2012

Posters and identity for the contemporary art gallery “Painel”. A total of 9 exhibitions were made. All silkscreen prints, 50 x 70cm. Flyers and catalogues were also produced.

The main initial idea for the poster, and considering there would be more then one, was to have a standard canvas where different representations would characterize the exhibition. The different artists and their work would give the basis for the representation. Due to the necessity of low cost production, silkscreen was always used and black was assumed as the one and only ink. Handmade patterns and etches were the main tool to make the transition between drawing and printing.

1/5 Painel

2/5 Painel

3/5 Painel

4/5 Painel

5/5 Painel

2010

Posters for the exhibition “Printing: And Then Again” at the Fine Arts University of Porto.

2 versions were produced: the upper part is printed in a press with a wood engraving on both versions; the bottom half is printed with silkscreen on one version and with a handmade metal etching on the other.

1/2 Printing: and then again

2/2 Printing: and then again

2010

This was a reaction poster to the volcanic eruptions that had just happened in Iceland. Suddenly Europe had to close the airports and land all planes. It was an immense chaos and everyone seemed to be effected by it.

The idea was quite simple, starting from a sentence that would look like a popular saying “While the devil smokes, planes don’t fly”. The white elements (the volcano, the smoke and the cigarette) formed a sad face as to represent everyone’s felling. Only the devil seems to enjoy.

1/1 Smoking Devil

2010

An interpretation of the LHC results. I find it very interesting that the most advanced technological concepts are as hard to believe as the concepts from religion.Faith is always necessary, unless you decide that you should believe in nothing.

I enjoyed trying to represent the stuff that they are finding over there. Things like Super–symmetry or Higgs Particles.

1/1 Lhc

2010

Identity exercise for CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. The image represents the Large Hadron Colider, their latest machine. The logo is based on the Nazi cross. It was a critical analysis based on the fact that they are doing things quite abstract for the common citizen, even thought they are quite useful for the future technological breakthroughs.

1/1 Cern

2010

Poster for the movie Rip: a remix manifesto. Side by side, the posters would complete themselves, just like remixing. The white labels could be used to enhance the idea by writing down names and ideas or painting colours.

1/1 RIP: a Remix Manifesto

2012

Signage system for a school in Ovar, Portugal. This is the main entrance door with the school’s name. All the interior signage is in yellow and in lowercase. Only the front door name is capitalized. Being a school for young children I chose a bright colour that didn’t have too much contrast with the white walls, you almost miss it but if you look at it, you can read it.

The letters are made of metal and painted with traffic yellow lacquered enamel. The structure supporting the letters brings them to the front of the building making them more visible.

1/1 Combatentes

2012

Rooftop plan for the intervention in the roof at Parnaso building for the collective exhibition “Hóspede, ensaio curatorial”.

It was painted with Lime Ink (Whitewash) and it was called “Painting for the Gods”.

The next page shows the final result.

1/2 Parnaso

2/2 Parnaso

2010

This was a project developed to take aerial photos. A solar balloon capable of carrying some weight. This one carried a small digital camera recording the flights. A big balloon will eventually lift a person, on solar heating and black plastic bags. This project would be impossible without the group work involved.

1/1 Solar Balloon

Dário CannatàPorto, July 2012