Syd Mead - Visual Futurism

[Grey Havoc]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuMIrHlAf2Q#t=23s

 

[yasotay]

Out of curiosity does anyone know how to find the "Army RUAS-4" that is at the 44 second mark on the video? Many years ago I had the book with that picture.

 

[Justo Miranda]

Here

 

[Michel Van]

Syd Mead is the most important Designer of our time.
He has this unique Talent of Combining, Technologic knowledge with Design and transform them with versed in art into Visual Future !


but let him explained it self to you:

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7JF2LAYLFc

42 minute audio interview with Syd Mead

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rTdKMlLmUs

the Brisbane Interview, march 2010.

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZVW8Zn5fSM

yes Blade Runner, at 2m44s Mead explain the idea behind urban landscape of Movie

 

[yasotay]

Here

Thanks so much.

 

[John21]

Now I'm thinking what today and the future would be like if the Cold War continued? Anyway I have a feeling the future will be a bit like the TransHuman Space RPG(but with less space tech or infrastructure/colonies). Hopefully at least a little bit of retro cyberpunk goodness will creep in there.

 

[Stargazer]

Syd Mead is the most important Designer of our time.

Mead is a highly talented sci-fi illustrator, no doubt, but calling him a "designer" seems inappropriate to me. Has he ever designed anything that actually flew? Any vehicle that was actually driven? Any object that was actually used?

Unless an artist does that, he is only a dreamer. The fact that his dreams are pleasing to the eye, extremely detailed or highly evocative make him one heck of a dreamer, but not a "designer" in my book...

 

[Hanse]

Syd Mead is the most important Designer of our time.

Mead is a highly talented sci-fi illustrator, no doubt, but calling him a "designer" seems inappropriate to me. Has he ever designed anything that actually flew? Any vehicle that was actually driven? Any object that was actually used?

Unless an artist does that, he is only a dreamer. The fact that his dreams are pleasing to the eye, extremely detailed or highly evocative make him one heck of a dreamer, but not a "designer" in my book...

He's an Industrial Designer. That's what they do. After the industrial designer has done his bit it's turned over to the engineers to make it real.

 

[Justo Miranda]

Syd Mead is the most important Designer of our time.

Mead is a highly talented sci-fi illustrator, no doubt, but calling him a "designer" seems inappropriate to me. Has he ever designed anything that actually flew? Any vehicle that was actually driven? Any object that was actually used?

Unless an artist does that, he is only a dreamer. The fact that his dreams are pleasing to the eye, extremely detailed or highly evocative make him one heck of a dreamer, but not a "designer" in my book...

Here you are some practical examples of Syd Mead´s work.
The first concept of the "Smart" car, trains,luxury yachts,Airbus interiors,etc.
Post-1

 

[Justo Miranda]

Post-2

 

[Stargazer]

Oh, okay! Thanks for the great pics! I always thought Mead was like Chris Foss or Moebius: just a sci-fi illustrator. In this case, YES, he is a designer, no doubt. I guess if I'd watched the above videos I would have known, but when I posted my previous message I was at the office and couldn't play videos... Sorry for polluting this thread! :-[

 

[Michel Van]

Syd Mead is the most important Designer of our time.

Mead is a highly talented sci-fi illustrator, no doubt, but calling him a "designer" seems inappropriate to me. Has he ever designed anything that actually flew? Any vehicle that was actually driven? Any object that was actually used?

Unless an artist does that, he is only a dreamer. The fact that his dreams are pleasing to the eye, extremely detailed or highly evocative make him one heck of a dreamer, but not a "designer" in my book...

He work first for Ford Motor Company's Advanced Styling Center on show cars and the Hypervan concept
later for US Steel as Industrial Designer/Illustrator for US Steel booklet send to US car industry.
in 1970 he founded his own company.

1976 He work for Singer , who try get in car manufacture business with a mikrocar, yes Syd Mead was the Smart car years ahead.
also as Visual consultant for Movie production, car manufactures, electronic industry and consumer products,
like new ideas for Philips Concern industrial Design Center, on look of radios and Hi-Fi system and who to use them.
in later years he design the interiors of private 747 and yacht's for Arabian sultans

His design for a subway proposal, ends up light modified on Atlanta MARTA

 

[Rhinocrates]

I attended a lecture by Mead years ago and I remember him talking about design work for some Saudi prince's 747. The jacuzzi presented some problems, it seemed - it had to empty quickly in case the plane hit turbulence, but there was the risk of, um 'body parts' getting sucked into the drains.

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170901-the-man-who-designs-future-worlds

 

[Silencer1]

Hello!

I'm occasionally found this thread and was fascianting with the concepts and art of Syd Mead.
Facts, that his sketches and works have been behind the such cool movies, as Alien and Blade Runner, were absolutely new to me!

I found the official page of the artist http://sydmead.com/v/12/

As well as couple of pages on Russian, filled with good quality images.
https://vk.com/sydmead
https://vk.com/album-123586323_240710281

Many thanks for sharing and pointing me to this artist's activity!

 

[GeorgeA]

The steel mill pic is from his work for US Steel, in which he visualized future vehicles that, unsurprisingly, incorporated their materials. Actually, some of his most evocative automotive designs stem from this period.

 

[Hanse]

And let's not forget the work he did for Lockheed on the ATF (F-22):

 

[uk 75]

I treated myself to a coffee table book by Syd Mead in
the early 80s in the second of four locations for the
Forbidden Planet shop in London.
His work from the late 50s on was quite breathtaking
and I realised how much it had coloured my own love
of such stuff. Thanks for the thread.
A new book on his film work is just out.

 

[Grey Havoc]

The Man Who Designed The Look Of Star Trek And Blade Runner Once Tried To Design A Soviet Car

Syd Mead is something of a legend when it comes to designing how the future will look. From the grim, cluttered dystopia of Blade Runner to the well-cushioned and clean office-spaceships of Star Trek to the cybernetic metropolises of Tron, Mead is perhaps the best-known designer of the future...

jalopnik.com

 

[carmelo]

Where are internet and smartphones?

 

[Michel Van]

Where are internet and smartphones?

on Smartphones i found no picture of his designs made for Phillips. it feature some small communications devices

On Internet and collective virtual reality, her is his idea on that for Movie Blade Runner
sadly do budget limitations the concept was drop.

 

[Grey Havoc]

On a sad tangent:

Lawrence G. Paull, Oscar-Nominated Production Designer on ‘Blade Runner,’ Dies at 81

Lawrence G. Paull, the production designer and art director who received an Oscar nomination for his work on the Ridley Scott sci-fi classic 'Blade Runner,' died Sunday in La Jolla, California, a publicist announced. He was 81.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

‘Blade Runner’ Production Designer Lawrence Paull Dies at 81

Lawrence G. Paull, the Oscar-nominated production designer of "Blade Runner," died on Nov. 10 in La Jolla, Ca.

variety.com

Lawrence G. Paull, Oscar-Nominated Visionary Behind Blade Runner, Back to the Future, Dies at 81

Lawrence G. Paull, the art director and production designer behind iconic movies like Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future,

gizmodo.com

Rest In Peace.

 

[edwest4]

A friend has a print by Syd Mead showing very large, four-legged, robot horses running along a race track. Some spectators were clearly holding smartphones. Long before smartphones arrived in their current form. I have some of the US Steel portfolios and some design books.

Syd Mead was criticized by his fellow designers for drawing things that were not practical, that could not be built. I admire his work.

 

[Hanse]

They're even holding them up to shoot video like today.

 

[edwest4]

Thank you. That's the one. It's called "Running of the Six Drgxx" and is undated. A quick check shows it was published in the 1990s. I recall seeing the smartphones and telling my friend "I like the print but those devices are a little far-fetched."

 

[The Artist]

Syd Mead is the most important Designer of our time.

Mead is a highly talented sci-fi illustrator, no doubt, but calling him a "designer" seems inappropriate to me. Has he ever designed anything that actually flew? Any vehicle that was actually driven? Any object that was actually used?

Unless an artist does that, he is only a dreamer. The fact that his dreams are pleasing to the eye, extremely detailed or highly evocative make him one heck of a dreamer, but not a "designer" in my book...

He's an Industrial Designer. That's what they do. After the industrial designer has done his bit it's turned over to the engineers to make it real.

An industrial designer's work many times is taking the invention - the prototype and working it into a design that is marketable. If you have seen the 1983 movie Brainstorm, Natalie Wood's character in it was pretty much an industrial designer.

In Mead's case. sometimes he comes up with something in this speculative work that inspires someone to run with that idea and make it work, then it goes back to him to refine the look.

 

[Rhinocrates]

Syd Mead is best known as a 'visual futurist' or concept artist indeed, but he has done a lot of work as an industrial designer for custom and one-off projects. I remember him speaking at a seminar on the design challenges he had for a luxury jet interior: if the plane hits turbulence, how do you empty the jacuzzi quickly without people getting tender body parts sucked into the drain? He didn't mention how he solved that. I would also say that set design, while meant fundamentally for visual appeal, also faces practical challenges in construction, accessibility and so forth that need to be overcome.

 

[Hanse]

Syd Mead is the most important Designer of our time.

Mead is a highly talented sci-fi illustrator, no doubt, but calling him a "designer" seems inappropriate to me. Has he ever designed anything that actually flew? Any vehicle that was actually driven? Any object that was actually used?

Unless an artist does that, he is only a dreamer. The fact that his dreams are pleasing to the eye, extremely detailed or highly evocative make him one heck of a dreamer, but not a "designer" in my book...

He's an Industrial Designer. That's what they do. After the industrial designer has done his bit it's turned over to the engineers to make it real.

An industrial designer's work many times is taking the invention - the prototype and working it into a design that is marketable. If you have seen the 1983 movie Brainstorm, Natalie Wood's character in it was pretty much an industrial designer.

In Mead's case. sometimes he comes up with something in this speculative work that inspires someone to run with that idea and make it work, then it goes back to him to refine the look.

Never said it was a one way street.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Analysts, Gamers, and Blade Runner's Artistic Director React To The Look of Tesla's Cybertruck - Slashdot

Syd Mead, the artistic director on Blade Runner says Tesla's new Cybertruck "has completely changed the vocabulary of the personal truck market design." Or, for another perspective, "Tesla's Cybertruck looks weird... like, really weird," wrote Toni Sacconaghi, a senior equity research analyst...

tech.slashdot.org

 

[edwest4]

Never get opinions from "senior equity research analysts." Their only question? Will it sell?

 

[royabulgaf]

Never get opinions from "senior equity research analysts." Their only question? Will it sell?

Well, if your business is to sell things, I would think their opinion would be important. But hey, that's just my opinion.

 

[edwest4]

There are car designers and consumers. Analysts... uh analyze things. My point was that the consumer eventually decides while those with design and engineering backgrounds have to make it all work and create the complete package. I have an interest in both.

 

[Rhinocrates]

I remember an interview with a Renault designer some years ago. Their company and Citroen were competing in the same sector. Both companies had similar market research results. Citroen presented a safe, conservative design to the market and it did relatively poorly while the Renault was radical and sold well. The Citroen was overall the least offensive, but nobody was excited by it and there were plenty of more reliable German and Japanese competitors. More people hated the Renault, but more people loved it too. As everybody's second choice, the Citroen lost out, but as a few people's first choice, the Renault succeeded. Lesson? The secret of failure is trying to please everyone; instead, concentrate on your unique brand.

 

[uk 75]

I have the books but also some of these little Hot Wheels Syd Mead designs

Syd Mead's Sentinel 400 Limo

Syd Mead was a futurist concept artist who did design work for several films, including Blade Runner and Tron. The Sentinel 400 is one version of his Sentinel concept car, depicted in Sentinel: Steel Couture. The Syd Mead's Sentinel 400 Limo has come out in the following 1/64 scale versions...

hotwheels.fandom.com

 

[edwest4]

I have the books also. I wonder if there would be a market for larger scale model kits.

 

[Michel Van]

new on Syd Mead

He loves the Tesla Cybertruck because it "stylistically breathtaking."

Blade Runner's art director Syd Mead is a huge fan of Tesla's new Cybertruck

Syd Mead called Elon Musk's new Cybertruck "stylistically breathtaking" and said he was truly flattered that Blade Runner served as inspiration.

www.businessinsider.de

the Art Directors Guild's William Cameron Menzies Award during the Guild's 24th Annual Awards, will be given to Syd Mead

Art Directors Guild to Honor ‘Blade Runner’ Designer Syd Mead

The Art Directors Guild plans to honor Syd Mead, who is best known for his design contributions to 'Star-Trek: The Motion Picture,' 'Aliens' and 'Blade Runner.'

www.hollywoodreporter.com

Syd Mead to receive ADG’s William Cameron Menzies Award

Syd Mead, the “visual futurist” and concept artist known for his design contributions to science-fiction films such as Star-Trek: The Motion Picture, Aliens, and Blade Runner, has been named the recipient of the Willi

www.shootonline.com

 

[Michel Van]

On twitter came news that syd mead has passed away

But there there no official new about, neither in news or his official homepage
Is those twitter news fake, or is syd mead not importan ?

 

[The Artist]

Sorry to hear this if it's true. The official media may be waiting until they get confirmation.

 

[Sundog]

Sadly, it’s true. Syd Mead has passed away.

 

[edwest4]

May he rest in peace, Oh Lord
And may perpetual light shine upon him