David Carson essay

1. David Carson
David Carson was born September 8th 1955 in Texas. He is an American Graphic
Designer, Art Director and Surfer. He attended Cocoa Beach High School and was class
president for 3 years. He then attended San Diego State University and graduated with
honours and distinction as a Bachelor or Arts in Sociology. Carson worked as a teacher
in Torrey Pines High School in San Diego during the years 1982-1987. As well as
teaching, Carson was also a professional surfer and reached 8th in the world ranking.
Carson attended the University of Arizona for a two-week commercial design
course (at age 26) where he decided to change his profession. When Carson took
the course, he stated that it ‘changed everything’ and was a ‘fantastic journey’.
He then went to the Oregon College of Commercial Art for a couple of months.
Carson then took an unpaid internship and then went to Switzerland to attend a
three-week workshop in Graphic Design. Carson worked as a designer at a small
surfing magazine (Self and Musician) and then spent four years as a part time
designer for the magazine Transworld Skateboarding which allowed him to
experiment with his art work and style.
He is most known for his contemporary magazine design and use of experimental
typography. Carson was the Art Director for the popular magazine ‘Ray Gun’
where he contributed a lot of the typographic and layout style for which he is
most known. His widely caricatured aesthetic defined the ‘grunge typography’
era.
I chose David Carson as I view him as an inspiring artist. His viewpoint that is
portrayed through his artwork is inspiring and original. The ‘grunge’ style that he
uses in some of his pieces is a particular favourite of mine, and seeing the Ray
Gun magazine covers that he created are both stimulating and refreshing.
Carson uses chaotic spreads with overlapped photos and mixed and altered type
fonts in his work. These characteristics, of his artwork, drew in both admirers and
fault finders. I think that Carson’s work is very unique and definitely has a
‘grunge’ style which inhibits the photos that he uses to help carry his message.
Carson’s ‘What Youth’ piece is my favourite as his abstract and unique type font
pairs excellently with the half green, half black and white image of a sea of
people. Another piece I like from him is the first image, I like his abstract
view that is portrayed is both inspiring and innovative.
Carson has stated that his approach to designs are
experimental, intuitive and personal. As he had no formal

2. training, he feels that this helped him develop his style as he learned all the
things he’s ‘not supposed to do’ and created by what made sense to him.
http://www.designboom.com/design/interview-with-graphic-designer-david-
carson-09-22-2013/

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Carson_(graphic_designer)
https://www.britannica.com/biography/David-Carson