POPulence Show Catalog

From Fred Tomaselli’s Brain with Flowers to the digital works of Chiho Aoshima, the POPulence exhibit at the University of Houston’s Blaffer Gallery gave a fresh and engaging snapshot of the nation’s most promising popular artists. Origin’s job was making the exhibit itself popular, not to mention producing the show’s slick catalogue. The result—we blew up show attendance like a Jeff Koons inflatable, and sent everyone home with a catalogue opulent in its own right.

POPulence Poster

Origin gave the show a catalog designed with popularism and opulence in mind—but without distracting from the works showcased in the piece. Tying together identity elements from the show’s other promotional components, the catalog did a great job of communicating the works’ attributes and putting them on the page in a way that brings them to life and gives them context. The catalog’s design was as sophisticated, tasteful and intuitive as the exhibit itself.

POPulence Invitation Package

To bring the latest generation of Pop artists to the public—and fresh faces to the Blaffer Gallery—Origin designed a direct mail campaign announcing the POPulence exhibition and the significance of the works in today’s arts environment. Using vivid imagery from the exhibiting artists, show reviews and compelling copy, we helped blow up show attendance during its initial months—and also helped maintain some steady traffic as the show continued its stay in Houston.

POPulence Title Wall

Origin also designed the show’s title wall, which integrated with the overall POPulence visual theme and got the job done of communicating the exhibition and its artists without confusion, distraction or being mistaken for just another piece of kitsch. Like the art they adorn, the onsite banners at the Blaffer Gallery were engaging, high-energy and portentous that something big in popular art is about to happen right in front of your eyes.