KARL ASPELUND RÉSUMÉ
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Teaching Education Publications Presentations Skills
Artistic, and Exhibit Design Film Art Direction and Costume Design Lighting Designer/ Stage Mgr./ Technical Director/ Actor/ Writer/ Etc. Theatrical Set and Costume Design Theatrical Director

Teaching

1996  - present  University of Rhode Island, College of Human Services and Sciences
Department of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design

Lecturer (upcoming 2010-2011):
Development of Contemporary Fashion TMD 240; Apparel Design (TMD 327); Seminar in Textiles and Clothing TMD 402; Portfolios & Presentations (TMD 427); URI101

Instructor 1996-2010:
Apparel Design (TMD 327); Portfolios & Presentations (TMD 427)

Also: Supervision of internships and independent studies.

2005    Goldsmiths College, University of London, UK

The Design Process Workshop

Created and directed a week-long workshop based on my own book (then in manuscript) : The Design Process (Fairchild Publications, New York, 2006)

1996- 2004 Rhode Island School of Design, Dept. of Continuing Education.

  • Introduction to Illustration and Design for Apparel (Summer '04)
  • Fashion Design I & II (‘96-’00)
  • Lecturer: History of Fashion ('97)
    Lecturer: Life and Work of Christian Dior ('97) (Lecture and field trip to N.Y. for Metropolitan Museum retrospective)

1995- 1996 The Reykjavik School of Technology, Iceland

Department Chair, Industrial Design,

  • Commissioned in 1994 to set up department and head it for the first year.
  • Organized and oversaw planning of courses.
  • Responsible for staffing and administration.
  • Taught courses in Drawing, Illustration and Design, and introductory courses in CAD (AutoSketch & AutoCAD).
  • Coordinator and discussion facilitator for a lecture series on "The Theory and Practice of Industrial Design."

1992- 1996 The Reykjavik School of Technology, Iceland
Professor of Apparel Design & Costume History

1989 -1994 The Icelandic School of Drama:
Guest Lecturer on Costume History and Theory of Costume

1988 -1991 The Association of Icelandic Theaters:

Lectures on Costume History and Theory of Costume & Workshops for Actors, Directors and Designers:

  • "Props and Set as Character-Formation Tools",
  • "Clothes Make the Man - Creating a Character with Costume",
  • "Set Design in Poor Theater"

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artistic and Exhibit Design

2001-2008     Mid Ocean Studio, Providence Rhode Island

Designer, Researcher

The Mid Ocean Studio is led by the sculptor Brower Hatcher

Responsibilities:

  • Designing and CAD-modeling Brower Hatcher’s artwork for presentation and construction.
  • Creating presentations for print, PowerPoint, and Web, for public art proposals.
  • Creating soundtracks and soundscapes for presentations.
  • Animating "walk-arounds" of proposed artwork for public spaces.
  • Researching cellular automata and natural morphology for application to Brower Hatcher’s artwork.
  • Researching and planning methods of mathematically auto-generating organic forms with Brower Hatcher’s geometric methods.
  • Working with mathematicians at Brown University’s SHAPE Laboratory to further the auto-generation of forms.
  • Write VBA interfaces to automate CAD modeling of Brower Hatcher’s geometries.
  • Creating and maintaining the studio’s website.

Software used (PC platform):

AutoCAD 2000, 3dMax, PhotoShop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe AfterEffects, Sony Acid Music Studio, Frontpage

1999 - 2002 Exhibit A, Providence Rhode Island

Senior Designer of Trade Show Exhibits

Responsibilities:

  • Conceptualizing & Designing Trade Show Exhibits in conjunction with Account Managers
  • Scheduling and co-ordinating work of Design Department – both internally and with Engineering
  • Training and educating associate designers and interns in use of software –primarily AutoCAD and 3D Studio Max & Viz -- through on-the-job training and in-house seminars
  • Keeping abreast of design trends & communicating these to associates and management
  • Co-ordinating and overseeing a "House Style" of presentations, drafting methods and styles
  • Coordinating logging and archiving of design projects
  • Addressing clients concerns directly when necessary in conjunction with sales and management
  • Overseeing setup of booths as needed
  • Managing a Local Area Network

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Theatrical Set and Costume Design

Credits to date number more than 40 full-scale productions, mainly in Iceland. These include:

The Icelandic National Ballet- Designer in Residence 1994-1995

The Icelandic National Theater- Designer in Residence 1986-1988

Freelance Theatrical Designer 1988-1996

Theatrical Credits Include:5 ballets (modern), 1 operetta (Die Fledermaus), 5 children’s plays (one of which I co-wrote and designed after my own unpublished story) and 2 musicals (Les Miserables, Cabaret).

Also note: Romeo and Juliet, Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Dangerous Liaisons, Steel Magnolias, The Road to Mecca and Bent.

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Film Art Direction and Costume Design

1996 Costume Design: Djoflaeyjan/Devil's Island
Director: Fridrik Thor Fridriksson

Best Scandinavian Film of the Year, the Nordic Amanda Prize, 1997; Icelandic Entry, Academy Awards “Oscar” for Best Foreign Film 1997; Best International Film, Atlantic Film Festival 1997; FIPRESCI Prize, Karlovy Vari International Film Festival 1997, Young Audience Award, Rouen Nordic Film Festival 1997

1994 Art Direction: Benjamin Dufa/Benjamin Dove
Director: Gisli Snaer Erlingsson

Official Selection, Children's Film Festival, Berlin 1996; Best Film, Dublin Children's Film Festival 1997

1993 Costume Design & Wardrobe Master: Biodagar/Movie Days
Director: Fridrik Thor Fridriksson

Best Scandinavian Film of the Year, the Nordic Amanda Prize, 1994; Balticum Prize, Nordic Film Days, Lübeck, 1994; Icelandic Entry, Academy Award’s "Oscar" for Best Foreign Film, 1995; Public Prize, Festival de Laon France, 1995; Grand Prix, European Film Festival in Mamers en Mer, France, 1995; Grand Prix, XIVe festival du film d'environnement, Paris 1995

1992 Art Direction: Stuttur Frakki/Behind Schedule
Director: Gisli Snaer Erlingsson

Theatrical Director

1999 All Children's Theater, Providence

Director: The Waffle House - for ACT Young Playwrights Festival

1998 NewGate Theater, Providence
Director of Sam Shepard's Simpatico
This production was the "Audition Piece" for my candidacy for Artistic Director of NewGate


1997 Actors Theater, Providence
Director of Athol Fugard’s Playland

1996 Actors Theater, Providence
Director of two one-act plays (Thinking of Egypt and The Bridge) as part of "Men’s Stories - Men Working" a presentation of 6 one act plays

Lighting Designer/ Stage Mgr./ Technical Director/ Actor/ Etc.

1998 -2000 Rhode Island Festival Ballet: Technical Director & Lighting Design

Lighting Design, Snow White, at RISD Auditorium; Techincal Diractor Nutcracker at Providence Performing Arts Center; Lighting Peter and The Wolf (RISD)

1997 - 2001 Living Literature
Performing member of theatrical/educational group which presents literary readings to high schools and libraries

 

1998 All Children's Theater, Providence

Technical Director, Scenic Artist & Producer of Black Box Theater (Mentoring 3 young directors)

1998 Square One Theater Projects

Lead role - Pentheus - in Chuck Mee's Bacchae at the MetCafe Providence

Directed by Ann Brady and Kevin Oakes.

1997-1998 Rites and Reason Theater (Brown University)
Technical Director and Lighting Designer for The Dark Tower, Directors Playlab & Ophelia's Cotillion

1998 Brown University
Lighting Design. Fusion Dance Co.
12 Short original pieces by student choreographers

1997 Rites and Reason Theater
Lighting, Set & Costume Design: She Who is Made of Clay

1997 NewGate Theater, Providence RI
Lighting Design New Englandish

1994-1996 Co-ordinator of Smirnoff International Fashion Award Show in IcelandThis involved running the competition among design students in Iceland, staging the annual fashion show and then mentoring and accompanying the Icelandic contestant to the International Competition in Dublin '94, Cape Town '95 (Winner!) and Toronto '96.

1994 Co-wrote & produced a play for children:
Julia, Guardian of the Moon, after own story.
The play, for which I also designed costumes and set, staged by Iceland’s
leading children’s theater - under a grant from the Icelandic Ministry of
Education - ran to nearly 100 sold-out performances.

1992 Organizer/Designer/Stage manager

Coca-Cola Company's 50th Anniversary Rock-Show in Reykjavik.
12 bands, two stages, a helicopter, live television and radio and an
audience of 7000 on the Coca-Cola plant floor.

1992 Organizer/Designer/Stage manager

"Behind Schedule" Rock-Show in Reykjavik
For the film Behind Schedule (see above) we staged and filmed a
Rock-Concert with 10 bands, 7 live cameras, before a live audience.

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Education

2007-  present  Boston University, University Professor's Program

PhD. Candidate (2011.) Researching national dress and identity creation in Iceland

1983 - 1986  Wimbledon School of Art London, England
BA, Three-Dimensional Design, Dept. of Theatre.

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Publications

Books:

Aspelund, K. Fashioning Society, New York:  Fairchild Publications, 2009

A sociopolitical history of high fashion.

Aspelund, K. The Design Process (2nd ed.), New York:  Fairchild Publications, 2010 (2006)

Design theory. Adopted by over 40 colleges in the USA.


Papers and articles:

Aspelund, K. “Fundin ferðabók S.S. Howlands frá 1873“(“Found: S.S. Howland´s Journal of Travel to Iceland in 1873.“) Saga (Journal of the Icelandic Historical Society) XLIX (1) Upcoming: Spring 2010.

Aspelund, K. “Hundrað ár hátískunnar: Helgisiðir, ímyndir og sjónarspil“(“The Hundred Years‘ Fashion: Ritual, Image and Spectacle.“) Saga (Journal of the Icelandic Historical Society) XLIX (2) Upcoming: Fall 2010.

Aspelund,  K.Hallbar Design Behover Slöjden.” (”Green Design Needs the Crafts.”) Hemsljöden (Journal of the Swedish Handcraft Society) 2009/1: 16-17

Aspelund,  K. “Handverkshefðin: Fyrirmynd við Kennslu í Visthæfri Hönnun.” (“Craft Traditions: Models for Teaching Sustainable Design.” Hugur og Hönd (Journal of the Icelandic Handcraft Society) 2008: 36-37

Willis, A., Aspelund, K., et. al., “Computational Schemes for Biomimetic Sculpture”, In Proceedings of the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery),5th Intl. Conference on Creativity and Cognition (C&C),pp.22-31, London, April 2005.

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Presentations

Conference Presentations:

Aspelund, K. “Yet another Iceland: What a recently discovered travel journal by S.S. Howland from 1873 reveals about Icelanders, travelers, and the formation of national identity”100th Conference of the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies, University of Washington, Seattle, April 2010.

Aspelund, K. “Who are these Folk? What is their Dress? – Problems of Definition in the Study of Women’s National Dress in Iceland.” 2009 Meeting of the Nordic Councils for National Dress, (Nordiskt Dräktseminarium, 2009) Orbaden, Sweden. August 2009. ( Updated and delivered in Icelandic to a public audience at the National Museum of Iceland in Reykjavík, in November of 2009 - see below.)

Aspelund,K., G. H. Rosenkjær, O. Kristjánsdóttir: “The birth of a national costume: The making of a distinct Icelandic identity, 1857-1874.” 2009 Meeting of the Nordic Councils for National Dress, (Nordiskt Dräktseminarium, 2009) Orbaden, Sweden. August 2009.

Aspelund, K. “Defining National Culture by Stealth and Design: How a 19th Century Artist and a Secret Society Defined 20th Century Icelandic Culture.” Conference of the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, May 2009.

* 1st prize, Society of Historians of Scandinavia's Award for best graduate student paper in history, 2009.

Aspelund, K. “Craft Traditions as Teachable Models for Sustainable Design.” Nordic Handcrafts Association Conference in Reykjavik, Iceland, September 2007

Aspelund, K. “The Internet as Theater.” New England Theatre Conference, Providence, R.I. 1996

Invited Presentations:

“Why Worth? Why Paris?” Lecture hosted by: The Association of Icelandic Master-Tailors and Dressmakers. Reykjavík, January 2010

“Who are these Folk? What is their Dress? – Problems of Definition in the Study of Women’s National Dress in Iceland.” National Museum of Iceland in Reykjavík. November 2009. (A previous version was delivered in English at the 2009 Meeting of the Nordic Councils for National Dress, (Nordiskt Dräktseminarium, 2009) Orbaden, Sweden. August 2009 - see above.)

“Designing and Dressing Sustainably: What Must We Teach, What Must We Learn?” Nordic Fashion Biennale, Nordic House, Reykjavik Iceland, March 2009

“On an ‘Icelandic’ Design Process: Craft Traditions as Models for Sustainable Design Practices.” Lecture and Workshop, Reykjavik Technical College, Reykjavik Iceland, March 2009

“The Design Process: Inspiration is Key.” Guest Lecture, Reykjavik Technical College, Reykjavik Iceland, March 2009

“Innovation and the Importance of Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration” Lecture at Reykjavik Art Museum, Reykjavik Iceland, March 2009

“On Women’s National Dress in the Early Years of the 21st Century.” Lecture, Icelandic Handcrafts Association, Reykjavik Iceland, January 2009

“Are Ideas Like Shirts? Innovation and Creative Thinking in Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design.”Guest lecturer in "Innovation" seminar (TMD 402 I), University of Rhode Island, Department of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising, and Design, February, 2009

“Art, Environment, and Social Experience.” Lecture with artist Brower Hatcher. Sponsored by Brown University's Div. of Engineering, the Creative Arts Council, and the Cogut Center for the Humanities. Brown University, April 2006

“Extensions of Self: Media, History, and the Perception of Style.” Guest lecturer in "The Art and Science of Fashion" (TMD 402 K) seminar, University of Rhode Island, Department of Textiles, Fashion Merchandising, and Design, April 2005

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Skills

  • Experienced teacher with required organizational, presentation and communication skills
  • Working knowledge of all conventional artistic media
  • Expert user of:
    • AutoCAD as drafting and 3d modeling tool
    • 3D Studio Max modeling and animation software
    • Photoshop
    • Adobe Illustrator
    • Adobe AfterEffects
    • Sony Acid Music Studio

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