I love doing work for and about African Americans. I feel I am reshaping history to show our beauty
- Art Sims
Sims was a go getter and believed in his potential, despite what his professors told him about how he wouldn't make it in the design world. On top of attending college, he spent the summer after his junior year designing a collection of album covers for Columbia Records in New York before returning to Michigan for his final year of school. After graduating, the sunny state of California was calling his name so he moved to LA to pursue a career. He scored a job as the art director at EMI, but was laid off when they discovered that he was still pursuing freelance work outside of the job. He then moved onto a job at CBS Television, but it wasn't long before he was laid off again for the same reason, although this time Sims was ready and had already bought an office space to start his own creative firm.
Art Sims caught the attention of big film directors like Steven Spielberg and Spike Lee when he started his own firm 11:24 Design Advertising, which is located in Los Angeles. His company was dedicated to bringing African American culture, art, and social injustices to the eyes of the general public. Sims began his creation of iconic posters for movies such as Bamboozled, Do the Right Thing, and New Jack City, all directed by Spike Lee. All of these posters sparked a lot of discussion on racial injustice, police brutality, and reconfigured how films were conveyed through advertisement.
This poster caught the attention of many people, and received backlash that brought about an movement to boycott the film because of the racial stereotypes presented on the poster. It was not until Art Sims was interviewed that it was realized by the people that he was a man of color and was using racial stereotypes on the poster to shock viewers and bring light to the injustices that black people were facing every day.Do The Right Thing - 1989
This film is about racial tensions in a Brooklyn neighborhood. Sims uses simple objects and lighthearted colors to represent the overall theme of the film. He subtly adds the pizza box and the child's drawing of the policeman with a gun to make powerful statements about police brutality, racial injustice, and human priorities.New Jack City - 1991
In a time when good guys dominated movie posters, Art Sims challenged this trend with his portrayal of drug dealer "Nino Brown", sitting above the three police with a gun pointed down, smoking a cigarette. Sims uses scale to create a focal point and hierarchy on the poster. He worked for months to correctly and fully capture the meaning behind the film and was so successful that people began raiding bus stops so they could have the posters for themselves.
Sims was always working towards building his own portfolio full of his ideas and topics he was passionate about. He was laid off from many jobs because his work for the African American community always took precedent over his safety within a corporate job. After many years, he finally realized that he could not continue designing for big corporate industries when the topics he was passionate about were not being addressed. So in starting his own company, 11:24 Design, he focused on producing historical images that illustrate the real urban experience, not the idealized version. Sims' posters encourage and initiate action from the people that view them, both white people and people of color. As his posters received backlash, they also impacted and opened the eyes of many to the racial injustice that has existed in the past and continues to exist every day.
While the main cornerstone of 11:24 Design is entertainment, the firm has worked with clients like Lionsgate, Starbucks, Under Armour, and more. No matter who they are working with, their main focus is diversifying the voices heard within the media and continually amplifying overlooked culture and the stories of people of all races. Connection and understanding is at the core of the company, with an emphasis on working with people of color. Sims lives by his word, saying that "design is just one part of being a designer. The other part is you must be a good person in life". His design is important because of the way it brings evil into the light and exposes it, showing the injustices and underrepresentation that people of color experience.
Currently, Art Sims is working on a social media network to better connect the African American community, is working on writing a film which he hopes to direct in the near future, and has his own greeting card line. He is also a mentor to the youth, teaching graphic design at a middle school for African Americans, and is about to launch a project called the AIR (Artist in Residence) Foundation, designed to unite artists with students who don't have art classes at their schools. Art Sims sees people and their needs and runs to help shine light and assist in any way he can. He is a designer for those who often feel voiceless and has played a huge part in creating ways for the underprivileged to gain access to education that could positively impact their lives forever. With his ambition, drive, and talent, it is said that Art Sims has created some of the most memorable and recognizable advertising campaigns in history.
If I'm on this earth, I'm going to be doing something expressive, or creative, and I'm going to be giving back. You won't see Art Sims lying on the beach with a mint julep, pondering his life. There's too much to do
-Art Sims
Awards/Recognitions:
Key Art Award
Posters housed in Smithsonian Museum of New York's Permanent Collection
AIGA Designer
Sources:
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