Design - Information

t h i s i s . . .

m a r k l e f o r d f r i e d m a n

E d u c a t i o n
Columbus College of Art & Design: Typography coursework (1997)
The Ohio State University: BS in Computer Science (1988-1992)

E m p l o y m e n t
Exceptional Innovation: System Designer (2004-Present)
NSB Group: Web Developer/Client-Server Architect (1996-2004)
CompuServe, Inc: Systems Programmer (1992-1996)

P u b l i s h e d W o r k
Writing: Dark Kingdom of Jade (White Wolf, co-author), Wraith Player's Guide (White Wolf, contributor), FreakFactory games (co-author/designer), Breeder Compendium (Maelstrom Hobby, co-author), Slayer's Handbook (Eden Studios, proofreading), Pulp Zombies (Eden Studios, proofreading)
Music (as NOISIA): Mind/Body 2 (Atomic Novelties, compilation), Mind/Body 3 (DIY Productions, compilation), The Best of Mind/Body (Fifth Colvmn Records, compilation), Noise Kills Punk Dead (Opulence, compilation), Cookbook CD: Libro de cucina y musica (Eenie Meenie Records, ECC remix)
Soundtracks: "The Last Day in November" (co-score), "Exclusive" (score), "Burnt Sienna" (score and sound-design), "Dropping the Gloves" (score and sound-design)
Illustration and Design: "Mordred: In This Live Video" DVD production, ASG Productions studio logo bumper motion and sound design, CCAD 119th Annual Student Exhibition featured typography pieces, Jinx Charity Special pin-up (Caliber Comics: Brian Michael Bendis selection)

F r e e l a n c e C r e d i t s
Creative Threads, Knoware, sam.net, Thora-Zine, Atlanta Screenwriters Group, Freak Factory, DeathTech, Worldwide Photo Agency

P e r s o n a l I n f o
My music influences typically have a weird genre-spin to them. I adore Kazumi Watanabe's mid-80's "Mobo" period that fused jazz and funk with a fun sense of avant-pop. The Bates/Ballamy incarnation of Earthworks merged jazz with electronics and more than a touch of humor. Soundtrack composer Tsuneo Imahori spans avant-classical to fusion-guitar rock to acoustic cowboy swing. Hate Dept remains on the top of my list of all-time favorite guitar-industrial forebearers. And Mordred mixed thrash-metal with funky bass and a turntable an entire decade before "nu-metal" became a hot commodity.

It's hard to say who my art and design influences are, as I don't think that my design style is shaped by any one recognizable movement, but rather by the synthesis of several. For example, I enjoy the clean, linear forms of modern Japanese design, though I also love the mid/late 90's "grunge" feel as typified by magazines like Raygun. I seem to bounce between the techno and the deconstructivist: I love capturing rust and decay, but see a beauty in mathematical recursion. In place of "influences", I'd say that my "inspirations" might include: Charles DeMuth (and other Precisionists and Cubist-inspired artists), Dave McKean, Bill Sienkewicz, Ashley Wood, Matt Howarth, Masamune Shirow, and many others.

I find digital photoillustration to be quite similar to my experience as a remix DJ: twisting the original pieces of a composition, drawing in wildly diverse material, and fusing it into a seamless whole. I'm always devising ways to pull in organic elements to spin into the mix, similar to how I've combined brass horns with electronic music, and I blend in typography like I would digital samples of movie dialogue. All in all, I think that this is what digital media is particularly suited to, whether it be sound or image...