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Exploring NYC's FiDi by Libby VanderPloeg

Exploring NYC's FiDi by Libby VanderPloeg

Design Ideas
March 14, 2016
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Libby VanderPloeg's project "Exploring NYC's FiDi" is a series of drawings commissioned by Condé Nast for an article about the Financial District. The article and illustrations highlight the vibrancy of the neighborhood in which the publishing company now resides. Condé Nast opened it’s FiDi (Financial District) office about 2 years ago, amidst a wave of new business going up in conjunction with post-911 redevelopment initiatives. The article opens with a map of the area, pinpointing the landmarks to be extrapolated on throughout the article. The subsequent illustrations zoom in on those pinpoints.

libby vanderploeg

I knew that one of the main objectives of the article was to tell readers about a holiday pop-up destination on the Hudson River called the Museum of Feelings. The reference photos of the building were very glowy, set against a dark night sky, so I decided to let those dark, intimate tones carry through the series. I also let some of the colored lights shining on the Museum’s exteriors inform the color palette for the rest of the illustrations.
-Libby VanderPloeg

libby vanderploeg

I worked for a short while down in the financial district and really fell in love with the area during my time over there. I used to ride my bike from Brooklyn over the Williamsburg Bridge to my office on Broadway every day. I loved the ride because so much of it was along the East River waterfront and through Chinatown and FiDi’s quaint and winding streets. It’s such a uniquely historical area. I hope that more people will find reasons to partake in its charm, and perhaps seeing the map will encourage them to do so.
-Libby VanderPloeg

libby vanderploeg

Hm. I suppose I could describe my style as colorful, happy, sad, slapstick, deadpan, messy, clean, pretty, sometimes vapid, sometimes thoughtful...but above all organized. Always organized. I have a bit of trouble with consistency though. I like to play. I love to write. My favorite artists aren’t afraid to write too. My inspirations run the gamut and there’s almost no point in listing any perhaps because this will be so disparate and abridged to the point of meaninglessness but I’ll give it a shot! Carl Barks, Daniel Clowes, Miranda July, Roz Chast, Alexander Girard, Maps, Raymond Pettibon, Tove Jansson, Denim, Frida Kahlo, Karen Kilimnik, John Currin, Stripes, Baby Animals, Ellsworth Kelly, my grandma Bette, my mom and dad...and so on and so on.
-Libby VanderPloeg

libby vanderploeg

I think art is a lot like running. It feels good sometimes, but a lot of the time it’s really difficult, and challenging, and above all requires commitment. In order to maintain some level of acumen within the discipline, there must be regular exercise of one’s creative muscles. It’s no coincidence that art is a “practice”. It takes thought and work and distance. And then more of that. In talking to fellow artists, I’ve found that the one thing we share in common is the hope that someday we’ll like what we created for more that 24 hours. We’re a fickle lot, only able to see what we could have done just a bit better. But it keeps us working now, doesn’t it.
-Libby VanderPloeg

libby vanderploeg

About Libby VanderPloeg

Libby VanderPloeg is an illustrator and designer currently living in Brooklyn, NY. She was raised in Michigan, in a little harbor town called Grand Haven. It was a kind of magical time in her life - all sun, and sand, and snow. They moved to a larger city, Grand Rapids, when she got a bit older. After high school, she stayed in Grand Rapids for a while trying to figure out what to do next, and eventually landed in Chicago, IL, where she stayed for the next 9 years, studying art, painting in her studio, and working as a graphic designer. After getting her BFA in sculpture and drawing from the University of Illinois, Libby moved to New York, and have stayed here for the past 9 years, save for a short stint in Stockholm, Sweden, where she worked briefly as a book designer. In New York, she worked in publishing as an art director for many years, but eventually was pulled back to painting and drawing. Libby currently work full-time as an illustrator,and couldn’t be happier with her decision to commit to making a career out of something that she really loves doing. See more of her works on Behance or her website.

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