Personally, I think April's stuff is looking pretty tired. Very mid-80's. And she just keeps wacking away with the same old stuff that looks like Emigre issue #3. Zzzzzz. I think she has painted herself into a corner with a pretty narrow style --- and it's a style that's grown old pretty poorly. One man's opinion.

well, I guess I have to say a big thank you to Tom Dolan, when I 1st took a look at the sites Armin linked in his post about April Gremain I felt disoriented. The bad way, I mean.

I was afraid it was just me, I mean it was my fault not to undersantd or catch that particular touch or whatever. It seems I'm not the only one, and that's sort of a relief, actually.

I'm sorry but I feel the same sensations: pretty tyred...

You guys are completely right. It's tired. And it's been done, yes but it seems likt it's been done so much, because of all the people who have copied her style.

And she has definitely not grown out of that style, and it's a shame.

But I guess good work is good work. And I can see that style coming back in the future.

That's the beauty of this site. You don't have to like everything and you can say how much something sucks.

Yes, Armin, this is the beauty of this site, thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our ideas and, sometimes, disagree with yours.

I'll be the first to admit that April deserved some attention when she hit the scene with her style 20 years ago. Just as we see design trends now, she was one of the innovators of the 'bitmap' style, with people like Suzanna Licko, Rudy Vander Lans, Neville Brody, etc. However, like a band with one hit, April hasn't moved an inch off her mark in 20 years. Like wide bellbottoms and frayed hippy belts, I guess every style has a chance for a comeback, but I hope that this one just continues to disappear in the rear view mirror.

April is also a good example of a designer who makes a display of her style the #1 element of any project. Where this works with the client's goals, fine --- when it doesn't, too bad. The style faction of design gets most of the press and creates most of the celebrity, but personally I think it's often fairly un-thinking design. It's often not about problem-solving, but rather just about style spew. Cool-looking and entertaining at times, but often about as meaningful and timeless as an innovative hairdo.

Tom, you definitely have some good points, her design tends to be about her and not about the client. A friend of mine, back in Mexico, met her at a workshop and said she was not a very pleasant person. She must have an ego the size of the 80's.

She's got a bit of a nasty personal reputation as well, yes. I didn't mean to sound too harsh. April is certainly accomplished and I mean no disrespect. Anyone who gets to her level of recognition (particularly a woman in this man's world) has had to work long and hard.

Hmmm...Well I agree with your points but disagree as well. It does look dated but Griman's work has always been about creating space. She has taken a very graphic design style to architecture in her later years (check out her desert resort: Miracle Manor She has also done quite a bit of interior design with her husband at his Shop Roto Architecture)

As for her personally....I can't say, but she is no doubt one of the pioneers of the early computer graphic design movements. She seems more of an experimenter/artist than a designer.

She is happy and successful...what else can you ask for.

April has a collection at fStop.

(http://www.fstopimages.com)