In the Air – Helmet Graphics
A helmet displaying a unique graphic design; generated from original photograms depicting Australian flora and ephemera found at Albert Park.
Simone LeAmon, designer, Daryl Munton, digital artist, Luke Hibberd, helmet painter
Commissioned by the 2007 FORMULA 1 ING Australian Grand Prix and the Design Institute of Australia
In the air is helmet displaying a unique graphic design; generated from original photograms depicting Australian flora and ephemera found at the Australian F1 Grand Prix circuit at Albert Park.
Simone LeAmon was invited to develop a concept for a helmet graphic for Design in the Fast Lane, an event presented by the Design Institute of Australia for the 2007 FORMULA 1™ ING Australian Grand Prix.
Having worked on previous helmet concepts for a leading Italian apparel company, Simone reflected on key conversations with industry professionals and pro-racers that critiqued the established codes for imaging motorcycle helmets. Acknowledging that the surface of the racer’s helmet is dedicated space for sponsor’s messages, the competitive helmet is defined by legible content unlike their off-the-shelf counterparts.
These helmets can afford to take more ‘visual’ risks, and whilst developing concepts for the Italian company, Simone dispensed with the pivotal lightning bolt and fire flames for imaging textures extracted from environmental and regional features near to the manufacturer’s headquarters.
Keen to re-visit this concept and create a helmet surface in response to the 2007 FORMULA 1™ ING Australian Grand Prix circuit, Simone drove, jogged and walked around the circuit several times imagining what type of an impression that such a ‘space’ could leave on a helmet void of the sponsor’s messages.
Looking for clues, the ground revealed a naturally occurring patina of shadows, tyre marks and ephemera. Determined to see how this material could be translated for design, photographs, video and leaves were taken back to the studio for contemplation.
In essence Simone was hoping to ‘print’ and apply the unique atmosphere of the circuit and park to the helmet – thinking laterally, the old-style photogram made popular by the artist Man Ray in the 1930’s came to mind. Here, objects are arranged on light sensitive photographic paper, exposed and developed. Dependant on the length of exposure the image developed can be likened to an X-Ray or bold black and white silhouette.
Using the gum leaves collected from the park and reconstructing the tyre marks found on the circuit with wire and steel, Simone developed dozens of photograms. Moving to the computer, Simone and Daryl devised a series of helmet surfaces from the photograms using Maya software, designing and editing the composition in the round. With a completed vision of the helmet surface now on the screen, painter Luke Hibberd works from a folio of frames depicting the asymmetrical image on the helmet in 24 degree intervals.
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