Yoni Alter

Yoni Alter

Yoni Alter is a London based graphic artist, he studied art and design in Jerusalem before completing his MA in Graphic Design from the London College of Communication. Alter is probably best known for his work with the television channel, London Live. His distinctive style perfectly captures the colourful vibe of London and his clean, bold way of working ensures his work appeals to a wide audience. This is due to the fact that Alter portrays the shapes of the city exactly as they are which appeals to an audience with more classic, traditional taste. However, his use of block, bold and abstract colours allows those with a more modern taste to enjoy his work as well.
     The thing I find most appealing about Alter’s work is his love for what he draws, and the detail and effort that goes into creating each of his skyline pieces. His skyline series interprets the view of numerous different cities (cityscapes) across the world, including Tokyo, New York and London, created mainly on computer based programs like photoshop and CAD. He also uses a laser cutter to create detailed 2D models of his city, such as the one shown above.  Alter is very meticulous when it comes to imitating the skylines, especially London, as this is his home and very close to his heart. Alter said in an interview with printmag: “You might as well draw the shard circular if you don’t bother implying it’s size in comparison to the rest of London’s skyline”. His love for his work and the need for him to do the cities justice shines through in the way he speaks about it, the way he promotes it, and of course in the work itself.         
      A lot of Alter’s work reminds me of Julian Opie’s in the sense that it’s true to the original shapes of the subject, but the colours and details are changed to a more simplistic, almost childlike style. I really enjoy his use of bold, bright colours in the skyline series, cities are often the most colourful parts of a country, where most of the hubbub, nightlife and activity occurs generally, so what better way to capture the essence of the brightest, loudest, busiest areas of a country, than with a bright, loud and busy design?

References: www.yoniishappy.com