NORWICH – Noah Revoir, a Norwich graduate, has truly begun to make a name for himself in the art world of New York City.
He just finished his third year at the Pratt Institute of Art, where he is just one semester short of graduating with a degree in communications design, which combines art with technology to provide a variety of industries with logos, ads and more.
His final week in NYC, before returning home for some well-deserved rest, was spent displaying his portfolio to industry professionals and representatives, and then the general public.
His work, which includes T-shirt designs, logos, posters, personal pieces and even a festival stage design, was chosen from a final senior survey as one of a few dozen classmates - from 380 in the department - to be exhibited at the Manhattan Center.
Revoir said he has known his whole college life that he wanted to put his talent to work in the music industry, thereby allowing him to skip meeting with representatives of advertising or corporate groups and network with music professionals on industry day.
“I wasn’t nervous because I knew what I had to say, but mostly I just let my work speak for itself,” said Revoir.
As a result of his hard work, confidence and aspirations during the semester, Revoir was accepted into a summer design program internship at Relix magazine, the “Rolling Stone of jam band music.”
Not only did they accept him on the spot following the interview, he was asked to work past the summer and into the school year.
“It’s a great opportunity,” he said. “I’m just going to be making small-time band ads and cd release posters at first, but I’ll be published and it’s my first internship.”
He added that the free press pass and tickets to numerous shows and festivals throughout the summer wasn’t a bad thing either.
Revoir said the journey to where he is today has been long and difficult, but worth every second.
“My professors pushed me and made me try new things,” he explained. “They told me I was already good at illustration, so to open my mind to execute projects in a different way.”
He explained that he soon dove into Photoshop and has since created his own process for graphic design.
“You have to go to your own little place in your head, have to see the final work there before you can produce it,” Revoir said, as he walked through the 20-24 hours it takes to idealize and plan the project before 9-10 hours actually in photoshop. “It’s usually not all in one sitting ... but I’ve pulled quite a few all-nighters.”
Revoir has also tried his hand at glass, metal, neon and collaging, accomplishing something in each medium.
Revoir said he has had many inspirations throughout the years including his mother and father’s love for music: “My dad played in a band and my mom would take me to concerts as an infant.”
Also, in high school, an art teacher gave him the initial push to step into the art world: “Mr. Franklin practically kicked me into doing art.”
However, above all else, Revoir’s love for art stems from his love for music, including classic rock, hip-hop, jam bands and almost everything in between.
“I couldn’t do art without music,” he said. “It’s keeping me company while I work and telling me a story ... if I wasn’t an artist I’d have an instrument in my hands, but I can still be in the music world.”
To get more information about Revoir and his work, visit his Facebook page Toasted Design.