Renowned designer returns to Cameron University to inspire new generation

Thirty years after leaving Cameron University with his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Justen Renyer returned Thursday to share his thoughts and philosophy about creating.

A designer, artist and educator, as he walked into Room No. 114 in the Art Building on campus to offer his third lecture of the day, with his backpack slung over his tattered sweatshirt’s shoulder and cup of coffee in hand, other than the gray in his beard, he appeared like another fresh-faced student eager to learn from the masters.

But in this setting, Renyer was the master prepared to share the secrets of his spells for the novice apprentices.

Renyer shared how when he graduated from Cameron, his focus was far from where his creativity would go.

“My painting was my thing when I graduated undergrad,” he said.

Once in graduate school, Renyer said motion design got its hooks into him. Calling it an “umbrella term,” it incorporates typography, video editing, motion graphics and sound design to create a multi-dimensional expression. An example was the first piece projected onto a screen for the students to view.

“This is found in ‘War on Terror’ and the specific use of rhetoric during the ‘War on Terror,’” he said. “I am really looking at these phrases.”

Intercut images shared phrases such as Axis of Evil, yellowcake, weapons of mass destruction, political capital, continuity of operations plan and more terms heard so often in the aftermath of 9/11. It gave Renyer a first.

“This was the initial deep dive,” he said.

Next, Renyer shared a music video for which he’d won the American Institute of Graphic Arts’ prestigious 365 Award for the band Other Lives. He said he drew inspiration from the band Primal Scream’s album cover for “Exterminator.” Inspired, he spent nine months creating the collage-influenced video for the band.

The video is filled with an almost-breathing range of images in action that carries the mood of the song. Renyer said it had a highlight as an after effect.

“After the video came out, Other Lives opened for Radiohead,” he said. “At the time it was pretty cool.”

Renyer advised the burgeoning artists in the audience that most of what he does is client-based work. But an artist always continues creating and pushing their limits chasing their own muse, he said.

“I do a lot of self-initiated work,” he said. “It helps you improve your skills, stay current, experiment and it helps with my teaching.”

A graduate of New York City’s High School of Art and Design, Renyer pursued figure drawing, abstract painting, and music production during his Cameron studies before immersing himself in all aspects of Visual Communication. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Oklahoma.

Along with being an active artist and designer, Renyer is associate professor of Graphic Design at Oklahoma State University. Teaching is another art in which he excels.

While showing a short-video called “Sunny” that features the interlayered images of one cat chasing a red dot, Renyer said the art is sometimes found in the deception of creative magic.

“That was trickery,” he said of images of the tails overlapping.

Following its play through, one student spoke for the class.

“Do it again,” she exclaimed.

And Renyer gave them what they wanted, showing the video again.

Renyer’s art exhibition “GIUSTO” in the University Teaching Gallery Room 125 in the Art Building will be open to the public until Dec. 8.