Key
orange = contextual connection
green = how it's reflected in my work
pink = personal reflection
Extension Projects Interests
- Wear It (Jewellery, Footwear and Fashion Accessories)
- Explore It (Product Design)
Extension Project
Jewellery, Footwear & Fashion Accessories, Day 2
What are wishing to reveal and what are you wishing to conceal in your work?
Through my extension project, I want to reveal the natural shape of the human body by concealing it with the opaque neck piece.
How have specific techniques aided/unaided the development of your outcome?
I wanted to experiment with heat and plastic and moulding to the body. Initially, I wanted to use alginate to make a mould of the body However, because of the time constraints, so that I can drape the polypropylene sheet over the mould of the décolletage and when I apply heat, it will mimic the shape of the mould. However, I wanted to experiment with heat. While I was experimenting with heat by laying down other basic shapes to drape the plastic over, the plastic began to wrinkle and create a wave-like effect that looks like the surface of a wave. Therefore, I chose to continue with this technique. This technique was challenging because the plastic is very difficult to control when it is heated as it heats unevenly. It. took a while to create the general shape of the neck because I had to keep readjusting the plastic once it had cooled down but this only added to the organic texture of the plastic.
Your Surrounding
Body & Function
03.10
see digital outcome, 'Pls Keep Out'
I think that our surroundings play a significant role in forming ideas about what we like and what we choose to wear on our bodies to express ourselves. As we absorb our surroundings and choose to wear things that are inspired by our surroundings, our surroundings begin to change and reflect what we wear, creating a continuous interdependent cycle between our surroundings and our clothing. This was reflected in the workshop as we began with observational drawings of our everyday surroundings which would influence the shapes I chose, not knowing that we would need to experiment with out 3D outcome on the body. I think that not knowing that we were going to experiment with our 3D shape on the body helped me to focus on choosing the shapes that were most interesting to me which included a range of basic shapes and forms while joining the edges anywhere I could to give my 3D piece structure without considering how it would fit on the body. Once I started to experiment with the structure on the body, I was looking at how the structure naturally fit into the forms of the body like how an arm could slide through the structure, or how a shoulder would act as a stand, how it could be used as a handbag or how a foot could be protected by my structure.
My second outcome was made using an A1 piece of paper which was more flimsy than the sketchbook paper used for my first prototype so this made it difficult for the structure to be sturdy, which also made it easier for it to fit on the body. In my second outcome, I changed one of the shapes so that the individual shapes would be longer and had more areas that could be twisted and intertwined to create more complex pathways and line to fill in the area of the larger outcome.
Explore It
Structure & Form
01.10
see digital outcome, 'Ruck Sac'
How did you find working with so many constraints? Why? (limited time, materials, given objects) Did these constraints make it easier or harder to generate ideas?
I found that working with so many constraints like the tomatoes and lemons we needed to consider made it easier to focus on key ideas surrounding the function of the idea. It forced me to consider the shape and weight of the fruit and adjust my ideas to design challenge. I found this constraint was particularly challenging when we began actualising the prototypes for the lemons after making the prototypes for the tomatoes because the lemons were much heavier. This also meant that I had to treat the given materials like wire, and string differently because the same amount of wire I used to create a Santa Clause hat storage holder for the tomatoes was not enough to even hold one lemon as part of a head band. I had to move on from this headband design and instead created a birds nest lemon basket. If I were to recreate the lemon headband holder, I would need to use a sturdier, thicker metal wire to support the weight of the lemon, however the wire would need to be malleable enough to be adjustable to the user's head.
Was the product design + ceramics pathway as you imagined? Why?
I didn't realise how ceramics was used in the product design pathway because I hadn't thought of the possibilities that a ceramic vessel had, especially through the slip casting technique. I think this pathway really interests me as a potential specialist pathway because I could centre my work around user briefs and meeting practical needs or simply making mundane activities in our everyday life more enjoyable rather than creating work that might serve little practical use.
Research Task
Language & Interaction
25.09
Use this task to help clarify your thoughts about which specialism, from this week, is most of interest to you and why?
The workshop that interest me most this week was the Say It Loud workshop because of the process involved in developing our primary research which was the anonymous text conversation about our fears. I also enjoyed attempting to create a final outcome that showed neat craftsmanship which is a change from the other workshops which have been more expressive.
Identify 1 artist OR 1 designer and 1 writer from the references supplied with your one day workshop presentations.
Publisher: NASA
Architect: Jeremy Bentham
Pick a piece of their work and write about why it interests you? Is it the use of materials, the aesthetics, the questions their work poses? Find a magazine / journal text about this work, read it, annotate it and explain what you think about this secondary perspective.
NASA, 1977, Voyager Golden Records were the first ever recordings of human society which would be intended to explain things to aliens if they were ever to see the records. The creators of the golden records had to consider how they would communicate aspects of our society in a way other than the English language so they used the visual language of symbols which could be assumed to be universal.
Architect Jeremy Bentham designed the Panopticon as a method of surveillance in the cuban prison. The cyclical nature of the building meant that theoretically, only one guard would be needed to watch over the whole prison without the prisoners knowing if they were being watched or not. This proved to be successful as it altered the behaviour of the prisoners as they began to police themselves because they felt like they could always be watched.
The idea of surveillance plays a key role in maintaining authority in large metropolitan cities. The idea of the Big Brother also scares members of society because they feel like their privacy is being invaded and the thought of constantly being watched makes them feel uncomfortable despite not have a reason to. Surveillance also helps those in power understand the psyche of those living within it and may be used to manipulate these members into following a favoured ideology.
Write about why this subject specialism interests you as a future career? Be honest, think about it carefully and research what different careers in this field actually consist of.
I don't think that I want to pursue a future career in graphic design, illustration or Fine Art 4D because I don't think the techniques associated with these areas are my strengths. I do think that notions of 'herd psyche' and surveillance play a crucial role in the development of our society today more than ever because of the rise in digital development.
250 min – 500 max words: Upload all material to Workflow: Contextual Practice
Build It
Language & Interaction
23.09
see digital outcome, 'Oumbrella for my Bike'
How did the decision making process develop?
The focus of the 'Build It' workshop was to experiment with the way we as individuals and a society might interact with spaces. Using bamboo rods and connective materials like tape, zip ties and string, my group and I responded to the brief by constructing an Archimedean shape out of platonic shapes. We chose to make this shape out of a series of triangles because they are strong shapes which won't collapse if it is free-standing which was also a criterion of the brief, that it had to be sturdy considering that we would need to further develop our original shape into a structure that will be fit to meet a purpose. We decided to give our triangular shape adjustable with moveable joints allowing us to explore different possibilities in preparation to develop the shape into something that might serve a function. This was an important part of the process of developing the possibilities of platonic shapes and having them serve a purpose which takes into consideration the complex needs of a space's users as reflected by the complex possibilities that the form might have.
How was the brief met and what is the significance of the outcome?
Our final outcome was an umbrella which was intended for public rent which could be attached to bikes or simply to provide more shelter from the rain than a conventional umbrella would. After exploring the possibilities of our adjustable triangular model, a similar approach, in terms of choice of platonic shapes, was taken and therefore we created the umbrella out of triangles to shelter its user from wet weather conditions. We wanted to make sure that this umbrella would be able to be easily worn and stabilised using the natural position of the human body when riding a bike to make sure that the product would appeal to bike riders due to their ergonomically design which wouldn't otherwise compromise the safety of the bike rider. Therefore, rods were attached which would be lodged into the back pocket of the bike rider while additional stability would be ensured by a handle bar mimicking the natural placement of the rider's hands when riding the bike. Our outcome took into consideration the need for financial sustainability as well as environmental sustainability by applying a socialist approach to the design's intended usage as a product rentable to the public, similar to other public sharing systems like the oBikes in Singapore (station-less bikes available for short term hire). Despite benefitting its users financially, the bike umbrella will also have important environmental impacts like promoting members of the community to continue to ride bikes in rainy weather, deterring them from using other modes of transport with a larger carbon footprint. The use of material further justifies the conceptual and practical interactions its users will have, given that bamboo is a natural, biodegradable and infinite resource.
How could this idea be developed?
This design could be further developed by reconsidering the materials used to create shelter so that the umbrella could serve multiple purposes. In our final outcome, we used white paper, tracing paper, string and tape to create panels to reduce transparency while leaving panels in the front open for its user to see out the front when riding a bike. After completing the final outcome, we needed to light up our outcome with a lightbulb. This prompted me to consider a more household approach given that a hanging lightbulb alludes to ideas of a hanging light over a dining table. Therefore, given that this product is intended for sharing amongst the public, I think this outcome could be further developed into a sharable and transferable shelter for the homeless if a more durable material like that of a PVC tablecloth were used to create more privacy and protection from a variety of weather conditions including sunshine. A 'mobile home' would also provide protection for the homeless if they were riding a bike which would enable them to ride longer distance in more weather conditions, promoting commutes to opportunities that might gain them more financial freedom.
Revelation of Erasure
Surface & Meaning
19.09
What were the most important decisions you made?
The most important decisions I made during the revelation of erasure workshop was to identify key contrasts in the images that I chose so that I could use them to create meaning in the pieces I made. I did this by identifying key features and elements like the setting of the image, the colours used, figures (both human and animal) as well as contrasts between recurring patterns like those seen in the image of the pumpkin stem cells. One of the pieces I created involved a page from an old book with an image of men guiding cows pulling a carriage of women down an old dirt road. The image was taken before the 20th century therefore a contrast between the old original image and contemporary erasure would highlight the message of the power that man has over nature. Another piece featured an image of a cow in the forest with a peaceful atmosphere and element of mystique due to the forest fog.
How did these change your work?
By choosing to create meaning through contrasting images, I also chose to use erasure techniques that would highlight these contrasts. For example, the technique of erasure was applied to the image from the old book featuring men guiding cows pulling carriages of women by using shapes which are traditionally recognisable in contemporary settings like the rectangle while also making these shapes colours which are considered as modern like pastel pink and bright golden orange to contrast the black and white background image. I then also chose to trace the outlines of key compositional elements like the men, women, chains and trees in the background to show the power that man has over animals as symbolised by the chains used to contain the cows. This also highlights the hierarchy of men, as masters of women, whom are above animals and nature which is a helpless and nonchalant observer. The image of the cow has been layered with a blue balloon cut out to highlight a similar hierarchy wherein nature is being overtaken by man-made inventions as humans blindly create them simply for our amusement. The blue balloons, Homogenizing and Transforming the World, which have been placed over the image of the cow are from Yayoi Kusama's exhibition in Singapore, Life Is The Heart Of A Rainbow, a responsive piece about how the internet connects the world, further exacerbating how man puts their convenience at the expense of peace in nature.
Another piece I created but applied a different approach to creating contrast to create meaning was to use acrylic paint and cover the face of Mona Lisa, by Leonardo Da Vinci. A key result of erasure is to create a certain sense of ambiguity in the work. An additional sense of ambiguity is added to Mona Lisa by covering her face but still keeping in mind the shadows used to created her face, however, subtle changes have been made to increase this sense. I have used the acrylic paint to close her eyes and reduce her smile. This is a significant change to the original intentions of Leonardo Da Vinci as the mystique of her famous smile has only been further intensified, having the audience question with more uncertainty of what Da Vinci was truly trying to convey in Mona Lisa.
surface & meaning contextual practise notes 18.09
- Joeseph Nicephore Niepce, View from the Window at Le Gras 1826 or 1827
- Image could not be reproduced
- The power of images
- how they shape our understanding of the world
- what society expects of us
- what inspires us
- informs our identity and understanding of the world
- The pictures we upload impact others understanding of the world
- Effect on younger generations
- The society of the spectacle 1967, Guy Debord
- In the development of modern society, relationship have been replaced by their representation --> we learn more through consumption of imagery rather than reality
- Decline of being rather than having
- Inverted version of society, our consumption reliance hinders our ability to think critically, obsessed with consumerism
- San serif: psychologist say is contemporary, more playful, less serious
- Serif: more authority
- Jacques Mahe de la Villegle, 1961
- Tearing advertisements and combining them together
- McCann XBC, Acceptance street, associate themselves with more liberal ideas of sexuality to attract LGBT people to purchase their financial products
- Chris Ware --> pressure of financial pressure on ordinary people
- Adam Dant, intricate, life in London, their troubles, uses duller colours used in money
- Robert Rauschenberg, 1953, Erased the Kooning, questions representation by removing the original image
- Dazzle Camouflage, WW1, used in attempt to distract physical location
- Also used to disguise new car models when testing so that press cant see the real shape
- Callum Innes, 2018 Untitled Lamp Black No. VI
- Angela de la Cruz, 2010, Deflated (Yellow), oil on canvas
- Armchair Painting, Amikan, he decided to also print his artworks onto t-shirt, dies it make the work less serious?
- 032C
- Guy Cramer, Disruptive Pattern, inspired by military uniforms
Lost Letters Screen Print and Stop Motion
Surface & Meaning
16.09
see digital outcome, 'Juggling O's'
Where you able to adapt your idea and visual language to the screen print process effectively?
At the beginning of the workshop I brainstormed design solutions on how to transform the letters 'oo'. I felt like this was challenging for me to adapt my idea to the screen print process effectively because I had never made a screen print before so my visual language included too many fine lines and details which would make it challenging for me to produce the clean and distinct lines. I could improve my print by simplifying its design and adapting my visual language so that it portrays a more clear illustration while embracing the nature of the screen print process to create subtle dimension to a single face.
How did the restrictions shape your final image?
The layering process involved in screen printing shaped my final image because I had to keep in mind that certain spaces within the o's were meant to be the background of my piece and also that screen printing produces very definite lines and shapes. This meant that my stencil would transfer thin bridges onto the paper which detracted from the bold shapes I wanted. The boldness of the elements of the print also meant that my design needed to take form by using colour blocking and slight adjustments of each colour layer to create dimension.
What were the biggest challenges you faced during the workshop and how did you overcome them?
The design solutions I came up with included small details and fine lines which are difficult to translate into a screen print illustration. I chose to transform the o's into two adjacent faces with more o's used to create their hair, beards, hat and earrings. My original design included the repetition of these o's to mimic the bushy form and texture of hair and beards. This meant that I needed to create many thin bridges to connect the different components of my screen print stencil which made it very difficult and meticulous to cutout and maintain the clean finish I was aiming for. In response to this challenge, I had to simplify my design by reducing the number of o's used in the hair and beard and replacing them with larger o's. I also only realised later on in the process of creating the stencil that in order to make floating o's, I needed to connect the inner circle with the outer circle to create a thick bordered 'o'. This meant that I needed to create a second stencil as I had already cut out too much of the paper's area.
Extension Project
Jewellery, Footwear & Fashion Accessories, Day 3
Describe how effective you processes for decision making regarding colour, texture and form were
I think my decisions in terms of colour were quite effective in creating the desired visual language that mimics the translucency and softness of skin. I chose to use a thermo reactive plastic so that I could mould the polypropylene sheet to the natural shape of the neck and décolletage. However, I found it very difficult to control the shape of the plastic once it heated up as it doesn't heat up evenly so it began to create ripples and an overall uneven surface. After experimenting with the polypropylene sheet, I decided to continue with the uneven texture because of how organic it looks and I think that it would create further contrast to the body.
How successful was your research?
My research played an important role in directing my decision making as I took inspiration from artists like Yeha Leung, Ana Rajcevic, Kate Langrish Smith, Sarah Taylor and Naomi Filmer. In summary, these artists all use synthetic materials which mimic the form of the body. Leung inspired my decision to mimic crystals by using hot glue and by using plastic on the body to reveal and highlight its natural form. Kate Langrish Smith's artefact III makes use of the negative space of the body which highlights the natural movement of the body while exploring notions of balance and gravity. I've implemented this in my work through suspension of the glue beads, brining in an element of gravity. I explored the theme of support in my work, inspired by Langrish's notions of balance, as my piece limits the natural movement of the neck forcing the user to 'balance' the piece to avoid tangling the beads.
If you were to do this project again, what would you do differently?
If I were to do this project again, I would want to experiment with a thicker plastic like an acrylic sheet but this create a different effect that would have less texture. I would also have to employ a different technique like casting and moulding so that I could make a more accurate replication of a body part. I would use a transparent sheet of acrylic that has a smooth surface so that light reflects off it. This would highlight the natural form of the body more while revealing it which would prompt the user and my audience to reflect upon our body's natural form. I would also want to experiment with longer lengths of thread to bring in an aspect of length and the scale of the human body.
body & function contextual practise notes 02.10
Body Manipulation
- How we are clothed says a lot about the world at the time
- Clothing defined by male tastes, designed by men
- Women lacked education and technical skill, viewed as beautiful objects
- Subjugation --> one group oppresses another group
- Corset was worn by wealthy women to indicate status, used to control women
- Grecian bend/bustle
- Indicates their status
- The bigger you were, the more space you take up, bigger = better quality food and fertility
- Men also added to their dress, to add volume, more powerful, masculinity
Wigs
- 18th to 19th century
- Wigs made from human hair
- Hair bought from poor people
- The higher and wider the wig, the better
- Pig fat used to gel the hair, summer comes and the fat melts
Foot binding
- Banned around same time that metalic corsets were banned
- 7cm was the ideal length of the foot
- Made vagina more muscular
- Modern pointed toe shoes are an example of foot alternation
- 1926, one of the first French clothing companies to be designed by female
- 1940, women began to wear work clothes, out of necessity, DIY culture
- 1960, massive sexual liberation, rise in contraception, rise of the teenager, people had more time of their hands, greater cap between children and younger people (parents came from far)
- Iris Van Herpen, Syntopia /AW 2018
- Monoculture Magazine, King's Cross has it
- Bart Hess, Echo, 2011
- Bart Hess, Mutants, 2011, physically sculpting the body
- How repetition can be used with materials to create textiles
- Francesca Lanzavechhi, 2008, ' neck plinth' and 'marsupial'
- Does technology bring us together or separate us?
Wear It
Body & Function
30.09
see digital outcome, 'Plated'
Did you find it easy to get your ideas down?
I found that the time we were given made it very difficult to get my ideas into my sketchbook because, beside trying to show the overall idea, I wanted to convey ideas I had for potential techniques and textures that I was thinking of creating using the limited materials I had access to. I overcame this challenge by drawing small sample of the textures and also used annotations to convey my ideas in my sketchbook.
What materials/techniques did you use?
The materials I used included a plastic sheet, wire, hot glue, masking tape and embroidery thread. Using these materials, I used the hot glue gun to create organic patterns on the breast and chest. Initially, I planned on making these organic patterns on a smooth surface so that I could peel them off but I couldn't find a smooth enough surface that wouldn't melt when it came into contact with the hot glue. I trialled my technique on a transparent sheet of plastic and it melted, meaning that it teared when I tried to remove the glue. I also trialled this technique on the plastic lid of my lunchbox but the texture of the lid wasn't smooth enough so the dried glue stuck to the lid of my lunchbox. Finally, I decided to glue onto the transparent plastic sheet and not removing the glue, making the plastic and the hot glue one piece. In the end, hit made the organic designs on the plastic sheet more visible because of the contrast between the opaque plastic and the jelly-like glue. It also made the piece appear more like a chest shield. I used the wire to create structure in my piece that would hold the plastic chest shield against the body, mimicking its shape. I also created a neck piece out of wire to hold the chest piece over the chest and shaped it into an almond shape so that the piece would be more sturdy and would be held close to the neck. I lifted the wire off the skin by embroidering masking tape around its circumference.
If you were to develop your final ideas, how would you do so?
The conceptual ideas I intended to convey were of the identity of the wearer as a strong individual
Say it Loud
Language & Interaction
26.09
see digital outcome, 'the world was gnarly end in like 2012'
How did you respond to the process of translating the text from your conversation into a typographic communication?
I translated the text from my anonymous conversation by focusing on maintaining the integrity of the actual text conversation I had. Most of our conversation surrounded ideas of space, the universe and the structured life society has restricted our life choices to. We agreed that this structure has created a level of unsurety in our personal lives especially related to the important decisions we need to make regarding career paths at such an early stage in our lives when only three months ago we needed to ask permission to use the bathroom. Compared to a few decades ago when these decisions were much more straight forward, today youths also have the additional pressure from social media platforms that boast lavish lifestyles, therefore forcing youths to also ask themselves, "if I choose this path, will I be able to support the lifestyle I want?". In response to these ideas, I chose the phrase "the world was gna end in like 2012" to juxtapose the pressures of slotting into this structured life that society has created by highlighting another accusation that society has made about the world ending which was not the case to show that we should feel free to make our decisions despite what our society expects of us.
What were your considerations in relation to choice of type, material and placement of your text?
My visual language included a black text bubble with the phrase being cut out in a Helvetica font type so that when I place it on under the light, the light will shine through. I chose to present my text in the text bubble format because I wanted to maintain the integrity of our conversation as being anonymous through standard text presentation, taking away the identity of my partner. The use of a conventional text bubble highlights social media's role in creating these structured expectations as this is a widely recognised format known to spread rumours and accusations of our human experience. I used the black cardboard because of its sturdiness and ease for using a blade to cut out my message while the black colour alludes to a similar sense of ambiguity in the choices we make as that of space, unknown and possibly leading to an empty result. I further emphasised this by puncturing small holes into the text bubble for the light to shine through and create the visual effect of stars. I chose to use the Helvetica font type to emphasise the commonality of these types of unsureties. Finally, I attached my text bubble to a hanging light in the classroom so that the light would shine through the cutouts to create the the white light effect that we allegedly have when we die. The placement of my typographic communication piece is significant because it has a mesmerising effect on the viewer while alluding to the ambiguity of space and the credibility of the accusations that society makes which massively effect our lives. The placement of my piece on a hanging light also presents the text as an 'afterthought' because people commonly don't look up the the ceiling and lights.
How successful do you think your text communication was? Does it function as you intended?f
I think that my text communication was effective in conveying my intended ideas because of my choices in bold visual language. However, I could improve my design my making it more 'to the point' with a shorter message, more poignant message in the first person tone so that my audience and better resonate with the piece. Another work by a classmate printed red capital letters onto the back of chairs saying "I MISS MY MOM". This personalised the messages more by acting as a label and personal thought of the person sitting in the chair.
language & interaction contextual practise notes 25.09
- Samuel Beckett, 1972, Not I, New York, Lincoln Centre
- Speed and intensity makes you feel quite anxious
- Lips distract from language, quite mesmerizing
- Actor speaks at the speed of thought
- We have an internal monologue that we don’t share with public, public vs. Private
- Joseph Kosuth, 1965, Clock (One and Five),Different modes of representation
- Which is the faithful representation of the object
- Definitions?
- The actual object?
- NASA, 1977, Voyager Golden Records
- Would explain to aliens how to play recordings
- How do we represent human life to a different life form
- Control --> what to include and what not to, how will we represent ourselves?
- Language will be removed and replaced by international symbols, developed in 1920 (great depression)
- Used to communicate to illiterate homeless people, written in chalk/scratched into locations
- Panopticon Prison, Cuba
- Recurse of modern surveillance
- Inmates knew they were being watched so they stopped causing trouble
- People's behavior is changed when they know they are being watched
- Hostile Architecture/defensive urban design, Anti-homeless spikes, to stop homeless people from sleeping on them
- Authority created through a structural design to control people's behavior
- Sir Robert Matthew and Dr Leslie Martin, 1951, Royal Festival Hall
- After WW2, accessible, cheap, quick, malleable, utilitarian, brutalist
- Assemble, 2015, Brutalist Playground
- Jeppe Hein 2005, Invisible Labyrinth
- Immaterial, has physical effect
- Users given headsets, it’s a maze you can’t see
- Maze is only made real through their interaction with the space
- Fiona Banner, 2014, Wp Wp Wp
- Digital sphere leads into real world
- Hand dryers don’t detect other skin tones other than white
- Francis Alys, 2002, When Faith Moves Mountains
Message Vacuum
Language & Interaction
24.09
see digital outcome
Is there a specific point at which action becomes art?
I think that the point at which action becomes art is when there is a significance behind the process or performance of the action. In many ways, even the simplest daily actions could be considered art if we can give these actions meaning by observing and acknowledging them specifically as a representation of the human condition. In today's workshop, I reflected the simple, mundane action of placing a fork, conveying the role that food plays in our everyday life and that even when we are doing other actions like reading a magazine, surrounding ourselves with nature (the rock) or crafting something, our thoughts always come back to food where we ask ourselves questions:
"what are we going to eat for breakfast/lunch/dinner?"
"when am I going to try the food at that place?"
"I think I ate too much?"
"why are they eating so little/so much?"
"why am I so fat/skinny?"
"I need to loose weight"
"I think I'm going to try this new diet"
"how many calories does this have?"
"is this going to nourish me?"
How/and or when does photography become a performance?
Photography always has an elemental of performance whether it be on a staged set or subject, or whether it documents a subject's natural state. "Performance is a subjective perception of reality, which explains the multitude of critical reflections on the concept and its measuring instruments," (Ion Elena-Iuliana, 2016). Photography is almost always used to document the subjective perception of reality so that the reality that is being photographed is documented in time while also making the performance tangible to more people than those who witnessed the original performance live.
How did you find the use of your smartphone as a medium? Consider the local and wider implications of the use of such a mediated device.
In the individual activity, my partner used her smartphone to document me performing the action of switching objects I found around the campus with a fork because my smartphone was broken. I found that this obstacle did not influence the outcome because of the convenience that smartphones as a medium bring because of the ease of sharing photos amongst others with smartphones due to easy access to the internet. Not only does this mean that photographs are now more easily shared than ever before, benefitting those that have the means to access these resources, while also creating a greater financial and social divide between those who do and those who don't have the means, making it harder for people who can't afford this device to enter the digital age.
The use of a smartphone to take a photograph also takes away a degree of privacy compared to the use of other digital cameras because of the same ease of access to the internet and sharing. You could assume that photos taken on a smartphone are more shared than those taken on a digital camera as we've set up sharing settings so that our photos are automatically backed up onto the cloud soon after they've been taken while a digital camera would retain that degree of privacy and intimacy of an unshared photo.
Research Task
Surface & Meaning
18.09
Which specialism from this week was the most interesting and why?
The specialism from this week that interested me most was the Textile Design workshop where we were asked to bring in possessions that have some kind of meaning to us. While drawing the structures that we made, I focused on creating variety in my mark-making in attempt to generate many possibilities. After choosing samples of different mark-making techniques, we combined them to make a print. I really enjoyed this process because of their varying types of lines, thick and thin, colour blocking and organic paths, I was able to create a print that combined the individual aspects of the objects into a singular textile.
Identify 1 artist or 1 illustrator or 1 textiles designer and 1 writer from the references supplied with your one day workshop presentations.
Photographer: Joeseph Nicephore Niepce
Writer: Guy Debord
Pick a piece of their work and write about why it interests you? Is it the use of materials, the aesthetics, the questions their work poses? Find a magazine / journal text about this work, read it, annotate it and explain what you think about this secondary perspective.
I chose Guy Debord's The Society of the Spectacle because I think that the message he conveys is a key component of our society today and even of human nature. In The Society of the Spectacle, Debord explores the notions that our surroundings and the image that we consume on a daily basis plays a key part in the imagery we put out into the world, the way we express ourselves and the way we respond to these outputs. Therefore, creating a continuous cycle between the things we as individuals and as a society consume and put out into the world.
Joeseph Nicephore Niepce took the first photo, titled View from the Window at Le Gras in 1826 or 1827. Because this was the first ever photograph and replication of a space through photography, it would change the way that people consume imagery, now through digital mediums which we are able to share within seconds.
Write about why this subject specialism interests you as a future career? Be honest, think about it carefully and research what different careers in this field actually consist of.
This subject specialism interest me as a future career because I am interested in furniture design, especially regarding the materials aspect of the making process and the impact that it would have on the overall experience involved with the piece.
min 250, max 500
Your Possessions
Surface & Meaning
17.09
see sketchbook + digital outcomes, 'Valued'
What were the positive and negative aspects of working on a collaborative piece?
The positive aspects of working on a collaborative piece were that we could all contribute our individual perception of the objects that we drew. For example, none of the drawings that we took the mark making samples from were the same because each group member was sitting in a different seat situated around the table and therefore saw the objects from different angles. Another benefit of working collaboratively was that we each contributed our individual style and techniques to the piece and combining them to create one print that was rich in the variety of lines, colour, texture and techniques.
During the workshop, we were asked to arrange our objects into certain categories including monetary value, sentimental value and shape, and then to arrange them into the tallest structure, and finally to form the object's shapes by using a colour blocking technique. Because each of these objects are valued differently to each of us due to what they may be symbolic to us personally. This meant that each member could relate to our final print.
The negative aspects of working collaboratively were that not all the group members came prepared to the workshop which meant that sharing materials took away from the variety of outcomes we could have produced.
What was your most successful process or outcome from today's session?
The most successful process from today's session was selecting six samples of mark-making from the drawings of the arranged objects which created a sense of balance through the contrasting techniques used in each original drawing. Using the view finder meant that I only focused on the quality of my mark-making rather than directly conveying the arranged objects. The most successful outcome was creating the combined print of the group's mark-making because of the unique conceptual significance it had to each of us despite being a collaborative piece. Even though the finished piece was composed of so many different kinds of lines, mark-making, colours, textures and mediums, it was the differences between them that made the print effective.
What successful aspect of someone else's work could you use in your own work in the future?
An aspect of someone else's work that I thought was particularly successful was her use of a broader range of mediums. For example, instead of only using a variety of pens, I could have included pastels or coloured pencils which create a more organic, softer texture and lines with less clarity. Using these kind of mediums would give my own work a greater sense of ambiguity and transparency, better allowing the audience to resonate with my work.