conversation brief

TID1421-1516: 1516 - Intermediate Studio Practice

Jumanah Aliyah Nessa

TID1421-1516: 1516

Conversation


Conversation

Culture Brand

Innovation Technology

ConsumerismReligion

Social/Cultural context

Historical contextTime period

Design has to be relevant to context, meaning it has to work for the time period/social context

Link to society/culture

Certain brand seen as better (higher quality) in society than others; for example Chanel compared to Primark.

High brand often have ethical issues whereas independent stores are usually more ethical. For example recent child labour issues with stores such as Topshop.

Evolution of technology

Separation from reality/physical spaceEase of access

Links to culture; how it separates society

New inventions/concepts making it easier to not have physical conversations.

Link to technology

Mobile apps making virtual communication easier

Link to Brand

Will eventually come to a point where we won’t need to leave the house

Online grocery and clothing shopping

Website such as Just-eat.com mean you don’t even have to call a takeaway

Don’t want to cause offence to any culture/group of people


Concept ideas:

1. Unheard voices

- current issues (“black lives matter”/ contintuing racial discrimination)- refugee crisis -> strong political/social contexts

2. More playful concept

- dissecting and combining different everyday conversations -> typographic outcomes -> could refer back to theme of “collide” -> kate moross style

3. Social media

4. Non literal conversation

- biological conversation (eg. between brain and body)- mechanical conversation (technology - circuits, connections, exchange of information.)

5. Personal experience of conversation

- lectures (tutors/students)- between friends- combination of things I hear throughout the day “collide”

Outcome ideas:

1. Series of posters portraying the serious issues as engaging images

2. Hand illustrated mural*** - combine bits of each concept into one big wall mural -> characters/speech bubbles/ doodle style -> draw on the floor - makes it bit more interesting than just wall art -> interactive? could leave black and white for viewers to colour in?

3. Social media campaign to support (use as tool to share/advertise ideas) -> facebook, tumblr, twitter

4. Collage - digital or physical

5. For non literal concept; physical piece/sculpture -> electronic circuit/ body system created out of words/conversation

6. White pen on black paper illustrations

Artists/Websites to look at:

Illustrators:1. Mattias Adolfsson2. Faith Georgia - abstract3. Matt Lyon4. Pat Perry5. Heike Weber

Typographers:1. Ed Fella2. Alex Trochut3. Jessica Hische4. Herb Lubalin5. Marian Bantjes

Installation Artists:1. Banksy2. Yayoi Kusama3. Alexis Diaz and Juan Fernandez

Conversations: Concept ideas.

“Conversation”Definition: a talk, especially an informal one, between two or more people, in which news and ideas are exchanged.



Concept 1: Unheard Voices Concept 2: Cut & Paste

For this concept I would like to focus on the issue of continuing racial discrimination. It has been said that racism has ended however this is usually only ever stated by higher class people. These people more often than not have no idea as they don’t encounter it because they are either of high power or status. The issue of “White privilege” is also another controversial topic and is not spoken about enough.

These are real issues that effect minorities every day and need to be addressed. However as long as people of power are stereotypically white, high class, private school graduates, the issues at hand will never be fully understood by the majority nor will they be solved, resulting in a never-ending cycle of discrimination.

This issue has become more prevalent recently due to the current problems in the U.S. between the police/authority and the minority communities. Examples include most recently the arrest of a 14 year old school boy who built a clock from scratch and was arrested on suspicion of creating a bomb. It was said that if the boy was white or non Muslim he would not have been detained but rather praised for his intelligent and innovation thinking, obviously the authorities denied this however this type of discrimination has been seen multiple times. For example the use of the words ‘terrorist’ or ‘thug’ etc. are reserved for only when minorities are involved whereas, white crimes such as the Sandy Hook school shooting and the Batman theatre massacre, the killer was described as a ‘troubled boy’ with mental health issues. This is an issue of media corruption, which in effect disturbs the thoughts of the public resulting in people sharing uneducated and misleading opinions. Therefore not solving the issue of hate being spread.

To link this to the topic of ‘Conversation’, social media such as Facebook and Twitter has been used to spread both hate messages from pages such as Britain First, as well as positive messages to spread awareness of corruption within authorities and the media of continuing inequality. Again the only way these issues can be solved is if the topics are spoken about with facts and educated opinions by the public and persons of high power.

My aim for this concept is to get more people talking about and engaging with these issues to raise awareness of the continuing racial inequality in society. I intend to do this by creating a thought-provoking, creative installation which requires public participation and hopefully provides some informative facts.

My second concept idea was more light-hearted and playful. I liked the idea of noting down sections of various conversations and then combining these in a humorous way. I thought this would be a good idea as it could refer back to the theme of the year which is ‘Collide’.

I was planning to create several typography based illustrative posters using made up phrases from the notes I would have collected prior. I could also use different languages within my work as I can speak Bengali as a second language and could incorporate this into my work to make it more personal. This shows how cultural differences can effect conversations in a multi-cultural society such as in the U.K. This could also help my work to appeal to a more varied audience if I include many different languages and would increase the number of viewers/accessibility.

I believe this concept could be interesting as it would portray the idea of culture and conversation in a playful way, that isn’t really informative as such but would bring people of different backgrounds together. For example I could have a common phrase but have every sentence/word in a different language, however I also think this is risky as it wouldn’t make sense to everyone because people would only understand their language and so wouldn’t get the message.

My aim for this concept would be to portray a multicultural society in a creative, engaging way using typography. Artists I could look at include illustrators such as Kate Moross who work primarily with typography and hand drawn illustration.

Concept 3: Social Media

Next for my third concept ‘Social Media” I would like to focus on the idea of social media and online chat replacing physical conversation.

This new way of communication creates a segregation from reality and the present. It removes a connection people have when speaking in person, for example looking at a persons eyes when speaking face to face creates a connection and makes it personal however this is as well as other mannerisms such as hand gestures are lost online.

Another issue with online conversation is that the separation from reality allows people to become people they are not known as ‘Cat-fishing’. Sometimes this can be harmless and can be used as a way to express opinions which otherwise would not be socially acceptable, however it can also be negative as it could lead to anonymous criminal behaviour such as harassment, cyber bullying or even fraud.

Further positives are that Social Media can be used as a tool for activists and campaigns, relating back to my first concept of using social media to spread a message to a vast audience.

My aim for this concept is to create a social media campaign using various outputs such as Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter to show the ‘dangers of social media’ and the separation of reality. This is extremely hypocritical using social media to express the issues of social media however it might cause the viewer to think about the issue more.


Concept 4: Non Literal Conversation Concept 5: Personal Experience

For this concept I decided to think ‘outside the box’ and think about what other types of conversation there are without taking it literally.

I then decided to look into biological ‘conversations’. For example the systems in the body such as the communication between the brain and body to allow movement etc.

Other types of conversation include mechanical ‘conversation’ which is very similar to biological ‘conversation’ in the way one component send an electrical message to another to allow for function. For example in a computer the power input allows the computer to turn on which could be seen as a conversation.

I thought this could be an interesting idea as it would make the viewer really think about the concept of conversations as people often assume conversations would only be about words, language etc however it is actually a process/system similar to those found in living creatures and electrical products, which are all different means of exchanging information.

I could also link this to the theme of technology and social media as they are also electronic means of exchanging information.

As an outcome option I could create a physical sculpture or installation such as create a circuit which would represent ‘conversations’. For example I could print out my designs and use them to create a physical circuit. If I do further this concept I will also think about other ways in which I could portray the idea of an exchange of information.

Here I would like to explore the conversations I experience in daily life, from conversations at university between peers and lecturers to conversations between friends and a combination of things I hear throughout the day.

I think this concept would be successful and engaging as it would have a personal element to it. Furthermore I think there could be a humorous aspect to it which a lot of people could relate to, as we all often accidently hear bits of conversations when out of context do not make sense at all.

As an outcome I was thinking I could combine parts of these conversations to create an unusual sentence, and present these as hand illustrated typographic posters. Similar to my Cut & Paste concept idea.

This combination of ideas also works perfectly with the theme of the year ‘Collide’ as it brings together different ideas. I could also create an animation alongside the series of posters, using the same designs.

I intend to now continue researching into artists and concepts and will experiment with their styles.



Mattias Adolfsson

Artist Research: Illustration

Image source: http://www.mattiasadolfsson.com

Mattias Adolfsson is a freelance Illustrator based in Sigtuna, Sweden. He has worked with everything from computer games to children’s books and has released 4 personal books.

Adolfsson has worked with many people including; The New York Times, Ålesund sparebank, Work style Magazine and many more

His work is extrememly detailed and intricate. However when looking closely, the illustrations are actually very chaotic and so creates an unusual contrast. I really like the way Adolfsson uses little colour in most of his pieces as it allows the details within the piece to be more dominent and the focal point of the work. His work also has a unique doodle style which is something I am really intrigued by this year and would like to experiment with.

I will continue to research similar artists and then will experiment with illustration, in particular this hand drawn doodle style.


Heike Weber

Image source: http://www.heikeweber.net/installations_en.html

Heike Weber is a German artist born in 1962.

She has exhibited in many galleries including most recently the ARTER space for art in Turkey in May 2015.

Similar to Adolfsson her work is also very intricate and detailed. Weber however jumps betweens materials and techniques and likes to experiment. As you can see in the images opposite she has used a variety of materials such as, LED lights, string, acrylic and permanent marker. I also lke the way Weber doesn’t over complicate her work, it is simple.

As stated before I will now experiment with illustration taking into account what I have researched about Adolfsson and Weber. I really like the way Weber experiments with materials as well as presentation and I would like to try as many different styles as I can.


Artist Research: Typography

Marian Bantjes

Image source: http://bantjes.com/work/category/portfolio/

Bantjes is a designer, writer and illustrator based on a small island off thewest coast of Canada.

From 1984 to 1994 she worked as a book typesetter, from 1994 to 2003 Bantjes co-founded a graphic design studio called Digitopolis and from 2003 has worked on her own as a freelance designer/writer.

Her work is very elaborate and extravagent yet simple and aesthetically pleasing. The fact most of her work is vector based and she uses few colours also adds to the simplicity.

I really like her work and will experiment with her simple yet elaborative style. I intend to continue to research typographic designers then experiment with these styles and typography.


Alex Trochut

Image source: http://www.alextrochut.com/#/works

Trochut born in 1981 in Barcelona is a freelance illustrator. His work philosophy is that ‘more is more’, which is seen through his very detailed, elegant pieces which portray extravagance and ‘restrained control’. Trochut currently lives between Barcelona and Brooklyn, NY.

The abstract effect within his work is what initially attracted me to him. I also noticed how his work flows really well, for example his ‘Lorem Ipsum’ lettering piece, seems to connect so harmoniously and looks seamless. This is a style I have not seen until now and I would like to experiment with in the future.

I am currently leaning towards a typographic style however I will continue to research different styles and processes then will experiment with my favourite ones to see what will work best as an outcome for my chosen concept.


Experiments


Image Source: http://hifructose.com/2014/03/24/alexis-diazs-surreal-murals-explore-metamorphosis/

Alexis Diaz

“The artist is known for his chimerical and dreamlike depictions of animals in a state of metamorphosis.” - Elizabeth Maskasky

Diaz is a Puerto Rican born painter and muralist. He is known for his use of small black brush strokes on a white background to shape his creatures, making them look like incredibly detailed pen-and-ink drawings. His unique style includes morphing and distorting animals, humans and objects together. For example using a skull as a birds nest.

I have recently been really interested in installation pieces and creating a physical outcome and so would like to experiment with this to see how I could incorporate this with my chosen concept. I also like the idea of this being interactive, for example I could create a mural in black white and let the audience colour it in. This would engage the viewer and would hopefully help them to understand the message of the piece and concept more.

Artist Research: Installation


Unheard Voices

Concept Idea

I have decided to further this concept as it is a topic that is very relevent at this time in history and so considers the social/cultural context of the time. It is also something I am passionate about and genuinely interested in.

Furthermore this concept also feeds into other issues such as media corruption, bringing together other ideas from culture and technology. This shows how other factors play a role in the issue of silencing a whole group of people, essentially portraying a lack of conversation and rather how the public are told what to think. This is the main message I am trying to put across, the lack of converstion in today’s society, how subjects such as race/religion/sexual orientation are still taboo when they are all very real topics which affect people and need to be openly addressed as we have moved on as a society and are now more accepting and open-minded.

My aim for this project is to make these topics more open and to get more people talking about them. I would hope that the more people get talking and conversing about these topics the less of a taboo it would be and people would become more open and not afraid to stand up for their opinions. This is also the reason I would like my outcome to be interactive as it would engage people.

I will now research further into my chosen concept and begin to create designs for my final outcome, taking into account everything I have learned from previous research and experiments.

Image Source:https://uk.pinterest.com/jumanahn/conversation-concept/


Experiments


Race


Harassment/ Domestic Violence


Gender


Sex


Social Media Campaign

After creating initial experimental designs, I picked the three best and furthered these.

I decided to go with gender equality, domestic violence, race and sex as these were my strongest in terms of design and passion I had for the subjects.

To create these I have used a variety of techniques and skills I already had and some new techniques I had learned whilst at university, such as using the blending modes to remove white space. I used this for the gender equality design.

After altering and finalizing the designs I decided I need to link them to social media and the overall concept of Conversations. And so to do this I added the hashtag #STOP... , this would allow viewers to take part in discussions on social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter where hashtags are used. I also added the slogan ‘Follow the movement’ which further supports and encourages discussion of these topics which was always my main aim.

Overall I am extremely satisfied with these outcomes as I believe I have met my aim successfully, in an engaging and aesthetic way which I would hope encourage conversation on these ‘taboo’ topics.

If I could go back to this project I would like to have spent more time experimenting and creating more designs as I couldn’t do this in the restriction time.

I could now use these designs as they are as posters for example, however, I will continue to further these designs and look into more ways to present them in a creative and engaging way.


Final Outcome Presentation Research/Ideas

Hand-Drawn Typographic/Illustrative Posters Public Advertisements

Using Pinterest I have researched various ways in which I could present my work. One being illustrative posters, I have always been interested in hand drawn illustrations and as you can see from my previous projects I have tried to experiment with it quite a lot both physically and digitally.

For this concept I could create a series of posters or illustrations which could be part of a social media campaign. This would then incorporate the idea of conversation as it would create discussions online, bringing together the brief and my own concept of “Unheard Voices”.

Another possibility is to create designs for public advertisements such as on billboards etc. I could use PhotoShop to manipulate primary images of billboards and add my own designs, as it would be extremely difficult to design and print for an actual billboard due to size and cost limitations.

This would also link to the overall concept of Conversation as similarly to the previous idea it would create discussion but in a public place with physical people instead of online.

Image Source: pinterest.com/jumanahn


Primary Imagery


Final Outcomes Experiments

Here are my 3 possible final outcomes. As stated before I have presented and experimented with my designs as public advertisements. I have used the primary images seen previously to create these.

I decided to create 3 possible outcomes so I could see which image/design worked best together and which looked most realistic as a public ad. To create these I used some of my existing skills for example, using the pen tool, selection, warp and transform tools to alter the images.

Overall I found creating these easy however I can see that they’re not as realistic looking as I would like. If I have time at the end I will come back to this and try to fix this issue with the help of the tutors.

In conclusion I am satisfied with my outcome and the project as a whole. I believe I have successfully reached the aim of the brief, providing research and experimentation to support my designs.


Final Outcomes

conversation brief

Documents