Summary of Exploratory Stage

All in all, the last 6 weeks have been extremely helpful for understanding the features of each pathway and how they can, not only help me gain an understanding of what one I would like to go in to but also, compliment each other to create ideas within something specific.

For example, 3D and graphics worked together in the fashion pathway in designing the paper garment where I had to ensure something designed to look good but also had to be practical, wearable and strong in it's solid form whilst picturing it's visual brilliance in the right way through photography fitted in to the lens based pathway.

Although I enjoyed each pathway, I found that the lens based pathway was the most exciting in it's relation to storytelling through visual presentation of reality and manipulated creations. However I still plan on using elements of all pathways in my future work.

Day 17 IT Day Future Self Article/Poster

At the age of 29, Summer Scott has moved from lead character designer for the

beloved Disney studios to leading

animation director of a 2D renaissance of beloved animated films.

‘I just felt that the western world needed to come away from this idea that all animated films were for kids. If you compare our most popular animated films to the Japanese anime industry, it’s  acompletely different story’ says Scott.

Indeed her animated films written and directed by herself delve in to

issues out of a child’s understanding. Scott’s new film ‘Light in the

Shadow’, coming out this Christmas, is said to be one of a series of

sci-fi films dealing with the issues of morality and war.

‘I’ve been wanting to get this film done since I was 14 but have had

to put it aside until I could get the perfect resources to make it a

reality!’

With that long to wait we can only expect yet another animated film

of perfection but in the mean time fans await with anticipation for the

release of Scott’s tv series ‘Better’ released on DVD in October.

For today's activity we were experimenting with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to create posters for an article about our future selves in 10 years time.

The editing of the two photos went well but I felt the logo could've matched the colours a bit more to fit the poster. Also the image itself was a bit awkward to put my own logo next to the Walt Disney Studios sign. Next time I should think more about the colour and composition of the images. 

Day 16 'Homeworkers' Exhibit at The Tate Modern

 The 'Homeworkers' collection, as part of the Energy and Process exhibit,  found on level 4 in Room 8 of the Tate Modern gallery. It features works from Tracey Emin, Rosemerie Trockel, Annette Messager and Margaret Harrison which together carry political statements surrounding women's rights and gender division in the work place through the use of stereotypically feminine, textile craft. 

Curaters, Ann Coxan and Valentina Ravaglia, achieved an open spaced layout thus avoiding a cluttered room which Annette Messager's busy piece 'The Pikes' doesn't get lost in. Messager's use of violent imagery beside children's toys hints to the cruelty of adults' own version of child's play and the pikes being seen as weaponry for women to tear apart it's traditions of sexism.

Opposite is Tracy Emin's 'Hate and Power Can Be A Terrible Thing'. 

A collection of hateful messages in response to Margaret Thatcher's role in the Falkland's War appliquéd together on a hanging quilt like fabric. The stereotypically soft, feminine imagery surrounding quotes such as 'YOU CRUEL HEARTLESS BITCH' I feel arguably presents the sickly sweet and neat appearance of Thatcher and yet her debateably cruel and inhumane role as prime minister in relation to issues such as the sinking of the Belgrano which the words 'PERMISSION TO FIRE' situated at the top are powerful in targeting the issue Emin is trying to push forward. That this female prime minister was so privileged to gain the leading position in the work place, as a woman of a still developing society, and yet gained quite a tattered reputation due to her controversial decisions. Because of this it is believed by many of the feminist movement that 'she is an icon of individualism, not of feminism' (Brand, 2013, http://www.russellbrand.tv/tag/blog/)

Alongside from Emin's piece hangs a knitted pattern spread across canvas by Rosemerie Trockel. It portrays the shift from women's craft starting on a small scale of knitting jumpers for sons and daughters to the mass production of wearables and patterns appreciated by the fashion industry that became able to serve more than to just the middle and upper class and thus taken more seriously.

This flows well on to 'Homeworkers' by Margaret Harrison whose mixed media composition of written messages and clothing advertisements explains the dreadful experiences of working class women in Britain before the Equal Pay Act of 1970. We'd usually associate these stories with sweat shops of 3rd world countries but the truth was that not only were women not being payed equal to men, but were underpaid for their work in general. Annotations surrounding a couple of brooches from Debenhams explain them being sold for less than they were made. This rather depressing information under many of the clothing advertisements, Harrison lines up in the middle, pictures the luxury of wearing these garments in conflict with the labour gone in to making them.

My immediate reaction to these pieces was one of extreme positivity and interest. Being a feminist myself, my interest in political issues concerning women's rights enabled me to understand the messages and historical links of these collection of works. I also felt connected to the artist's arguments due to being a woman and yet disconnected from them due to being a privileged one, lucky enough to not have to experience these situations. The works inspire me to not necessarily create artwork in the same style but to work with a strong message that speaks to the audience about what is affecting the world we live in. The combination of textiles and installation I feel is successful in enabling the audience connection to the artwork therefore bringing them closer to the fact that they are indeed on the same planet as they are happening.

Russell. (2013) Russell Brand.tv [online blog]. Accessed on: 9th April 2013. Available at: <http://www.russellbrand.tv/tag/blog/> 

Day 15 Paper Dress Garment

 

I was very pleased with me and, my activity partner, Siobhan's paper garment dress. I suggested we could follow a design I had put together in preparation for the lesson and she agreed we could go a long with it with a few alterations here and there. We started with the headdress and thought that the pleated shell like feature was a nice touch. By the end, though, rather than a crown we decided to have it worn around the neck so it wouldn't get in the eyes. For the dress, a lot of folding had to be done to fit around the body of the mannequin properly and when putting it on Siobhan, as the model, I thought it fit better as a skirt. If we had more time I could have added more paper around the chest to make it more of a dress. When Siobhan wore it, I somehow saw it as quite an empowering outfit. Whether, it was her modelling in it or the dress itself, it showed some sort of goddess like warrior image whilst being worn. I loved it! If I could have done anything else it would be to redesign the headdress and add more to the chest area. But all in all, I found I was very prepared for this activity, with the help of my trusty stapler and decorative card to add the finishing touch, the day went rather smoothly.

Day 14 Sampling Outfits on 2D Figures

I found today rather successful due to the fact, what I was working with surprised me in many positive ways. I had a few ideas with what I wanted to see in the outcomes but was experimenting at the same time. I was mostly happy with cutting out patterns from enlarged images we photocopied from our 2D figures' designs. I was mostly inspired by the clothes worn on the cover of Jpop band Perfume's new album Level 3, where they use a lot of pleats and fan patterns in the skirts and dresses. The blue dress is my favourite creation. If I could have done anything better I would have tried bringing in nicer paper to work with but all in all I was very happy with the day. In preparation for next lesson I will bring some nice things to work with.

Day 13 Sampling and Putting Together Garments

Today's activities were quite interesting. I found I was successful to some extent in creating a collection of different ideas for sampling patterns and textures for a garment however I didn't follow the brief to the best of my abilities as I made more big samples than many medium sized ones thus leaving me with a minimal garment to create by the end of the day. Thus I feel to keep in mind for next time, I should make as many as possible and not care too much about the quality in an activity like this. Of course they should be good samples but not literally perfect when we are still at an exploratory stage. So in preparation for the next activity, I should have a bundle of ideas in mind so not to be tempted on working purely on just one.

Day 12 Storyboard with Photos

                                 
                                      

For last lesson's homework we were all told to go home and put a storyboard of constructed images together for presentation. Mine consisted of a space snail (or blue tac and sea shell) who lived all his life in a space ship. He doesn't know where he comes from or why he's always been on this space ship but has always been there. One day an asteroid hits the ship and goes crashing down to earth where he finds himself lost in the forest. He looks out to a familiar looking city although he doesn't know why so goes on a journey to the city to try and find answers. This journey consists of sailing across oceans, climbing mountains and other exciting things before coming towards the city where he arrives at NASA. He being a special space snail, is able to talk and surprisingly in english! The head of the animal experiments department welcomes him with joy and tells him that he was a product of the Super Snail Project of 2011 and was brought back to Earth when they detected the space ship was damaged. The snail finding where he comes from decides this is his new home and lives happily in the department in the company of the professors, his new and only family.
I found it very fun putting together this story and presenting it to a group of people who were very helpful in giving me feedback on my work. In the end we chose someone from the group to share their story to the class and it was fun discussing the story lines together. Now and then there'd be a few misunderstandings or debates but it pointed out to us that this was the core reason for a story like that to come into the public view. To get people talking!

Day 11 Brainstorming Characters and Stories

Today I found very enjoyable. The few short films we took a look at in the morning I was very happy to join in on the discussion over them. Later on designing a bundle of characters and environments for potential stories I was also very excited about seeing as I collect together a bundle of character design material in my own time for story ideas. We then went on to create stories for them, individually and then as a group. The story my group came up with was longer than necessary, as we were very passionate about the situations and plot to create. However, we were able to split this big story in to a number of small ones for the next task. So to conclude, the activity hinted to the idea that I may need to focus on working with small stories in the future in order to keep the audience interested and intrigued. 

By the end of the lesson we also saw our class stop motion unravel on the screen in front of us. This was very satisfying to see something we worked on come to life.