Studio Brief 2 ( COP)

• Produce a full visual journal (a5 concertina) that visually explores a subject or theme 
• Produce a poster that clarify my research subject, accompained by 10 word pitch.
• Clear visual communication is key and my work should focus on summarise my position, practically and theoretically .
• Communicates a clear understanding on a subject.

CONCERTINA SKETCHBOOK 

1. Research/Experimentation (15 A5 pag min ) 
2. Feedback/Development (15 A5 pag min ) 
3. Focus/Concept/Theory/Theme (10 A5 pag min ) 
4. Rationale (10 A5 pag min ) -------------------------{Giving a reason "why" I'm doing it}
5. Positioning my work (10 A5 pag min ) 
6. Evaluation of my synthesis (10 A5 pag min ) ----{Understand my theory and practice}

1. RESEARCH 

• Respond to and experimenting with line, colour, shape, texture, collage
• Focussed investigation : exploring process and theory 
• Focus on drawing practice and visual language 
• Politics, society, culture, history, technology, aesthetic 

     2. FEEDBACK 

• Extend initial ideas, identify successful practical research.
• Focus on 1 element ( line, texture, colour, etc ) 

     3. FOCUS/THEME/CONCEPT

• Theme/Question
• Theorist
• Theoretical model               Methodology+Production = Meaning 
• Quotes
• Concept

Triangulation exercise - Study Task 3

Looking at "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" from  Laura Mulvey , she argues about how Hollywood films  has completely brainwash the spectator perception  and therefore, it has make them sensible to what the industry would like them to see the world as it is .She talks about the process of project to the audiences different ideas in their mind, such as erotic. 

To start with ,  Mulvey use references and support her ideas using Freud's studies . On ‘Three Essays on Sexuality’ explains that humans normally tend to use sexuality as an object . Furthermore this specific behaviour can led to a manifestation of a narcissistic aspect on each individual, which recognise others, and therefore the cinema has bring its visible style through actors and actresses. Mulvey  started to seen that the male gaze was vicious and continous during that period on the cinema, as Richard Dyer also suggest on the film Picnic in "Stars and Audiences" .Just then Mulvey started to use this element as man need to be masculine .

Hence, looking at John Storey ‘Cultural Theory and Popular Culture’ he started to identify the images of acotr saw on cinema and associated them with the "self-image or mirror stage . It is a psychology process whereas the individual desire the appearance of their favourite stars from the big screen.

Not just that, but also when Storey argue about Mulvey's opinion, stating that the narratives found on " Noir" film is also a exploitation of the female role as it is,short dialect, sexual desire and showing their bodies. a new opinion on the topic,where she began to critic the banishing of pleasure on cinema, the context of making revolution in the industry to free woman's persecuted role . She states that on cinema is neccessary to stimulates other aspects of the male and female gaze 

Establishing a Research Question - Study Task 2

This is my researched question so far. I started by picking the most intereseting points from the notes and mapping I procuded last day , and try to elaborate it a bit more using related core texts and sources from the website. I'm not sure if those theorist will accompany me through the whole project, or I will change them at some point. Some of the themes and topics mentioned on theirs texts are relevant, but I feel like I could dig more into it, using these theorist as a starting point but perhaps moving forward to a more specific theme and theorist, more suitable for my ideas.

Study Task 1 - The Death of the Author.

Ian Mcque is an illustrator and concept artist based in Edinburgh, Scotland. McQue studies illustration and printmaking at Duncan, where he started as a freelancer after finished his career.  His unique science fiction aesthetic led him to get into the videogames industries , where he is currently the Lead concept artist director working on Rockstar ( One of the most famous videogame studio worldwide.) McQue tone of voice come is based on robots, speaceship and science fiction in general, but the question is , Is he the original creator of this genre ?

On "The Death of The Author" , Barthes states " but a multi-dimensional space in which a variety of writings, none of them original, blend and clash. The text is a tissue of quotations drawn from the innumerable centres of culture."  suggesting that there is always an original author behind an author, whereas the second one has taken influence from the first one. For instance, although Ian McQue has build a very personal and unique aesthetic during his years, he firstly had to take the inspiration from somebodyelse in the past. In an interview with McQue , he describe that his practice was totally overwhelmed by the first Star Wars concept art by the artist Ralph McQuarrie . He described  McQuarrie's frist impression on his artwork as " in a way, it was a job that hadn't really existed before " .  McQue was so fascinated by this artwork, than he started to "borrow" his style on his own practice. However, McQue argue that it wasn't until a couple of years after that, when the first 'Alien' film was released, that sealed his style for ever. 
Barthes also argued that "Thus is revealed the total existence of writing: a text is made of multiple writings, drawn from many cultures and entering into mutual relations of dialogue, parody, contestation, but there is tane place where this multiplicity is focused and that place is the reader" . This means that everything ever created , it has been formed taking bits or pieces from different areas . For instance, McQue has revealed that his artworks was complety influenced by McQuarrie's Star Wars concept art ,but , where did McQuarries took the inspiration from ? Is he the real original one ? It seems like he was as he is the father of Science Fiction. However, what Barthes states is that even McQuarrie was be the first one to produce science fiction aesthetic, in order to create something 'new' he first had to  combine different 'pieces' from different areas (such as  Architecture, Transportation and Astronomy for instance )


In conclusion , what Barthes is trying to explain on "The Death of The Author" is that nothing is 100% original, everything that exist it has been formed by combining different pieces of styles and influences during the years. But the important thing is that although it might feel like a copy of a copy, that new ' copy' it has its own originality because it all depend on the reader, meaning the death of the author. 

Mind Mapping IDEAS

SOCIETY

1.  Distribution 

• Social pyramid 
• Key words: Injustice, Balance/Unbalanced, Corruption

   2. Direction (Where society is heading to ) 

• Brainwashed society 
• Capitalism 
• Consumerism 
• Key words : Isolation by technology, Fear, Manipulation 

   3. Practice ( strategy )

• SATIRE
• Visual Metaphors 
• Propaganda 

  4. Aesthetic references 

• BLACK MIRROR (tv series)  

I've been thinking during the past weeks which theme and question would I want to explore this year for COP . I struggled in this very same stage last year, so I'm hoping that with my previous experience I can come up with an interesting subject that will keep me excited and at the same time meet the requirements for the module.

I was thinking to do something complety different of what I did last year ( SATIRE) , but after having a deep thoughts, and looking back in the past of how fun Satire  turned up last year, I decided ( or at least at the moment) to take further Satire and exploring it a bit more to get really into the theory . 

My main exciting starting point that help me to decide repeat Satire on this year, come from a british TV show "BLACK MIRROR" , which is a critique of how technology is affecting in contemporary society direction , heading us to a isolated future. This gets even more interesting due to the fact that the future world the tv series is showing, is not really that far away, and it could easily happen tomorrow.

Everything is still on the air and this is the very first stage of theme selection, which on my experience, is the stage where I should really be careful when picking it, because I will need to stuck with it the rest of the year. As I said, still a very primitive thoughts , but having a powerful visual reference as Black Mirror  really helped me to have a clearer idea of what i want to do 

RESEARCH AND EPISTEMOLOGY pt 1

Process is more important than outcome. When the outcome drives the process we will only ever go to where we've already been. If process drives outcome we may not know, but we want to be there.


"Fail quicker because you will have more time to get it right" .


IDEA

approaches or generation of ideas:

• Simulated approach : Conscious or subconscious search for inspiration from an external repertoire .
• Systematic approach : Based on the systematic collection and modification of components, characteristics, etc
• Intuitive approach : This is the development of thought process, which is primary based on internalised perceptions.

" Research is the process of finding facts, these facts will lead to knowledge" .

TYPES OF RESEARCH

• Primary research : Collect information you dont know about it.
• Secondary research : Collect information that already exists , but creates relation 
• Quantitive research : Facts, figures, measurements, numerical data, gathering and analysing data.
• Qualitative research: Tries to understand people's beliefs, experiences, attitudes, behaviour and interactions. No numerical data. 

 WHAT IS INFORMATION ? 

• The result of processing , manipulating and organising data in a way that adds knowledge.
• Processed data can create meaning and hopefully knowledge.

"Information is all about communication" .

Different stages of absorbing information. 

1. Phase 1 : Assimilation (The acumulation of general information)
2. Phase 2: General study ( The investigation of the nature of the problem.Also investigates possible solutions or meanings ) 
3. Phase 3 : Development ( The development of one or more solutions) 
4. Phase 4: Communication ( After the selection of the best solution, communicates it)

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A strategy for thinking through a problem 

1.  Analysis: Analyse the problem
2. Research: Ideas generation 
3. Evaluation: Selection of the best ideas
4. Solution: The final ideas becomes reality 

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"Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what i'm doing " .

-Knowing that...  (theoretical knowledge)

-Knowing how... (practical knowledge)

Knowing where..(Contextual knowledge)
 

Choosing subjects and questions to embrace this year

We should start to consider what we would like to explore in details this year. There are a range of main themes to pick up from .

THEMES

• History
• Society
• Technology
• Cultural
• Aesthetic
• Politics

Now I should think carefully what I REALLY want to explore this year, because I wouldn't like to pick a wrong and not appealing theme which it will drag me down during the rest of the year, so for me this stage is critical and I should consider and make a list of things that I enjoy to learn from. Last year , even if at the beginning I wasn't sure of my theme and at some points I struggled , I have to say I really enjoyed being part and embrace the satirical illustrations in depth . Studying the theory was super interesting but even more, the visual responses I produced due to the context I learnt from research and writing the essay.

In one side, I would love to carry on through this path and getting more technical and expand the theories that I learn looking at satire , although in the other hand , I would like to explore something else to keep the balance of my studies and feel the hunger for different knowledge .

These are some ideas , although  still in a very primitive stage of theme selection .

• Social : Satirical illustration 
• History :  Print history and the screenprint boom  
• Culture : Fan art  and merchandising culture 

I'm very excited to pick up screen print history and get submerged into it . I have been always whining about I never do screen print, either outside college or in my briefs. This is the perfect opportunity to learn more about this subject and at the same time , produce a great amount of work based on this culture through screen-print processes.

These are just some examples of how good is the visual impact of this process can get :

 

Looking at these images, I could focus my research based on " Texture"  and/or "Colour"  as part of COP visual development due to that we need to stick to one of these aspects of drawings 

( Texture,line, tone, colour, collage ) 

Getting started : COP 2

New year , new goals . This is how we start this course. After a successful year in the course , we are ready for some more.

Today's session we talked about context of practice for the whole year and the deliverables we need to submit .
Info :

• Essay .......3000 words
• Choose our own question to explore through the year and possibly as a guide for level 6 dessertation.
• Academic skills (Blog: triangulation,research,visual analysis,reflective practice,academic writings )
• Visual journal 70 pages of concertina a5 book ( we should pick a theme and explore it through our visual development .These themes can be : line, shape, colour, tone,texture)

Saying this, we were suggested to keep mondays for our personal cop development day .