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Analysis of Scenography

Semiotics and Scenography

Saussure (1857-1913) proposed the idea of signs being made of signifiers and the signified. The signified is shown depending on how the signifier is communicated. This was applied to theatre first in Prague School in the 1930s, where the signifier was the scenography that could give meaning outside the text. Some actors act as props and vice versa with props being characters as thy have a backstory or end up travelling somewhere. Similarly, Hanzl stated that acoustic and visual signs are interchangeable. Signs are crucial to understand the relationship of an object on or offstage. Clothes are signs in real life and become important onstage to construct social meaning and personal identity to a character.

Interaction between signs

The interaction between costume/ lighting/ set/ etc and the performer is key. Proxemic signs are from performer - set interaction. Seating the audience in a circle creates a symmetrical group interaction and it become asymmetrical when the audience is sat in elevation or stairs.

Categories of signs

 Pierce (1839- 1914) investigated the nature of inquiry and interpretation and developed semiotics for all communication forms. There are 3 ways signs can refer to objects: 

- icons: resemblance to things they refer to ( e.g. photo or costume of a time period). Icons can be split into:

           +image: has the appearance of what it’s referred to.

           +diagram: has structural characteristics and schematic likeness to what                  it’s referred to.

           +metaphor: relates but isn’t necessarily what it’s referred to.

- indices: connection, cause and effect of the thing it is referred to (e.g. spotlights, costume for a state of mind).

- symbols: no similarity or connection to what it’s referred to (e.g. genres or traditions specific to the company)

These divisions aren’t fixed, meaning an object can be in two categories.

Aston and Savanna came up with the 4 levels of operation of the stage picture, these are:

- functionalistic: needs of text, demand on narrative action

- sociometric: index rank of gender and demographics

- atmospheric: aesthetic of the fictional place

- symbolic: metaphorical, can be inferred

Limits of semiotics

> Aston and Savanna focussed on the visual but suggests scenography is translated from linguistic to visual and back again.

> Pavis argues nothing obliges spectators to translate words from the experience.

> Counsel argues ‘images’ division takes away the meaning or interpretation of objects that are accurate.

> Visual language is not transparent or universally understood, it’s culturally specific.

Levels of meaning

Barthes has a semiotic approach to 3 kinds of meaning, those are: ‘informational’, ‘symbolic’ and ‘other’ (other being more poetic). Pavis’ theory of vector consists of mapping different aspects of the stage in relation to each other in ways that have more in common with graphic communication than with language. This links with chronology of narrative and space and reflects on the influence of sensory and emotional participation (phenomenology).

Phenomenological approaches

Phenomenology is about being conscious beings and how our primitive responses affect perception. Meleau-Ponty argues the importance of capturing an experience in a primitive essence before intellectual analysis. Perception is a synesthetic process, meaning senses communicate together and create a response. Phenomenology may counter or balance semiotic analysis. 

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World Discourse and Design for Performance (part 2)

Should theatre be colour-blind?

In my opinion:

For: I feel that for the majority of plays and narratives, race is not part of the narrative, similar to gender. I feel like this ideology would work for plays that are less historically accurate. However, I feel some people would still make a fuss if there isn’t an equal split in all races (e.g. all white or all black cast), even if the play doesn’t reference anything about race. For example the 2020 Sainsbury’s Christmas advert featured an all black family and some people argued they couldn’t relate without representation of their own race, which is the struggle black people have grown up with.

Against: I think if the play is going for historical accuracy this may matter, like gender, as people were not treated equally in the past. However this also leads using reverse races and adapting a play to that which is a form of empowerment perhaps. Also I think if the setting of the play is crucial, for instance it is set in Ethiopia, having different races and disregarding it becomes less factual in the population’s diversity which could also cause cultural appropriation if you ask a White American to do a native dance for example. 

Creating more representation

- need for diverse teams in all departments and training for different needs (e.g. in the hair and make-up department so braids and different hair textures can be properly treated and styled or understanding for days off due to different religious holidays)

- appropriate skin tone makeup and nude underwear for different complextions.

- critique done by a diverse audience in order to make sure to eliminate any bias or negative stereotypes and for the performance to reach a wider audience.

- outreach work with young people from diverse backgrounds

- no virtue signalling 

- needs to be genuine and not box ticking or tokenism 

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Technology as Performance

Hell Mouth 

One of the earliest example of technology being part of the performance was in ‘Hell Mouth’ where an animal head was constructed so the mouth could be opened and closed.

Misteri d’Elx

Started in the 15th Century, in Spain Misteri d’Elx is still used every year. This is where three skeletal metal frames are suspended on threee hemp ropes that are lowered and raised through trap doors. 

19th Century - the importance of lighting. Gaslights, limelights and electric lights were introduced.

20th Century - technology used as a marketing tool more and more. Theatre and Scenography overall was re-evaluated due to technological innovation.

3 modes of operation for technology has emerged more recently, these are:

1. scenic representation

2. interaction with scenic representation and performers

3. capability of scenic representation and performers to work independently. 

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Technology and Exhibition

Technology in exhibitions

Technology has changed but its application has stayed the same, similar to the way people enjoy and perceive exhibitions the same. Visitors are always surrounded by each other and the narrative, as well as have an interactive experience alongside reality and experiencing the power of the human voice.

Projection

Projection has been around for thousands of years. Magic Lanterns or ‘Laterna Magica’ have been around since the 1600s as a form of static projection but it came moving in the late 1800s. In 2016, the Royal Shakespeare Company finally performed The Tempest the way Shakespeare wrote it. Using projection they could show a character’s vision with motion capture. Projection mapping was invented by a French company for a brand in 2010.

Cycloramas/ Panoramas/ Dioramas

Cycloramas- a 360 degree scene shown in a circular picture, usually a piece fo cloth at the back of the stage to show a landscape.

Panoramas- first manmade immersive environment, used to be painted on a backdrop and made life like with light and sound.

Dioramas - also known as a backdrop, early versions could move and sections could change.

Peppers Ghost- a moving projection that uses reflection and glass to make to make something look somewhere else and moving.

(Mesma is the leading company for projection right now)

Stereoscopic images (3D)

The zoetrope, invented in 1870s, were wheels that spun whilst you looks through slits to see the images almost come to life. This was even used in the opening of the 2016 Brit Awards. In the 1880s the Kaiser Panorama was used by looking through cards at each angle which allowed you to see the world. This is similar to Go Pros now. A simplified version of this was in 1890 when two images were placed next to each other and photographed in slightly different angles. When looking through a viewer they merged together which is similar now to VR.

Thoughts

It’s really interesting to see the earlier versions of what we have today. Although I hadn’t known the history of these technologies they seem familiar in a weird way. It is strange how some designers have made use of the older technologies instead of the way easier newer ones in designs but I like that idea as it makes the old ways more modern. Maybe using older and newer technologies are more impactful as it is relatable to a wider audience.

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Hyper-connectivity and Design for Performance

Statistics

- In 2012, 1/3 of the worlds population had internet

- In 2014, 3 billion of the population was online

- In 2020, 4.6 billion of the population was online

- In 2015, Americans took more photos every 2 minutes than they did in the 1800s

- From 1930-1980, there was a spike from 1 billion to 25 billion photos taken

- In 2014, 1 trillion photos were taken

- More of the world has access to the TV than to the Internet

The Internet

The internet is a universal medium as it is used around the world. However, with the internet it creates a digital divide in place like Africa and India as less people have access to the online world. Compared to other technologies, the web has a more active than passive audience as it is multi-sensory with videos and images.

Shrinking World Theory

This theory states that as we become more connected, we become more distant.

Marshal McLuhan

McLuhan was alive in the early 60s when the TV was a new technology. Famous for predicting the invention of the Internet, we conjured this up by thinking about how information is shared and communicated as well as the rise of technology. He looked as 4 areas of communication: acoustic (verbal), literary (written), print (printing) and electronic (online). McLuhan also popularised the term ‘global village’ which means international connectivity. He also stated that people will learn about different countries by being in them ‘physically or circuitry’, relating to media feeds like Instagram showing landscapes from around the world. Also he predicted that materials could be accessible from homes, like files on a computer.

John Perry Barlow

Wrote a book about the ‘independence of cyberspace’. He saw it as a new utopia and wanted politicians to stay out of it. Unfortunately politics and companies now rule the internet.

Vince Miller

Says the internet is pervasive, it is wide spreading to different countries and cultures. This gives the web significance but too much saturation of the internet causes it t become mundane in nature.

Privacy

This is lacking now with Alexa and Siri always listening and there being cookies and tailored ads.

Internet Experience

The internet is used as a distraction from reality but also distracts epople from reality which can be good and bad.

Telepresence- the sensation of being elsewhere, enabled by communication online, technology or VR. For example, ‘surfing the net’ is a physical action of doing something virtual.

Algorithm- a process or set of rules to be followed in calculation. This decides what we see online.

Teh Internet Is Serious Business - Chloe Lamford

This is a play about the internet which involves no screens. This weird, confusing, unexpected play shows how the internet feels. The ball pit, although seemingly fun and harmless, is a metaphor for the dark web as you never know what is on there. The bear is a mask almost so the person is unidentified and lives between the ball pit and stage.

Thoughts

I think the dangers as well as the freedom of online is a really good theme for designers as it is current and important to make others aware of. The shrinking world theory is a very interesting concept to explore design wise and I appreciate the idea of showing technology without using any in the design. Also I think it is most significant, especially when we all are using technology more than ever to interact, to use it in designs as well and be able make things safe and interactive online.

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Taxonomy of Spatial Function

The audiences’ experience of a space that is integrated into an existing context.

McAuley

Different spaces in one (usually in theatre):

1. social reality (the building and everything in it)

2. physical/ fictional relationship

3. location of the fictional reality (time it’s set. where it’s set)

4. textual space (the story/narrative, verbal space)

5. thematic space (connects everything together)

Infographic- visualising numbers

Site- specific performance- performances that are produced in non-theatre sites.

What to keep in mind when dealing with sites

Sites may have a particular and unavoidable history that makes the performance not suited to that place or could affect audience interaction. Sites may also have a particular use and therefore the performance needs to work around that. Linking to interaction, formality may differ depending on the place. Apart from the practicalities, the site may also have or be associated with a political, social and cultural context.

Elements of space:

- architecture

- qualities

- acoustics

are to be explored, not disguised.

Thoughts

I had never thought more about the wider context of a space before this module and I find this very important. It is just as important for the audience to interact with the site as well as the performance as it sets unwritten rules for how the audience participates. It is also important design wise concerning the space needed for the performance and the architecture that already exists. I feel that better performance designs may include rather than overlook its wider context and where it is.

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Gender and Design for Performance (part 2)

Gender division in UK Theatre

Here are some recent statistics about theatres in the UK. There is a 2:1 male to female ratio in all roles of the theatres, from acting to set design. Only 31% of artist directors are female compared to male. About 25% of plays are written by women each year.

The Bechdel Test

This is mostly used in film, but can apply to theatre too. There are three statements to fulfill to show there is an equal representation of women in the film/play. These are:

- has to have at least two women in it

- the women have to talk to each other 

- they have to talk not about men

The Sphinx Test

This is inspired by the Bechdel test, it is another list but more suited to theatre. The statements are:

- there must be a woman centre stage and they must interact with other women

- a woman must be driving the action

- the woman must avoid stereotypes

- the female character’s story has to be essential to the wider narrative as well as a wider audience impact

Thoughts

This is shocking how in 2020 women are still so underrepresented. A few females in my class have endured this sexism working in theatre by being asked to work with costume rather than building sets. It’s important to show and change this lack of representation on stage and behind the curtains. It’s also unbelievable that these tests seem so easy yet it is hard to name films are plays that pass these tests. Also it is wrong that the films/plays that do meet these are considered ‘feminist’ in a less serious or empowering sense but more to give an excuse why it’s ‘not as good’ as the male version and downplay it.

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Casson Mann talk by Gary Shelley

Casson Mann is an exhibition design company that started off as an interior design company. They have a track record of using multimedia to produce immersive environments.

Below are different jobs Casson Mann had done and what I think are the most interesting parts of each.

Endeavour Galleries - National Maritime Museum (2018)

The arctic gallery is a blinding white space that has frosted over display cases so silhouettes are shown through and on the other side there are the objects of the exhibition. The 17th Century trade gallery uses material like golds to go with the theme. The pacific worlds gallery includes information that appears on screen when the animated waves wash out. It also includes a boat display, floorboards that imitate a wave and community participation as the narrative is told through different perspectives.

Ocean Liners - V&A Museum (2018)

This had a theatrical dress in the space and they worked with a theatre producer to create this. There was a part where there’s a sense of being on deck and on a wall there is a projection of the sea. Mirrors are used to expand the space as well as used on a floor to make half a wheel/ turbine of the ship seem whole.

Main Hall - Natural History Museum (2017)

They started by studying the building and using that in the design instead of the themed exhibitions. They aimed to give visitors a journey to go to so the hall is not clogged as well as rediscovering the building. They controversially removed the diplodocus  as it was only a plaster model and it clogged circulation. Instead they put a real whale skeleton in there hung from the ceiling which created more floor space. The skeleton worked with the gothic architecture of the building too. They also designed digital labels that can give as much information as the audience member wants and is interested in.

Feathers to the Stars - Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science (2017)

This was an exhibition about flight that linked space and dinosaurs because it was popular and interested the children. They put all spaceships and dinosaurs flying in the same direction. On the back wall there was a projection of air patterns on each object or animal. 

Lascaux: International Centre for Cave Art (2016)

They made a replica cave from digitally scanning the original and painting copies of the cave paintings. There was also a theatrical production of archaeological debates that happened at the time.

La Cite du Vin (2016)

This was an exhibition about the culture of wine. Part of it was shaped like a ship where the audience can sit on the ‘boat’ and there was projections of the sea and ships that told the story about travelling for this wine. The information slabs were within wine bottle shapes pillars. Touchscreen and scanning was used so the audience can move the screen around and change the seasons of the projected vineyards to see how wine is produced throughout the year.

WW1 Galleries - Imperial War Museum (2014)

For this, mud samples where taken from actual previous battlefields and was used to create life-like trenches where objects are displayed. Projection of materials and elements like poisonous gas were projected on tables.

Thoughts

My favourite designs would be the arctic exhibition as part of the Endeavour Galleries and the Main Hall of the National History Museum. The arctic galleries did something really different in taking the objects out of the display case and putting this behind display case glass that is frosted. The white light and shadows of the objects really immerse the audience into the arctic and give a cold tranquil atmosphere. I love the non-traditional ways of displaying the objects. The Main Hall design was so clever and practical. By hanging a skeleton it gives more space underneath to let the visitors move through the space. It also forces the audience to look up and appreciate the architecture that links to the skeleton as it is gothic. I think it is important not to separate the building and its architecture  from the exhibition.

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Anthropocene and Design for Performance

Anthropos -- human

cene -- geological epoch

Anthropocene means the human impact on the environment, climate change due to human actions.

Historical Geological Time

We live in a time of the Holocene. This is the time since the last ‘ice-age’, which is the last 11, 700 years of life. This is also known as the ‘age of man’, which is not seen as a good thing due to the large extinction of animals and global warming due to humans. Biologist EO Wilson believes we are past the Holocene and we are entering the Eremocene. This is known as the ‘age of loneliness’, which has come apparent in the times of COVID-19.

Weaving a Home - Abeer Seikaly (2013-now)

This architect designed and is making this scheme to supply a honeycomb shelter for Syrian Refugees. This house can expand and close for different weather conditions and is easy to transport. It also has pockets to collect rainwater for drinking and washing.

La Musica - Young Vic London (2015)

This is a eco-friendly theatre design. The play is performed only using the outside light. This means each performance has different lighting from different weather condition affecting light as well as the time of the day. Sometimes the actors are lit by streetlamps if the performance is late.

Ice Watch - Olafur Eliasson (2014)

This is a type of art activism to show global warming. The ice was taken from the Atlantic and transported to Capital cities and left to melt. The audience was encourage to engage with the ice and it was a visual real-time display of how humans impact the icebergs.

Thoughts

I think climate change as an international issue is very popular as a theme for design at the moment and this is probably due to it directly affecting the design industry and how designers can work. I like the experimental work going on with using natural light in performance as it is taking a step back from the technology that is used to regularly now and is affecting the planet and in addition not only bringing awareness but actively helping in reducing the impact. It is really interesting to see how COVID has linked into the geological time of our planet and it being the ‘age of loneliness’. As a nation we have all seen this possibility as we have been separated from others and took to walks and doing the garden to pass time when feeling isolated in lockdown which is interested. Designers should keep that important nature theme going as things get back to normal past COVID-19. 

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What counts as Exhibition Design?

Defining exhibition design

Exhibition design creates real time experiences using space, movement and memory for multi-layered communication. There comes a mix of communication design and built-environment.

Focuses of exhibition design

- collaboration (multi- disciplinary)

- balance of space, object and information

- subtle integration of technology

- role of the audience 

First attempts of exhibition design

In the 1600s, wealthy men made ‘Rooms of Wonder’ and ‘Cabinets of Curiosities’ for their fellow wealthy friends to see. These were full of objects and finds that were deemed interesting or of value but held no facts or information and were organised on the basis of aesthetic.

The first museum opened in the US in 1786 by Peale. It was called ‘The Museum of Rational Entertainment’ and was open to the public. There was still a lack of information and aesthetic was priority. The only knowledge of these items were from Peale himself or just rumours from others that went round.

The 1990 Gallery of Evolution was a game changer for exhibition design. This was shown in the National History Museum in Paris. Taking inspiration from a scene from Noah’s Arc of the animals by two walking in a line to the Arc, it showed stuffed, life-like animal structures all walking in a line. This started the importance of narrative in exhibition design.

Types of exhibition design

Memorial Wall - Maya Lin

I like the fact the wall etched with the names of those who died acts as a mirror to those who are look at it. This makes it more relatable and real, even if the visitors have no personal relationship with anyone who died.

Streets of Pompeii - Heritage site

The fact ruins can be counted as an exhibition is eye opening as it has no information and nothing that is designed, it is instead how it just fell and how it has been left that tells the story and gives the impact. This could influence my design as it shows that sometimes the lack of text or information tells the story better.

Museum of British Folklore - Simon Costin

This reminds me of a circus as it is transported across the towns and almost is its own stage. I like the idea of a museum not being a still structure but being seen in different places as it comes to the visitor rather than the other way round. It acts as a pantomime where there is a character who supposedly lives in this caravan and it becomes a home as well as a museum.

Interactive Video Fountain - Jaume Plensa

The bringing in of technology and immersion is really well done here. The sensors on the floor trigger the screen and the face moves, puckers their lips and water come out to soak the visitor. It is not only a fountain play area but it has a great message of diversity as the faces are all people of Chicago, where the fountain is located. this is perfect to show how to get all generation involved through play and the messages shown.

Atmospheric Memory -  Rafael Lozano-Hemmer

This interactive art environment really plays with words and creates a sensory experience where sound can be seen and touched. They play with smoke and letters popping up digitally on screen. You can whisper a word and it will pop up on screen and it is fully immersive from floor to ceiling. This is all to do with the toxicity and treasure of our environment on an individual and collective level.#

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What is Scenography?

Defining Scenography

Scenography is the representation of a building or object in perspective. An old definition describes it being simply scene design, however it is a lot broader than that now. The best definition would be from Pamela Howard, she says the scenography is the seamless synthesis of space, text, research, art, actors, directors, spectators that contribute to an original creation.

1. Space

2. Text, music, sound

3. Context - objects, colour, form

4. Performer

5. Rehearsal that creates changes

6. Audience 

Mckinney and Butterworths definition of scenography is the dynamic and kinaesthetic (sensations) contribution to an experience of performance.

Brecht and Naher

Focussed on slow and experimental design. Was able to be flexible and a lot of design evolved through rehearsal. They paved the way for modern theatre.

Svobada

A Czech scenographer first was an architect and then went into scenography. He felt the actualisation and interaction between space and performance is more important than design.

Es Devlin TED Talk

Es Devlin was responsible for many stage designs for celebrities like Kanye West, Beyoncé and Adele. She says that stadium stages have two polarised purposes: intimacy for the audience to the performer and a sense of advertisement for the performer as it reflects on their act. Es Devlin uses the metaphor that designers are ‘like pilots’ that take the audience on a journey. The delivery of the stage design feeds off of anticipation from the audience. Female artists have designs that circulate around their appearance and facial structure as their audience aspire to be them more physically than male artists. Male artist stage designs usually have mountains, cars, etc as it is more about reputation and the audience aspiring to have what they have whether it is status or monetary.

Thoughts

I think this ties into the multidisciplinary approach from the Bauhaus movement and the comprehensive designers. It is really inspiring to see that design can be so temporary even up to the last rehearsals and that the actors have as much input in the design as the designers themselves. I also like how Es Devlin has made these conclusions about the difference in female and male stage designs, that is a really interesting point and something that can only be concluded after years of doing this work.

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What is Exhibition Design?

Below is a few interesting points from the reading I did and my thoughts under each section. This covers the differences in exhibition designs, audience, exhibition environments and exhibition narratives.

Anatomy

Exhibitions can represent culture, trends and history, used for educational purposes and divergence in goals of narratives. Educational museums interpret specific things and corporate museums focus on advertising and marketing. Tradeshows and showrooms are most specific and focussed. Goals reflect the narrative and money invested. There needs to be a balance between creating a space and communicating a message.

I agree that the most important need for exhibitions is to educate and inform visitors, however that is done more effectively with immersion and interaction. I disagree that goals reflect budget as something equally so focussed and small can make as much of an impact than a massive display. The balance of needs in extremely important to keep its purpose whilst entertaining the visitor.

But is it Art?

Public art interprets a point in time, a community or an issue. If within a space like a museum it already has its own context that needs to be understood. It is vital to use the landscape, architecture, space and community. The visitor becomes the explorer and observer.

I think it is important to make the exhibition accessible and open to the whole community creating a collective sense of welcome. In the wake of COVID, I think it will be harder to make the visitor the explorer without the sense of touch however it will mean the space will have to enhance sensory elements that are safe. I think is important to make use of the qualities of the space like high ceilings or blank walls and not make everything at head height.

Designing from the ground up and inside out

Environmental storytelling has unlimited scale. Outside, artists can intervene with an existing space rather than a blank room. Quality of communication can be shown through light, depth, width, height, entry, circulation, materials, etc. There needs to be a relationship between the exhibition experience and its envelope.

The advantage of working with a blank space in a museum in the lack of interruption (from weather, the surface, etc) however it makes it harder to sculpt into a certain experience when the design in boxed up. I think I good point in the focus on circulation and entry/exit as you can really dictate where the beginning and end goes narrative-wise. I love the analogy of the envelope, where the room of the building it is in is the envelope so the experience is link to the building as a whole.

Experience design and themed environments

There is a same process of developing a products lifestyle as to developing educational models in exhibition design. Incorporate passive storytelling and interactivity. Experience takes themed environments deeper by question different was the environments communicate. Non-traditional examples include turning a tradeshow display into a museum space or retail display into a classroom. Demographics are a primal tool to design and exhibitions can cut through demographic barriers.

Looks like more recently, traditional space have been completely changed into a different space to fully immerse the visitor. That space is changed according to the demographics of the visitors and aimed to make it fully relatable and interesting to all demographics so therefore I will need different elements to tell the same story so everyone can understand.

What makes a public space in exhibition?

This it’s not clear as all spaces have an initial history of time or place, like museums and ruins. A good exhibition space makes the audience enjoy and relax as well as learn without being forced. 

I don’t think you can use this factors to measure how good an exhibition is as an exhibition can still be good but heart-breaking or very intense and uncomfortable. Also, although some audience members unconsciously learn, other will actively go to see an exhibition to learn and will search for answers or a narrative and that will create a whole new experience. Maybe you can identify how good an exhibition is by clarity of narrative and if it evokes an emotion or creates an impact.

Who do we design for?

A visitors background, age, sex, culture, etc have a massive impact on the design. Mixed group visitors are the norm. Designers look at existing visitors and target visitors of the museum. There needs to be a ‘universal design’ that accompanies the disabled, visually impaired or those with hearing difficulties.

This is important when doing lighting and dealing with the space needed for wheelchairs. Also braille should be included as well as a good type size and colour that caters to those with dyslexia. It also needs to entertain children and be just as interesting for adults. Text may be included for older or more inquisitive visitors and then maybe a technological part for younger people to keep them intrigued.

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Psychoanalysis and Design for Performance

- used to treat metal disorders by investigating the impact of the conscious and unconscious 

- all about Freud

Steps for Psychoanalysis

1. Listen and Look

2. Understand 

3. Research

4. Identify Patterns

5. Design New Ways

6. Evaluate

These steps are similar to what we do as designers and artists.

Identity

- id (primal desires, pleasure principle)

- ego (mediate between id and real world, reality principle)

- superego (the conscience, has values, morality principle)

Psychosexual Stages

1. Oral (0-1yrs) = sucking (fixation causes nail-biting, smoking)

2. Anal (1-3yrs) = releasing and holding (either uptight or an over-sharer)

3. Phallic (3-5/6yrs) = oedipus and electra complex (causes homosexuality or issues with sex)

4. Latent (5/6-puberty) = no sexual desires, social element (lack social skills)

5. Genital (puberty) = attraction to different sex (when problems emerge from earlier stages)

Transference- falling in love with your therapist (similar to consumerism as products can recapture a love that the person lacks or wants).

Sublimation- strong emotion sublimated into doing socially acceptable doings

Parapraxis (Freudian slips)- slip of the tongue or actions done wrong/ unconsciously shows what you actually mean, no accident at all.

Free Association- where the person says whatever comes to mind and is analysed by a psychoanalyst. This inspired the Surrealist movement. It also links to interpreting dreams as thoughts of the unconscious.

The Uncanny- familiar unfamiliarity, uncomfortable sense

Criticisms of Freud

Freud is seen as generally not credible in his work as he used small unreliable sample of those of the same cultural background and age. There is no evidence of the psychosexual stages, it is only theory made up by him. Nowadays some conclusions are deemed homophobic and a little sexist. 

Bowlby’s Attachment Theory 

1. Secure attachment (good healthy attachment later on)

2. Anxious attachment (fear of abandonment, causes them to be clingy and angry)

3. Avoident attachment ( becomes withdrawn and can’t commit)

Lancan

The Mirror Phase (formation of identity) - this is where the child sees themselves in a mirror for the first time and separates themselves from their mother. This is scary for them as they realise they do not look how they feel. This leads to the feeling of being misunderstood later in life as there is always a difference between how we see ourselves and how others do. We try to fix this tgrough make-up, fashion and style. 

The mirror scare in films are also called a Lancanian cliche because of this.

Stages of a baby

1. Imaginary - baby realises they have their own identities

2. Symbolic - language development

3. Real - realises they can’t verbalise feelings

 Dream Sequence from Spellbound - set design by Salvidor Dali (1945) 

Takes inspiration from the Surrealist dream state that Freud describes is from the Unconscious. It is ironic as Dali consciously chose to show an unconscious state.

The Inner Child - Alex Milov (2015)

Put a the Burning Man Festival, it shows the id in the small baby as the babies want to be near each other and go off the pleasure principle. The wired structures can show both the ego and superego not letting the id make the decision. 

Thoughts

I find this topic very interesting as it is not strange and ambiguous and can be explained in so many creative ways. The psychological aspect really interests me as it can be portrayed in a design to teach the reader or the design itself can also become an experiment to see how the audience could show element of this theory if even possible. I especially think the ideas of Parapraxis and Transference is really interesting and can be used cleverly to examine the audiences relationship to a design in an exhibition or something immersive.

[kay7eigh]

Tom Piper Talk

We were lucky enough to have a presentation from Tom Piper about his work, here are a few key things I picked up for the talk that were appropriate advice for my studies and that I found interesting.

The World of Play

There are three times to think about when dealing with a script, these are:

- period it is set

- period when written

- period of when it is going performed (now)

Costume

The costume allows for easy identification of status, wealth, period and their backstory which is key for the audience.

Evolution of Ideas

It is good to find a quick way to clearly demonstrate your ideas in a meeting or within a few hours. Be messy in the white card modelling stages so it feels easier to rip apart and remove. Use already made scale model pieces to make the experimentation process more efficient. get used to working with computer programmes sue to the technological era we are in and due to COVID. When working with a live client it is important to be there for rehearsals. It is good to see how the actors act with the space and sometimes accidents in rehearsals can influence a change in idea.

How qualified are you to create a more culturally specific set/exhibition?

- Sometimes secondary research will not cut it, especially for heavily influenced cultural designs. You may need someone who knows that culture better to guide you or to visit and spend time in that culture to do the work properly. It is with any section of society including class, age and gander too.

Exhibition Design

- The difference between this and stage design is that you control an audiences journey as they are not seated or placed in a certain space. They will see it from all angles and distances.

- There is a need of balance between of immersion and objects. 

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red

Although it is Piper’s most well-known design, I think it is my favourite due to its versatility and impact. The ‘one poppy for each life lost’ very emotional and a perfect way to respect and pay tribute to every soldier. Also each place the memorial piece is shown has a story from the war which makes the placement so special. I like the idea of the work almost touring the country as it makes it more personal and so collective at the same time. Sometimes with the memorial and remembrance days being help a lot in London, it causes a division or lack of knowledge as to what happened in other parts of the country, so this makes it very special.

[kay7eigh]

Bauhaus

-An Interdisciplinary Approach

Bauhaus Institute

The Institute opened in Weimar, Germany in 1919 and became top of the pyramid in the design world very quickly. The main designers included Walter Gropius, Oskar Schlemmer, Annie Abbers and Lazio Maholy Nagy. In the institute you were taught to experiment with everything before you decide to specialise in a certain thing. Both men and women were allowed in which was different for the time, however women did get pushed towards textiles especially as it is more ‘womanly’. Due to the rise of Hitler and his dislike for more modern art, they had to move to Dessan in 1925. The Bauhaus design is more simple and geometric that seemed timeless. It was again shut due to the Nazis and they dispersed to America and the UK.

Schlemmer

He was obsessed about the the movement of the human body and made the Triadisches Ballet. The costume was dictated by the movement so the costume would flow and show the movement.

Maholy Nagy

After Nagy was injured during the army, he started drawing and painting, finally doing stage designs. He said that designers/artists cannot be defined. He loved constructivism and wanted to include the latest technology into his work

Gropius

Gropius was the founder of the institute and an architect and paved the way for modern design. He founded the radical concept at the time where he wanted to mix and get rid of boundaries between each creative sector and just merge them.

Abbers

Abbers went down the textile route and also did printmaking at the institute. She was famous for blurring traditional textiles techniques and more geometric modern art. Abbers used not only fabric but metal and plastic too.

Thoughts

I like the idea of blurring the lines and experimenting with everything because naturally it will become easier to understand and appreciate others work as well as work with others from different disciplines. I also like the timelessness of the Bauhaus work as they look so modern and fitting today as well as a century ago. I can also see how this idea can help the environment by using different materials and also help with innovation. 

[kay7eigh]

Design Practice in the 21st Century

Comprehensive Designers- those who reject the constraints of disciplinary boundaries.

Jamie Hayen

Hayen started off as an illustrator the got elected to design skateboards and made glassware and then went into sculptures and finally interiors. They define themselves as a creative hybrid technician. 

Why Not Association

Went from graphics to print and branding, then to installations like the comedy wall in Blackpool and then the signage for Swansea Museum.

Ron Arad Associates 

Arad was fist a fine artist, did archtecture and then did furniture all made from scrap materials, then to glasses, hate, interiors and then installations.

Heatherwick Studio

Started doing 3D design crafts and went on to resin sculptures before doing perfume bottles, bags and leather sculptures. They then did interior stairs, copper moulding and even the 2012 Olympic cauldron and a Pavillion.

Jason Bruges 

Started doing 4D architecture, interaction design, cybernetics and finally installations. 

Assemble

A group of young people who started doing architecture and ended up who turned an old petrol station to a pop up cinema and a pop up cafe on a motorway and also did playgrounds.

Thoughts

I think experience in all areas can be really important as it becomes easier to play around on different creative paths with prior knowledge and the more knowledge for different areas, the less limits there are. It is also inspiring to see younger designers who are well known and designers that came from a similar kind of background to me. It shows there is less of a speciality needed in this field but more of a rounded knowledge of everything to be chosen to do bigger designs like in the Olympics.

[kay7eigh]

World Discourse and Design for Performance

Displacement

Displacement refers to how people are put into a different culture and society. This is similar to the term ‘Diaspora’, which is the dispersion/spread of people from their homeland. More people are displaced than ever before. 79.5 million are refugees (which went up by 9 million in 6 months), of which 6.6 million of them are Syrian Refugees.

Design Stances

The themes of diversity and inclusivity are main and modern design points from branding to festivals to books. Brands that hop on this have caused contraversy in the past. The Nike Pro Hijab was mean to be seen as helpful for those who wore hijabs to do sports without the fear of it falling off, however is was also seen as a symbol of oppression and popularising something to personal in a religious sense. Also, the feature of racially diverse emojis instead of the yellow emojis was to help improve inclusivity however it has segregated people as it as caused people to question what to use to represent themselves and have been used to discriminate in posts. Some also say that the darkening of a white emoji is virtual blackfacing.

Politics Polarise People

Racially and religiously-motivated offences have increased this year by 30% in June/July probably due to the BLM movement. These offences also rose alot when the BREXIT election was happening.

Institutional Racism

This is defined as racsim embedded in political or social institutions. For example: police brutality, housing (Grenfell fire).

The Race Relations Act of 1965 banned racial discrimination only in public areas. This was updated in 1968 to be extended to employment, housing and advertising, however it is not tightly policed and people still get away with this. 

White Privilege- institutional set of advantages for white people, for example skin-coloured plasters, represented in the media and in jobs, feeling ‘normal’ in the street.

Intersectionality- a wove system of oppression through race, gender, class to create a hierarchy.

Cultural Appropriation- claiming, stealing from another culture where there is a power imbalance.

Where Britain’s systematic racism came from

Colonialism- At one point the British Empire had control over about 23% of the population of the World. Britannia, who was a symbol of Britain at the time, was seen as on this pedestal to any other race and culture.

Post-colonialism- The term ‘othering’ describes how Britons treat others different as they are fundamentally different to their self. Britain also now sees other cultures as ‘exotic’ which is patronising and insensitive. It has caused stereotyping.

Slave Trade- The Industrial Revolution was mostly funded by the slave trade as we took profits from sugar, tobacco and cotton that were pick by slaves.

Museums

There is a continuous debate on museums and what to do with stolen objects. Where do the artefacts belong? Should stolen objects be returned to display in the original country where it was made or not? 

The Jungle - Miriam Buether and Playhouse Theatre (2018)

Immersive performance where the audience chose where to sit and got given certain drinks and snacks depending on that. There was live footage of the refugee crisis and set within a refugee camp.

The Queens of Sheba - Nouveau Riche and Omnibus Theatre (2018)

These women explore everyday misogynoir and micro-aggressions that happen in England. For example they raised awareness for the staggering amount of bars and clubs in a part of London that would not allow women in as they were ‘too dark’ or ‘too fat’.

Thoughts

The dilemma about museums and artefacts is really intriguing and will be interesting to see how that proceeds. I like how theatres and installations are addressing the current political and societal issues and almost policing discrimination through a creative way, by holding other accountable through art. There is a lot to be said about Britain’s past and what it still means today. Museums especially need to be updated and reflect on how much Britain is glorified compared to other countries as that may be a factor as to why the audience of museums are much older and more white. Museums need to attract a more progressive, younger, liberal, multicultural audience by having a more modern stance on historical events, as shown this year even by the statue being taken down in Bristol.