jamesodell2

[jamesodell2]

Bakers dozen museum task

In this blog post I will be talking about and review our class trip down to the first site which was to view the exhibition ‘Chip Night’. Chip Night was an exihibition  hosted by first site and the Koestler trust, which focuses on displaying paintings, sketches, sculpures and anything deemed as art work. These pieces of art were all created by imprisoned convicts and have been displayed in a certain way which I visited to explore and question against my own work/style.

Lion portrate HM Prison Bure

What this exihibtion contained was a range of different pieces of work, with a varitey of them being, sketches, paintings and scultures. When looking at these pieces of art created by convicts it really drew me in and engaed me within the exihibtion. The question I was asking myself was what their inspiration was because being in prison must limit this massivly. But also expanding on this by the use of materials and techniques which must have been kept to a low standard which makes these pieces even better in their own way and styles. The first piece of artwork which caught my eye was a piece created in HM Prison Bure called Storm’s A’Coming.

HM Prison Bure ‘Storms A’Coming’

What instantly drew me into this piece was the emotion the image posses and how this affects the audience straight away after first seen. I feel this is achived by the choice of meduim used which was pastel which can create nice uneven marks which leaves a rough texture on the page which adds a mellow and eerie emotion to the image. I feel as this image has worked as a type of theorpy to the artist who created this piece who was unamed. Overall this piece captures a realistic approach of a landscape which has shown deep thought in the strokes which have consructed the masterpiece. I feel as the inspiration taken to create this image is possible taken from a tressured memory or desired one.

Heath Ledger Joker HM Prison Warren Hill

Another image which I really liked and found exciting was this portrate of Heath Ledger playing the Joker. This was created at HM Prison Warren Hill and what the artist said his inspiration was as quoted “ I love films and love the way Heath Ledger played the joker in Batman film, The Dark Knight”. This quote I feel is clearly represented in the portrait and the love for films is shown in the passonate strokes which configure the famous actor Heath Ledger. This is also backed up along side the choice of the bold and playful colours which instantly livens up the image and represents the charactristics of the character in the film The Dark Knight well. What I really liked about the masterpiece is the use of line which is varied to create a very experimental but successful piece. This works because of the meaning behind colours which are shown in the use of line portrayied in the image. I also really like the close up effect he uses which gives the sense of a cinematic experience which is usually shown in meathods such as stop-motion animation. Overall I found this image one of my favourites from the exihibtion because of the passion shown and colours used to display this love for films and Heath Ledger.

Bronze sculpture ‘Fertility And the Body’

When I ventured through the exihibtion I came across a range of intresting sculptures which were made from the bronze. My favourite piece in this part of the exihibtion was a study of the body and this sculpure was called ‘Fertility And The Body’ and was made by an artists called Hans Josephson(1920-2012). What I liked about this sculpture was the lack of detail it contained which made me question what he was trying to display, but also I think this has a strong relevence to the title of the sculture which is questioning the undertsnading behind the human body. What also caught my eye was the textures created on the surface of the sculpture which gave it an ancient quality when looked at but also a mysteruios element because its covering up its real indentity. What I think could be taken from this bronze sculpture would be the form the artist is taking up and how he is keeping this a mystery for the audience.

HM Prison Warren ‘Tentacles’

The final sculpture which I found fasinating was the realistic tentacles which was created by a prison from HM Prison. I found this sculpture very confusing because it gave very minimal infomation behind the sculpture and what influenced it, which makes the viewer question its effects and purpose. What I like about the sculpture is the realistic element involved within which suits the meduim and material used to create this strange piece. However I do really like the use of scale in this sculpture which creates a sense of importance and domance compared to the other sculptures which are layed next to it.

What I wanted to gain from this exihibtion was a uderstanding behind what inspires people who have limited sources to work from which this exihibtion was a great showcase for this statement but also the different qualities which an idea/outcome can be put across. Another thing I was thinking about when looking around this exihibtion was the style it was layed out and presented which is something I need to start to consider for my final presentation of my outcome fro ‘Under The Influence’. This is a good primary research source to state in my biblography to show expoloration behind different concepts which could relate becak to my ideas or specailisim.

[jamesodell2]

Task 4 ‘Bakers Dozen’

In this task I will be looking at a film series which is produced by the same film maker over the course of the series, for this task I have chosen to look at the ‘Lord Of The Rings’ trilogy which was produced by the film maker Peter Jackson starting in the year of 2001. Over the course of the following 3 years Peter Jackson produced two following films which created the Lord Of The Rings trilogy.

Lord Of The Rings 2001 

The first film I am looking at is the Fellowship Of The Ring which was created in 2001 and started the trilogy. This film is my favourite out of the three and this is because of the storyline which builds up the following films and holds the context to make the follow fits a success.

What I decided to do following on from watching this film was a set of sketches which involved the most influential characters which excited me the most throughout the film. In these sketches I wanted to explore techniques such as crosshatching so it could leave a realistic shadow and tonal value to my sketches. This technique has always been a strong suit for me but I feel as limit myself when caring out this technique by the use of only one pencil. How I feel I could improve upon these sketches would be to try new mediums to explore texture and tone through different movements.

After watching the second film called ‘The twin towers’ I instantly saw a smooth transition from the previous film which helps the audience engage with the storyline. Because the first film contains mainly context this allows the following film to contain more action and excitement which I personally really found successful and set the film series to be concluded sensibly. From watching this film I decided to draw some of the key scenes within the film which I found key and influential towards the films timeline. I wanted to explore composition as well as medium so that I could compare these sketches to my earlier ones I completed for the first film ‘Fellowship of the ring’.

The Lord Of The Rings The Return Of The King 2003

This final film of this trilogy is the return of the king which concluded the storyline of the trilogy by the character Frodo destroying the ring of power which ends the evil’s power and reign. When looking back upon the three films I think this would be last in my rankings and this is just because I feel as the ending is rushed and concluded which lets the trilogy drown plus the other two previous film.

What I did to push my creative thinking was produce a small comic strip which included iconic and important scenes within the trilogy, this was pushed further by the use of different sketching techniques and shades of pencil which showed the shadows and highlights really going against each other which was my aim before completing this storyboard.

[jamesodell2]

Task 2 NUA Bakers Dozen

In this task I will be looking at a manifesto or designers statement which intrigues me, this will be from my own choosing and can follow on from looking at these examples which are stated below.

- Miltion Glaser (12 steps to design hell)

- Ken Garland (First things first)

- Bruce Mau (Incomplete Manifesto for growth)

- Dieter Rams (Ten principles for good design)

Milton Glaser 1929 -

In this task I am going to be looking at two designers statements and want to begin with Milton Glaser and his statement “12 steps to designer hell”. Before I was going to start my reflection towards Glaser’s statement I wanted to gain a little background information behind the designer and look upon some his most famous pieces.

Milton Glaser is an American Graphic designer who was born in 1929 in the city of New York. When I first engaged upon Glaser’s work I instantly saw his free flowing style which is made powerful by the use of bold and explosive colours. I think Milton style has a reliance to the pop art\ street art style which can be found around New York but also nearby in shore-ditch.

Milton Glaser Posters Plus Iconic “ I Love NY”

Now looking upon Milton Glaser’s principles behind a graphic designers 12 steps to hell has really interested me and this is because many of these I agree with and would follow when starting a new project of or piece of work. The statement I agree with the most would be “ Creating a product packaging to look bigger on the shelf “ this is because it could already have a successful package and trying to recreate this in larger scale could defeat the product itself just for it to stand out to the audience by a greater deal.

Overall after looking at these 12 steps towards a designers hell I have gained a greater inside behind many graphic designers thoughts and options behind these statements and a fair few would follow the same pathway as me and partly agree but also add these own statements of hell.

Austin Kloen 1983- Blackout poetry

The second artists I am looking at has come from my own choosing and is the blackout poet Austin Kloen. I have previously looked at this poet and have found his work ethic and style very engaging and influential, this is because of his art is stolen ethic which he has talked about in depth in some of his lectures.

Why I chose to look at Austin Kloen was because I wanted to look at his quote “steal like an artist” which he discusses in depth in one of his lectures/talks.

Austin Kloen “Steal Like An Artist” talk

What I liked about this quote “Steal like an artist” was the way that Kloen discussed his reasons behind it plus how his creative outcomes heavily relates to this quote. He showed this by displaying previous work which has been developed over the years by different artists and designers who have stolen the idea and created something new and improved.

Looking back upon this statement I agree with some key aspects such as the development of an idea and how this can be pushed further through a new designers style or creative thinking. I think Austin clear shows this in his talk which is clearly layedout and discussed to show a designers own prospected upon the statement. 

[jamesodell2]

NUA Summer Project “A Bakers Dozen”

In these following blog posts I will be documenting my outcomes from the following tasks included within the summer project “A Bakers Dozen”. This summer project consists of twelve tasks which when completed will give our tutors/lectures a overview into how we work plus how our creative thoughts/ideas come together. 

For these twelve tasks I have decided to document my outcomes through the use of a blog which will be supported by a small sketchbook/journal; this will include small illustrations inspired by processes I have used along the way which aid my creative outcomes. In this small sketchbook I aim to use a range of mediums and techniques which can increase my skills within drawing but most importantly observational drawing which is something I really want to push whilst studying at university.

Task 1: “Read Some Books”

The opening task for this summer project involved us gathering books which ranged from fiction and design related. I was very lucky and had many books to choose from at home which I loved reading and decided to read the book ‘Slawter’ by Darren Shan. The reason behind this choice was because I've always been drawn to the books published by Darren Shan because of his writing style which draws the reader in by using a mixture of suspense and cliff hangers which leaves the reader guessing and intrigued top start the next chapter.

Darren Shan Slawter published 2006

When reading this book there were many different qualities I liked which effected the readers experience of the narrative being told throughout the book. the first quality I am going to discuss is the visual language Darren Shan uses to describe the setting and story which paints a picture in the mind of the reader. This book ‘Slawter’ is part of the second horror series published by Darren Shan and focuses mainly on the constant battle between magically gifted humans and monsters preventing them from entering this world.

The main aspect of this book I liked was the connection made to the previous books involved within the series and how the author Darren Shan takes you back to previous events so that the reader can fully understand the whole story line. This is made engaging by the metaphors and visual language used which helps paint the storyline and guide the reader through the book causing no confusion.

Darren Shan ‘Demonata’ Collection

Overall when reading this book I found myself always engaged within the storyline which lead me onto the following chapters which conclude the book. Because I've read many of Darren Shan’s books in my younger years it was easier to understand the plot and story style he possesses when writing his books; this lead me to create some small illustrations which stemmed from the visual settings created through his detailed visual language and english uses throughout the book. Overall when looking back upon this book I would recommend it as a good read and series to follow because of its wide range of audience but also the excitement you can gain whilst reading the book.

Sketches from book plus explain qualities

Task 1 part 2 ( Design related book)

In this stage of the task it involved me looking into and reading a book which relates back to the subject design. To find a book I would find interesting I began to think about which artists and designs have inspired during my graphic design journey which lead my towards the design David Carson.

Michelle M 50 Golden Rules Of Design published 2011

My personal preference behind David Carson lead me to his book behind graphic design and the golden rules you must follow to make your graphics successful. The reason behind my choice was because I wanted to gain a greater understanding behind these key principles which I can hopefully incorporate in future outcomes/designs.

Over the past few years the designer David Carson has influenced many of my practical experiments and this is through his vars range of typography and composition involved within his pieces. When I began reading this book he began to talk about the principles and golden rules he has set himself throughout his career which have built-up and produced into pieces of work.

What I feel I have gained from this read is a range of varied principles which can affect my work through many new and existing qualities. I think this overall task has changed my outlook towards books and made name realise that there is a lot of valuable knowledge within a book which can't be found on the internet. What I aim to strive towards after this task is to focus on enjoying a book whilst studying as this will help my overall English skills and research when beginning a new project.

[jamesodell2]

Final Evaluation

This brief is titled ‘Under The Influence’ and this was about all the components we find interesting and influential as artists and how we can respond to this. For my project I have researched artists, movements and iconic events I find influential and inspiring which have all fed into my project theme. The specialism I decided to explore was typography within poster design and how this can discuss contemporary political events through the use of text and image. The reason behind my decision on my chosen specialism was because I wanted to gain a greater skill set within Graphic Design which can aid me throughout my course at university.  The purpose of my project was to present awareness towards the audience behind the recent political events; I wanted to explore different ways of presenting these events which ventured into traditional and digital processes. Some of the questions which I identified to develop upon was establishing my audience which is important for my project concept, this involves gaining an understanding behind their needs so that they can be involved within my outcomes. This fed into my planning and production stage which set me up for my developments. In my project I have researched the Dada movement which fed into cultural political punk; this stemmed towards a range of traditional methods which flowed into my practical experiments differentiating them from my early initial ideas. The aims I set myself for this project were to create a series of images/artworks that discuss contemporary political events through traditional and digital processes; focusing on how type and image can be composed within a poster and how this can be experimented through styles, techniques as well as traditions of typography.

My investigation into my research for the project ‘Under The Influence’ started by looking at the artists who have inspired throughout my Graphic Design journey; the artist I started my research behind was David Carson who creates exciting typographic compositions which revolutionised the Graphic Designing scene in America during the 1990’s. The reason why I started with David Carson was because of his experimental use of typography which I wanted to show  throughout my project development; in the comfort zone task I involved being experimental in my outer comfort zone and felt this research would help stem ideas towards a vars range of practical experiments. During the course of my project I have tried to make my research as diverse as possible by using a range of sources such as the internet, books and my own primary investigation. A massive influence in my project was the book called ‘Design is Dissent’ which contained information about socially and politically driven art which related to my project concept really well; this gave me a diverse understanding behind new artist’s and movements I could look it which could improve the aesthetic look of my practical experiments. Looking back upon my developments there have been many different influences which have fed into my outcomes; my later experiments were massively influenced by the Dada Movement and the artists who were involved in this which were Hannah Hoch and Max Ernst. This inspiration brought new visual qualities to my work which were created through the process of layering, this was a technique Max Ernst and Hannah Hoch carried out throughout their work to create textures and abstract forms which fitted the aims of the Dada Movement.

I presented and communicated my initial ideas through the breaking down of the initial brief’s tasks and the personal investigation I pursed. To show my progression throughout this project I created a personal blog, this contained visual analysis, screen grabs, documented processes and developments and research which have all fed into my project. On this blog I have compared my work alongside my research which helps me analyse the visual pleasing factors within my outcomes; I have also compared the works of two artists which enabled me to gather a greater understanding behind their works. Following on from this I gathered peer reviews which helped me state improvements and actions which would be followed up in later blog posts.

During the course of this project my research has developed through the exploration behind new techniques and processes which have helped me create a diverse range of outcomes. I began my research by looking into my specialism which soon developed into research behind relevant processes I was using throughout my practical exploration. 

I developed my research behind my own critical perspective by looking at the artists themes and ideas behind their work which fed into my development; this enabled me to hit the higher criteria because I was no longer responding the artist but the themes and ideas behind their outcomes which was in response to a movement therefore showed me practical responding to the movement rather than the artist.

Throughout my experimentation I tried to use a wide range of techniques and process which fed into my practical explorations, I used a variety of traditional and digital process which enabled me to create a diverse range of outcomes which related towards my project concept. During the final stages of my project I ventured into the technique of collage which enrolled onto my experimentations; through this technique I explored size and scale, textures, abstract aesthetics and colour schemes which differentiated from my earlier developments.

My ideas have developed massively over the course of this project and this was heavily influenced by my research, at the beginning on my project I limited my ideas by restricting my research which subsequently fed into my development. What helped me expand my ideas was the research behind the movement ‘Dada’ which opened the idea of technique of collage. I felt as this would be an interesting process to explore contemporary political events using type and image through abstract compositions.

I wanted to explore my project theme through a range of traditional processes and started with the screen printing process which was influenced by the artist Anthony Burrill. Working from my research I designed a series of posters which were exploring the political feud between president Trump and Kim Jong Un; to push these further I looked into the artist Dface who creates large scale mashups which led towards my political mash up poster. In this poster I wanted to use his style and technique of photo manipulation to create an abstract poster which was created through the screen printing process; I also explored this digitally through Photoshop which enabled me explore the different forms of the face. I also explored more materials through the technique of layering which lead towards my political collage which is showcased as my final piece. In this piece I wanted to show a relation between text and image but through a abstract perspective which was why I decided to work with the process collage.

Looking back upon my development time I feel as I could of managed this a lot better, this was because I focused on my research and project concept more over my practical development. The processes I decided to explore were very time consuming and this limited the amount of work I could produce, therefore at the end of my project I decided to explore a hand-rendered technique which enabled me to create a large body of work in short period of time.

The strengths of my practical experiments varied a lot with the process used, my first set of developments were very bold and flat which showed relation to the artists Anthony Burrill and Alan Kitchen. These became stronger by the exploration within scale which made my posters more visual pleasing. For my college’s I think the main strength involved with these would be the use of texture and audience interaction, these outcomes created a different reaction from the audience which was important to document and state on my blog.

The main skill I have improved and refined upon would be my printing skills, over this project I have learnt how to create my own personal screen which has been very influential throughout my early practical developments. I refined this skill by continuously attempting this until its a comfortable process which I can complete on my own and this was documented in detail on my personal blog.

What I wanted to communicate through my work was the political feud between Trump and Kim Jong Un and feel as this is a success through the use of semiotics which translate a certain message towards the audience. For my final outcome I wanted to communicate an abstract street art setting which related to iconic political events between trump and Kim Jong Un. I think this has been represented through the textures I have included which shows my work peeling away from the wall that was taken from the street art research trip in Shore ditch.

For my final outcome I feel as I have used very appropriate materials which show a connection to my research as well as previous developments. I used the process of layering to bring my work off the wall which added textures which would be found on a piece of street art, this would then invite the viewer to interact and peel away a layer which will show a previous piece of artwork. The use of spray paint adds a free flowing form to my outcome which connects to my research behind Dface.

During the production of my outcomes I followed a brief plan which helped me create a vars range of developments which were in reaction to my early research. I didn’t follow my time plan exactly as a wrote it and this was because I needed to spend more time planning my final outcome and how this was going to be exhibited. This was due to poor time management which I will ament in future projects.

When looking at my final outcome I think the most visual pleasing aspects involved within this were the layered textures which invites the audience to interact with my piece revealing new pieces of work when removed. Another strong characteristic is the use of broken text which challenges the message being perceived towards the audience which gives them another reason to remove the layers. I also think the bold and elusive colours used helps catch the audiences attention and shows relation to the street artists we viewed on the primary research trip.

I think gathering tutor and peer feedback behind my work helps establish the successful qualities within the work but also helps to identify if my outcome is a success or not. This also helps gather ideas for potential developments and this is through improvements and constructive criticism. This has developed my practical outcomes through the suggestions of new processes and research influences which has fed into my final outcome.

The aspect of productivity I would change during my project would be the time I spent in the print room, this is because I could’ve explored a new process in the print room which would have widened my skill set and production depth. This would of resulted in me having a wider and diverse range of outcomes which could have been reviewed in detail on my blog. I also would explore size and scale in more depth as I left this very late during the final stages of my project.

Overall I am very pleased with my project outcome which has reflected my project concept which has been explored through a range of traditional and digital processes over the course of 12 weeks. I am very happy with the skills I have explored which will help me with my future pathway during my uni experience.

[jamesodell2]

Final Practical Outcome

In this blog post I will be showing a detailed overview of the process behind creating my final piece for the exhibition; this will include a step by step process behind how my outcome was created and the influences behind each decision I have counted throughout this step by step process. After I have explained each step I will follow this up with a peer review behind my work which can discuss the good qualities within my outcome and to see if I have achieved the correct meaning I set myself at the start of this development.

First Stages Of My Practical Outcome

For my final outcome I wanted to display a collage which contained many different layers; these layers were going to be different individual pieces of artwork which were going to be revealed by the audience when they look around the exhibition. To make the audience participate in this I will begin tearing layers off myself to show brief sightings of the artwork beneath which will hopefully ask the audience to tear and reveal.

In my final outcome I wanted to combine my posters I created in my practical experiments alongside the knowledge I have gained from my research behind the dada movement and Russian constructivists. The first stage behind creating this street art style collage was collecting the sources I was going to be including within this collage, this included my moon landing screen prints, mashup screen prints and the stencils I used for my personal response for the research behind the artist Dface. I began by spray painting the stencil which stated ‘Man on the moon’ and the decision behind this medium was because I wanted to create similar textures which were shown on the street art tour. Following on from this I split my man on the moon poster in half and layered this over the stray paint, this was in relation to the artist found on the street art trip; this technique of layering started to add a base layer to my collage which would then be revealed during the course of the exhibition. I added a secondary image of President Trump to show relation to the political feud between Trump and Kim Jong Un which will be shown on the base layer alongside screen prints and textures which connect the collage relating to the Dada movement.

Second Stage Of My Practical Outcome

In this stage of the process I wanted to start to add colours and textures which would bring my work off the paper and invite the audience to interact with this; this was only early on in the collage so I need to add sources to my so began to compose my previous screen prints onto the paper, the aim of this stage was to cover as much of the negative space as possible. This was because I wanted to work over this with textured mediums which adds uneven layers to the collage. I used the stencils I created from the response behind Dface to add a sense of humour to my collage as well as relation to my research in the build up to this final outcome. In this step I included a statement which was said by president Trump, this was inspired by the artist Jamie Reid who uses this within his compositions. I wanted this to challenge the image of Kim Jong Un who was placed below Trump to represent power in this political battle happening during this time.

In this outcome I wanted to show contemporary political events through the use of text and image and I showed this in my outcome by the use of my previous prints which included large scale text stating clearly the message of the poster. In this stage I wanted to recreate the compositions found on the street art tour which included artworks being layered over each other and being labelled ‘new art’ this is something I wanted to display to the audience through textures, layers and imagery.

Step 3 Behind My Practical Outcome

In this stage I decided to add some iconic imagery which fitted my project background behind political posters and contemporary events, this was going to relate to the research behind Shepard Fairey who I really warmed towards. I created a stencil from his iconic ‘Hope’ poster which was spray painted onto my collage, this was contrasted alongside two colours to resemble the country America which connects to the imagery surrounding this. Looking over this stage of my collage I feel as this has created a base layer to my final outcome, this will become covered by textures and distorted text relating to key phrases I have used throughout my project development. 

The start of this textured surface was created by a light roller of white emotion paint, this added a very industrial look to my outcome which I really liked because it muted the colours added to my pieces which can be brought to life when peeled away by the audience. After creating this base layer I was ready to start thinking about what textures and colours to add over this base to bring my outcome off the wall and attract the audience in to distort my final piece.

Step 4 (Screen Print)

In this step I wanted to included a traditional process I have been using a lot over the course of this project which was the process called screen print, I wanted to use this in my collage because of the bold and blocky print which is left on trapper which can be a key symbol on my final outcome. When considering the semiotics I wanted to create my own screen which involved the white house because of its resemblance of power which helps dominate the overall poster. Before printing this onto my final outcome I created a series of tests which explored colour and layering which could be used within the collage if successful. The tests I created were really successful and contained nice visual elements which could add to the quality of my final collage and the message being portrayed.

When looking at my collage at this stage I felt this was very minimal and lacked layers and texture which was my main aim for this final practical development. To push this collage further I wanted to add a layer of light spray paint which covered the original images, this could be removed through the process of rubbing which can reveal the basis of my collage.

Inspiration From The Foundations Exhibition 

When considering how to create my layers I needed to find some inspiration so headed down to the foundations exhibition and came across this piece; I think this piece shows how to add texture in a affective way whilst still showing brief invites into the basic layer of my collage. I really liked how he has overlaid the text in this collage and this gave me an idea to use a similar process but with text stating fake news but also questioning the collage its self. 

Working from this inspiration I want to cover my work alongside the use of distorted text which invites the audience to tear and reveal the original collage created in the early stages. I also wanted this to venture off the page and show a revenue to the compositions fund on the street art tour, this can show me exploring my outer comfort zone which I explained earlier in my project. This text will be pasted with PVA glue which has been mixed with water so that its easy to remove and leaves a slight texture on the original collage.

Gif of me layering my collage

The image above shows me layering the distorted text and phrases over the top of my original collage, I think this style relates to the abstract forms the Russian constructivists take which was what I was aiming to achieve. This technique was inspired by the foundation piece which made my work loose and care free which worked positively within my favor; this was a weakness of mine throughout the development and wanted to challenge this through size and scale in my final practical outcome. This was the first step into making my outcome distorted and visually challenging as my outcome was venturing off the page and free flowing like the techniques used to create this outcome.

Gif of me tearing away my layers

In this final stage I began to tear away the added layer which slowly added hidden art pieces I created earlier in the outcome; this has relation to many of the street artist such as Manyolie who creates her work alongside peeled textures which are found on walls and buildings. I really enjoyed this process because it began to reveal previous designs which I composed as well as new textures which were being left on the wall which added to the visual qualities already created. I think this outcome follows the strict principles of the movement Dada through the use of abstract forms which help correspond alongside the un ordered text.

Actions:

> Create a blog post explaining the good visual qualities created by my work alongside a comparison against artist research.

> Talk about my layout and composition within the exhibition, does this work? Include this within the reflective post.

[jamesodell2]

Book research “ Design Of Dissent”

This blog post will show me giving a detailed overview of the book ‘Design Is Dissent’ which contained politically and socially driven art which heavily links to the artists and practical work I am looking at and creating from. I think this book can give me a detailed inside into possible layouts and compositions I can use in my final exhibition which shows the correct relevant message which has relevance to my project concept behind recent and iconic event, specifically the Trump and Kim Jong Un debate.

Design And Dissent Book Cover Alongside Political Trump Posters

In this book it contained a lot of relevant sources which widens my knowledge behind the subject of political poster design and can feed into my practical experiments which explore the recent events which involve the leaders Trump and Kim Jong Un. The first couple of pages I highlighted showed a range of political posters which had the theme behind president Trump and explored different compositions and colour schemes; this showed examples of what different techniques and process can do to affect the poster and shows what visual qualities are made through these. These posters show the designer expressing his options behind how Trump is destroying the country and taking this through the wrong pathway, a clear example of this is shown in the top right poster because of the use of relevant text and imagery which are working together to show the appraise message.

What I like about this series of posters is the subtle text used which works well alongside the understandable imagery  which creates a clear message towards the audience; these posters are clean and well printed which suggests that the method used was screen printing, this is because I have tried this process and have discovered a similar finish within my practical experiments. My favourite set of posters is the two displayed at the bottom of the page, this is because of the use of text which is corresponded through the melting image of Trump; this is showing a inside into the politics happening in America during this time and how the time is running out to create change.

Design Is Dissent Page 236-237

On these pages it displays a series of simplistic posters which explore a minimal colour pallet and limited forms which come together to create a simplistic poster without the use of text. I think this series of posters heavily relates to a influential artist I have previously looked at called Anthony Burrill who uses simplistic shapes which work alongside his catchy phrases. I think this compares to Anthony Burrill because of the colours used which relates to his early series of posters called ‘Work hard and be nice to people’ which includes the simple shapes like shown in the above posters as well as the contrast between the silhouettes and background colours used in the posters above.

When looking at these posters the process I think was used is digital as well as screen print because of the bold blocks of colours which is printed on the page; this is a finish usually created by the process of screen print which many influential artists use such as Alan Kitchen and Andy Warhol. I also really like the t-shirt design because of its simple but affective and displays a clear line of enquiry into the products message which is key fro a design like this. What I would change about these prints would be the implementation of abstract forms which could relate to the artist research of Hannah Hoch and the movement Dada, this could stem a pathway into new experiments which can be combined into my final practical outcome.

Design Is Dissent Pages 230-231

This page is different to rest and this is because it contains a larger scale poster which uses negative space to its advantage to enhance the power of the posters message. I really like this designers personal style which is used throughout the series of posters; in these posters he adopts the style a silhouette which instantly lets the audience aware of the theme behind the poster which is backup alongside the colours used which pushes the poster meaning further.  The minimal text which work is included within the poster works well with the minimal design of the poster, this is something which can be explored through experiments in my sketchbook.

I think this page is relevant to my practical experiments because I can take the style of the bold shapes and repeat this on my collage experiments, this can be pushed further through patterns and colours which show relevance to my political event raising awareness to the audience. I think this could be displayed in a style of Hannah Hoch which flows into the pathway of abstraction to challenge the audiences perception of the message.

Actions:

> Research the artist Claus Rauchenburg and look at his style of poster/artwork

> Document the construction of my final piece, talking in detail about the processes used and what influenced these decisions

> Document my final piece being displayed in the exhibition showing trail and error process.

[jamesodell2]

Hannah Hoch Research

In this blog post I will be looking at the artist Hannah Hoch and discussing how she is relevant to my project development as well as the Dada movement and Russian constructivists. I will be displaying a brief overview behind the artist which shows their general background and information which influenced them to become the artist they are today. I will be visually analysing some of Hoch’s key pieces which will fed into my own personal response which explores the principles Hannah Hoch follows within her pieces. To finalise this blog post I will be reflecting upon my personal response which will involve me comparing my outcome against her own outcomes which will create a set of actions to follow up later on in the project.

Hannah Hoch and Mischling 1924 Rachel Withers

Her education was only picked up again six years later, when in 1912 she joined the School of Applied Arts in Berlin. Here she studied glass design, discovering an interest in the applied arts and design that would inform her later practice. The school was closed at the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, and she returned home to join the Red Cross.

Hannah Hoch was a rare female practicing in the arts during the 20th century and was a large activist within the Dada Movement that coalesced in her time. Hoch consciously promoted the idea of women working creativity but this was aimed within the current society during her time. What she explicitly expressed within her artwork was the form of photomontage which addressed the issue of gender and the figure of women in general society. Her transformation and manipulation of the visual elements which was taken from others was integrating into her own creative outcomes which collectively fell into a evidenced and well developed early example of appropriation as an artist technique.

Höch also helped expand the notion of what could be considered art by incorporating found elements of popular culture into higher art. She was one of many Dadaists to take advantage of such means, but she was both among the first, and one of the most self-consciously explicit in describing the goals and effects of doing so.

I have decided to look at Hannah Hoch because I think her own personal style and technique of photomontage would be exciting to explore within my sketchbook and this could evidently feed into the development of my final piece. I want to show an abstract approach within my outcomes which can challenge the viewers perception of my posters message which can still show relation to the contemporary political events happening during this period of time. I also think exploring this with a combination between Hoch and Max Ernst would be exciting because the visual elements created by both styles can contrast against each other and add new textures and abstract qualities within my development pieces.

Hannah Hoch ‘Alemaha Zupi’ 1930′s

The first Hannah Hoch piece I am looking at is called ‘Alemaha Zupi’ which was created during the 1930′s in Berlin. When First looking at this piece I instantly took to the deformed human face which is created through the style of photomontage. I think this works really well alongside the monochromatic colour scheme which brings the mood and tension towards the viewer when studying the piece. I also have really took to the use of a cut-out process which brings the photomontage texture and a rough quality which fits the aim Hannah Hoch is trying to achieve; this is showing her responding to the movement Dada by combination of other peoples work and making it her own which is labelled as ‘new artwork’. Another visual quality which really stands out is the use of a simple but subtle background which brings forward the original photomontage/collage; this gives the audience a set setting and helps them focus on the meaning of the collage being shown.

If I could change any aspect of this image I would add the use of colour because this could add different themes and meaning to the photomontage which could evidently adds to the audiences reaction when challenging the image. I would also explore this style through scale and size as this could bring out the small details within the face and make this more understandable towards the audience from a distance which is a key point within a poster.

Hannah Hoch ‘The Daily Muse’ 1989-1978′

The second image I am visually analysing is called ‘The Daily Muse’ and is a collage which includes the human form which is composed alongside the sharp scary spikes which could be found amongst the streets. I think this collage is really powerful because  of the composition and monochromatic colour scheme used; I think this composition shows the male being a more powerful figure which was the case within that period of time. The collage between the man and woman resembles the conflict happening between each gender which was the message Hannah Hoch is trying to show and display towards the audience.

In this personal response I want t show a similar style to Hannah Hoch’s photomontage which relates to my project concept behind the feud withPresident Trump and Kim Jong Un. I want to follow a set of principles which an allow me to clearly show relevance to the artist Hannah Hoch and these are shown bellow: monochromatic colour scheme, simple and subtle shapes, textured surface, distorted shapes alongside recognisable shapes.

My persoanl Response To Hannah Hoch

When created this piece I gathered a range of secondary sources which could represent my concept as well as the style of Hannah Hoch; I selected simple shapes which are easily reconisbale towards the audience so that they understand my message. To add this texture I scanned my composition into the mac and explored the filter layers within photoshop, this layer is used is called ‘Conte Crayon’ which added a grainy texture to my piece which I felt worked really well alongside the monochromatic colour scheme used. 

What I could improve on this development would be the use of colour and to see what reaction is caused from the audience, this would be a different style to Hannah Hoch but would show me exploring my ideas further through my own ideas and techniques. Another quality to explore would be the use of size and scale which can bring forwards the image when being layered onto previous work; this can relate to similar methods on the street art trip I discovered.

Actions:

> Began to construct my final collage outcome and document the process in a detailed blog post.

> Start to think bayou possible compositions and layouts I could adopt for the final exhibition, showing relation to the primary street art trip.

Sources:

Hannah Hoch http://www.theartstory.org/artist-hoch-hannah.htm Accessed on 14th June 2018

Hannah Hoch https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hannah-Hoch Accesses on 14th June 2018

[jamesodell2]

Screen Print Outcomes 'Moon Landing' 1969

In this post I will be discussing my practical development behind my man on the moon poster which relates to the iconic event of the man on the moon which took place in 1969. I will be showing some research behind the event as well as some original posters which have been created to represent this event; this is so I can draw inspiration from them and show a difference so that they stand out from the rest. Following on from this I will show a comparision against the posters I have looked at as well as a detailed overview of the session involving the method and a disscusion about what is a success within my poster but also what could be improved.

Time Magazine 07/25/1969 First Man On The Moon Daily Mirror Headline

The first iconic poster I am looking at is the ‘Man On The Moon’ Time magazine cover which was very popular during the 1960′s and produced this fantastic cover for the Apollo 11 which happened on the 20th July 1969. When I first looked at this cover for the Apollo 11 I instantly understood the concept being portrayed which is really important; this makes it successful because its easily recognisable towards the viewer which instantly get the theme of the cover/poster. What I really like about this cover is the use of colour which is carried out throughout the design which adds good qualities towards the small details involved within the astronauts  helmet and his camera. I think these details draw the audience into the poster more and gives them a greater sense of the setting and theme being shown; this can be used to sell the cover which is the case in this scenario. Another quality I really like is the use of simple but bold text which clearly states all the relevant information the audience needs; this is something I want to show in my prints to give the audience a clear view into the theme of my poster.

The second image shows a newspaper headline which was produced the next day after the Apollo 11; I looked at this source because I wanted to use a similar texture which is used within the newspaper in my poster series. I wanted to show this with my large scale text which is being print through the screen printing process; I think I could show this texture by adjusting the pressure on my flooding when finishing off my print. I also think I could create this texture by adding a screen filter onto my Photoshop file which will be transferred onto my screen, I did this for my previous set of prints and the outcome was surprisingly successful. After looking at these two inspirational sources I hope too create a simple but affective poster which clearly shows the theme of my poster which is the moon landing (Apollo 11).

First Original Screen Print

When I was completing my prints I needed to establish a colour scheme to work with which could be later adapted to form a range of printed developments showing the iconic event of the man landing on the moon. My first set of prints were monochromatic; this was because I wanted to try and capture the textures created in the newspaper article which contained a very grainy and eerie mood which I really warmed towards. I think this first initial print was successful because of the clarity of the poster which install informs the audience behind the vent of the man landing on the moon. But in this development I wanted to challenge the audiences understanding of the poster so fixed a question within my poster; what I wanted this to achieve was a reaction from the audience which made them look twice and question my poster. This was in relation to the artist Anthony Burrill who i have previously looked at, he uses short question in his pice which work affectively with the layout he composes.

Second Set Of Prints

In this series of prints I wanted to explore a new colour scheme which added relevance to my iconic event which would subsequently aid the viewer in understanding my poster. I also adjusted the pressure of my prints which lead to a patchy texture being left on the print; I really liked this affect because it can later be edited alongside a texture to bolster the affect of the poster. The reason behind my chosen colour scheme of blue, light blue and grey was because I felt it represented the colours of space well and fitted the younger audience which would be attracted to more luminous colours. I think this second series of posters are successful because of the combination of colours which adds a setting to my poster as well as emotions such as tension and caution. How I completed this colour mashup was by spreading the ink evenly onto the screen in sections which then would combine whilst being comprised through the screen; the outcome was really nice because the elements of the colours are still visual which adds to the setting being created.

Digital Development Working From Textured Prints

Following on from my prints I wanted to take this within Photoshop and layer my original prints with a texture which fits my poster as well as the iconic event; the texture I wanted to explore was space themed so that it showed relation to the image and text which is printed on my poster. I created these developments by choosing a secondary image which would then be placed on separate layer to the original print, following on from this I explored the layer filters which produced many exciting and elusive outcomes which fitted my poster theme really well. The image on the left shows the texture combining alongside the print which has works really well, this is because it gives the audience a sense of space whilst still being able to understand the poster message. Moving onto the second image which is very colorful, I feel as this overpowers the original print and makes the message unclear towards the audience.

Over the course of this development I feel there has been many aspects which have gone successful; one of the main areas I think I have showed is the use of texture and how this can be affected through a traditional and digital process. I also think the composition of my poster worked really well because of the relationship between the text and image and how this affects the audiences understanding of the posters message.

What I think I could improve upon would be the colours scheme I have used, I think with a wider range of colours used this could add more visual aesthetics to my work. Another thing I would improve upon would be the uses of different textures which could be combined together into on poster, this is something I would of completed if I had more production time.

Actions:

> Research Hannah Hoch and create my own response in relation to this research.

> Begin constructing my final outcome, thinking about compositions I can adopt for the final exhibition.

> Write a blog post about the book' Design Is Dissent'.

[jamesodell2]

Jamie Reid Research

In this post I will be showing an in depth overview of the artist Jamie Reid who is an English artist plus anarchist who’s work came close to defining the image of punk rock, particually in the UK. I will be showing a general background behind the artist which will be followed up with some visual analysis behind some of his most famous pices of artwork; this will then lead into a set of principles I will follow which will feed into a personal response to show me responding to his principles in his work.

Jamie Reid And His Iconic Sex Pistols Album Cover

Jamie Reid is an English artist who was born in 1947, his work contains letters cut from newspaper headlines which is in the style of ransom note. His work came close to defining the image of punk rock; some of his most famous pieces include the sex pistols album ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ and ‘God Save The Queen’ which involved a photo of Queen Elizibeth || with an added saftey pin through her nose and swastikas in her eyes. He was educated in John Ruskin Grammar School in Croyden, with Malcom Maclaren he took part in a sit-in Art School in Croyden. Jamie Reid created the ransom-note look used with the Sex Pistols graphics while he was designing ‘Suburban Press’, a radical political magazine he ran for five years.

Why I have decided to look at Jamie Reid is because I feel as his work can inspire me into creating different styles of collage which ranges from the styles Hannah Hoch and Max Erest adopt. After I respond to both of these techniques of collage I hope to compare the two outcomes which will enable me to pick out the similarties within the two; to push this further I will combine both techniques to see what outcome could be reached which could be showcased as my final outcome for the project ‘Under The Influence’.

Jamie Reid ‘God Save The Queen’

The first piece of work im going to be looking at is called ‘God Save The Queen’ and was created in 1977 and caused a major affect to the punk culture during the 1970′s especially in the UK. When I first looked at this collage I instantly was draw to the queens eyes which have been replaced with the easily reconsibale swaztika which was used to resemble the Nazi’s during ww2. I think this has added power to the poster as well as a sign of fear which is usally assoited alongside the symbol. Another symbol Reid has used in this compostion is a paper clip which is placed over the queens mouth, I think this resembles the queen being silenced by the views of the sybols involved within her eyes and this sends out tension towrads the audience when being viewed. The text used is hand-rendered which brings texture and a free flowing feel to the poster which adds to the affects of the symbols; i think this text shows a clear relatioship with the image involved within the composition and pushes the visual elements involved within the piece. What I really like in this piece is the pixalated image of the queen which adds a textured quality to the piece but also brings out the original image from the bland background.

Jamie Reid Collage Of All His Best Work Created By Philip Sturdevant.

The second peice created by Jamie Reid is a collage which shows his work which created a massive reaction within the punk culture during the 1970′s. What I really like about this collage is the involvement of his most successful pieces such as ‘God Save The Queen’. But I really like how Reid has surrounded these with famous iconic figures such as Merline Monroe and famous war posters which involved the audience to create a reaction when being looked at. I think the technique of collage and layering Reid has adopted for this shows a relation to each image and this is carryied out through each image which crosses over to blend into a combined whole. The colours used within this collage express the powerfull message which is being percived and creates tension and a reaction from the audeince. The main aspect I really like in this collage is the minimal negitive space used, this makes the collage busy and excited which translates towards the viewer when they are studying the image.

What I wanted to do which push my research further was to create a personal response which followed the principles I have created for Jamie Reid which would show a clear relation to some of his most famous pieces ranging from ‘God Save The Queen’ and the ‘Sex Pistols’ album cover. The principles I have created for Jamie Reid are as follows; simple but bold, involving textures, size and scale, iconic figures and use of negative space. I feel as if I follow many of these principles I can create a personal outcome which relates to the style of Jamie Reid but also the theme of my project. 

My Personal Response

What I was trying to represent in my personal development was the political feud between Trump (USA) and Kim Jong Un (North Korea) which is displayed in the style of the collage artist Jamie Reid. I think when looking at this image I feel as I've captured many of Reid’s visual qualities which I have stated in the principles I made before creating this piece; this is through the monochromatic colour pallet I have limited myself to which works nicely alongside the hand-rendered text which is fantastic element Jamie Reid uses within his works. I created my text by using a free flowing brush pen which abled me to create a flowing text which complemented the image its composed alongside. The main element I took from Jamie Reid’s work is the use of symbols within the iconic figures eyes; Jamie Reid uses the swastika in his piece and to show relation I chose to use the North Korean flag which was placed in the eyes of President Trump. I think this is very affective because it shows relation towards the feud between the US and North Korea which I was aiming for but also shows the President being wary of the power shown from North Korea.

Looking back upon this personal response I feel as I could have improved some elements with my piece which could have pushed this further within my own style which would have been influenced by the artist Jamie Reid. I think I could have pushed this further by the introduction of colour which would have added mood and emotion to my piece; this would have given the audience a more established theme and message which would of then made the poster more affective and successful. I also think the use of block text which could have been taken from a secondary source would have been interesting because it could have affected the message and hows its interpreted by the audience, the bigger and bolder the text the louder the message gets.

Peer Review:

‘The work shows a clear connection to the context through the contents of imagery that is included in the composition. I think the grainy textures are successful because they emphasise a newspaper quality; which is a leading way of media and somewhat modern propaganda. Something I think James needs to consider is the type within the design; I think it is a bit out of place. He could consider using existing type from newspapers or various types of media.’

Following on from this peer feedback this has enabled me to gain potential developments and actions into further experiments with the specialism of collage. In this statement from my peer Ollie Smith he has stated that I could develop my hand-rendered text through a digital process; I think this could add a cleanness to my outcome and make the message more clear and understandable. Overall I think this peer feedback has established that my poster recreates the style Jamie Reid possess within his work through the use of iconic symbols and monochromatic colour pallet which is clearly translated onto my practical response.

Actions:

> Create the blog post which shows me reflecting the moon landing poster

> Explore collage in my sketchbook working from my research behind Dada and Jamie Reid

> Begin Hannah Hoch research

Sources:

Jamie Reid http://irisphoto.co.uk/history-of/jamie-reid?tmpl=component&print=1 Accessed on 10th of June 2018

Jamie Reid http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/jamie-reid-12111 Accessed on the 10th of June 2018

[jamesodell2]

Screen Print Mash Ups

In this post I will be talking about my political mashup poster which was created within the print room; I will discussing my influences behind this development as well as what aims I set myself before embarking on this practical development. To finish off this development I will be producing a detailed review of my outcome alongside a comparison against the influential artist which stemmed this practical experiment.

Dface Mashup

The artist I was developing from was Dface and I decided to follow his style of work because I really like how the outcome excites the audience whilst still keeping them unnerved. I wanted to capture the forms he uses within his piece which are taken from all new and exciting sources and put together randomly to for this abstract masterpiece. To develop from Dface’s outcome I want to introduce the use of text which I think can push the viewers perception of the poster in a whole new direction which could be interesting to explore and play around with. I want to show a relationship between Dface’s visual outcome and text I have gathered from a local newspaper which relates to the recent conflicts happening around the world; this is because I want to relate this back towards my project concept of recent and iconic events.

Aims:

The aims I set myself in this development session was to create a range of screen print outcomes which show a clear relation towards the artist Dface but affect the viewers perception by the relationship with the text and image. I want to have a range of prints which explore different colour scheme but also colour relationships which can add dimensions to my poster through techniques such as layering and reliefs. I also want to gather secondary sources from the newspaper which outline a important event which has been relevant in the past; this could be the political battle between Trump and Kim Jong Un or even the Moon Landing which occurred in 1969. Then I aim to gather some peer feedback which critiques my work but also gives me some constructive feedback which can feed into my future developments leading up to my final outcome.

Finished Screen Ready For Printing

Method:

The method I was using in this practical experiment was screen printing, over the past couple of weeks I have gained a lot of confidence in this process and really like the clean and subtle outcomes which can be produced through this process. The first step I had to do was cover the outskirts of my screen with tape; this was so the ink didn't go through the parts of the screen which were not covered by the emoltion which could have result in disturbing my print outcome. After the tape was fitted around my screen I then needed to securely place my screen into the frame which would act as a base for my prints to be produced on; this is key because if the screen moves whilst your printing it can affect the composition of the piece but most importantly spoil the outcome.

Following on from these stages I was then all ready to start printing; my first decision in this workshop was selecting the colours I wanted to explore within my prints but I needed to consider what colours work well alongside each other when layered together. For my first set of prints I decided to work with a simple but effective black, this was because I felt it gave the text more tone when being composed alongside the image as well as s sense of power which is being shouted towards the audience.

Original Black Print Alongside Layered Green Print

What I decided to explore in my next set of prints was the technique of layering which adds a new texture and dimension to my prints; I wanted this to relate to the artist Alan Kicthing who I have previously looked at earlyier in my project. The colour I wanted to layer over the black was a camo green which I felt worked possitivly alongside the black when being overlayed; however when this print came out it caused some major thinking points when considering it if would work as a successful poster. The major element in this print was the clarity of the message and I thought the use of layering clouded the text which made it harder to undertand to the audience espeicially from a distance. However I still wanted to explore the technique of layering but with colours which compleemnt each other and push their visual factors.

Combination Of Colours Print

The next set of prints I created were slightly different to the previous and this was because I ditched the use of layering; I decided to gather a range of colours which worked well alongside each other such as red, yellow and orange and mash them together whilst completing my printing process which resulted in the outcome above. I feel as these have been the strongest set of prints I have created in this practical development time because they give my poster energy and excitment which is transfered to the audience when looked upon. I also really liked the textures which were left on my poster because of the combination between the colours, this shows a explostion within my poster which gives the message power and importance.

Mashup Printing Process

Compare and Conclude:

In this stage of the blog post I will be comparing my prints to the works of famous designers such as Alan Kitchin and Shepard Fairey who have helped stem inspitation during this practical development. I will be disscussing silimaties and differences between the visual language created and then state potential devlopments I can take to push these further.

The first designer im going to compare to is Alan Kitchin who creates typographic posters which work alongside very bold and elusive colours. In the final set of prints I created I can see a clear resembalace towards the colour scheme used which brings power towards the message trying to be portaryed; Alan Kitchen only uses typography but how these two styles are composed it makes the poster work really well alongside the large amount negitive space which draws the attention straight to the typography. This is somthing I have adopted in my prints and feel it has a clear resembalace towards the artist through the compostion and layout it my posters takes.

Alan Kichen And Shepard Fairey Comparison 

The second designer I am comparing to is Shepard Fairey who I have only just researched but draw so much inspiration from by looking at his famous poster series ‘Hope’. I think my posters show a clear resemablace to Fairey because of the scale I have adopted throughout my prints which work well with the content on the poster; the scale I chose was because I ddint want to overpower the content within the poster and felt the larger the poster got the message would have adopted into something else. I think there are a lot of differences within both pieces of work which range from the use of negitive space which Fairey coveres with his design, this works in a positive way but I felt if I did this it would overcrowed my design and make it unclear towards the audience.

Actions:

> Begin to make my design for my second screen which relates to the moon landing (1969)

> Complete the compare and conclude sheet in my note book

> Research Hannah Hoch and Jaimie Reid to stem devlopment within Dada collage

[jamesodell2]

Dada Movement (Philosophy) of Political Punk Case Study

In this blog post I will be explaining the Dada movement and discussing its relevance towards my project; I will show a detailed background behind the movement which will include influential artists which will inspire me for future practical experiments. I want to explain the cultural changes involved within this movement such as the punk era and political scene which can stem towards my collage experiments. I will be looking at the artwork which was created during this time and visually analysing these to puck out characteristics I could explore. within my own outcomes. I think this research will broaden out my project and give me a wider range of outcomes which explore my project concept behind recent and iconic events.

What was the Dada Movement?

Dada was an artistic and literary movement which started in Zurich, Switzerland and this was a reaction to the First World War but also the nationalism which many people thought lead the war. This movement was inspired by other big movements such as Cubism, Futurism and Constructivism and its output was widely diverse which ranged from poetry, photography, sculpture and most importantly collage. The aesthetics Dada movement involved inspired many young artists in loads of different cities such as Berlin, New York, Paris and Hanover.

The Dada movement was the first conceptual art movement where the focus on the artists was not on their crafting aesthetics but their works which upended sensibilities and generated difficult questions about society, the role of the artist and the purpose of their art work. Many Dada artist are known for their use of ready made objects which are brought and presented as art with only little manipulations by the artist. This technique of using ready made sources forced questions behind the artist creativity but also the very creation behind art and its purpose towards society. The aims of Dada was to help stop the war and vent frustration towards the nationalist and bourgeois conventions that lead it. Their anti-authorisation stance made for a protean movements which was because they opposed any form of group leadership and ideology.

Parties At Cabaret Voltaire

The Spread Of Dada:

The artists in Zurich published a dad magazine to display their ideas and thoughts and also held art exhibits that helps spread their anti-war and anti-art cry. In 1917 Tzara founded Galerie Dada where further dada evenings were held alongside their art exhibitions. Tzara became the leader of the movement and began an unrelenting campaign to spread Dada ideas, showering French and Italian writers and artists with letters.

Once the war ended in 1918 this lead to many of the artist returning to their home countries which spread the movement further and made it more recognisable. In 1919 Dada in Zurich followed the Dada 4-5 event in April 1919 that by design turned into a riot, something that Tzara thought furthered the aims of Dada by undermining conventional art practices through audience involvement in art production.  Dada has succeeded in establishing the circuit of absolute unconsciousness in the audience which forgot the frontiers of education of prejudices, experienced the commotion of the New. This riot which occurred was Tzara’s idea of getting audiences involvement which were not just onlookers of art, but ended up getting involved within its own production.

Max Ernst Dada ‘The Chinese Nightingale’ 1920

Im now going to look at and visual analyse pieces of work which was created by artists who were involved in the Dada Movement. The first artist I am looking at is Max Ernst who was a German artist who explored collage, paintings and prints. Although military service interrupted his studies, his academic background in literature, philosophy, and psychology was well beyond most artists of his day. Ernst invented the technique of frottage, making drawings by placing paper over such materials as floorboards, wickerwork, dried bread, string, cherry stems, seashells, leaves, and bark, and rubbing soft graphite over the paper.

The piece I chose to visual analyse was called ‘The Chinese Nightmare’ which was created using a collage technique which involves the human form working alongside ancient artefacts. The first visual quality which really stood out to me was the use of layering; Ernst uses this in a very affective way by combining the elements in the image which creates new shapes but also new art which was the main aim for the Dada movement. However this technique also enables another visual quality to rise to the surface which is texture; I think this piece contains many different textures which give the collage a setting of a grass field which is used a background for the mashup. These textures also add to the abstract theme which the Dada movement stick to throughout their pieces; this allows them to create new art which is taken from everyday objects which aren't classed as pieces of art which is another aim of theirs. Also the colour scheme they limit their selfs to creates tension in the collage; the monochromatic style keeps the age within the sources used but also adds to the abstract theme behind the piece which is something I want to explore.

Feminist Artist Hannah Hoch

The second artist I am going to be looking at is Hannah Hoch who was a German artist involved within the Dada movement. She was best know for her work during the weimar period, when she was one of the originators of photomontage. She created these pieces by using newspaper clippings and found objects and her work was usually engaged with the 20th century ‘ideal’ of the ‘New Woman’; and this was someone who challenged the role of a female. Hannah Hoch mostly worked within photomontage and this was a system the artist believed resulted in the failure of the Weimar Republic and the increasing militarisation in post world-war in Germany.

The piece I am looking at is called ‘Cut with the Kitchen Knife through the Beer-Belly of the Weimar Republic’ and this was created in 1919 by a collage of used pasted newspapers. I instantly engaged towards the busy and distorted theme she carries out throughout this collage which involves a pathway through the events which were carried out during the reign of the Weimar Republic. Another visual quality which is used in this piece is the technique of layering which brings exciting textures to the collage; this heavily links to the works of Max Ernst who uses many similar techniques to fit the style within Dada. I also really like the incorporation of colour in this piece which develops upon the work of Max Ernst who works in monochrome; I think the use of colour gives the collage more of an established theme which connects more to the message being perceived in relation to the Dada movement. I really like the use of text in her collage swell which gives the audience hints the the theme and meaning which Hannah Hoch is trying to establish. The text is taken from the primary sources she is working from which makes it relevant to the imagery surrounding it.

My response to this initial research behind the Dada movement involved me experimenting with different abstract compositions; the theme of my compositions were heavily linked to my project concept behind recent and iconic events but specifically the political scene I am focusing on involving president Trump. I wanted to show a range of approaches linking to the artist I have talked about above such as Hannah Hoch and Max Ernst; these two artists show the same meaning but through different techniques which I think would be exciting to explore within my own sketchbook.

First Development Inspired By Max Ernst

In this development piece I feel as I have represented the style of Max Erst well through the shapes I have used and abstract forms I have formed through the combination of these shapes. I think my collage shows resemblance to power and strength which is shown through the spartan helmet but corresponds to the  stature Trump is in at the moment. I wanted to use a texture as background for my composition as this was because Max Ernst uses this style within most of his pieces; this brings forward the abstract composition and creates a more engaging piece towards the audience. Why I chose to use the eye was because I wanted to resemble the leader looking towards the future and seeing a potential pathway to greatness which can influence the target audience in a drastic way.

How I think I could improve this development would be by adding a monochromatic colour pallet to my piece; this is because Max Ernst limits his colours which adds age and tone to his pieces. Also creating my outcomes in a larger scale which will add more impact and influence towards the viewer. I think the larger scale would show me pushing Max Ernst’s work further through my own style and interpretation; this can later be pushed further through a digital or traditional process such as print or photomontage which connects to the artist Hannah Hoch.

Hannah Hoch Dada Mashup

I think my development also has a heavy relation to the artist I have also talked about who is Hannah Hoch; Hannah takes a very abstract approach which is very similar to Max Ernst but uses colour to warm her pieces and attract the audience to a spiel setting through the subtle but affective colours. I think my pie shows a similar layout to Hannah Hoch because of how my work is very centred and has a simple backdrop which brings out the original image.

Overall I feel as these developments were a success because of the simple approach I made which made me produce quick but affective outcomes which are relevant to this specific research. What I wish to do next is begin to explore collage thorough larger scales but to start this I will need to look at artists such as Hannah Hoch and Jaimie Reid in much more detail to produce a set of principles to follow for my practical experiments. I want to show a range of colour schemes which can affect my practical outcomes in a good way.

Actions:

> Research Hannah Hoch and Jaimie Reid in detail showing a set of principles to follow to stem towards developments

> Begin to explore size and scale 

> Find the book ‘Design Of Dissent’ and find relevant sources to work from to push my research further and broader

Sources:

Dada Movement http://www.theartstory.org/movement-dada.htm Accessed on the 2 June 2018

Hannah Hoch http://www.theartstory.org/artist-hoch-hannah.htm Accessed on the 2nd of June 2018

Max Ernst http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/max-ernst-1065 Accessed on 2nd of June 2018

[jamesodell2]

Creating My Screen

I this post I will be giving a detailed overview of the process behind creating a screen which will be a key tool for many of my practical developments. I will be talking about how this is created by stating a step by step method and this will be followed up with a detailed overview of how a screen is used and cleaned; this is important because if it isn't done properly it will affect the future prints.

First Completed Screen

Why I have chosen to explore the technique of screen printing is because its a clean traditional process which heavily connects to many influential artists I have looked at in this project such as Alan Kitching and Anthony Burrill. I think this process will widen my practical experiments which can work alongside my digital outcomes which will be pushed further from my original prints by adding new textures and relevant text to introduce a relationship between the text and image. I also want to grasp this process with confidence because I feel I will be using this throughout my graphic design career but especial on my journey throughout uni.

The first step into creating a screen is having a completed Photoshop file which will exposed onto the screen; this will have to be monochromatic and the areas which you will want to be printed will be black followed up with the negative space which is white. This is very important because if its exposed through colour the screen won't pick up the image and the screen will become entirely blocked which will cause your print not to come through. After this Photoshop file is completed you need to have a printed copy ready to take to the print room, however I came to a problem because my printed copy wasn't black enough; this was solved by using the photocopier at a high density and creating another copy which could be picked up better when being exposed under the UV light.

Blacked Out Photoshop File

The next step involved making sure our screen was completely clean. In this step we had to remove the emoltion from the screen which entitled us to use the emoltion remover along with a scrubber. We should aim to scrub for around 5 minutes each side and this was so the emoltion would start to break down ready for the next stage of the cleaning process. After this emoltion was combined along with the remover it was next getting rinsed with water which would be followed up with the jet washer. When using the jet washer you needed to apply this closely to the screen so the it removes all the excess emoltion which is left on the screen. If this isn't done properly it will leave patches of emoltion which will block your screen affecting your print outcome.

Jet Washing Process

 Following on from the jet washing process we then needed to let the screen dry out which takes up to 30 minutes. To make this process speed up I placed my screen under the fan which reduced the time by 15 minutes which enabled me to move onto producing my screen for my designed prints.

The first step when producing the screen was adding a layer of emoltion; this will have to be added by using the emoltion tray which adds a even layer to the screen which is a key point in this part of the process. The even layer of emotion keeps the screen blocked evenly which is key because its all exposed under the UV light for the same period of time and if the emoltion is thicker it will stay blocked on the screen. Once the emotion is added you need to let this dry and harden for around 15 minutes under the fan; After this is created it will be ready to expose my deign onto the screen. A major point you need to complete after this is washing up the equipment you have used; saving as much resources as possible such as the emoltion which is expensive and the emoltion remover which can be used by other peers completing this screen production process.

Adding The Even Layer Of Emoltion

The next step in this process involved exposing the design onto the screen; this was done by using a powerful UV light which is shown onto a vacuumed frame which contains the emoltion covered screens. Before applying all this we needed to place our design under the screen, therefor needed to think about the composition of your design because this will affect the style of print being produced. After this was composed you then placed the screen every alongside each other before moving onto vacuuming them into place. This is then followed up with the UV light which cerements your design into the screen; blocking out all the negative space which enables the ink only to flow through the unblocked parts of the screen.

UV Light And Vacuum Rack

After the designs have been exposed to the UV light for more than 10 minutes your screen design should have made its impression onto the screen; when you remove the screen you may not see your design until its rinsed under the tap. However on the screen it may still have a ghost of the previous design but this isn't a worrying matter because the screen is still blocked in the specific areas. After this is washed and rinsed with clean water you will have to leave the screen to dry for around 30 minutes before using as if the screen is wet to will affect the inks when being presses through whvih will result in a bad print.

Overall I feel as I have gained a skill within the print room which I can now take and use whenever I need without assistance; this will be less time consuming and allow me to independently explore my outcomes in print. I will be using this process many times throughout my practical experiments and hopefully throughout my uni journey and graphic design career.

[jamesodell2]

Practical Development ‘Political Mashup’

In this blog post I will be showing my practical devlopemnt which has been lead from my research behind Dface and Shepard Fairey; I will be showing my method behind how my outcome was produced which will be followed up with a detailed review what will discuss the good and bad points behind my outcome. I will finish this post by gathering some peer feedback which will give me ideas for potentail actions to follow up from after this post but also to give me a sense of greater understanding behind my own outcome.

Dface Mashup Statue Of Liberty

Aims:

What my aims were in this practical development was to show a clear response to the artist’s Dface and Shepard Fairey by following the rules I set myself in the prevouis post which compared the two artists work. I wanted to show a clear relatioship between the text and images I was using for my political mashup poster which worked well alongside the bold and elusive colours I wanted to explore within the printroom. Another aim I wanted to achieve was a greater undertsanding behind the screen printing process which can aid me in future developments; this also lead to ideas for further development behind this outcome and this would be achieved through different printing processes such as relief printing or xerography. The final aim was to gather peer feedback which critiqued my outcome; this is so I can reflect upon my outcome in much more detail but also discuss the aspects which are highlited for improvement.

 Secondary Sources For Mash Up

Method:

To begin this development I needed to gather the secondary images I was going to be working with which would create my mashup; this mashup was only involving the head and shoulders because I wanted to make it easily reconisable from a distance and to also add focus on the details involved within the facial area. After looking at some iconic political leaders and childhood characters I found the group I wanted to work with, this included Trump, Kim Jong Un, Batman and Mickey Mouse. I went with these leaders because I have shown an intrest in this political event throughout my project and now want to start showing my ideas through my practical development; these leaders are also great enemies which I thought would work well together in my mashup causing the audience to question the meaning behind it. My decision behind Batman and Mickey mouse was simple, this was because I wanted to add a sense of humour to the piece but also to resemble the leaders acting like children which the audience will see by the shapes I will be using in my composition.

Next I started to think about what shapes I was going to use from each individual picture but whilst doing this I needed to think about how clear this mashup was going to be towards the audience and also what text I was going to incorpriate alongside the mashup. The first shape I wanted to use was Mickey Mouse’s ears and this was because its easilly reconisbale plus its easy to work with because its a nice solid shape. I wanted to use batmans shoulders because of its strong stature it posseses which I think will bring power towards my mashup poster. From Trump I chose to use his hands and mouth, this was because his hands were in a good position and showed a clear good gesture which can work towards the effitivness of my mashup. The last image was Kim, I selected his glasses which created a very childlike look to my mashup which I really warmed to because it widened my range of audience. After I discovered all the shapes I was going to be using I needed to cut these out so that it left me with four different stencils. This was so I could explore the mashup in my sketchbook before making it digitally on a EPS file for my print screen.

Sketchbook Exploration And Digital File For Screen

Once this design was finished on Photoshop I was ready to take this into the print room so that I could create my screen. This was a new process for me to explore which I was excited about; I will explain the process in more depth and detail in an individual post so that I can reflect on the process in more detail.

When this screen was made I was ready to start printing, but first I needed to establish the colour scheme I wanted to use in my prints, however I wanted to show a range between elusive and dull colours so that I could compare the two. I wanted this to compare to the artists Fairey and Dface but also Alan Kitching who uses colour in a vibrant way in his posters; I have looked at this artist at the start of my project and his outcomes excited me which stemmed towards some of my practical experiments. The first colour I wanted to work with was black, this was because its simple colour  but it can also work nicely alongside other colours such as red, green and yellow. I wanted to explore layering in my prints to give a sense of tonal shadow which would hopefully bring my poster off the page and add new dimensions. When completing these prints I wanted to create a wide range of outcomes and this was because I wanted to show different layouts and colours as well as me exploring a new technique which was by using my own hand made screen.

Review:

When my prints were all dry I decided to lay them all out in front of me so that I could compare the colour schemes used within each print but also dissect the visual qualities each poster possesses. The first visual quality which stood out for me was the use of bold colour which gave my poster power and importance; this attracted the viewer straight away and made it understandable from a distance which gave it a successful trait. I think when looking back upon my prints I could of explored size and scale a lot more which would of brought a good visual quality to my posters; this could of been taken from the artist Dface who loves working large scale onto rough surfaces which adds textures to his pieces. When looking at the process I used I feel as this was the right choice for my development however I think the use of another printing processes such as a relief print would of added new textures to my prints which would of added a new quality to my work.

How I think I could improve this development would be by the use of larger scale but also using textured layers which could show relation to certain types of collage. This is something I want to explore later in my project and it would be exciting to combine the two to show relevance to my previous outcomes. Another quality which would have pushed my work further was affecting the flooding process which adds a patchy affect to the print; this would be then taken into the digital workshop to be edited alongside layers which have relevance to my poster.

Overall I feel as this development was a success and shows a clear relevance to the artist Shepard Fairey and Dface; this is through the use of colour and layout which works alongside the text and image which has composed to form a relationship within the poster.

Actions:

> Create a blog post which discusses the process of making a screen.

> Begin research behind collage, Dada movement and Jamie Reid, show relevance to the book ‘Design Of Dissent”

> Explore textures in my sketchbook which is made from my loose prints from this development

[jamesodell2]

Comparing Shepard Fairey And Dface, What Can I Make?

In this post I will be comparing and contrasting the artists Shepard Fairey and Dface to discuss the similarities and differences in their work which will hopefully show me gaining an understanding behind their work. In this exercise I hope to create a set of principles which relate to both artists to which I can create something later on in my project. The template I am following for this comparison was taken from the Saul Bass workshop which enabled me to create in depth research behind my chosen artist.

Dface Mural In Brooklyn And Shepard Fairey Inauguration 

When looking at these images I wanted to identify their own characteristics as well as highlighting similarities which been used in each piece. The first image I am looking at was created by the artist Dface in Mural Brooklyn; instantly what stands out to me is the use of size and scale in this piece. This makes the piece more appealing towards the audience who are affected by the placement of the work; the work is composed in a rural area which helps the piece come off the wall and this is because of the old brick work of the building. I think the use of colour and pop art style in the piece helps the image contain power and detail which makes it easily recognisable from a distance because of the colour and scale working together as one. Looking at the layout of this piece it seemed to very structured and ordered which related to the pop art artist Andy Warhol. His creations were ordered and structured through pattern, however Dface has scrapped the pattern affect but only decided to work with the colour schemes and structures behind this style.

The second image I am looking at is Shepard Fairey’s inauguration poster which was created in 2008 for a political protest. This poster contains many similarities to the work of Dface but specifically his piece in Mural Brooklyn; the first similarity I want to discuss is the use of detail which brings the poster life and realism. In both of these pieces the artist incorporate a lot of detail, but this is used through different styles. Shepard Fairey produces a very clean and 2D outcome unlike Dface who explores the dimensions by adding perspective to give his pieces the sense of 3D and 2D working alongside each other. Shepard Fairey doesn't work with scale like Dface does but the composition behind his posters work well alongside the text and image. The relationship between text and image is a key element within my project and Shepard Fairey uses this well to portray the right apparatus message for his poster series. Another similar trait which is used in both of these pieces is the use of stricked colour; this helps show context within the poster but also attrition towards the audience.

What I aim to do from this comparison is begin to think about possible practical experiments I could explore which have relation towards the relevant artist I have looked at in this blog post. I want to suggest different processes and techniques I could use to complete these developments but also suggest how I could push these further by the influence from more research.

Leading on from this comparrison I wanted to create a simple poster which captures the styles of Dface and Shepard Fairey; I wanted to do this by exploring atraditional process which was screen print. I decided to use this process because I really liked the smooth and clean finsh you get once the print is finshed but also the way can mix colours to give your outcome a bold and elusive visual quality.

Compare and Conclude:

Looking at these two artists I now aim to create a set of rules which will allow me to create a devlopment piece which contains a similar style to their outcomes. Looking at both artist’s work they both have a ordered structure to it which is somthing im going to stick to in this devlopment, as well as the use of bold and vibrant colours which attract attention towards the audience. So the principles I have made for these two artist’s are shown bellow:

> Structured format

> Use of simple and minimal text

> Bold colours

> Size and scale

> Clear relationship between type and image.

Actions:

> Working from this research I want to create a screen print displaying a political mashup in relation to Dface plus Shepard Fairey.

> Plan out possible mashups in sketchbook to use for the screen print.

> Begin to create my screen within Photoshop so its ready for the next session.

[jamesodell2]

Shepard Fairey Art Analysis

In this post I will be discussing the artist Shepard Fiery and her work which I think can heavily relate towards my project development. I will be showing some general background behind the artist as well as some visual analyse of her best pieces of work. Once I have established her principles behind his outcomes I will begin to respond to this research by creating a practical outcome. This outcome will show me gaining a understanding behind his ideas and concepts which can later be pushed into my project concept; this post will be finished off with a detailed review critiquing my research and outcome talking about improvements and actions. 

Shepard Fairey And Obey Poster

Shepard Fairey is an American Graphic artist and social activist, he is part of the street movement with the likes of artists such as Banksy. Fairey blurs the boundaries between traditional and digital art through the relationship between type and image. He makes his pieces by communicating his brand of social critique by prints, murals, stickers and posters which are placed in public places. “Art is not always meant to be decorative or soothing, in fact, it can create uncomfortable conversations and stimulate uncomfortable emotions,”. This quote was said by Fairey and this explains the concept behind his pieces and what he thinks about when creating his outcomes; I specifically liked the aspect of art isn't always decorative which shows a new approach to his style.  

He was born in february  during the early 1970′s and attended the Rhode Island school of design where he created his iconic seminal obey series during the early 1990′s. Fairey is best know for his Obama Hope campaign series (2008) and portrays in red, white and blue; shown the then-presidential campaign. Fairey currently lives and works in Los Angeles, CA and his works are included in the collections of the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Shepard Fairey Hope Poster 2008

The first piece of Shepard Fairey’s work I'm going to visually analyse is his Hope campaign for the then-president Obama. When first looking at the series of posters I instaly really liked the colour scheme used; this shows a clear relation to the American flag which resembles the country Obama is leading. I think the choice of colour in these posters is really powerful and leading because of the way its evenly proportioned throughout the poster but also its contribution of making the poster clear and understanding towards the audience which is a key element towards a successful poster. I also really like the detailed illustration used which shows the message clearly in his facial expression, however this is backed up by the big and bold text which stands as an important element within the poster. The final thing I want to discuss in this poster is the contrast between the two colours; each colour has a significant meaning which adds to the message being portrayed towards the audience. The colour red adds importance to the poster and gives it impact, this is because its a strong colour which is evenly balanced out along with the blue. The blue gives the poster a sense of calmness which adds affect to the work used in the poster ‘Hope’; this is giving he audience space as well as hope which is the key point of the poster.

Shepard Fairey Inauguration Posters 2017

This Shepard Fairey poster which was designed for the Inauguration protest still contains his prime principles which were used for his Obama Hope poster series. In this poster he has stuck with his colour scheme of red, white and blue which all come together to show importance and relevance towards the poster meaning. This poster is very focused towards the illustration used in the centre of the poster; this draws the audience in and gives them a insight into what the posters theme is as well as meaning. This is also backed up by the relevant text used along side the image. The composition of this poster is very precise and accurate which shows Fairey thinking about the professional quality which will be left on the final poster. Another massive quality behind the poster is the use of positive and negative space which heavily links to the amazing artist Saul Bass; this poster could be compared against Bass's 'Anatomy of a Murder' poster and many similarities would be found starting from the layout to the colour scheme used. The principles Shepard uses to create his work are very restricted which enables him to create these exciting and meaningful posters.

Following on from this analysis on Fairey's posters I wanted to create a personal response which connects to my project concept of recent and iconic events. I want to do this so I can show myself gaining an understanding behind how he creates his work but also the factors taken into consideration when these posters are being composed. The event I will be mainly fusing on is the political feud between Trump and Kim Jong Un which is taking place at this very minute.

The Images I Am Working From Towards My Development

My first step in my response was to gather all the secondary imagery I was going to be using for my poster and display this in front of me. I did this so that I could plan out compositions in my sketchbook; I wanted to show a relation to some of the artists we found on the street art tour so gathered the primary images I gained on that trip. I wanted to use a different layout technique to Fairy to just see if the poster could maintain its affectivity.

My next step was creating an illustration which would be the focal point within my poster design and decided to go with the political leader Trump. I wanted this leader because I felt he suited the colour scheme of Fairy's work better and had more power towards the message I'm trying to show the audience. Once this was decided I got a light box so that I could create a detailed tracing of Trump to use in my poster. Next the sketch was scanned in and I chose to adjust the levels within Photoshop; this was so that I could make the image more bold and appealing within my poster design. Then I took the image into illustrator, this was so I could complete a image trace around my image and delete the white background to make it a complete image.

Once this was done I was ready to start thinking about the composition I was going to adopt for my Fairey inspired poster. I wanted to use a simple layout similar to Fairey which was straight forward. However what I decided to do was not to include type, this was so the main focus fell onto the illustration and the text on the other poster which was going to be included. I then combined my development from the Syria conflict alongside this development in a similar style to the graffiti artist Manyolie. He tears his work and overlays this alongside other pieces of work and this is something I want to show and explore.

Development From Shepard Fairey And Exploration Behind Layout

Looking back on these developments I feel as I've represented Shepard Fairey’s principles well by sticking to his stricted colour scheme and minimal illustrations. This brings a subtleness to the poster which I have really warmed to; alongside the use of negative space which I gathered from my research behind the artist Saul Bass. I think this draws the audience straight to the illustration which contains the meaning for the poster, if this didn't work the poster would appeal meaningless towards the audience. Looking at my second development which adopted a new composition I felt this worked well relating the research it came from. When exploring the street art I said about the layouts which interested me; this was because it gave me many different ideas for layouts for my final exhibition which can be tested through my practical developments.

Size And Scale Shown By Ben Eine Shoreditch

How I think I could improve these pieces would be by improving the size and scale in which I'm working on. I feel as this would make my poster more powerful and impactful because of the wider range of audience being caught by the poster through the use of scale. Another element I want to try to involve is the use of typography which would be inspired from Shepard Fairey; this would make my poster more clear and understanding towards the viewer. Finally the last improvement which could add visual quality to my developments would be the inclusion of texture, This could be done by the use of paint or old paper but would add excitement and from to my pieces.

Actions:

> Look at Ace and then compare the artist Ace, Shepard Fairey and Dface to discuss similarities and differences then respond to this.

> Create blog post behind my political comic.

> Begin to look at the Dada Movement so I can start to introduce the use of collage within my practical developments.

Sources:

Shepard Fairey http://www.artnet.com/artists/shepard-fairey/ Accessed on 29th May 2018

Shepard Fairey https://www.artsy.net/artist/shepard-fairey?page=1&sort=-partner_updated_at Accessed on 29th of May 2018

[jamesodell2]

Mid-Project Review

In this blog post I will be reviewing my progress so far throughout this project; I will be discussing all the elements involved within the project such as the context, research, planning, practical and evaluations. I will be reflecting on this by talking about what research I have done behind my concept and how this has stemmed towards my practical developments; Also discussing what I can look at too push my project elements further such as artists, movements, techniques and processes.

Springboard Showing Project Themes And Ideas

Research and Context:

As I am only at the mid point of my project this helps me establish what to do in the time remaining for this project but also helps us repair our project if we haven't used our current time wisely. To push our project into a specific direction we needed to establish a theme to follow which would be focused on throughout the duration of the project. The theme I decided to follow in my FMP was showing the relationship between type and image but displaying this through poster design which connects to recent and iconic events happening around the world. Throughout my time in this course I have been increasingly influenced by the effect of typography and visual imagery affecting a poster and what to show this throughout my FMP stages. When I established my theme I needed to gather research behind what events I was going to focus on; the events I went for were the moon landing (1969), Trump and Kim Jong Un political conflict and the current conflict in Syria.

Project Themes Behind Recent And Iconic Events

Once I gained background knowledge behind these events I needed to focus on the specialism poster design but also the technique of collage. How I was going to gain a greater understanding behind these topics were by finding relevant but influential artists which were going to affect my practical development in a positive way. The artists I found inspiring were Roa who I gained knowledge about on the street art trip, Dface who creates mash ups of famous people and David Carson who has always been able to inspire me through his use of abstract text and compositions. When looking at these artists I wanted to show my own reaction which would create a pathway into my practical development; one of my examples of this would be my spray paint mash up which included the current political leaders as well as famous cartoon characters which added humor to my piece. Using this technique in my research helps me take ideas from my own response and develop upon the initial research which helps me create ne and exciting pieces which have connection to the influential artist I have chosen to look at.

Dface Response And Artwork 

How I feel I could improve and broaden my research would be by looking at artists such as Jamie Reid, Hannah Hoch and the Dada Movement. I think by researching these people/movements would help me broaden my practical activity as well as showing me the abstract side of collage within poster design. This would enable me to show a new approach in my project and connect to the new artist I have mentioned in this post, I also want to show my own responses to these to show me gaining a greater understanding behind their concept behind the work but also the technique used. Why I want to look into the Dada movement is because it would broaden my project concept; this is because it contains elements such as political punk which could really affect my posters/collages in a positive way.

Development:

When I was looking back upon my progress in my practical development I pleasantly surprised within the outcomes I have created; these some me exploring different techniques but also combining processes I'm comfortable in with unfamiliar processes which greater my skill set. The development which pushed my project in a positive direction was influenced by the Saul Bass workshop but specifically the template we followed when completing the workshop. This template enabled us to look at an artists work and begin to analyse the visual qualities it possesses; this enabled us to gather a greater understanding behind how the work was created, gaining an understanding behind how it was made but also the meaning behind the piece. The final stage of the template pushed us into responding to our line of enquiry, which allowed us to explore the principles the artist followed when creating their work but also incorporating this with our own specific style.

Saul Bass Research Plus Development

Throughout my development during my FMP I wanted to show a range of processes and techniques which show me expressing my context through new methods of graphic design. My project context was very broad which opened many ideas into pathways for development; I want to show poster design through traditional and digital processes which can also be combined to create a new style of poster. Looking back upon my developments I have currently covered poster design through different traditional processes such as screen print and spray paint; these techniques were inspired by Shepard Fiery and Saul Bass who have created many successful powers between them. The screen print outcomes were really successful, this was because of the bold and clean outcome which was produced at the end of the process. When looking at  these outcomes I wanted to compare them against my Dface outcome; these practical outcomes involved different characteristics which me think about combining the two. The spray paint outcomes contained rough textures which I wanted to take and use as a layer on my screen prints, how I did this was by adjusting each outcome on Photoshop.

My development so far has been good because I have been exploring techniques in both traditional and digital but also beginning starting to think about combining the two. However, I think I could push this development further by looking into the topic of collage and more specifically tactility ( size and scale). I think this will enable me to broaden my outcomes through scale, this is because my practical developments have limited inscale which has held the effect of the poster to a minimum. To gather a greater understanding behind the topic of collage and tactility I will look at artists such as Jamie Reid, Hannah Hoch and the Dada movement.

Jamie Reid, Hannah Hoch And The Dada Movement

Evaluations:

Throughout most of my projects this year I feel as my evaluations have always been a strong element and show me explaining clearly my ides and intentions. This is key because it shows me talking about the visuals I have created and where I have gained this from, such as research influences as well as my own style. What I try to talk about in my evaluations are the successful qualities in my outcomes but also try to reflect on some improvements which could be added to push this practical outcome further. Another technique I have added in my evaluations for this project is peer comparison, this enables me to discuss similarities and differences between each others work but also gaining constructive commparison  which helps me generate relevant actions to push my project further.

Goals And Grades:

To achieve the grade I want at the end of this project I will need to produce detailed and relevant research which suits my project context. This can be done by following the line of enquiry handout on moodle which enables you to create a in detailed response and reflection behind your chosen artists. Following on from this research I will need to respond to this; I will need to make something in response to the artist to show me understanding and doing something in relation to my project concept/theme. What I aim to make for my final outcome is a poster/collage showing relation towards my project concept behind the recent events in politics but also relating to artist and movements such as Jamie Reid and Dada. I also want to display this in a abstract way and wish to do this by exploring new compositions which have been displayed in different ways. I will need to do some research behind some exhibitions and how people show off their work, this will give me a inset into the ways I could display my outcome.

My Own Reflection Alongside Tutor Assessment 

When I was assessing myself I rated my elements much lower because I felt that I didn't explain my research in depth and show clear relevance towards my project concept of recent and iconic events. However I pleasantly surprised with my feedback which was a much better improvement to my own self assessment; I think I may have marked myself harshly but this was so that I could improve upon my work to improve my overall grade. When getter my feedback this gave me confidence in my own work but also stemmed new ideas and concepts I could look into to push my project and grade even further.

Actions:

> Research the artist I have talked about on this blog post ( Jamie Reid, Hannah Hoch and Dada Movement ).

> Respond to the research, begin making things from these which are relevant to my concept.

> Begin to explore size and scale.