#CriticalPractice

[evo-a-lab]

My new Substack blog

I'm excited to announce the launch of my new Substack blog, where I'll be sharing reflections, research, and explorations on architecture, landscape architecture, and other areas that continue to inspire and challenge my thinking.

To begin, I’ll be republishing a selection of past newspaper articles, essays, academic papers, and personal reflections—pieces that have shaped my journey and continue to resonate. These will lay the groundwork for new, timely writings that I look forward to sharing soon.

The first post is titled “What is an Architect in Today’s Society?” Originally published in 2011, this article still raises questions that I believe are vital to the profession and its role in an evolving world.

Read it here: https://evoalab.substack.com/.../what-is-an-architect-in...

Please feel free to follow or subscribe to my blog—I’ll be more than happy to read your comments and start an engaging conversation. https://substack.com/@evoalab

[ianmcarthurphotography]

Critical Practice - A Significant Thing

A Significant Thing ��� Trip 35

The Olympus Trip 35 is a compact 35mm film camera that was based on the older Olympus Pen EES half frame camera.

The name of this camera is an obvious nod to its intended market, people traveling and families who wanted a simple and affordable way to capture memories on holiday. 

It was “affordable” because it retailed for just $59.95 at launch or $530 adjusted for inflation which is roughly in line with an entry level DSLR or mirrorless camera today.

It was manufactured from 1967 to 1984 with over ten million units sold during that time, it came fitted with a built in non-detachable 40mm Zuiko lens that had a constant ƒ/2.8 aperture.

The shooting style of the camera was either an automatic exposure system that had 2 shutter speeds, either 1/40s or 1/200s that would be chosen automatically based on lighting conditions and the iso setting chosen from 25 to 400 or a “manual” mode in which the aperture was set by the user with a constant set shutter speed of 1/40s.

The lens used a zone focusing system with 4 options and was fitted with a solar powered selenium light meter which negated the need for batteries for the camera to operate.

The camera overall is simple in its function which allowed it to be easily accessible to the masses and contributed to its lengthy production run and its good reputation throughout.

The design of this camera is well thought out, it is small and compact and was made from strong metal for the chassis and stiff plastic for the film door with a leatherette grip which is both stylish and functional.

The lens consisted of sharp glass elements (four elements in three groups).

The function dials are all on the lens housing which keeps the camera body from feeling cluttered and messy leaving just the rewind crank, shutter button, the hot shoe and a small shot counter up top. 

There is a simple rangefinder style view finder on the back of the camera body that works well for its size, it has clear frame lines with parallax marking to help compose your image and it also has a smaller “judas window” view in the bottom right corner which gives you a view of your chosen aperture and focus zone on the lens housing.

When using the automatic mode, the viewfinder has a small red flag that pops up when an image will be under exposed, this also locks the shutter.

My personal Trip 35 belonged to my great grandfather who used it as the family camera to capture memories as my mum and her siblings were growing up, my gran says that he used to develop the film himself up in their loft and he always had it with him and I think that is evident with the sings of use left behind on my camera such as a dent in the filter threads on the lens. The small amount of damage to the camera considering its age is also a testament to the quality of materials used back then as well as how much care my great grandad put into keeping the camera in good shape, he kept it in a leather shell case the whole time which took the brunt of the wear. He even left the original QC sticker from the factory on the body.

I like knowing that this camera specifically was used by him as it tells me that one of the camaras I use to capture moments in time was used to capture some of my mum as she was growing up as well.

It was once my great granddads prized possession and now it’s one of mine.

This is one camera I’ll keep forever, it's significant to me and to photography.

References:

Olympus Trip 35 (2024) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympus_Trip_35. 

Kent, M. (2023) The olympus trip 35 review: Everything you need to know - your photography buddy, Your Photography Buddy - Your Photography And Camera Helper! Available at: https://yourphotographybuddy.com/why-is-the-olympus-trip-35-so-popular-everything-you-need-to-know/ (Accessed: 12 September 2024).

Dmitri (2024) Olympus Trip 35 film Camera review, Analog.Cafe - A Film Photography Blog. Available at: https://www.analog.cafe/r/olympus-trip-35-film-camera-review-qwrq (Accessed: 12 September 2024). 

[shiaojan]

The Second before #911 #911memorial #contemporaryart #contemporarypainting #criticalpractice https://www.instagram.com/p/CpDQUd5p7Eu/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[processandenquirychloejhiggins]

Development photograph of the set for my video based performance for Andy Welsby's film/video workshop task. Exploring entrapment and stereotypes, can we break out of stereotypes?

[davidbuckleyborden]

Collaborative Practice Diagram Sequence. Graphic Abstract No. 9 for @harvard.forest book prospectus with Dr. AME. If the prospectus takes a year plus to produce, how long will the book take to publish? Ping Camille to place bets on publication release date. #harvardforest #criticalpractice #diagram #grind #likeahurricane #graphicabstract #slowburn (at University of Oregon College of Design) https://www.instagram.com/p/CF90T9IM0TU/?igshid=1mrai14hrspnz

[katharinealldritt]

About Sage

Ethos

establishing my companies method before I began designing was very important to me as I felt it would affect what route I would choose to go down. 

Sage wants to help people to feel confident in their own skin

Share their passion for healthy skin with the world

Only ever use natural, no-nonsense ingredients in their products

help the enviroment by being a zero-waste company

only create cruelty-free products

to help to reduce waste in the beauty industry

only use renewable energy sources in our stores and manufacturers

Many of these points are also some of the unique selling points of Sage. at the moment there are little to no options for refillable skincare and there are few companies that aim for a little to no waste. I think that at the moment, people would be very interested in having an option that they know will be benefiting the environment greatly.  

Advertising

I plan to advertise Sage mainly through social media, I think that using influencers on Instagram and vloggers on Youtube to promote my products will be very effective in reaching wider audiences for little to no cost to the company. In addition to social media, my product will be featured on makeup cosmetics websites such as Beauty Bay and Cult Beauty. This will also help to reach other audiences. 

[freyabcu]

‘There’s also the fact that magazines are shuttering at an alarming rate. “It’s undeniably the death of print media and where does that leave culture?” he says. “I grew up wanting to see photographs that I make on the printed page, so it’s quite an interesting time to stop and take stock and decide where I could go next.” Does that mean Walker might stop taking photographs then? “I just need six months off,” he replies, gnomically. “And when I say time out, not really, because I’m going to be reading, watching, looking.” He smiles, “I’ll still be the same old voyeur.”’

[karamacdonaldblog]

Marxism Task

This is an image taken during the Chinese Revolution in 1949. It is of the director and leader of the Communist Party of China who seized and took control of China - Mao Zedong. I chose this image because it shows communism at the time where China was formed into a communist country and named the People’s Republic of China. At a time where China’s government still to this day is lead by the communist ideology of a democratic centralism (which involves political practices with voting processes) and a dictatorship of the proletariat (where the lowest economic and social classes in society suppress resistance to the socialist revolution by the bourgeoisie). This ideology is called Marxism-Leninism. They oppose liberal democracy, anarchism, fascism and imperialism. This image does not show the start of Mao Zedong’s leadership, he joined the Chinese Communist party in 1921 and went up through the forces to become the leader/ chairman in 1949. This led him to launching the industrialisation program which he thought would yield larger crops and bring industry to the countryside but concluded in making the lower classes work on huge farms called communes which lead to many people starving to death. He also shut down the schools in China and created The Red Guard which was an army of young people who would attack people who disagreed with him or the government he created.

https://padlet.com/photostaffcogc/8hhwz7x135ewatnw

[aceves-critical-blog]

Blog Assignment #5 Monster Theses

       Jeffrey Cohen’s essay brings an entirely new perspective to the idea of “monsters.” Personally, when I think of what a monster means to me, I think of 2 things. First, the fantasy aspect of the word comes to mind. I imagine monsters from movies, video games and books. Monsters that don’t exist, basically. Classic characters like Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, Godzilla, etc. Basically, I imagine creatures and beings that mean to cause harm. Big teeth, claws, fur and scales all find their way into thought when the word is spoken. I would also like to mention that it is possible for one to think of these creatures in a positive light. Children, for example, can associate the word with Sesame Street or Monsters Inc. Both of these series attempt to take the fear out of the monsters, and push their positive human qualities to the surface.

      The second thought that comes to my mind when I hear the word “monster,” is a human being who has done things worthy of that title. This can range from politicians to serial killers. Many in today’s society would consider Putin, Trump and Kim Jong Un to be contemporary monsters. This is not because they grow claws or suck blood, but because they cause harm. They instil fear into people’s minds, and have the power to erupt violence amongst ourselves. When it comes to people like serial killers and terrorists, the term’s use becomes obvious and appropriate. Murderers are no longer human in our eyes. Their conscious decision to take lives has deprived them of their humanity, and we see them as animals (Although that is essentially what humans are, and killing remains one of our more savage traits).

[syn-site]

It's exam time @ art school: 🏚↔️🏠 #criticalpractice as #practicalcrisis #springcleaning (at Royal College of Art Battersea)

[artsvark]

ACT | UJ Conference call for presentations

ACT | UJ Creative Conference invite proposals for 20-minute presentations at the 2017 #CREATIVEUPRISING Conference.

ACT | UJ Conference call for presentations

To create a relevant arts education curricula a process of unlearning and relearning is required. There is a need for a critical reimagining of how the arts are understood and how teaching is approached. After the fall of the Rhodes Statue, a cultural site has been transformed into a classroom and the hierarchy between students and teachers has been shifted by questions from both sides that cannot be answered by our current curricula.

Among the arts education topics that will be explored #CREATIVEUPRISING is inviting proposals for presentations that deal with the following themes:#CriticalPractice What is a decolonised arts education? What is the relationship of decolonisation and Africanisation in arts education? #PracticeWhatWePreach How do we go about teaching a decolonised arts curriculum? What are the practical implications for teaching a decolonised curriculum? #WhoseCultureIsItAnyway? What role does culture play in a decolonised art curriculum? #AccessibleArtsEducation In what ways can we extend access to arts education within South African and across Africa #WokeArts What is the relationship between academia, activism and art? #CreativeNetworks How can arts educators across all basic, tertiary and informal sectors collaborate more effectively? In what ways can we build networks of arts educators across Africa #ArtsEducationMatters Can the arts be used as a social transformational tool and can it succeed in transcending or dismantling barriers to representation?

The ACT | UJ #CREATIVEUPRISING Conference seeks to re-claim a relevant identity for South African arts education. It will reference past conversations, new and existing research, and innovative arts teaching practices. It will bring together key stakeholders involved in basic, tertiary, virtual and informal education and training. Through inviting school teachers, learners, academics, students, arts practitioners, organisations and policymakers the conference will provide an important opportunity to engage in a progressive dialogue that will allow multiple voices to be heard on an equal platform.

ACT and UJ Arts & Culture invite proposals to present a 20-minute presentation at the ACT | UJ #CREATIVEUPRISING 2017 Conference. Presentations may include but are not limited to essays, photographic essays, graphic interventions, new media, disruptions and performances. Please submit a ONE page proposal containing the following information: title of presentation, full names, contact details and affiliation of presenter(s), 300-500 word abstract or plan as well as any additional equipment needed. Please e-mail proposals to conference@act.org.za by 18 April 2017. Successful applicants will be contacted via email.

The fifth ACT | UJ Creative Conference will be presented from 27 – 29 July 2017 at The University of Johannesburg Kingsway Campus and presented by the Arts & Culture Trust (ACT) and UJ Arts & Culture (Division of FADA) in partnership with SAMRO Foundation.

  ACT | UJ Conference call for presentations was originally published on Artsvark

[ianmcarthurphotography]

Critical Practice - Task 1

A Significant Thing

[shiaojan]

0.1 Second before Burnt (Project 596) No. 1, 2022 #contemporaryart #contemporarypainting #nuclear #project596 #criticalpractice https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj_4rBVJHeg/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[lindseyhook]

Challenge number 3 of the #handletteredabcs extended #handletteredabcs_2016 challenge is #abcs_name I'm a day early, but I need the practice. I struggled with this one. The 'ind' spacing is too compressed which led me to make the extended entry stroke I planned for the 's' way too steep and blew the whole letter. I picked up some paper fiber coming out of the shade on the 'e' and lost the hairline. I also lost one of the curves in the bottom flourish of the 'H' to a pretty big wiggle. I missed squaring the feet on the 'n' and 'k', plus closing the ovals on both 'o's... and then I ran out of paper and totally squished both flourishes on the 'k'. To top it all off, I missed centering the little decorative swash in the center of the 'H'. (I also wish I'd gotten the weights on the shades in the 'L' and the 'H' closer). Spacing on the diminishing ovals on the big entry flourishes is looking pretty good though... 😬 #criticalpractice #HooksABCs #calligraphy #calligraphypractice #copperplate #engrossersscript #spencerian #flourish #pointedpen #handlettering #thedailytype #typedaily #goodtype #typespire #typeverything #handmadefont

[smarkies]

Some coffee bean drills this weekend. Seriously a lot harder to do than it looks - sometimes I just got a big coffee blob! 😂😂😂 #doespracticemakeperfect #criticalpractice