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Friday 26 February 2010

Paste Up.

I have begun developing Wallpaper visuals based around various different themes.Here are a couple of examples.
Obsessions
In the group discussion, we discussed how the wallpaper could be a projection of self image i.e what makes up us as people. It may be our daily routine, the clothes we wear, our hobbies interests, job, friends, family etc. What things happen behind closed doors? private rituals, personal habits, essential possessions etc.
I discussed how I have an obsession with taking my make-up off, and how before I moved out I used to worry about whether the sink would be okay in my new bathroom ( obviously in retrospect, potentially was suffering minor OCD symptoms) even when in a ridic state of inebriation, still I manage to take it off.
Own Make-up, Make up remover, Cotton Pads.
Old to New.
Wallpaper can often stay on a wall for a very long time, say 50 years, and within this time ,so much of the space the wallpaper occupies will change. I wanted to try and portray this change.
I wanted to find a way to amalgamate the old with the new. I decided to explore sexuality and try to combine the sexually rigid attitudes of the 40s and 5os, and juxtapose this with the sexually liberal attitudes of today. Asking the question, Has sexual libration gone too far?
I looked in mens magazines of now and returned to women's magazines of the 40s and 50s.
Although there are drastic differences in the way that women are portrayed now and the sexual attitudes and behavior of women is very different. I felt that looking through the mens magazines, that some themes hadn't changed in the fact that women were still being objectified and still portrayed as empty-headed but pretty. This may perhaps be the fault of the women themselves, to volunteer themselves to be portrayed in this way, purely to please their predominantly male audience. Either way it seems that dispite a huge shift in society's attitudes about men and women, that some things may never change. This is an idea that I am going pursue in my development of this project.

Tuesday 16 February 2010

Hilary Judd.

http://www.hilaryj.co.uk/popup.html

BBC TWO

A History Of Idents.
Although both part of the BBC, the two channels need to have thier own subtle identity, now unified by Lambie-Nairn's logo, however these new idents (2009) give the channel an ownership.

BBC ONE

The BBC have gone through many idenitities, yet have remained a pillar of society within Britain.
It's come a long way since 1936.
BBC One.
First Ident "the Bats Wings" (1953-63) Created by Abram Games.
Designed by Lambi-Nairn, who also designed The 1997 relaunch of the corporation's logo utilising the Gill Sans font, which has remained across most channels. (lambie-Nairn also designed the 'block' logo for channel 4.
Red Bee Media
"Our brief was to try and ensure that what we emerged with at the end - within the tight constraints of idents: twelve seconds and a living hold - was something that would reward repeat viewing.
"The pitch-winning idea was a simple one and was born directly from how controller Peter Fincham talks about his vision for the channel. To celebrate BBC One's unique ability to bring people together, we highlighted magical moments when people come together as one.
"We chose the symbol of a circle for a number of reasons. Throughout history it has been an emblem of unity. It's the shape we make when gathering to listen to a story. And it's a subtle reference to BBC One's own history. Its very first idents, even before the globe, always referenced a circle in some way.

Channel 4

Every channel has it's own personality. Factors to consider:
  • Logo
  • Idents
  • Soundtrack/Jingle
  • Programme announcements
  • TV guide
  • Website
  • Merchandise
  • Billboards
  • Posters
  • Promotion
  • Target Audience
etc...
Channel 4
Every Channel has to start somewhere. The first voiceover ever heard on Channel 4 was that of Paul Coia he said : "good afternoon.It's a pleasure to be able to say to you: Welcome to Channel 4"
The soundtrack of channel 4 was 'Fourscore' composed by Lord david Dundas, and can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8-_8Pc-YGk
The first programme to air was Countdown and the first person to be seen on channel four was Richard Whiteley and second, and first woman was Carol Vorderman.
Original Channel 4 Logo (1982)
Creative Director: Brett Foraker.
"Recapture the boldness and dynamisn of the original logo from 1982, in a thoroughly 21st century way"
Reflect channel 4's uniques values, the forefront of contemporary design.
Big, Bold, Engaging.
Children of Channel 4-
E4, More4, Film4, 4Music

Thursday 11 February 2010

The Walls Are Talking.

Wallpaper, often discredited as a 'kitsch' and 'unsophisticated' artform, is out of the closet. It perhaps is not even described by most as Art, but rather taken for granted within our everyday backdrop. Yes, ofcourse many a home owner would agree, that much deliberation is taken over choosing just the right pattern for ones home, however even in the home, wallpaper is becoming obsolete and sees its place within the more contemporary environment of the club, bar or restaurant.
Not only can wallpaper be viewed as a decorative feature, but as a representation of a variety of compelling themes: the dark side of the home, domesticity, repetition, symmetry, sexuality, imprisonment etc.
Some thoughts...
Subversion, patterns can make a recognisable image ambiguous in a way that can be playful and disturbing. How can the familiar be made unfamiliar by using juxtaposition and surprising composition?For example, what secrets does the everyday item hold (surrealism) I want to explore ideas of childhood fears and the exploration of how everyday objects can be transformed by the darkness and exploring the mind of a child, who often has freedom from rationale. I enjoyed Francesco Simeti's, Nursery wallpaper, in Victorian times wallpaper was used to teached children valuable lessons. In terms of subversion, would the juxtaposition of childlike imagery become sinister when trying to teach some of life's modern lessons? What would the nursery wallpaper of today look like? Francesco Simeti, Arabian Nights. In Arabian Nights Simeti uses mass media images of weapons, rubble, bombings, and explosions, which then become camouflaged within pleasant decorative wallpaper motifs, altering their original meaning. This raises awareness of the ambiguity of mass media, and the way things are portrayed. Do we teach the children of today lessons in combat?Our surroundings have become so saturated with violence, that it now ceases to effect us, the more we see, the less we are affected.Is television the new wallpaper?
Domestic violence or Good Design?
Abigail Lane comments on this idea of oversaturation, with her 'Bloody Wallpaper', Red marks appear on a white background, which are clearly the result of a violent struggle, Can violence be beautiful?And if so, is it right to use it to decorate? So desensitised are we that when murder is plainly displayed infront of our eyes it fails to shock, Should a new approach be taken , instead of throwing ideas in peoples faces, should we urge them to look harder to reveal the truth with subtle detail and intrigue.
Catherine Bertola, beyond the looking glass, this paper was displayed in a room of its own, and is first seen from a restricted viewpoint, inside the room wallpaper is peeling off the wall and decaying. I like the idea of physically looking behind the wallpaper, just like when you strip wallpaper when you move home, revealing layers upon layers of peoples individual tastes, reflective of different times, eras etc. it is almost eerie to think what has gone before, that we are just borrowers of time and space, that 'owning' a house is only temporary, people have gone before and will follow us after. It would be interesting to analyse a period of time, and explore; Changing attitudes, Values, Styles, Tastes, thoughts, feelings etc. To explore the story behind a building, is wallpaper the new cave drawing? with so many new builds appearing, the experience of living in someone elses shoes is not quite so intense. If the walls actually could talk, what would they say? from `victorian play rooms' to 'student dwellings', wallpaper absorbs and reflect a journey through time.
Sexuality.
Could wallpaper represent a change in sexual attitudes. Society today appear so promiscuous, it is no longer indecent for a woman to be as sexually liberated as a man, But has the sexual liberation gone too far?For both sexes. Is is the fault of an over-saturation of the topic, that provokes us to keep asking for more? Once it was the sole aim in a young woman's life to get married, now it's all up for grabs; marriage, career, children, sex, social life, disposable income...does the traditional marriage no longer appeal to the modern day man or woman. The way our lives are structured, is it still realistic to ask for a lifetime of monogamy?With peoples expectations so high, should the structure of our lifetime be modified?Treated as a series of events or chapters, would this prevent the feeling of imprisonment that some feel in later life?How could the transition from traditional to modern attitudes be shown.
A note must be made about Damien Hirst's, Pharmacy, from afar his paper is seen as a beautiful pattern, and changes with each frame of reference, On closer inspection the wallpaper displays cocktail of medication, grouped with captions from biblical reference, perhaps the ultimate combination of old and new, How can the transition into the modern world be represented within my own work? Lisa Hecht, Chain link fence. Hecht has shown literal imprisonment with her paper, the exhibition states that often our homes are points of comfort and calming, however for many the home can be a prison, peopled trapped within their own lives. I am interested in the exploration of how a pattern picked post honeymoon, could stay in a house for over 50 years, what once represented happiness, could now remind of time past and lost, or a reminder of ones own confinement.I am fasicnated by the journey of peoples lives, and how they got to be how/where and who they are. You meet people in their present, and it is only after peeling back the exterior that you find out their past and maybe become part of their future.
Just as over time our attitudes change towards people, so do they about our surroundings. Some people are moving and constantly changing their environments, whilst many have perhaps lived in the same surroundings since childhood. Some strive for the wallpaper of life to be ever-changing whilst others may never re-decorate, clinging onto familiarity and nostalgia.
As a designer it is a generalisation that we have an eye for detail and perhaps notice certain things which others may not, however not long ago my dad was questioning whether or not to re-decorate the hallway. I havn't lived there for two ears, but visit occasionally, I replied with 'No, I like that green and gold wallpaper" he then said the wall has been a varying shade of cream for four years. Observant? I think not. But perhaps for me the image of my house has been frozen within a space of time, perhaps when I was happiest there. The way I want to remember it has been crystallised in my memory. How will I feel abut the house in ten year?WIs it possible to represent and preserve memories within wallpaper, wallpaper as a journal or photo album perhaps. What if we put these trapped memories back into their original context?Does this modify our memory or simply enhance?
When young it seems as though one moves with the times, fresh and cutting edge, at what point (hopefully never) do we 'stand still', become fixed, and gradually notice the world passing us by.
NM
Other artists featured in the exhibition include Andy Warhol, Sonia Boyce, David Shrigley and Peter Saville

The Wheatsheaf.

I found this book for £1. It is a bound version of the 1930s magazine 'The Wheatsheaf' "A co-operative magazine for the home" Here is an article about common myths in fairytales. Apparently Cinderella didn't wear glass slippers, but slippers of sable. This was a mis-translation from french to english. "Pantoufles en vair" is french for 'fur slipper's, however 'en verre' changes the meaning to 'glass,' hence how the mistake occured. Nor did puss have boots. And as for Dick Whittington's cat, who supposedly led him to his fortune, well there is more than one kind of cat, 'Achat' is an old term for trading, and it was almost certainly trading that led Dick Whittington to his fortune. Alternatively his 'cat could have stemmed from a certain type of ship used to ferry coal, which was known as a 'cat' The kind of cat to carry coal, rather than catch rats.

2Exchange.

Publication following a collaboration between MMU and GAFA.

The National Portrait Gallery: Beatles to Bowie

Some postcards from the exhibition.
The 60s exposed. exploring the leading pop music personalities who helped create 'Swinging London' in the 1960s. The Shadows, The John Barry Seven, Cliff richard, Adam Faith, Billy Fury, The Kinks ,The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, David Bowie.
Showcasing top photographers of the time: David Bailey, Gered Mankowitz, Robert Whitaker.
From pure pop, through psychedelia and the birth of progressive music, Beatles to Bowie explores the dramatic developments of pop music and culture, and their lasting impact that continues to live in the memory today.
I found the nostalgic nature of the photographs very beautiful and I enjoyed looking and admiring the earlier portraits of artists such as Cliff Richard and David Bowie, before they had grown into the infamous personas we know today.
I especially enjoyed the memorabilia, around the photograph, rather than the photographs themselves. Magazines, fanzines, record sleeves, collectables, merchandise etc. There appeared covers and articles from 'Fabulous' magazine, Sunday newspaper coverage. here is an interesting excerpt from one of them.
"I'm not a well adjusted person. I've spent too long philosophising. Sometimes I feel I was never a teenager just an old man. I've already had most of the experiences that I'm likely to go through in the next 4o years." -David Bowie.
Article from girls magazine:
"David left school at sixteen having passed his O-levels and 3 A-levels (keep going you lot) since David started composing he has penned between 60-70 numbers, he only thinks ten of them are any good. Modesty! He has also recorded a few himself ' The laughing Gnome' and 'Love you 'til Tuesday' But alas none have made a chart impression, Not that that worries him, he makes enough money by his song writing and admits that he hardly makes a thing by his voice (very honest is our David)"
I felt that these pieces of ephemera helped to place the exhibition in context, It is impossible to image a time when these names were not famous, but it is refreshing to see their road to success, and the hard work they had to put in to get where they are now. with so many overnight celebrities today, it is good to remember how hard it used to be to make it. Perhaps a reason why these have stood the test of time.

INC Talk.

The Train Standing At Platform Two.

The Aims.

  • To stimulate intrigue
  • To Show how graphic design can communicate a theory in a visually interesting way.
  • More, specifically to find visual clarity along the blurred line between ‘here’ and ‘there’

So how can we visually represent the impossibility of arriving ‘there’ – once you attempt to get ‘there’ it becomes ‘here’

From this we asked the question; If ‘here’ and ‘there’ are indeterminate states and it is impossible to define when ‘here’ becomes ‘there’ Can both states exist simultaneously?

These are visual representations of the two attempting to co-exist.

More detail about this project can be found here.