Find, observe, record

We were send out for a hour to go and find somewhere in town or the immediate area and observe and record what i found there. Now, don't have a clue what I even want to look into, so i had no idea where to wonder of to. But i headed into the city centre area, where i ended up in Home Bargains, naturally. By the time i actually got there i didn't really have time to do much apart from look at all the 'characters' that inhabited the place, and ask myself "what the hell has brought me to this place?" We're only a month or so in to this module and already i haven't the foggiest about what I'm doing with my life, or how i'm going to make it though COP until May. 

I did observe that the 'Crisps' aisle is directly opposite to the 'Party' aisle. 

STUDY TASK 1 - Critical & Visual Analysis Context & Themes

 S O C I A L 

        

1.

   a. Relating to human society and its modes of organization: social classes; social problems; a social issue.

  b. Relating to rank and status in society: social standing.

  c. Relating to, or occupied with matters affecting human welfare: social programs.

2.

   a. Interacting with other people and living in communities: Humans are social creatures.

   b. Biology Living together in organized groups or similar close aggregates: Ants are social   insects.

3.

   a. Inclined to seek out or enjoy the company of others; sociable: He's outgoing and very    social.

   b. Spent in or marked by friendly relations or companionship: How has your social life been lately?

c. Intended for convivial activities: a social club.

 C U L T U R A L 

Of or relating to culture or cultivation.

1. (Art Terms) of or relating to artistic or social pursuits or events considered to be valuable or enlightened.

2. (Sociology) of or relating to a culture or civilization

3. (Horticulture) (of certain varieties of plant) obtained by specialised breeding

 H I S T O R I C A L 

1.a. Of or relating to history; concerned with past events: a historical account.

   b. Based on past events or set in the past: a historical novel

   c. Used in or providing evidence of the past: historical costumes; historical records.

2. Concerned with phenomena as they change through time: a historical dictionary.

3. Important or famous in history

 P O L I T I C A L 

1. Of, relating to, or dealing with the structure or affairs of government, politics, or the state: a political system.

2. Relating to, involving, or characteristic of political parties or politicians: a political campaign.

3. Interested or active in politics: I'm not a very political person.

4. Influenced by, based on, or stemming from partisan interests or political ideology: The court should never become a political institution. The attack was a political crime.

5. Based on or motivated by self-serving interests, especially in attempting to gain power or to please people of a higher rank in an organization: political manoeuvring within the company.

6. Indicating national or regional boundaries. Used of maps.

 T E C H N O L O G I C A L 

1. Relating to or involving technology, especially scientific technology.

2. Affected by or resulting from scientific and industrial progress.

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 T E C H N O L O G I C A L  

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity"

 Albert Einstein

"Getting information off the Internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant."

 Mitchell Kapor

"Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going   backwards."

 Aldous Huxley

"Cell phones, mobile e-mail, and all the other cool and slick gadgets can cause massive losses in our creative output and overall productivity."

 Robin S. Sharma

"Men have become the tools of their tools."

 Henry David Thoreau

The Programma 101, also known as Perottina, is the first commercial "desktop computer.1965.

Vostok 1 the first human spaceflight in history. Launched on April 12, 1961 & containing

Russian Cosmonaught Yuri Gagarin, making him the first human to cross into outer space.

Adobe Photoshop, 1989.

Testing the IRB4600

Visual Diagram - development and final print

As far as the idea for the final poster goes, i decided to base it around the idea of a machine being stuck on the artwork production line of a company (ikea or etsy etc…) The robot looking unhappy that he has to replicate the same image over and over again, with no mistakes, or variations, and essentially no soul.

Example of Audrey Hepburn print that the Ikea art dept. churn out.

I wanted to give the impression of the machine having a personality and having a desire to be a individual, even though it is his sole purpose to produce generic artwork day in day out. I though about  trying to include some of the robots artistic 

inspirational figures, including Bob Ross. 

I added a beret, because all artist wear berets. That's just  a fact.

I added a small excerpt from my essay at the top, which (if it wasn't clear already) 

pretty much sums up what the image is supposed to purvey.

Along with most of the other practical based work for this module this was left to the last minute, so not so much development work was produced. The delay in my essay being completed was the major factor in this. If i can be more decisive in what i want to write about in the future I'm sure my C.O.P experiences can be a slightly more enjoyable and educational one - as at the moment, I'm not really sure that I've learnt a whole lot?

End of Module - Self Evaluation

 What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?  

Having not used a library for more years than i'd care to remember, i think my researching skills have improved and I've enjoyed having such a wide range of arts based books at my fingertips.Ive spent whole days in there in a corner just trying to take in as much as possible - which can take a while as I'm not the most focused of readers. Doing the percha kutcha presentation in front of a small group, (but a group non the less) is something that i never would've chosen to do, but am glad of the experience, sort of. Even though i didn't have a lot of work to back it all up with it was good practice at talking to an audience.

 What approaches to/methods of research have you developed and how have they informed your practical outcomes?  

Once i came across a subject or artist that i felt could possibly benefit my essay i would research it to death. That would involve finding as many related book titles, then further investigation with any online video or dvds that i could get my hands on.

Development sketches were also a useful way of visualising what i was thinking, which, for most of the time wasn't very clear.I didn't get much of an opportunity to demonstrate this however as i it took most of the year to settle on aha ti want to about and actually DO the essay.

 What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?  

Extensive and thorough research and fact finding. I've try to be as accurate as possible, i guess its kind of important when writing essays. As i wasnt really enjoying the process of writing loads about a subject that i wasn't particularly attracted to i found the discovery of certain factoids kept me slightly more engaged with the task in hand.
Final presentation skills I'm fairly happy with, even if people may not understand what I'm getting at.As the majority of the module has been a bit of a nightmare, i didn't want my final piece to suffer too much. Even though i realise with this C.O.P brief, what the end product looks like isn't as important.

 What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?  

This whole module has been my weakness to be honest. i realised this would be the case when i started the degree, but i didn't think it'd be as much as a battle as it has been. i haven't really 'got' what C.O.P is all about, from day one. i don't understand how its meant to fit in or aid me in my studies, apart form improving my reading. Im sure ill discover this come 2017, but currently i found it extremely hard to get motivated, until the essay was actually done, but at that point it was a bit late to produce amy extensive practical work.


 Identify five things that you feel will benefit you during next years Context of Practice module?  

• Seek help with the guys in student support. I couldve maybe done with their help in kick-starting my essay writing. Could've saved a lot of head scratching and procrastinating.

• Pick a subject i am fully interested in, or interested enough to write a 3000 word essay about at least.

• Don't push my C.O.P  work to the back of the pile. Its left me with very little time to execute much of the sketchbook or practical side of the module, obviously will dent my final marks.

• Having never written an essay in my life i don't know weather my one was satisfactory or not yet, or whats expected of it, which was also a reason for constantly putting it off.

• Read more and Blog more. Looking back I've almost totally forgotten to keep up with regular blog posts for C.O.P. This was mainly as i dIdnt have a lot of progress to write about for the most part. Be more in retested in stuff!!!

Petcha Kutcha Presentation

Hello, i'm here to discuss the subject go my essay which asks: 'Have the advances in digital technology actually aided the resurgence of handmade arts and craft?' A bit wordy at the moment, i realise, but summarised here perfectly by a T-800 Terminator, and Wallace & Gromit.

My research starts way back in the 16/17th Century with the painted signs of pubs & inns. Obviously if you wanted anything like this made for your business or inn, then you'd have to hire a skilled artist using his freehand painting and layout skills.

Further down the history line, hand painted type was being used to advertise and brand up-and-coming businesses in the late 1800's. Coca-cola, Ford & Pepsi all had hand painted, scripted logos created by sign painters.

Sign Painting arose as a means to identify products and businesses. It became a necessity to have one to gain customers as capitalism began to boom and sign painting slowly was turned into an advertising medium.

Since the invention of the Printing Press in 1440, another handmade product that early origins are Zines. Benjamin Franklin produced whats considered to be the first ever zine - a literally magazine for a  psychiatric hospital in Pennsylvania, handed out to staff and patients.

In 1958 with the introduction of Xerox photocopiers and lost the low costs to produce copies, it was easier than ever to make a poster or zine for your band. Punk zines emerged in the late 70's as a result of this new technology.

However, the introduction of automated,digital laser cutting machines in the late 70's early 80's meant the demand for hand painted signs all but died out. They were replaced by generic vinyl signs, created in less than half the time, for less than half the price. In an age where people wanted a products on demand.

Along with the rise of the internet in the late 90's, zines and handmade posters faded from public awareness. Many of the zines were turned into websites instead, where they could perform a similar function as the printed version had done.

Although new technology is making production faster and cheaper the products it is making lack soul and a human touch. Lazer cut letters don't allow for any type of personality or variation. People are tired of having the same looking signs, pictures or jewellery as 100's of other people. "The public wantes to know where their eggs are coming from" (S.Illenburg)

Today, business owners don't want to invest in their shops like they used to - they go for cheap signage. But the businesses that are hiring artists to paint their signs and interiors are gaining more customers, due it not looking exactly the same as 20 other shops in the street.

Admitedly the power of the internet has benefited handmade crafts people - launched in 2005, Etsy amongst others has enabled its 1.4 million active sellers to sell their creations all over the globe. In order  for the brand to grow it did change their policy in 2013, and now allows the outsourcing of production to factories, which has caused a number of longtime members to leave for rival companies.

Projects like 'A love letter to you' and 'Signs for the homeless' brought back the art of hand paint type back into the community and could be seen again on a large scale. Even some graffiti writers-come sign writers were being influenced by the skills and techniques of the past masters.

People seem to be going back to old aesthetics and old values. Big businesses seem to be latching on to the trend as well. Audiences can relate to some artwork better if they feel its something they couldve made in their kitchen or living room at home. As opposed to  a computer generated image,which has a sense of mystery about it.

At this point, my presentation crashed an burned. Due to my consistent failure to get anywhere near to completing my final essay, or full work out what i want to investigate has caused this whole project and all the related practical work to stall.I can only try and bring the essay writing to some sort of completion so i can try and work out how i want my visual diagram to look.

The D-day for the percha kutcha had already been put pushed back once, which was a massive relief as i wasn't at all prepared for it. Having said that, i wasn't massively better-off come the day i actually had to present my findings. I mean, i had done plenty of research, god knows I've done plenty of that, but as far as presenting my own ideas and designs i didn't have a whole lot of direction as i was still wrestling with how my final essay was going to look and what point i was trying to get across. As far as speaking in front of a small group goes, it wasn't a total failure - the only thing i really felt nervous about was the fact that i didn't have an awful lot of work to talk about,compared to everyone else. I didn't stutter or mumble too much, at least i don't think so. I should've included subtitles. Cant say i enjoyed it, but it raised some interesting talking points within the group afterwards and there were several suggestions as to how i could convert the research into my final visual diagram. However at this point getting my essay finally put together and out of the way is the next thing i need to do, and fast. 

35 Points Related to my essay...

5 QUOTES:

"It doesn't feel as satisfying just doing things on screen anymore. I like the long process of making work physically” (Anthony Burrill, graphic artist)

Handmade: ‘Made by hand, not by machine, and typically therefore of superior quality’.

(the dictionary)

“Say goodbye to nasty prints of pebbles from a Swedish furniture store. It’s time to bring down that crappy Banksy rip off you bought from ebay. No more mild mannered Monet’s or ropey reprinted Rothko’s. We are about to shout from the highest rooftop that at last there is a choice!” (thisisalimitiedprint.com)

"Now I use my hands because I want mistakes, quirks and imperfections ­ those qualities give my work warmth. Keep in mind that, at different times in history, that warmth could’ve got you fired”​ (Perry,M. 2007)

"In a world still making up its mind about the impact digital technology will have on the art marketplace, trying to sell a GIF or a website is almost an act of conceptual art in itself "​

(Sedgman,S. 2014)​.

5 FACT/STATS:

The name of the company, Adobe, comes from Adobe Creek in Los Altos, California, which ran behind the houses of both of the company's founders.

There's are an estimated 300 full time sign writers working in the UK.

The original Coca­-Cola logo was designed by Frank Mason Robinson in 1885.

Benjamin Franklin started what was considered the first zines in the 18th century, for a psychiatric hospital in Pennsylvania, which was distributed amongst staff and patients.

5 MOMENTS IN HISTORY

1440, Johannes Gutenburg invents the Printing Press,and is widely regarded as one the most influential inventions of the second millennium.

In 1907, Samuel Simon receives what is recognized by many as the first patent for the screen-printing process.

In September 1988, Photoshop was first demonstrated at Adobe Hq and was officially released exclusively for Macintosh on Feb 19 1990,becoming its flagship product.

Esty is launched  in June 2005, in a Brooklyn apartment by Robert Kalin, Chris Maguire & Haim Schoppik.

Jeff Koons’s Balloon Dog sells for $58.4m in 2013 – the most expensive artwork ever sold by a living artist

5 PEOPLE

Thomas and John Knoll, inventors of Photoshop.

Benjamin Frankin, publisher of the fist ever zine.

Johannes Gutenburg, inventor of the Printing Press.

Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the world wide web.

John Warnock and Charles Geschke, founders of Adobe Systems Inc.

5 IMAGES

Photoshop 1.0

Stefan Sagmeister's AIGA poster

5 pebbles canvas by Ikea

The first Coca-Cola logo, 1885

Jeff Koons' Orange balloon dog

5 INVENTIONS

The printing press - 1440

Photoshop - 1988

The Xerox Machine - 1959

The World Wide Web - 1989

Vinyl cutting machines - late 70's early 80's

5 LOCATIONS
IKEA

Los Angeles Trade Technical College

Los Altos, California

The Holy Roman Empire 

Brooklyn