For my practical work I have been thinking what kind of work I would like to create relating to my essay question and the key themes I highlight within my essay.
For my practical work I want to look at art and design and their connection with politics, art influenced by politics and the idea that art and visual communication can have direct influence in politics.
The artist Ai Weiwei talks a lot in his work about the power of the internet as an art form and that it can have one of the largest influences on the decisions and opinions of the general people. On top of this the idea that it is the most direct form of communication that can be seen by anyone around the world.
Due to this direct and open form of communication creating something that lends itself to this online platform I believe is an appropriate format to create my practical response in. I would like to look into online communication of political art. With the large amounts of art and design created on this online platform there is an opportunity to document this in a online publication.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Ai Weiwei Speaks
These images show the books and the kind of work they showcased from iconic twentieth-century artworks by Marcel Duchamp and Jeff Koons to contemporary Chinese sculptures, photographs and painting. For my practical piece I am thinking off creating a kind of online version of this idea, a book to inform and inspire. As Ai Weiwei states the internet is the best way of communicating to people so why not create something for the web. I want to possibly look at how political art online has taken shape over the last few years and document this in an engaging and expressive way.
Practical explorations NEVER SORRY
The film 'Never Sorry' by Ai Weiwei looks at freedom of expression in China and the strict censorship, shown through a variety of art pieces made by Ai Weiwei and his ongoing battle with the Chinese government. The film is an amazing insight into not only the artists work by also the kind of beliefs and ideas he echoes. For me it really opened my eyes on a subject that I had little or no knowledge on I think this really shows the power of the documentary to captivate and inspire. Ai Weiwei speaks about freedom in the film and how it is so important not only to try and promote freedom but to show the Chinese people in particular that they deserve it.
There are some brilliant quotes from the film expressing the views of Ai Weiwei in relating to art and politics. "I think there is a responsibility for any artist to protect freedom of expression." I am interesting in this quote as I feel it relates to not only my essay question but also to the kind of things I have been trying to explore in my own work. He speaks of this responsibility of the artist to communicate to its audience on issues they feel passionately about. On top of this another quote I am very interested in is when Ai Weiwei talks about the internet being a tool for communicating “Blogs and the Internet are great inventions for our time, because they give regular people an opportunity to change public opinion.” With my practical work I think communicated through the internet is one of the best ways of getting my work out there and as Ai Weiwei states inform and change the public opinion.
Harvard Referencing & Triangulation
I have been asked to look at the manifesto project website curated by Tankboys design collective and create four short pieces of academic writing in response to this in conjunction with four manifestos titled.
'Disrepresentation Now' by Experimental Jetset'First things First Manifesto' by Ken Garland'First Things First Manifesto 2000' by Adbusters'Fuck Committees' by Tibor Kalman
The 'Disrepresentation Now' manifesto by Experimental Jetset speaks clearly about the way design manifestos within graphic design can be out of touch and may not fully represent the work itself. The idea that design is for the designer and design over function is what they themselves highlighted in the 'Disrepresentation Now' manifesto. They speak of the manifesto at that moment feeling necessary yet looking back the ideas and principles they began to disagree with and did not fully represent their own practice. The 'First Things First' manifesto written by Ken Garland in 1964 speaks more about adversing within graphic design and the talents of designers being wasted on trivial purposes, this in turn contributes very little to the world. There is a reversal of priorities in favour of a more useful and lasting forms of communication rather than advertising. I see the 'First Things First' manifesto by Ken Garland as more of a statement on the design community and how the skills of these designers are truly wasted in commercial means. Looking at this text comparatively with the 2000 'First Things First' manifesto by Adbusters the themes are similar but as it is written in 2000 compared to 1964 the manifesto is a little less hard on advertising and they seem to understand more the role of advertising in the creative industry and how this can directly communicate to the viewer. The 'Fuck Committees' Manifesto by Tibor Kalman is slightly apposed to these views and states we are restrained by the lower intelligence within design and that design work needs to communicate to everyone rather than just the design community, this is very different way of thinking compared to the 'Disrepresentation Now' manifesto by Experimental Jetset. Fuck Committees' Manifesto suggests design has to be more basic to appeal to the masses. All these text show very varied opinons of what they think design show be and who it is it should communicate too, they way this is expressed is vague and almost cryptic yet the ideas are clear once identified.
This poster design by Experimental Jetset showing this design for designers work they create. The communicating of the information is simple yet almost takes a back seat is some way, the emphasis of the poster is in the information yet the design comes first. The type on the right hand poster for example has been obscured and becomes unreadable this again shows this idea of design for the designer, it may not communicate clearly the content of the poster but it is eye catching and interesting especially to anyone informed in the graphic design world.Looking overall at the 'Fuck Committees' manifesto they speak about the committee being a way of sucking the life out of a project and the work becoming 'a thought-free, passion-free, cultural mush that will not be hated nor loved by anyone.' This manifesto remains me of the saying 'The camel is a horse designed by committee' this idea that large collaboration within projects is not always a good thing and the corporate, commercial need to create something for the masses is really not what design should be focused on.
Bibliography –
Fuck Committees → Manifesto ProjectManifesto Project. 2016. Fuck Committees → Manifesto ProjectManifesto Project.
Disrepresentation Now! → Manifesto ProjectManifesto Project. 2016. Disrepresentation Now! → Manifesto ProjectManifesto Project.
First Things First → Manifesto ProjectManifesto Project. 2016. First Things First → Manifesto ProjectManifesto Project.
'Disrepresentation Now' by Experimental Jetset'First things First Manifesto' by Ken Garland'First Things First Manifesto 2000' by Adbusters'Fuck Committees' by Tibor Kalman
The 'Disrepresentation Now' manifesto by Experimental Jetset speaks clearly about the way design manifestos within graphic design can be out of touch and may not fully represent the work itself. The idea that design is for the designer and design over function is what they themselves highlighted in the 'Disrepresentation Now' manifesto. They speak of the manifesto at that moment feeling necessary yet looking back the ideas and principles they began to disagree with and did not fully represent their own practice. The 'First Things First' manifesto written by Ken Garland in 1964 speaks more about adversing within graphic design and the talents of designers being wasted on trivial purposes, this in turn contributes very little to the world. There is a reversal of priorities in favour of a more useful and lasting forms of communication rather than advertising. I see the 'First Things First' manifesto by Ken Garland as more of a statement on the design community and how the skills of these designers are truly wasted in commercial means. Looking at this text comparatively with the 2000 'First Things First' manifesto by Adbusters the themes are similar but as it is written in 2000 compared to 1964 the manifesto is a little less hard on advertising and they seem to understand more the role of advertising in the creative industry and how this can directly communicate to the viewer. The 'Fuck Committees' Manifesto by Tibor Kalman is slightly apposed to these views and states we are restrained by the lower intelligence within design and that design work needs to communicate to everyone rather than just the design community, this is very different way of thinking compared to the 'Disrepresentation Now' manifesto by Experimental Jetset. Fuck Committees' Manifesto suggests design has to be more basic to appeal to the masses. All these text show very varied opinons of what they think design show be and who it is it should communicate too, they way this is expressed is vague and almost cryptic yet the ideas are clear once identified.
This poster design by Experimental Jetset showing this design for designers work they create. The communicating of the information is simple yet almost takes a back seat is some way, the emphasis of the poster is in the information yet the design comes first. The type on the right hand poster for example has been obscured and becomes unreadable this again shows this idea of design for the designer, it may not communicate clearly the content of the poster but it is eye catching and interesting especially to anyone informed in the graphic design world.Looking overall at the 'Fuck Committees' manifesto they speak about the committee being a way of sucking the life out of a project and the work becoming 'a thought-free, passion-free, cultural mush that will not be hated nor loved by anyone.' This manifesto remains me of the saying 'The camel is a horse designed by committee' this idea that large collaboration within projects is not always a good thing and the corporate, commercial need to create something for the masses is really not what design should be focused on.
Bibliography –
Fuck Committees → Manifesto ProjectManifesto Project. 2016. Fuck Committees → Manifesto ProjectManifesto Project.
Disrepresentation Now! → Manifesto ProjectManifesto Project. 2016. Disrepresentation Now! → Manifesto ProjectManifesto Project.
First Things First → Manifesto ProjectManifesto Project. 2016. First Things First → Manifesto ProjectManifesto Project.
First Things First 2000 → Manifesto ProjectManifesto Project. 2016. First Things First 2000 → Manifesto ProjectManifesto Project
Rationale for my practical response
Within my essay I try and speak of the role of the designer in times of social and political upheaval and the obligation they feel to respond to these issues.
I think looking at the creating a small graphical animation with some key principles within graphic design of activist art that are frequent and potent within the design, layout, use of typography and illustrations.
Creating a publication celebrating and displaying some politically lead art and design, trying to inform the viewers of the power of art in politics and thinking of it as a tool for change.
Making an webpage or online document about the various people that have lost there lives in recent tragedies for example the paris bombings.
Looking at the recent gun deaths in the US of unarmed black people and trying to raise awareness of these issues in the form of a magazine, zine or publication.
My response must be a clear connection with the activist art and art in response to social and political change I reference within my essay and show the same design techniques and process that have been effective within the theme of propaganda and activism.
Different possible outcomes I feel would be relevant to my essay and the question in hand could be one of the following –
An like a old propaganda poster with the illustrations and graphic text and the two or three uses of colour. Influenced by some of the activist art throughout history.
An like a old propaganda poster with the illustrations and graphic text and the two or three uses of colour. Influenced by some of the activist art throughout history.
I think looking at the creating a small graphical animation with some key principles within graphic design of activist art that are frequent and potent within the design, layout, use of typography and illustrations.
Creating a publication celebrating and displaying some politically lead art and design, trying to inform the viewers of the power of art in politics and thinking of it as a tool for change.
Making an webpage or online document about the various people that have lost there lives in recent tragedies for example the paris bombings.
Looking at the recent gun deaths in the US of unarmed black people and trying to raise awareness of these issues in the form of a magazine, zine or publication.
I would like to make something of high impact and a interesting context and content. I want to create a really informed piece of work from my key principles of my essay.
As I am looking at examples of work that the designer has created in response to an issue they feel passionately about I think this is something I should then highlight in my own work, looking at political or social issue that I personally feel the obligation to respond to is a great starting point in this project.
I would like to look into the work of the artist Ai WeiWei and his connection with freedom of speech and the use of political art as a tool for promoting change and awareness. His principles of art is that art can change the views and opinions of people and that any artist that doesn't respond to these issues is in some ways abusing their power of communication. I think looking at Ai Wei Wei's work there is a lot of room for expansion and further analysis and will inform some more interesting and in-depth questions in relation to my essay question.
Thinking about how my practical work may answer the essay question it is all down to how effectively I can communicate these issues to a wide audience, I think creating something that can really be engaged with and used is very important to me in this project.
As I am looking at examples of work that the designer has created in response to an issue they feel passionately about I think this is something I should then highlight in my own work, looking at political or social issue that I personally feel the obligation to respond to is a great starting point in this project.
I would like to look into the work of the artist Ai WeiWei and his connection with freedom of speech and the use of political art as a tool for promoting change and awareness. His principles of art is that art can change the views and opinions of people and that any artist that doesn't respond to these issues is in some ways abusing their power of communication. I think looking at Ai Wei Wei's work there is a lot of room for expansion and further analysis and will inform some more interesting and in-depth questions in relation to my essay question.
Thinking about how my practical work may answer the essay question it is all down to how effectively I can communicate these issues to a wide audience, I think creating something that can really be engaged with and used is very important to me in this project.
Planning & Structuring an Essay
When deciding how to plan and structure my essay I want to look firstly at what example of graphic design in relation to my question interest me and whether they are appropriate to my question. My essay question being "Discuss the role that Graphic Design can play during periods of political and/or social upheaval." Looking at examples of constructivist design by artists like Rodchenko and Tatlin in the wake of revolution is always going to produce some inspiring work. As this work is in response to such a large change in the fabric of the countries political and social conventions and issues their is many cases of design and art that were unprecedented before sue to such change in technology and culture. This will offer the perfect starting point within my work and intellectual analysis of very radical work of the time.
Thinking about my overarching themes and questions within this essay I have highlighted firstly the idea that the designer has a obligation and sense of moral consciousness on the issues he or she feels strongly about and responding to this is their second nature. Additionally I am interested How is the designer informed by cultural and political change within their work? How do they use their power to shock? How can they inform and change the state of the world in response to this? These questions should then formulate the outline for my essay and become the outlining element of my argument. Lastly I am also interested in the ambitions of the designer and if their opinions and beliefs come into play when creating any kind of design work.
After discussing my essay plan to a fellow student we spoke of how my themes and questions should naturally create some informed research and engaging arguments. But they spoke of how it was important to be clear in my argument and not let my essay become over complicated and off topic. This I felt was an extremely valid point and something I had not yet considered in my workings. I also spoke of how I wanted to look at the work of Shepard Fairey and his connection with the Obama Hope campaign, she suggested a book titles 'Art for Obama' that was in the collage library as she was doing the same question and found a lot of really great quotes and examples of these kind of themes in the book. I am definitely going to take this into consideration in my work to create more of a overview of the subject.
Thinking about my overarching themes and questions within this essay I have highlighted firstly the idea that the designer has a obligation and sense of moral consciousness on the issues he or she feels strongly about and responding to this is their second nature. Additionally I am interested How is the designer informed by cultural and political change within their work? How do they use their power to shock? How can they inform and change the state of the world in response to this? These questions should then formulate the outline for my essay and become the outlining element of my argument. Lastly I am also interested in the ambitions of the designer and if their opinions and beliefs come into play when creating any kind of design work.
After discussing my essay plan to a fellow student we spoke of how my themes and questions should naturally create some informed research and engaging arguments. But they spoke of how it was important to be clear in my argument and not let my essay become over complicated and off topic. This I felt was an extremely valid point and something I had not yet considered in my workings. I also spoke of how I wanted to look at the work of Shepard Fairey and his connection with the Obama Hope campaign, she suggested a book titles 'Art for Obama' that was in the collage library as she was doing the same question and found a lot of really great quotes and examples of these kind of themes in the book. I am definitely going to take this into consideration in my work to create more of a overview of the subject.
Bibliography-
2009. Rodchenko & Popova: Defining Constructivism. Tate Publishing
Milton Glaser, 2005. The Design of Dissent: Socially and Politically Driven Graphics. Rockport Publishers.
Shepard Fairey, 2009. Art for Obama: Designing the Campaign for Change. 1st Edition. Harry N. Abrams
I identified these three books as good stating points in my essay as they all relate to this idea of social and political issues informing graphic design. One being on the 1900's Russian work of Rodchenko & Popova, one being more of a essay on 'Socially and Politically Driven Graphics' and the last being an insight into the ambitions of Shepard Fairey in his work for the Obama presidential campaign. I hope these three sources offer a broad overview of my question and highlight similar themes throughout.
Reading and Understanding a Text
Looking through the critical texts for each of these various questions I have looked through a number of them including, Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Muller-Brockmann, The New Typography by Jan Tschichold, Graphic Agitation 2 by L. McQuiston and The design of dissent by Glaser, m. and Iliic, m. I think the general tone of voice throughout all the texts is clear and not very complicated this is done to be accessible to a wider audience and not limit who can read them.
Looking at key points highlighted from these texts I think for the Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Muller-Brockmann it is looking at educating younger designers on the use of grid systems and how this can in power there working, It looks at type and again how using consistent grid systems will always lend itself for better and more precise typefaces.
The New Typography by Jan Tschichold highlights the importance of this more san serif based type system and why it is important, the essence of this being clarity and the need for a more consistence and easy to read typeface within the ever changing world. I think it has a lot of emphasis on the future and how 'new' typography can be a part of this.
Graphic Agitation 2 by L. McQuiston is much more picture heavy compared to the other two texts, looking at example of social and political satire from various places, It feel like more a celebration of this kind of art work and thinking about the impact it has on the world around us. the tone of voice feels much more informal and less educational compared to 'The New Typography' and 'Grid Systems In Graphic Design' due to the overload of pictures and the short statements on each of the images.
Looking at the various essay questions I wanted to think which relate best to my own practice and the kind of graphic design that interests me. This is key as the question will being to formulate my research, ideas and then my actual essay. As essay writing is something I find fairly challenging I felt picking a question that stands out as being open to interpretation and can be answered in many different ways is something very important.
The three questions that stood out to me initially were –
- “To what extent have Modernist design principles influenced contemporary Graphic Design?”
- "To what extent does advertising construct our ideas of gender?"
- “Discuss the role that Graphic Design can play during periods of political and/or social upheaval."
I chose these three as they all clearly have underlining obvious themes, Modernism, Gender and Political and Social upheaval. All that can be explored in very different ways the gender question I feel has a lot to it and their is such a wide range of research too look into like magazines, adverting campaigns tv programs all relating to this idea of an unequal community. Modernism is a subject I personally am very interested in, the work of Mies Van De Rohe and Le Corbusier for example has always greatly inspired me but I have only recently on foundation done a project on modernism and I think setting myself more of a challenge would bode for me interesting outcomes. Due to this I have decided to look at the question exploring Political and Social upheaval, politics in art and design is something with a lot of history and has had a lot of impact on modern culture and politics. I personally am more interested in more activist art and design in response to this upheaval.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
The Design of Dissent
From the quotes from 'The Design of Dissent' by Glaser, M and Ilic the text is quite informal and to the point using fairly simple wording to try and get to the ideas across quickly and effectively. The writer speaks of the importance of political propaganda in the terms of providing a voice for the common man. This is evident from the quote 'It is even more of a miracle that the act of forcing the impossible is, in the history of political revolution, often catalysed by something as flimsy as a poster plastered on a well'. Speaking about the fact a poster is universal language and can be created by anyone, The writer is trying to show how within art that acts against the system there are not conventions of race, gender or social class. The writer discusses the power of the image and how something so simple can really begin to create a change whether it is in politics or social conventions.
The writer is trying to convay the idea of the image and to what extent it can be exploited for social and political justice and that the best cases of propaganda uses the theme of creating something shocking and not commonly seen, The writes speaks about the fact when creating artwork with the intention of sparking change it is essential to created something shocking and eye catching as this is the greatest way of getting a point across and shocking the viewer into submission. This is depicted from the quote 'It is shocking, it is clever- even funny in a grim sort of way'. This idea is a constant theme running through the piece of work the writer speaks again of the idea that something not commonly seen will give the best results. The quote 'Its seems to be, samizsdat, dangerous, forbidden' talking again about the principle of the shock of the new and how this can be used powerfully by the artist or designer.
The writer also speaks of about the importance of the producer and their roll as an informer to the people and how they seem to have a social obligation to create something to act against a common problem within society. He writes about the power of the community in this quote 'a cry of rebellion carrying everywhere at once, a cry all the more powerful for being entirely silent' the fact that when a community speaks out against a issue together there is much more of a impact rather than a single voice. Overall this chapter in the book 'The Design of Dissent' speaks of the importance of propaganda or posters supporting change as this kind of information speaks to the people rather than the politicians and creates common feeling of revolt against injustices in society.
The writer is trying to convay the idea of the image and to what extent it can be exploited for social and political justice and that the best cases of propaganda uses the theme of creating something shocking and not commonly seen, The writes speaks about the fact when creating artwork with the intention of sparking change it is essential to created something shocking and eye catching as this is the greatest way of getting a point across and shocking the viewer into submission. This is depicted from the quote 'It is shocking, it is clever- even funny in a grim sort of way'. This idea is a constant theme running through the piece of work the writer speaks again of the idea that something not commonly seen will give the best results. The quote 'Its seems to be, samizsdat, dangerous, forbidden' talking again about the principle of the shock of the new and how this can be used powerfully by the artist or designer.
The writer also speaks of about the importance of the producer and their roll as an informer to the people and how they seem to have a social obligation to create something to act against a common problem within society. He writes about the power of the community in this quote 'a cry of rebellion carrying everywhere at once, a cry all the more powerful for being entirely silent' the fact that when a community speaks out against a issue together there is much more of a impact rather than a single voice. Overall this chapter in the book 'The Design of Dissent' speaks of the importance of propaganda or posters supporting change as this kind of information speaks to the people rather than the politicians and creates common feeling of revolt against injustices in society.
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