(B1) Out of Context - Post Feedback Developments

FURTHER RESEARCH

David Linchen:

https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/david-linchen-evening-art-310320

It was a Mike Kelley retrospect at Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum which “changed everything for me,” remembers David. “His varied use of visual language and material to speak on a singular subject had a tangible impact on what I thought was possible at the time.”

David combined his graphic design training with this mode of thought, honing in on his dynamic practice. Using the symbolism of recurring marks throughout his works, ultimately, David is interested in how symbols have the power to entangle with our identity. 

David enjoys finding objects in the studio, or across the city or online, and transforming them into gestures.

Alternatively, in his recent work Evening, David blurs a narrative between self-destruction and salvation. With this piece, he pictorially balances between notions of the beginning and the end. Based on the Caspar David Friedrich’s 1825 painting Two Men Contemplating the Moon, in David’s version, “the body is fragmented, and the land meets the sea. It’s ambiguous whether they are coming apart or together,” an element of subtle mystery that appears across all of David's bold and original work.

- The idea of using objects and developing collage to manipulate them into a new image is something that stands out about Linchen's work, this creation of new imagery from previous objects is really exciting. It gives a new appearance and tone to these items.

- The imagery developed is dynamic and has a lot of movement, they appear rather chaotic as they have a sense of battle between different aspects. However, when a less dramatic difference in colour is used the tone is something completely different, more serene and soft.

- Think about the tone of work, how can we use people's work in a way that presents less of an obvious image. Steer away from image manipulation that could be perceived as censoring (remember about the general public). 

(Above) Collage studies, 2020. Acrylic paint and Risograph ink on cut paper collage.

- These collage papercuts have a great sense of ambiguity, these works showcase a range of imagery within one outcome, this is something to bear in mind moving forward with the project.

Keep the principles and ideas surrounding this work in mind throughout the developments.

Ben Clark: Dogs in a Pile

Eleven abstract works inspired by the Grateful Dead.

Ben produced these works which undulate between green, yellow, purple and orange circles featuring in each piece as a visual motif. These kinds of works feature heavily in Ben’s personal practice.

Visually, Dogs In a Pile explores the form and order that Ben had been trying to escape in previous iterations of his personal work. “Most of my past abstract works relied heavily on pattern manipulation and the uncontrollable results of different layers blending together,” he tells us. “For Dogs In A Pile, I wanted to make something that played with mathematical manipulations of form and pattern over time.”

The mathematical manipulation used in these artworks makes for a structured/unstructured aesthetic. The work is something we can recognise due to the systematic manipulation but not something we can visually understand. This play with imagery is really interesting and exciting, it creates something for the audience to try and figure out, they spend time looking at it and trying to understand it. 
- I think this is something that can be carried forward with the branding, the manipulation of an image or concept, how it is portrayed to the audience, and what effect that has. 

The colour palette throughout this book/zine also helps with the recognition and understanding that they're all commenting on something similar or even the same thing. 
- Very minimal colour used so far in the project will help provide consistency and recognition to the branding, keep this when revisiting project. But where could the colour be used, think about this a little more, and the effects. 

Need to think of a new way to present students work that isn't a circle:

- The shapes and how can they be used, thinking more about Linchen's approach to work, how can we take the student work and turn into something else? 

- Manipulation?

- Photography?

- Deconstructing/reconstructing?

Outlining shapes

- Relates to the ambiguous aesthetic theme from brief.

- Shapes don't communicate much, should they be communicating more? 

- Feel like the dashed line could be used within the branding but don't think it is that successful when applied to images of the work.

Adding in rips 1

Adding in rips 2

- Feel the rips look a little cheap, they don't cover enough of the images.

- They have an aesthetic attached to the visual that isn't appealing, especially when there are rips on both sides. The rip on the one side works well, would need to have high quality pictures of work for this. 

- Perhaps try similar idea but without the rip, just placing text.

Could have posters in sections
Section 1

Section 2

When sections 1 and 2 are together

- Feel this idea has more potential, it adds a fun interactive element to the branding without taking over the whole design.

- Editing the images using half tone helps to keep the ambiguous tone of the exhibition. The manipulation creates a new texture and tone for the image, you instantly look at it for longer as you're wanting to figure out what it is. This is good for an advertisement because you want people to engage (both physically on the street but also digitally as it bumps you up in the algorithm on social media). It feels systematic and as though the audience can recognise the treatment, provides a strong visual. 

- The typeface used in these examples is Galvji it has a slight squareness to it which reminds me of digital text, but is still a clean and simple typeface. This would avoid the branding elements (like labels) from being too similar to the subway branding. 

With this placement could have the posters lineup or tessellate so they can be part of a collection or on their own. 

Tessellated posters on illustrator

When printed out the individual posters look like:

- Feel these posters work nicely individually and would look interesting when placed in public.

- The images aren't becoming a graphic they are placed on the page and the branding is more the ambiguity of the image and the style of text. 

Posters in long line on illustrator

When printed individually they'd look like this:

- I think the individual posters are less interesting when in this format, the tessellated poster design led to a large number of different interesting images.

- These posters too look similar, all become one visual unlike the previous experiment. 
- Image manipulation is working though, feels like it's capturing something similar to Ben Clark but with a consistency that's appropriate for public display to then be able to be understood by passersby. 

Think about the type, what can be done with the text?

- Should there be different amounts of information on each poster? 

- Should they all work as individuals?

Start placing this idea onto other elements like invites, catalogue and see what happens. 

Catalogue:

Imagery central

Image left of text

Image edges

> Using the imagery in this way adds a visual to the catalogue but isn't a graphic as there is no defining feature, the imagery is ambiguous. 

> These had a stronger link to the linear posters rather than the tessellated ones, could try a different way of adding in the images that represents this playful nature more.

- Feel the idea of play is key here otherwise with the minimal colour palette the design become dull and not interesting.

> Out of these 3 ideas the images to the edges of the page work well.

- See how this idea works with the tessellated imagery. 

Text in columns

Text in columns

Text not in columns

Text not in columns

> These are much more visually interesting than the previous experiments. Tessellated imagery idea makes each page visually interesting. 

- Need to make sure the imagery doesn't become too much of a distraction.

> Wondering about whether the text should be in a fixed column size or be able to alter depending on the placement of the image?

- Fixed column size makes sure there is some white space on the page, giving the text and images room to breathe, I think it should be kept like this moving forward. 

- Fixed columns also provide some consistency across the pages.

> Need to think about the text, currently using same text as before but in new typeface. 

- Is the grey text working? 

- Does there need to be more contrast? 

Thinking back to poster, having text on individual pieces of paper so they need to be put together wherever they are. 

Then as individual posters:

> Really like these individual posts with lots of white space and small amounts of text.

- Could be a nice idea to introduce quotes from people's research into the catalogue in this way. 

- This idea could also translate to instagram posts, and being swipeable to form a panoramic.

> Should work on the other elements, think instagram and catalogue again.

- Where do these elements work within that?

- How can this design be translated?

Idea about adding in more detailed image of the work to add some layers into the design.

> These feel much more purposeful not a branding choice but like a catalogue.

> Incorporating the full image with no editing it removes the ambiguity of the design.

- I don't think these extra images are needed, they take away from the branding more than they add. 

Experiments for catalogue cover

Taking visuals from previous poster test with spaced out text and applying these to the catalogue.

- Feel they work well and present an interesting ambiguous visual for the exhibition.

- Like the use of a book for the front image as it relate to the catalogue, feel as those the image should be more distorted as to not be recognised easily by the audience since it'll be one piece of work from the whole cohort.

Would want the text to be in RBG if possible keeping the connection to hyperlink text (see below).

- Think image D or A work best.

Cover with RGB Blue

What to do next?

- Finalise posters

- Finalise catalogue

- Work on:

> Flyer

> Instagram

> Email invite

> Labels

What's working well?

- Text looks good with new typeface, and in RGB hyperlink style.

- Imagery working well to provide ambiguity. 

What needs working on?

- The lack of colour could be considered, how could more colour be brought into the branding

- How does the catalogue read, need to think about this when working on it, should be easy to read still.