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I was so excited about this book that I pre-ordered it, and it came today! Not only is the cover one of the best I've seen recently, but it looks to be very relevant to my work.
"In this provocative and enlightening book, Richard Sennet explores the idea of craftsmanship - the desire to do a job well done for its own sake - as a template for living. Pure competition, he argues, will never produce good work. Instead, the values of the craftsman, whether in a Strativari violin workshop or a modern laboratory, can enrich our lives and change the way we anchor ourselves in the world around us."
Exciting stuff.
For the final project of semester one I made this installation to represent the process involved in the development of each project. I realised that the most important discovery I had made on my MA was the process of process. It is not just a linear path, there are junctions and experiences which throw up new ideas and avenues at multiple points in a project, meaning it is impossible to predict where a project may end (or not).I thought that prisms would be an effective metaphor for this, with the prisms representing external influences that throw up more options, from which I have to pick a path. I used wool to make the light (referencing my own personal interest in knitting and craft based materials), and used the same material to construct a large spiderweb sprawling along the back wall. Using the same material is meant to represent the fact that I then use these paths to 'capture' ideas. In the installation there is also a wastepaper bin full of scrunched up tin foil, rather than paper. This shows that all research and ideas are valid, even if they're crap. You have to get them out your system, and may potentially help uncover a better idea. On the back wall behind this all there is a small piece of card with the beginnings of a manifesto for my working method, which reads:Don't try and predict where an idea may take youExternal influences lead to new perspectivesAll research is valuableNice paper is essentialMake somethingWho is it for?For a piece that was conceived and produced in two days, I'm pleased with the outcome. It has led to potential new routes to follow in the rest of the year, which is pretty exciting. More to follow I hope...
I'd been keeping my eye out for the 50p to complete the set of coins designed by Matthew Dent for the Royal Mint, and was lucky enough to get one in Tescos the other day, how it made my day! But then, alas, I had to use the twenty and ten to get a bus, back to the drawing board. More muttering over change outside shops to come, what joy.
This is the mock-up of my book jacket for the Penguin Design Award brief for The Secret History by Donna Tartt. It isn't how I was envisioning it at the beginning of the project, but I suppose that is only a good thing, as it shows that I've adapted and analysed the brief and my own development of the project as I went along.
It is a matt white cover, with type in members of the Fruitiger family. There is then a dust jacket in red card with ivy leaves printed on in greyscale, which sprawls over the cover, hiding some of the copy. I added a layer of sticky backed plastic to indicate a high gloss finish. It is only a partial dustjacket, a job for a laser cutter (or me with a very sharp scalpel). I wanted to represent the secrets and deception in the story through layers, so all was not obvious to the viewer on first glance. I chose white because of the snow that the second victim is hidden underneath, but also the description 'the river ran white', which stuck in my head. The ivy on the dustjacket refers to both the symbol of Bacchus, but also another line from the same passage about the ivy running up the trees before their eyes. The way it sprawls over the cover is related to this also, and causes an uncomfortable feeling. The similarity to a blood spatter could also be mentioned.
I only made the choice to go down this route a few days before the final crit, so there are still tweaks to make on the typography and I also want to tackle the end papers etc inside. The paper stocks aren't quite right yet either, I want a very matt, maybe slightly textured stiff paper for the white, and a high gloss for the semi-dustjacket. Neil Buchannen would be proud of my application of sticky backed plastic...
Foxes are one of the animals connected to the Greek god Bacchus, the study of which is a key theme in The Secret History. This is a picture of how a fox pounces on it's prey - something that looks quite ridiculous really, not very predator-like.
... is this book! And that is what I found under the tree on Christmas Day. One of my favourite books and a very covetable object that will take pride of place on my book shelf. Second on my list of presents was a frog shaped tape measure, I'm such a wild child.
Well after a refreshing break its back to the studio and the drawing board (my Grandpa's old Rotring), results of which will follow shortly. During the holiday I went down to Penzance just for the heck of it and found this treasure trove of a book shop. I took some photos to help pad out my research for the Penguin book jacket competition, there were some beautiful examples of old book jackets, especially the ones without dust jackets. Oh and happy birthday me. The big two three.
As our first competition brief, I have initially decided to do the Penguin book jacket competition, this year the chosen title is The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I first read this book about five years ago at my local book group in Sidmouth. It completely captured my imagination (unlike a few of the older members of the group!), and I re-read it several times. I've decided to come up with some ideas before reading it again, as the images and feelings I have of the book at present are so vivid, it would be best to explore them now.
On Friday we had an induction on the laser cutter (no Mr Bond, I expect you to die!) and were asked to bring an A5 vector image to practice with. As I was looking at the rites and rituals performed in the name of the Greek god Bacchus for The Secret History, I chose to draw images of the signs and symbols related to him. These include: a serpent, grapevines, ivy, a bull, foxskin, panthers and other big cats, pinecones and aulos (recorder type instrument). The laser cutter was amazing! So precise and fast! Definitely want to use it again. It was just an experiment, so I'm not sure what I'll do with them all, although the foxskin would make a fantastic brooch...
P.S. here is the link to the Penguin competition page for the whole brief and mini summary of the book... http://www.penguin.co.uk/static/cs/uk/0/minisites/penguindesignaward/brief.php
The parcel arrived at the studio the other week - the new D&AD annuals! The industry one is a beautiful object crammed with great work as per usual, and the student one was also very impressive. This was what I managed to get in there! Although this is a better image than the one I sent off. It was for the Ted Baker environmentally conscious packaging. I'm still not sure if I want to do one this year, there is the added pressure of being an MA student, and having been in it the year before, but we'll see.
This is a first experiment for a little book, a short story by young author Daisy Hat. I really loved the descriptions and they evoked such images, I wanted to illustrate them and practice my layout skills etc. This is rough though. The copy for this spread reads:
'This one looked less agreeable. Perhaps it was the semi-orgasmic sounds leaching from it, or the purple smoke curling from the gap beneath, or the unmistakable ‘Fuck Off!’ engraved vigorously above the handle. It was difficult to say. I wiggled my face and rapped sharply upon it. There was a long pause. I knocked again. I heard a bolt being slid unhurriedly sideways.'
copyright Daisy Hat. More of Daisy can be found here - thevagabonddiaries.blogspot.com
I'm not the most experienced knitter, but I do like to make more than just scarves. This is a finished slipper for my aunt, its a duck's foot if you can't tell! (And I wouldn't blame you if you couldn't!) The partner is coming along nicely. My last project was a massive banana, so this was a good way of using up all the yellow wool I had lying around!
Today we got to work in a medium not normally tackled by graphic designers - it is a lot more permanent than paper, it was STONE! Yesterday John Neilson came down to demonstrate his craft, and then we had to design some type of our own to carve. As we only had a day, it had to be a maximum of four letters, and here's the result! It was quite an intimidating process to begin with, but I really got into it and had a fantastic time. Spending so much time concentrating on the form of such a few letters was a great opportunity, although we didn't really have much time to design them in the first place. I love working with my hands and the act of the craft, so this was a perfect 'provocateur challenge' for me. I'd love to try it again, but I'm sure it will influence my process when working with other materials as well.
On Friday (07/11/08), Alex and I went up to Londonium to the wonderous St Brides Library, for a day of appreciation of the hand printed letter. Among those talking were: Alan May (the guy that made the Gutenburg press for Stephen Fry's BBC program), Harry McIntosh (a visionary - he's made software so that he can cast Monotype composit straight from his laptop [not a Mac as his name suggests]), Patrick Walker from Dust (nice stuff www.studio-dust.com), all topped off with words from the amazing Alan Kitching and his partner Celia Stothard. It was a great day, definitely worth the six and a half hour train journey and boiling hostel. We also went to The Serpentine Gallery, the Gerhard Richter exhibit is definitely worth a visit.
So we got to the Eden Project with our suitcases, not sure what to expect. After hearing Sue Hill (Art Director of Eden Project) speak about her background in outdoor theatre and what her company's next project was, we realised we were being used! She was doing research for the play, which is about the future and what people would want to take with them. We then showed everone in the group what we had packed, then split into groups and using Blue Peter style materials were asked to make a view of what we thought the future could possibly look like. Ours is some kind of I Am Legend inspired world, where the man-made has been overtaken by nature and a few humans survive to repopulate the world. Not that this isn't an interesting point, the way we're abusing the planet, who knows what it'll look like in one hundred years time, but it is quite hard to communicate this through the medium of cardboard and electrical tape. Somehow you can see our hearts weren't in this challenge... (nice trip out though!)
We're off to The Eden Project tomorrow, and we were set a preparatory brief. "You are leaving home. You don't know if you will ever return. You are part of an exodus into an unknown future. Pack a small, portable box or suitcase. Choose 7 things that you think will be essential, or precious to you. You may choose intimate things that tell your story, that remind you of who you are. You may choose things without which your life would be unbearable. Think quickly: you do not have much time. Pack lightly, you are a nomad now. We are leaving..."Hmmm. Interesting. Not quite sure where it going to take us (thats part of the challenge isn't it), so in my suitcase I will be taking: paper and pens/pencils, the complete works of Jane Austen, my favourite scarf which I never leave home without, a toothbrush (boring but essential), needle and thread, photos of my family and friends and some packets of flower seeds. I was just going to bring a towel and a packet of peanuts (Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy? No my housemate didn't get it either), but I'm sure I'll survive. A babelfish might be useful, but now I sound like a proper nerd. I'm not. Not a proper one anyway. Wish me luck!
Mental first few weeks on the MA, here we are with some work for the first project. It was a self reflection brief, I made up these 'things', surreal objects combining different parts of my life to date. I started with the illustrations, then made stories to go with them then went the whole hog and had an exhibition in a cupboard with a catalogue and poster etc. Here is Saxa Phatanga, a flower found in the foothills of the alps, and makes a sound like a soprano saxaphone when the wind goes by. So far the course has been amazing, we've met some fascinating people. I think I'm getting more into gear so will try to be more regular with this, Eden Project brief next tuesday, yey!
I'm doing some postcards about my like/dislikes etc, I do indeed like both hand drawn type and magpies. Start my MA on monday, eep!
