Friday
Natural development.
From my intial statement my project has changed alot. I know this and understand why. To begin I was focused on text as during my Project Ten I focused mainly on images. From doing so I felt confident about working with imagery and decided that I should maybe try to push myself to go out of my comfort zone. This was the reasoning behind choosing to work with text. Once I began looking into text and working with it I knew that it was exciting me enough. I wasn't passionate about my project and this was a problem. So I decided that rather than working with the written work I would work with the unspoken word and how we decide to portray our lives through imagery. I learnt from Project 10 that I was more comfortable working with my own imagery, creating vectors and working on Illustrator. I though that by working with other people photographs I would be pushing myself again. I started to get excited about the idea of working with images however I wasn't working to my full potential, I was drifting away from my time plan and was spending all of my time thinking rather than doing. Steve agreed that my personal style wasn't coming through in my work and set about finding a new direction. After finding the artist Bettler I was on the right track. I hope that I will now start creating practical work now and begin to get back on track with my time plan. My work is now dealing with interactive communication methods. Creating alternatives to social networks. I feel that this is still dealing with the subject I began with and I think that this growth and change in direction is healthy.
Thursday
Final Show.
Cup Phone Piece
This piece was created on site, using two boards which I had previously thrown chalk at 200 times. Where the chalk hit I drilled holes ready for the string. I made this piece by making holes in the bottom of each cup, I then threaded string through tying a knot in the end. I then threaded the other end of the string through a random hole in the board, threading it through another random hole in the second board until it came out of the other side. I then pulled it tight and tied a knot in the string next to the board, I then threaded the string through the second cup and carefully pushed the cup over the knot. There is currently around 50 something cups on this piece, falling short of the 100 I had originally planned. However there was no reasoning behind the number 100. Before I started the piece I tied a few strings through the boards and used the friction and tautness of the string to hold the boards up. However with this being an interactive piece it is now hinged to the boards to help support. During this piece I encountered some problems. For some reason the cups weren't working and all you could hear was a muffled sound, I had previously tested putting the cups through boards so I knew that they worked. However with all of the back ground noise in the mez it was hard to hear a thing. After playing around with them I discovered if the string was a little slacker it actually worked better. If I was to do this piece again I would pick a number of cups and a reason why. I would also allow myself more time as I did not know that I would take me so long.
Pipe Piece
This piece was originally meant to go at the back of the mez towards the windows however with my pieces going up nearer to the end of installation time everyone elses work was blocking the way. My tutor was also unsure of just how we could hang it. However her later noticed that we could use the railing on the other side of the room to support the pipe. To make this piece we ducted tapped the pipes together and feed them through along the railing, my tutor then cut holes in the boards to allow the ends to show. Covers were then made to neaten the edges. If I was to do this piece again I would consider the placement more carefully as in the end I was not able to create the desired outcome. However it works just as well and that is the basic need. I am happy that it works and the it is places in an accessible area.
Telephone Pipe
This piece is similar to the piece above however it is made using two pipes which cross over in the middle, meaning that one persons ear piece goes to the other persons mouth piece and vise versa. This piece is an easier way of communicating and I hope the people will end up talking to people they may not know as they wonder whether it actually works. I think people will be surprised at how well it actually does work and may therefore have a conversation about the piece whilst using the piece. This was made by holding the two pipes across the corners of the mez, we had to be careful not to drop them as there were people sitting below and it could have cause an accident. Once we had figured out the placement of the pipes we could saw a hole into the boards, making sure the angle was right. When the holes were done we passed the pipe in place and secured a plank of wood above to hold the pipe firmly in place, the second pipe was then able to slot in between the wood and the top of the hole, but for safety we screwed the pipes in place. I was happy with this piece as it worked well. If I was to do it again or had more time I may have neatened up its appearance.
Nan Goldin
During our trip to Berlin I was able to see some of Goldin’s work up close. When first glanced these images seemed to hold a 3D quality which instantly drew you in. These images were lit from behind and shown in a dark area, this technique seems to inject the photograph with a sense of life, somehow making the moment captured become more than a flat photograph but rather that, an intense moment frozen in time. The lighting also allowed the vivid or gloomy colours to intensify.
Goldin’s work instantly reminds me of one of my favourite musicals, RENT, which tells the story of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive in a bohemian New York. Clouded by HIVE/AIDS and substance abuse they take art as their outlet. Its this concept of a Generation X which interests me (a theme used by one of my favourite artists David Hancock) the idea of a rebellious culture, for example, the mods, punks and bohemians. What strengthens this musicals is the real life experience from the creator Jonathan Larson, this is also apparent in Goldin’s work.
This is the reason I feel Goldin’s work fits in to my own. Slightly moving away from my initial statement talking about the use of information in a quite serious manor I’m now starting to look at the information in a personal manor and how we as individuals say what we want to say, through the use of statues, tweets and photographs on social networking sights. The photographs that appear on each individuals Facebook profile are their own personal series of autobiographical works.
Postbox idea - scanned letters
Trying to stray away from the use of technology I wanted to do something involving the old tradition of writing letters. Even though my own experience of writing letters wasn't a great success I thought that this shouldn't stop me. One idea that I had was setting up a desk against a wall with a chair in front. On the desk I would offer people free paper, envelopes, stamps and supply them with a pen to write with. Once they had written the letter to the person of their choice I would offer to deliver the letter at the end of the week. The only condition being that they had to scan the letter before enclosing it and posting it through the postbox on the wall that the desk was up against. On the opposite side of this wall would be a plastic see through box collecting the letters and above this would be a screen displaying the scanned letters. I was curious to know just how open people would write when they knew that their letter was about to be shown. I would also be interested to see if people accepted this offer to write a letter if I was supplying them with the materials. And the knock on effect of displaying written letters, would this make people also want to participate and would it open them up to the lost art of letter writing? Could I bring back an old form of communication?
We also had the idea of making two postboxes and attaching them together by the letterbox, inside would be a table and chair and the equipment needed to write a letter. By changing the distance you would get replies faster, would people enjoy sitting down to write? Also with the two people not being able to see each other would they care that they were talking to a stranger?
We also had the idea of making two postboxes and attaching them together by the letterbox, inside would be a table and chair and the equipment needed to write a letter. By changing the distance you would get replies faster, would people enjoy sitting down to write? Also with the two people not being able to see each other would they care that they were talking to a stranger?
Pipes continued...
Its Thursday the 26th of May, the last day of teaching. The day when the all the main decisions for our show need to be sorted. Being the most indecisive person ever doesn't make this easy, yesterday I spoke to Steve, Gary and Al concerning my pipe piece and in return I now have 3 great ideas. You would think that this would be a good thing, but for me it's purely daunting. I'm not the most stressed person when it comes to work, but I know that I am truly stressed when art starts to take a role in my dreams. Last night was no different, I dreamt that I was at the petrol station just down the road from college, and I was so desperate for pipes that I decided to take the pipes attached to the nozzle for filling up the car. I pulled it out and made a swift exit whilst it trailed behind me... art what are you doing to me?
Back to the matter in hand. After speaking to Steve about the show we kept listing the pieces I knew I would defiantly display. 1. The cups, 2. The pulley, 3. The pipes. When it dawned on me, what would I actually be doing with these pipes? I knew I wanted to explore the option, and I thought that it may be a great tool, but it was crazy for me to be thinking these things without having actually experimented with them. I was yet to make a piece that I was so certain I would be displaying. So I spent the best part of a morning cleaning out the pipes that Steve had found on an industrial estate; he likes to think of himself as a magpie, we see him more as a crazy man on the rob fuelled by his crazy artistic mind.
After my hands were red from cleaning and I was scarred for life after a spider crawled out of the pipe, I could finally start using them. During the cleaning process me and my friends had played around with the pipes, and I was shocked to see just how well they carried the sound. During a tutorial with Steve I pulled all of the pipes into the corridor and set about connecting the tubes, we could only find some barely sticky tape so I was worried it would let the sound escape. I started to tape the pipes together using art trestles to support the joints. I was amazed again at how extending the pipes didn't lessen its ability to carry the sound, there was something wonderful at just how quietly you could whisper and just how clearly the other person could hear you. This made me think maybe pipes should be used more often for those secret conversations.
After the day was spent playing with the pipes I knew that I wanted to use them, I now just have to decide
how I want to present them. With three alternative options this isn't going to be easy :
Option One : To create a D.I.Y inspired pipe travelling the length of the mez, created with different pipes, attached together with some form of rubber joint to allow movement, and hung to head height using some form of rope or chain. The raw form was inspired by the pipes raw charm, something so simple yet so effective.
Option Two : To create a sculpture out of the same pipe, using real plumbing joints to create angles, it would then become a 'web'. This would also be suspended mid air to create a strong look.
Option Three : To take two pipes and to cross them over, meaning that each end would have opposite ear and mouth piece's. These pipes would then be hidden and all you would see would be two holes in the wall. This brings the focus back on to the pure communication aspect. I could position these holes so that you could not see the other person on the other side of the room. Or I could place the holes higher up and make steps up to them, allowing each person to see each other from across the room. With the act of stepping up creating a private sense by the fact that you are the only people to be on this level.
I felt that these three alternatives each had something unique and would all make for good pieces. Option one and three focused more on the communication aspect. Option two made the piece not only a communication device but a sculpture also. As I was walking down the corridor I heard a whisper saying 'sculptureeeee' I turned around to see Gary. At this point as an artist/designer this idea was appealing to me perhaps more than the others. This was because when it comes to my work I can be a bit of a perfectionist, and if the physical outcome isn't perfect I will never be happy with that piece. I like my lines to be smooth, and my elements to be bold and this piece would allow me to satisfy my perfectionist side. However I worried that this was perhaps clouding my judgement and I expressed my concern over the fact the other two were more focused on the concept and perhaps the sculpture alternative was taking away from this and basing it on physical appearance, he replied saying 'yes but why cant it be about both?'.
Graphic Design is visual communication. We communicate through images and type. Thinking about the sculpture I knew that it would be visually strong, something good graphic design is, although I wondered would it be visually strong in the right way? Would the purely pleasing aesthetics distract your from the point, that this is a piece to be used, to be interacted with to aid communication?
Option two's DIY style would also look interesting, playing on its 'found object' charm. Although I worried just where it would be able to go. After all there will be 30 or so students displaying their work also, and the mez isn't the biggest of places. My tutors told me not to worry but I couldn't help but do so. By making a somewhat site pacific piece I had to think about the space. I was worried not only that I may get in the way of everyone elses work but also because the space may not compliment my work. In a clean white space this found object suspended would become a large focal point, but in a space filled with varied work would it just like a random mess in the middle of the room.
For this reason I am now warming towards option three. To begin I didn't like the fact that the pipes where hidden, I felt this took away from the charm, but I'm now realising with the pipes hidden the piece becomes very clean and simple, much like the concept. I want to make alternative interactive ways of communicating, which creates a more personal experience and conversation. Bring people face to face, making them go that extra mile to talk to each other (or in this case an extra few steps). It takes the focus away from the object (pipes) and brings it to the conversation and experience itself.
The use of pipes reminded me of the work we had previously seen in the Liverpool Biennial by Rosa Barba. She used large industrial pipes to capture the sound of the underground and transport it to the gallery.
Back to the matter in hand. After speaking to Steve about the show we kept listing the pieces I knew I would defiantly display. 1. The cups, 2. The pulley, 3. The pipes. When it dawned on me, what would I actually be doing with these pipes? I knew I wanted to explore the option, and I thought that it may be a great tool, but it was crazy for me to be thinking these things without having actually experimented with them. I was yet to make a piece that I was so certain I would be displaying. So I spent the best part of a morning cleaning out the pipes that Steve had found on an industrial estate; he likes to think of himself as a magpie, we see him more as a crazy man on the rob fuelled by his crazy artistic mind.
After my hands were red from cleaning and I was scarred for life after a spider crawled out of the pipe, I could finally start using them. During the cleaning process me and my friends had played around with the pipes, and I was shocked to see just how well they carried the sound. During a tutorial with Steve I pulled all of the pipes into the corridor and set about connecting the tubes, we could only find some barely sticky tape so I was worried it would let the sound escape. I started to tape the pipes together using art trestles to support the joints. I was amazed again at how extending the pipes didn't lessen its ability to carry the sound, there was something wonderful at just how quietly you could whisper and just how clearly the other person could hear you. This made me think maybe pipes should be used more often for those secret conversations.
After the day was spent playing with the pipes I knew that I wanted to use them, I now just have to decide
how I want to present them. With three alternative options this isn't going to be easy :
Option One : To create a D.I.Y inspired pipe travelling the length of the mez, created with different pipes, attached together with some form of rubber joint to allow movement, and hung to head height using some form of rope or chain. The raw form was inspired by the pipes raw charm, something so simple yet so effective.
Option Two : To create a sculpture out of the same pipe, using real plumbing joints to create angles, it would then become a 'web'. This would also be suspended mid air to create a strong look.
Option Three : To take two pipes and to cross them over, meaning that each end would have opposite ear and mouth piece's. These pipes would then be hidden and all you would see would be two holes in the wall. This brings the focus back on to the pure communication aspect. I could position these holes so that you could not see the other person on the other side of the room. Or I could place the holes higher up and make steps up to them, allowing each person to see each other from across the room. With the act of stepping up creating a private sense by the fact that you are the only people to be on this level.
I felt that these three alternatives each had something unique and would all make for good pieces. Option one and three focused more on the communication aspect. Option two made the piece not only a communication device but a sculpture also. As I was walking down the corridor I heard a whisper saying 'sculptureeeee' I turned around to see Gary. At this point as an artist/designer this idea was appealing to me perhaps more than the others. This was because when it comes to my work I can be a bit of a perfectionist, and if the physical outcome isn't perfect I will never be happy with that piece. I like my lines to be smooth, and my elements to be bold and this piece would allow me to satisfy my perfectionist side. However I worried that this was perhaps clouding my judgement and I expressed my concern over the fact the other two were more focused on the concept and perhaps the sculpture alternative was taking away from this and basing it on physical appearance, he replied saying 'yes but why cant it be about both?'.
Graphic Design is visual communication. We communicate through images and type. Thinking about the sculpture I knew that it would be visually strong, something good graphic design is, although I wondered would it be visually strong in the right way? Would the purely pleasing aesthetics distract your from the point, that this is a piece to be used, to be interacted with to aid communication?
Option two's DIY style would also look interesting, playing on its 'found object' charm. Although I worried just where it would be able to go. After all there will be 30 or so students displaying their work also, and the mez isn't the biggest of places. My tutors told me not to worry but I couldn't help but do so. By making a somewhat site pacific piece I had to think about the space. I was worried not only that I may get in the way of everyone elses work but also because the space may not compliment my work. In a clean white space this found object suspended would become a large focal point, but in a space filled with varied work would it just like a random mess in the middle of the room.
For this reason I am now warming towards option three. To begin I didn't like the fact that the pipes where hidden, I felt this took away from the charm, but I'm now realising with the pipes hidden the piece becomes very clean and simple, much like the concept. I want to make alternative interactive ways of communicating, which creates a more personal experience and conversation. Bring people face to face, making them go that extra mile to talk to each other (or in this case an extra few steps). It takes the focus away from the object (pipes) and brings it to the conversation and experience itself.
The use of pipes reminded me of the work we had previously seen in the Liverpool Biennial by Rosa Barba. She used large industrial pipes to capture the sound of the underground and transport it to the gallery.
Adult pipes?
When I spoke about the idea of the pipe piece I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. I felt like a bit of a cheat using an existing technique so I wanted to think of a new way to create the same act of interaction. Mainly aimed at adults I found myself looking into the use of technology.
I thought that rather than using pipes I could use microphones and speakers, after all even though I was looking to use pipes as a material it was the distance between the two people speaking which interested me. So I came up with the idea of having two different areas within the exhibition space, each of these areas would contain a microphone and a speaker. Each microphone would be connected to the opposite spaces speaker, so that when somebody spoke in Area A, their voice would be heard in Area B and when spoke in Area B they would be heard in Area A. I expected that when people walked into each space they would be slightly confused, however I hoped that once a voice would heard they would begin to ask questions about the piece to the people in the opposite area, this would then begin the interaction and hopefully a conversation may start.
I quite liked this idea however I didn't like the fact that I was bring technology back into mix, so far with my pulley and cup phones they held a certain childlike simple charm and I wondered whether by bring in technology the idea lost its playful side.
I would have liked to have created this piece however with exams and deadlines looming for the A levels getting and setting up this equipment isn't the easiest job.
I thought that rather than using pipes I could use microphones and speakers, after all even though I was looking to use pipes as a material it was the distance between the two people speaking which interested me. So I came up with the idea of having two different areas within the exhibition space, each of these areas would contain a microphone and a speaker. Each microphone would be connected to the opposite spaces speaker, so that when somebody spoke in Area A, their voice would be heard in Area B and when spoke in Area B they would be heard in Area A. I expected that when people walked into each space they would be slightly confused, however I hoped that once a voice would heard they would begin to ask questions about the piece to the people in the opposite area, this would then begin the interaction and hopefully a conversation may start.
I quite liked this idea however I didn't like the fact that I was bring technology back into mix, so far with my pulley and cup phones they held a certain childlike simple charm and I wondered whether by bring in technology the idea lost its playful side.
I would have liked to have created this piece however with exams and deadlines looming for the A levels getting and setting up this equipment isn't the easiest job.
Finding pipes...
It was during my pulley research where I came across pipes being used for communication. I was looking into methods prisoners used to talk to each other, focusing on the written word. However I came across a prison design which was put in place during the 1800's. This prison concept was based on the 'seperate system' which focused on the punishment of silence. Within the Pentonville penitentiary prisoners were forbidden to talk to each other and stripped of their identity, with each man being a number, holding no name. When together each man had to wear a cap called a 'peak' which covered their face. During exercise prisoners walked in silent rows, guided by holding a rope with knots tied at five yard intervals to keep each man apart from the next. Whilst in chapel each man sat in there own cubical, with their heads only visible to the warder. During hymns the men sang loudly as this was the only time they were allowed to use their voice, some spoke to the man next to him whilst the other men's singing masked their voices. This punishment was based upon the theory that 'a person unable to communicate to other human beings will be broken far more quickly by silence than by any other form of punishment.' However it was another piece of information that interested me, to begin the men were given the luxury of a water - closest (i.e a room with a toilet) however these were later replaced with vile smelling recesses as their pipes were used for communicating throughout the prison. (http://www.historyhome.co.uk/peel/laworder/penton.htm)
After reading this I began to research into pipes as a form of communication and found that they were in fact used more literary as a device, these were named 'voicepipes' or 'speaking tubes'. Voicepipes were often used in ships, the fact that they did not depend on electricity was a large advantage and this ensures that they will work even when physically damaged. These voicepipes often had some form of funnel to speak down, with a hinged lid keeping away any water spray, labelled to the room they were connected with. It was not only ships that used these but also some aeroplanes, this was because a voice could be heard perfectly over a loud engine noise.
Now have you ever wondered why we such expressions like 'I'll get him on the blower', why would we call a phone 'the blower'? This term in fact comes from the days of speaking tubes. Speaking tubes were most commonly found within wealthy homes or offices and were used as a way of communicating from room to room. Each pipe had a removable whistle attached, to begin a conversation Person A would remove his whistle, he would then blow down the tube sounding Person B's whistle, he would then remove his whistle and conversation could take place. A firms statement on performance reported "Two persons standing at each end of a simple tin pipe, 1 inch in diameter, 50 to 100 feet or more long, with several elbows in it, and carried through a half a dozen rooms, can still converse quite readily in a low voice." Another occurrence of a speaking pipe is within expensive cars, this allowed the passenger to speak to the chauffeur through a divide. I find it interesting that such a simple and common object was used by the wealthy. (http://www.aqpl43.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/COMMS/voicepipe/voicepipe.htm#speak)
After speaking to Tasha about my new found interest in pipes she seemed to know exactly what I was talking about and then said 'oh yeah, like those pipes in the playgrounds?'. Now when she said this I had no idea what she was talking about but it turned out alot of my classmates did, I guess I must have had a deprived childhood. She explained that in playgrounds you could find pipes that travelled underneath some of the playground equipment, they often had covers with holes in and children used them to speak to other children whether they knew them or not. When I heard of this it automatically made me like the idea even more. After creating the cup phones and the pulley I saw my project gaining a childish side, and I quite liked it. I love the idea that when you are a child you find it so easy to talk to other children, making conversation with children that we don't know. Surely as we grow up we're meant to gain confidence? Yet when a situation arises where adults have to talk to a stranger it is easy to feel intimidated. I know I cant change this attitude with the use of pipes but perhaps I can encourage people to act a little more childish and loosen up in the name of art.
After I had heard about these playground pipes I thought it would be stupid of me not to go and visit them since as their was apparently one in a restaurants playground just 10 minutes walk away. So that same day me and Tasha walked to Mascrat Manor on a hunt for some pipes to play with. Now I have to say this was a strange experience since as they're were children playing on this very small playground and I had to understand that I needed to be careful when trying to take photographs of the pipes.
After reading this I began to research into pipes as a form of communication and found that they were in fact used more literary as a device, these were named 'voicepipes' or 'speaking tubes'. Voicepipes were often used in ships, the fact that they did not depend on electricity was a large advantage and this ensures that they will work even when physically damaged. These voicepipes often had some form of funnel to speak down, with a hinged lid keeping away any water spray, labelled to the room they were connected with. It was not only ships that used these but also some aeroplanes, this was because a voice could be heard perfectly over a loud engine noise.
Now have you ever wondered why we such expressions like 'I'll get him on the blower', why would we call a phone 'the blower'? This term in fact comes from the days of speaking tubes. Speaking tubes were most commonly found within wealthy homes or offices and were used as a way of communicating from room to room. Each pipe had a removable whistle attached, to begin a conversation Person A would remove his whistle, he would then blow down the tube sounding Person B's whistle, he would then remove his whistle and conversation could take place. A firms statement on performance reported "Two persons standing at each end of a simple tin pipe, 1 inch in diameter, 50 to 100 feet or more long, with several elbows in it, and carried through a half a dozen rooms, can still converse quite readily in a low voice." Another occurrence of a speaking pipe is within expensive cars, this allowed the passenger to speak to the chauffeur through a divide. I find it interesting that such a simple and common object was used by the wealthy. (http://www.aqpl43.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/COMMS/voicepipe/voicepipe.htm#speak)
After speaking to Tasha about my new found interest in pipes she seemed to know exactly what I was talking about and then said 'oh yeah, like those pipes in the playgrounds?'. Now when she said this I had no idea what she was talking about but it turned out alot of my classmates did, I guess I must have had a deprived childhood. She explained that in playgrounds you could find pipes that travelled underneath some of the playground equipment, they often had covers with holes in and children used them to speak to other children whether they knew them or not. When I heard of this it automatically made me like the idea even more. After creating the cup phones and the pulley I saw my project gaining a childish side, and I quite liked it. I love the idea that when you are a child you find it so easy to talk to other children, making conversation with children that we don't know. Surely as we grow up we're meant to gain confidence? Yet when a situation arises where adults have to talk to a stranger it is easy to feel intimidated. I know I cant change this attitude with the use of pipes but perhaps I can encourage people to act a little more childish and loosen up in the name of art.
After I had heard about these playground pipes I thought it would be stupid of me not to go and visit them since as their was apparently one in a restaurants playground just 10 minutes walk away. So that same day me and Tasha walked to Mascrat Manor on a hunt for some pipes to play with. Now I have to say this was a strange experience since as they're were children playing on this very small playground and I had to understand that I needed to be careful when trying to take photographs of the pipes.
On Kawara
On Kawara is a New York based Japanese conceptual artist.
Today Series : The Today series (Date paintings) are paintings consisting entirely on the date on which they were painted, this is executed in simple white lettering against a solid background. The date is always painted in white and Kawara hand draws each character ,expertly rendering the script. To begin this was a elongated version of Gill Sans but now takes shape as the modernist Futura. The date is always centered and painted white however the background colours vary, for example the earlier painting were always bold but more recently have been darker in nature. Red was used for a period of time in 1967 but then returned to darker hues in 1977. Each canvas is given five coats, one of Kawara’s many self inflicted rules.
Each date is written grammatically correct to the country in which it was painted. For example if in the US the date will begin with the name of the month followed by the date and they year. All canvases conform to one of eight standard sizes and lie horizontal. If the painting is not completed on the same day that it was started he will immediately destroy that said painting.
When a Date Painting is not being displayed it is to be found in a cardboard box custom made for that painting. This box is lined with a local newspaper from the same date and city where it was made. Some days he will make more than one and each year between 63 and 241 paintings are made.Each Date Painting is marked on a One Hundred Years Calendar and registered in a journal. A small rectangular swatch of the colour paint used is then added to the journal along with the paintings size and newspaper headline. This project is planned to end only with Kawara’s death.
I personally love the Today Series because of the pure repetition and the somewhat personal sacrifice. I think to do something so simple needs this form of commitment to make it a truly remarkable series. However certain things seem to annoy me, the fact that the canvases come in eight different sizes and the fact that he can miss a day or do two within the same day. To me this just seems, how should I say, ‘wishy washy’, in substance and character and perhaps contradicting in connection to the commitment aspect. My personal preference would be that one had to be done everyday, with less variation in sizes, creating a more controlled piece. But then I guess these breaks in the chain give an insight into the fact that he is after all a human being, which intern gives a certain charm to what is a strict monotonous act. Recently Kawara has stopped lining the boxes in a newspaper from that day. Perhaps this was too much fuss? Does the series really need it, after all the series seems so simple, yet with all of the extra added elements such as the journal and boxes, it starts to become somewhat complicated and hassled. Or possibly the newspaper simply says too much, it gives an insight into that day, telling of significant events, maybe Kawara just wanted it to be seen as a passing day, individual yet not significant. I guess that’s another thing which grates on me when looking into On Kawara’s work, just what is it that he want us to take from this series?
I found On Kawara’s work relevant to mine inspiring the boxed tweet piece. I personally liked the effort that went into the Today Series when it came to create individual boxes for the paintings. I feel that by boxing an item you give it a value, showing that its worthy of being protected.
Boxed Tweet Piece :
12pm -
Alan Shearer is an atmosphere vacuum.
11pm -
NNNN NINETEEN
10pm -
Is that Wilko Johnson I just saw in Game Of Thrones?
9pm -
My last point - Pr's shouldn't send a whole product range to one blogger!
8pm -
Think definitely how they think you have alot of readers needs to change! GFC isn't gd enough
7pm -
Ah it's that time of year where girls experiment with hair extensions and make up in time for prom season. So British!
6pm -
If anything, those
5pm -
if i say sweeeeaaarrrr down on radio again.... sigh.... haha
4pm -
3pm -
"do you have any guernsey in you? No? Do you want some???" hahaha
2pm -
ahhh Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is coming on... not seen it in at least 6 yrs! :)
1pm -
2 hours to go and 9 people are already having a bidding war, I refuse to pay over £20 :(
12pm -
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TheDiaryOfJay Jay Freeman Tasha26 Natasha @LurpakButter adverts have only help increase my consumption of perfect cheesy omelettes, not butter. haha.REGYATES REGYATES Gemmarghhh Gemma Young @kateaufait I know its so sad :( they already had me bidding about 20, bastards :( I need to go shopping to cheer myself up now hahaeldave_ed Dave Makeup_Savvy Fee Gemmarghhh Gemma Young TheRealAmiJames Ami James @SmithCoDesigns: @TheRealAmiJames do you or your guys make personal appearances at events?” Yes but it depends... Makeup_Savvy Fee #bbloggersMakeup_Savvy Fee #bbloggersjupitusphillip Phillip Jupitus #itbloodywasTheDiaryOfJay Jay Freeman NathanThomas8 Nathan Thomas #nineteen
Group crit : 2
During the second group crit we was told to pick our own groups. We all knew that we should mix up our groups and not go into groups with people we are usually with but before we had any say in the matter the groups had formed into the usual friendship groups. This left me, Kayle, Jade and Aimee together. Since as I spend everyday talking to these people I personally found it harder to comment on their work since as I was so used to their way of thinking towards their own project. I found it hard to separate my mind and my own opinions from the groups.
Points made by Kayle :
- Pulley - Nice way of communicating.
- Telecups - In pairs - really good idea - would have to figure out how not to tangle them.
- Tweet Board - A nice contrast/taking it our of context.
Question 1 : I think you will need some sort of way to make the telecups solvable whilst still interesting.
I think the telecups (paper phone cups) will be solvable since as you can follow the string. I like the challenge of trying to find a pair as I feel it will make people interact with it for longer, they may begin to help each other out.
Question 2 : Have you thought about whether people will be too scared to interact with your pieces? Some people might find the cups/pulley delicate.
Yes I have thought about this problem and I think its important all of the pieces are secure enough to use. The idea of the telecups suspending themselves is not logical in my eyes as a piece of interactive work, so I think I will make it stable. I also plan on making signs inviting people to use the pieces.
Question 3 : Have you thought about, with the phone in two tents idea creating a delayed reply? Such as getting people to leave voice mail?
Yes this has been thought about and I like the idea, however I think people will be more tempted to stray away from having a conversation and instead send silly remarks to the other phone.
Points made by Jade Kiddell :
- I like that your project is interactive and enables people to interact with each other in more interesting ways.
Question 1 : Have you considered how you will create your ideas and the space limitations for presenting them?
Yes I have and this worries me slightly, however as I feel that my pieces are big Steve has said he will consider the placement and not to worry, I trust he will find good spaces. I do however worry about the light fittings above the mez for my pulley, I wonder whether they will get in the way.
Question 2 : Have you considered how to encourage people to interact with your exhibition? I think people can sometimes be a bit wary as to whether they're allowed to touch/play with something in art exhibitions.
Yes I'm planning on making signs telling them and encouraging them to play with all of the pieces. I'm worried that people will be too scared to use them or that they will feel silly doing so as it is not normal to have such interactive pieces within a art exhibition.
Points made by Aimee :
- Communication. Interactive.
- I like how your work is interactive, and I especially like how you are taking communication back to a primitive form.
- I also like the contrast between the old ways of communicating and the much more modern ways of communicating.
Question 1 : Did you want to explore the differences between different ways of communication?
Yes I wanted to see how communication changed when doing it in different ways, seeing if the conversations were shorter or longer or more in depth.
Question 2 : How are you going to explore the different types of communication in an interactive fashion?
Well I think I have already done this by using the methods such as the pulley and the cups in the art studios.
Question 3 : Are you going to put some sort of personal input into your work? Like how you personally feel about communication? e.g. the fact that Twitter has been blocked in college.
Yes I think most of my work is personal on some level. I have reacted to our time and my personal experiences with these sites. I also feel that my interactive ways of communicating is somewhat personal as I like the childish manor and like to encourage this behaviour. I also think that my blog/journal is quite personal. I decided to write a blog as I feel it allows me to feel less constricted to what I can say.
Points made by Kayle :
- Pulley - Nice way of communicating.
- Telecups - In pairs - really good idea - would have to figure out how not to tangle them.
- Tweet Board - A nice contrast/taking it our of context.
Question 1 : I think you will need some sort of way to make the telecups solvable whilst still interesting.
I think the telecups (paper phone cups) will be solvable since as you can follow the string. I like the challenge of trying to find a pair as I feel it will make people interact with it for longer, they may begin to help each other out.
Question 2 : Have you thought about whether people will be too scared to interact with your pieces? Some people might find the cups/pulley delicate.
Yes I have thought about this problem and I think its important all of the pieces are secure enough to use. The idea of the telecups suspending themselves is not logical in my eyes as a piece of interactive work, so I think I will make it stable. I also plan on making signs inviting people to use the pieces.
Question 3 : Have you thought about, with the phone in two tents idea creating a delayed reply? Such as getting people to leave voice mail?
Yes this has been thought about and I like the idea, however I think people will be more tempted to stray away from having a conversation and instead send silly remarks to the other phone.
Points made by Jade Kiddell :
- I like that your project is interactive and enables people to interact with each other in more interesting ways.
Question 1 : Have you considered how you will create your ideas and the space limitations for presenting them?
Yes I have and this worries me slightly, however as I feel that my pieces are big Steve has said he will consider the placement and not to worry, I trust he will find good spaces. I do however worry about the light fittings above the mez for my pulley, I wonder whether they will get in the way.
Question 2 : Have you considered how to encourage people to interact with your exhibition? I think people can sometimes be a bit wary as to whether they're allowed to touch/play with something in art exhibitions.
Yes I'm planning on making signs telling them and encouraging them to play with all of the pieces. I'm worried that people will be too scared to use them or that they will feel silly doing so as it is not normal to have such interactive pieces within a art exhibition.
Points made by Aimee :
- Communication. Interactive.
- I like how your work is interactive, and I especially like how you are taking communication back to a primitive form.
- I also like the contrast between the old ways of communicating and the much more modern ways of communicating.
Question 1 : Did you want to explore the differences between different ways of communication?
Yes I wanted to see how communication changed when doing it in different ways, seeing if the conversations were shorter or longer or more in depth.
Question 2 : How are you going to explore the different types of communication in an interactive fashion?
Well I think I have already done this by using the methods such as the pulley and the cups in the art studios.
Question 3 : Are you going to put some sort of personal input into your work? Like how you personally feel about communication? e.g. the fact that Twitter has been blocked in college.
Yes I think most of my work is personal on some level. I have reacted to our time and my personal experiences with these sites. I also feel that my interactive ways of communicating is somewhat personal as I like the childish manor and like to encourage this behaviour. I also think that my blog/journal is quite personal. I decided to write a blog as I feel it allows me to feel less constricted to what I can say.
Payphones
It's nearing the end of the project and this is always the stage which is the most stressful. For me I find its the stage where I am most inspired. Sometimes this can be a good thing but often its not great. It means that you suddenly have ideas but not enough time to execute them. Often because you don't know whether these will be any good and therefore end up become small experiments. I find the whole 'experiments' stage quite frustrating. I fully understand that we need to experiment to develop ideas and it is helpful. But I just cant stand devoting a large amount of time to something that may not make a difference. However when it comes down to the final days something just kicks in. Suddenly more ideas surface. I don't know if I have the time to execute this one but I say still explain it.
Payphones are public telephones often placed in a booth for privacy. Pre payment is asked for
I loved the idea of creating a free payphone, the fact that its free comes with a catch. The catch being that you wont know whos on the other end as there is no way to dial a number, because rather than an electrical phone it will be a simple cup string phone. Still with the privacy of a payphone booth. Even though I do like the childish mannor that the string cups hold I feel like they may not be taken seriously and then could be ignored. By combining a modern phone booth to the childish cup phone I feel it brings a sense of adult allowence, allowing them to indulge in their childish side.
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