Emily Galea
Action Research
F I N D Y O U R PLACE
1 Research Idea Emily Galea
How can young designers use appropriation to find their place in design? This research project aims to reveal ways in which appropriation can be used by designers to find success in a design landscape that is currently saturated with minimalist style. This project intends to explore whether the widely disputed art of appropriation can be utilised successfully in design in order to shift the boundaries of authorship by altering the context of existing content.
Nothing is truly original in art and design, but designers must continue to form unique and meaningful ideas from the framework of that which already exists. With constant pressure to achieve and maintain one’s success, appropriating or borrowing from others has become an inevitable part of the design process. This research aims to aid young designers in finding their place in the design landscape, with the use of borrowed, altered or recontextualised material.
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2 Contextual Relevance
Kruger’s work challenges the viewer to reconsider their first impressions as she appropriates images from mass-media, and ironically plasters them with slogans that comment on the inane nature of advertising itself. By repurposing that of little value, Kruger creates ideas of importance that force the viewer to examine their perceptions of the world.
FIG 1.0
3 Contemporary Practitioners
Emily Galea
Action Research
FIG 2.0
The ease with which we copy and create is addressed by Prince’s work, questioning the validity of authorship following one’s decision to reveal themselves online for everyone to see. We all borrow and gain inspiration from others; Prince proves we can reuse and recycle art while testing the limits of the public domain.
FIG 3.0
Emily Galea
At odds with their surrounds, Holzer’s projections address audiences in provoking ways; intentionally obscure, they invite viewers to form their own conclusions about their meaning to elicit a personal response. Holzer delivers compelling messages using simple means, while reusing the arresting quotes she projects upon buildings.
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FIG 4.0 Sturtevant gives a reference point for the tolerance of appropriation, taking on the guise of her contemporaries and mimicking their styles to great success. Her replications were accompanied by her own commentaries upon the idea of art itself, mocking the pretensions of contemporary art by showing how easily art could be reproduced.
4 Preliminary Theoretical Investigation
Emily Galea
The research was informed by several sources dealing mainly with appropriation and its influence on art and design. Most importantly, it is clear that appropriation as an art form is most effective when the original materials and styles are implemented in ways that develop critical meta-discourse, as opposed to simply replicating the aesthetic style of its original.
By utilising appropriation, artists can simultaneously imitate and subvert the prevalent style, and create new contexts for something previously used to sell and advertise. It is this concept that drives the research question, and that will ultimately present a creative outcome through further research.
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5 Methodologies
Using appropriation in order to change the context of pre-existing content in the form of text, ideas, or images, is the main aim of this project. In order to find a niche within the design landscape saturated with a minimalist style, it may prove useful to experiment with altering the context of existing content, in order to create something of value.
6 Future Research Emily Galea
Additional research could be conducted in the form of interviews or questionnaires, directed at fellow design students and peers, in order to identify their perceptions of the design landscape, and where and how they fit into it. This information could aid the design process by providing new perspectives on the research question, and broadening the scope of the creative process.
Further research and experimentation with appropriation will be conducted, in order to better understand how to appropriately apply another’s style without infringing on copyright and intellectual property rights. Extensive experimentation with design styles and composition will be the core of the creative process, in order to hone in on the most effective outcome.
The research began as a means to understand and overcome one’s fear of mediocrity as a designer, in order to achieve success and find a place in design. The broadness of this research question allowed it to evolve toward the persistence of minimalism in art and design, and thus the emerging trend of appropriation in art has become the primary focus.
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7 Reflective Process
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8 Conclusion Emily Galea
The boundaries of art are limitless, while design tends to be influenced by the current trends and depend on the public perception of what is “in�. Finding a way to circumvent this repetition is the goal of this creative project, and appropriation is the artistic tool that will be used to achieve this. Conforming to societal norms and trends will not broaden the boundaries of design. Making use of appropriation as a design tool, this project aims to recontextualise that which already exists, giving it new meaning and purpose, and shifting the boundaries of design to challenge the persistence of minimalism.