ACTION RESEARCH 1
EMILY GALEA
RESEARCH
RESEARCH QUESTION How can appropriation help young designers overcome their fear of mediocrity, and find their place in design?
EMILY GALEA
ACTION RESEARCH 1
Nothing is truly original in art and design, but designers must continue to create something unique and meaningful from the framework of that which already exists. With a constant pressure to achieve and maintain success, appropriating or borrowing from others becomes an inevitable part of the design process. This research aims to understand how young designers can find their place in the design landscape with the use of appropriation and, in doing so, overcome the fear of mediocrity as a designer.
CONTEXTUAL
CONTEMPORARY FIG 1.0
Barbara Kruger and Jenny Holzer both proclaim strong messages of social change in bold text, urging the viewer to stop and think. Both artists often appropriate the text and imagery used in their work, but achieved unique success by adding a new and more impactful context, often at odds with, or commenting on, its original meaning.
FIG 2.0
FIG 3.0
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FIG 4.0 Similarly, Richard Prince and Elaine Sturtevant borrow existing content and alter it slightly, often just enough to call question to its authorship. Their work gives a reference point for the acceptability of direct appropriation, and where the line is drawn, both in legal terms, and public and critical response.
The research has been informed so far by several academic sources, dealing mainly with the ideas of appropriation and its influence on art and design. Appropriation as an art form is most effective when the original materials and styles are implemented in ways that develop a critical meta-discourse, as opposed to simply replicating the aesthetic style of the original (Peter, 2013). Direct appropriation in design is less acceptable than in the subjective world of art, though it is possible to reinterpret concepts in order to introduce new discourse to the discussion. Alternative culture tends to inform the media, which leads to the eventual replication of its own styles through advertising (Heller, 2008). The research also indicates methods to combat and manage the stress linked to one’s fear of academic failure, which is directly linked to the research topic when considering design students. Students in an academic study were able to use the mindfulness techniques they learned to be aware of anxious thoughts and feelings, and help overcome distractions in learning situations (Hjeltnes et.al., 2015), and this text provides a scientific background to the proposed question. Using appropriation, designers can simultaneously imitate and subvert the prevalent style, and create a new context for something previously used to sell and advertise. It is this concept that drives the research question, and that will hopefully present a creative outcome through further research.
METHOD Using appropriation 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 world that is 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. Conducting my own research on academic anxiety may assist the research by gaining a broader perspective from peers. The research question itself must first be solidified, to decide which approach to take that will be most effective in reaching the desired outcome.
PROJECT SCOPE While most of the production of this creative outcome will take place during Semester 2, further research and experimentation into appropriation will be conducted, in order to better understand how to appropriately apply another’s style without infringing on copyright that is much more applicable in design than art. From this research, a creative outcome will then be synthesised, utilising the research, inspiration from practitioner examples, and potential personal research conducted on peers in design.
EMILY GALEA
ACTION RESEARCH 1