Patchwork Portfolio Patch 1 Gallery Review Mehreen Murtaza, “how will you conduct yourself in the company of trees” MANCHESTER ART GALLERY- GROUND FLOOR September 17th to 4th of February. The key theme of Murtaza’s exhibition is the ‘blurring between technology and nature’ (M.Murtaza, Manchester Art Gallery) and peace of mind within nature. Throughout this review I will be discussing how this is portrayed throughout the exhibition. One main factor towards how the exhibition is viewed is the layout. Mehreen Murtaza has used the space to her advantage taking up the whole room. The other point this review will cover is the way certain objects have been displayed and the significance of those objects. From initial viewing of the room you see a space full of living plants, blue mesh hanging from the ceiling and a pathway through the room, this gives you the feeling of an inside garden. This is enhanced by speakers playing sounds of plants rustling this is also described as ‘hearing plants sing’ (M.Murtaza, Manchester Art Gallery). By doing this it enhances your senses and makes you feel like you are interacting more with the room. From further inspection around the room, on the floor there are several circuit boards. At first this seems confusing but with further thought you realise that Murtaza has several pieces of technology filling this space. This is also shown by a projection on the wall. The presence of technology gives a scientific feel to the room, this is supported by a display of plant cutting and different fungi that reminds me of something you might see in a science museum. Another feature in this room is that there are gnomes dotted round the plants, the gnomes are positioned in what looks like a yoga pose, this encourages you to think about the tranquility of the space you are in. One Feature that ties all these together is the simple white walls which surround the space. These white walls can be linked to many different aspects of the room. For example, white walls can symbolize the purity of nature, the simplicity of them can be linked to the fact and fiction of science, furthermore the white walls give a sense of calm to the room. This can also link to a reference made by George Clarke that ‘having a little piece of green within a white space makes it feel like it's connected to nature' (House Beautiful, George Clarke 2016). The layout of the room is mainly what brings all these different aspects together. There is a pathway taking you through the room which make the exhibition more of an experience and gets you to go to parts of the room you may otherwise just walk past. This is an effective way to get the audience to interact with the exhibition. The pathway also gives a sense of peacefulness as it gently takes you through the room with a continuous flow without the stresses of barriers and blocks. In summary, there are three key themes throughout this exhibition, these are Science, Nature and Peace. This exhibition is closely linked to the idea that ‘incorporating the natural world in urban areas could be the best hope we have to survival.’ (BBC. Future. 2013.)This all comes together to show how we connect with nature through technology as we are able to explore natures biology and even discover health benefits plants have for ourselves, in turn this gives us a deeper understanding of nature, with this insight we are able to feel more at peace with our natural surrounding and embrace them rather than remove this nature.
Patch 2 Analysing an Image
Figure 1: Alcoholism by Pawel Kuczynski, (n.d.) Retrieved from http://knowledgeispawel.tumblr.com/post/117141590682/alcoholism-bypawel-kuczynski-this-painting
The artist behind this image is Pawel Kuczynski, a Polish cartoonist who specialises in strategical illustrations. He has received many rewards for his range of cartoons which challenge society’s issues and norms. This image in particular is about alcoholism. In this image, there is a section of a man’s face, this man is drinking from a bright orange beer bottle. However, there is not the usual content in this bottle as there is a fish hook inside the bottle. The man is wearing what looks to be a jumper. Around this image is a dark grey and brown background which gets lighter towards the bottle. With the background stripped there is no obvious context as you do not get the setting. However, with there only being part of a man’s face this could hint that it is part of a bigger picture. Making you wonder what the context could be. Another possible hint links with the fishing hook and the jumper. Could this man be a fisherman and turns to drink as comfort from the long tiring hours? Looking into to meaning of the image, the first thing you notice is the fish hook in the bottle. This symbolises that alcoholism is a nasty addiction and that it is an easy thing to get hooked on. Pinar has analysed this very nicely by saying ‘It is almost as if, one can foresee the future: as he drinks the ale, the snare gets closer to hooking him in’. (Pinar, My Modern Met2013). Furthermore, the idea of there being a physical hook in the bottle shows that alcoholism is a painful cycle. It also portrays that ‘As the person in the painting consumes more alcohol, the hook travels further down the bottle and is able to get a firmer grip on the person.’ (Isory, tumblr, 2015). Therefore, the hook shows that there are consequences for drinking alcohol and that it can lead to a nasty cycle. This is particularly present as it is a fish hook that is in the image which resembles the food cycle and that it is never ending.
Another thing that you notice in this image is that the man is wearing what looks like to be a jumper. This shows that he may be searching for comfort and another way of gaining this comfort is through drinking. This highlights that drinking alcohol can be a coping mechanism for many people. Similarly, the background in the image is a dark surrounding that fades into light around the bottle. The bottle is a bright orange. This could also show that for some people alcohol is the light in the dark and that many people turn to alcohol as a short-term answer to their problems. However, Kuczynski shows that this is not the answer and that although you may think it is a short term answer it hooks you in and becomes a serious issue, adding to your original stresses. Again, the background also gives plenty of hints to what this image is all about. With the background being dark and grey this suggests that alcoholism can lead to depression. Where you feel like you are constantly in the dark and on your own. Furthermore, there are no other people in the background. This shows that alcoholism can be a very lonely place. Another reason that Kuczynski may have not included anyone or anything else in the background is to strip drinking alcohol of the usual connotations of drinking socially and having fun and focus on the negatives that alcohol brings. Another view is that with only half the man’s face in the image is that it could be part of a bigger picture. An interesting point is made about this in William Porters book, where he says ‘with alcoholism we have too many pieces. It’s like a puzzle of a hundred pieces’. (Porter.W 2015) This is an interesting concept that this painted could be one piece to a bigger picture. In my opinion Pawel Kuczynski does a very good job or portraying his point as the message is very clear and not cryptic like paintings can be. This image is very powerful and gives a big impact. In conclusion, this is a bold image of alcoholism and what it really is as, ‘Alcoholism is the most serious form of problem drinking, and describes a strong, often uncontrollable, desire to drink’ (Drinkaware 2016). Kuczynski manages to portray this with lots of connotations to go off to show you the reality behind drinking alcohol. Many of his work emits similar feelings. All showing his perspective on issues in society.
Patch 4 Artistry DNA Inspiration To get deep into my artistry DNA I have started to look into what inspires me. What really gets my brain ticking are all the different forms or nature and the intricate patterns that they make. From this, I begin to wonder the mystery behind how we live with nature and incorporate it into our everyday life, some more than others. Most of all the vibrancy and changing colours of nature fascinates me, furthermore the amount of complex science in something you might not look twice at in your day. This inspiration due to nature can be explained by a study done by Salford University that found ‘that spending time in nature creates a time abundance, this then helps you find your creative endeavours.’ (Thrive Global. Dhaval Patel 2017). Future In the future, I aspire to become a successful interior designer and to be recognised for unique and creative designs into living alongside nature and using natural structures to inspire my design. This links in with the idea of biophillia. Nature has many effects on human health. There has been research into the link between nature and emotional functioning. Ulrich’s research found that “patients recovering from surgery who had a view of trees from there window had a better recovery to those whose views were of bricks”. (Ed. J. Baird Callicott and Robert Frodeman. 2009.) This study gives an interesting point of view for interior designers to make the customer feel happy in a scape. On top of this I am also looking forward to working with other creative designers and getting a range of different ideas and influences along the way to create more depth to my designs. Culture Other influences towards my creative practice have mainly come from a TV Culture, especially from TV shows such as George Clarks amazing spaces, which is a program about how different people have turned spaces that wouldn’t usually be seen as a usable space into a fully functional space. For example, using an old broken-down plan and turning it into a functional class room. Another TV program that get my ideas flowing is Tree house masters. This is where luxurious and fabulous treehouses are created that can be lived in or just used as extra space. One main reason that this show inspires me is that there is an immense amount of creativity to make these structures have fun and quirky features that brings out the inner child in some people. Furthermore, the concept of connecting with nature in a range of different ways. I imagine this process you make you feel very at one with nature and your natural surroundings. Technology Technology has a major role in enabling me to become creative. Gregg Statell also agrees that “Technology does not quell creativity, in fact, there’s a great deal of evidence that suggests that technology enhances creativity.” (Forbes. 2014, Greg Satell). Firstly, I believe technology has helped my creative process through TV as I have mentioned above but also
being able to connect with a huge amount of inspiration and seeing other people’s designs through the internet by a click of a button. Another way in which technology has built on my creativity is the ability to take pictures of anything I see that interests me that might help my designs in the future. By being able to take these pictures they stick in my mind and I can look back on them for further inspiration. This way my phone acts as a digital diary of experiences. On top of this I am able to edit these photos in Photoshop to create a more visually appealing image and mainly have a play about with the initial look of the image. This enables me to expand my creativity and physically change images to how I would like them to look. History History also has some influence on my creative practice as thinking back into the past enables you to see the changes that have been made in society. For example, women’s rights and social awareness. One particular part of the past that inspires my creative flow has been the industrial revolution. There are many different aspects to this period of time, including extreme exploitation and suffering but then also to think without this part in history where would we be now? Other features about the industrial revolution inspire we such as the structures and factories working efficiently to create a product. Society In todays’ society, there are still some issues that spring from this period in history such as social class differences and the rise of capitalism, where the rich have power over the poor. The idea of two different positions in the spectrum appeals to my creativity as it enables me to see from contrasting view point. I studied sociology in college and the main thing that interested me is all the different perspectives of now society should work and their views on what a perfect society would be like. I think this has helped me become more understanding and empathetic. I feel like by studying this it has enabled me to become a better designer as it has lead me into viewing the world from lots of different perspectives. Political My political views lean more towards the left as I believe there should be more equality throughout the country and that we should have free will to become who we want to be, no matter of our class, race or gender. However, I do believe there should be some structure for many things to flow successfully. Geography I have travelled to many different places which has influenced my creativity but one of the main places that stood out was Italy and in particular, Rome. One reason Rome had such an effect on me is that you get to see first-hand how places can tell a story and the sheer meaning behind a lot of the buildings in Rome. From this trip, I couldn’t help but want to make my own space that would tell a story and portrays a process of emotions. Most recently I made a trip to Thailand, this was a very different experience but equally impacting on me.
Patch5 Reflective writing In my patchwork portfolio, I have chosen to include my exhibition review, image analysis and artistry DNA. The main research source I used to create my patchwork was through the internet. However, through this I managed to collect a range of different online sources. These include online articles, webpages and blogs. When reading over these patches together, I quickly noticed one key theme emerging which was the prominence of the idea of nature occurring in my work. There are many parts of this module I have enjoyed in each patch. In patch 1, the Gallery Exhibition review, I really enjoyed the subject matter of the exhibition which was all to do with the ‘blurring of nature and technology’ (Murtaza, Manchester Art Gallery). Another factor to this patch that I enjoyed was the opportunity to walk around the gallery space and choose which exhibition you would like to review. I think this gave us the full experience to conduct a thorough review. The patch I most enjoyed was patch 2, this was analysing an image. This patch enabled me to explore that painting Alcoholism by Pawel Kuczynski (Figure 1). What pleased me about this patch was the ability it gave us to look further into the painting and focus on every detail to analyse such as the lack of background or the clothes the person in the painting was wearing. Patch 3 was one of the patches I least enjoyed was patch 3, visualising an article. However, I did like the concept behind this patch of reading an article and creating a visual to show what you perceived from the article. This task allows you to be creative when creating your visual piece. I thoroughly enjoyed patch 4 as without this patch I have never really had the chance to look Back to discover what inspires me and the impact certain things have on my creative work. On the other hand, there were also parts to all the patches that I did not enjoy. At the beginning in patch 1 I was not too sure what to look for to analyse for my review. Furthermore, with this patch in particular I struggled with the resources for referencing. This was because it was an exhibition there was not many sources available relating to the exhibition. This meant many of my references came from the gallery’s webpage with the artists description of her work. I also struggled with patch 2 at the beginning. The main drawback for me was getting my structure correct to organise what aspects of the image I would be taking about in a particular order. However, once I had this structure I found it a lot easier to write this patch. I thought that patch 3 was the hardest patch to write as I struggled reading through the article to pick which subjects I would like to concentrate my visual on. Similarly, with patch 4 there were some aspects I found difficult such as the political side of my artistry DNA as at the moment I do not have a strong insight into politics. If I was to repeat this patchwork portfolio to improve I would collect more reference materials. This would enable me to show my research clearly and would also help get my
point across. I would definitely spend more time in the library to get a wider range of sources. I would also have liked to spend more time on each patch making sure each patch is as strong as the other. In conclusion, this module has taught me to look further into any initial thoughts about images, articles and exhibitions to gain a deeper understanding of what it is you are looking at. I also believe this task has enabled me to see the creative pathways behind certain work towards the final outcome and to see how important this journey is. By doing this patchwork portfolio I have learnt a great deal about my own creative process and I believe this will help me in my future.
Reference list: BBC. Future. (2013). Why we need to bring nature back into cities. By G.Vince. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130530-bringing-nature-back-into-cities Drinkawake (2016). What is Alcoholism. Retrieved from https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/alcohol-facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/mentalhealth/alcoholism/ Forbes (2014) Greg Satell. How technology enhances creativity. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2014/01/27/how-technology-enhancescreativity/#179804ec3f50. House Beautiful (2016). George Clarke and William Hardie unveil futuristic space saving rotating home. Written by Olivia Heath. Retrieved from http://www.housebeautiful.co.uk/renovate/homes-makeovers/news/a989/amazingspaces-george-clarke-william-hardie-futuristic-rotating-house/ Isory, Tumblr, Society According to Pawel Kuczynski (2015) Retrieved from http://knowledgeispawel.tumblr.com/post/117141590682/alcoholism-by-pawel-kuczynskithis-painting
Manchester Art Gallery. (2017) Mehreen Murtaza. Retrieved from http://manchesterartgallery.org/exhibitions-and-events/exhibition/mehreen-murtaza/ Pinar, My Modern Met, Thought-Provoking Stratirical Illustration by Pawel Kuczynski. (2013) Retrieved From https://mymodernmet.com/pawel-kuczynski-illustrations/ Porter.W (2015) Alcoholism Explained. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Trive Global (2017) Dhaval Patel. Retrieved from https://journal.thriveglobal.com/natureinspires-creativity-66254fe3d537 Ulrich's research (1984) Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy. Ed. J. Baird Callicott and Robert Frodeman. Vol. 1. Detroit: Macmillan, 2009. p110. Figure List: Figure 1: Alcoholism by Pawel Kuczynski, (n.d.) Retrieved from http://knowledgeispawel.tumblr.com/post/117141590682/alcoholism-by-pawel-kuczynskithis-painting