Katie Smith 520237
Core Concepts
Learning Log
The issue with this definition is that it doesn’t acknowledge the time we are in and the ever changing role of a graphic designer. Words and visual imagery can now be brought together in numerous different ways in order to communicate a message to the audience. What was once a role that focused mainly on printed material, now has to adapt itself to a world where digital marketing is over taking the success of the paper medium. Therefore, it is perhaps better to view graphic design through the AIGA’s definition, as “the art and practice of planning and projecting ideas and experiences with visual and textual content”. This development into the digital has changed the way graphic design is now viewed, it has transformed the way that design elements can be shared. Previously, there were limits to how far spread a campaign could become however, now the Internet has no boundaries. Designs no longer have a limit and instead are posted out there to become “cultural objects”, ones that can then get spread through multiple devices (Bridle 2012). This brings about the term of the ‘New Aesthetic’ (Bridle 2012). Although this can now provide endless possibilities for a graphic designer, it also comes with a whole new language, making it harder for a designer to communicate with the audience. The semiotic analsis of this therefore becomes complex for any element of design. Each component is individually deconstructed in our brains and then rebuilt using a language that could be different to the next person. The way we interpret signs is partially done through univeral languages but it is also done based on personal experiences.
What is Graphic Design?
What does it mean to be ‘visually literate’?
The most basic definition for the term, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, is “The art or skill of combining text and pictures in advertisements, magazines, or books”.
“Human communication is founded in an assemblage of signs - verbal, aural and visual...consequent not upon ‘natural’ relations between words of images and that to which they refer, but upon arbitrary relations established through cultural convention.”. (Wells 2010:350) In order to be ‘Visually literate’ you need to be able to understand the multiple languages that are understood and produce work that can be correctly interpreted in each language. Each element within a piece of work has various codes attached to it, codes that dictate how the language should be interpreted. However, social media platforms and the new ways in which work is shared, causes an endless reappropriation of imagery to be plausible. The way in which the language is understood at each stage is different, even if the image looks to be the exact same. This makes the job of a graphic designer even harder as there is no endpoint for the images themselves and the way in which they can be interpreted (Rubinstein and Sluis 2013:36). At this point, it becomes more than just being culturally aware and visually literate. It becomes a mindfield of interpretations that have to be addressed. Arranging each element of the design so carefully that the overall picture is build up in a way that can be universally understood. Each sign or code from every individual element building up to an overall message, communicating with an audience that can understand what is going on within your work compared to the next piece. This is where is becomes more about visual heirarchy, arranging the content of, let’s say, a poster so that everything that the audience needs to know about can be found, even in the swarm of information that can also be witnessed. Some ideas here have been taken from my own essay. Smith, K. (2017) ‘What do Katrina Sluis and Daniel Rubinstein mean when they say that ‘The photograph is now a type of ‘algorithmic image’ (2013:29). Interrogate using relevant images, critical concepts encountered during the module and texts from the reading list.’ Bridle, J. (2012) A New Aesthetic for the Digital Age. [online] available from < https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=z84EDsnpb4U> [3 October 2018] Rubinstein, D. and Sluis, K. (2013) ed. by Lister, M. ‘The digital image in photogrpahic culture: algorithmic photography and the crisis of representation’. in The Photographic Image in Digital Culture. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 22-40 Wells, L. (2015). ed. by Wells, L. On and Beyond the White walls: Photography as Art in ‘Photography: a critical introduction’. 5th ed. Abingdon: Routledge, p.350.
A brief history of graphic design The Industrial Revolution brought about numerous changes for various departments, and this is no different for graphic design. The mass production of products that could now take place saw a new kind of advertising being utilised to sell these products, a kind of advertising that increased the demands for graphic designers. Not only could the products be quickly produced but the packagin designed could also be mass produced. As mass production was utilised, the social standings began to show a greater divide. Here emerged the social theory from Karl Marx. His theories covered various aspects but in essence he was in favour of an equal distribution of wealth. He didn’t want there to be these higher powers who were in control of the money. Corporations, big businesses and capitalism is what he was trying to avoid. Through this, he identified the ‘commodity fetishism’. Instead of valuing the time an item took to be produced, the human labour time, everything is looked at in terms of its monetary value. William Morris on the other hand, contradicted this and instead placed emphasis on the time taken for production by human hands. The arts and crafts movement did exactly this by producing commodities that a machine couldn’t do. Marxism theories did have a very large outreach whereas, the ideas of Morris didn’t in the same way. They only really became noticeable within the post-digital many, many years later. The development of the internet and everything that has come with it, highlighted the return to non-computerised art forms and the importance of the maker. Maybe Morris was a little ahead of his time. Or the Industrial Revolution was a small stepping stone prior to the development of the Internet. The Dadaists still focused on this hand made element with their collages just after the first World War. However, this time, instead of focusing on this hand made element like they did in the Arts and Crafts movement, they focused on the message and words that were being portrayed as part of the movement. Having just come out of the War, the artwork and creative work that was produced responded to the nationalism that was thought to have caused the war. Just before the war, the Futurists had made an impression that contradicted the Dadaists. They were excited by the prospect of war and the machine age that they were in. Emphasis was placed on new technologies within the arts.
Obviously these werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like the technological developments we now have but the developments within painting and sculpture allowed the artists to provoke new emotions in response to art. Much like Dadaism, the Russian Constructivists used photomontage and collage to challenge the social and political changes that were occuring. The art was no longer about focusing on showing the real but instead they now looked towards creating a message with the words and images that were part of their process. The above image is from a body of work entitled Ode to Constructivism by Polina Joffe. I explore this body of work further into assignment one.
Influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, the creation of the Bauhaus School tried to bring together creativity and manufacturing in order to create designs for everyday life. In some aspects, this meant the movement was perhaps very functional, featuring simplified geometric forms. But this followed the key phrase for the movement - ‘form follows function’. Everything started to build upon the last movement, and any aspects that were drifting away from each other, like creativity and manufacturing, had attempts made to bring them back together during the next ‘movement’. Although these movements obviously cannot be defined until after the period so it was an ongoing process like any art work is, each art movement was a continuous working of trends. What is important to remember is that each country has their own style and movements aren’t universal. At this point, it is difficult to see what kind of work is being created in different countries. However, with some movements, weirdly enough, similar styles in different countries can be seen. Continuing on from the Bauhaus School, a style developed called the International Typographic Style. This International Style, although called a style, it was more of a movement, and can often be described as minimalist. Taking back all the extravagent embellishments of previous years, the International Style favoured simplicity, plain and easy structures in all arts: architecture, photography, art etc to create something with very clean and simplisitc, yet functional, designs. It celebrated the mass manufacturing in an even bigger way by pouring out endless amounts of steel, concrete and glass in order to change the way architecture was formed. For an architectural movement, this was the most widely accepted across the World compared to any other movement. This style is one that I admire, however, I definitely cannot say that my work takes on this approach. My work has crazy, random structures that doesn’t always follow any grid structure, and if it does, this is often by chance. Employing more structure within my work is something that I want to focus on for my work so employing it within the first assignment could be an interesting way to start this.
Pop Art wanted to take imagery that was perceived as commercial imagery, and take it in a new direction, following in the footsteps of Modernism. Although the political and social agendas of the time had changed, these were still encorporated into some of the imagery. Combining this with the commercial imagery helped the movement become larger and grow outside of America. The main comment to come out of any of these works was about blurring the lines between the ‘high class’ imagery (the commercial images used) and the ‘low’ culture.
First Things First Manifesto This Manifesto was revisted on many occassions, the first one being written in 1963. The original referred to the consumer market and advertising as ‘sheer noise’ and highlighted the need to focus their skill and attention on other areas, areas that are in favour of the ‘more useful and more lasting forms of education’. This wasn’t them wanting to get rid of the high stream media but to maybe rethink other ways of communication in the process. The Manifesto was revisted in 2000, at which point the role of the graphic designer had changed. In the manifesto it mentions that a graphic design is losing the creativity and just doing the job to pay the bills, and ‘this is how the world now perceives design’. As designers we have become ‘uncomfortable’ with this view .
Warhol, A. (1962) Marilyn Diptych [online] available at < https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/warhol-marilyn-diptych-t03093> [17 October 2018]
A passage from the second manifesto: “Many of us have grown increasingly uncomfortable with this view of design. Designers who devote their efforts primarily to advertising, marketing and brand development are supporting, and implicitly endorsing, a mental environment so saturated with commercial messages that it is changing the very way citizen-consumers speak, think, feel, respond and interact. To some extent we are all helping draft a reductive and immeasurably harmful code of public discourse.”
Where does my work currently fit into this?
I think it is safe to say that my work definitely doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fit into â&#x20AC;&#x153;The International Styleâ&#x20AC;? category. There is no order to the images, they are produced at random and hard to replicate, equally there is no simplicity or rationality to the images. In some ways the rubiks cubes could have some structure but the base that produced these did not so I think it would be unfair to say that due to the final outcome they fit with this style because the rest of the work does not. For this reason, I would say my work at the moment takes on a very postmodern approach. Modernism suggested that there was a correct way of doing everything, there was a right and a wrong. Whereas, postmodernism allows for the multiple interpretations that have been brought about through the semiotic approach, to be questioned, analysed and understood depending on the experiences of its reader. Each piece of work does have something that it begins to question however, this is introduced after the audience has come to their own conclusions about the work.
The concept behind many of my pieces, highlights the destruction of quality as an image goes through multiple layers within the Internet’s infrastructure. Like the Bauhaus movement it therefore, goes against the mass culture and consumption of art that was surfacing after the Industrial Revolution. However, this time it is using the very concept that I am rebelling to produce the work. Unlike the arts and crafts movement which was about utilising a different tool, my work, which I would situate within the post-digital, utilises the exact tool I am commenting on. It creates an art object that has been formed from and with ‘a consciousness of the networks within which it exists’ (Archey and Peckham 2014:8). Post-modernism and post-digital link?! Archey, K. and Peckham, R. (2014) ‘Essay’ in Art Post-Internet Catalogue. Beijing: Ullens Center for Contemporary Art.
Assignment One
Designers and Interests in Graphic Design Influences: Sabato Visconti Rosa Menkman Chloe Sells Pentagram Mattijs de Witt The beautiful meme My interests lie with: - a lot of very experimental work - playing on perception - crazy, bold graphics - Interactive work to bring a new dimension to work. Postcard based around creating a piece of work influenced by one of the above artists?
Mindmap
They need to say you, your inter design and your influences o
The basics about me Born and raised in Oxford. Studying in Coventry. Prior to coming to university I used to Irish Dance and was a county Table Tennis player. At University I have started playing dodgeball, and joined the social side alongside this. Ameture genealogist.
cultural influences or interests As an overall concept, I always look toward Dutch designers but having travelled a bit, each new culture that I emerse myself in and everything new that I see influences my ideas and the way my designs emerge. Irish and Australian roots have always influenced my personality and hobbies. But the fact that everything has become digitalised within recent years merges all cultures together and instead created this digital power. The digital culture formed a lot of my photography work and the aesthetic of this is something to consider within these postcards.
about me
y something about rests in graphic r wider cultural or interests.
Previously studied photography so I also look to photographic examples to influence my work. I particularly enjoy black and white architectural photographs, combining my photography influences and graphic design influences could create some interesting images. Including some images from my previous projects could even be a posibility. I want the set of postcards to work well on their own individually but also as a set so these images could work well as connectors between the other images. Obviously I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to use all old images, this defeats the point of exploring my style now and seeing how I have developed. But it will be interesting to revist this project again at the end of all the modules to see how my style has changed as a designer.
Initial Ideas
Sells, C. (2014) Only in Passing, French Kissing [online] available from <http://chloesells.com/french-kissing/fvypei01vnfzpz5ewxgwahrwuy015g> [3 October 2018] Below and right are both my own images.
Pentagram. (n.d.) Maker Park Brand Identity [online] available from < https://www.pentagram.com/work/ maker-park?rel=sector&rel-id=13> [3 October 2018]
de Witt, M. (n.d) Kluwer projects/kluwer-memo-covers/> [3
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The Beautiful Meme (n.d.) Untitled [online[ available at < https://www.thebeautifulmeme.com/> [3 October 2018].
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Think about how it is going to be sent and received 1. Pentagram. (2018) London Fashion Week (AW18) Brand Identity [online] available at < https://www.pentagram.com/work/londonfashion-week-aw18?rel=sector&rel-id=2> [3 October 2017] 2. We Are Useful (2010) Draw in Light [online] available at <http://theinspirationgrid.com/draw-in-light-look-book-by-we-areuseful/> [3 October 2018] 3. Unknown. (n.d.) Louis Vuittonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s invitation for Yayoi Kusama Selfridgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collection [online] available at < https://www.behance.net/ gallery/7796561/Louis-Vuitton-Yayoi-Kusama-Invitation> [3 October 2018] 4. Onarheim, M.S. (2011) Self Promotion [online] available at < https://www.behance.net/gallery/4707245/Self-Promotion> [3 October 2018]
“Glitch photography is an approach that situates today’s artistic practice of photography within a larger apparatus of production, its interlinked networks, and its reverberation throughout the populace. Glitch photography understands how the apparatus of production envelopes the scene of where a subject (physical or digital) is captured in time with a camera device.” Visconti, S. (2017). Glitch Photography - Glitch Art, Photography, and Illustrations by Sabato Visconti. [online] Glitch Art, Photography, and Illustrations by Sabato Visconti. Available at: http:// www.sabatobox.com/glitch-photography [Accessed 10 Oct. 2018].
Sabato Visconti “Sabato's work finds itself in the intersection between emerging media environments, internet culture, and professional digital production.” Glitch Art, Photography, and Illustrations by Sabato Visconti. (n.d.). About - Glitch Art, Photography, and Illustrations by Sabato Visconti. [online] Available at: http://www.sabatobox.com/about [Accessed 10 Oct. 2018].
Visconti, S. (n.d) Untitled, Cachemache [online] available at < http://www. sabatobox.com/cachemash> [10 October 2018] Sabato Visconti’s work highlights databending at its finest. With the digital culture that has emerged from the development of the Internet, the posibility for things to go wrong on hard drives has increased and this is where Visconti’s work first developed from. Using Cristina Isabel Rivera’s defective memory card, the ability to adjust images in a way the camera can’t became a new aesthetic that Visconti investigates in multiple layers within each piece of his work. What was once a medium that represented the real, has now become an endless medium, anything and everything can be represented whether it is real or manipulated.
Although it is difficult to make out what the subject was of the original image, this allows the audience to focus on the form, on the form of manipulation. Destruction and manipulation are obviously going to take various forms, no two of Visconti’s pieces actually turn out to look the same. But this allows a variety of interpretations to be gained from the work. The cultural codes that different people have adopted as part of their language will result in them viewing the work in different ways. This is the beauty of the work within the digital culture and postphotography. Because our understanding of codes is now open to so many different influences, our reading of images is taken to a completely different level and each piece can be understood in many ways. But similarly, the potentional that has been taken beyond the camera has exemplified the amount of images, or manipulations, that can now be seen.
Visconti, S. (n.d) Untitled, Raw Skies [online] available at < http://www.sabatobox. com/raw-skies-5d-iii-databending#24 > [10 October 2018]
Applying this to my own work, this style has been something that I have always looked towards. Not only do the aesthetics attract my eye but what has changed due to this new digital culture has always attracted my eye.
Something that we all participate in, social media, is a prime example of the manipulation that computers can now formulate. You plug in something that is very real, your identity, but it can be manipulated by a) the user to portray what they want to portray, b) the platform itself, putting the image into its own algorithm and how it appears on other people’s feeds and c) how it is then viewed in context to other posts on the feed. The aesthetics of Visconti’s work can be applied and used to portray this in various different ways, especially with the technique of databending. Because that’s all these images, and any images have now become, they are data in a wide data network. Images are no longer just an image, they are code, binary and are stored in multiple places all ready to be drawn up at the tap of a button. Right: Visconti, S. (n.d) Untitled, City of Vapours [online] available at <http://www. sabatobox.com/city-of-vapors-blender-obj-moshing#20> [10 October 2018]
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Postphotography can be best understood not as a movement or a practice, but as an existential condition. This is the constellation where my generation of emerging visual artists finds itself situated, amidst technological, social, and political developments that are continuously transforming the artistic practice of photography.â&#x20AC;? Visconti, S. (2017). Glitch Photography - Glitch Art, Photography, and Illustrations by Sabato Visconti. [online] Glitch Art, Photography, and Illustrations by Sabato Visconti. Available at: http://www. sabatobox.com/glitch-photography [Accessed 10 Oct. 2018].
Experimentation As I was struggling where to start with the postcards, I thought that responding in the same style to Viscontiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work could spark up some ideas, after all I too am influenced by internet culture like I expressed in my original brainstorm. The base image was actually one of myself. I had a set of portraits taken by one of my photography coursemates, Georgia Ince, and I thought as the postcards are based upon myself a portrait could provide more interesting textures within the glitches that are created. Layering up multiples of this pulled photo, highlighted and extracted various different elements. These elements were not determined by myself but instead the computers coding decided it for me. A piece that was originally inspired by Visconti, turned into something simplistic (furthest right) and instead began to reflect the work of Pentagram. Equally, reflecting my love for textures and geometrics within graphic design. It reminds me a chromosome printout. Although the simplicity of it is not something that can be mirrored in my other work, the simplicity is derived from chaos.
Right: Image credit Georgia Ince.
Although the simplistic red lines worked, I felt like there needed to be more of the lines, not necessarily as dominant, but something to add more texture to the print.
PRINT It isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a print, it is designed to be a postcard. Could this be considered a postcard? Postcard//Artistic Postcard The brief was to create a set of postcards about me. Although this does show my creative influences and cultural interests to an extent, a postcard is usually very straight to the point. There is no interpretation to it. This requires more thought and more depth to the graphics to surround the idea of representing myself. Could the original image of myself be brought in a little bit more?
Digital culture “Digital culture is a blanket concept that describes the idea that technology and the Internet significantly shape the way we interact, behave, think, and communicate as human beings in a societal setting. It is the product of pervasive technology and limitless access to information — a result of disruptive technological innovation within our society. It is a lifestyle, and you’re part of it. You’re living it.” D’Arnault, C. (2015). What is Digital Culture? – Digital Culturist. [online] Digital Culturist. Available at: https://digitalculturist.com/what-is-digital-culture-5cbe91bfad1b [Accessed 10 Oct. 2018]. The Internet, and everything that has come with it, has become so ingrained within society that trying to analyse it becomes difficult. Everything has some kind of link to the Internet and as it has become second nature, we forget what it was once like to have to put our pin in everytime we want to make a transaction, Apple Pay just wasn’t a thing. Nothing that has come about due to the digital culture looks the same to the next product. Everything has a different look, feel and aesthetic. Therefore, trying to characterise the ‘Digital Aesthetic’ is challenging. Art could now be defined as “a state of encounter” (Bourriad, N. 2002:18), “a kind of bonding agent that keeps together moments of subjectivity associated with singular experiences” (Courpe, J. 2007:79). However, there is no bonding agent when files become digitalised. They continuously get transferred between languages, codes and disruption occurs. The glitch aesthetic reflects this in some ways. The continuous jolting as your eye fails to trace one singular line emphasises the constant changing that goes on over the internet. Everytime you view an image on someone’s Instagram page, you view it as part of a different algorithm, so a different set of codes influence the sending and receiving of codes between yourself and the image. This is a slightly confusing concept to try and portray within one piece of work, hence the glitch is constantly used to try and represent various issues surrounding the digital culture.
Bourriad, N. (2002) Relational Aesthetics. Dijon: Les Presses du Reel. p.18. Coupe, J. (2007) ed. by Brind, S., McKenzie, R. and Sutton, D. ‘Art, Representation and Responsibilty: towards a systems aesthetic’. in The State of the Real: Aesthetics in the Digital Age. London: I.B. Tauris & Co. p. 79-87.
P I X E L S Probably the easiest way to show that something has a digital origin. Pixels mean a lower quality of imagery which is something completely different to what the computer system has allowed for. If anything, computers and the development in technology has allowed us to produce higher quality images yet one characteristic to highlight the digital nature of something is to show the bad quality of an image. This logic doesn’t quite work but I continued to utilise it in my work. What I like about the image produced on the left is the amount of blank space there is left. Although the others had quite a bit, this one has a full section where there is no noise. In a way this works but in others it doesn’t. As a reader, you become intrigued by what is left within the image, engaging with the textures of what is left behind and what could have once occupied the gap but in a way, this is too much space. The image on the right on the other hand, fills this gap and introduces another tone into the mix. Now I feel like there is too much going on within frame. Whether this be due to additional tones, more ‘bitty’ textures or the fact there is more visual noise, I cannot quite work out but the content now becomes too much. Having this image within a series would become too much and create more visual noise than is needed.
Rosa Menkman
Menkman, much like Visconti, investigates the glitch through her artwork, questioning when is it art, when is it an artifact and when is it a digital process. Compared to Visconti’s work, Menkman’s almost looks more glitch like. I don’t want to say there is a spectrum at which they situate themselves on, but it highlights how the glitch can formulate itself in many different forms. Each artist does it differently, just like we each interact with the internet in different ways, yet we seem to create similar results, the same occurs with glitch art and artists. She is “more intrigued by the significance of the material lost in the process of making data ‘fit’”. Alikhani, D. (2015) Beyond Resolution: Rosa Menkman’s glitch art. Available at <http://postmatter.com/articles/archive-2012-2016/2015/51-rosa-menkman/> [28 January 2017]
Left: Menkman, R. (2011) Loopz [online] available at < https://www.flickr.com/photos/r00s/5727565890/> [17 October 2018] Below: Menkman, R. (2018) 36. Beyond Resolution [online] available at < https://www.flickr.com/photos/r00s/43694363715/in/ photostream/> [17 October 2018]
The digitalised appearance of these pieces highlight the state of which are digital culture is in - it is unpredicatable, unintentional and unstructured. Your eye is constantly attracted to a different aspect of the piece, there is no linear structure for the eye to follow. This almost contradicts the way in which my work is currently going. Everything is in lines and although they are slightly jolted between them. You read the image on a very obvious horizontal plane. Whereas, these works, and the works of Visconti play with both the horizontal and vertical planes, going between the two and there being no correct way of reading the work. Obviously my current work can also be read in any way, but there is a more defined pattern to it which contradicts the idea of databending work.
Glitch Art Vs. Databending Glitch Art can be unintentional, it can naturally happen when a bug gets into a program and ruins your data. Databending is more specific. When someone intentionally interrupts data in order to create glitched results.
This time, I used one of my photographs to base the databending off of. Old black and white film architectural photos are something I always find myself going back to so I thought it could be interesting to combine my graphics style with my photography work. In the above images, there is still a definite lineararity to them. In these examples more than the others, you are compelled to read the image on the horizontal plane. Although there are some breaks, the lines also are joined more here so you don’t experience the glitch effect in the same way you would with Visconti’s work. Therefore, I thought that maybe pulling these lines away from each other could result in something a little different. You still get the tonal differences, and tecture references of the glitch in the right hand example, but this time the lines aren’t the primary focus. The form is more random but it still doesn’t quite grab my attention in the same way as other artist’s work.
Instead of designing the postcards individually, it is also important to consider them within a group. At the moment I haven’t decided how many I will be presenting but I started with 3. I selected my current favourites just to see how they would look together. The first thing I notice is that the first two graphics fill the whole of the vertical plane whereas the furthest one on the right doesn’t. It therefore appears smaller and doesn’t fit within the series as well. Instead of completely changing the graphics due to the linear nature of them, I decided that using the middle graphic, where the linearity is completely broken down, could provide the ideal break within the series. Although this is partially achieved, it relies on the postcards being read in this manner. They have to be read in this exact order which isnt likely to happen unless the audience is instructed to do so. This would result in an obstruction of the graphics in favour of some kind of instructions. I feel like for this to work as a series, there also needs to be more of a link from one to the next. For example, using the same colours in each one. At the moment your eye is attracted to the two furthest on the left because the colours are more intruguing compared to the one on the right. They don’t even all have to have the same tones, but having one highlighting colour that features in each postcard will bring it together as a series. Although this isn’t something that usually has to be considered, as I intend to send these as a package with the 3 postcards in, they need to look like they belong together instead of being three completely different ones.
Ode to Constructivism by polina joffe Unfortunately there is little information about this project anywhere but this allows me to focus entirely on the graphical construction of this piece instead during my analysis. Firstly, one thing that I notice is in the construction of the book itself. As Joffe allows lines to flow over the spine, it relies on the book being perfectly bound so that these lines continue to meet up within each publication. If she hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been able to do this, the breaks within the lines would have completely changed the aesthetic of the work. Being based off of constructivism, a movement that relied upon strong bold lines and geometrics, the first thing that had to be mastered was the structure of the book itself. Sometimes using black, white and red can become a bit of an over used colour combination. However, in order to bring depth and variation to this combination, Joffe is continuously changing the thickness of the lines, the length and angle. Typically, if you were to get bored of this combination, this book could then tip you over the edge considering this is the only thing the book is based off of. But, because Joffe has been clever with her sequencing and graphical choices, you find yourself as a viewer changing your perception each time although you are really viewing the same thing over and over in slightly different ways. When looking at these graphics a lot closer now compared to when I first discovered the body of work, part of me questions why some of the decisions were made. Although I do like
these graphics, why, when every other line is straight has Joffe put one in that is angled. My immediate connection with this one is that there is a pile of books and one is falling. In my eyes, this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the aim of the project. Yes it does add some variation to the lienararity of the rest of the graphics, but to have this one as the only angled line in any of the graphics I could find for the book, just why? Maybe if I were able to find more about the project, some of these graphics would make more sense and although I do like the simplicity of it, I begin to question the actual structure of the work. How many times can a line change for it to really look that different? Images available at https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/polina-joffe
Building up textures within each piece is something I am trying to focus on. The image on the left looks too singular, there is no depth to it whereas adding in the same pattern but changing the blend mode adds in some extra depth whilst still highlighting the red tones. What I am unsure about with these though is the dots surrounding some of the lines. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to correct the way in which the computer has formed the image but this has some very strong solid lines and some that arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t so definitive, they become dotty instead. This would make it difficult to pair with anything.
Having decided that the images within the sequence needed to be the same tonal wise, I increased the red tones within one of the previous images. However, I feel like the image is now missing something. The transition between different tones created interest within the blurred segments. Now, because there is less difference, it becomes hard to find any focal point of any interest within the motion. Instead the eye runs over each aspect and, personally, I find no interest within it. The only points that grab my attention slightly are those elements where the yellow tones are making a slight appearance.
This definitely works better as a sequence in terms of the two edge pieces but now the middle section doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to flow as well.
70s geometric inspiration When you type in 70s geometric pattern into Shutterstock, these are all the images that come up. There are a lot of bold colours, each featuring itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own ombre as well as repeated geometric patterns.
I soon came to the conclusion that the linearity of my previous work was both working in my favour but also not. Therefore, having recently been reminded of the geometric patterns that were a key part of the 1970s, I thought it could be interesting to bring in the structure from the geometrics and work on these. This provides me with a structure like the other work did but immediately, by using circles, the horizontal and vertical planes are thrown into question. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just want to leave it as a pattern that could be followed easily, like some of them are on the previous pages. I wanted to use the tonal contrasts to throw the eye around the canvas. This still highlights the style of work I love, as the one piece of work that sparked my interest in non-photographic methods, whilst still linking to photography, focused on the hexagonal form.
To throw the eye off even more, I went back to blending the pixels. I felt like the base to this had more potentional, there were more colours to merge and more content within the image. The result quickly proved my point, what was created had more to it, more texture and more visual interest espeically with the edges still highlighting the textural element that was added to the base image. Personally, I find the second image more interesting. There are more textures, more leaks of colour and you are made to fill in the gaps yourself. What could be more interesting is if the backs of these two paired up to explain the meaning of them together instead of two separate messages on the back. However, there is still the issue that I expressed before, how is it going to be clear that they needed to be joined up?
I can keep playing around with these graphics as much as I like, this is one of my favourites, but I don’t think I am explicitly saying anything about myself? I’ve always viewed graphic design to be about portraying a message and this has to be done in quite an explicit way sometimes and these images are in no way explicit. Note to self: If I were to print this, I’m unsure on what kind of quality it would print at because it already looks quite pixelated so could just look worse on paper.
This isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the right word to use, but out of intrigue I wanted to see what the addition of text would do for the piece. I was unsure whether it was clear enough what each postcard was representing and adding text is a quick and easy solution to this. I feel like with these two, you would need both postcards. The one on the right is hard to read due to the manipulation but without it, the text would have stood out for the wrong reasons. Including both also shows the audience where the image came from but there is still the issue of how is any reader going to know that they need to piece the two together to understand the text on the back?
The spheres were producing some interesting results however, they were very 2-dimensional. I had remembered seeing something about different gradient styles and how the style of gradient employed to a simple shape, like a circle, can change the perception of it. I decided that the idea of pulling pixels had created some interesting patterns but it needed some depth. Using these two, two-dimensional concepts together worked to bring a new dimension to both works. The use of a basic white to black gradient on the circle and then changing the blend mode resulted in a sphere appearing out of the pattern. I wanted to use this as a metaphor for something appearing out of the metadata that we create online. What appears is an identity that is different to our own as it emerges out of all the pulled pixels that we have arranged to show off our best moments in life.
Although the concept of this works really well in showing my interests within graphic design and photography, I suddenly found an issue with the idea that this wasn’t a typical postcard. Reducing my work and my interests down into a stereotypical postcard wasn’t what I was aiming for. I didn’t want them to become something that my work isn’t, and that’s quite simple to read. However, with these I felt like I was straying too far away from the point. Yes, the print is interesting, it has sparked more ideas for me and the work that I continue alongside my studies but as a postcard that isn’t its aim in the same way. The text does add to the postcard in my opinion. It brings it back to what a postcard does in terms of stating the obvious. However, I now feel that in stating that it is about ‘Digital Manipulation’, I am closing the image off to the multitude of ‘readings’ it could obtain and the endless ways it could be reappropriated through social media. In many ways text can help an explanation but in this case it is hindering it.
But this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a typical postcard. How can I make it a postcard? In the more traditional sense.
Go back to basics and base everything off of a photograph. Then apply my style to this. a photograph can highlight the topic whilst my style will show my interets.
After much debate about what to do with my graphics, I decided that I did like the first experiments that I had done but they needed to have more of a base to them. I began with the most explicit way to show ‘me’ and that was a photo of me. I understood that a postcard with my face on it wasn’t something tourists would buy and although the intention with these postcards isn’t for the tourist audience, I still thought as an artistic postcard my photo didn’t fit the purpose. Therefore, I combined my portrait with the patterns from before. Layering them up, altering the blend modes and the way the layers interacted with each other provided some interesting results. I wanted to try and retain some of my identity however, due to the blending methods used, some highlighted my eyes more than anything else. For me, this is still quite a personal thing to highlight therefore, I tried to shift the focus on to my hair, afterall, the ginger tones were in each layer due to the way the patterns were created so highlighting this in a multitude of shades could become something really texturally interesting.
Playing around with the ordering of layers, repeating the same ones over and over so that the correct parts were emphasised, finally produced me with a result that I liked. The outline of my face can still be made out whilst introducing more interesting visual textures through the influence of Sabato Visconti. The tonal variations between sections and the way these sections interact with each other, also adds to this texture. Although this still isn’t a stereotypical postcard, I feel like this portrays what I need it to whilst still fulfilling the element of a postcard, even if it is more of an artistic postcard. Here, despite it clearly highlighting who I am in some respects, it also highlights my interests through the techniques used and the ‘digitalised appearance’. This link to the digital culture could now be applied throughout my postcards, highlighting that the appearance doesn’t have one singular look, we all interpret it and use it in different ways to portray what we want it to portray.
What kind of graphics do I include alongside this image?
I need to avoid using the horizontal plane too much in the next few postcards as this will not encourage exploration of the postcards at all angles. It suggests there is only one correct way to read them, whereas, I am trying to encourage someone to be able to explore my identity and perhaps notice things that I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t consciously do in order to understand my personality more.
Another graphic that I liked from before was this one, however, once again this wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work in a series with the other image. The circular element, which is vital to this graphic, is not effective alongside my first final image. Equally, the tones are very different which would mean that the 3rd image would have a lot of expectations in terms of linking the three images together.
This image on the other hand, although it does feature the circular pattern from the above image, there are horizontal and vertical lines that will encourage an exploration of the frame. There is no correct way to do this but it becomes more playful in doing so. Although this issue is now resolved, there is still the issue of the very different tones that feature. As a result, there will still be some high expectations of the third image, but there is less for this third image to tackle by selecting this graphic instead of the one above.
As these were taken from black and white film images, the quality when enlarged isn’t great but with these designs, I wanted to utilise this. Through the edits that I placed on the image, it breaks each image down into pixels meaning that each pixel can be individually coloured quite easily instead of having to pain-stakingly colour each one yourself. Overlaying similar images and textures from other architecture shots, quickly builds up these graphics. Although they are rough and very pixelated this really contrasts with the style of the black and white film images, which is what I love. I wanted to make sure that although the graphics are very pixelated, that you can still tell what the main subject is, which is why for this bottom graphic, I wanted to combine the two parts from above into one. It isn’t clear that the background is of the same subject but it layers up the textures which is exactly what I need. I also find it more visually interesting that the regular pattern that was formed when creating the graphics on the opposite page. These ones were very formulaic and you know what to expect next, which is something I don’t do too much of in my work. For this reason, I thought that perhaps it was best not to use these graphics as they contradict the style that I employ and want to show through the postcards.
I started with the tower block image because this is one photo that I see a lot as a photography student. When told to go and shoot out in Coventry, this is a generic photo that often comes back. Coventry is surrounded by multiple concrete buildings and I felt like this was a good image to start with. However, I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just go with what I first thought and instead I wanted to play with some of the other images I took on film to see what kind of textures I could create through combining several film images with digial manipulation methods. With these images, not only is texture created through tonal changes, but also through the pixelation. The changes in forms are really highlighted, the slightest movement changes the way in which the pixels are viewed, more so than a really sharp image, in my opinion. I had originally wanted to look into using more blue tones because this is the Coventry colour, however, due to the original editing, it was hard to get the exact shade, but also, the fact that the image was now entirely blue meant that there was no texture created by the tonal changes. This is something that I thought would work, however, looking at the lack of depth that there now is, using various tones works more effectively. Equally, it will fit better in with the series if I use varying tones, focusing on texture, otherwise having one out of 3 images as a block colour will not work as effectively in multiple aspects.
The more abstract the base image, the harder it is to identify that this is Coventry, however, the images produced on this page are perhaps some of my favourite graphics. Although some are more pixelated than others, there are some that have turned out really nicely, and the combinations of different images and blend modes, works to my advantage. However, it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t about what I prefer, it needs to work well with the series, if they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t then substitutions may need to be made.
Looking at which image works best with my one confirmed image so far
Now that I had a base image that I was happy with, it was a case of picking out some other work that I had created to put with this postcard. I didn’t want to have a set of individual postcards, they all had to work together in some way because they are building up my identity and the way I am presented to you as my audience. I started with 3 postcards (on the left). One that shows my love for geometrics and textures in my graphics work, one that shows me and my interest in digital culture and then the final one developing my graphical style alongside my favourite photography work (black and white architectural shots). Although I liked this, I couldn’t decide if there needed to be more of them. I prefer to work in odd numbers for this kind of thing so I now had to figure out two more things to show about me. Not only does the final image show my graphical style developing alongside my photography work, but it also shows quite a strong cultural influence. Having moved to Coventry for my university course, it was definitely a new learning experience. I was living with a different group of people and I had to do my own washing and cooking! In order to find comfort within a new place, I explored everything with my camera. The type of camera I used quickly changed as I became more intrigued by the possibilities of film photography. As I explored the city through my lens, I became aware of a very different kind of culture here in Coventry compared to my home town of Oxford. Maybe it would be interesting in the two other postcards to explore some of my photography work, some design involving Oxford, as this is a very big cultural influence on me, and maybe exploring some other aspects of my old work that show both photography and graphic design elements. Building these into the series of postcards will require some more shifting around of which images I do and don’t use as they need to work collectively in presenting my identity.
Using photos that I have taken of Oxford as a base once again, I tried to apply a similar kind of style to the images. Instead of just using image based work, I wanted to start introducing the graphics I created from scratch once again. I did like them earlier on in this project however, they didn’t quite fit when they were presented on their own. In this style, I don’t think the Oxford images work. Although they do look quite funky, funky isn’t exactly what I am going for. What I do like from these though, is the lighter tones. At the moment, the series could seem quite dark and adding some lighter tones could balance out the series really well.
The images were originally designed in landscape however, I quickly realised that the other postcards are portrait. Although it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter if the orientation changes throughout the series, I wanted them to remain portrait for consistency. It instantly became clear that I was going to lose a lot of detail through the cropping hence why I rotated one of the images. This new perspective is growing on me, however, the audience will instinctively want to turn the postcard around. For me, this completely changes the persepctive and could become an issue within the sequence. It is worth keeping this image in as an option, however, I do have concerns over this orientation issue, as well as the fact it is another dark print when I thought lighter tones need to be added.
Using a different image of Oxford, that crops better when portrait, became my next step within the development of these graphics. I wanted to continue using the circular pattern from before as this added something a little different to this image, especially when the base image is so vertical. Although the quality of the image isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t great when blown up, the lighter tones are really starting to work, and the texture from the second image, is working to my advantage in this case.
For me, it is very clear that the top sequence of 3 works a lot better than the bottom sequence. The tones work together really successfully, with each tone repeating itself in one of the later graphics. This means that, when veiwing the set of postcards, the audience is able to clearly see that these three are supposed to be together. The bottom sequence on the other hand, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work as successfully. The tones from the far left postcard are too bright in comparison to the other images. There isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the same interesting composition as the other graphic, however, it is clear which way the postcard is orientated. If the image on the far left of the top sequence is not put at this orientation, then the sequence loses all the benefits that I mentioned above. Although the writing on the back can help the audience determine which orientation to put it at, this relies upon every audience member turning over the postcard to realise this. This may sound like a very small request, however, some may not realise they are artistic postcards instead of artistic prints at which point it will cause issues. Previously, I did mention adding two more images to this sequence. So, I think it would be best to continue both of these sequences into the next stages of picking out the other images, and seeing which works best alongside the other two graphics. Depending on the tones and compositions of these other postcards, the second sequence could end up working much better as it will act as a blend beetween the darker graphics and the possible lighter, less bold, designs that could feature on the other postcards. Knowing my style of work this could end up not working, but I think that I need to portray a different side to my work over the next two postcards, which could mean this second Oxford graphic will be really important. Equally, playing with turning other garphics by 90 degrees could end up linking better to the top graphic. I would have to consider though at this point how dark the images are and how many of the graphics are being dominated by black tones.
I was trying to think what projects I am known for and the rubiks cube project immediately came to mind. Obviously this isn’t a project that has been widely published but to people at university, when they didn’t know my name it was ‘you’re that girl that did the rubiks cube project right?’. Right. So, I decided that instead of using one of the patterns as a postcard, shownig the whole cube in this commercial style photoshoot would be more appropriate. It shows off my work, whilst also showing a different side to the projects I have done in terms of the interactive element and these studio photos. The top right image would have to be retaken to have the postcard in a portrait orientation however, I think that the top right image works best. It isn’t too close that you are trying to piece together the individual kaleidoscopes when mixed up (like the image to the left) and showing one single cube tries to condense this work down to something smaller than it is. For this reason, having the cubes staked up and not too close to the camera, works to my advantage as you can see some elements of the pattern but you are enticed to see the project close up in order to piece together the kaleidoscopes in person.
This image breaks down the sequence of postcards really well. It adds a bit of blank space for the audience to digest the information that they are receiving about me. When adding in this image, the top sequence does still work, however, there is an awful lot of visual noise and it seems odd to have the sudden break that this image provides through the clean cut, commercial photography. The blue tones of the sectond sequence donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite fit though. They are too bright in comparison to all images. The final image to the sequence therefore, needs to be very carefully selected in order to determine which set of images would work best as postcards.
The other graphic I decided would look best is from the project entitled Accumulation. This is obviously another very graphics based project which could make it harder to balance the graphics. I thought that the element of text in a couple of these images could work really well to break down the information again. However, I do think that these bottom two graphics could work really successfully as part of the sequence. I need to put them within the set to get a better idea.
The text here, because it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t anything too full on, works well in both sequences. The text at no point is easy to read so it reflects the broken down style of some of the other images, whilst providing something a little different. I was concerned that the images were all starting to look the same, despite having different edits applied and this changes it up, whilst stll having a clear style throughout the set. Within the final image, there are some blue tones which helps to reduce the boldness of the top Oxford graphic. However, when put within the second series, there is an over-riding darkness of black tones that stands out to me. As a result, the white tones that feature in both the second and fifth graphic, really stand out and look a little out of place. This could be solved by resequencing the images, however, I feel like this would be more successful with the top set as either way, the dark tones of the second series are going to remain close together which wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t solve the issue.
I didn’t realise how successful the text made the series until I added in some other graphics. With the series at the top of the opposite page, the green and purple tones, although they feature in other graphics, it is very minimal which means that this stands out too much, even more than the blue tones! As a result, I think it is clear to say that this won’t work within the sequence, even if I were to reorder them. In the second series, the blue tones of the Oxford graphic are balanced out more evenly through the feature of similar blue tones in the final graphic. However, the white tones, in my opinion, are too stark. Although they don’t feature heavily, I find myself looking at this graphic too much due to the block colours instead of taking in different aspects of each graphic. Equally, the black tones of my original image now seem very dark compared to this final graphic. It just doesn’t work! This issue is worsened when I use the darker Oxford graphic as the blue and white appears even bolder within the series. I think it is safe to say that this also doesn’t work. Once I realised that this was the issue for that sequence, I realised that I would have the same issue with the below series. As white tones feature heavily again within this graphic, the way it is situated with the others doesn’t look as successful as the first combination with the text graphic. It also makes the grey of the centre image, appear more full than it is.
Focus on me, my interests and my photography work
Below can be seen the final selection. After reordering them again slightly, it works out well in terms of the balancing of tones that I had been struggling with. Once again it was about merging all the work I had done earlier on with a base photograph like I had suggested a few pages back. I think that the central image, the one of my project entitled X^3, is really important within this sequence because it shows a lot more about my work. It isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always bold random structures, this one is very well organised, the kaleidoscopes have a regular pattern and the photograph itself is kept very simple and shot in the style of any other product photography. This also reflects my organised, yet caotic, lifestyle. It is something that I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t show in any other way apart from this. The two images next to this central image not only show the style of work that interests me but it shows two of my biggest cultural influences, as these are the two places I have lived, Oxford and Coventry. The two places architecturally are very different. Normally this is how I would explore a place, through the lens of a film camera and looking at the interesting forms of architecture. However, here, I wanted to bring it closer together. Although I have used two different styles, the vertical planes that appear throughout both graphics tie them into each other. Finally, the last image below is one from another project I did, developing on from the rubiks cubes. The project still emphasised on the issues within social media platforms but this time, instead of focusing on the identity aspect, it looked at how images are being destroyed, reappropriated and then built back up again.
UX Amalgamist. (n.d.) Printer Error Packaging [online] available at < https://www. uxamalgamist.com/printer-error-packaging> [17 October 2018]
Apps, J. (2016) Glitch, Interfering with Beauty [online] available at < https:// www.behance.net/gallery/36307613/Glitch-interfering-with-beauty> [17 October 2017]
Now, how to send them...
Epson did some really interesting packaging for some of their printer cartridges that involved the glitch or databending aesthetic. When you order with Epson you have the advantage that you know exactly what you are getting, all that really needs to be on there is their brand name and the association can quickly be made. With this advantage, the packaging can focus a lot more of the design instead of having to have too much information. With my designs though, I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t got this advantage. There is going to have to be a little bit more information than just my name. This response to a project that I found on BeHance actually creates a different image for the packaging each time the algorithm is used. In this case it works for the project, however, with my postcards, it is more of a one off. There is no need to build up an identity for a company based on this. It needs to represent me in the one moment it is opened. Maybe it would be best for me to avoid the glitch pattern or digital aesthetic on this occasion as there is already a lot of visual noise being represented within the postcards so adding it to the packaging could become too overpowering for the eye.
As can be demonstrated in numerous of my other projects, I do like to make my work interactive to reveal a new dimension to the work. It was at this point I realised that returning to my love for origami could provide a new dynamic to the work whilst showing another one of my interests. It goes with the post-digital aesthetic that I explained before, combining both new and old media.
IS Creative Studio. (n.d.) Ficciones Asiáticas [online] available at < http://iscreativestudio.com/project/ficciones-asiaticas/> [17 October 2018]
These two examples show two different ways that I could approach this. Firstly, I could make an envelope that tells its own story, it requires it’s own reading separate from the postcards. This doesn’t have to be a lot of text like the example on the right, but as you unfold the pages it reveals a story prior to the main story (the postcards). Although this could be a good option, I feel like this would be too much. The focus needs to be on the postcards and their content, not the content of an envelope. This second example on the left, although the structure isn’t as complex, it does it’s function. If I wanted, it can become more complex, instead of using a block colour, something else could be used to encase the postcards but structurally, I think this is something that I need to try as it won’t make the postcards too long to read. The aim of any postcard is to be a quick read, get an update on someone else’s adventures, not to read a book like the above packaging would be! Viannay, V. (n.d.) Untitled [online] available at < http://vviannay.blogspot.com> [17 October 2018]
Packaging ideas: I need something simple because if I did a really bold container, it is going to be incredibly busy and too much for the eye to take in. My main interest within my work is the digital culture, how it is effecting the way our work is presented and how our identities are represented online. So maybe completely contrasting this would be interesting. For example using my birth certificate. This is how the government views me. This is an official record that cannot be misinterpreted through the internet. The only kind of place you are going to go looking for this document is on a family history website. Everything on there is factual based, there is no possibility to build an alternative identity like there is on social media. You also donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go looking for social acceptance but a clarification of identity through facts. It would also highlight one of my interests outside of my work because tracing my family history is something that I have been focusing on a lot over summer. I have managed to go back to the 1780s and discover multiple relatives, some people that I knew as friends before, have turned out to be fifth cousins. Logistically, to create a rectangular base for the postcards to sit in, the certificate is also going to have to be rectangular. Although I can stretch the image to be a rectangle, I need to make sure it is done carefully so that nothing appears too stretched. One thing I take pride in, is making sure that everything is executed correctly and to the highest standard that I can produce. If the packaging is lacking from the start then this will leave a bad first impression for once the envelope is opened. I was thinking of using a thicker card for the postcards but for the envelope I think that using a thinner paper would represent so much more. It would almost represent the density of information presented. My birth certificate shows so much less about me as a person compared to the postcards and the difference in density between the two would represent this.
An envelope folding structure that I have used before worked really well for this. The certificate requires more reading and encourages an invetsigation of itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own, something we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t usually do with envelopes, they are opened and thrown away. However, this one requires some reading and it needs to be read alongside the postcards. This change of perception of something so simple is something I enjoy doing within my work and I thought it would be best to continue it through this project as well.
What do I write on the back? I have already decided that I want to hand write on the back of these as I feel like it will bring the traditional aesthetic of a postcard to life but also it will use the combintion of new and old media that is typical of the post-digital, to highlight this influence within some of my work. I do want to work out what I am writing though as I don’t think making mistakes will look right!
Text: The Digital Me. Being ginger is a large part of my identity when someone gets to know me and with this image, I wanted to highlight that I do have these tones within my ‘real appearance’ but online this isn’t always the case. Our online data gets broken down and rearranged so that the image is never the same so it is clear that there is someone within this work, but it isn’t clear it is me. This references my interest in the digital culture and the loss of identities online that make up a big part of my photographic work.
When moving to uni, being classed as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the posh oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; became a big part of my identity to start with. When moving to a new place like this you are reminded of your roots and I guess I am lucky to have grown up in such a stunning place as Oxford. As a cultural influence, this is one of the best places I could have asked for. Everywhere I go, not only is there the stunning university buildings but archives and research centres to go and explore. Using Oxford as the backdrop to one of my postcards seemed the perfect way to highlight one of the biggest cultural influences for me. Combining this with the 70s geometric pattern allowed for something a little more experimental, maybe something that is missing within Oxford.
(Side Note: Prior to adding the two examples in of my previous work, the set didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look complete, they needed something else and these two examples fitted in really well). My Photography work is constantly changing and I think these rubiks cubes highlight that. The work is always changing the way it looks depending on how the audience interact with it. Once again the work highlights the way in which we interact online and the issues surrounding online identities.
To go alongside the Oxford postcard, I felt it important to show my other influence, Coventry. Although it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the most artistically inspiring place with all the concrete, it is where I get most of my inspiration from as I am surrounded by other creatives. It only ever seemed like a place I would study but Coventry has grown on me and you start to notice the small details. Also, as it is so grey and concrete, it is the perfect canvas for me to apply some of my style and colour to!
My work rarely utilises text and I think this is something I wanted to show in the last postcard. Text is a big part of graphic design and I need to begin to utilise this more. The text is often needed to explain my work as it can get a bit complicated. In the last two years, this is the only piece that has actually had any text in yet it still uses my typical style so I know it can be done and it has to be done. This effectively highlights what I want to develop over the next year - my design skills to be encorporated to my photography work and vise versa.
Paper Types This will be referenced more within my blog but I decided that I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just print these postcards on any paper. Traditionally I would go for a photo printing paper, something like Matt or Satin however, I wanted the writing on the back to not just look like an after thought or a necessary part of the process so the paper needed to be the same on both sides, which it never is with photography paper. Therefore, I began to look at card and textured paper. Although the choice of a regular card seems quite boring, it fits the function and the colours appear really well on this card usually, or dedpending on the type of card. However, everything I tried just wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t printing the colours correctly so I decided to go back to printing on photo paper as the contrast and colours were exactly how I wanted them. Also, I made sure that the back of the photo paper wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the horrible textured type that you can sometimes get from printers (it also has writing all over the back) so by buying my own high quality printing paper I eliminated these issues.
Above can be seen the images when printed on card and compared to the image on the opposit page, it is really clear how different the colours are. They were too flat and the colours didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pop as they did on screen. As artistic postcards, these need to stand out and these did not fulfil this function. When printing I did sometimes have to change the images slightly. The contrast of this particular image was too much so I tried different reductions so that the image became better balanced.
The final images printed on to Oyster Pearl Paper. Although it cannot be seen on this image, when you receive this postcards it is clear that the printer left some horizontal lines across the postcards. To some people this would be annoying however, based on what I am trying to portray with these postcards, I thought the natural â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;glitchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or error would be a welcome addition to my work. Everything else was a forced, designed glitch whereas, these printer marks were something out of my control.
In a way, with this project, I was my own about me, showing my interests, my
client. I had to create a set of postcard influences and my photography work.
Through this series, it is clear that I have established a style of design that I like. However, what I was able to start developing, was different ways of creating a similar look. I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, up until this point, created a piece of work that was so directly influenced by Sabato Visconti using the same methods as he does in his work. Combining his methods, alongside some of my own, I was able to create some really interesting responses that have made me start thinking about the work I am producing in a new way. Although I have obviously taken influence from other artists for multiple years, it has made me realise that sometimes going back to the basics of not just finding visuals that are similar, but trying to replicate their methods, can stimulate the best ideas and test your own boundaries and not just the boundaries of your own work. As a result of this, I think that the postcards not only show something about me but show how I am investigating my own identity through them. Photography has obviously been a very big influence during recent years but it is about transistioning my brain to think in new ways about the same work just under a different title. Creating this work has reminded me of what I always enjoy but it has also introduced me to new aspects of both photography and graphic design that perhaps I need to explore more. Visual textures being one of these. Although this features in my work in various degrees, trying to enforce it within purely digital work can be hard and the way that I have been doing this is very different to the way I would be doing it on more commercial projects which means, everything I think I have started to understand, I really havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. I have only touched the surface and through this course I am hoping to develop all of these aspects even further. Being able to work with each component within different circumstances will come with time but also experimentation. My enjoyment for experimentational work has only just been touched upon here but in producing these postcards, you as an audience have been able to learn more about me, and in turn I have been able to learn more about the way I work and what I want to achieve through this course.