1.1 Design Litreracy Tadporn Wudhinan (WUD11319508) MA Graphic Branding and Identity
Research Method 1 The objectives of this project is to let me investigate fundamental principle of form and their function in terms of visual communication, focussing on the process of de-learning and re-learning. I got square shape as my brief. First step I did was finding square definitions from dictionary and book and it was described that “square is a flat shape with four sides of equal length and four angles of 90°” and “it has the horizontal and vertical direction representing balance and stability”. Next, I started doing some experiments which were: Drawing square I drew square as I saw in the environment and patterns of it. Then, I used translucent paper to draw squares, investigating how the shape appear within itself in different layers. Two patterns passed, the square ended up being diamond shape. Then, I changed the method by using positive and negative square to produce a pattern.
From this, I got a conclusion that positive can be negative and negative can be positive. Changing 2D to 3D By questioning myself how to make 3D square by using only strip paper, I folded paper to form a cube and the continuing squares. Photograph a square indirectly After I took photographs of the 3D squares, I found an interesting point about unfocused or uncleared squares, so I explored this by using different kinds of texture as an obstacle between camera and square. The results were some of the pictures were blur and some of them had been distorted to rectangle. I also observed the shape by photographing pictures from the shadow on background which brought the same result. By looking at its unclear state and distortions, I saw relationship between the pictures and architecture. 1
Square and rectangle (two square placing together) appeared in almost every part of architecture as its volume and void an when the light hit its surface it will be glared and blurred. We can see this from windows at day and night, from interior and exterior especially when the light is in high level. Since city consists with buildings, this can be said that squares shape the city. Eventually, I decided to leave this topic because it did not lead me to explore new experience. I did more research in various topics such as square in mathematics (the perfect square), japanese room measurement (tatami), the golden ratio. I found a definition of square by Donis A. Dondis described as “The square has associated to it dullness, honesty, straightness, and workmanlike meaning�. Later, I realized that square is mentioned most about its stability, rigidness, and with no movement, therefore I had an intention to search 2
for other meaning from different point of view then I found square dancing which changed my thought about the shape to a new way. Even though the dance begin and end with square but every time dancers move, the formation will be changes. This changed emotions of square to lively, enjoyable, moveable, changeable and unpredictable. Square dancing is a folk dance, first introduced in England, 18th century, with the number of 8 people (4 couple) dancing in 4 sides of the square and the caller is the one who conduct dance movement. Square dance are from 2 country, England and France. In England, 14th century, square dancing inherited movements from Morris and Country Dance. In the mean time, France received influences from English Country Dance and developed it to Contradanse (Contra Dance). When the English immigrated to the United State they passed this dance to
the next generation and after World War 2, as the United State policy to close their relationship with England, France took place. Then the dance was combined and improved to today’s square dancing.
plotted space between people and observed formation of the square. As a result, the group with odd number changed in square formation than the even number group that sometimes changed to triangle.
From the research, the dances have 3 basic elements: dancers, rhythm and music, and formation. This led me to had a question about square dancing: What makes square dancing?. I tried to deconstruct the dance by using mind mapping. I achieved the answer and found the relationship between dance formation and dancers.
Finally, the experiment was developed to my output with dance instruction manual and visual information video for people who want to learn the movement in unusual ways and show some examples of an up-to-date music genre to refresh the feeling of an old fashioned dance.
After this, I produced visual information of dancing group by using animation technique projecting dancers position from video to investigate how the transformation will be when the number of people changed in unusual way. I started to take people off the group by one, two and a couple at a time in every position. From this, I 3
OBJECT
Pattern
JOURNEY
6
Square drawing 7
10
Positive/ Negative 2D > 3D
12 14
Right hand drawing/ Left hand drawing Blurred square
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No movement
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With movement
CONTEXT
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Architecture & City
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Golden Ratio Perfect Square
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Other Meanings Square Dancing
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Overall Evolution Movement
OUTPUT 4
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33 35 37
OBJECT Square Definition
A flat shape with four sides of equal length and four angles of 90°. Cambridge Dictionary
A rectangle having all four sides of equal length. http://dictionary.reference.com/
The square has associated to it dullness, honesty, straightness, and workmanlike meaning. A square is a four-sided figure with exactly equal right angles at each corner and sides of exactly the same length. Every basic shape expresses three basic and meaningful visual directions: the square, the horizontal and vertical. The horizontal-vertical reference has been commented on already, but to review, it is man’s primary reference in terms of his well-being and maneuverability. Its most basic meaning has t do not only with the human organism’s relationship to the envirionment, but also to stability in all bisual matters. Not only does man have more ease in balance; so do all things constructed and designed. Donis A. Dondis, A Primer of Visual Literacy 5
Investigation: Square Drawing
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Investgation: Pattern
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Experiment: Positive/ Negative
10
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Experiment: 2D > 3D
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Investigation: Right hand drawing/ Left hand drawing
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Experiment: Blurred square (without movement)
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Experiment: Blurred square (with movement)
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CONTEXT
Architecture & City Square and rectangle (two square placing together) appeared in almost every part of architecture as its volume and void an when the light hit its surface it will be glared and blurred. We can see this from windows at day and night, from interior and exterior especially when the light is in high level. Since city consists with buildings, this can be said that squares shape the city. 22
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Golden Ratio
In mathematics and the arts, two quantities are in the golden ratio if the ratio of the sum of the quantities to the larger quantity is equal to the ratio of the larger quantity to the smaller one. The golden ratio is an irrational mathematical constant, approximately 1.6180339887. 26
The golden section is a line segment divided according to the golden ratio: The total length a + b is to the length of the longer segment a as the length of a is to the length of the shorter segment b.
A golden rectangle with longer side a and shorter side b, when placed adjacent to a square with sides of length a, will produce a similar golden rectangle with longer side a + b and shorter side a. This illustrates the relationship
Construction of a golden rectangle: 1. Construct a unit square (red). 2. Draw a line from the midpoint of one side to an opposite corner. 3. Use that line as the radius to draw an arc that defines the long dimension of the rectangle.
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Proportions of the facade of the Parthenon.
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Beginning in the Renaissance, a body of literature on the aesthetics of the golden ratio was developed. As a result, architects, artists, book designers, and others have been encouraged to use the golden ratio in the dimensional relationships of their works.
Left: Depiction of the proportions in a medieval manuscript. According to Jan Tschichold: "Page proportion 2:3. Margin proportions 1:1:2:3. Text area proportioned in the Golden Section Right: Illustration from Luca Pacioli’s De Divina Proportione applies geometric proportions to the human face.
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Human figure set within a square, for a study of proportions. It is assumed that proportions of the circle and square reflect Golden Division.
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Le Corbusier explicitly used the golden ratio in his Modulor system for the scale of architectural proportion. He saw this system as a continuation of the long tradition of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man”.
Perfect Square A square which can be dissected into a number of smaller squares with no two equal is called a perfect square dissection (or a squared square).
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Other Meanings
Japanese Poetry: white square of inside the white square of inside the white square of inside the white square of inside the white square
Tatami: Japanese thick mat measures two squares in size and it serves as a basic unit of measurement in the design of Japanese house.
A line of music written in the elenventh century. 32
Square Dancing Square dance is a folk dance with four couples (eight dancers) arranged in a square, with one couple on each side. Each dance begins and ends each sequence with “sets-in-order� in the square formation. The dance was first described in 17th century England but was also quite common in France and throughout Europe and bears a marked similarity to Scottish Country Dancing. It has become associated with the United States of America due to its historic development in that country. Nineteen US states have designated it as their official state dance.
The various square dance movements are based on the steps and figures used in traditional folk dances and social dances of the various people who migrated to the USA. Some of these traditional dances include Morris dance, English Country Dance, Caledonians and the quadrille. Square dancing is enjoyed by people around the world, and people around the world are involved in the continuing development of this dance. Square dancers are prompted or cued through a sequence of steps (square dance choreography) by a square dance caller to the beat of music. The caller leads, but usually does not participate in the dance.
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Square Dancing : Who is who in the square head boy/ man
1
corner
partner
partner
2
partner
partner
corner
4
side
corner
girl/ lady
corner
3
Begin with Couple 1 facing away from the music and going counter- clockwise until getting to Couple 4. Couples 1 and 3 are known as the head couples, while Couples 2 and 4 are the side couples. Each dance begins and ends each sequence with “sets-inorder� in the square formation. 34
Square Dancing : Evolution From the Greens and Fields of England
From the Royal Ballrooms of France
Morris Dance
Ballroom Dance
English Country Dance
Court Ballet
14th The Minuet
16th Scoth Reels/ Irish Jigs Mescolanze
Circular Choral
Round for Eight
Square of Eight
Round for as many as will
Longways Dance
Ballad Dance
Contredanse Cotillon The Great Quadrille
The Quadrille
17th Polka Quadrille
Waltz Quadrille
Mazurka Quadrille
18th 18th
Progressive Square
Appalachian Mountian Dance
Play Circle Party Mixers
Running Set
Singing Quadrille
New England Court Dance
18th Big Set
Contra Western Square Dance
Eastern Contra Quadrille Circle Play Suqare Mixers Party Dance 19th Today’s Square Dance 35
Country
Dancers
Cued by
Morris Dance
England
6 men
dance leader
English Country Dance
England
4 people or not fixed
dancers
Contredanse
France
not fixed
Cuer
France
4 couple
Prompter (start: mid of 19th century)
United State of America
4 couple
Caller
The Great Quadrille
Today’s Square Dance
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Formation
Square Dancing : Movement A square dance program or square dance list is a set of defined square dance calls or dance steps which are associated with a level of difficulty. Programs and program lists are managed and universally recognized in modern Western square dance.
Callerlab recognizes the first 53 calls of Mainstream as a separate program called “Basic”.
Basic Movement 1
From “Dancer Naming” to “Star Promenade”
Callerlab, the International Association of Square Dance Callers, the largest international square dance association manages the most universally recognized of these programs, and currently manages seven dance program lists. There are four main levels, some of which are divided into sublevels:
Basic Movement 2
From “Pass Thru” to “Grand Square”
Basic Movement 3
From “Star Thru” to “Shoot the Star”
Basic Movement 4
From “Slip the Clutch” to “Double Pass Thru”
Mainstream
69 calls
Basic Movement 5
Plus
31 calls
From “First Couple Left...” to “Ferris Wheel”
Advanced 1 (A-1)
46 calls
Mainstream 1
From “Cloverleaf” to “Centers in”
Advanced 2 (A-2)
35 calls
Challenge 1 (C1)
79 calls
Mainstream 2
Challenge 2 (C2)
86 calls
From “Cast Off 3/4” to “Dixie Style to an Ocean Wave”
Challenge 3A (C3A)
83 calls
Mainstream 3
From “Spin Chain Thru” to “Recycle”
Movements (Calls) in each level:
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Plus 1
From “Acey Deucey” to “Spin Chain the Gears”
Plus 2
From “Track ll” to “Trad the Wave”
Plus 3
From “Flip the Diamond” to “Spin Chain & Exchange the Gears”
Plus 4
“Off the List” movements for Plus Dancers
Advance 1 (1)
From “(Anything) and Cross” to “Double Star Thru”
Advance 1 (2)
From “Ends Bend” to “Lock It”
Advance 1 (3)
From “Mix” to “Scoot and Dodge”
Advance 1 (4)
From “Six-Two Acey Deucey” to “Wheel Thru”
Advance 2
From “All 4 Couples/ All 8 Couples” to “Zig Zag/ Zag Zig”
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Basic Movement Examples:
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OUTPUT Question: What makes square dance? Dancers
Number of dancers
Even number
Changes in square formation?
Odd number Movement
Square transformation
Dancer’s position in group
Moving Square
Other requirements Square Dance
Rhythm
Music
Costume
Caller
Experiment: Changes in square formation Taking people in different position off the square to investigate changes in space and formation.
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The experiment can be devided in 3 cases: taking one person off at a time, taking two people off at a time and taking a couple off at a time.
Case 1: Taking 1 dancer out at a time
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Case 2: Taking 2 dancers out at a time
Case 3: Taking 1 couple (partner) out at a time
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Space formation: Case 1
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Space formation: Case 2
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Space formation: Case 3
Diagram Colour The Unnamed Facility Club draws square dancing figures, couple 1 is blue, couple 2 is red, couple 3 is green and couple 4 is yellow and this has been used widely on square dancing websites.
50’s
Square dancing bacame “the thing to do” because of the development of electronic amplifier and the callers’ techniques.
50’s colour schemes
Justified colours
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Output: visual information video This video shows the experiments about square dance formation projected from real square dance group, the Traveling Hoedowners. I also change the music in different genres to explore new rhythm and feelings. Unusual square dance instruction manual As a result of the video, I create a dance instruction manual for people who wants to do square dancing in unusual way, suggesting different number of dancers, music genre and some example of dance steps.
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Bibliography A square dance. (Photograph from the Dance Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations.), Dance Heritage Coalition. < http://www.danceheritage.org/publications/treas_blurbs10.html > Agnes De Mille, America Dances. New York, Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1980 Bruno Munari, The Square. Mantova, Maurizio Corraini s.r.l., 2006. CALLERLAB International Association of Square Dance Callers. < http://www.callerlab.org/ > Donis A. Dondis, A Primer of Visual Literacy. Massachusetts, The MIT Press, 1974. Elflad, Square Dance Formation. < http://everything2.com/title/Square+dance+formation > Joan Lawson, European Folk Dance. London, Pitman Publishing, 1970. Medha Godbole, Square Dance Steps. < http://www.buzzle.com/articles/square-dance-steps.html > Noriko Takahashi, Square Dance. < http://noriks.tripod.com/ENGLISH/English-Index2.html > Square Dance Magazine. < http://squaredancemagazine.com/> Square Dance, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_dance> Vic and Debbie Cederâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Square Dance Resource Net. <http://www.ceder.net/> Western Square Dancing. < http://www.dosado.com/ > 49