THE PROCESS BOOK OF
T R A N S L AT I O N
First, we start with not knowing and misunderstanding. Each of us chose a poem in a language that we cannot read. We did not be given the translation at this stage. I chose an Arabic poem for this project, and started to translate it.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION Within creative realms, translation is a vital and exciting process. What we mean by translation changes depending on our goals. In its most basic form, translation involves taking a given text in one language and rewriting it into the form of another language. But even in this most basic form, there are conflicting pressures and questions that must bu considered. Are we attempting to match the specific words as closely as possible? Or are we trying to match the sound and rhythm of the language? Or the specific meaning of the text and intention of the author? Things are already complicated and we have hardly begun. Every day we run across texts we do not understand, whether it’s because the language is foreign, or the jargon is too specific or encoded in slang or the words are intentionally obfuscated. We may not be able to read a Korean newspaper, but we probably can tell that is a newspaper. We may not be able to decipher the complex mural text, but, by its nature, we gather that it is some sort of graffiti tag.
WEEK ONE
D R AW A N D B U I L D
DRAW Use the forms on the page in any way we choose as a basis for drawing. For this step, I tried to translate the letter by mimicking its own shape.
DRAW For this step, I pushed myself to explore different expression of the feeling as seeing those letters.
BUILD Select one or two of the drawings, and using only the humble materials of paper, string, adhesive, and making.
WEEK TWO
SHOOT
SHOOT Use the camera to explore, not just record. A photograph is different than a drawing or a building form. It suggests a kind of veracity that may be deceiving. We will be considering the lighting, scale, color, background, the point of view, and motion.
SHOOT Use the camera to explore, not just record. A photograph is different than a drawing or a building form. It suggests a kind of veracity that may be deceiving. We will be considering the lighting, scale, color, background, the point of view, and motion.
WEEK TWO
INTERPRET
INTERPRET Now we are given the English translation of our poem. The project is about finding alternative paths towards a deeper understanding. By mapping the text onto your formal work, you may draw new connections, consider new metaphors, or visual projections.
INTERPRET By interpreting the swallowed voice, I recreated the model of bunch of straw. The different tubes symbolize the volume of voice.
INTERPRET In this series of photographs, I use soft blue tone to represent the bottom of the water.
WEEK THREE
REFINE
REFINE I decided to use the model that I built to draw in oder to get new patterns and inspiration. For this step, in order to represent the idea of swallowed voice.
REFINE I was trying to mimic the voice wave, but somehow, the voice wave was stuck or broken by something.
REFINE I decided to make it more abstract and emotional for going further and getting broader ideas.
REFINE More patterns.
REFINE After getting all of the patterns, I got the inspiration of the voice wave. I started to think what if the voice wave come from the actual sound of the poem? Then I recorded the reading voice of this poem.
REFINE I started to draw the voice wave of the original sound.
REFINE The patterns from the original voice wave of this poem.
MEET THE
FINAL DELIVERABLE