SB2 - PRIMARY RESEARCH - Brass Band Questionnaire

SB2 - STUDY TASK - INDUSTRY RESEARCH

Within the creative industries, I have placed my current practice within the children’s publishing industry. For the focus of 504, this strand will enable me to further my awareness of the socio-cultural issues surrounding children’s illustration practice and the contextual concerns raised by the industry. Carrying out research into the current publishing industry, I have identified the role of retailers, illustrators and cultural institutions in the creation and distribution of children’s books.

From this collaborative research task, I learnt of the financial and social status around the current children’s publishing industry and how these determine the success of illustrators and the trends they may adhere to. My contribution focused more on the value of children’s publishing beyond the physical book, researching retailers and studios that encourage workshops and more tangible and interactive activities stemming from children’s books. Anorak is particularly interesting to me as the business model not only encompasses a publication, but celebrates the work of its contributors and its readers through workshops and travelling bookshops. In my emerging practice, I am keen to push this idea of the book as a device or vehicle for further learning and play. Independent retailers such as Salts Mill, use murals and displays to extend characters and narrative beyond the pages of the books. This engagement with audience encourages the value of reading and the pleasure of books, much greater than on plain shelves organised in alphabetical order.

Further research identified that there appears to be a resurgence or prominence of handmade type in the current publishing climate. This resonates with the wider value of analogue media that is celebrated so highly at the moment. Handmade type within books seems to achieve a much more personal and human quality and I wonder whether hand lettering can encourage more imagination and creativity in children if they see the hand of the maker in the books they read.

SB2 - CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH - Book Illustration & Covers

SB2 - CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH - Jazz Posters

SB2 - INDIVIDUAL PRACTICE PRIMARY PROJECT PROPOSAL

SB2 - INDIVIDUAL PRACTICE - Brief Analysis

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

People know less and less about the heritage and history of their communities

-----> In such a diverse society, it's important to uphold pride in our heritage
-----> Lack of understanding of brass bands
-----> Share these values and stories with other communities

HOW CAN I SOLVE THE PROBLEM?

Use accessible, playful visual language to spark a conversation

-----> Produce a book that celebrates all aspects of brass bands
-----> Use character and narrative to establish a fun and engaging tone around the topic
-----> Celebrate working class mining heritage through narrative of playful music

INTENT: Celebrate heritage and traditional practices through accessible visual language
AUDIENCE: Support cultural education in diverse modern world
PRACTICAL: Tangible objects that celebrate analogue processes through shape based imagery
PERSONAL: Encourage acquired knowledge and learning through images, support and celebrate working class cultures

STUDIO BRIEF 1 - LIVE BRIEF - REFLECTIVE REPORT

TURNING POINTS/ REALISATIONS

Responding to a live brief at first seemed really daunting as I was not in control of the content and subject matter, however this actually seemed to drive my progress as I experimented with a tone of voice, aesthetic and compositional approach that I am not entirely familiar with. The context of the brief pushed me out of my usual visual language and as such, I was much more experimental as I threw myself into play in order to generate a new visual language I could apply to the brief. Mono print played a key role in the project as I experimented with new tools, working textures into the plate before printing to reveal some very fuzzy and fluid shapes and textures which attained results that were much more visually rich than a straight positive/ negative block colour print.

WHAT WENT WELL?

I feel my final outcomes work cohesively as a series whilst composing different elements, a quality I have been able to achieve through exhaustive exploration and manipulation of shape and texture. I created a large body of components that could be manipulated individually whilst sustaining a consistent visual identity.

Typography was pivotal to this brief and whilst I have dabbled in hand lettering before, I didn’t really have a grasp of type and layout in a more formal sense. Working with such fluid and abstract imagery enabled me to further my interest in hand rendered type in a way that was appropriate to the brief and harmonious to the other visual elements. I did explore using hand lettering for all the information but for the event details I felt clarity was key and as such, I pushed myself to explore digital type on photoshop. The digital application of type taught me valuable considerations of layout and scale and I think my final outcomes were strengthened by the clarity and structure of this.

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED?

Although the tone of voice and context of this brief was very different to my usual work, I think I could have invested more time in finding myself in the brief. I did maintain the commitment to play, shape and texture that I explore in all my work, but I think I lost the humour and character of my practice, a quality which I think is essential in a professional practice, being able to capture a brief within your own visual language.

My exploration of collage, type and composition was thorough and exhaustive, but I would be interested to see how the posters would have developed had I explored overlays and developments within my mono-prints. 

REFLECTION

This brief has proved really instrumental in my consideration of how I can extend my practice beyond my immediate visual language. As my practice focuses heavily on light-hearted, playful narratives, this brief has been valuable in encouraging me to consider manipulation of process to attain new outcomes and languages from my common practices. Technically, the brief has challenged my digital skills, enabling me to explore and practice type and layout and, complex overlays. I felt that I invested a great deal in exploring compositions through analogue collage, a success I feel is discernible in my final outcomes as they have achieved balance in a very fluid and abstract visual language.

SB1 - LIVE BRIEF - FINAL OUTCOMES

SB1 - LIVE BRIEF - CRIT FEEDBACK

COMMENT ON THE CONCEPT/IDEA/CONTENT OF THE WORK

-really broad, refined use of experimentation
-interesting use of typography
-really reflects the tone of the music
-'bouncy'
-use of mono print is relevant to the subject matter

COMMENT ON THE VISUAL QUALITY AND COMPOSITION OF THE WORK

-well balanced > good black to white ratio
-well crafted > attention to detail
-text is really well integrated, part of the artwork
-monoprint textures are very fitting with the bands wobbly, waves vibes

OTHER POINTS...
-use mono print further to explore overlays
-consider how these would translate to screen print positives

SB1 - LIVE BRIEF - HOOKWORMS DEVELOPMENT

SB1 - CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH - Gig Posters

SB1 - LIVE BRIEF - PROJECT PROPOSALS & SELECTION

REASONING
There were several briefs that appealed to me for this module, and so I deconstructed 2 in line with my intent for practice and goals for the module. The Manchester Art Gallery brief seemed like a perfect opportunity to work within a museum context and within my usual tone of voice, working to a family and particularly child orientated audience. However, this brief would ask me to produce something in a similar channel to that of my COP work, on the theme of accessible cultural collections. As such, I am moving forward with the Hookworms brief. This gives me the opportunity to work under a tone of voice very different to usual, and to drive my consideration and application of type. I am also interested to use this module to propel my placement within the art community and a project for a local band at a local venue is fitting, as well as the requirement to screen print and sell the final outcomes, offering an opportunity to be actively involved in the event itself. 

SB1 - STUDY TASK - GOALS FOR 504

ONE thing to take forward from 503:
My commitment to play and the application of craft is something I wish to carry forward in order to attain tangible and engaging outcomes. I will continue to push print making and book binding within my practice as these are pivotal to my work as a craft based practitioner.

ONE was I will push myself:
I am aiming to work on topics and briefs that challenge my usual tone of voice. This could be attained by focusing maw work at a different audience or purpose. I may avoid child orientated briefs or approach child orientated briefs with greater conceptual meaning and/ or educational purpose.

ONE thing I want to accomplish for myself:
Invest more time in the generation of narrative. Perhaps using creative writing or poetry to drive a more rhythmic and accessible narrative through rhyme and humour.