Ok to de-brief here. I presented, I sat in silence and did not eat for 4 hours. At the completion of this I waited far too long for my critique. My Panel: Malte, Liam and Jason. Over all direction of my work: Adequate, oh and good use of visual presentation! My reaction: Thanks but sorry I must have missed the part of when this became a beauty contest. I have stewed for well over a week on the feed back of my work and out of protest refused to give another minute to it, really an intelligent move seeing I have only a few weeks left to improve my adequacy. So I presented my work and I stood there and shared with my peers my travels so far and what I had come across and singled out, what I thought relevant to my overall progress and direction. At its conclusion I stood there and absorbed my critique. Thinking that I had passed the mid semester point with some success. At this point I feel let down and defeated. I decided to evaluate my own work in a critical manor and seek progress from here. My intentions: To identify the corruption and forgotten values of human senses that has been affected through consumer market psychology. Delivery: An experience that would invite viewers to think critically of the delivery of everyday images and their reproduction. IE art. Let’s say a painting for example; can a painting be enjoyed just as well through a video camera as it would by the human eye? The argument here is the human eye, sees in perspective where as a motion camera as the name states sees everything as it is moving. Consider how this changes your viewing. To delve deeper in to this is to analyses advertising, now layered to imagery is wording , It suggests with the premise of; dreams, desire and glamour a better life style for what we all seek. Consider the image? Will your life and your surrounding really undergo such amazing change? What Have I done to deliver this? I started by visiting exhibitions and walking through storm water drains. I consider the storm water drains and why I chose them. Well It is an event I have practiced since early adolescence and I remember vividly the learning curve I had from this which are, the confrontation of isolation/deprivation and the realisations that my senses other then visual hold greater moments of truth. What I got from this was an invitation to think critically about the bombardment of imagery and the rules we are governed by weather; mandate or self imposed in our human world. My interest particulalry in imagry is for the storyt they tell and they are juxta poseed. We are engulfed by bill boards, newspapers, television, signage, food packing and so on. How much of it do we pay attention to and at what point does it saturate us? When do these public images become our intimate dreams, fears or feelings of guilt and remorse? Secondly the experiment that involved a focus on other sense such as pain, taste and smell and to have these recorded so I could relive them in play back mode and see if they would actually differ as a thrid party experience would I forget certain parts, discover new ones or just relive it just as it were experience it self? Outcome: I begin to slow down here and ponder what I want to deliver from this project to you and demonstrate a journey that shows a direct relationship between imagery, sensory experience and design. Why? simply because, we live in a world of choice and in this world we should make it a duty to inform our choices, there are no right answers but only the dispelling of what currently exists. Example: Cigarettes are bad: sure they are but why? Because you are told they are, or the packaging indicates this through the use of horrendous imagery? This being the case the answer is to prohibit the manufacture of all products tobacco. The outcome choice deprivation and another avenue to practice critical thinking eliminated. If you say that cigarettes are bad: Due to there affects; [lets start of simple here and build our case] state the smell of cigarettes and how they just blanket everyone and everything ranging from our taste buds, clothing and fingers. The exorbitant cost and excise smokers pay both in monetary and public exclusion then consider that cigarettes are rated as a major contributor of human mortality relating to lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and Stroke. Wow imagine that; not being able to breath, becoming heartless and loosing brain functionality sounds like a parliamentary job role. On the flip side speak to a smoker or try one for your self. There is a lot to be said for inhaling tobacco, for me it was allowing my subconscious state to flourish while entertaining my conscious state with child like entertainment; simple repetitive motion. Ultimately I was feeling the adverse affects of smoking and where this was taking me. Cigarettes can be an experience of the senses deepening on when you have one or a mindless act for shortage of having nothing better to do. The point is that regardless weather you smoke or not, it is that you have informed your choice as to where you sit in the world of smoking. Sure this does not apply as a general practice to everything but the idea to welcome thought, debate and were that it would not seriously injury or effect others experiemnt.
Consumption like design is all about choice and experience. Have you gone past the barriers of the imagery around you, have you investigated and experienced rather then watched and wanted?
Posted by hOuSE on 9:51 AM
Synaesthesia Design Manifesto
Phase III
The approach is multidisciplinary and from a philosophy of art perspective. It will be argued that ‘art as a synesthetic experience by synesthetes’, share certain basic concepts: the making of new connections between the senses.
The seed of my manifesto is to follow under the notion of experimentation. Emphasis will focus more on identification in post process [reflective] and experimental constraints [sensorium manipulation]. The Intention is to overlay the experimentation with an attempt to achieve a suggestive parcel of thought and emotion from an experience which will introduce the recipient to the importance of current consumer behaviour and the scope of capitalism
The need to do so is derived form the uncomfortable nature a designer endures to derive an answer to a problem where at times the integrity of the designer may be embargoed by real world influences such as deadlines and the thirst for the impossible. Intuitive design format, were consideration is influenced by, material, craftsmanship, quality and extended time should paly a greater part in the process of design and technology, particularly in a day and age that recognises the limited capacity and reserves of materials, resources and non renewable energy sources.
The experiments and their manipulation will be aimed at identifying a connection between the reaction [emotions and display of senses] of participants, during and after the parcel experience and the manipulation of the sensorium. So as not to say discovery is the all important part but maybe a gentle reminder of the past and that more traditional practices may still hold need for today’s society.
A simple example;
The practice of eating for sustenance and growth;
Scenario I
A Lion or Shark chasing its prey Deer/Seal for consumption. The imagery could show the prey being ripped apart and feasted upon by the hunter and their family all shown with blood and raw flesh, peeled, chewed and digested from the deceased prey, naturally this could upset and unsettle observers.
Scenario II
Packaged Meat T-Bones cut Steak or tray of Sausages, does this same observer consider the actions taken at the abattoir were the blood has been drained, washed and swept away. Or the animals processed by cutting and grinding to fit the packaging that is probably a certain size to fit in another carton that makes lite work of packing , loading and unloading of the contents from processor to retailer?
The point between the two scenarios is that one delivers a total visual and at times audible experience and the other a disconnected object of time and cost. Though ultimately both serve the same purpose to feed but which is most likely to have no or little value attached to it…and further more, create waste from having more then is required.
The scenarios are to explain what has been identified as survival of the strongest and pre-packaged death though would perceptions and attitudes change should the manipulation of sight, sound and feel occur to induce a flow of emotion and experience.
The direction will be based around films, exhibitions, literature, sound recordings, interaction of both human and non-human environments and the obscure. The aim is to experiment, identify and categorise certain experiences to achieve certain emotions through targeting certain sense.
Part III: Cigarettes
The product of choice is cigarettes. Cigarettes are regarded as dirty death sticks and in my opinion they are. I have not known of any other substance that is socially accepted to cause so much harm and consumer dependence to the point of the death. The positives of cigarettes are; the atrocious smell, yellow fingers loss of taste and smell and exorbitant cost of smoking.
Part II: Reservoir Dogs a film by Quentin Tarantino
The delivery of the first scene at the coffee dinner, where all the “coloured” men [alias names assigned to each of the thieves i.e. Mr White, Mr Orange]. Communicate as if they have been accustomed to each other for some time but this is given away to the positive and negative responses and reactions of one character to another. This leaves the viewer wondering on just how well they know each other.
The part that of the film that relates to my sewer experiences is that actioned pack black scene…following the credits scene at the films beginning.
“When the credit sequence is finished, we FADE TO BLACK:
Over the BLACK we hear the sound of SOMEONE SCREAMING in agony.
Under the screaming, we hear the sound of a car HAULING ASS, through traffic.
Over the screams and the traffic noise, we hear SOMEBODY
ELSE SAY”
(http://www.cthulhu.org/resevoir.txt)
The tempo is set all with out the use of visual and the result is a short sharp high pitch sequence of sounds that follow on with a man groaning in pain [Mr. Orange] and the other trying to comfort him [Mr. White]. In reflection one can make sense that it’s the auditory senses rather then visual that heighten one’s apprehension. Consider any horror movie; what is more likely to make one react, Sound or Sight?
Reservoir Dogs from the outset sets a dialogue of opinions, general discussion and anything else relevant to any given point of the film. It is clear from this point [maybe not as a first time viewer] that dialogue will prove paramount to the digestion of the film.
I have revamped my diary and have decided after much discussion with me fellow board members to leave pre-existing comments. Although they seem outdated and out of alignment with the new direction I have planned it would be kind of be soul killing seeing that it was post that have lead to this point. so I'll Leave a marker here more as a sign post of lets say apart of my journey I got no unplanned but liked it so much I decided to mingle with the locals and its taken me this long to get back on my journey. Let's refresh. Destination......surprise me. Completion date......well when I stop encounters......most welcome. so through out the next stage I will communicate my experiments, questions, anger and reflections. so lets see where we meet next. Peace
Posted by hOuSE on 11:58 PM
Another battle lost! I was kindly requested to partake in the paper lamp for "your benefit" As I was told by Soumitri. So prolonging the inevitable I dragged my feet to the labs and played with paper. My constraint was paper and 6ft.....My assumptions were..................... I had no pre-conceived idea or plan to make my lamp it was to just try. So this I did. As the time passed and I played with paper the ideas began to generate, my perception and interrogation to what I was doing heighten, soon enough I was standing still and looking back. I had actually moved and experimented. Amazing! There actually was benefit in this.... I guess half way through the day I decided that I was making multiple lamps that would be self supporting [no structural support.] but only what was created from the paper manipulation. Water, fold line and heat I found to be effective methods. Which I narrowed down to just folding. Not sure what to say of the paper lamps but it was actually a good exercise to undergo, as the days navigation started with, doing the exercise to what how far can I push the boundaries.
Posted by hOuSE on 4:23 PMWhat is the problem? Is there a problem or what have you learnt? Such questions you ponder only to realise the journey you have taken, is detached from a preset destination. You look back on your tracks and see that you have progressed a long way but now begin to question how much you have displaced? The mix of emotions, overtake as you try to keep up and rationalise each one. Eventually you feel yourself begin to tire and become frustrated and slip into old ways to accommodate an inadequacy of fulfilment.
You shift you’re your focus to contextualise what your inadequacy is, you try and uncover it, make peace with it in hope of feeling whole and normal. You momentarily grant yourself refuge and elude yourself of comfort. Again you drift toward inadequacy and then you stop. Your first true discovery is made, do yo wish to understand it or not? Your journey should not be gauged on destination, time, output and quantity. You contemplate this as a disclaimer to your lack of or withdrawal of discipline. Your choice here answers your first discovery, you choose to understand and you now have a useful tool to take with you. You have invested in becoming self assured.
You have put behind your preliminary fears, you decided to maintain discipline, you begin to appreciate just how much there is to do in your world of free choice. You are fuelled and have mistaken this discovery as inherent direction, yet you know not where you are headed. Quickly you try to adjust and search for your direction you are consumed by fear of dissolution and again fall back to frustration. You dismiss your newly found tool and feel wounded by your vulnerability and decide to stop. You apply your disclaimer and walk away having nothing gained and time wasted.
Time passes, you progress on from your failure and yet still hear the calling of the discovery and somehow believe in it but you hold back. Not until you realise that with the discovery of new tools comes the discovery of a new system a new way of thinking and that your progression relies on adopting and exploring what you have not previously practised. This also relies on you being self assured at a time of knowing that you have no direction, your assumptions cheat you, and your boundaries are illusions of your fundamental beliefs that hinder your growth and development.
Are you prepared to let go a life time’s investment and proclaim that you know nothing and are wholly prepared to learn from start all over again? Weather or not you realise that you are challenging your own assumptions to ultimately understand the value of yourself as person.
From this you have identified problems, fears and tools. You favour the new world of exploration and experimentation. Looking back now, how do your reflections compare with all that you have been exposed too? Has your approach towards projects changed have you rebuilt your philosophy or just reaffirmed what you initially believed to be right? I tell you that you are mistaken should you think it comes down to being right.
You started with out expectations, your assumptions have been devalued and questioned time and time again all the while you only tried to appease your peers. You lacked self assurance. Soon after you realised that your current skin had to be shed as the alignment of what you desired and the opportunity to practise your learning to benefit you and not your assessor had occurred. Cautiously you proceeded again, you fell victim to your shed skin. Would you ever realise that if you let go and just moved forward the training would only get better and you would discover that the journey itself was of importance rather then the destination or its purpose. Or had you already come to this realisation but not been prepared to experiment? You still held back!
Through this you would learn to challenge your own assumptions, shift your boundaries to accommodate and all the time become self assured. Once you got it out and looked at it, you realised what you could use and what wasn’t needed. Your training had reached a new level. Your discipline improved. Your processes being fined tuned.
With this progression you acknowledge that currently you would move forward based on results and not ability. Finally after much time, you took your next challenge and started with ability and self assurance. You surprised your self with the journey taken your experience was challenging but equally fulfilling. Reflecting once again you discover that you were able to let go, move forward, make; no assumptions maybe not to the greatest effect. You discovered that to move forward on results was inappropriate rather that you should be self assured and learn from your results.
Thinking about Kya Hai now I rather it not be over as I made my discovery to late and feel much time was wasted as I would not allow my self to let go. How ironic that you should feel this way, as you hate time being wasted! So what do you draw from all of this? A thirteen week studio with a group of people who travelled there respective journey’s with a kooky travel agent?
Trying to be as open as I can be and honestly reflect on my experience through PKH has is proving to be yet another lesson in discovery. The Studio itself has been consistent in its approach and philosophy and yet I stand here a very much different person. I have an entirely new outlook on how to begin and experience a journey. I still look back on the studio and struggle to entirely absorb what I was subject too but I somehow cope with it a lot better now then I previously have. Why I wish this course not to be over is because it presented to me a new frontier and world possibilities with how I approach and deal with situations.
I fear that I won’t be coached like I have in Kya Hai, though truly if I’m not passionate about what I do I will fail to experience. I realise that I’ve reflected ambiguously and talking through many metaphors. My biggest achievement here has been learning through non-conventional methods and more so understanding that a practical finish isn’t always appropriate. I have always come to practise my learning to begin with research, summarisation and then to emulate. This left no room to experiment, and challenge, question maybe and but surely not challenge.
One thing though is that I’m learning to deal with areas that I’m not so interested in, throughout the course we have been asked to partake in activities and why would I be so wrong to say that I don’t believe that I have to partake? I can compromise to at least trying but I detest so much when I have to explain and defend my thoughts, I realise maybe I’m not being asked to explain but to widen or that I could interrogate and draw my own conclusions. The benefit from such a process is amazing, I’m learning to deal with some of my biggest fears which is to be assured and confident in how I approach situations and if I were to misappropriate well I would learn this surely because I would have had at least already been experimenting from which I draw experience.
Finally, what I silently to refused to partake in has been an enormous learning curve. Those damm paper lights! For so long I thought I could get way with out doing the paper light but The greater good [Soumitri] persisted that I do it. So Finally I arranged to be in the workshop and commit one whole day or there about to making a paper lamp. So I walked into the workshop sat down and held the paper, I had no pen, pencil or previous planning to my light. Normally being frustrated with not having direction I would have given up and walked out though as the day progressed I was getting more involved. I guess for me it was about just experimenting with some material and seeing how I could push it. So I may not have reached a desired outcome but I don’t care! I had a period of time where I was able to experiment and the ideas just kept flowing in. I may still not prefer to make a paper lamp but the realisation for me now is not about the proposed ending but what I do in between.
My biggest enjoyment is that I’m actually coping with change and actually enjoying doing things I my not be motivated by. To be explicit it truly is about the in between and not the end as long as I get it out of my head and onto to paper I can assuredly trust in what I do and learn from what I experience.
Posted by hOuSE on 7:54 PM
