Introduction - New student, new challenges, ek!
Workshop challenge
Who are you? (Name, background, influences, what makes you you?)
What is it that you do? (Showcase a pivotal project or moment in your practice)
Where are you? (geographically and does this have an impact on how you work?)
Why Design? (What does design mean to you? What does it do?)
Workshop challenge wk 1 - who | what | where | why?
The Task - Produce a quadriptych (four images) to illustrate your answer to each question above. Design your four images as a grid and save as one image. This is a relatively quick exercise but all final images must be considered in how they communicate and answer the questions. Your quadriptych should be posted onto the Ideas Wall for this module (GDE710 Contemporary Practice) to be shared with your coursemates.
This was meant to be a relatively quick exercise but I ended up getting bogged down setting up with padlet and WordPress chaos. Therefore my first attempt at the quadriptych, I felt, was rushed and uninspiring.
Initial thoughts -
I thought instead of creating a visual for each quarter, I would focus each artwork on being people led, with an association to each question. I also looked at different ways I could show the quadriptych. Did it have to be 2 dimensional or could I make it 3D to reveal each image?
I reworked a paper fortune teller, the folded paper game from my school days.
First attempt - Quadriptych
The first week went incredibly quickly. I wasn’t happy with my first approach, I felt somewhat rushed with also trying to set up a WordPress website, (agghh) and discover padlet but felt the need to put something on the ideas wall for my fellow coursemates to see and comment.
I chose some photographs and increased the contrast and filters in photoshop so they looked very graphical and monotone and presented them on cyan, magenta and yellow as a nod towards CMYK, my print background and start of my career as a designer.
The who I am got me thinking hard. Design is all about creating, simplistic visuals for everyone to understand, so the image had to be me questioning who I am. In a nutshell, personal life, wife, mother, daughter, and a habitual worrier.
In professional practice, designer, business owner, marketer, imaginist and constant question asker. I am wearing rose-tinted glasses, as although (I have constant imposter syndrome), but I am ever the optimist, forever finding the positives, my glass is always half full.
WHAT is it you do? A pivotal moment or a showcase
Image: Andy Warhol, Marilyn
This goes right back to a pivotal moment in Secondary school. Mrs Haboo, my Art Teacher, took away the boring still life classes and introduced us to Andy Warhol prints and pop art. I loved the vibrant colours in the screen prints, and the edgy, cool, icons that he chose to portray - Marilyn, Jackie O, Elvis, and Debbie Harry. Her lessons were always fun. We had music on in the studio, discussed pop artists, were introduced to typefaces. My GCSE final piece was a piece of proper graphic poster art (not a pastel crayon in sight). Not only did she introduce me to graphic design, but she also showed me influential designers who had made it their career. She even took a handful of us in the back of her car (no CRB checks then) to an open evening at a local college that had just introduced a BTEC in Graphic Design to their timetable, and with, that my mind was set, I was going to be a Graphic Designer.
WHERE are you? Geographically in the country
Image: Dr Archibald McIndoe, pioneering surgeon, East Grinstead
I live in East Grinstead, a small Market Town in West Sussex. It’s 15 minutes from Gatwick, an hour from London Victoria/London Bridge or 40 minutes from bohemian Brighton. Don’t let the provincial location fool you, the town punches well above our weight. This is probably to do with the ley lines, which are ancient straight paths or routes believed to have spiritual significance, which is mainly why so many religious headquarters are here.
I chose the McIndoe image as a Geographical marker, as he revolutionised the field of plastic surgery in WW2 with his pioneering treatment of burns victims in the local Queen Victoria Hospital. East Grinstead became known as the town that didn’t stare.
WHY design? What does it mean to you = Growth, personal and business
Image: Richard Branson
Design and why I am doing this course
I looked at influential leaders and would like to follow their strategies for 1. growth in my design business and 2. as a creative person. Growth in business will be about design style, inspiration, strategies, and what type of business I want to create and grow as a person will be how I go about it. The Virgin Atlantic brand itself, I think, is one of the most recognisable brands. From their striking red and purple accent colour palette, and slick advertising campaigns, to their uniforms designed by Dame Vivienne Westwood.
Quote: If someone offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure if you can do it, say yes - then learn how to do it later. Richard Branson
This is probably how I feel about the MA in Graphic Design. And I a looking forward to pushing those boundaries.
Who am I? Looking at you, staring back at me…
Quadriptych
My final design is bold statement colours with typographical statements from inspirational leaders.
Final Quadriptych - People associated quotes and design
My WHO image is me looking in the mirror
Andy Warhol - Pop Art influence
McIndoe, putting East Grinstead on the map
Richard Branson - Business leader
Final piece - Quadriptych
Reflection:
By the time I got to revisit this after my first effort, I was a lot more relaxed. I knew I wanted to make this people-focused who was an inspiration or connected with my creative journey and I also know after watching the Paula Sher documentary I wanted to use visual word quotes also with vibrant colours.
I was pleased with my final outcome and felt these would make great screen prints - a future project maybe?!