MH 001

Over the next few days I am working at the MH sample sale, so will be away from school work, however to keep things fresh, I made this mix CD, to listen to throughout the long few days. The tracks are as follows...

29/03/1989

29/03/1989 JVS BOOM

THE MODERN GENTLEMAN - PART TWO

After a few weeks off from the 'Modern Gentleman' work I am now going back to it, for part two. This side of the project takes a turn in the complete opposite direction. I am now looking at the flip-side of the connotation of a gentleman. This is looking at gentleman's clubs, in and around London. I find it interesting that the same word has two opposite meanings! I feel maybe another newspaper or something along those lines coming along.

FACILITY FOR THOUGHT - FIRST OUTING

Yesterday I went out and bought some plain white stickers, to proceed with my 'facility for thought' work. I have been printing all different versions today, until I got the right design for the job. Once this was done, I went out to a place near where I live, where there are two massive blocks of concrete...

POETRY BY CHANCE

I was at work today and went on my lunch-break for an hour, in which time I went to the Tate, watched ben buy some paint and bought a baguette with some tasty filling. On my way to the Tate, I randomly saw this sticker stuck to the side of a gate, which could very easily be missed, however something attracted me to it...

FACILITY FOR THOUGHT - DEVELOPMENT RED

Here is the same design, just in red, as I said I'd do this project in colour.

FACILITY FOR THOUGHT - DEVELOPMENT

After designing, and re-designing the facility for thought work I have suddenly fallen upon this design. Its one out of a very long list that is actually working. I stripped the information on it right back to the essential. Allowing the real essence of what the design is, be known...

FACILITY FOR THOUGHT - THE INFORMATION

Today I have been trying to design the stamp for the Facility For Thought work, however it is a lot harder than I imagined. I have been trying to strip the design of it right down, so it is purely there for a function and not for how it looks. This is a very clear design choice I am making due to the fact that if I over design it then it will come more about the stamp and less about its use. Which defeats the point of the work. Anyhow I have been thinking of what information to put on the stamp too and these are the main things that are going to be on there.

FACILITY FOR THOUGHT
DATE
EXPLANATION OF THOUGHT
MADE BY

All these factors are important, this is because the date is there as a time stamp, of when the piece got recognised, and branded as art. The explanation of thought is there so if someone wants to explain why they think this object or thing is of merit they can. Finally made by is there so that someone can put a name or signature to it, much like that of R. MUTT (Marcel Duchamp) for the urinal work.

I am also still toying with the idea of the stickers, maybe I will do a stamp and a sticker, just for good measure, I am also pondering the idea of a small book to accompany it.

STAMPS

I was looking at an old printing methods book today, and saw that the stamp which shows how long you have the book out for was an old 'central school of arts' stamp, and was dated 23rd November 1948. I find it amazing how long it has been there for and how many people must have looked at it over the years...

FACILITY FOR THOUGHT - EXPLAINED

I thought I'd quickly explain what my working title means and how it explains what I am doing within the work.

FACILITY
An installation, contrivance, or other thing which facilitates something; a place for doing something. Essentially the sticker facilitates the object upon which it is placed.

FOR THOUGHT
The second part of the title refers to the idea or thought of the individual who places the sticker upon the object and why they think this thing deserves some form of elevation into a piece of art.

Basically the title just explains what I am doing in a roundabout way.

LETTERPRESS FACILITY FOR THOUGHT

I am now going through various ideas that could be used on a sticker that could be placed upon an object that is of interest to the individual, which then becomes something other than an object. Here is an idea I have been looking at tonight. I have been looking at stamps, and how I could use them within my design...

FACILITY FOR THOUGHT

I have been thinking of ways of refining the ideas I have had about the IS IT ART work and for a starting point I have changed the title to FACILITY FOR THOUGHT this is because the work I am producing is all about making people think about things they wouldn't else wise, the end product is a facility or a catalyst for this thought process.

So for the work I have chosen to go down the path of a sticker, that can be attached to anything that one would perceive to be of interest. This means if I place any words on it this become my idea, and takes away from them being able to voice their opinion. I want to be able to give the option of either saying what they think but also if they just want to make a statement this will also be possible.

I was talking to my Bahia today about it all, thinking she would be a good person to talk to about the work, because she is nothing herself, and it seemed as if she had very similar ideas to what I am trying to express. It was good to be able to talk to someone who is not tied into graphic design. We both agreed that art should be in the eye of the beholder, and that if a message needed to be given it is about the function of that message and not the form of how it comes. Very interesting stuff but also very confusing, however I think I have cleared my mind a bit about what direction I am heading with the work, which is a nice thing.

I am now coming up with some new ideas that have evolved from my initial ideas I had about the project, after thinking this brief was good to last only a day it was quite a surprise to me that I'm still doing it, however it is a lot broader subject than I imagined and I feel it necessary to give it the time it deserves.

PAT TESTED

As I was talking about in one of my other posts about a girl doing a project on PAT tested things, and saying how everything now had to be checked and checked again for health and safety, I was looking at the design of it, and although it is a very simple and standard, clinical design, there is something interesting about it...

READY-MADE

Ordinary objects that are manufactured to be something else, by either repositioning, tilting or signing it when this act was done, the object became a ready-made and therefore art. This process involved very little interaction of the artist and the art, however provoked reactions of millions and sent them into a frenzy...

BLOGGED

Having spoken about its nice that, I am increasingly thinking about blogs. I use mine for work I do and for things I think are relevant or cool. Its a place where you can put stuff that you think is cool or worth looking at. As I said I could spend hours at a time trawling through all the style, art, design, fashion blogs that pop up, its like a never ending bank or images and writing. I feel this project would be bringing a blog to life in a way, this is because when you see something cool, you mark it, you let share your finding with other people people either agree or disagree.

GET SOME COLOUR

I have noticed that a lot of my work has been in black and white recently, so for this project I want to use some colour, how very exciting.

ITS NICE THAT

It’s Nice That is a website that has been around for a while now, they basically champion great creative ideas, and in doing so they expose lots of new talent, This idea is something that is quite similar to the 'Is It Art' work that im doing, in the sense that they are voicing an opinion...

IDEA 3

The third idea has evolved within the time I was writing it down. I was basically talking about the fact I could use a stamp or sticker or even have a rule book for the catalyst for observation and discussion of art. I have been thinking about the gallery that art sits in and the outside world that can be observed as art...

POP

I was drawing out some ideas this morning and this afternoon had to go out, however I walked past this POP sign on my way out and about. It was crazy as its exactly what I was talking about within my second idea. Pretty cool though.

IDEA 2

The second idea I have had is pretty much the opposite of the first, this is to go with the shock tactic, or the bright and bold tactic. Highlighting this platform to discuss about the artwork that is on show, possibly using different shapes and colours to distinguish different feelings towards the art...

IDEA 1 - IS IT ART

The first idea that I have come up with for the 'Is It Art' work is a little piece that sits next to a piece of art within in a gallery. It is a piece that is passive, subtle and involves the artwork with its design. It can be written on and what people have written can be read...

OPEN FOR DEBATE

Focusing on the 'is it art' project at the moment I am looking to open up anybody to have their own opinions about art, or what they perceive as art, this is either what they have seen which is branded art or something they have seen which they think could be art. This opens up the enjoyment of observation, and looking at the world around us in a different light. As art is becoming more and more accessible it doesn't mean people understand it.

I feel that this works needs to open out a conversation between a group of people or just to make you question your own perception of art. I want it to give more than just a yes, no or any other one word answer. Art is subjective, which I guess means your views can never be wrong. Which goes back to one of my original sources of Marcel Ducamp, and his urinal project.

I also feel that this piece should have some form of satirical take on art, so it questions art itself, while also promoting it. At the end of the day art is made and viewed for pleasure, weather it has a serious message or not.

SJ CRIT - 11/03/11

Friday was the day of my first crit after the mid term assessments. It was a chance to get some new ideas on the table and discuss what was going to happen next. the idea that I was mainly talking about was the 'is it art' brief that I have come up for myself. I explained to the group what I wanted to do...

IS IT ART

I want to undergo a one day project soon, which will tackle the point I was talking about in earlier posts about empowering people to be able to have their own opinions about things they have seen and thought were interesting. It means that people can join in with the act of art and therefore means they can form decisions about the world around them whilst enjoying the act of observing.

This is where I want to step in and enable this person to be able to say what they think is cool, or worth giving recognition to it by making a simple sticker that has some words on it, when the person sees something of merit, they stick the sticker by it, creating a debate between other people who see it, and in turn making people think about art and the world that surrounds us.

SELF MADE - THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

I am at the moment setting in stone the idea for my new self initiated, and am starting to think of things that I can make and then give the instructions to someone so they can make it themselves, there is two ways that I want to go about this, one is to design something like a chair or a table and then give the instructions away to it, this is very in the style of Enzo Mari, and brings up all he was talking about with his autoprogettazione projects. I was then thinking about the mass consumers that the western world is and maybe confronting that, by getting say a sandwich that is all nicely wrapped and priced at around 2.50 or 3.00 pounds then to get all the ingredients and see how much it would be to make it myself, then to give this information away to people in the hope it shows what they spent on something as little as a sandwich, and how they could make the quality better and be more cost effective.

These are both idea that I am trying to think around at the moment and ways of using them as solid workable ideas.

LOW COST DESIGN - DANIELE PARIO PERRA

Low cost design is a book that is about the design that springs from daily life. The best project is not necessarily the one that is patented, or created by the most prestigious design company in the world. Pario Perra presents the results of a research project carried out across Northern Europe and Southern Mediterranean...

MANNERS DONT COST A THING

After long last my patches for 'MANNERS DONT COST A THING' has arrived, and I am really pleased with how they have turned out, very plain and simple but it gets the message across well...

SELF MADE... MAN

I have just been looking at research upon my new work of 'self made' and have come across the term of 'self made man'. Which is basically associated with the rags to riches story...

'A self made man is anyone who attains far greater success than his original circumstances would have indicated was possible. The self made man often has to overcome great obstacles to achieve his goals. Self made men attain their success through education, hard work, and sheer willpower. While no man is an island, it’s not external help or special relationships that make the crucial difference in the self-made man’s rise.'


I thought this was pretty weird as it sort of ties in with the 'modern gentleman' work, while coinciding with the new work I'm undergoing. It is a very interesting subject though, with this idea of rags to riches from your own hard work, I suppose that anything you put your time into something good comes out of it. There is a list of men that they think fits the self made man status, and it ranges from P-Diddy, Benjamin Franklin and Ben & Jerry's!

It got me thinking that maybe anything that is self made is of merit, that is if it actually has time and care taken over doing it.

LOVE KOMPOTT - BOXES

I have just come across this design company called Love Kompott from Poland. I was looking specifically at their project, 'boxes'. The company have taken an old wooden box, presumably used to store any kinds of things, from food to paper. They then have reinterpreted the box using the slots in-between planks...

IKEA

Last weekend I took a trip to Ikea with my brother, as he was moving flat, I went by car and picked up a few things, including a full size double mattress, and bed-frame, it was quite an achievement to get it back to his new flat in one piece and in one trip, in a VW polo. It got me thinking about my new work, 'self made'...

SELF MADE - SELF INITIATED BRIEF 2

I am now moving on to my next self initiated brief, this is being named 'SELF MADE' here is the brief that I have written for myself. I have written this as a starting point, which im sure like any brief will, evolve and change, however it will have the same essence that I writing here.

SELF MADE

In times present, there is a constant need to buy need things, due to the fact that objects either become old, or they break. This means that either the product itself is badly made, or the desires of the user has changed from what it once was. If given the choice to buy a product then remake it to its exact specifications will the user prolong the life of the object that they have made?

BRIEF

'Design a product that is used within day to day life and make guidelines of producing the same object that empower the user to make the product themselves over and over. Giving them the option to refine and customize the original design.'

CONSIDERATIONS

What object is worth concentrating on that is used within everyday life that could be reproduced, to high standards be anyone.

The limitations of time and money when people are making their own product form the guidelines.

READING/RESEARCH/EXPERIMENTATION

All these things will unfold along the way.

STAGES

This brief I am aiming to have done within the two week time frame, so that I can move on to other related or totally different subjects after this one has been completed.

As well as starting this new brief I will be carrying on with the 'Modern Gentlemen' work and be refining the set briefs to a greater extent, so the work becomes more mature and professional. But for the time being I shall be concentrating on the notion of SELF MADE.

AUTOPROGETTAZIONE - SELF MADE

Coming back to Enzo Mari, he came up with this idea of 'autoprogettazione'. A personal manifesto, mari’s text laid out the issue he saw as central to industrial production – the quality-quantity ratio, quality being defined as when the shape of a product does not ‘seem’ but simply ‘is’...

ENZO MARI - SEDIA 1

Enzo Mari is one of the most thoughtful and intellectually provocative Italian designers of the late 20th century. Mari has designed many amazing products and objects one I want to concentrate on is the Sedia 1. Sedia 1 is a self-assembly chair designed in 1974 by Mari and put into production by Finnish brand Artek...

THE CORE - EMBOSSED POSTER

I am really starting to warm to the idea of an embossed poster, I have been playing about with embossing at the moment, and how you can emboss layers and the effects it gives. I like the idea that the posters for the installation are all done with embossing, as the piece is sound based, I want to portray the image of sound imprinting itself onto paper, through physical ways, and not just printing with ink. I also like the link between the subtlety of the sound piece that I did and how sometimes you could hear it around the building and sometimes you couldn't, mirroring this with the embossing, which sometimes can be seen clearly and sometimes not depending on the light. Anyway hopefully this will be done soon, but at the moment i' focusing on getting my head round a new self initiated, while also carrying on with the modern gentleman work.

BRUCE GILDEN - 08/03/11

Bruce Gilden is a street photographer from New York. Yesterday he came into school to give us a talk about his work. Gilden is an unusual character, who is very loud and outspoken, with a think bronx accent, but never the less a very interesting and clearly clever man, who knows what he wants and go's and gets it...

THE CORE - EMBOSSING

I have been looking at the process of embossing for 'the core' work that im doing at the moment, and how I can use it within the work. I have been developing ways of using it, and why I am using it within the work. There is a simple reason to why I want to use it within the work...

THE CORE - PLAN

My plan for the ongoing 'A Space For Sound' work is evolving at the moment. I have made the sound piece and have done the installation, but I currently have nothing to show for it, excluding the sound. So I have been thinking of ways of showing the piece visually through a piece of print, I almost want it to be a visual piece of the installation, without having to be there and physically hear it or take part in it, like an exhibition book. I also want to make a set of posters to go with this book too, that show where the installation was and what it was, quickly and interestingly. I would like the book to be as visual as possible, with very definite nods towards, the time that the piece was constructed in, where the piece took place and the atmosphere it provoked, to build up and idea in the readers head. I will be working on this along with a few other projects in the next coming weeks, so look out for that.

JENNY HOLZER - PROJECTIONS

At the Tate yesterday, We saw some work by Jenny Holzer, who is a conceptual artist from america, I vaguely knew of her, but I wasn't sure why. When we saw her piece I was instantly mesmerised, the work that was on show was called 'States Of Flux' Which consisted of seven LED strips that words would appear on...

TATE MODERN 06/03/11

Yesterday I made a trip to the Tate Modern to see what was going on there as I hadn't been for a little while. The first thing I wanted to see was the Ai Weiwei Piece Sunflower Seeds, which is made up of over 100 million porcelain sunflower seeds all handmade and the same, but each individual at the same time...

LE JOURNAL

Some marvellous photos from a guy called Cedric Viollet. The guy in the shoot should be reading a copy of 'The Changing Face Of The Modern Gentleman' for sure...

ASFS - CORE

Today I have gone back to the ASFS work and am working on ways to show it, one way I have thought of is to make almost an installation poster, and leaflet, which explains what it is and give you a link to the sound that was played. I have been experimenting with different ways of visualising an identity for the work...

MANNERS DONT COST A THING

As an extension of the Modern Gentleman work, I was trying to think of appropriate sayings, that are in relation to what my work is trying to put across. When in my car this morning driving around in the depths of east London I was getting rather irritated to say the least, this is down to the fact that nobody says thank-you...

MILLER GOODMAN - SHAPEMAKER

Zoe Miller and David Goodman are the designers behind Miller Goodman and they are at the forefront of design for children, that combine function with the highest design principals, producing fantastic products within the children's market. These blocks are another form of empowerment...

DUCHAMP - FOUNTAIN

Marcel Duchamp the infamous conceptual artist made art that was out of everyday objects. Fountain is a piece that Duchamp did in 1917, and it was one of his pieces in the 'readymade' series (or found art). In this particular case Duchamp used a old urinal that he signed 'R. Mutt'...