"How do you celebrate the ballpoint pen?" A summary

The last brief we completed was our introduction to the pathways project. I chose the one on the ballpoint pen! We had to create and come up with a series of ideas and possibilities under each pathway: visual communication, contemporary art and applied crafts.

In order to celebrate the pen, I first through it a party! Biro could't handle his drink. Threw up ink everywhere. After that though I got actual work done.

Some of the highlights and things that I am proud of,  across the three pathways are the illustrations of hands and the photoshopped drawn hands drawing the real hands, portrait paintings that were doodled on top of, and the computer drawn pen and orthographic technical drawings.

Very sparse post I know, onto the new brief...

Remediation

Well, I haven't wrote a post in a while, so I thought I had better write one.

I failed "Scale" I was severely disappointed, confused, and pissed off. It was incredibly dis-heartening after all the time and effort I had put into it. And I found out on a Friday and I couldn't speak to anyone about it, so I had the weekend to come with as many possible scenarios and reasons for not passing and how I would react. My main concern would be to be told I put in no effort!

Thankfully though, that wasn't why I failed. First of I didn't have enough concepts, which is fair enough. I was pretty set on what I was doing from the beginning. The other reasons though are mostly stupid though. At least though my mind was put at ease and I knew what was wrong.

I was given a few weeks for remediation and fix what was needed, which I did. Handed it in this Friday gone. So we shall see how that goes!

Fruit, new brief and mind expansion

Fruit is finally over, thank God! Our task was to research and design a fruit and then make it. And that we did. The class had a wonderful variety and in the end we all passed. My concept for my fruit was this: There is a forest at the foot of Mount Fuji called Aokigahara - next to the Golden Gate Bridge it is the second most popular suicide destination worldwide - in this vast and green forest people go to kill themselves. The forest is so dense there is no wind, making it incredibly quiet. It is beautifully haunting. Anyway, when trees grow up, through the corpses the roots have absorbed the chemicals from the brain, and the fruit that is produced when eaten will raise endorphins and make you happier and hopefully not kill yourself. However I was not able to make my fruit as I did not have time due to joining the class  month in.

Our next brief following that, is "SCALE". On word, that's it. We get to wild with this and interpret it anyway we want. Whether it be scientific scales, musical scales, scales for weighing, scaling up/down, scaling a building, whatever! We also have freedom with the work we produce at the end of it. Painting, 3D sculpture, film, photography, textile, you name it! I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into this project, already I am envisioning the finished product, and I haven't even started yet! But you shall need to wait and see what I have planned...

Now getting into "serious" stuff. Signs! Symbols! Semiotics!!! Oh the horror! What fresh hell is this you ask? Well, its hard to explain without sounding like a lunatic, but thankfully I already am one, here goes my best shot. Here is an example: We know a door to be called a door because we have taught all our life that the thing that opens and closes and allows us to enter and exit a room or building is called a door! However no matter what we call a door does not change the function and purpose of said door. Same with other languages; porte in French, porta in Portuguese, deur in Dutch, puetra in Spanish, and so on and so forth. No matter what you called a door, we still recognise the oblong thing with a handle that opens and close allowing entrance and exit from a room or building is a door. But what if we, in our own communities gave it a new name, like fnahefa; it still does not change that a door is a door. MIND BLOWN! Now, what any of that has to do with art or how it will get us through is beyond me and maybe its a waste of breathe for everyone involved. The oxygen used teaching and learning it could be put to better use in my opinion, but hey-ho!

Till my next post.....

Changing Over: Time to catch up

  When I started my time at college I was studying HND Visual Communication (a graphic design course), alas however, although I was so looking forward to the course, it was not to liking. Which is putting it nicely, because I seriously was not happy! The course was not as it was solicited and sold as, everything was driving us towards employment and I don't want to be a graphic designer! Not only that but we were always in the computer room on computers, believe it or not, and I don't like that atmosphere. I needed to be in a more creative place; stretching my imagination and getting those artistic juices cascading. So I did the sensible thing, change course! I am now in a much more comfortable and enjoyable class, Bachelor of Arts degree in ART and DESIGN.  

   Over the past weeks I have thrown myself into the work, trying to catch up on a months worth. So it has been all go. Busy Jack!

  The first project is FRUIT! After researching and studying of fruit of all kinds in all manners, climate, habitat, structure, what have you. After painting, drawing and writing, the task is to design a fruit, concept and all. Considering the aforementioned factors. It is all relentlessly fascinating: riveting stuff! 

  The next and more interesting project is "Transformation", and that's it, we can do, design and make what we want with it. We have however been taught a variety of crafts to help us with our design. The diverse assortment of skills include: paper folding, cut paper, slotting, making felt and the shaping of plastic sheets in a heated vacuum. My design will be centered around "The Metamorphosis" by Franza Kafka. Basically it's about a man who wakes up one miserable morning as a giant bug, or "monstrous vermin". 

  For the drawing class our current assignment has been to look at structures and areas with abstract eyes, considering positive and negative spaces and colouring. When we go back to college we will be starting figure drawing, with nude models and everything!

  Studying that glorious decade known as the nineties has been as exciting, daft, boring at times, the oppostie at others and variable as the decade itself! 

  And finally we have Personal Development Planning, a personal and reflective section that has you discuss all your good points, highs and achievements. But also where you were, where you are, and where are you going! It's all very egotistical. 

  And that has been my first month in BA Art and Design, and tomorrow the new term begins! Goodbye, till I blog again!