daisyiln2001
Contextual Studies - Year 2
By Daisy
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Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse was a French artist that worked in a variety of mediums in his life time, and is most recognised for his oil paintings. His intense and expressive use of colour landed him the title of co-founder of Fauvism with André Derain. Although he is well known for his paintings, I will be paying closer attention to his decoupage artwork.
(Matisse, H. (1952) Nu Bleu)
“Blue Nudes” is a series Matisse produced in his later years. After having surgery for stomach cancer, he became dependant on a wheel chair to get around. Often he would be bed bound. This made it much more physically demanding to create paintings and sculptures. He was limited to artistic methods which could be done whilst sitting down. His included paper collage cut outs, also known as decoupage. Matisse would have his assistants paint sheets of paper with gouache, so he could then cut them into shapes and create compositions. Once he had created the artwork, he kept a watchful eye on his assistants as they turned it into a lithograph. From 1940 onwards decoupage became his primary medium until he passed away in 1954.
(Matisse, H. (1952) Nu Bleu IV)
Matisse’s work is significant to my project because of his artistic approach. Although his decoupage pieces are hard-edged and have little depth, he was careful with the shapes. One of his assistants recalled that “Nu bleu IV” two weeks to get exactly the way he wanted. For a painting, two weeks is not much time. Even though the outcome looks simple, it is not mean it is simple to create. In the ‘Blue Nudes’ series, I liked the shape language of the figure. It was clean cut, but by no means stiff. I kept it in mind whilst i was working on my Cogito linocut design. The design was clean cut. This was a nod to the black and white title of the ‘body-mind’ debate.
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Matisse, H. (1952) Nu Bleu [Gouache-painted paper cut-outs
stuck to paper mounted on canvas]. Pompidou Centre, Paris (Viewed: 4 May 2022).
Dabrowski, A.M. (no date) Henri Matisse (1869–1954) | Essay | The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Available at: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mati/hd_mati.htm (Accessed: 4 May 2022).
Hard-Edged (no date) Artsy. Available at: https://www.artsy.net/gene/hard-edged-1 (Accessed: 4 May 2022). Henri Matisse: 100 Famous Paintings Analysis, Complete Works, & Bio (no date). Available at: https://www.henrimatisse.org/ (Accessed: 4 May 2022).
Henri Matisse. Le Grand Bois (The Large Woodcut). 1906 | MoMA (no date) The Museum of Modern Art. Available at: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/71098 (Accessed: 4 May 2022).
Matisse, page 7: Blue Nudes (2015). Available at: http://spaightwoodgalleries.com/Pages/Matisse7.html (Accessed: 4 May 2022).
Nu bleu IV, 1952 by Henri Matisse (no date). Available at: https://www.henrimatisse.org/nu-bleu.jsp (Accessed: 4 May 2022).
Tate (no date) Henri Matisse 1869–1954, Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/henri-matisse-1593 (Accessed: 4 May 2022).
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John Locke
John Locke was a 17th century English Philosopher, and has been considered largely influential in western society. His most notable essays concern religious tolerance in society, the significance of education, and for my project - 'An Essay Concerning Human Understanding' (1689).
Locke's ideas challenge Descartes theories. Locke was an empiricist, and his ideas contested Descartes innatism. Descartes argued that humans were born with knowledge of ethics and morality through the higher power of God. Although Locke’s essay is often cited as the foundational document of the blank slate perspective. He proposed the human mind to be a 'tabula rasa', which translates from Latin to English as 'blank slate'. He explains how as infants we are highly impressionable, and all our morals and ethics are derived from first hand experiences. Locke believed that the self was based on psychological continuity. The self was tied to ones consciousness, and not their soul or body.
Locke's belief in the tabula rasa are carried over into his other essay 'Some Thoughts Concerning Education' (1693). In this he reiterates that humans are most vulnerable to ideas presented to them as children. The association of ideas made as children are more significant than those made later on in life. This is because the foundations of the self are constructed in childhood. This theory came to be known as 'Associationism', and had a powerful influence on educational theory at the time.
For my project this made me better informed about the mind in regards to the body - mind debate. Although only a portion of Locke’s philosophical work concerns personal identity, it was interesting find out more about him all together. His stance against Descartes innatism was intriguing because it reminded me that the nature vs. nurture debate. This was important to realise because of the connection between psychology and identity are not easily ignored. Psychology is the study of the mind and behaviour. Ideas of the tabula rasa and consciousness, both of which Locke explore, are also explored in the field of psychology.
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Locke, J., Woolhouse, R.S. and Woolhouse, R.S. (Roger S. (1997) An essay concerning human understanding. London: Penguin Books.
Locke, J., Garforth, F.W. and Garforth, F.W. (Francis W. (1964) Some thoughts concerning education. London: Heinemann.
Gordon-Roth, J. (2020) ‘Locke on Personal Identity’, in Zalta, E.N. (ed.) The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Spring 2020. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. Available at: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2020/entries/locke-personal-identity/ (Accessed: 3 May 2022).
Nimbalkar, N. (2011) ‘John Locke on Personal Identity’, Mens Sana Monographs, 9(1), pp. 268–275. doi:10.4103/0973-1229.77443.
tabula rasa | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica (no date). Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/tabula-rasa (Accessed: 3 May 2022).
School of Life (2016) POLITICAL THEORY - John Locke. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZiWZJgJT7I (Accessed: 3 May 2022).
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My intentions after pondering the Ship of Theseus.
I explored different avenues in my research with the intention of creating an illustrated representation that connects to the philosophy of the self. After some thought I've come to the decision that I will draw the Ship of Theseus thought experiment.
My original intention was to make a short animation summarizing the story, and use the imagery of the ship. However I was ill with covid for a while, which has cut my time significantly. Despite this I'm still hoping to make some sort of animation, but one that is no longer than 30 seconds. To make it more approachable for myself I will be doing a variant of the thought experiment. Two alternatives that already exist are 'Grandfather's axe' and 'Trigger's broom'. Both of these involve the replacement of the head and handle. Other options include replacing parts on a bike, and bands where all the original members have been replaced.
Guess it will be a surprise!
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Hud, N.V. et al. (2013) ‘The Origin of RNA and “My Grandfather’s Axe”’, Chemistry & Biology, 20(4), pp. 466–474. doi:10.1016/j.chembiol.2013.03.012.
‘Trigger’s Broom – adambowie.com’ (2018). Available at: https://www.adambowie.com/blog/2018/06/triggers-broom/ (Accessed: 3 May 2022).
Somers, J. (2021) Bands With No Original Members Left In Them - Grunge, Grunge.com. Available at: https://www.grunge.com/393094/bands-with-no-original-members-left-in-them/ (Accessed: 3 May 2022).
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The Ship of Theseus
One of the oldest concepts in Western Philosophy is a thought experiment known as the 'Ship of Theseus'.
Theseus is tied to Greek mythology as a mythical hero of Athens. His most widely known story is how he sailed to Crete and slaying the Minotaur dwelling in the centre of the labyrinth created by architect Daedalus. Once Theseus returned from his mission, his ship was left in the Athenian harbour in tribute to his success. Overtime the planks on the docked ship began to decay. As each plank decayed, they were replaced. Soon enough none of the original planks remained.
The question that arises is, 'Is the boat still the ship of Theseus?'
The argument for it still being the ship of Theseus is the form that the planks take. If you were to replace just one plank, many would agree that it is still the ship of Theseus. If the planks were then replaced at a slow rate, such as 1 plank each year, you may be more inclined to think after hundreds of years that it is still the ship sailed on, even when all the original planks have been replaced.
The new planks still come together in the same form, and attach to the boat that Theseus was on. This continuity with the original planks makes it still the ship of Theseus.
On the other hand, its hard to ignore the argument for it not being Theseus' ship. Theseus set foot and sailed on a particular group of planks. If the planks have been replaced with new ones it doesn't mean Theseus has sailed with those planks! How can it be his ship if the collection of planks are completely different from what he travelled with? You can ask another question if you don't believe its the same ship. At what point did it stop being the ship of Theseus?
This thought experiment can be pondered extendedly. Centuries after the first instances of the thought experiment, 17th century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes added an extension to the puzzle. As soon as one of the decaying planks were removed, a repairman collected them. They would continue to take each plank until he had them all and were able to construct a ship themselves. Now there are two ships. One ship is in the Athenian harbour as a monument, and the other is with the repairman. This brings up a slightly different question - which of the two ships, if either, is the original ship of Theseus.
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ship of Theseus | Definition, Examples, Solutions, & Facts | Britannica (no date). Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/ship-of-Theseus-philosophy (Accessed: 3 May 2022).
The Internet Classics Archive | Theseus by Plutarch (no date). Available at: http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/theseus.html (Accessed: 3 May 2022).
Wireless Philosophy (2013) PHILOSOPHY - Metaphysics: Ship of Theseus [HD]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYAoiLhOuao (Accessed: 3 May 2022).
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Cogito Lino Prints
I managed to make a variety of prints from my Cogito lino design. To mix things up I attempted to make a gradient, and also lifted the ink in parts on a couple prints with a cloth. Overall I feel that this was a success because its connection to the philosophy of the self, and its execution.
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After creating the body theory lino print, I knew I wanted to approach my next print with better preparation. As a result I tackled the design in the way I'm most comfortable with when it comes to lino print. The piece of lino I had was roughly A3 size, so I worked within those dimensions.
For the design itself I wanted it to either relate to Rene Descartes, or " The Egg" by Andy Weir. "The Egg" is a short story that showcases open individualism. This is a term coined by philosopher Daniel Kolak, which is the belief that we are all one person(Kolak, 2005). I started of drawing with "The Egg" in mind because I am fond of the story and knew of it prior to this project. Once I had sketched the figure in a way I liked I played around with the composition digitally.
I toyed around with the "The Egg" idea but I wasn't fully satisfied. After some thought I wanted to try and incorporate the Latin phrase "Cogito, ergo sum". This is the first principle in Descartes philosophy, and translates into "I think, therefore I am." The phrase is more accurately understood if you think of it as "there are thoughts, so there must be a mind"[cite]. Within his Cartesian doubt there is one thing that remains constant - his ability to doubt. Cogito is the one thing he can be certain of because as soon as he tries to disprove it, he paradoxically proves it by having that thought. More obviously, it can be used to represent his other philosophical work mind-body dualism. I had this in mind with my previous lino cut, so I could have a pair of prints to represent this dualism.
I was a little daunted by how I could represent the mind illustratively. Eventually I remembered a small illustration I had made a few years ago based on something I saw online. Though I couldn't find the image that inspired me, I found the drawing I made in response. Finally I could finally see where this lino could go forward. Carving the lino took some time, but far less time than going in with only a sketch like last time. The lettering style was inspired by Saul Bass, as it was in my nature project.
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Robinson, D. and Garratt, C. (2006) Introducing Descartes: A Graphic Guide. London: Icon Books. pp 55-56.
Kolak, D. (2005) I Am You: The Metaphysical Foundations for Global Ethics: 325. 2004th edition. Dordrecht ; Norwell, MA: Springer.
The Egg (2009). Available at: http://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html (Accessed: 3 April 2022).
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Creating a lino cut relating to body theory
For my first visual outcome on his project I chose to create a lino print relating to body theory and physicalism. I felt that physicalism was a good place to start because of the emphasis on physical matter.
I approached the lino in a different way than I'm used to. Typically I would sketch out my idea, and then make another version using solid linework to get a clean image. There would be no mid tones like in a pencil sketch. Since Paul was urging me to get started, I chose to skip over revising my sketch. So once I had my sketch I went ahead and transferred that straight to the lino. Since not many of the marks in my sketch felt absolute, I did not go over the pencil lines with a ballpoint pen because it felt unnecessary. This was not a good idea! I underestimated how much the pencil would smudge whilst I was carving the lino. This meant that not only was I figuring out what marks I wanted to make based on a loose sketch, but I also needed to think if the marks were in the right place on the whole.
As a result the print isn't quite how I'd like it to be. On one hand I think this approach was helpful in making about the unique markings a lino print can give. This is apparent in the head and torso area of the print. On the other hand the struggle I had making it is much more apparent in the rest of the print. Also I feel that with better planning I would have made the fully black. Originally I wanted a fully white background. I didn't carve the background fully out because Paul wanted me in the print room asap(!). However I like the contrast of the black space behind the head that I missed out.
Despite all of this I'm glad I got pushed to make this. I think this has gotten the ball rolling in terms of the visual outcomes for this project.
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Using Library Search for Human Anatomy, and my subsequent my train of thought
As a nod to Descartes Body Theory, I considered making an illustration displaying human anatomy. To inform my visual response further , I took out two related books from the library. The Quick and the dead : artists and anatomy (1997), and Human anatomy : depicting the body from the Renaissance to today (2006). Both books had visuals from various artists throughout history. There were a couple of approaches that interested me the most. One was where they overlaid the human anatomy or organs system on top of a drawn figure. Another approach was where the illustration was an actual dissection, with sections of skin folded back. It was not uncommon for the figures to be drawn as if they were alive and at peace with what was happening.
Above left: Tabulae anatomicae (Rome, 1783): Table 9
Above right: Image from Andreas Vesalius' De humani corporis fabrica (1543), page 69.
Whilst looking at these books I remembered the phrase "it's what on the inside that counts". My understanding of this phrase is that you should look beyond someone's physical appearance to see their personality or abilities. This then made me think of two pieces of media.
The first is the song "What's inside" by vocaloid producer PinocchioP (2019). Since the song is Japanese, I will refer to the English translation of the lyrics. Within it there is a motif:
"What's inside, do we all still have organs? (yes)"
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This is a spin on the saying, "its what's on the inside that counts", which I had thought of when I picked up the aforementioned library books. Throughout the song the producer raises questions about good and evil, only to shrug it off. I struggled to find the words for what was happening, but I wanted to label it since it bares a distinct feeling. Ultimately, I want to label the song as "morally nihilistic". This means that nothing is morally right or wrong. In the song, the only question with an objective answer is the motif. It is this objectivity that connects back to Descartes body theory. For Descartes, having the same body from birth to death is what makes you, you. In PinnochioP's song, us all having organs on the inside is what makes people, people.
The second piece of media I thought of was the pseudo-campaign produced by United Colors of Benetton. The image was created by art director Oliviero Toscani.
O. Toscani S/S 1996, “Hearts”
Much like "What's Inside", it has a visceral representation of being human. Three hearts are each labelled with a word 'white', 'black', and 'yellow'. These are meant to symbolize the hearts of different races. The main statement for this advert is that there is no internal differences between races. All races are made of the same types of organs, they just so happen to be different skin stones, which is on the outside. The heart has long been identified as the centre of the entire body. This concept is present in many religions. For example, in Judaism it is said that G-d, "requires the service of the heart". This is a favourite saying of the Rabbis (HEART - JewishEncyclopedia.com, no date).
Although "Hearts" reads as a protest against racism, the piece carries many controversies. This is one of many works used by Benetton in order to make sales. They were no stranger to using shock tactics to get public attention. These adverts did get public attention - "Protesters cried that the photo...was one of Benetton’s most racist" (29Secrets, 2020). Although clearly controversial, it opened up questions on how advertising could connect to political messages.
Despite the controversy, this is another biological characterization of what it means to be a person.
I hope that with this train of thought that I unravelled from going to the library will be reflected in my graphic media project!
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The Quick and the dead : artists and anatomy (1997). London: South Bank Centre.
Rifkin, B.A., Ackerman, M.J. and Folkenberg, J. (2006) Human anatomy : depicting the body from the Renaissance to today.
Giulio Cesare Casseri and the wonders of the human body (2015) Italian Ways. Available at: https://www.italianways.com/giulio-cesare-casseri-and-the-wonders-of-the-human-body/ (Accessed: 29 March 2022).
Historical Anatomies on the Web: Bartholomeo Eustachi Home (no date). U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/historicalanatomies/eustachi_home.html (Accessed: 29 March 2022).
ピノキオピー PINOCCHIOP OFFICIAL CHANNEL (2019) PinocchioP - What's Inside feat. Hatsune Miku. 22 January. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSpwTvYgFrM (Accessed: 22 March 2022).
Historical Campaigns | Benetton Group (no date). Available at: https://www.benettongroup.com/en/media-press/image-gallery/institutional-communication/historical-campaigns/ (Accessed: 29 March 2022).
London: Thames & Hudson. Tresidder, Jack (2012). "Heart". The Watkins Dictionary of Symbols
HEART - JewishEncyclopedia.com (no date). Available at: https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7436-heart (Accessed: 22 March 2022).
A Look Back At Benetton’s Most Controversial Advertising Campaigns - 29Secrets (2020). Available at: https://29secrets.com/style/a-look-back-at-benettons-most-controversial-advertising-campaigns/ (Accessed: 22 March 2022).
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Filmmaker Naren Wilks and Contemporary Philosopher Derek Parfit
Naren Wilks is a film maker living in Bristol. He creates films with rotational symmetry with a kaleidoscopic impression. His short film "Collide-o-scope", is about a man in a white room that duplicates himself. "He and his clones have until the cartridges in the cameras run out (3 minutes) before they disappear." (Collide-o-scope | IFFR, 2011)
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(Naren Wilks, 2012)
After submitting it to The Public art gallery, he was commissioned to adapt the short film into an interactive exhibition.
Following this he worked on a music video for The Correspondents, which is now I came to know of Wilks. Most recently he worked on a new iteration of Collide-o-scope with OTTER Produces (2020). This version is also interactive, but the outcome is in full colour and works to duplicate hands instead of full bodies.
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(Naren Wilks, 2014)
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(Naren Wilks, 2020)
Wilks work isn't explicitly about identity, but does bare an interesting connection. The overarching premise is that you can have multiple versions of ones self. Ideas surrounding this were explored by contemporary philosopher Derek Parfit. Parfit is most well known for his theories on personal identity. In one of his examples he refers to the teletransporter in Star Trek to articulate his ideas. To paraphrase it:
You step into a teletransporter. The machine picks you apart atom by atom until there is nothing left. Then you get recreated atom by atom on Mars with all your memories intact - would the person on Mars still be you?
My first thought in response to this is yes - that person is still me. I would have the same consciousness as I did when I was on Earth, which is most important for me. But there is more to this question. What would happen if the version of you on Earth didn't disappear? Did you travel or were you replicated? Are you in two places at once? Suddenly the question has become much bigger. As a reductionist, Parfit believed that individuals were just minds and bodies, but he believed that identity resided elsewhere.
Visually Wilks' Collide-o-scope connects with Parfit's thought experiment. Multiple versions of oneself were created at (nearly) the speed of light. The duplicate people move in synchrony and soon you don't know what person is the 'real' one.
From what I've researched here I can illustrate my findings through making duplicates. This can either be through having the same subject drawn multiple times, or doing several prints of the same image.
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About - The Correspondents (no date). Available at: https://www.thecorrespondents.co.uk/about (Accessed: 1 March 2022).
Case studies (no date). Available at: https://www.thepublic.com/case-studies.html#artists (Accessed: 1 March 2022).
Collide-o-scope | IFFR (2011). Available at: https://iffr.com/en/iffr/2011/films/collide-o-scope (Accessed: 1 March 2022).
Collide-O-Scope Interactive - sample footage (2014). Available at: https://vimeo.com/77410882 (Accessed: 1 March 2022).
CrashCourse (2016) Arguments Against Personal Identity: Crash Course Philosophy #20. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17WiQ_tNld4 (Accessed: 1 March 2022).
Naren Wilks (2012) Collide-o-scope. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9LcP3WXFV0 (Accessed: 1 March 2022).
Naren Wilks (2020) CollideOscope promo 2020. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdhWYgQSWqA (Accessed: 1 March 2022).
OTTER Produces | Mixing the Maker Movement with Art & Interactive Installations to create a new form of Extraordinary Outdoor Art (no date). Available at: http://www.otterproduces.com/ (Accessed: 1 March 2022).
The Paradox of Self-Duplication | Psychology Today (2018). Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/one-among-many/201810/the-paradox-self-duplication (Accessed: 1 March 2022).
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Project 4 - visual catalogue
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androgynous by takato yamamoto
danny quirk
Fernando Vicente
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This is a visual bookmark for myself! Ill edit it here and there
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Project 4 - Initial thoughts
After some reflection I decided to pursue the identity project further. I felt that my identity was most successful in joining theory and practice . I found myself actively using library sources for visual reference to make my drawings accurate. My final result was a digital dress up game. In it I included different facial features, and some traditional clothing from around the world.
I would like to explore identity more broadly. To do this I will be looking at the concept of the "self". I know that this is a topic that has been explored in philosophy, psychology, and other studies of human behaviour, and I would like to learn more about it so I can present it visually. From my own knowledge I know I can look into mind theory and body theory, as well as Sigmund Freud's theory of consciousness.
Currently I am undecided as to where to take my work. The concept of the "self" seems wider than identity, which means an even wider spectrum of possibility! I will consider making an animation, poster, clay model, or even a diagram of sorts. Once I research my topic more deeply I will be able to make a decision on what to make
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Nature / Ecology / Animals Project Bibliography
Harvey. F, (2019a) ‘Animals and birds under increasing threat from plastic waste’, The Guardian, 4 February. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/04/animals-birds-plastic-waste-rspca (Accessed: 10 January 2022).
Harvey. F, (2019b) ‘Drinks bottles now biggest plastic menace for waterways – report’, The Guardian, 7 April. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/08/drinks-bottles-now-biggest-plastic-menace-for-waterways-report (Accessed: 10 January 2022).
Laysan Albatrosses’ Plastic Problem | Smithsonian Ocean (no date). Available at: http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/seabirds/laysan-albatrosses-plastic-problem (Accessed: 17 January 2022).
Lim, X. (2021) ‘Microplastics are everywhere — but are they harmful?’, Nature, 593(7857), pp. 22–25. doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01143-3.
Lusher, A.L., McHugh, M. and Thompson, R.C. (2013) ‘Occurrence of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of pelagic and demersal fish from the English Channel’, Marine Pollution Bulletin, 67(1), pp. 94–99. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.11.028.
Nelson, J. (2014) I’ll give you the sun. New York: Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
Saul Bass : Design Is History (no date). Available at: http://www.designishistory.com/1960/saul-bass/ (Accessed: 17 January 2022).
‘What are the Effects of Plastic Pollution on Marine Life?’ (2019), 12 August. Available at: https://www.padstowsealifesafaris.co.uk/plastic-pollution-on-marine-life/ (Accessed: 17 January 2022).
What is single use plastic? (no date) Plastic Free Challenge. Available at: http://www.plasticfreechallenge.org/what-is-single-use-plastic (Accessed: 17 January 2022).
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Nature / Ecology / Animals Project
As a class we had a random draw as to what slogan we would produce an image for. I was given the slogan "There is no such thing as single use plastic". Single use plastic was a strong visual starting point, so I carried out some research in order to create well informed thumbnails.
Single use plastic are plastic products that are intended to be used once and then thrown away. This includes things like plastic straws, cutlery, carrier bags, coffee stirrers, and cotton swabs. "The nature of petroleum based disposable plastic makes it difficult to recycle and they have to add new virgin materials and chemicals to it to do so." (Plastic Free Challenge, no date). Petroluem is required for these to be made, which when burned is a contributor to global warming. A whopping 79% of plastic in the world is sitting in landfill or is scattered around the world as litter.
Plastic will eventually degrade into smaller pieces. However, plastic is not biodegradable. These plastics will turn into microplastics. If the debris is small enough they can act as a foreign body irritant, similar to how asbestos fibres inflame the lungs. Humans are not the only ones affected. In a study from Plymouth University, one third of fish off the coast of South East England contained microplastics.
In 2019 a report by the RSPCA, there were 579 cases of wildlife being harmed by plastic waste in 2018. I was already aware that sea turtles can confuse plastic bags with jellyfish and eat them. I have also seen a bird eat a chip of plastic! It seems plastic can harm in a number of ways. It can damage life gradually when ingested. It can also get caught in wings, gills or even cause asphyxiation.
I had a thumbnail that captured my idea the way I wanted, so I chose to dive right in. From this point I worked digitally because it would allow me to make tweaks and different versions with minimal hassle. Since I already learned about different single use plastic items in my research, I went ahead and drew a handful out. This would act as a beginning set of assets for me to duplicate and arrange as I pleased.
Paul said he liked that he liked the idea of all of these plastic elements being in a circle. We discussed some ideas about what could be at the centre and he suggested a spotlight effect. He said it was difficult to choose whether the arrangement should be centred or off centre. He eventually said that he preferred the central focus, but it was ultimately my choice. I decided to keep working on the more centred arrangement. It meant that if I happened to change my mind, it would be more straightforward to adjust.
I expressed that I was unsure how the slogan would fit amongst the image, and Paul said that with the composition I have it shouldn't be an issue. He gave a few suggestions for me going forward. One was for the focal point to have a spot light effect. Another suggestion was to turn my poster into a lino cut.
Once I was satisfied with the radial arrangement of plastic illustrations, I had a go at adding a spot light. I found it pleasant, but I felt it limited my options as to how to add the slogan. I put the spotlight idea behind me and continued. Originally, when the plastic circle was off centred, I had planned for the slogan to follow the lines. However I much preferred the central radial composition, and felt the text needed a different approach.
The book cover for "I can show you the sun" by Jandy Nelson is illustrated with a similar placements of lines to what I had. In the middle lied the title of the book. From this I decided that the slogan would be at the centre of the illustration. Seeing that it was possible from the book cover made be feel confident in my decision.
(Nelson, 2014)
Initially I thought that regular written text would suffice. It did, but it was lacking character. Since it is the focal point of the illustration, it deserved some more attention. The bold and graphic look I had so far reminded me of graphic designer Saul Bass. His typography has a distinctive paper cut style - choppy but decisive. I felt it would complement my current work well, so I kept it in mind as I worked on the lettering. When drawing the text I made it bold and blocky, and then carved away the shape with the eraser tool.
(Bass, 1959)
At this point I had my final digital drawing. From here I chose to make it into a lino print. Using tracing paper and graphite I transferred the image onto a sheet of lino. I wanted to have two colours in my print, so I chose to make the slogan a cut out piece. Since the plastic objects were very edge of the text, I pulled them back slightly for the cut out to be successful.
After I had carved out all of the lino, all there was left to do is make some prints. I experimented and created a few different colour versions. These can be seen up close in another blog post!
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All animals are equal - Reading report
In chapter 1 of All animals are Equal by Peter Singer, Singer contextualises the significance of animal rights. To get the reader to understand how animal rights should be perceived, he draws comparisons to other rights movements. He highlights that originally animal rights were used to be a parody for women's rights. Since times have changed and women now have the vote, it should be time for animal rights to be considered.
Singer states that "The basic principle of equality does not require equal or identical treatment; it requires equal consideration". I considered this a description of equity. All people struggle in life to varying degrees. The people that struggle more should have more help in supporting themselves. This can be seen in the UK Universal Credit system, which can support financially disadvantaged persons. You could be black or white, masculine or feminine, or old and young and get support. However animals don't desire financial stability, so it would be unnecessary to give them universal credit. With equity in mind, it would be more worthwhile for animals to have a suitable habitat close to a water source.
I think the text raises many questions. This week I particularly enjoyed the group discussion for this very reason. Singer quotes a passage by philosopher Jeremy Bentham. The major question surrounding the topic is "can they suffer?" (pg.7). I liked the route that this took, as Singer explores how a stone does not have interests because it cannot suffer (pg.8), but a mouse has the capacity to suffer when treated like a stone. After reading this I could not help but think about worms. Worms cannot squeal and run away quickly from suffering like a mouse can. Although humans have advanced technology, from a surface level many are unaware weather a worm feels pain in the same way a mouse might. Singer goes on to say that "most humans are speciesists", and I agree. Even animal lovers may have a bias to mammals because humans are mammals too.
The relevance it has to me is that animals should be treated humanely. even though they are different from us, they should still be treated with respect. If it is unjust for the human majority to be slaves to other people with the highest IQ - then it is unjust to do it to animals.
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Peter Singer, Animal Liberation, second edition (London: Pimlico, 1995), pp. 1–9.
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This changes everything - Reading report
In this introductory chapter Klein shares how people are in denial over the climate change crisis. Climate change denial comes in more forms than simply not believing in it. Klein herself, she says that "I told myself the science was too complicated and that the environmentalists were dealing with it (pg.3)" Other types of denial includes future humans making a "technical miracle", "it's more efficient to focus on economic development than climate change", focusing on ourselves, or turning the matter into a joke. The ongoing concept after this is that capitalism is to blame for climate change. A core idea in the text is how climate change is a by-product of capitalism. To undo climate change, we must remove capitalism. Although this did become repetitive, there was a strong argument supporting it. Most noticeably, " Droughts and floods create all kinds of business opportunities (pg.9)." She writes how there are "climate-ready" crops that are meant to handle extreme weather conditions. From an entrepreneurial stand point, these suppliers have identified a problem, and capitalised on the solution they have sold to farmers. Capitalism is a system that favours the elite. It makes the rich richer, and the poor poorer. Unfortunately, protecting the planet, and capitalism, are not congruent. When I realised this, it reminded me of agricultural practices in the Amazon rainforest. Once the soil is no longer nutrient rich, it is burned, and the farmer moves to a new plot. The farmer needs to be able to afford a living, and that comes at the cost of the land.
Later on in page 25 Klein draws attention to how nineteenth century London went through a phase of dirty development to the strong city it is today, and that the environment does not have a century for China and India to go through this path. Her argument is that if we do not make significant changes now, the future of the planet is doomed. However, I find her argument to be muddled. On one hand she writes how there is no point in making small changes because a massive overhaul of capitalism is the only way to make a difference. "For a quarter of a century, we have tried the approach of polite incremental change, [...] The results have been disastrous". I agree with this, because of how desensitized I have become to advertising efforts made to draw attention to the climate crisis. Although she highlights how it would be a difficult problem to fix, she doesn't make suggestions as to how it could be fixed. I was surprised, but since the text is only the opening chapter, I understand she may have written about this further in the article.
I was intrigued by the text, particularly with the connections made to capitalism. It is important for me to understand what is going on in the world as I emerge as an illustrator. Both the political and environmental climate is always changing, and my work should be well informed. My current project is centred around single use plastic, so I should consider how much impact it has on the environment.
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Klein, N. (2015) This changes everything: capitalism vs. the climate. London: Penguin Books, pp. 1–28.
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