OUIL402 End of module Evaluation

PPP Final Presentation

Final Print

• I am quite happy with the final outcome in print, I think that colours have come out well and the handmade quality of the collages has not been lost through digital processes - I think this is because I simply just touched them up instead of adjusting levels or anything like that as well…
• I prefer it as a cube rather than the final thing, as a poster I think it looks quite strange, and perhaps I should have chosen a more restricted colour palette because they do clash a little bit. 
• I also wish that I had maybe done the text digitally to match with the black outlines of the net. I also think that this would have looked more professional - the coloured pencil seems to have this weird quality when printed. 
• Overall I think the concept of this being a building block for my future practice, and each face of the cube representing one component within this is thoughtful and effective. 
• I think that the aesthetic of the collages effectively represents my interest in colour, shape, texture and composition that has developed over this year, and my desire to simplify information in order to achieve something more abstract that 'evokes a feeling'. 
• Furthermore as I have said before the most important factor for me this year has been my discovery of shape as a process and aesthetic that works really well for me - therefore I think the fact that my poster can be made in to a shape is also really appropriate to this idea.

Reworked collages

I was not completely satisfied with the previous collages I did, so I went away and did them again but a little differently. I much prefer them now because I think the added textures and coloured backgrounds makes them look a lot more refined and better crafted. Now I think the only thing I need to do is transfer these into a net of a cube for my poster. 

More abstract collages

I made some collages working in cut paper and coloured pencil. I think these more effectively represent what I have learnt this year and am currently striving towards within my practice. I like that they're more abstract and express my ideas through simple shapes and textures. I find the relationship between cut shapes and drawn lines or shapes also really interesting. The two colour palettes I think work really well, as collectively they will appear colourful without being too overcomplicated within each image. On the other hand I do think they need some work before going on my final poster, I would like to get rid of the white backgrounds, as I think it would look better if each side of the cube was a different colour. 

Roughs

The idea is that the six sides of the cube each have a collage representing these themes:

• Blogging and reflection
• productivity and the importance of marks
• roughing and composition
• crafting and process
• simplicity and evoking a feeling
• intent and play

I started experimenting with making some images in response to these themes using two colours of cut paper and coloured pencils - which I like working in combination. I'm not really sure about these though, I think that they're too representational and don't really sum up my practice at all. I think I want to go back to doing something more abstract, using symbols to communicate these themes. 

I also tried making these in gouache, but I'm not sure if I want to use this as my media for the poster. Painting gouache onto paper and then cutting it out creates this pigmented powder that makes it really messy and look poorly crafted. 

Crit

In the crit people seemed positive about my ideas and the work I had done so far on the presentation. There was, however some concern that I had made too much content which I think is true I do need to work on cutting it down better so it fits in 10 minutes. 

Kieran raised the idea of making my poster a net of a cube, so people could cut it out and make it, instead of making lots of separate cubes of wood. I think this is a good idea, as it will allow me to use cut paper instead of paint - which I think is much more appropriate in terms of representing how I like to work. It also be a lot less time consuming which is positive concerning how much time we have left. I also like this idea because it makes the poster interactive. 

Olivier Kugler

I found the lecture by Olivier Kugler really inspiring. I had never really thought of reportage illustration being something I would be interested in, especially as my work now is generally quite abstract and non-representational.  But now, I think that it is such an important and impactful genre of illustration because it tells real-world stories, some concerning really relevant and urgent global issues. I like to think that I have opinions about the world and the events that go on in it, and sometimes I think that I really want to use my ability to make pictures as a force for change or at least to bring awareness to something important. I would definitely like to consider this as I continue to develop my practice. A common theme in many Big heads, and lectures from professionals is also the importance of personal work and being active in sourcing projects - and I think Olivier Kugler made it clear that this has been the key to much of his success. 

Written diagram

From the revised version of my presentation, I then took the key headings and sub headings and put these into a written diagram. I think this forms a much more cohesive and effective representation of my practice. This has allowed me also to see how everything links together, and how learning one thing like composition has influenced the way that I rough, and trying to simplify things down have affected my compositions ect. I think for my visual diagram I would then like to take each of these headings and make some kind of image or symbol for each of them - still following this idea of creating a puzzle or block. 

Presentation Plan revised

From the notes that I made I put each of the key themes I had identified as headings for slides. I think this works quite well, especially as each idea flows quite nicely into one another. I am worried however that this may be too much content - I think a better way to now tackle this would be start pulling out examples of my work that will work with the points I am making. Maybe this will help me reduce down some my content even further. 

Planning notes for the presentation

Jake Hollings

These are a couple shots from the illustrator, Jake Holling's instagram. I really like how he uses a combination of textured, and plain cut papered shapes in his collages as well as the naive quality of his crafting and bold use of colour. His work is so playful and despite mostly being flat cut paper shapes has a very energetic and vibrant tone. I choose these particular pieces of work from his account because I think they are really appropriate as to how I would like to tackle my 'illustrated self' poster. I like how that they are a collection of simple symbols or shapes and that they mostly remain non-figurative - that it is the use of media, colour and relationship between these shapes, as to how they have been arranged on the page, which make the images interesting...Thinking of my intent to 'evoke a feeling' through my work, communicating my ideas through abstract collaged symbols and shapes seems to make sense for this final outcome.

Crit

I found the crit really helpful - everyone seemed quite keen on my idea of making some kind of puzzle or cube with each face or piece featuring a symbol representing some aspect of my year and my practice. I like the idea that Jamie posed of focusing the presentation and 'illustrated self' poster on one key idea that has been central to your first year - I think this for me would be process, because the way I work has completely changed not only in using shape but also in how I want my audience to view my work. 

Initial Ideas

I quite liked what Matt said in the briefing about using symbols to represent key ideas or themes. I think that this method of tackling the brief is really appropriate to me as I have been working towards simplifying my images down, and 'evoking a feeling' through my work. Here are some rough drawings I did - I quite like the texture of coloured pencil on this paper as it has this sort of naive quality. I also think that this layout is quite fun - I like the idea of creating some sort of puzzle to be a metaphor for how this year has played a part in 'puzzling together' or building my future practice. 

Written Diagram

This is a rough written diagram of just my initial thoughts, like the presentation I think it got a bit complicated and confusing as I went through. Through doing this though I think I have started to identify some key themes - like simplification, abstract, shape, texture, collage ect. I think that my visual diagram should represent everything that I've discovered and enjoyed using in terms my process of making images this year - shape, pattern, collage, texture, abstract, colourful, evoking a feeling. I could also maybe experiment with creating something 3D, to show that they this is something that I would like to experiment with more next year - maybe some woodwork or ceramics?

Presentation

In response to the briefing I wrote down some initial ideas and notes and then started planning out what I could feature in each slide of the presentation. As I went through I started to get confused though, so I think this will need some revised again...

Andy Warhol exhibition

I went to an exhibition of Andy Warhol's work in the Ashmolean gallery, Oxford. It featured a range of his work - some his films, his later work looking at religion and political subjects, and his portraits of famous people. Seeing this work in person, you could really see the value of the silkscreen process he used, the detail of which I think is often lost online. Since this process included transferring photographs onto painted backgrounds, and occasionally adding more detail with paint on top - it creates this interesting balance between the image being photo-real mixed with a sense of texture and mark-making created through the paint and silkscreen process. Despite this however I'm not sure how highly I'd value the actual aesthetic of Warhol's work, I think the most interesting thing about him as an artist were his ideas and the way in which he viewed the world. (Something that didn't know about him as well is that he was a commercial illustrator before he became the famous illustrator he is today!)

Painting the modern garden: Monet to Matisse

Over Easter I went to an exhibition at the RA, showing paintings from a range of artists all looking at the subject of gardens - the main feature being Monet's famous lilies. My family is quite interested in art and so I have been going to these kind of exhibitions since I was quite young, which I am actually really thankful for now because I think it did play a key role in encouraging my interest. As I have grown older though, I have actually found them to be quite jarring. I think that all too often in these type of galleries - the Royal Academy, the national gallery ect - they use unnecessary jargon and overcomplicate simple subjects.  Anyway, what I really took away from this exhibition is that I want to start painting again - oil painting is something that I did a lot at A level and now I think I quite miss it... Another thing is just appreciating a painting, illustration, image for the beauty of it - for the use of colour, texture, and a high level of craft. Sometimes I get tired and frustrated with everything having to have meaning and purpose.

OUIL401 Context of Practice - End of module evaluation