Human Rights Exhibition - Culture Quake II - BCOP100

For our second culture quake we focused on 'The Human Rights Act' (1998), which outlines 30 articles that state our basic human needs in order to live a free and equal life. I chose to focus on Article 15 which was:

1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.

2) No one should be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

*click to enlarge*

The end goal of this weeks project was to create an exhibition of responses to each article. The original document of human rights uses very heavy language, in which many would not be able to process and understand properly. Therefore as illustrators, it would be our job to represent these rights in a visual way, which would teach others about the rights that we should have - as outlined by the United Nations. 

Originally I had thought about making a poster of people holding multiple flags, signifying which nationalities that they identify with:

However I wanted to make something more striking and something that would convey the message with more impact. So I decided to create a collection of small postcards, all with different animals that you would instantly associate with a certain nation (their homeland). However, I have given them different flags than what you would expect, which evokes thought in the observer. Furthermore, these flags can be swapped and changed, further conveying the message of Article 15, that everyone has 'the right to change his nationality'.

I chose animals as I felt like the connection between the character and a particular country would be more instant, than if I tried to illustrate a 'typical human' of a certain nation. I also chose to illustrate them on postcards, as they are something that travels between different countries - furthering the message. Also, by having an interactive element it makes my piece more memorable, and the choice of deciding which animal has what flag mirrors the choice that we all have as individuals - we are free to identify with a nationality of our choice. 

When looking around the exhibition at the end of the week, there were other pieces which particularly stood out to me as being very successful, one being a headscarf created by Zacky Hughes:

It is based on Article 18, which outlines our right to choose and express our religion in private and in public. The fabric of the headscarf itself has the words of the article printed in multiple different languages, displaying how the rights belong to everyone no matter their ethnicity or religious beliefs - all of this is showcased on a headscarf, which itself is an icon of religion.  

Protests - BCOP100

Protests are a way for people to bring awareness to a topic that is in need of change. It is defined as, "a statement or action expressing disapproval of or objection to something", or "an organised public demonstration expressing strong objection to an official policy or course of action" [1]

This type of demonstration has occurred throughout history, for example the Suffragettes protesting for women's voting rights. Other protests include black power and slavery, anti war, women's rights, and political protests against NHS funding, Brexit, and Donald Trump. However, protests can occur in many different formats e.g peaceful protests, strikes and even graffiti. Banksy is a great example of a graffiti artist who provokes thought, as his art is always very political and relevant to the world that we live in. His work is therefore a form of protest, as he is bringing light to a topic that he disagrees with - or that he believes should be changed.

We then looked at how other artists and illustrators respond to world events, for example the 2015 terror attacks in Paris:

Jean Julien created this simple illustration, which soon spread across social media. This demonstrates how important and effective it is to create art which is relevant to world events, and that creates impact amongst people. 

In response to the topic of protests, we were set the task to create a group manifesto about a protest of our choice. Our group (Ellie T, Ella T & Ella W), decided to look at the issue of Animal Rights, and collectively created the following manifesto:

1) Animals should be respected.

2) Animals shouldn't be abused for entertainment, e.g dog fighting, circus, or hunting.

3) Animals shouldn't be overbred to the point of health defects.

4) Animals shouldn't be mass-produced for food, e.g in farming and fishing.

5) Animals shouldn't be killed just for their fur/skin/horns (ivory).

6) All animals should be viewed as equal.

7) We should acknowledge and respect the 'circle of life'. Sometimes animal's lives can be sacrificed for our benefit, however all in good proportion and reason.

8) Animals shouldn't be killed unnecessarily.

9) We should respect and protect animal's homes and habitats, e.g sustainable deforestation & afforestation. 

We all individually focused on different elements of animal rights, but I personally chose to look at hunting, and created the following protest poster:

It captures the friendship and love between two animals that are often killed unnecessarily through hunting: foxes and badgers. This I hope stands as a powerful message which shows the basic need of kindness that we should share between humans and animals. 

[1] Oxford Dictionaries (2017). [online]. Definition of protest in English. Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/protest [Accessed on 7th March 2017, at 17:15]

Critical Thinking II - BCOP100

This week we reviewed the idea of critical thinking. We did this as it is such a complex, yet useful tool, which will continue to help us beyond our degree.

Critical thinking can be applied to many different situations, and can aid you to make well-balanced decisions, considering bias and weighting. For example, when looking into the different newspapers available in the UK, it is easy to see how many of them have biased political views. However, if you approach each story/news article critically, you will recognise this bias, and will take a viewpoint/opinion away from it, unaffected by the bias.

Critical thinking can also help you to construct a well formulated and persuasive argument. A good structure is as follows:
- Formulate your question
- Gather your information
- Apply the information
- Consider the implications
- Explore other points of view (evaluate your choices)

Then we looked at comedians and how they utilise this structure to their performances. Very often their comedy is focused on a particular topic e.g global warming (George Carlin) [1]. They will convey their argument in the most convincing way (with comedy), in order to project influence over the audience.

[1] YouTube (2007). [online]. George Carlin - Saving the Planet. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W33HRc1A6c [Accessed on 28th February 2017]

Everyday Spaces - Reading the Quotidian - BCOP100

This lecture highlighted the fact that when we are in any environment, our brains are incapable of taking in all of the information around us. This means that everyday we are missing small details and hidden treasures that make up the world around us - "The world's too full of complicated things for your brain to deal with them consciously" ([1] Wrights and Sights, 2003). Our minds 'gloss over' the mundane and ordinary occurrences, and hone in on the unusual and abnormal.

When going about our daily lives, our routes that we take become automatic and don't require concentration. It is only when we are put into an usual setting that our brains 'switch on' and take in every little detail. Being familiar and comfortable in a setting determines how much information our brains absorb in the moment. So even when you go about your daily life, you can still experience the extraordinary by stopping and forcing yourself to acknowledge these little details.

In response to this I decided to document an environment that I experience every day: the bus. Normally I switch off, plug in my headphones and become oblivious to the events around me. Instead I took the opportunity to absorb and document the setting by recording the overheard conversations during my journey to and from university. Even if I only hear several words of an entire conversation, it acts as a window into their lives. The journey for everyone is a time for people to chat and to make the time go faster, and each conversation can tell me so much about the person's day, personality and relationship with the person that they are talking to. The bus is an everyday space, but it can act as so much more when you force yourself to listen and use your senses.

*click to enlarge*

I decided to further my response and chose to observe the environment of the college library. I carried out a range of quick observational sketches that capture the essence of the space around me. It has since become apparent that even when carrying out a simple task such as observational drawing, you are stopping and forcing yourself to look and take in what's around you. 

[1] Wrights (2008). [online]. Wrights & sites. Available at: http://www.mis-guide.com [Accessed on 21st February 2017]. In-line Citation: (Wrights, 2003)

Discovering Time in the Spatial - BCOP100

Today's lecture was a continuation from last weeks. We continued to discuss the idea of 'space and the everyday', and how in order to become a successful illustrator, you have to be able to question the ordinary. The digital space of the internet allows people like us, to share our work instantly all over the world, with one simple click - and this space is a totally different type of 'space' that we normally associate with.

After we were taken out on a walk (a walk in the spatial), and discovered elements of the city that showed us aspects of time. We talked about how every city is a palimpsest, as they show traces of history in the physical structures. These are normally intertwined with buildings and new developments that are modern in comparison, but as a collection present a space in which time is evident and history is layered. 

Palimpsest is "something reused or altered but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form" [1], and a prime example of this is vellum, in which previous writings are scraped off the 'paper' in order to write over the top - however the traces of previous text can still be seen underneath. 

On our walk we came across paving stones which were made from limestone, which were pitted in effort to make them less slippery. We also found the same stones that were used to decorate the exterior of church windows - which is now used as a lecture hall, instead of a place of worship. We also found buildings on the campus of Plymouth University which were made of prehistoric stone - in which if you look closely you can see fossilised oysters and ammonites. This material was also used to make the flooring inside too.

The pitted paving stones

The prehistoric stone

All of these examples presented the idea on how time can be found on the spaces that we see everyday. Most people who walked the same path as we did will never stop to notice these hidden details which indicate past history. However it is only until you look in the opposite direction as everyone else, you will discover these treasures that give an entire space a new meaning and reason for appreciation. 

My response

In response to the theme of the lecture, I decided to look through the photos I have on my phone to see whether any of them showcase beauty in the ordinary, or examples when I have noticed something extraordinary:

Its hard to see as the photo is blurry, but this was taken on New Years Eve this year. It's of a table at my friend's restaurant and I had noticed an ammonite in the stone, just like the ones we discovered on our walk. I asked my friend whether she had noticed it before, but she said that she hadn't - this is a perfect example of discovering everyday things by being observant and curious!

This photo looks like it was taken by a mistake, but actually it was quickly snapped from the bus window as I had spotted something quite beautiful:

It was a single perfect yellow leaf. Although mundane and ordinary for some, it is another example of finding something beautiful in the everyday. Most people would have never noticed it, but I personally felt the need to take a photo to document the moment. 

This last one was taken during the first week at PCA. Many of us found the collection of chalk dust quite fascinating and all took photos of it. It could be argued that this is too a kind of palimpsest, as the layering of chalk represents the layers of messages written on the board above. 

[1] Oxford Dictionaries (2017). [online]. Definition of palimpsest in English. Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/palimpsest [Accessed on 24th January 2017]

[2] Vellum & Palimpsest: Wikipedia (2017). [online]. Palimpsest. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palimpsest [Accessed on 24th January 2017]

Space & The Everyday - BCOP100

Today we focused on the concept of space. We started by trying to figure out what space was, which ranged from: the galaxy, distance, the universe and everything around us…

Descartes describes space as being extension, and so anything that has extension exists in space. 

A place becomes a space when someone occupies it, for example when a street performer occupies a street, it becomes a performance space. The way that we see a space, is how we affect it. 

We can walk in all directions in space: up, down, sideways... and Georges Perec believes that we should look in the direction that others do not. We should take notice of the mundane, common and ordinary and to make them essential to us. In this day and age it's always the rare occurrences and extraordinary events that are brought to light in the media. However, it's the quotidian that we should focus on.

When someone asks you, "what did you do today", commonly we answer "nothing". But really this is not the case, as each day we do so many things and see so many things. We are so quick to gloss over them because they are 'the normal to us'. It's only when we begin to stop and notice the ordinary things is when we can make them essential to our life and recognise the beauty of them. Very often we do things automatically and live without thinking, when really we should be observing every little detail of what surrounds us. 

"question your tea spoons" - Georges Perec [2]

As artists we should document the everyday and question everything, rather than ignoring, assuming and just accepting things that have become 'normal' to us. 

I decided that in response, I would try to look into something 'ordinary' to us all: bus seats. It's something that we all just glance over and don't think twice about, but really there is a reason for the typical crazy patterns that we find:

Really they serve a purpose to mask, hide, and disguise the dirt that accumulates over the years. The busy fabric print works as an 'illusion' which seems to make the dirt invisible. So what seems a 'normal' occurrence to us, really is there to make the seats appear clean and acceptable to sit on. 

"Their complex mind-reading designs are employed to hide unwanted graffiti and disgusting stains so that to the commuters eye, it's a normal (albeit, ugly) seat." [1]

To further my response, I created a collage focused on trying to replicate the fabric pattern on my bus:

Even the simple process of trying to replicate something, whether it be a drawing, painting or collage, you are forcing yourself to notice the details that you would never have noticed before. During this task that I set myself, I looked at each element of the design in order to recreate them accurately: the background 'block design', and then the orange and yellow shapes, which ended up reminding me of bananas and jelly beans - which is something that I would have never observed before.

[1] Short List (2015). [online]. Ever wondered why bus seats always have rubbish patterns? Available at: http://www.shortlist.com/news/there-s-a-good-reason-why-bus-seats-look-so-ugly [Accessed 17th January 2017]

[2] Georges Perec (1973). [online]. The Indra-Ordinary: Approaches to what? Available at: http://daytodaydata.ellieharrison.com/georgesperec.html [Accessed on 17th January 2017]

The Concept of Time - BCOP100

In our lecture today we explored the concept of time, how it changes, and how it affects our day-to-day lives. 

Time is something that constrains our everyday: we have to be somewhere or do something at a certain time. However time is a dynamic thing, we spend our time doing different things throughout history. We've gone from telling the time with the sun, to analogue clocks/watches, and now we can tell the time using our phones. Even simple things like setting an alarm can now be done using our smartphones, which would have been unbelievable to people 20 years ago - "times have changed". 

Some people say that time doesn't exist, and that it is completely fictional. I would have to disagree with this. Time itself is undoubtedly a real thing, however the way in which we measure it is fictional. If there was no time at all then we would cease to exist. Time is constantly moving from what was the future, to the present and then becoming the past. If time didn't exist then everything would just be the present at one singular moment and that would be it. However is the way that we measure it, and what words we use (ascribe) to explain this process which is man-made. Time has always continued to move millions of years before humanity even existed, it's just that we have made it into valued intervals in order for us to understand, organise and measure each moment passing - and each moment that is expected to pass. 

Take the example of a cat. Cats can't read clocks, and so don't have any understanding of the concept of 12o'clock for example.  However this is not to say that they don't exist in time or experience time. They still age and wake up in the morning. They still have their own daily routines. The only difference is that they don't have any quantitative measure of time. This shows that time exists independently from our measure of time. Time isn't man-made or fictional, but the way that humanity monitors it is. 

Others may argue that the statement 'time doesn't exist' would still be false, as the word itself 'time' is a manmade concept/thing. Although this is partly true, the concept that the word describes/represents still exists. Like the example of a plant. If I said that the word 'plant' isn't real (just like every name for something is made up) this doesn't mean that the physical object doesn't then exist. We then just ascribe a different word to it in order for humanity to understand the concept. Therefore, although the name 't-i-m-e' is made up, the concept behind it is still undoubtedly real. 

In addition to this, our measure of time isn't perfect. We have to have leap seconds and years in order for our quantitive measure to keep up with the spinning and orbit of earth. Time is constant, but it is humans who decided to pinpoint a rotation of the earth as a day, and an orbit of the sun as a year. This is the part that is fictional.  If we took it away, time would still continue to pass as it has always done. 

Time in Illustration

We also explored how the passing of time can be represented in art. The example of Salvador Dali's 'The Persistence of Memory' is a very obvious piece of art when thinking about time, as it depicts several clocks. 

'The Persistence of Memory', Salvador Dali (1931)

I think what Dali is trying to show in this piece is how time is constantly 'melting away'. Even in this fantasy dream world, it is impossible for time to slow down or even stop. Instead it continues to move against everyone's will, even when you want the singular moment to last for longer. 

Another way that time can be conveyed in illustration, is in comics. Typically the gaps in-between each frame (the gutter), can be altered to show the passing of time - the width is proportionate to the length of time passing between the two scenes. This pause also allows the reader to fill in the gaps, and to interpret what happened in that moment, by taking into consideration: the duration of time, and the events in the two neighbouring scenes. 

Our Task

In response to the lecture, we were set the task of creating an illustration that depicts a typical day for us. I decided to create a series of line drawings of scenes from my viewpoint, adding colour to just sections of the image. I then layered them on top of each other to create a jumble of lines and colours, which almost creates a single 'memory' of a day.

My view when waking up & going to bed

On the bus in the morning

Walking to PCA

On my way back on the bus

Everything combined

The colours chosen in each scene were reflective of the time of day, i.e pink = sunrise, and blue = night. I also like how the colours can be linked together as a cycle, as the blue can lead onto the pink and so on. 

I could have created more than 4 frames, and had initially planned to do so, however I didn't want to make the final image too complicated. In the final image I still wanted to be able to pick out each individual scene, so I felt like the 4 images combined would be sufficient.

Who Am I? - BCOP100

Todays lecture was based around the idea of identity and the unanswered question of 'who am I?' Are we our bodies, or minds, or thoughts, our actions...? As it was heavily philosophy based it was undoubtedly my favourite lecture so far.

Plato

We started by looking at Plato's 'Allegory of the Cave' [1], which in a nutshell conveys the idea that individually we are all under a deception from culture and the influential forces from our environment. If given the opportunity we should break free from the 'cave' to discover new things about the world. Plato believed that this discovery comes from philosophy, and when we think philosophically about things, we learn the real truth about concepts that we had thought that we knew.

This links to the concept of identity, as although we learn new things from experience and the environment, we still continue to be the same person throughout these changes.

The second main concept/theory that we focused on was provided by Plutarch, and his story of Theseus' ship [2]. If Theseus' ship was persevered for 1000s of years and whenever a piece started to degrade it was replaced, then eventually not one piece would remain from the original ship. Then could it still be called 'Theseus' ship'?

I argue no, as I believe that the essence of being Theseus' ship was for Theseus himself to have been on-board it. However, some would try to disregard this idea by applying the same principle to humans: It's a fact that every cell in our body dies and is replaced over the course if 7 years. Therefore meaning that after 7 years, we are not constructed of the same exact material as we were previously. People would use this to say that if we consider ourselves to be the same person as we were 7 years ago, then through the process of deduction, this too must apply to Theseus' ship - even though if ALL parts were replaced, it would still continue to be Theseus' ship. OR they would alternatively argue that if Theseus' ship is NOT the ship 1000s of years after, then this would also apply to us - that we are NOT the same person as we were 7 years ago.

I disagree with this, as I believe that you cannot make the comparison between a ship and something as complex as a human body. Humans aren't just 'material', instead they are much more than that, we are memories, emotions, desires, ambitions, critical thinkers... So although it is a scientific fact that our material bodies change, our thoughts and memories are transient and are timeless. A ship such as Theseus' does not encapsulate such complexity, and the only thing that allows it to become 'Theseus's ship' in the first place is non-physical (the presence of Theseus on-board), and cannot be replicated 1000s of years later.

Therefore I believe that 'I' am all of the things that make me different from other people. Humans all share the same biological make up e.g skeletons and tissue, but these things can be replicated, just like Theseus' boat, therefore 'I' am ALL of the unique qualities and non-physical aspects that others are not.
I am:
- My name (there are not many Heléna's in comparison to more commonly used names)
- My blood type (AB negative, which is the rarest of all blood types - less than 1% of the population has it)
- My appearance - I have blonde hair and blue eyes (both of the recessive genes, and so is less common compared to other hair types and eye colours). Also no two people look the same, and even if I was cloned, then the other traits would not be identical.
- My relationships to others - I am a sister, a daughter, a cousin, a grand-daughter, a friend, a stranger
- My home - I've always lived in Devon
- My history & memories - what I've done, where I've been to school...
- My traits - kind, considerate, patient, creative, happy, thoughtful, reliable...
- I am also all of my mistakes and successes, which make me more resilient and equipped for the future.

However, I am not just one of these things, I am ALL of these things, which all add up and make me 'me' and unlike anyone else.

"Cogito ergo sum" 

"I think therefore I am"

This is the key to all of Descartes' philosophy - I am a thinking thing, and so I exist. 

[1] YouTube (2016). [online]. PLATO ON: The Allegory of the Cave. The School of Life. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWlUKJIMge4 [Accessed on 3rd January 2017]
[2] YouTube (2015). [online]. Who am I? A philosophical enquiry - Amy Adkins. TED-Ed. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHwVyplU3Pg [Accessed on 3rd January 2017]

Week Research Project - Culture Quake - BCOP100

This week we undertook a short project that focused on starting points and intuitive next steps. We were introduced to a number of artists whose projects were heavily influenced on extensive research, which showcased how important and vital research was, in order to create a successful and meaningful outcome.

We had to find a 'starting point' which could be completely random, or sentimental to us. I wanted to choose something that meant something to me, so that I would be motivated and genuinely interested to research into the piece.

I chose an image that I have always liked, and has been passed down through the family. Although I've had it for many years, I've never actually researched into the piece, so I felt like this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

'Morning Carol' - Margaret W Tarrant

This was the image that I chose as my starting point, and the obvious first step for me was to draw it:

This was created using watercolour and coloured pencil.

Next we had to make the 'logical next step', this is when I chose to do some research:

Next we had to re-imagine it, so I decided to take one of the elements from the main picture - a rabbit:

I chose to draw my rabbit Basil, so that it was personal to me.

Now we had to add something, so I found an image of a decorative orange sticker in a book, and decided to add a decorative frame to my image:

The orange sticker which inspired me

I decided to add other elements from the original image, so that it made a more direct connection (the blossom).

The last step was to add text. I thought that my image was beginning to highlight the 'importance' of the animal in the frame, so I decided to look for text about the fragility of nature and the importance of conservation, which I found in old National Geographic and nature books:

I really like how Tarrant tried to make the children in her drawings look religious and saint like, however in my final outcome, I chose to add this connotation to the animals instead. I also really like how my outcome highlights a world issue (global warming and the importance of conservation), so what started as just an image, has ended up as something with symbolism and persuasive meaning. 

Critical Thinking - BCOP100

Today's lecture was based on 'critical thinking'. We started by looking at 5 different ways of note taking which would aid us to help to think critically and logically when analysing a piece of work. These were:

- Outline method

- Cornell method

- Mind map method

- Flow method

- Write on slides method 

[1]

After, we began to define the meaning of 'critical thinking', which led us into understanding that it is the process of asking questions, looking into the meaning and significance of arguments, evaluating and assessing, weighing up evidence, making judgements, reflecting, discovering, and overall becoming a better and cleaner thinker.

Critical thinking is the "objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement" [2]

Our next task was to take notes while watching the short film, 'Wes Anderson Hotel Chevalier' (2007). The notes that I took in response are below:

 [3]

After watching the film, as a class we were encouraged to share what we had written down and what we thought was happening. Certain things became obvious to us, like the use of colour and hidden details e.g the arrangement of objects on a table, however other elements such as the positioning of camera, were not so distinct. Anderson carefully positioned each scene so that there was a 'central line', in which everything else was positioned around. Furthermore, the use of just two colours was particularly interesting too, as only yellow and blue were depicted throughout the whole film.

Upon closer research these purposeful decisions taken by Wes Anderson (the director), allowed us to read between the lines and to learn new things about the characters. The main character (Jason) starts off in a yellow saturated room, which appears to be very exquisite and perhaps made to accommodate two people, rather than just the one. This allows us to assume that he is lonely, which is later backed up with the information that he has ran away from something and has lived in the hotel room 'for about a month'. After a mysterious phone call, a woman enters the room, and it becomes obvious that the two have some sort of history together. It is hard to judge whether their past was positive or negative, but the effort that Jason puts into organising the room and preparing himself, somewhat suggests that he has the means to 'impress' her in some way. Although the two do exchange some dialogue, as the clip is so short, all of the questions seem to remain unanswered. It seems that the small movie serves a more artistic purpose, rather than one that tells a deep and gripping story. Anderson definitely focuses on the composition of the scenes, the colours and the idea that 'actions speak louder than words'. The only thing that seems slightly suggestive is the theme of romance and past relationships, which is expressed through the body language of the two characters and the connotations of it being set in Paris: the city of love. 

[1] YouTube (2014). [online]. How to Take Notes in Class: The 5 Best Methods - College Info Geek. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AffuwyJZTQQ [Accessed on 22nd November 2016]
[2] Oxford Dictionaries (2016). [online]. Definition of critical thinking in English. Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/critical_thinking [Accessed on 22nd November 2016]
[3] YouTube (2013). [online]. Hotel Chevalier - Wes Anderson (2007). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QzOuoaE7u4&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D0QzOuoaE7u4&has_verified=1 [Accessed on 22nd November 2016]

Consumerism - BCOP100

In today's lecture, we looked at the idea of 'consumerism', and the material culture that we find ourselves living in. Consumerism is a big idea that has changed the world, just like capitalism. It's the ideology that we MUST consume more and more 'things', for example branded items like clothes, food and mobile phones. Such an idea has been influenced by the growing popularity of advertisement, which influences and tempts us to invest in the product that is being presented to us. Obviously advertisement can come in many different varieties, ranging from audio, visual and celebrity endorsement. Tactics such as these create envy and seduce us all into thinking that we all need to own a certain thing, in order to fit in with the rest of society.

However, these consumer tactics has created a 'throw-away society', in which material goods are being disposed off into land fill way before their expiry date. For example we discard of 1.5 million computers every year in the UK, 99% of which are in perfect working order [1]. Furthermore, the huge demand for luxury commodities create the need for billions of factories that in turn, release tonnes of carbon dioxide and other waste products into the environment - thus contributing to global warming. 

Although consumerism is directly linked to the rising global temperature and sea levels, it does have its benefits. Due to the consistent and rising demand for these material goods, consumerism does create thousands of jobs and is the primary reason for a growing, healthy economy. Therefore it is both good and bad. 

Consumerism to me is something that we are all part of (in the western world), and will remain something that we will all find hard to avoid. With a growing competitive world, it will always remain in a big cooperation's interest to sell their products to us in the most effective way, in order to gain an economic surplus. This is why I think that if anything, consumerism will only be exacerbated with the new and revolutionary ways of advertisement that these cooperations will enforce. We can however, consume more efficient and 'greener' technologies, along with adopting a more mindful outlook, we can remain to be consumers, but with a less destructive impact on the world around us.

[1] YouTube (2011). [online]. Big Ideas That Changed The World - Consumerism. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=B1F42B1D1E0763A1 [Accessed 15th November 2016)

Reading The Material - BCOP100

Today's lecture was based on the subject of 'material'. Material can be interpreted to mean many things, for example, fabric 'material', 'material' in terms of consumer goods and brands, and 'material' as in the matter of the universe. Everything that we can physically experience is in fact a type of material.

We began to look into material typologies, which is when the same 'type of thing' are grouped together. It can be defined as, "a classification according to general type, especially in archaeology, psychology, or the social sciences." [1]

Taxonomies are a "scheme of classification" [2], e.g to group the same thing together, but to arrange them in size or colour order. This type of arrangement commonly creates captivating and 'pleasing to the eye' compositions, which can be commonly found in many artists work.

Materialism to me means to own and purchase branded items. In a growing modern and technological world, it becomes increasingly harder to avoid, and many of us find that we unintentionally fall into the category of being a materialist. Due to advertisement, consumerism and just trying to fit in with society, we all purchase the branded items that we have been 'brainwashed' to desire.

As part of Tuesday's lecture, we all had to bring in an item that we would normally have in our pocket or bags. We all laid these out onto the table, and as a whole they were all categorised into smaller groups. From this we had to produce a series of different observational drawings, which we had to produce a poster of a particular collection (a typology). I decided to draw travel items, and things you would commonly take with you on your travels: passport, train ticket, headphones, keys etc. 

We were told to work in our preferred medium, I chose watercolour and coloured pencil, in order to create my finished poster: 

[1] Oxford Dictionaries (2016). [online]. Definition of typology in English. Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/typology [Accessed on 8th November 2016]

[2] Oxford Dictionaries (2016). [online]. Definition of taxonomy in English. Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/taxonomy [Accessed on 8th November 2016)

Semiotics - BCOP101

Today's lecture was on semiotics, which is the study of signs. We all learnt that signs are only signs, if they can be read and understood, and that it is in our human nature to communicate 'signs' in our everyday life. Whether this is intentional or unintentional, all human behaviour is communication in some way - we HAVE to communicate.

We then began to look at some artists that used both text and image to evoke thought and mystery. Magritte "this is not a pipe" was used as an example to show how two contradicting signs lead to a paradox of confusion - things that we see in art are just a representation of the real thing.

Ferdinand de Saussure created his own definition of a 'sign'. He said that, "the sign is the whole that results from the association from the signifier with the signified". What he means by this is that a sign becomes a sign, after being interpreted by the observer - it has to be understood to have meaning.

Furthermore, Charles Pierce claims that 'nothing is a sign, unless it is interpreted as a sign'. Pierce's 'Triad of Semiotics' demonstrated this:

We then moved onto image analysis, and looked into how different words have different meanings and connotations e.g in varying cultures. Denotation is a the description of a thing, whereas the connotation of something is the meaning or symbolism. These definitions helped us to begin to analyse different artworks, in order to learn more about the context and purpose of the piece. 

The Ambassadors (1533) by Hans Holbein, was used as an example whereby we could start to analyse in close detail. During class discussion we noticed that colours and objects were used to connote wealth, whereas skulls and broken strings were used to indicate the idea of death. Many of the items had a polysemic meaning, as they could be interpreted differently to give contrasting meanings.

'The Ambassadors', Hans Holbein, 1533

Image Analysis Task

Using the skills that we had acquired in the lecture, we put them to practice by analysing our own image and from which, we began writing a formal and contextual analysis from.

'Monkeys and Spaniels Playing', Francis Barlow, 1661

Formal Analysis
'Monkeys and Spaniels Playing' is an oil painting by the artist Francis Barlow. It was painted in 1661, and measures 105.5 x 132 cm. The most obvious thing is the use of earthy colours, hues of orange and beige dominate the piece, and with the addition of complimentary deep blues, the picture seems balanced and harmonious. Overall, the image is very dark, with the foreground slightly illuminated and the golden clouds in the background providing a rich glow.

The image depicts 3D forms that are presented in full tone to show their realistic form and shape. Barlow used precise line to create a hyper-realistic representation of the animals - which was particularly new in his time. Visually, he has represented and conveyed the sense of texture very well, especially in the fur of the animals.

Although the image is balanced in colour, it could be argued that the subjects in the piece create the sense of imbalance. It seems that Barlow has created the sense of chaos in the right side of the picture, whereas the left seems to be relatively calm and tranquil. This technique could have been used to create an off-centre focal point, which would create a slightly more interesting composition - one that is more captivating to the eye. However as a whole, Barlow has been able to capture 'variety' in his painting. It is upon closer inspection that you start to notice the immense detail included in the scene, for example the fly on the wall. So although it could be argued that the focus is off-centre, this has not lead Barlow to neglect part of the piece. Instead he has focused in great detail to the whole scene, and painted in the same amount of precision throughout.

After researching the painting, it has become evident that 'the oil paint was applied with small, smooth brushes for the animals, and architecture and with longer and stiffer ones in the landscape' [1]. This technique could have been used in order to create the illusion of distance and depth in the scene.

Overall, this oil painting leads the eye to discover the hidden details in the piece. Barlow was known for his animal paintings, and is believed to be the 'earliest British born animal painter' [2]. Furthermore, this piece is believed to have been commissioned by a pet owner, who would then hang the painting above a door in their home. The inclusion of both dogs and monkeys could indicate that the owners were particularly wealthy; i.e to firstly commission the piece, and secondly to own such exotic animals. [2]

Although this particular painting isn't perhaps Barlow's most recognised piece, it certainly demonstrates his immense skill and precision in portraying challenging scenes involving animals.

Context Analysis
The subject matter shows both spaniels and monkeys playing together on a stone construction and illuminated golden-hued pot. The photo-realist style suggests that perhaps Barlow painted from life, this comes from an infrared examination, which revealed that the dogs had been laid in with thick, boldly applied black under paint, which provides a shadow to the form. On the other hand, the monkeys are not under painted, indicating that they were not drawn from life and instead from studio patterns. [1]

Animal paintings at this time were largely associated with decorative arts and interior design [2], which suggests that this piece was commissioned by someone who owned such animals, and therefore were from a higher class. Although no symbolism is particularly evident in this piece, it could be argued that the way that part of the picture is highlighted, this could be to 'highlight' the superiority of these people in society (the monkeys and dogs symbolising the higher class). In contrast, the lower class people could be symbolised through the use of the darkened landscape in the background, almost signifying that they are often forgotten or lost in communities - only the wealthiest were focused upon, or viewed as 'important'. This interpretation however, is not in any way suggested by Barlow himself, but is instead just one possible interpretation of the piece when reading into the signs and connotations of the painting.

The painting is currently in the Tate Britain (room 1650). It was purchased with assistance from the 'Friends of the Tate Gallery' in 1989 [2]. Now the paintings function is to be observed, appreciated and to teach about the artist himself and the art in the 1600s. Whereas before, it is believed that such a piece would have been used to decorate a home, and could have possibly hung above a door. This change in function and purpose is common of paintings from the past, as they are arguably treasured more in the present than they were in the past.

The only thing about this painting that remains a mystery, is the fly/moth on the wall. Maybe there is a hidden meaning behind it, or maybe it is simply there for Barlow to allow the animals to 'play' or to immerse them further into the scene? This, and whether the painting at all has any hidden meaning, will remain a mystery.

[1] Tate (2005). [online]. Monkeys and Dogs Playing 1661 by Francis Barlow. Rica Jones and Joyce Townsend. Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/about/projects/tudor-stuart-technical-research/technical-entries/francis-barlow-2 [Accessed on 1st November 2016]
[2] Tate (2016). [online]. Francis Barlow, Monkeys and Dogs Playing. Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/barlow-monkeys-and-dogs-playing-t05572 [Accessed on 1st November 2016]

Reading The Map - BCOP100

Today's lecture was based on 'reading the map' and how maps that we use and see in our everyday lives are somewhat deceiving and are not what they seem. Maps without any context are almost unusable, as they can be years out of date and would no longer relate to the dynamic world that we live in. Likewise, maps from fantasy worlds and video games are inadequate in the real world, yet are crucial to find your way around in a made up reality.

One of my favourite maps is the Tube Map, which was designed by Harry Beck in 1933. It revolutionised the way that maps were designed and read, and is still being used to this day.

Before, the tube map was somewhat easy to read and follow, but with the addition of new lines and stations, the map begun to look overcrowded and impossible to read:

In 1933 Harry Beck re-designed the look of the tube map, which used clean lines and colour coding - enabling travellers to read the map quickly when on the go:

To this day, the style that Harry Beck introduced in 1933 has been sustained throughout the expanding travel networks, and still reads perfectly:

I think I love the tube map so much is because of its simplicity and use of colour. I am someone who works well with colour and visualises certain words in certain colours. Therefore when in London, I actually find it fun to use the map to work out where to go and what train to catch. I also love how timeless the design is, and despite the pressure of time and technology (which normally constrains old designs and pushes them to be re-designed), this design has persisted throughout these changes. In addition, the map isn't geographically accurate, and instead Beck placed the designs in a way that worked for him and what visually looked right. Most maps are designed to be accurate in this way, but this one works much more efficiently with the locations not being in the right place:

(What the tube map would look like if it were physically accurate - very complicated to read!)

So although the tube map is deceiving in terms of accurate geographical location, it does work, and has done for over 80 years.

After discussing maps, we were asked to make a map of the college. It didn't have to be of the college itself, so I decided to make one of my journey to PCA. I took slight inspiration from the tube map in the way of it not being to scale or the locations being relative to each other:

Made using watercolour and pen

[1] BBC News (2013). [online]. Tube 150th Anniversary - How the underground map evolved. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20943525 [Accessed on 18th October 2016]

[2] Buzz Feed (2015). [online]. This Physically Accurate Tube Map Will Change The Way You Think About London. Patrick Smith. Available at: https://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith/theres-now-a-tube-map-that-shows-what-london-actually-looks?utm_term=.io6E1AMW7#.riXExNkZX [Accessed on 18th October 2016]

First Lecture! BCOP100

On Tuesday 11th October we all had our first lecture in the lecture theatre with Jason. Upon entering the room, we were all greeted with 80s music videos, which introduced us all to the idea of reading into visual stimuli in order to gain knowledge about the context of a piece.

The particular part of the lecture that I found most interesting was when we began analysing the famous painting 'Las Meninas' by Diego Velàzquez (1656). We all started brainstorming what was immediately obvious to us, like who was in the painting, and what was going on. However upon closer inspection, it became evident that Velàzquez himself was depicted in the piece, and was actually positioned in such a place that it looks like he is observing the spectator (us). Furthermore, on the wall, there is an illuminated picture which is in fact a mirror - thus suggesting that the King and Queen of Spain are stood in the same place as we are, and so are too positioned in the gaze of the artist.

Las Manianas, Diego Velàzquez (1656)

Up to this point the painting seems to make perfect sense, this was until we were told that the only painting that Velàzquez ever painted on the scale that is depicted in the piece, is itself 'Las Maninas'. This mind-bending piece of information created a paradox where many people began to feel their brains ache. This means that Velàzqyez painted himself painting the painting, but positioned him doing so in the scene of the painting. This sense of confusion is something that I particularly enjoyed, as it was something that I came across frequently while studying Philosophy & Ethics at A-Level. Therefore to have created a tautology in a piece of art felt oddly familiar, and was something that excited me greatly. I love how a painting, such as Las Meninas can seem relatively mundane and common, but when you really read into the history and the symbolism of the piece, then it becomes so much more captivating.

Throughout the lecture we continued to look into other famous works of art, such as ones by Picasso, who had re-imagined and re-painted Las Meninas 53 times in order to create odd, yet familiar pieces of art. Then we started to analyse the famous photograph of Buzz Aldrin on the lunar surface, where we discovered that Niel Armstrong is too in the photograph, as his reflection was captured in the visor or the astronaut. All of these examples backed up the idea that you can endlessly read into any image in order to gather information about the context of the piece.

Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11, 1969)

Our task at the end of the day was to find an image from a book (in groups), and practice the same technique in order to gather contextual information. We chose an illustration by Sir John Tennel, from the book 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' (1866) which be began analysing. The image below shows you what we discovered: