SB3 | Chomsky

Although I seem to have a lot more ideas on Howard Hughes at this point, part of me really wishes I could do the same with what I now know about Chomsky.

Because Chomsky is such a tough nut to crack I feel it would be quite rewarding to suss out something for him? I also don't want it to look like I'm taking the easy road by not choosing Chomsky...wehh...

But I soon found that when I was drawing, I was having trouble translating this person and their lifes work into images. Making something that is heavily theory-based, and on non-physical concepts into visuals is really difficult

Another worry was that if I stuck with this, I could be shooting myself in the foot and end up making final outcomes that were a bit rubbish because I felt obligated to take the *~intellectual high road~*

Ideas I had were using mark making and abstract forms to illustrate mental processes and functions, or linguistic theories I had briefly looked into. Another one was to somehow involve type, also going along with the linguistics theme.

(Sorry Noam, but..) I feel that the what I've found out about Hughes is more dynamic (events, happenings, occurences), has more of a mood and atmosphere, and translates better visually without completely turning into a portrait brief.

SB3 | Hughes

Before I started to do some drawing I was undecided on who I should focus on out of Chomsky and Hughes, but I think by doing this I started to link the research with visuals and as a result I could see which of the two had more potential as illustrated outcomes (because that's what they'll be at the end!!)

Howard Hughes

With each of the subjects I just started off by look at references, drawing them, and drawing motifs that I thought were relevant. But then I gradually began to think of ideas that I could integrate into my illustrations in order to develop them into more of a concept, with meaning.


• For Hughes, I really liked the idea of investigating repetition as a way of communicating / symbolising his compulsions and the procedures and actions that dominated his life as part of his OCD.

This could involve repeating drawings - simply by copying them (digitally? photocopying?)
or by drawing them again and again, which could introduce themes of his decline as the image itself degrades. • Another idea that cropped up was using contrast in some way.

This could be the contrast of the idyllic with the chaotic (perfect scenes of Hollywood - clean lines, palm tree-lined streets, expensive cars... against motel rooms strewn with rubbish?)

Or it could be a contrast of Hughes' younger self with his older self? Depicting a clean, healthy, put-together Hughes' with his later troubled self? (this could be reflected in the aesthetic of the images)
• What I found with photographs of Hughes was that he had an intense, brooding appearance? Similarly with the scenes of the plane crash I had sketched out, setting them against his unmoving figure could be interesting.

Going from this was another idea about drawing vignettes / scenes from his life - that somehow informed his personality and how he conducted himself.

These are just starting points that came to mind when I started drawing, I think that some of these are definitely worth developing and testing out though...

SB3 | Notes on Hughes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez4rbj1AZGg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFUtk7vuSyI

• Inherited father's company and a large deal of the family fortune upon Hughes Sr's death, went into producing films for Hollywood, designing and engineering aircraft, testing aircraft and setting air speed records, owning shares in airline companies, real estate, etc etc.

• Pursued business ventures that often reflected personal interests. Reported to make very sporadic and impulsive decisions, regardless of whether or not they'd be successful / create financial gain.

• Often featured in Hollywood gossip columns for his reputation as a playboy. Dated many Hollywood actresses.

• Workaholic, perfectionist tendencies, even to his detriment - spending time and vast amounts of money re-shooting and editing movies that would turn out to be box office failures.


• Displayed signs of mental illness, namely OCD, from as early as the '30s. Which eventually declined into reclusive behaviour and strong phobias of contamination and germs.

• When his isolation began, spent a lot of time in a bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Would run his business empire from this location, and many other motel rooms.

• Would go months without leaving his room, watched movies for hours on end, deprived himself of sleep, refused to bathe - yet maintained strict rules for his aides on how to keep germs and parasites out.

• Hughes would write heavily detailed procedures on how his personal aides should carry out simple tasks; instructed them to pick most things up with tissues, wear white gloves, close doors/cabinets very quickly to minimise contamination, refuse to speak to people - yet request their company when lonely. They would sit in silence, no conversation to be had.

Windows had to be shut with scotch tape, doorknobs cleaned with alcohol...

• Hughes would command business from numerous telephones, refused public appearances completely.

• Drug use had increased greatly, he had became dependent on pain medication, autopsy found several hypodermic needles broken off in his arm. At the end of his life he had deteriorated greatly and was a picture of poor health / neglect.

SB3 | Notes on Chomsky

• Humans have an innate capacity for language that is hardwired into the brain

• This name has became greatly associated with the study of communication

• His comments post-9/11 were controversial, described America as a 'leading terrorist state'

• Denounces Western greed and hypocrisy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqznqIpkZz0

From interview:

I: So who does control the world? Who are the 'emperors'?

C: Overwhelmingly the United States since the Second World War, Britain before that, and concentrations of private power which are enormous, and tyrannical corporations closely linked with the powerful states. It's a network of concentrated power.

I: But don't you sometimes need big government to deal with big business so that there is a kind of balance between these large forces?

C: It's like saying there's a balance between two members of the Board of Directors of General Motors. Yes there's some kind of a balance but they're so closely interlinked, connected that they're, to first approximation they're the same thing

I: Now did September 11th sort of mark a change in world politics?

C: It's a historic event. It was the first time in hundreds of years that the West, Europe, and its offshoots have suffered the kind of criminal atrocity that they constantly carry out against those, so it's a change. That's why there's such shock in the West.

…it's like reaction in England at the time of the so called Indian mutiny, rebellion…

I: Looking at the current situation, when do you think is it right to intervene in the affairs of another nation?

C: I think there are conditions under which that would be possible. One basic condition is that non-violent means have been exhausted. The second condition is that the people of the country of which you are intervening support the intervention. Under those conditions, and you can think of others, intervention would be justified.

However we don't ever apply those conditions, except say South Africa under Apartheid. There's no doubt that the overwhelming majority of the population would have favoured intervention, probably military intervention, other means had been tried for decades. Did anybody think of forceful intervention? Of course not, nor did I...

---

C:...There's a famous phrase that was borrowed by Gramsci, that we should have pessimism of the intellect, and optimism of the will...

Theories

• Universal Grammar Theory | A linguistic theory normally credited to Chomsky which proposes that our ability to learn grammar is hard-wired into the brain / innate.

• Sometimes known as the 'mental grammar'. The theory suggests that linguistic ability exhibits itself without being taught. 

• Proposes that if human beings are raised under normal conditions (not extreme conditions, e.g. sensory deprivation), then they will always develop language with a certain property X (e.g. distinguishing nouns from verbs, or distinguishing function words from lexical words). As a result, property X is considered to be a property of universal grammar that most if not all humans share.

• As Chomsky describes: "…development of language in the individual must involve three factors: (1) genetic endowment, which sets limits on the attainable languages, thereby making language acquisition possible; (2) external date, converted to the experience that selects one or another language within a narrow range; (3) principles not specific to FL (the faculty of language, whatever properties of the brain cause it to learn language)

(1) is Universal Grammar in the first theoretical sense, (2) is the linguistic data to which the child is exposed

CHOMSKY'S THEORY: He argues that the human brain contains a limited set of rules for organising language. This implies that all languages have a common structural basis; the set of rules is what is known as universal grammar.

SB3 | Chomskian Abstract by Cornelia Parker (2007)

'...it's doing exactly what Adam Smith said was the job of business, it's to delude and oppress the public'

'...they want uninformed consumers to make irrational choices'

'...and on top of that they want to fabricate consumers, create wants'

'...you just have to decode an awful lot of mythology before you can even talk about these questions...'

'the fact that consumption is the goal of life, was manufactured, and consciously...

..if you go back to the business literature of the 1920s, and ever since...it was recognised that we must focus people on the superficial things in life like fashionable consumption, and if we don't do that they're going to get involved in the political system, and we don't want that...'

'nowadays elections in the U.S. are ran the same way that commodities are sold, and by the same institutions'

'Consumerism is to a large extent created by a conscious effort, and that means it's fragile'

'there's nothing natural, or nothing in human nature that forces people to work 20 hours a day, to accumulate as many commodities as they can stuff into their house. That's an imposed lifestyle...'


'there is a culture of fear that goes way back into American history...a constant theme in the popular culture has been that we're on the verge of destruction, somebody is about to destroy us, and at the last minute a superhero comes or a super-weapon is invented by great technologists and it saves us...'

'...a sub-theme is that the enemy that's going to destroy us is someone we're destroying. So it's the Native population, or it's the black slaves, or later it's the Chinese...'


'Germany in the 1920s was the peak of Western civilisation, the absolute peak. In the sciences, the arts, was regarded as a model for democracy by American political scientists, everything..literature...and within three years, it was turned into a country of savage barbarians who carried out the worst crimes in history...we are always right at the edge'

Hmmm...

the go-to pondering tune

I've been thinking, and trying to draw, and thinking, and I'm both excited and really scared by this brief. There are interesting things about all of the people I've been given, but none make my mind shout "wowee zowee" and that worries me.

May have to say goodbye to Postgate, there are things I admire about his work and achievements however it's not something I'm totally interested in.

That leaves Howard and Noam...hmm..I just wanted an excuse to post this song really...

the secret's out...

SB3 Persons of Note | Who are they?

Saving paper and making some notes on the three names I was given.

Oliver Postgate

• An English animator, puppeteer and writer. Created some of Britain's most popular children's TV shows (some of which included Ivor the Engine, Bagpuss, Pogles' Wood…)

• All of which were made by Smallfilms, a company he set up with Peter Firmin. The programmes were shown on the BBC (50's - 80's) and ITV ('59 - present day)

• The films were created with stop-motion animation methods, along with set designs and models.

Howard Hughes

• An American business tycoon, filmmaker, aviator, investor, entrepreneur, philanathropist. Was the wealthiest self-made man in the world during his lifetime!

• Hughes was a prominent figure in 1920s Hollywood, making big-budget controversial films (Hell's Angels, Scarface, The Outlaw)

• 1932, formed the Hughes Aircraft Company. He spent the remainder of the 30's setting multiple world air speed records

• He is remembered for his eccentric manner, and reclusive lifestyle during the latter part of his life which was worsened by his OCD and chronic pain condition.

Noam Chomsky

• An American linguist, philosopher, social critic, and political activist.

• Is the author of over 100 books on subjects including linguistics, war, politics, and the media

• Credited as the creator / co-creator of the universal grammar theory, the generative grammar theory, the Chomsky hierarchy, and the minimalist program.

• Outspoken about his political views, outwardly opposed the Vietnam War in the 60's. In 1967 he gained public attention for his anti-war essay 'The Responsibility of Intellectuals'

• He was arrested several times for his activism and was made part of President Richard Nixon's Enemies List.

• Continues to be vocal about politics, remains a prominent critic of U.S. foreign policy and capitalism, amongst others.

SB3 Persons of Note | Illustrative Portraiture

Looking at things to get me thinking.

Heather Kai Smith | I chose to look at these images because they are a mix of landscapes that involve a character, as well as collections of objects and items. When thinking about researching people, their work, and lives, all of these aspects can be combined to create a rich sense of who they are and what they're about.

I suppose they could act as 'portraits' of people or subjects, without solely depicting a face. They act as collages of moments and interactions.

Joan Casaramona | An illustrator I've followed for a little while now, I just really admire how their work spans across many different formats! Also they share so much of their idea scribblings and process tests. Have a look at Joan's beautiful blog.

The themes in their work and the way they draw seems very unique to me, and I like how it can look very contemporary at times and yet there are historical references.

I chose some of their images based on Picasso's life seeing as he is a person of note.

I think I'm in (art) love...

SB3 Persons of Note | Starter Task

To kick off the new brief, we were given a *~mysterious~* new task where we had to pick a famous person and make an image that portrayed them, without their face or any type.

I started making notes and I immediately froze up, all the people I could think of were just of personal interest and I was worrying that no one would care about who I picked? Basically group tasks really stress me out.

So I think that really blinkered my thinking and as a consequence, my outcome was a bit naff. But it's only a mini thing…don't worry..don't worry…

I had loads of people in mind, but in the end I just went for making a picture of Yayoi Kusama. Bold, striking, and colourful.

Even though at the time this task made me want to vow to never pick up art materials ever again, I suppose the point was to think of how people can be depicted through symbols, motifs, moods, objects, etc, and not just through their likeness.

SB2 Greetings From... | Finals & Group Crit

Final outcomes. The first postcard is definitely my favourite, and I think if the others had maintained the same playful spirit and the funny little witch caricatures in some way they could have been as effective? Additionally, it appears to be the most considered-looking of the four. With enough elements, but spaced nicely.

Group Crit

During the crit although it was good to see the many different ways people had tackled vectors, I actually felt quite embarrassed to have my finals looked at by everyone. I did however appreciate the feedback I received.

What worked? Colour scheme, bold accent colour, mysterious tone, creepy, nice shapes

Improvements? Continue using the red accent throughout, Boy character is unclear, could have used clouds/smoke on #3

SB2 Greetings From… | Postcards 3 & 4

Postcard 3, Hill | I think this is the weakest of the four postcards. Although I think the close-up provides a bit of variaiton, it does look a little unfinished. Maybe some smoke or cloud forms could have tied this in a bit more? What also differentiates this from the others is the introduction of a figure that isn't the witches. This could potentially confused things.

Although I think the shapes are as good as they could be for the image/layout, there isn't a lot of harsh edges which also helps to make the set more consistent.

Postcard 4, Graveyard | In contrast with #3, I think this one is maybe too busy! It's quite a vast landscape in such a narrow space, with layers of objects on top of that. I suppose it is a little confusing to look at. Maybe if there was one main object as opposed to several small pieces this would have given the postcard more focus?

SB2 Greetings From… | Postcard 2, House

Another process, this time for the second postcard.

For such a simple outcome, this one also took a stupidly long time to make. It wasn't so much with building the actual shapes, but adding the smaller details. Again it's knowing when to stop adding bits and pieces which I apparently struggle with. How do you know when something is done?

I'm not too happy with this finished piece, it's actually quite boring. When I go back and look at the pencil drawing of the house I feel that it's much more charming, and works better as an image.

It could be because of the large amount of straight lines and uniform edges? Which look a bit odd against the first postcard which possessed a lot of fluidity.

If I really had to search for a positive about this vector I suppose it's fairly clear what it is.
Yet as I say that, I'm not 100% sure I believe it...

OUIL404 Visual Language | End of Module Self-Evaluation

1. Which practical skills and methodologies have you developed within this module and how effectively do you think you are employing them within your own practice?

The varied nature of this module has meant that I could approach a task in a number of different ways, and tasks that were geared towards a certain approach (e.g. 3D & lens) meant that I could consciously explore that process or media. This has enabled me to not only become more aware of the separate elements of image making and drawing (e.g. line, shape, colour), but begin to implement them within pieces of work. In turn, this has made its way into my thinking processes for work in other modules too.

Visual language has been a valuable part of my learning to date because it has acted as a space in which I could freely explore essential components of drawing and making pictures, and it has stressed the importance of keeping a sketchbook, as well as playing through drawing. This has been helpful for me personally, because I tend to worry too much about the finished product. By removing this pressure and focusing on processes and enjoyment driving a piece of work, the end result is often more considered and new ways of doing things can be found.

2. Which principles / theories of image making have you found most valuable during this module and how effectively do you think you are employing these within your own practice?

I have found worth in many of the principles taught within Visual Language, it has been useful to think about them as stand-alone elements, as well as integrating them into work alongside other visual components. I particularly enjoyed the collage tasks, because it was a method that I hadn’t considered too much before. From examples of practitioners within sessions, to actually producing the collages myself I was able to see the potential that the process had and how it could be used in different ways. Additionally with this task and others like it, they were experimental and allowed us to let loose and create images freely.

As mentioned prior, something I have taken away from the module has been the way I utilise my sketchbook. Although I already use it as a way of recording thoughts and ideas, I have began to use my book as a space that I can document media tests and experiments and see how they have been successful. I definitely want to continue bringing in the idea of visual investigation to my sketchbook.

3. What strengths can you identify within your Visual Language submission and how can you capitalise on these?

I believe that one strength of my work for this module has been my methodical approach to the more practical tasks (this applies more to the latter half of the module). This can be evidenced in the various composition exercises where creating roughs and multiples of something was required, and through this I explored idea of arrangement and layout and was able to test out what was most effective. Similarly with the lens task where generating ideas helped us to reach our final photo outcome.

4. What areas for development can you identify within your Visual Language submission and how will you address these in future?

An area for development that immediately stands out to me upon reflection is that I should have been more experimental and bold when making pictures. In some ways, I wish I had pushed myself even further and tried processes that weren’t obvious or something I would choose right away. Having identified this, it is something I hope I can achieve in future projects. I’d like to harness that exploratory, playful attitude that Visual Language seemed to encourage, as I think being able to make freely can help to keep creativity and ideas flowing.

5. In what way has this module informed how you deconstruct and analyse artwork (whether your own or that of contemporary practitioners)?

The Visual Language sessions have definitely helped me to consciously think about the ways in which the work of others is made and the effect it can have. I’m able to break down the qualities of an image, identify what makes them successful or not and if necessary, take these qualities into my own practice to help me construct more visually effective pictures. It goes beyond just showing what makes an aesthetically pleasing image, as this is a rather surface-level quality. It makes you realise how specific visual attributes can make a viewer think or feel something.

Colour Palette

it me. look at that scarf-poster synergy...

To me, navy blue and chartreuse is the colour combo of kings. I looked in my wardrobe and realised that navy blue is everywhere, and that I like colours that look a bit like mould (greens, yellowish mustardy colours, rusty oranges and browns..)

When garish colours are paired with more muted, subtle shades I think they have much more impact without the entire scheme being too overwhelming.

I like selecting colours that are slightly 'off' version of themselves, as I think that picking too many 'true' shades can look like a bunch of default colours have been thrown together.
You know when you're on the colour picker? I stay away from the very top right corner, that's what I mean..

have some delicious textures as well...

Looking at colour palettes within existing things is nice, and it makes you more aware of colour and how it is utilised. It can be easy to stick with colours that you like, so maybe different colours and schemes can put a new spin on things.

Collage & Ephemera Task

Looking back at the presentation on this task, one of the parts that stood out the most for me was the idea of  'reappropriating' an image, as well as gathering imagery from many different sources.

I made some notes, writing down things that interested me and ways I could reuse images. Then I started looking through the paper hoard...

...which is this folder that is full of scraps and things I've kept over time. Gift wrap, pages from books, ordinance surveys and maps, scans, dried plants. 

The examples of collagers in the presentation that I liked were ones that weren't intricate at all, they used colour and arrangement to let the piece of found imagery speak for itself (e.g. Jim Harter).

I just started playing around, cutting up and photocopying pictures I found. They're not good, but I liked thinking up stories to accompany the images. When I was noting down ideas to start with, adverts and posters were the first things I thought of. An existing image I had seen was stuck in my mind, and I found their name...

it was Nathaniel Russel

I'm glad I found this person out. I really like his drawings and prints too, the tone and aesthetic speaks to me. It's nice to be inspired by things. So even though my outcome for this exercise was two thumbs down, collaging as an action is nice and I need to harness my own Nathaniel Russel vibes..

SB2 Greetings From... | Postcard 1, Cave Witches

Here is the process for my first postcard design.

It took a while to actually complete but I think the result is okay. What I really struggled with was translating my gestural, line-driven drawings into plain, flat forms, while still wanting to preserve their character.

What I think it successful about this design is the use of fluid, curved forms. I tried to stay away from using too many straight lines, or 'default shapes'. I think the wonky angles provide a strange and warped appearance. The twisted figures of the witches sit well against the sloping plains of the caves.

Another aspect I found difficult was adding small details without cluttering the space. Making illustrations that are minimal is challenging, because you have to be decisive and know how much is enough.

Although I quite like the naive and non-representational way I've chosen to depict these scenes and characters, I do worry incase I looks like I just didn't try or that I can't do vectors (which is partially true). I guess the personality I wanted to go for was weirdly funny, strange and a little playful. Not sure if that's apparent but 👍

I do like some parts of this finished postcard (the shapes, the colours) however I'm not overly pleased with it. I don't think it looks like it was worth the amount of time I spent making it.

SB2 Greetings From... | Changing designs

After having conversations with tutors and people in class, some things were made clearer and some things brought more questions.

I decided to rejig my compositions another time based on what I liked about them and the advice I'd received from others.

I don't know why I had decided to get rid of my previous witches. I think I had focused on simplifying too much. I wanted to incorporate them because I think that they are funny little characters, and they could help to bring some visual interest to my otherwise boring designs.

Here I look at the house and hill arrangements. Compared to my cut-paper experiments, I think the arrangements I had sketched out above work better. The way in which the space is used is a slight improvement and doesn't look as bare.

Breaking things down into segments, and drawing out versions also helped a bit. I tend to sketch out ideas for small details / finishing touches too just so I don't forget them (smoke, clouds, foliage, etc...).

Revisiting things gave some clarity, however I'm finding it very difficult to keep on going with an idea that has turned out to be disappointing and lackluster. It's a shame because I enjoy the themes and background, I just don't think it has answered the brief and I don't believe I can execute it in a decent way.