Study Task 8 | Rationale

What is your theme?

Going from my essay which looked at meaning in art (particularly in folk art and illustration today), I want to try and convey meaning based on where I'm from in the North East. This will involve general themes from the area such as industry, the history, what it's known for, or the landscape, and it may even have personal touches (introducing family stories, connections, careers, etc..)

How are you exploring it visually?

Gathering inspiration from maps, diagrams, and other pictorial forms I want to simplify images based on my research down to motifs and symbols which will hopefully convey their original meaning in a visual form that is not detail-driven or realistic. Simplicity will be important, however if some things end up being mysterious or left to explanation that is also fine, as they mean something to me.

Why are you doing it this way?

Because when I have looked at folk pottery, quilting, tapestries and similar objects they all are packed with simple forms and illustrations, but the meaning they possess is just as important if not more than their outward appearance. It's about telling a story on the surface of an object or material - whether that is a clay pot, or an heirloom quilt, or in my case, on paper.

Materials?

I plan to work with traditional drawing materials, given the paper-based nature of the journal. However I may experiment by taking my drawings/images into digital software, maybe to assemble them all together at a later date? In terms of which element I'm choosing to use, although I'm not certain that may end up being shape. Though I could still bring in line and colour.

Any key theorists/practitioners who have influenced this?

The work of illustrators Hannah Waldron, David Lemm, as well as a number of historical examples of folk art have influenced my ideas for my practical work. They manage to embed stories and meaning within their work through the use of motifs and symbols. By adopting a similar method and using simplistic imagery, I can suggest deeper meaning by creating an assemblage of lots of different motifs into one big picture that conveys the themes and ideas of my research.

Hannah Waldron

I was first introduced to Hannah's work when she came to do a talk here in college. She is a textiles artist and illustrator, who is influenced by maps, diagrams, and the rich storytelling history of textiles and their versatile purpose which is both decorative and utilitarian.

silk scarf design, weaving

I think she will be a valuable practitioner to look at because she presents meaning and sometimes narratives through simplified forms. In some ways, I see her work as a modern day answer to tapestries from the past, or fabric murals. 

'Girotondo' silk scarf design

Based on her observations and memories of a journey taken from Rome to Sorrento and back again. This screen-printed design shows the atmosphere, sights, and architecture from the various places she visited.

David Lemm

In the peer review, Neneh mentioned this illustrator. I really like how he incorporates symbols and pictograms usually found in maps, ordinance surveys, and the likes. The use of marks, dots, dashes, and numbers make it all look very accurate and official - even though they have nothing to do with realistic terrain or layouts.

They do however possess meaning based on real-life places or subjects. They are more like interpretive maps rather than geographically exact maps.

Illustrations from 'Mapping Eigg' project

Lemm produced a series of illustrations based on the story of a 'lost map' rumoured to have charted the Isle of Eigg, his description of his aims for the projects are really interesting and have a lot of similarities for what I wish to do for my own practical work in this module...

'the project aimed to examine how maps are perceived and used on the island; exploring their significance and value as tools of way finding, instruments of organisation but also material artifacts and repositories of meaning...'

'...I was interested in exploring the idea that maps fundamentally aim to describe reality through simple abstract lines, forms and motifs'   David Lemm [link]

Visual Journals | Peer Review

In the session today we presented our visual journals and discussed how our practical work and our aims for this link to the research we've been doing up to now.

It was very useful, and helped me see all of my workings and ideas together in one place. As I've made some practical work, from this feedback and the ideas I've been having since I can go on to develop this further into something more structured.

I will outline my plans and direction for my practical work in the statement I need to produce as part of the next study task.

Life on the Tyne

I've had this book in Leeds with me for a while, I borrowed it from home but forgot I had it. Looking through, there are some really nice snapshots of not only the North East, but of the area at a certain time, as well as industries and trades that are on the decline. (Also my mam is in the book, slide 6)

I made a note of some terms that I may look into further:

• Trade, industry and craft
• Shipbuilding + repair
• Compass makers
• Boatbuilding
• Sail makers
• Charts + navigation
• "Northumbrian Water Authority" - marine life - water conditions
• Lifeboat - Volunteer Life Brigade - cliff rescue
• Fishing - commercial - industry - past-time
• Radio - communications

Trip Home

I went home this weekend and thought that creating some work while I was there would be useful. The drawings and photos from the weekend may lead somewhere, but may not. It was more about gathering research in a visual form and thinking about my ideas some more.
I was hoping that looking at the landscape, objects, larger themes relating to the location would spur some ideas.

Drawings

Photographs

Drafting Essay

What is my question?

• Exploring meaning and authenticity in folk art and contemporary illustration
(may be edited/changed slightly)

What academic/written sources could I use?

• The Unsophisticated Arts - Barbara Jones
(Little Toller Books, Dorset, 2013)

• British Folk Art - Ruth Kenny, Jeff McMillan, Martin Myrone
(Tate Publishing, London, 2014)

• Illustration: A Theoretical and Contextual Perspective - Alan Male
(AVA Publishing, 2007)

• Where is the content? Where is the comment? - Lawrence Zeegen
Creative Review, 2012 (link)

• Jean Dubuffet - Laurent Danchin
Editions Pierre Terrail, Paris 2001

What arguments/points do I want to put across?

• Art that comes from personal stories or experiences is authentic. Authenticity and its relation to the arts and meaning in art (low vs high art - the former being arguably more rich in value)

• Narrative in traditional art, crafts, folk art, and narrative in illustration today.

• Relate to contemporary illustration - that which communicates something - a story, a message, an idea or theme, is much more effective or successful than the surface level.

• Meaning versus aesthetic (accuracy does not equal value/better)

• Content over Aesthetic > Visual aesthetics and their relation to content and meaning

What practitioners can I reference?

• Hannah Waldron
• Grayson Perry
• Jonny Hannah

How does it all link together?

The Fundamentals of Illustration - Lawrence Zeegen (Notes)

The Fundamentals of Illustration - Lawrence Zeegen, Second Edition, AVA Publishing SA 2012, First published in 2005

Jean Dubuffet - Larent Danchin (Notes)

Jean Dubuffet - Laurent Danchin, Finest S.A. / Editions Pierre Terrail, Paris 2001

Ideas for Visual Work

As mentioned previously, I've been thinking about making my research more personal to add a sense of authenticity, and historical/factual basis to any visual work I might carry out.

Although this direction could change, I wanted to try and see where this could lead.

So I would be looking at heritage, communities, location, region, customs..specifically to do with near where I live.

Here are some key words and themes I've came up with after looking at articles and gathering information...

Islands, beaches, marshes, salt flats, coves, cliffs, fishing ports, shipwrecks, storms

Fishermen, mariners, sailors, lifeguard, the Black Middens (legend, origin of word > Scandinavian), high and low lights, guiding ships, tallow candles, lighthouses

North sea, fishing communities, seafaring, the sea, myths, lifestyle, stories, mythic sense of the ocean, hard life, working people

---

Relating to me:

Maps - Mam used to work in charts and navigation

Fishing industry - Granda

---

Online image sources:

http://www.fish-quay.com/gallery/

http://oldlowlight.co.uk/history-of-the-old-low-light/

https://twarchives.org.uk/

http://newcastlephotos.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/old-photos-of-north-shields-fish-quay.html

https://www.flickr.com/photos/newcastlelibraries/sets/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/newcastlelibraries/4086835023/in/album-72157622716373305/

----

Sequential illustrations? Forming the contents of a 'chapbook'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapbook

- Gathering photographs to use as basis for collages

- Visit home, take own photographs

- Use collages to assemble imagery that is historical/contextual, and create drawings from there. Collage not only photos, but objects too somehow? (Like the Peter Blake collages I looked at)

Collage Tests

I decided to begin making some visual work using found imagery that is relevant to my themes. I don't usually work with collage, but it is a useful way of considering composition more formally, and is different from my usual line drawings.

As I've been looking at things like pottery, quilts, and murals throughout my research - collage is quite similar in a way, considering shapes and their layout to make an overall picture.

Here are some examples from my sketchbook:

Next time, I'd like to use my own photographs if possible and try to integrate some more hand-drawn elements as I think that collage can be quite impersonal at times. There is no evidence of who made it, no marks made. It's mostly about cutting pre-made objects or materials and assembling them.

I'll also have to think of how I can make the themes/concept more meaningful or stronger.

Reportage! Documenting!!

Although the starting point of folk art has informed my research greatly, and is something I am interested in, maybe I have been thinking of it too literally?

I was thinking about photography books after going to the library, and how they are artefacts that journal an idea, concept, theme, a time and/or place. In some ways, folk art is like documentary art. But instead of documenting something that applies to everyone, folk art can be personal as well as bearing universal themes.

There is also documentary illustration which is referred to as reportage, so maybe I could bring in ideas of chronicling and documenting something to go alongside the folk art theme and maybe bring it up to speed with contemporary art forms/illustration (even though there are still folk artists today).

The concepts of reportage and documentary (whether this is in the form of films, writing, or photography) all relate back to telling a story too. This links into what I've been wanting to look into so far.

Good thinking

Men at Sea by Jean Gaumy

I went to the library to see if I could find any reference material that would fit in with my research. I found this photography book that documents the time a photographer spent onboard with a crew of fishermen.

I like how there is a mix of portraiture, images of the sea and landscape, as well as objects and ephemera that tell the story of this crew and their lifestyle when on the boat.

Maybe this is something I can consider for my own research, not only drawing/depicting people and places, but objects that also share a narrative or story. I think an eclectic mix of material would make for a more interesting body of research, and maybe communicate a theme or story with more depth (relating to how folk art and traditions tell stories of those people).

Visual Research - Starting

As mentioned previously, I've been thinking about making my research more personal to add a sense of authenticity, as well as a historical or factual basis to any visual work I might carry out.

Although this may change I wanted to see what leads could come up if I explored this.

—

After reading some articles and pages on local history from the North-East (particularly the coast), here are some keywords which could help me with my research:

"Small coastal towns on both sides of the Tyne. All are variously famous for fishwives, press gangs, ships, boats, sailors, and beautiful scenery"

Islands, beaches, marshes, salt flats, coves, cliffs, fishing ports, shipwrecks, storms

Fishermen, mariners, sailors, fishwives, high and low lights, guiding ships, tallow candles, lighthouses, the Black Middens (legend, origin of word - Scandinavian)

North sea, fishing communities, seafaring, the sea, myths, lifestyle, stories, mythic sense of the ocean, hard life, working people

—

Online image sources:

http://www.fish-quay.com/gallery/

http://oldlowlight.co.uk/history-of-the-old-low-light/

https://twarchives.org.uk/

http://newcastlephotos.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/old-photos-of-north-shields-fish-quay.html

https://www.flickr.com/photos/newcastlelibraries/sets/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/newcastlelibraries/4086835023/in/album-72157622716373305/

—

What could I do next?

• Gather photographs to use as a basis for collages -> make drawings from these collages

• Visit home, take my own photographs (primary research)

• Begin sketching motifs and symbols, and figuring out what final format they could take on. (Mural? Collage? Print? Postcard?....series of images?)

Study Task 7 | Focus (Peer Review)

Feedback form

In yesterday's session we each reviewed our issuu presentations as part of Study Task 6. I found that discussing my ideas with others in the group helped me to see whether or not the themes sat together well, and if the whole thing was clear or not.

The session also highlighted what I need to move on to next, as well as possible ideas for my visual journal, and some interesting questions and thoughts.

Talking through the presentation also showed that if you're able to talk coherently/clearly about your ideas then that could show they make sense. Or on the other side of things, if you talk about too many themes and ideas maybe you need to narrow things down and focus on something more particular.


What is the main subject area/question the illustrator is looking into?

Folk art - art of the people, telling stories, authentic experiences

What are the strengths in how they have responded to this subject area?

Looked at relevant practitioners, a mixture of contemporary and historical examples.
Theory

How have they responded to the Visual Journal element?

Mind maps, links, lots of ideas

Areas that could be developed further?

Need to get started on visual research and drawing, creating images. Mythologise your life, make that into the 'authentic' part that will inform the pictures. Stories, tales, fact...

How effectively are they synthesising research, contextual analysis and their practical work?

Yes, gathered own thoughts from your research - now need to start merging this with practical.

What are the next steps with the research project, practical and theoretical?

• Consider which element to focus on - shape, colour, texture, and why?

• If it is personal to you, does it have to be understood by others?

• Think abstract e.g. Hannah Waldron (who tells stories through textiles)

• Who's benefit is it for? What is the purpose of folk art and such?