#assessment task

Visual Communication Task back in 2017. PART 1

It’s a task that I am very proud of.

Hand Rendered Fashion Drawing

Image 1: Hand rendered with Copic Markers

Sensitive people, in a world where less sensitive information is better.

CONCEPT:

My final piece is a series of images comprised of blurred and pixelated elements that I had taken whilst walking around Sydney to and from COFA; people, signs, cars, buildings and anything that can be classified as information, in which have now become ‘sensitive’. This series of images parodies and exaggerates the contemporary ideal of censorship, particularly in removing certain aspects of our culture that may be classified as sensitive or controversial for someone. Sensitive people is a piece that reflects a hyper-reality where everything is censored to maintain a minimal amount of sensitivity. In relation to glitch, I aimed to explore ways of altering my surrounding environment i.e Sydney, subsequently creating a ‘glitch’ that dramatically changes the way the environment is perceived.

My work is heavily inspired by Mishka Henner’s Dutch Landscapes and Less Americans series, who explores similar concepts of censorship through government censorship of important sites categorised as sensitive information to the public. In addition, I examined a few artworks by Christo and Jean-Claude, as their environmental ‘glitches’ became a reference point in helping me develop my work.

The work was produced through Photoshop, cutting out shapes of individual’s faces and other signs that had information on them (stop signs, shops, numbers, certain shapes on buildings etc) using a crystallised/mosaic blur to ‘trap’ these elements into a uniform assortment of colours, as well as removing elements entirely from the background (e.g. toilet sign removed in one of the images), then using a filter to add heavy contrast and vibrancy to create a disillusioned reality, almost seemly creepy with the ‘walking blockheads’.

Sensitive people reflects ideals of privacy of information within a public sphere. For example, people were quick to remove themselves from my photos, when aware of my presence, and publicly will not wish to be associated with my work; the need for privacy in a public space is prominent and theoretically begs to question about our public image and why even in a public space we are removing ourselves from the eyes of others, as if hiding ourselves from ones’ reality (e.g. through imagery).

As an individual myself within a public sphere, I am also guilty of this set behaviour, often removing myself from the view of others whether they are staring at me, filming or taking photos. I became fascinated by this idea and in combination with finding ways to possibly ‘glitch’ my environment, this became my heaviest influence over my work. I also wished to explore elements of ourselves as a contemporary society, especially with the presence of ‘outrage’ culture and over-sensitivity dominating our private and public platforms, particularly through social media.

Initially, following from my poster, I explored ideas of human collaboration with computer systems. I aimed to create a work that encompassed these elements, having been inspired by Sankar’s TED talk about the rise of human-computer cooperation and the benefits of collaboration between the two ‘entities’. I also examined elements of post-human obsession in contemporary culture, with the development of A.I  and technologies that would advance us as a species. In reflection of my research around this, I concluded that I could not conceptualise and explore ideas surrounding this idea without falling back into what did not work with my poster.

Overall, despite my change in direction, my work explores an interesting response to ‘glitch’ in relation to societal values of public appearances, in which, drawing from my first assessment task, can link together although through different subjects and environments. In my final works, my audience can exhibit and immediately detract certain elements of my work that I wished to convey, providing a more coherent and interesting approach to both my environment and the question.

Resources:

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/may/23/mishka-henner-less-americains

https://architizer.com/blog/mishka-henner-dutch-landscapes/

https://creators.vice.com/en_au/article/yp5x5k/glitch-art-is-dead

Assessment Task Two: Research

Artwork: Broken’ by Tù.úk'z, Illustration from Shyam Sankar’s TED Talk

To continue my idea about human ‘system glitches’ in relation to how similar we are to computers, I begun researching into different analyses about the human and the machine. Shyam Sankar ‘s TED talk “The rise of human-computer cooperation” examines interesting concepts about how cooperation between the human and the machine is more beneficial in comparison to a “grand master chess player” and a “supercomputer”. I was highly fascinated by what possibilities can be explored through human and computer cooperation and perhaps examine how if either were to ‘glitch’ out, how the system will break down. 

Additionally, Tù.úk'z’s artwork is part of an exhibition called “Glitch Art is Dead”, exploring the perceptions around mainstream glitch art, and whether this trend has been buried under post-internet artforms and concepts. The work is a nice example of the human form ‘glitched out’mixed in with traditional tracings of the body and explores new possibilities to glitch art. 

Resources:

https://creators.vice.com/en_au/article/yp5x5k/glitch-art-is-dead

Final Poster: H.U.M.A.N OS

3. The word glitch refers to an unpredictable irregularity in a system—digital and analogue alike. Explore the creative possibilities of glitch.

When we view or detect glitches within a computer’s system, our immediate reaction is to find a fix for the issue, and if you are tech savy, this task can be broken down into; finding the source, identifying risks to our system and files and finding a solution best suited for the issue. In the worst cace scenario, we are forced to reboot the system fresh, resulting in all data previously on the system to be gone.

When exploring ourselves, a ‘gltich’ within our system can refer to many different things. This may be inherent flaws that we possess, both appearance and personality wise. Such ‘glitches’ may often be covered up or ‘fixed’ to push this perfect, flawless image of ourselves.

Christo and Jeanne Claude: After exploring the conceptual and material practice of Sejoon Kim in regards to his ‘Vague Clock’, 2010, we discovered the works of Christo and Jeanne Claude to be similar through their exploration of the Vague. Like Kim, the work of Christo and Jeanne Claude expresses an intention to interact and perceive the world in new and alternative ways. ‘Pont Neuf Wrapped Up’, 1975-85, is an example of their large-scale environmental artworks for which the duo are distinguished for. The temporary installation was composed of 41,800 square meters of polyamide fabric, a silky golden material, which was used to cover the entirety of the Pont Neuf, Paris. The use of fabric to conceal the structure of the Pont Neuf allowed for certain elements to become more accentuated, while maintaining the primary shapes and emphasising division. In this way the aesthetic qualities of the Pont Neuf were concealed and transformed where as the function of Kim’s ‘Vague Clock’ was hidden, and only revealed through touch.

Preliminary sketches of the ‘Pont Neuf’ installation.

Drawing 1985 in two parts 15 x 96" and 42 x 96" (38 x 244 cm and 106.6 x 244 cm) Pencil, charcoal, wax crayon, pastel, fabric sample, aerial photograph and technical data Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 1985 Christo

Finalised installation

Photo: Wolfgang Volz © 1985 Christo

Christo and Jeanne Claude, The Pont Neuf Wrapped, [christojeanneclaude.net], 2017, http://christojeanneclaude.net/projects/the-pont-neuf-wrapped (accessed on 7 April 2017)