Building Cities ....

Building cities .....


Urban and Rural cities and Landscapes.

Urban and rural are two completely different aspects of ways of living, defined by four characterisitics :

• Population
• Population density
• Social heterogeneity
• Permanence

Our task was to create our own city, kingdom or village with our materials of white card, a craft knife and UHU glue. To start us off dem put us into groups of five and we were assigned our own project space.



Brainstorming Ideas ....

As a group we all began brainstorming our ideas and came up with a domineering castle that would  take centre stage and all eyes on us.
We wanted to build a wall around the border so that it would make our area more demanding and secure from the other groups.

Within our group we didn't assign tasks or project managers as we wanted everyone to take part; everyones ideas were comprimised and discussed and valied, which helped our ideas develop and make them stronger if we all played a part in creating each individual bit so that noone would feel like they had to do all the work everyone took part in each design and making the castle.  I think we worked really well as a team there was no arguing or domaneering within the group and this helped to develop our ideas further.

Development of our project space ....

                    Development of project space....

With my group two people decided to focus on making the turrets for the castle by cutting out circles and folding then into a cone shape. We sealed them with masking tape and UHU glue so that they would hold firmly together and stuck them on top of my cylinder shaped towers.  I focused on making the towers and the other people in my group the main castle itself, we kept to size A2 as A1 was too big. I began by making tube shapes for the towers and bending them round to make a cylinder shape.  I drew sets of three windows down the tower to make it look more realitic and echanted- fairytale likeness to our theme.

 

We wanted our city to expand and become bigger instead of having just a big castle we wanted to develop our city so that it keeps on transforming and building urbanisation within our project space. within this space we wanted to recreate how cities developed from the early ages so from indian huts to the more edwardian times/ middle ages with castles and kingdoms that evolved from those times.

 

 

Inspiration of castles and history from the middle ages ...

 

http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/history-of-castles-in-the-middle-ages.htm

 

Website that I found inspiring and which I thought would be helpful research for this mini-project.

when I was researching I came across defence and battle- in which the normans build walls around their castles to protect their land and kingdom.

I thought this would be a great idea to build a wall around our castle to domineer from the other surrounding cities and make it look as though our city was more important and dominate.

 

Beaumaris Castle...

 

 It was built as one of the 'iron ring' of North Wale's castles by the English monarch, Edward I, to stamp his authority on the Welsh. But it was never finished which resembles our project title "Building cities" not finished but developing and transforming.

Conwy Castle...

 

 Twas built by Edward I, during his conquest of Wales, between 1283 and 1289.

As you can see another image of a stone wall built around the outside of the main building which played an important role in severe wars especially the english civil war which broke out in 1642- 1651; a series of armed conflicts  between Parliamentarians and Royalists.

 

Our modern take on walls surrounding our castle....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Induction week ....

Tuesday 18th september 2012...

Start time 10am.

First official day of university and all I can say is woow!! Even though I was really disheartened and
adamant that I was going to hate it as it wasnt my first choice of university that I wanted to go to but after today I am pretty sure that im going to like my 1st year here. Everyone is in the same boat yeah some are staying in halls but quite alot of people are travelling to and from home. they are commuting as my geography teacher would of said.

Its a whole new level from school and college so much more debt!! hahaha but yet so more more individual work and commitment yeah i got scared when dem said he wants our full commitment or theres no point in being here but I kind of like that challenge with a part time job that consists of most of my social life haha funny that as i dont really have one or wont have one no more .... good job its freshers week this week then isnt it ...... parrrrrttttyyy woooooo!!! just kidding im going to stay in and be an unsocialble geek NOT!!!

No of course not just going to crack on with my work and still live the high life of a undergraduate :D why not ay...

Commuting......

Travelling to and from bournvielle is quite nice sight seeing; get on the bus into town sit on with all the school kids hear alot of abuse and screaming and there dodgy style of music and then  to a more crammed peacefull train ride from new street station to bournvielle. suppose I could live with that for a year especially will be worth it in thee end when i graduate and wear one of those silly hats.

I couldn't belive how clean Bournvielle actually was they had people weeding the pavements and the streets. Even the smell of cadburys chocolate lingered in the air woow could get used to this waking up to the smell of sweet chocolate mmmmmmm.

When I first arrived  I thought I was going to be on my own and really stand out god knows why but everyone was all in the same boat just like me.


Timetable ....

I was really excited about getting my timetable and first project brief as I wanted to start and be hands on and get creative as being broke up from college for the summer I hadn't done much creative work as such just working my butt of at the co-op. Thats another thing I was pretty concerned about was that I work part time on wednesdsays and fridays at the co-op so I was praying that I had these timetabled to be off, well self driven work days as my old tutor used to say to me when your an artist you never class a day as a day off they are always days where you are developing your creativity and your ideas.

Luckily for me I had these timetabled days as workshops days so that was good enough for me I can develop my workshop skills and ideas in the morning and still have time to get back for work. Best of both worlds as they say...

Open times....

Monday- Friday open 9AM -6PM access the building and workshops between these times and staff available will be around to help students.

Library open times-

Monday and wednesday- 9AM-6PM
Tuesday, thursday and Friday- 9AM- 5PM

Overall information of the course....

Year 1- introduction, studies and ideas. - 12 weeks
Year 2- work experience and field study.
Year 3/4- personal critical interpretation / own brief.

Student services...

ASKUS
BCUSSV
ICITY
BCU.AC.UK - guide and virtual tours of all campuses and how to get here..( just in case I ever get lost haha.)

Contact details-  for all tutors put there first name then . and last name @ bcu.ac.uk
example:

joe.blogs@bcu.ac.uk


www.moodle.bcu.ac.uk- manuals, presentations, timetables and links.

Hmwrk- to  enrol on moodle 2012/2013 Art and Design level 4 - enrol me, my profile settings and change your email to one check reguarly. Inaddition, download the handbook from moodle- www.bcu.ac.uk  read it and keep a hard copy.



Login details for moodle:

username: S12777383
password: eg******4



I.T Induction....

Door code for front entrance of Ruskin Hall -5**5

Monday- BA Priority
Tuesday-All courses
Thursday- All courses

Can convert the computers to mac or p.c which ever you feel comfortable with using, CTRL, ALT, DEL faculty office if dont work and you are stuck.

Username and password- login details.

Saving work....

 Save to either your own USB or the z drive on the computers. DO NOT SAVE to the desktop as your work will not be saved and be deleted when the next person uses that computer.

You can book I.T slots if you are unsure on how to use the computers and wish to have help.
To borrow or loan equipment you need to book 1day in advance but need to email boris.barker@bcu.ac.uk and you can book these items for 3days however need an iduction of equpiment before booking so that you are aware on how to use the machinery .

Printing...

Printing pin- Last six digits of computer ID
Library pin - will be sent to your personal email.
Printing- charged per side.



Introductions...

Thursday 20th september..

Photography- Maple Road site...

Health and safety Induction and got our photograph took with name on piece of paper to convey who we were, was like a coinvict were they stand up against the board and have their photo taken for their criminal convictions. Quite hilarious really juast shows what tutuors do nowadays to remeber the names of their new students and regonise who we are.
viewed the dark room and got introduced to the photography suites more details to be announced monday and throughout the course with using the equipment etc.

3D Workshop- Maple Road site...

Health and safety induction. Tools and equipment viewed and a induction on how to use the machinery and the correct safe way on how to use them.

Print Workshop-

Health and Safety induction of equipment and how to use machinery also showed examples of print works and techniques of printing.

Industrial objects for non- Idustrial people

PIONEER 10

Project 1: Within this project I am investigating the aesthetics of industrial technology. Using the highly engineered pioneer 10 which constitutes an integral part of our global modernistic age, I will use this to identify its extreme functionality through its material and design.

I will then abstract its aesthetic language as a non-enigineer but as a designer/artists appropriating my own logic of balance , construction and materials to produce a range of  experimental prototypes and designs  that would then lead to a final outcome / piece finished to a high standard.


What is the pioneer 10:
 First mission that was sent to the outer solar system and achieved its closest to Jupiter on december 3rd 1973.Pioneer 10, used Jupiter's gravitational field to alter its trajectory radically.

Size:

The spacecraft body is mounted behind a 2.74-m-diameter parabolic dish antenna that is 46 cm deep. The structure is 36-cm-deep with flat equipment compartment, the top and bottom being regular hexagons. Its sides are 71 cm long with one side joining compartments which carried the sientific experiments.

Interesting fact:      A plaque was mounted on the spacecraft body with drawings depicting a man, a woman, and the location of the sun and the earth in our galaxy.

The diagram which includes a man and woman standing on the side view of the spacecraft; The man's hand is raised in a gesture of good will. The diagrams also show the position of our solar system in the galaxy and chemical information about hydrogen,which is the most common element in the universe.

The plaque was designed by Dr. Carl Sagan and Dr. Frank Drake and drawn by Linda Salzman Sagan.

 

Below portrays the drawings designed by Carl and Frank:

 

The pioneer was the fastest man-made object to leave the earth fast enough to pass the Moon in 11 hours and to cross the Mars orbit, about 80 million kilometers away, in just 12 weeks.

 Artists research:

Tom Sachs....  Space program mars:

 

When Demitrious was introducing the project brief to us he showed us some artists and I was inspired by Tom Sachs work ; a true expert at catorgorizing, labelling or putting his finger on what it is he creates. Sachs is best known for his elaborate recreations of engineering modern icons he is consistently transforming them and his results are transformed over and over again.  Nothing is erased, sanded away, or rendered invisible, this means that nothing Sachs makes is ever finished. Like any good engineering project, everything can always be stripped down, stripped out, redesigned and improved. It doesnt mean the project / designs are incomplete it means they are transforming and developing.

http://www.tomsachs.org/exhibition/space-program-mars

  

 

The main inspiration for me was that nothing has to be completely finished to be a well presented piece, I like the rendered incomplete aspiration of work Tom produces you get the kind of feeling that the work is complete yet they are still transforming and developiong all the time. I like toms philosophy and his elaborate recreations.

 

3D Workshop....

 

I think my first initial idea was not to have an outcome not to be to precious with what I am going to make , so I started off just gathering some materials I found within our first 3D workshop that was recycled by other students: after analysing my A2 image of the pioneer 10 I started to be more hands on looking at the intricate details of the space object. Picking out the details within the image that stood out personally to me what I found appealing . 

 

Prototype 1:

 

Working in the 3D workshop getting to grips with the machinery and testing out new skills combined with skills that I already knew before. The most interesting part of the pioneer 10 that stood out more to at this point was the middle dial looking object, the round circular shape that has the hexagon attached with stripes. I wanted to recreate my own interpretation of this analysing the intricate details and I did this by coiling wire with pliers and wrapping around a pencil so that the coils were evenly spaced between one another.

 At this stage I had no clear idea on what my final outcome will be or what it is I am actually making abit like tom sachs its a developing project I can either keep adding to it and transform and develop my ideas even futher.

 

I found some recycled pieces of wood and drew a circular shape and cut out. I then cut a smaller hole inside to make it look mre 3D instead of just being flat. I attached my spiral shaped coils to a round copper band that I made and attached that onto the circular wooden piece this portrays my idea of the intricate lines within the hexagon shape on the pioneer 10.

 

 I did find some of  the process quite hard as my coils were so tiny and fiddley ; so to prevent this from happening and loosing my grip I wrapped them around a pencil so that they were all the same shape and I measured my copper wires so that they were all the same size.

I then drilled some holes in my 3D circle so that I could feed some wire through so that I could hang it from an attached piece of wood abit like a childs mobile; using the idea that the pioneer 10 was send into space for a reason upon this I decided that my object wouldnt be able to stand alone but to be attached to some sort of form that would give you the whole prospect of it being in the air.  

 

 

Drawing Workshop...

 

 

Photography ...

Visual Com...

UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES .......




Initial research to start me off on the new project I really like memories and time goes by and we don’t realise how precious things actually are  until they’ve gone. Childhood memories and Old and Newborn are my main inspiration at the moment  but what if life was the opposite way around? We were born old and got younger and younger as the years went by ?  What would people’s feelings and thoughts be then? Would we take life for granted would we be a completely different person what would you do ??


Feedback ....
Che ...

I think this is a really strong idea chick  … reminds me of The Story of Benjamin Button. I think that if we were to get younger as the days went by then we would change what we cherish. We would become more concerned about the memories we have of being able and capable of doing things. When we are young, we would become less able. e.g. not being able to drive. In effect its all swings and roundabout as we come full circle.

Once a man… twice a child! Hope I helped 

Esme ...

Really loving this idea Bex! Yeah you should definitely watch the film if you haven’t already. Are you going to look at doing this through photography only?

My thoughts and reply to the above comments ... 

Yes started to look at benjamin button but I am quite stuck at other things to look at similar to the same sort of story base. Looked at the story of peter pan the boy who never wanted to grow up, childhood memories, childrens games,and any more please???

What about your childhood memories good ones/ bad ones?
what would you do if you had the same circumstance of Mr benjamin button ??? (thats if you people have seen the film).

3rd November 2011 ... 

First lesson in Vis com handed out brief by Claire bishop and Catherine. Both the same lesson but combined into one whole project. Visual communication is a very broad subject, it is a communication through visual aid and described as the conveyance of ideas and information in a form that can be looked upon or read. 

Mind map on what is visual communication...

• Imagery
• Text
• Logo symbols
• Illustration
• Photography
• Clothes labels
• Graphics
• Communicating a message
• Billboards
• Magazines
• Books
• Newspapers
• Packaging
• Exhibitions
• Graphic textiles
• Stamps
• Film
• Sign design
• Publicity
• Direct mail
• Web and motion Graphics

Homework - 

To do a contrast Mind map and an illustrated contrast mind map, get ideas and gather research on your theme for the project to present my ideas with peers next week, in addition represent one artIst that represents your research and reflect on what I have done in my journal. 

Wordpress.com 

Creating an account so that I can show my fellow peers the stages I am at within my work so that they understand my theme and can help with any ideas of their own that can influence my work. 

www.wordpress.com sign up enter email- becka_c18@hotmail.com

password *******  login

Visual communication, posts - open arrow add new, categories- student post

enter your title- my theme unusual circumstances

Upload any pictures to do with my theme 

select file open

Insert into post

Write a comment

Tick notify so that you can be notified of any written feedback

Post comment

10th November 2011...

Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible.
In claires lesson we looked at typographers

• Neville Brody 
• David Carson
• Jonathan Barn-brook

I really enjoyed this lesson as I already knew quite a lot about typography as I looked at this topic last year within my fashion graphic lessons and as I kept my sketchbooks from last year I could recall some research from those sources which will help me in this session. Last year we looked at a magazine called Elephant how the use of collage and text is used within a magazine portraying the world of visual art and contemporary art. 

I looked at typographies and with the handout claire gave us was able to use Illustrator to start playing with the different tool buttons to discover and try out different techniques using type tools as I am very unexperienced in illustrator this gave me confidence and step by step user guide on how to use illustrator and not to be scared off using the variety of program's on the macs.

Another program I used was www.wordle.com where you type in your text select go and wordle will create you a text in many different fonts that you can choose from, I suppose this in a way is cheating as your not creating your own text imagery but its a quick and effective way to do text headings, tittles etc.  

Lesson with catherine ...

Feedback from group crit from presenting ideas about theme. 

Everyone was really supportive and understand my theme (unusual circumstances) and gave me some feedback which I will take forth and develop more ideas from this. 

• Generations 
• How we take life for granted
• Learn something new everyday!
• You don't realise when its gone it gone forever
• Time machine
• Family
• precious memories- childhood dreams and aspirations in life
• Children/ OAPs same we need help feeding, clothing washing etc. we rely on help care love and support when we are a young child and then again when we become old and fragile. 

We learned how to use digital cameras to take portrait images using depth of field, aperture, and over exposure techniques and under exposure techniques that we have learned with moire; in small groups of one another that we will use to complete homework task catherine has set for us.

Homework...

Present ideas to the group next week, 1x artist in sketchbook , entry in reflective journal, continue idea development, research artist techniques and how to formulate work. 

Research Barbara Kruger and using the  photos we took today print them off and in the style of Barbara Kruger freestyle collages x3. combine research with collage to make own work not to just copy her work.


 Work of Barbara Kruger , her works are very opinionated and political I like her style she uses photography and typography to emphasise her opinions. I have freestyled my own using the imagery we took in last lesson and collaged on top of these for next lesson I aim to scan my own collages in and photoshop them to make them look more presentable also to use this technique and interpret my contrast being "unusual circumstances" the contrast being how we take life for granted using my photos of family and generations freestyle collage them and using my own typography which I will hand draw and scan them into the mac to develop my final outcomes for the deadline.
I am currently in the process of taking images using a digital camera, I am combining the photographs that I take within my photography lesson and then using these in Visual communication as in both subjects I am combining the two together.

 In visual communication my message is to appreciate every oppurtunity and expand life with intention and motivation because you might wake up one day and realise that you lost a diamond while you were too busy searching for rocks. Appreciate what you have and the people close to your heart.


1st December 2011 ...

Only two more weeks before final assessment wow how the weeks have flown by. Feel like I keep going off track, I keep jumping from several ideas I have and its all a bit off a blur. I am very broad in what I want to develop and what I was actually doing in the first place. We got feedback from claire and catherine today general comments and verbal feedback to help me within the next two weeks to develop my 8-12 final pieces.

Referral ...

Comments from claire.

" A good start in terms of research and comment. two particularly like your creative type, as well as your collage work. You now need to bring this work together and develop your final 8-12 pieces for portfolio. To pass you need :-

• A good range of final pieces. ( show how this were arrived at in your sketchbook) - annotate.
• Which experiments led to your final work. How were they important.
• Which particular research is more strongly linked to your final style idea.
• Print off hard copy of blog.
• Make sure you evaluate and analyse all work. 

Change of plan as I can't take photographs of young and old people as I find it very hard to gather my family together whilst I am working and studying at college and fit around their busy time schedules. So instead I phoned my Nan and asked her if she could sort me some old photographs of herself and her mother so that I could use these to develop my final pieces. To start me off I scanned my photographs into the mac and printed a selection off so that I could start free hand collaging as like what I did working in the style of Barbara Kruger. Within my collages I have used a range of typography newspaper text, magazine text, wordle, and typography font on the computer. I have used my scanned in photographs and used mixed media to create my collages keeping them based on my theme so the words I have selected to use within my collages.     My great great great grandmother. 

My great Nan with my Uncle david and my Uncle John. 

My great great great grandmother on her 21st birthday. 

My great great great grandmother. 

My Nan, Aunty Gwen, Uncle David and Uncle John. 

My nan on her 1st day at school . 

Family portrait at my Aunt Tilly's 50th wedding anniversary.

Photography in the studio working with lighting... 

Working in the studio with the camera amd lighting playing around with black and white effects and the correct exposure and amatuer. I found this quite difficult as it was my first time in the studio and I didn't quite understand how to work with exposure with lighting. which I found alot easier when taking photographs outside rather than indoors. 

In my photographs the exposure was too high and it let alot of light in so my photographs are really bright.

I quite like this effect though dark at the bottom of the images and lighter at the top which focuses more on the portrait of the image. some of my images look rather mysteryfied because different lighting effects the mood of the image and portrays a different attitude to the character within the photo.