Project 2 - Experimental & Expanded Forms
Project 2 - Experimental & Expanded Forms
The brief I have been set for this second project is focusing on the frames of fiction in playful and experimental ways. I will be using a set of different ranges of experimental narratives that relate to the adaption of the fictional text of a book.
The final outcome will be exhibited as an outdoor show at St Margarets Church.
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To start off with the project, I was arranged into a group of 4 others (8A) to create an adaption of our book, The True History Of The Kelly Gang by Peter Carey.
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Our first task for this projects workshop was to work together to research themes into this book and at the end of the task, to present to others in a 3 tableau setup layout.
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As a group we are working well with one another in an professional and friendly way. I was a little skeptical at first because i work best when i am on my own and too my own thoughts but its refreshing to have help, communication and new ideas from others.
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The first thoughts and impressions i got from this book were quite negative as the cover doesn't look appealing to myself personally. The fact that it also seemed to be a somewhat narrated autobiography on the history of a person made me even less interested.
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But upon reading some extracts from the book and starting some light research with my peers, I have become gradually more interested in the stories main character, Ned Kelly as he is an important historical and cultural figure to Australia.
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For our first table top tableau, we researched basic information about the Kelly gang and the story that the book tells. We mainly explored our research by working through text, spider diagrams and drawings.
Early Group Outcome Idea: Together we came up with multiple ideas that we could produce for our table top tableau and possible ideas for our final outcome. As a group we want to explore 3D work that relates to objects and installations and bring the character of Ned Kelly out in this.
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Manuscript Extracts From Book: Each of us has copied out the text from the manuscripts that Ned Kelly wrote and that are featured as chapters from the book. This may be a good theme to go on in the way of Ned Kelly's life and our perspective on his character.
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Wanted Poster Of Ned Kelly: The wanted poster is a portrait i sketched showing Ned Kelly as the main character in the story. The drawing is screwed up and drawn onto brown parcel card to bring a grungy and dirty outback mood to it. This drawing also shows the perspective that the audience may have of the main character. To give a different perspective to the character in development, i may cross out the wanted word out and change to 'hero'
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Research Information On Display: These are bits of research information that us as a group collectively brought together and displayed on the table for other groups of peers to analyse and look at.
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Feedback Form From Other Groups: When we had finished displaying our work, other groups looked and analysed our work to give us feedback on our research and display. The feedback that we got from others was overall positive as the audience could see and read the basics to who Ned Kelly was as a character. I feel that we could have improved with more visual research e.g. photos and drawings of other characters, location and significant objects that relate to the story.
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Group Task Meet up - 1
Our first meet up consisted of discussing and finalising what we are going to do for our table top tableau. Again we contemplated with the theme of 3D objects and have decided to go down the path of creating a mobile installation that an audience can walk around and visualise from different perspectives.
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We also created a basic design of the main character, Ned Kelly, who was ultimately hung for his crimes. We also toyed with the idea of having significant objects that relate to the narrative and Ned Kelly himself.
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Our first design of the character was successful. Using our torches on our phones, we played around with the angles and different perspectives where the shadow and object are formed.
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For our next meet up we have all agreed to bring in different and varied materials so we can properly set up our display for Thursdays installation to show other peers and gain additional feedback.
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We aim to have the objects hanging from the ceiling on twine with the light from the lamp focused on Ned Kelly himself. The other objects will be hanging and situated around the character on different levels and heights.
Researching The Story Of Ned Kelly
During our meet up i wrote down some basic information that we collectively researched together, found through reading the book itself and looking online.
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The printed off page is an extract that was given to us which is situated in the first page of the book. This page is from the scene in which Ned Kelly and his gang have their last stand off with the police and despite multiple gun shots, Ned is still left standing, wearing his homemade suit of armour and a bucket on his head.
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The page has given us a foundation to work on to find out more about Ned Kelly as a character and the objects that surround him.
to gain better insight of the story itself and Ned Kelly, i researched the story about him and the narrative that surrounds him. The story stems from the discrimination of Irish settlers that migrated to Australia and how they were treated.
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I also watched a film called 'Ned Kelly' which stars well known actors such as Orlando Bloom and Heath Ledger. Although this narrative has some differences to the book, it was educational to visually have the story described to gain better understanding.
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Some people say he was a good man while others think otherwise. From researching his information i would say he was a good man that did bad things to protect his family but to keep the audiences perspective open, myself and the group will keep our views on him to ourselves.
Group Task: Meet up
Our task today was to develop our mobile object and bring in the materials to complete it and have it ready to present to others. We put the main character, Ned up and projected a light on him. The light is a golden hue but could be stronger and brighter to give a clearer and more defined shadow at the back.
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We then placed the significant objects around him at different levels and various heights to bring depth, shadow, form and a eerie like atmosphere to the piece.
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The objects that are in the piece and scattered around Ned's character are all significant. The offensive of stealing horses and cattle is one of the first crimes that Ned did. The guns signify the violence, crime and discrimination that Ned and his family were victims of. Lastly the armour is to relate to the steel armour that Ned wore in his final showdown with the police before he was hung.
The shadow here isn't quite defined and clear.
The layout of the objects around Ned are scattered but relevant. The light is still too blurry and not strong enough
We used a torch on a mobile phone to see if the light would make any difference. The LED light is much more powerful.
The phone torch works better than the lamps light bulb as the shadows are more defined and clear.
As you walk around the display you can see different perspectives of the shadows and the objects.
another perspective of the display
We found that the lamps light that we used to project the shadows wasn't strong enough to produce clear and defined shadows. To work around this solution without spending more of our budget, we are going to stick a phone and its torch light in front of the lamp which will give a more defined clear and distinguished shadow.
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We have spaced the length of the shadow from the object to signify the good and bad in Ned Kelly. For example the objects which are hung around him have a more defined shadow because they are based on events that happened and Ned himself is a slightly more blurry shadow so signify the good or bad man that people are indecisive about towards him.
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Towards the end of our meet up for the day, while we were playing around with the perspectives, one of us shone an extra light onto the piece while taking a picture. The effect of this created another layer of shadows temporarily. We were all excited by this because of the extra depth and form we can create so while holiding more phone lights up at different angles we took photos of the outcomes.
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This idea can help us to develop our work further by experimenting with transparency complimented with shadow and the idea of layering behind objects.
Displaying Group Work
We completed our mobile by adding layers of fabric such as hessian and other text based information that relates to the Ned Kelly story.
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The added visuals on the table and that cover the lamps give the display for body and a more better understanding of the narrative through the text and the idea of an outlaw/cowboy story.
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The feedback that we received from our peers was overall positive but we had some comments that suggested making the piece more obvious about where it is set. I do not think this is a crucial and important piece of the story although, for our next task we will try to address this further by possibly adding more themes to show locations such as the red sand, sticks and general themes that represent the Australian outback.
Text-Script-Sound Introduction & Workshop
Developing from my research with my group, we have been asked to focus on sound and text as a medium and material for our next exploration for our project. This will involve how we think and use text and sound that relates to our book in a playful and experimental way.
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For our afternoon workshop, we have worked together to develop from our initial display and research. For this we are have collectively decided to create and cut up the last words which Ned Kelly said before he died 'Such is Life' as a text installation.
This is a very meaningful piece of speech that will compliment the narrative of Neds story that we are going to portray through the book.We plan to have the cut up words on cardboard with light shining through, almost to give the effect to negative space with the shadow.
The sounds we plan to use are going to be different from various ways that you stand and view the display. One side is going to have irish folk singing which will identify with where Ned came from and who he really is. One the other side, there will be playing the sounds of gunfire to signify the discrimination and violence that happened in the story. Together these two aspects will particularly sound the last fight between Ned and the police.
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Our last feedback form suggested that we may want to include more about the location of where this happened so we will incorporate reddish sand mixed with sticks, stones and possibly plants around the cardboard installation to bring more sense of place to the display, giving it also more body of visuals.
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Over the course of the weekend we are all going to experiment cutting out text in cardboard and practice shining the light through to see what effect it will have. I will also have sand, twigs and other outback like objects to bring to the next display.
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Our last display that we made was really successful because it brought a great sense of narrative, character and perception which relates to the book and the historical story itself. I think this new outcome will work just as well or even better with the use of combining text and sound to create a narrative.
Individual Experimentation With Text & Shadow
over the weekend, I have experimented with the idea of combing text and shadow together by cutting into card and shining light through it to create a installation piece that is shown on the wall.
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My first attempt at cutting text through card was a little tricky because my scalpel was quite blunt so it made cutting difficult. I also experimented with thicker and textured cardboard but soon realised that its very hard to cut through intricate letters as the card is thick and unpredictable.
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My second attempt was much more successful because i used thinner card. The text itself is my own handwritten type which has been slightly manipulated through the rigid shape of the cut and the bluntness of the blade. The bluntness can be seen slightly on the wall as the light is passed onto the shadow but i think this jagged and slightly rough appearance compliments the narrative of the story well through the character and grungy, cowboy like era in which reading and writing wasn't a necessity.
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Interestingly the text that is projected onto the wall has a somewhat 3D dimensional background type that changes position slightly when the angle from the light is moved. This was accidental but it gives the type a almost 3D illusion that seems like its jumping out of the wall.
Continuing my experimentation on the relation of type and shadow, I have cut out different type forms that appear to me as western, handwritten and somewhat grungy. Shining the light to create shadows is a really enjoyable and refreshing way to view type in a different way as you can manipulate the size and composition by just moving the torch around.
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The type forms that have stood out for me above are 2, 3 and 5 as they are all varied but have this strong, handwritten element. I will bring these type forms to the next meet up and show the rest of the group what they're thoughts on using handwritten or formed type and what would be most appropriate for the installation piece.
Christian Boltanski Research
Group Task: Meet Up & Display
Christian Boltanski is a contemporary french conceptual artist who is best known for his photographic installations. His work explores the concept of life, death, truth and fiction.
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This artists work is a great source of inspiration and influence for myself and the groups current project work on Ned Kelly because it carries elements of manipulating shadows to create different perspectives sizes and compositions within one installation.
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The difference between our work and Christian Boltanski's is that ours has this theme of interacting with the installation itself by having you as the viewer, create your own shadows and allow yourself to walk around the piece which hangs at different heights and positions.
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We have created our quote on half a page of A1 and cut out the text which Ned Kelly said before he was hung. To make the piece, we shone a light through a small version of the cut out and drew the shape of the shadows that landed onto the black card.
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This technique is very successful as its a quick and easy way to transfer form onto another piece but its hard to keep a steady hand and requires more than one person to help make it.
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Once we had our outline we gradually cut the text out of the card and stood it up, attaching feet to the bottom so it was more durable and stronger to stand on its own.
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As a group we discussed and favoured a particular type form that is handwritten but seems almost child like in shape. This is because people in the 1880s were not as skilled in reading and writing skills as we are today so, we wanted to make it also historically correct.
For the sound that is to relate to our installation piece, we have collectively decided to have the sounds of Irish folk singing as that is where Ned Kelly is from before he migrated to Australia. we were going to include gun sounds and noises of fighting but it was quite difficult to find sound that was appropriate and that related to the narrative and installation in time.
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Our group booked out projectors that could shine light onto the installation itself but when it came to putting this theory into practice, the brightness of the lights made little impact on the piece because the shadows were not distinct, strong as the light from the projectors took away this element..
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To find a solution to this problem, we collectively decided that we can make this installation a more interactive piece by having the audience view the work with torches by creating the shadows themself and thereby, finding there own perspective on Ned Kelly through the display.
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Feedback: The overall feedback that we received from our peers that viewed our installation was good. It seems that the audience are still confused about where the story is set but myself and the group do now longer consider this to be an issue as the installation is more focused on the character and perspective of Ned Kelly than anything else.
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We also had a comment that someone complained about our character, Ned Kelly as he is being hung. I can understand how some people may be taken back by this but without this crucial theme, we would lose the important narrative and idea of perspective and most likely would have to start this project again.
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Duration - Interaction - Activation Workshop
In preparation for our final installation that be exhibited and displayed at St Margerats Church in two weeks, We have reflected on our research, experimentation, discussion and production of our work so far.
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We will take these ideas and further develop them to refine the installation into a final interactive piece.
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We will also hold a presentation proposal to other peers in which we will describe what we have done so far,how we plan to refine our work for the final piece and gain feedback from others that are not familiar with the narrative.
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Group Discussion And Plan: Our plan for our mockup idea will hold many elements that we have already experimented, discussed and researched. We will further develop our installation by concentrating on how we will exhibit the piece and how it will be viewed interactively.
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Myself and the group feel that we defiantly need to keep the idea of perspective through exploring hanging shadows within text, character and objects.
Together we thought of ways to further develop our installation and one of the main ideas is the place the installation in a space that is made up into a room that you walk into. The space also needs to be quite big to fit the text, objects and room for three people to explore the piece in. Strips of hessian will also be placed on the outside of the installations room so when you walk through you are transported into a separate space.
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Another plan is cut out more famous quotes that Ned Kelly said throughout his life and the conflict between him and the police. These quotes will also be chosen carefully so the perception of the viewer is open to interpretation and conclusion.
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The choice of sound may be changed as during our last display, viewers were confused as to why there was Irish folk singing. We will change this by swapping the sound of singing to gun shots, horse hooves and distant shouting to signify the conflict that the narrative holds. We also may play with the idea of incorporating smell into our installation as people walk in. This could be quite difficult as certain smells are hard to find and there may be health and safety issues if we use things such as candles and incense.
Throughout the next few days we will go away, chose and cut out specific quotes and objects on A1 card for our mock up idea as well as other materials that we may need to set up. I will also research into sound and smells that we could incorporate.
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Researching Ned Kelly Quotes
I have researched a varied amount of famous quots that Ned Kelly said and other quotes which are said in the book itself.
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I have chose to include quotes that are about the conflict, discrimination and violence that Ned Kelly and his gang experienced.
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I want the choice of quotes that we chose as a group to be conflicting of one another so that the audience has a choice between making an opinion on Ned Kelly as a good person or bad. This again will bring a sense of different perspectives that the viewers have of him
Group Meet Up & Preparation For Presentation
I brought in my chosen quote and objects for the installation mock up for our presentation proposal. The quote is quite large and has been cut out in negative space whilst the horses have been cut out in positive space. This was accidental but i feel the contrast of both negative and postie space works well as its contrasting, like the perspective of Ned Kelly that people have of him.
Using the space we have repeatedly occupied for our displays, we assembled the installation by hanging quotes, character and objects are different levels. when it was hung, the card curved which was disappointing because it made the text hard to see when viewed at different angles. We used paper to hang from one side of the wall so it gives the illusion of the space that we would like to use when exhibiting. The hessian placed at the entrance was not the whole length we would like but it just gives the idea of visuals.
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Over the course of the way we decided that the cut out text could look more professional and crisp if it was lazer cut on black card. Both the quotes, character and object were transferred and remade on Adobe Illustrator so that it can be digitally cut.
We have had to come up with different solutions for cutting like this. We originally wanted to cut on foam board but the lazer would melt the card. This meant we could change to stronger black card that will not meant and curve so the text can be seen. We also had to manipulate some of the text letters digitally so that the laser wouldn't cut out the wrong space within the letters form. (e.g: letters a,b,e,d)
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Presenting Mock Up & Exhibition Proposal
The photos above are are a collection of the images that we took of our mock up exhibition for our presentation. The presentation went well as i feel myself and the group all spoke and explained well our journey throughout the current project and our proposal for the final exhibition installation. We described our proposal as an informal discussion with each other and our viewers. This was because we could bounce ideas and suggestions off each other easily and ask for feedback.
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As well as having a visual installation idea that the viewers could see, we also aided our presentation with a powerpoint of images that are to do with Ned Kelly himself and our experimental and developmental work on this project.
The image that is situated to the left of this text is a diagram that i initially came up with before our presentation. The illustrations are a visual diagram of how we want our installation to look from different angles, along with bullet points and notes beside that suggest ideas and reasons why we are incorporating certain ideas into practice.
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I feel that this illustrated diagram also complements the mock up installation because the different drawn angles bring a different perspective on how we want to arrange and build our piece.
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Feedback: The feedback that we got from our peers and lecturers was really positive and they seemed to really like our idea and the theme of interaction to find perspective through the shadows using torches.
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Some people really seemed to like the way the text was curved on the card that we hunhg for the installation proposal as it gave the piece more boy and curves. We felt that the curvature of the card was good in this respect but it would be harder for the shadows to be cast and the text to be seen.
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Another suggestion that was made was too experiment with the text being cut positively so the letters are all single. We have already contemplated this idea but we feel that, again, it would be more difficult to keep the letters together to make a readable quote. We have, in fact, cut out the objects positive to give the theme of more shape and relate this to the opposites in perspective of the narrative itself.
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We used the hessian as a walkway/door into the space of the installation so it brings the idea of stepping into the place and time of Ned Kelly. An thought that was suggested was to use bigger pieces of hessian and really give it a more informal and chaotic mood. We may take this suggestion on board because we too feel it needs more of a archway using Hessian and may incorporate it onto the floor that will be along with the sand, hay and sawdust.
Producing Lazer Cut Outs For Exhibition: In the afternoon, our group gathered in the studio to make our cut outs which will be lazer cut in a few days time on black mount board. We had to do this in advance because we only had a limited time to use the lazer cutter machine as it needs to be booked to be used during a specific time.
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On the right are the images that we created on Adobe Illustrator. the lines are thin so the lazer could read it and cut through it.
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The type form is a custom handwritten text that we found on a website called DaFont. It is handwritten because we wanted it to relate to the historical time when few people could read and write.
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We had to manipulate some letters and objects so that they cut out the right spaces. An example of this is the manipulation of the letter 'e' We changed it so the whole in the middle wasn't cut out positively along with the text. If we didn't do this then the text would be ruined and the shadows would in turn be different.
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Researching Sound, Smells & Interaction
Sound: Sound installation is a time based art form. its also a extension of a art installation in the sense that it includes elements of sound which can be external or internal in the installation itself.
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Foley Art: Foley is the reproduction of everyday objects to create sound effects for films, tv shows and even games.
Sound plays a important role in art installations as it brings mood, atmosphere and can be conveyed through sound effects, music ambient sounds and speaking.
In terms of incorporating sound into our installation piece on Ned Kelly, i feel we will really bring the narrative out through including effects into our piece. The past installations we have created have had mixed receptions as the viewers were confused as to why we had Irish folk singing in what appeared to be a western, cowboy piece of art.
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Its quite difficult to bring the theme of the Australian outback into what appears to be a western, cowboy installation. This is because people associate cowboys being western, Americans. We feel that sense of geographical location isn't an essential role in the particular narrative in the story that we are trying to convey. We are concentrating on the perception of Ned Kelly himself.
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I would really love to work in making foley sound effects for this project as it would be a new skill and experience to learn how to put these effects together. The other members of the group are more interested in finding found sounds as making effects by scratch may appear have lots of time involved.
We will concentrate on finding found sounds from online resources that will compliment our installation in a way that gives a sense of mood and atmosphere when you look around at the objects and text to make an opinion of Ned Kelly. This will be of horses running, hooves, gun shots and yelling.
Smell: Smell in a installation piece can also be a great incentive to bring sense of mood and feeling to the piece.
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The image next to this text is a smell installation by florist, Mark Colle. He has covered the entire exhibition space in different flowers. This is a fantastic example of a smelling installation as its purpose is to overwhelm the audience of natural smells of plants in a positive way.
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As far as our installation piece goes, we want to incorporate smell to give mood and sense of place as you walk into the installation and explore its contents which will compliment the visuals and sound that we plan to involve into the piece.
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We will look into natural and man made scents that are associated with places like the scrubs, outback, stables and shacks. This will relate to the geographical location of the narrative. This will include hay, straw, wood, bark, burning and possibly scented candles with musky smells.
'Belgium Flowers' by Mark Colle
Interaction: Interactive installations are also art forms which involves the spectator to interact with the piece to determine an outcome. Some interactive installations allow the spectator to walk in while others want the spectator to become part of the artwork.
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The images on the right are from a interactive installation called 'Measuring The Universe' by Roman Ondak. This piece involves the spectators to measure themselves and write on the wall their names and ages. I really love this idea of involving the audience in a way which makes them think about each other globally and this piece really shows that well. Its also helping to connect people to be part of the artwork itself.
I love the theme of interacting spectators to be involved with pieces of art and i feel the idea of having viewers create there own shadows on our installation to build up a perspective of the character will really work well visually and narritively.
'Measuring The Universe' by Roman Ondak
Lazer Cut Outs: During the morning we went to the print lab to cut out our ready made lazer cut outs for the exhibition. I feel we were very organised with this because if we left it any later it could have not be printed in time due to the booked up spaces for the lazer cutter machine.
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We had the pieces cut on black mount board which was double sided and on A1 so they were quite large. The cut outs are also much stronger as opposed to the weaker card we cut out on for our mock up.
Working With Allocated Space: Myself and the group arranged to meet at the exhibition venue, St Margarets Church Of Art so we could begin to think and set up our exhibition in our allocated space inside the church itself.
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The space that was allocated for us wasn't what we had in mind and some members of the group were quite discouraged by this. This was because we wanted to have a square space where the spectators could actually walk into and instead it was quite open and not as enclosed as we imagined it to be.
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The lecturers chose to have our space open both sides so that it was easy and accessible for spectators to walk in and flow through the exhibition to the next one. it was also one of the darkest spaces in the venue which would be appropriate for our work as we need the darkness to create light and shadows. We were also told that the hessian might not be a good idea as it again may stop being walking through at a appropiate flow.
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Although it wasn't what we had in mind, I personally could see what the potential of what we could do with our space we were given. I can also understand and respect why the lecturers chose to have the installation as a flow through space because if it did have walls either side it would stop the flow of people moving through the venue and cause traffic.
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Exhibition Week - Day 1
Solutions & Compromises: As a group we walked around our allocated space for the exhibition and after contemplating and discussing what we could possibly do to make our installation work, we drew a illustrated birds eye view of the space.
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Entrances/Exits: These spaces are going to be where spectators can walk into and out of the space both ways. This is to keep the flow of people moving in and out of different spaces. This idea will also allow people to walk in and out of the objects and text that we have created to make there own shadows.
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Exhibition Week - Day 2
Twine Ceiling & Eyelets: Our plan was to originally have plinths of wood or a ceiling to make the room more enclosed but because of health and safety restrictions we had to compromise with this idea and work on a suitable solution. Our idea was to have rows of twine attached to eyelets on the edges of the installation space.The more we attach rows of twine at different levels and heights the more enclosed it will feel. The idea is to have the chosen twine elevated in a chaotic and messy style so that it reflects the chaotic story of Ned Kelly himself through his life. We feel that the twine will also give a somewhat old fashioned and grungy appearance which will compliment the installation.
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Fire Exit: The fire exit will be situated at the back corner of our installation. we will keep this areas relatively clear so in case of a emergency, people can escape safely.
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Hay/Sawdust/Sand Flooring: the wooden, aged flooring will be spread with extracts of hay, sawdust and sand to bring a sense of place into the installation. It will be a health and safety issue to have live scented candles around the installation so we aim to also have the hay/sawdust to bring a outdoor smell to the piece. Most of the hay, sawdust and sand will be situated around the edges of the installation so it still has a sense of a walkway through the exhibit. Underneath the hay and sawdust will be a sheet so its easy to clear away after the exhibition.
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Church Coffin: On the church coffin will be more hay and sawdust spread around it. This will be to bring the coffin more into the mood of the piece and not to isolate it visually. The music player will also be situated on the coffin but hidden underneath layers of hay so it it cant be seen but be heard. If the music player is seen it may take away the illusion of the sounds being real.
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Bench: The bench will be at the edge of the exhibition entrance/exit. On top of the bench itself will be a bucket which will hold the torches inside for the spectators to pick up.
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Exhibition Setup: With our solutions and compromises resolved, we began to build our exhibition piece starting with the twine ceiling.
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The video to the right is a time lapse i made of us setting up parts of the exhibition. Unfortunately some of the content was lost while editing but the video clearly shows us working together to build our twine ceiling which the text and objects will hang from.
This process took about 4 hours to make because there was a lot of thinking and designing involved into installing it. We wanted the placements of everything to compliment and contrast each other visually and narratively.
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Below are images taken of our work during and after our completion of the installation.
When we finished setting up the installation, we quickly tested the space by casting shadows on the objects and text. The lazer cut was a really good choice of technique to use as the cuts are very precise and crisp which also allow a precise shadow to be cast. I do not think we would have got this finish if we did the cuts by hand.
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Following up from our mock up installation, we again hung the pieces at different levels and heights so it allows people to fully walk around the installation space and cast shadows at different angles. As well has cutting out positive shapes for the objects we also hung the negative cut outs which will also reflect the 'good' & 'bad' opposite Ned Kelly perception we are showing.
I feel that we have worked really well as a group to build up our exhibition installation as we have been very organised in getting tasks and materials ready on time to set up. It hasn't felt stressful but very rewarding and enjoyable instead.
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Exhibition Week - Day 3
Designing Exhibition Booklet: Along with our installation space, we have been told to produce a interpretation booklet of our works group which will be used at the exhibition for viewers to pick up and read. The images on the right show us discussing and designing our booklet which viewers will pick up when they arrive at the venue.
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The front and back include the title, authors name and images which will work as a back and front cover for the booklet.
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Inside the spread will be the description of our work, opening type to our novel, images and the names of each person in our group.
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The booklet will be reproduced in black and white so its crucial to think about monochrome designing.
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Front Cover: Our front cover is a photograph taken of Ned Kelly's character himself situated in the middle of the exhibition as you walk in. We took the photo primarily from the installation space as we feel this represented the story we wanted to give to the viewer. Its also very simple and bold which stands out in black and white printing.
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The font type on the front cover is the same handwritten type that is used for the quotes in the installation itself. The text flows down vertically the silhouette of Ned Kelly himself and behind the text is a subtle shadow to try and recreate the shadow response that is created when a light is shone onto thew installation space. This is to give the spectators a subtle idea to what to do when entering the space and to also relate the booklet to the exhibition space itself.
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Back Cover: The type at the back features the information for the venue. It is centralised and also has a different type font to the title page. This is because we wanted the text to be again, handwritten but more formal and informative.
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Above the informative text are social media hashtags to follow the exhibition online. The hashtags are designed in a way that they reflect the style of the installation itself by following the same visual design structure as the quotes and objects that are also hung like this in the installation with cut out words and objects hung by twine. There are also digital shadows cast behind the hashtag designs to again, indicate the shadows cast on the actual installation.
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Left Inside Page: The first piece of text is as descriptive centralised paragraph which is taken by the authors book at the scene where Ned Kelly had this last fight off with the police before he was hung. We have again used more informative and clear text than the title
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Below is a image that we took of one of our first experimental pieces that ultimately gave us the idea of casting shadows and layering with the shadows cast.
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At the bottom of the page is two of the groups names which are in the same unique font type that is used in the installation itself. Following the theme of shadows, the names also have digital shadows cast on them.
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Right Inside Page: the descriptive text at the top of the page is again centralised and describes what the installation space is about and how to interact with it.
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The middle of the page are two more developmental images we took when experimenting further with shadow responses leading up to our final piece.
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Again the bottom of the page has two more names of people in the group with the same shadow and text style to the ones on the next.
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I really am happy with the outcome of this booklet as it is simple, bold, informative and relates appropriately to the installation itself through the narrative and visual deign that we have manipulated and incorporated. We have worked in mind with the outcome of the booklet and contemplated that it will be printed in black and white so we have worked with this theme.
Finalising Installation Space: The photos to the right are of the sand, hay and sawdust that we spread around the floor of our installation space. Most of these floor materials are situated around the edges of the space so that there is still a obvious and safe pathway through the installation where the wooden church flooring is purposely shown.
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The meaning behind this was too add natural smell to the space and bring sense of place and mood to the installation as spectators make their way through it.
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We made extra use of our space by placing the large bucket at the entrance of the installation space on top of a church bench and horse shoe to bring more sense of place to the scene we wanted to create. This will hold the torches inside for spectators to pick up.
Sound Effects: We found it quite difficult to find single and appropriate sounds effects that we could incorporate into our exhibition that reflects the life of Ned Kelly. This was because it was difficult to find life like and realistic sounds through different resources.
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Thinking that we might have had to abandon the idea of incorporating sounds into our piece, I suddenly suggested to record myself playing a cowboy game that includes the sounds that we were after. these included horse hooves, horse neighs, shouting, shooting, birds sqwarking, dogs barking and general outdoor nature sounds.
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That evening i recorded myself playing the game through a high quality microphone and edited out the american accents that pop up occasionally. I deleted the sections of american talking because it diverts the theme back to american cowboys as opposed to Australian cowboys.
Above is the sound effects that i edited and rendered for our groups exhibition space. I put the sounds on loop 3 times so that the soundtrack lasts longer to be more realistic. The sounds will be played off of a Bluetooth wireless speaker set which will be hidden under and amongst the hay that is situated on the church coffin. This is so that it is hidden but the sound can be played clearly and circulates the room.
Exhibition Evening
Because our group completed all of our tasks and preparations for the exhibition we didn't show up until the evening when the venue was open to the public to come in and view our work. We took it in turns to play the sound effects off the phone while we looked around and other peers work.
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Below are photos i took from our exhibition.
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Feedback & Thoughts: While at the exhibition myself, i wanted to hear what other peers and the general public thought about our installation piece and watch how they reacted to the piece and engaged with it. Documenting the way people perceive and react to the work is good for understanding ways in which i get others opinions and other ways in which i could do things.
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viewers and spectators made there way into our groups installation piece by either entrances and exits which gave a nice and regular flow round the space into others works situated around the venue. People would stop and take a torch from the bucket provided inside the edge of the space to explore the shadows.
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If the space had been quiet for a few minutes and someone would come in without reading the information, they would not realise to pick up the torches to explore the shadows around the piece. This is when we decided as a group to occasionally go into the space itself and cast shadows to show unknown spectators what to do.
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The general reactions that we got from the spectators when casting shadows was really positive as people really enjoyed playing with the angles , heights and compositions of different and layered shadows when they were cast around the length of the space of the installation.
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If we were to do the installation again i feel we could have improved by possibly using brighter and more powerful torches for people to use as some people didn't like the fact that the light was quite dim and would turn to use there torches on there phones which are much brighter and cast a stronger, crisp shadow.
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I feel that we could have also had a more powerful and louder sound system to use for our installation as the sound got occasionally lost from noises by other installations and general indistinct voices of the venue. If we had longer i would consider making sounds as opposed to finding them as this could be a new way of working with a new medium and creating own sounds from scratch.
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Overall I am really happy with our final outcome of our exhibition piece as it has been well thought out narrtively and visually with great feedback and responses from others.
"What & Why?" - Details Of Work
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Below I have written in more detail the reasons and ideas that myself and the group had in mind when creating out exhibition installation space.
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Quotes:
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The quotes are hung on half A1 black mount board which are durable and strong but light enough to be hung from the twine ceiling.
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The quotes are cut negatively because they hang because and create a stronger shadow with the black board as a strong, bold border.
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The text forms are designed in a handwritten type form which have all been lazer cut straight onto the card.
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They are in a handwritten type form as they signify the historical accuracy where few people could read or write normally.
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Some letters (e.g.: e, p,b) have all been slightly manipulated so that they're middle forms are not cut out positively.
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All the quotes featured in the exhibition are what Ned Kelly said in Peter Carey's book and in real life. These opposing quotes have been chosen to let the spectator chose there own perception of Ned Kelly while casting shadows on them at different angles and sizes.
Ned Kelly Character:
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The size of this character of Ned Kelly is half the size of a A1 sheet of card and is lazer cut on black mount board.
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Ned is situated at the centre of the installation in front of a white corned wall to attract the most attention to this piece as the narrative is situated around his story.
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He is hung by thick rope as if he wore a nouse. This is because after he committed his crimes he was sentenced to death by hanging.
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The shadows are shone behind him on the white wall and when the light torch is moved, so does the proportions of the shadows.
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Ned is a silhouette because we wanted to focus more on the story of him and perception you get rather than what he was dressed as.
Positive & Negative Cut Objects:
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The objects have been cut to different shapes to give more size and variety to the installation.
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The positive and negative duplicate cut outs are displayed so that the opposites relate to the good and bad perception of Ned Kelly and his story.
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The Positive cut outs are hung as if they are being tied up or hung in a nouse so they visually relate to Ned Kellys antics and what ultimately happened to him. (e.g: Neds first crime was a sealing a horse)
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They are all double tied so that they stand out more than the twine ceiling and have extra strength.
Flooring:
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The floor is situated with spread out hay/sawdust and red sand to indicate sense of place.
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The hay and sawdust were also added to give a natural smell of musk.
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Upon entering, there is a bucket which is signifys Ned Kellys bucket armour that he wore on his head with his last stand off with the police before he was hung.
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Inside the bucket is fabric of hessian to match the historical time and torches for the audience to pick up upon arrival to the space.
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The wooden flooring of the church can be seen under the hay and sawdust and this fits quite nicely into the installation because it indicates a inside location that is similer to where Ned Kelly would be and the materials that were used in that time of era.
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The horseshoe and wooden stool are found objects that bring a better sense of place into the installation.
Twine Ceiling:
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The ceiling is made up of twine that spreads around the top length of the space and is hung is different angles and directions.
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The corners of the space have more build up of twine to make the installation feel more enclosed to give the feel as though you are walking into a room.
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It is also placed in a messy style to signify Ned Kellys chaotic lifestyle and it gives the impression of all the hung objects, character and quotes to relate to one another and ultimetly being Ned Kellys end in life.
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eyelets are placed in different heights and places around the edges of the installation for the twine to go through and be strongly pulled in different directions.
Project Evaluation
For my second project in Year 2, The brief i had been set was to focus on the exploration of classic fiction in playful, collaborative and experimental ways.
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To start off this project, I was arranged into a group of 4 others to work on the brief was it is to focus on professional and collaborative work. I was a little sceptical with working in a group because i am naturally introverted and thought i would find it difficult to be comfortable enough to work effectively to my potential.
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The book myself and my group were given is a book by author Peter Carey called True History Of The Kelly Gang. The book is based on the story of an Australian folklore hero, Ned Kelly from the 1880s.
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The first impression i got from this book was negative at first because it didn't seem to be a book i would personally be interested in, especially being a biography about someone historical. Upon primarily researching basic information on the book and its main character, Ned Kelly, we collectively as a group decided to base the book on the perception of Ned Kelly himself.
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We chose this because people even today have mixed opinions about this historical and cultural figure. Some say he is a murderer and criminal while others consider him a Australian Robin Hood.
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Focusing on the perception theme of Ned Kelly, with my group, we began to experiment ways to visually show this theme of perception through workshops and tasks set to us. These main tasks were set weekly and involved developing and experimenting with our theme to manipulate them into playful outcomes that met the different briefs.
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One of the examples of this is the first display that we produced focusing on the initial research and ideas we collected when we were first placed into groups. The display that we made for this first workshop was a mobile installation which had found and handmade objects relating to the Ned Kelly story, hanging from the ceiling at different heights and lengths.
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Towards the end of displaying this piece, while we were playing around with the shadow responses that were shone from the lamp, one of us shone another light from our phones which created layered shadows that moved when we did. The idea of interacting with the installation could be a possibility of involving spectators to find and create there own shadows and narratively deciding there own perception of Ned Kelly through this interaction response.
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A big influence for my work on this project is a conceptual artist called Christian Boltanski who is best known for his photographic installations. His work has been a great source of inspiration for our Ned Kelly work because it also carries elements of manipulating and casting shadows in a large space with different perspectives in size, angle, perception and composition.
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Our development and experimentation methods have been very strong as they continuesly maintain the relationship between the narrative and visual language we are trying to convey. An example of this was our final piece which was exhibited at our ReStory Exhibition at St Maragrets Church Of Art.
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Everything visually about our space reflected the story of Ned Kelly. The way the twine ceiling was constructed in a messy style had meaning of reflecting Ned Kellys chaotic lifestyle through to his death. The hanging quotes and objects situated around Ned Kellys character related to things he said and did. The cow represents the herd of cattle him and his gang stole while the guns signify the discrimination and violence he and his family had with the police.
The cuts were cut out positively and negatively to oppose each other and suggest 'good' and 'bad' motifs, situations and perceptions linking with Ned. Ultimately these things give the audience free will to decide there own perception of him.
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For this project and the tasks in it, myself and my group have generally used the same or similar materials and techniques. This is because we wanted to carry on a reoccurring theme of perception character and place. We originally were going to work with 3D objects which were handmade or found but when developing and experimenting we naturally turned to 2D work which ultimately turned to cut outs. This is because hey seemed to cast stronger shadows which also hung appropriately when exhibited and displayed.
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While using methods, materials and developing them, i have gained better experiencing and understanding For example, I have never produced work for the lazer cutter machine so this way of cutting and producing work has opened my mind more to new possibilities of working in new and exciting ways for future projects. Working with a group of people has also helped me gain more confidence in suggesting ideas, time management, organisation skills and generally communicating with others in a artistic and creative way.
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If i was to do thus project again with my group, i would suggest us to find a better and louder sound system to for exhibition installation because it seemed to be drowned out by other groups work and the general noise of the venue. Another theme we could have gone down was using better torches as the ones used for the exhibition were quite dim so it made some spectators revert back to using flashlights on their phones.
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Overall, this project has taught me alot about working and collaborating with others on a professional, friendly way to produce a piece for a exhibition. It has also taught me more about thinking of producing a exhibition space and having to make compromises and solutions where appropriate to do so to make the best possible outcome.
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I really enjoyed working with a group that was open to ideas, opinions and suggestions in producing a final piece that was strong in narrative ans visual language relating to the book and character. Working with installation art isn't really a medium i am confident in as i tend to favour working in 2D, but this has opened my mind to thinking more extensively about illustration in a broader sense and incorporating other aspects of art into it such film, sound and type.
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Review & Feedback
The photograph to the right is my feedback form that i received after a review with my lecturer about my projects for this year in general.
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I feel that my projects so far have been narratively strong and well received by my lecturers which has given me more confidence in showing my work and ideas to others.
My online blog has also proven to be well organised and composed in a simple but interesting fashion. I feel i have made a good balance between writing and images on this blog and will continue to keep it in this structured way that is readable and informative to the audience.
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Areas Of Future Work:
During my review i also discussed my work in general and was suggested areas of future techniques, mediums and experiments that i can do that can incorporate into future projects.
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I enjoy researching deeply into themes and this can be seen strongly throughout my projects so far in this blog and pieces of work. I feel researching is a important part of learning about themes and storytelling.
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Complicated Images: As an illustrator, i am very meticulous and have a love for detail and indepth pieces of art. I was suggested that i could trace over complex images and try to bring out as much detail as i can of the image. I will take this idea into practice for personal and project work as i feel it will help me distinguish more detail within themes.
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Printmaking: I would like to experiment more with printmaking in the future including mono printing, lino printing and possibly having another go at screen printing.
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When i first worked with screen printing, i felt the process was very time consuming and complicated in just preparing the screen itself and this has put my off the idea of printing in this way but in the future i may give it another go and see if my opinion on the technique is still the same.
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Reflecting Through Blog: I feel that i am quite good at reflecting my work and processes through my blog with regular updates, images and informative writing that goes alongside my pieces. The blog has been a really good platform to go back and look at past work to reflect and summarise.
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Thinking About Audience: Since this current project (project 2), I feel that i am more in tune about thinking of an audiences view of my work and other artists in general.
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In the future, i would like to work more closely with audience interaction and participation within my illustrative works this is important in storytelling themes and giving the audience an opinion and perspective of a piece.
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Critical Friend: It was suggested to me that to get other peoples ideas and opinions on my work, i should consult in others be that other illustrators, friends or family.
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At home i attend a illustrators meet up where i show my projects to others in the industry and this helps me gain better insight from others that are experienced.