Written Component 4
Reflecting on your coursework in the first half of Unit 2, answer some/most/all of the following questions: How has your original position changed as a result of your further work? Where have holes or gaps appeared in your research, and how do you expect to fill them in future work? What existing networks of knowledge do you have access to that could reinforce your practice? How do you want to use the summer break to keep momentum going in your project?
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Over the last six weeks (from the 100 Screengrabs project to the Visual Essay) my work mainly focused on one specific area of research. I have divided my project into smaller studio-based experiments that altogether structured my investigative journey into the interpretation of diagrams. This helped me come closer to my initial aim → to explore how people shape an interpretation/ story when looking at diagrams consisting of simple elements such as shapes, arrows and lines, and how each element works.
The abstraction of working without a specific context/subject and the as open as possible room for interpretation really intrigued me, wanted to explore the factors that contribute to this. Following an iterative process, I have created more than 150 iterations, interrogating storytelling through
the exploitation of diagrams as a medium of communication. My position was developed based
on the references I have found throughout my research. These changed the way of approaching my project, challenging me to explore areas that are associated with my position as well as to experiment with other elements/media in some of my iterations.
The first main reference of my project, Ways of Seeing by John Berger (2008) helped me understand better how we perceive an artwork. Factors such as our knowledge, experiences and beliefs play a significant role in this, leading me to the ways of thinking which are very relatable to the process the viewer follows in order to shape an interpretation. My visual essay shows examples of my process combining visuals, written text and sound, embracing a collective conversation that challenges the viewer to follow a holistic approach.
Focusing on the non-linear way of thinking led me to my second main reference which is Ricardo Basbaum’s artistic practice Diagrams, 1994 – ongoing (2016). His approach introduced to me three things; the creation of ‘spaces’ and stories through diagrams, the source/inspiration behind the diagrams and the scale/presentation of the work that influences the way the viewer interprets. Considering the size/scale of the diagrams I design, a 3D format such as an installation, would be an interesting future step in my work and research. It would be compelling to explore how interpretation changes when a diagram can be ‘physically’ interacted with.
Furthermore, focusing only on my initial enquiry, I have intentionally decided for this term not to have a specific subject behind my work. This might be a conscious gap in my research that I would like to explore in my future work. A possible direction could be the study of a specific topic through diagrams. Additionally, after creating the one-page book to see how the readers engage with a printed piece of work, I have observed again that behind each story/interpretation, shaped out of the diagrams, there is a hidden imaginative image (different for each viewer). The following questions occurred: How an actual image can coexist with a diagram? Which is their relationship and how one interacts with the other? What stories occur? This could also be an interesting direction for future development of this project. A collection of images will give context to my work, and through this I will be able to explore a topic/question as well.
During the final week of this unit, I have started exploring the above questions, creating some initial iterations using different images along with the same diagram. I would like to continue experimenting with combining diagrams and other media (images, text, etc.), and explore various subjects during the summer break in order to choose a topic that interests me. In addition, the photography project Same, Same But Different by Max Siedentopf (2020) where photographers from all over the world use the same concept behind their photographs, but each one approaches it differently, inspired me to explore more this way of working. This could be a series of images around the same or different subject/concept in combination to the diagrammatic method (that I already started developing) in order to share a story/concern.
In conclusion, besides my study on diagrams, storytelling is always part of my practice, functioning as a connecting point in my whole research. I would like to search for more artists whose work engages with something similar to my area of interest. This will help me decide how I want to develop my position during the next term and choose my next direction.
Reference List
Basbaum, R. (2016) Diagrams, 1994 – ongoing. Berlin: Errant Bodies Press. Available at: https://www. errantbodies.org/Basbaum.html (Accessed: 21 May 2021).
Berger, J. (2008) Ways of seeing. UK: Penguin Modern Classics, pp. 8-9.
Groves, K.S. and Vance, C.M. (2015) ‘Linear and nonlinear thinking: A multidimensional model and measure’, in The Journal of Creative Behavior, 49(2), pp. 112-113.
Siedentopf, M. (2020) Same, Same But Different. Available at: http://maxsiedentopf.com/same-same- but-different (Accessed: 22 May 2021).