No title as of yet!
Abstract
As an illustrator I have always been interested in using a variety of materials in my work and creating imagery from materials that can be found around the home, in addition to this I have a particular interest in the use of light as a creative material. The report I plan to undertake will embody both of these principles and be an exploration of a material (light) in practice and on a budget.
So far the majority of artists working with light which I have looked at have created work with either expensive materials or on a large scale, as a student you have to use materials creatively as you don’t have a great deal of money to spend on resources and expensive equipment therefore you have to use what you have access to, to best effect. Therefore in my report I plan to investigate how it is possible to work with light on a small scale (eg working just in a bedroom) and how it can be done on a tight budget.
Through carrying out my report I aim to broaden my knowledge and experience of working with light for creative and aesthetic illustrative purposes and hopefully inform and inspire others to do the same. The target audience for my presentation will be other students/designers/illustrators and this will be reflected in the tone of the presentation which whilst remaining informative, like a kind of public information film, will have an informal tone and playful aesthetic.
Because of the nature of light as a material it makes sense to make the format of the report be something that can be projected, like an animation or film rather than something tactile and paper based. The presentation style will also reflect the ethos of the experiments carried out eg it will be done in a low-tech manner (handmade, animation, all made in the bedroom style etc).
Sections:
The report will be broken up into two main parts: the first half will provide scientific and historical grounding and the second half will explore practical application.
What is light?
In the first section of the presentation I will give a very brief introduction to light in scientific terms and cover some basic principles of how light behaves when it interacts with different substances and surfaces- reflection, refraction etc. I will not go into any complicated science keeping things simple and presenting this information in a playful and engaging manner illustrating the ideas through animation.
History of a material: Who has worked with light and how?
In the next section I will give an overview of creative practitioners who have worked with light from the past right up to the present, highlighting individuals and or movements that can be regarded as pioneering. I aim to present this historical context in the format of an animated timeline sequence.
Experiments:
The practical section of my report will consist of the documentation of my own creative visual experiments with light. The way I present this information will take a similar form to the write up of a scientific experiment, by this I mean I will break up each visual experiment into the following sections: equipment used, location of the experiment, methods used, observation and results.
Conclusion
The final part of the presentation will be a summation of the points raised throughout and discuss how the experiments have (hopefully!) shown what can be achieved working with light and on a tight budget.
Action Plan
- Research the science behind light, select relevant important information that can be included in the presentation, consider how I can dissect the facts and present them visually and in an engaging manner.
- Carry out more in depth research into practitioners working with light so I can construct a ‘timeline’ and select a number of notable movements and pioneering artists/designers who have worked with light that can be used as key examples/case studies
- Research ideas for my experiments
- Define a budget for my project and through further investigation establish how many experiments I plan to undertake.
- Source any equipment I need as cheaply as possible, eg, charity shops, ebay, gumtree
- Carry out my experiments and record the relevant information and results.
- Look at examples of public information films to inspire and inform the format of my presentation/animation/film- The National Archives ‘Public information films’, National Film Board of Canada, and also work that has been produced on a small budget eg Oliver Postgate
Bibliography:
Books
Light and Vision, Conrad G Mueller & mae Rudolph, Time Life International, 1972
Artificial Light: New Light-based Sculpture and Installation Art, John B Ravenal, Anderson Gallery, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2008
The Art of Light and Space, Jan Butterfield, Abbeville Press, 1996
Websites
http://science.howstuffworks.com/optics-channel.htm (accessed 08/07/09)
http://science.howstuffworks.com/light.htm (accessed 08/07/09)
http://ltc.smm.org/artandscience (accessed 08/07/09)
http://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/iconlight.html (accessed 08/07/09)
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O5-Lightart.html (accessed 09/07/09)
http://vizproto.prism.asu.edu/classes/sp04/young_k/jamesturrell.html (09/07/09)
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/films/ (accessed 12/07/09)
Films
Imagine: Let there be light, presented by Alan Yentob (DVD recording) BBC 1, 2008
Hi Anna,
ReplyDeleteWatch some of your sentences – they’re too long. Also avoid unnecessary filler words like ‘Therefore’.
Your proposal sounds very practical and fun – try and ensure that it doesn’t come across too self-indulgent and personal – you need to strike a balance between reporting your personal findings and offering the information you’ve discovered as a result to the readers and as you say inspire others to do the same.
Apart from that – I think it looks fine – maybe go into a few examples of what you think the experiments may involve?
I think the final report could have chapters that embed the history and examples of other’s practice amongst your own experiments. There’s no real need to separate everything as long as it reads clearly.
drn
Hi Anna,
ReplyDeleteThis is looking good. Well done. Your plan seems sensible and there is a clear flow through the chapters. I like the idea of the format being sthg to be projected – this will evolve.
As will a title probably – but you do need one for the proposal submission on Friday. Even if it changes later on. What about sthg simple like: ‘An investigation into the use of light in illustration’.
You need to reposition the way you have written the proposal so that it comes across more professionally and less about your own personal interest in the subject. This is a matter of going through it with a fine toothcomb, identifying areas where you have used ‘I’ and changing the sense so that it reads more neutrally. E.g:
‘Light has been utilised as a creative material since humans starting creating art [maybe reference an early eg?]. As a medium in itself it is commonly associated with expensive procedures and work created on a large scale.
This report will explore how light is used in illustration practice, and will propose practical solutions to illustrators working on a budget.’
Have you seen anything by The Paper Cinema? Check them out for inspiration for your experiments: http://www.thepapercinema.com/
Catherine