WEDNESDAY 25TH FEBRUARY 2009
Gellan and Emma from Thinking Juice in Bournemouth came in this afternoon to speak to us about Portfolios. It was really useful - I think I have a clear idea now of what I will and won't put in mine. I asked a few questions that I needed answers to, its nice to feel reassured about a few things that I was worried about. Its so hard to decide how to tackle your portfolio, when on this course, we do a little bit of everything, and naturally you are better at some things than others, and so don't want to put everything in your portfolio. This can create a problem of it feeling a bit bare and like there isn't much in there to show. But the things Gellan and Emma said were really useful and gave me a better understanding of what people in industry will expect to see, and what they will think of certain things. Asking our lecturers is useful as well, but its invaluable to get an honest and 'real world' opinion from industry professionals.
Showing posts with label Personal Development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal Development. Show all posts
How today went...
MONDAY 19TH JANUARY 2009
Well today I had a really good day! I have finally got my site on track - the gallery is working just fine (simple but what I wanted). I spent today loading galleries and their images onto each project page. I have a couple left to do. Apart from that it is just a case of creating the 'project description' images and loading them on, then I am done!
The further my site gets, the more I think I should have gone with my gut instinct and done it with a white background. I love sites with a white background - they look really nice and I feel it suits my work.
I think that once this site is finished, which won't be long now, I am going to re-create the same thing with a white background - it will just be a case of changing the image buttons and re-loading, and then changing the background.
Tomorrow I have a good idea of what I need to do and should be finished by the end of the day and then I can tidy up my sketchbook ready for the deadline. I have been working in it as I go along, there are just a few bits of paper and things that need sticking in.
It is the Course Board meeting tomorrow at 2pm. Me, Luke and Nick are doing it. Luke and I handed out some questionnaires to everyone in our year. We got loads of feedback so we will have lots to discuss at the meeting!
I will update tomorrow!
Well today I had a really good day! I have finally got my site on track - the gallery is working just fine (simple but what I wanted). I spent today loading galleries and their images onto each project page. I have a couple left to do. Apart from that it is just a case of creating the 'project description' images and loading them on, then I am done!
The further my site gets, the more I think I should have gone with my gut instinct and done it with a white background. I love sites with a white background - they look really nice and I feel it suits my work.
I think that once this site is finished, which won't be long now, I am going to re-create the same thing with a white background - it will just be a case of changing the image buttons and re-loading, and then changing the background.
Tomorrow I have a good idea of what I need to do and should be finished by the end of the day and then I can tidy up my sketchbook ready for the deadline. I have been working in it as I go along, there are just a few bits of paper and things that need sticking in.
It is the Course Board meeting tomorrow at 2pm. Me, Luke and Nick are doing it. Luke and I handed out some questionnaires to everyone in our year. We got loads of feedback so we will have lots to discuss at the meeting!
I will update tomorrow!
PAL
MONDAY 12TH JANUARY 2009
We had the first PAL session of the year this morning. It was decided that the groups would remain as they are for the timebeing and anyone who desparately wants to change groups has to let Kit know.
We organised a crit of the first years Amnesty projects today. Mainly focusing on concept and copy. The session went really well, everyone was involved and contributing which was great! I think they really got some useful feedback and opinions. It was their last session before their hand in so we wanted to make sure they made good use of the session. I think the fact that it was a small group of 14 meant that everyone was comfortable speaking and voicing their thoughts. Personally I think our PAL group has gelled really well and everyone seems to be putting a lot in, which means they get a lot out of it.
After PAL we were given our feedback from last term. The feedback sheets are anonymous. I was really chuffed (I couldn't think of a better word) to see that our feedback was really positive and everyone seemed to be happy with the sessions and us as PAL leaders. I think the fact that we now know they are getting something out of the sessions is good. We also know a few things now that they prefer doing and also what their favourite sessions have been so far and what they find most beneficial. We are going to be going over Flash next session (2 weeks time as they are now fortnightly) - their next brief is screen based and it is the same as ours was last year, Statistics. From the feedback they all found it useful to see our work, so we will bring in our sketchbooks for this projects and our animations.
We had the first PAL session of the year this morning. It was decided that the groups would remain as they are for the timebeing and anyone who desparately wants to change groups has to let Kit know.
We organised a crit of the first years Amnesty projects today. Mainly focusing on concept and copy. The session went really well, everyone was involved and contributing which was great! I think they really got some useful feedback and opinions. It was their last session before their hand in so we wanted to make sure they made good use of the session. I think the fact that it was a small group of 14 meant that everyone was comfortable speaking and voicing their thoughts. Personally I think our PAL group has gelled really well and everyone seems to be putting a lot in, which means they get a lot out of it.
After PAL we were given our feedback from last term. The feedback sheets are anonymous. I was really chuffed (I couldn't think of a better word) to see that our feedback was really positive and everyone seemed to be happy with the sessions and us as PAL leaders. I think the fact that we now know they are getting something out of the sessions is good. We also know a few things now that they prefer doing and also what their favourite sessions have been so far and what they find most beneficial. We are going to be going over Flash next session (2 weeks time as they are now fortnightly) - their next brief is screen based and it is the same as ours was last year, Statistics. From the feedback they all found it useful to see our work, so we will bring in our sketchbooks for this projects and our animations.
Hand Made Notebook
THURSDAY 8TH JANUARY 2009
I had a lot of scrap paper lying around that had writing on one side, and nothing on the other. It seemed a shame to throw it away so I have been saving it up to make a notebook out of ... which I have now done. I used scrap bits of graph paper, plain paper, lined paper, tracing paper [i folded the tracing paper and put bits of magazine in between so that you could no longer see through it so it can be written on], old letters and fliers etc.
I folded the paper so that the writing was on the inside, and then bound them in signatures, which I then stitched together and made into a book.
Here are some pictures:
I had a lot of scrap paper lying around that had writing on one side, and nothing on the other. It seemed a shame to throw it away so I have been saving it up to make a notebook out of ... which I have now done. I used scrap bits of graph paper, plain paper, lined paper, tracing paper [i folded the tracing paper and put bits of magazine in between so that you could no longer see through it so it can be written on], old letters and fliers etc.
I folded the paper so that the writing was on the inside, and then bound them in signatures, which I then stitched together and made into a book.
Here are some pictures:
ISTD Competition Briefs
THURSDAY 27TH NOVEMBER 2008
I have just learnt how to add the Lightbox Application to my blog - thanks to Dan Hodson :o) hosted by Lewis Bullock - thank you guys :o)
Here are the ISTD guidelines and the briefs that I looked at:
I have decided to go with the 'Three Minutes' brief. I think it has a lot of scope and could be interesting. My aim this week is to get an idea sorted and plenty of research done ready for next week.
I have just learnt how to add the Lightbox Application to my blog - thanks to Dan Hodson :o) hosted by Lewis Bullock - thank you guys :o)
Here are the ISTD guidelines and the briefs that I looked at:
I have decided to go with the 'Three Minutes' brief. I think it has a lot of scope and could be interesting. My aim this week is to get an idea sorted and plenty of research done ready for next week.
Work Placement Email_Violette Editions
MONDAY 21ST NOVEMBER 2008
I have just sent an email to Violette Editions. They are an Art Publishers and they published Sophie Calle:Double Game by Paul Auster. Their website only has their contact details on, so I have emailed them asking whether they are able to send me any further information on the books they have published, and also asked whether they take work placement students. If so, this is something I would definately apply for!! I will wait to hear back!
I have just sent an email to Violette Editions. They are an Art Publishers and they published Sophie Calle:Double Game by Paul Auster. Their website only has their contact details on, so I have emailed them asking whether they are able to send me any further information on the books they have published, and also asked whether they take work placement students. If so, this is something I would definately apply for!! I will wait to hear back!
Getting Into Publishing_Penguin
FRIDAY 21ST NOVEMBER 2008
Yesterday was also the Getting Into Publishing day at Penguin. It was an early start for me ... 6am! I got the train from Alton and arrived in London with plenty of time to grab a coffee! After a slight bit of confusion at the start whereby a few of us weren't on their list of attendees - they finally let us in to the talk.
Here is the plan of the day...
The manager from each department gave a ten to fifteen minute talk about their role, the work of their department and what part they play in the Penguin business.
It seems like a really good company to work for. Quite a few of the people that spoke had been there a long time, and had come into the company into a position such as Secretary, and then worked their way up and became Managers/Directors of each their department.
The talk covered everything from the Contracts and Rights department, to Production, PR, HR and even Finance. It was very much a talk on getting into publishing, however more for people who want to work for Penguin specifically and are interested in working for them as a company. I know that I have an interest in Book Design and Publishing. However, thinking about it now, I think I to focus more on Art Book Publishing, or Limited Edition Publishing - books that are really interestingly made and designed. For example Paul Austers 'Sophie Calle:Double Game'. It is beautifully made. I bought it last year, and they are now quite collectable books. Each page is really nice and at the front it has a section of another book. This is printed on different stock paper that is smaller than that of the book, and it is bound with a ribbon. Phaidon Press are world renowned for their high quality design and production. I found a brief history about them on their website...
I am going to look into getting work experience at a publishers that is relevant to the type of publishing I am interested in. I think this is the next step for me to try and work out what I want to do after this course. I think all experience, good or bad, is really beneficial. Even the Penguin day, it made me consider what type of books I wanted work with.
Yesterday was also the Getting Into Publishing day at Penguin. It was an early start for me ... 6am! I got the train from Alton and arrived in London with plenty of time to grab a coffee! After a slight bit of confusion at the start whereby a few of us weren't on their list of attendees - they finally let us in to the talk.
Here is the plan of the day...
The manager from each department gave a ten to fifteen minute talk about their role, the work of their department and what part they play in the Penguin business.
It seems like a really good company to work for. Quite a few of the people that spoke had been there a long time, and had come into the company into a position such as Secretary, and then worked their way up and became Managers/Directors of each their department.
The talk covered everything from the Contracts and Rights department, to Production, PR, HR and even Finance. It was very much a talk on getting into publishing, however more for people who want to work for Penguin specifically and are interested in working for them as a company. I know that I have an interest in Book Design and Publishing. However, thinking about it now, I think I to focus more on Art Book Publishing, or Limited Edition Publishing - books that are really interestingly made and designed. For example Paul Austers 'Sophie Calle:Double Game'. It is beautifully made. I bought it last year, and they are now quite collectable books. Each page is really nice and at the front it has a section of another book. This is printed on different stock paper that is smaller than that of the book, and it is bound with a ribbon. Phaidon Press are world renowned for their high quality design and production. I found a brief history about them on their website...
PHAIDON - BRIEF HISTORY taken from their website
“By means of beauty, beautiful things become beautiful.”
Socrates, Plato, PHAEDO
Phaidon has a long and distinguished history as an art book publisher. The company was founded in Vienna in 1923 by Dr. Bela Horowiz and Ludwig Goldscheider and named after “Phaedo”, Socrates’ pupil who spoke on the immortality of the soul. Their key objective was to deliver quality books at affordable prices. They were able to achieve this as pioneers of the international co-edition and with large print-runs. Their first titles were not art books, but books on literature, philosophy and history. Phaidon’s large format art books first emerged in 1936 with high-quality plates on Van Gogh, Botticelli, and the French Impressionists. These were some of the first large, sumptuously illustrated artist monographs reasonably priced for the general public.
The occupation of the Nazis in Vienna forced the company to move to England. After the war, Phaidon launched an innovative program of both popular and scholarly art book publishing. This included the monumental critical catalogue of drawings in the royal collection at Windsor Castle and the elegant "pocket" series of art history texts (now known as the Arts and Letters series). In 1950, Phaidon published its landmark book The Story of Art – a one volume survey of the history of art by renowned scholar Ernst Gombrich.
The company went through a rough period in the 70s and 80s changing ownership several times, until 1990 when Richard Schlagman acquired Phaidon Press with the objective of re-establishing it as the leading publisher of books on the visual arts. Based in London, Phaidon launched an energetic program of new books and re-launched its best classic titles. The Press turned back to its original mission – to publish fine art books with high production and design standards, scholarly excellence, and value for money. The result has been breathtaking, unusually readable, desirable books on the whole spectrum of visual arts.
In 1994, The Art Book was published with over 500 images for each of the most important artists from ancient to modern day in an unconventional A-Z format. It has been and still is a huge international success. In 1995, Phaidon published the 16th edition of The Story of Art which has sold over seven million copies to date and been translated into more than 30 languages. The Story of Art is still unrivalled as the best introduction to the history of art and the most popular book on art ever published.
Today Phaidon books are recognized worldwide for the highest quality of content, design, and production. They cover everything from art, architecture, photography, design, performing arts, decorative arts, contemporary culture, fashion, film, travel, cookery and children’s books. Phaidon books continue to be so innovative and beautiful that as Nigel Spivy points out in his fuller account of Phaidon’s history, “a readership is rightly disposed to buy a Phaidon book for no other reason than that Phaidon has produced it”.
I am going to look into getting work experience at a publishers that is relevant to the type of publishing I am interested in. I think this is the next step for me to try and work out what I want to do after this course. I think all experience, good or bad, is really beneficial. Even the Penguin day, it made me consider what type of books I wanted work with.
Long overdue update...
MONDAY 17TH NOVEMBER 2008
I haven't updated my blog for a while, so here is a long overdue update!
INK BAR
We have had an email from Chloe telling us we are on the VIP guest list for the launch party which is on Thursday! There is going to be a photographer there to take photos of us next to the branding!
Megs and I still haven't heard anything back about my cover letter or her flyers - I know they have been really busy with the launch, so maybe they decided to leave these for now. In Chloe's email she did say she would sit down and reply to our emails tomorrow when she had some spare time ... but for now we will just look forward to the party :o)
PENGUIN Getting Into Publishing Day
I applied for this a got invited to attend! It is this Thursday ... I need to be there at 9.30 and it goes on until about 1.30 - 2pm - so as soon as its finished I need to get back to Bournemouth in time for the Launch Party for the Ink Bar! Its going to be a busy day but I am sure it will be well worth it!
PACKAGING BRIEF
This has gone really well considering how behind we all thought we were after doing the Ink Bar Brief. I have managed to get loads of research done and get a solid idea together with enough time to work through it and produce mock ups and preliminary designs in time for the Final Crit - I really wanted to have something ready so that I could get something out of the crit, such as suggestions for improvements etc. Sally has said that the group that worked on the Ink Bar can have an extension on the hand in date - but ideally I want to keep working and get everything finished as early as possible. We don't get briefed on the next project until next Thursday, so that gives me some time to catch up on last minute bits that need doing.
ISTD
I am still really not sure what I am doing about this. Megs and I are having a meeting with Sally this afternoon to try and get a better understanding of what is expected/required. I think, especially due to the talk we had last year about it, we are a little bit daunted - but Sally said there is no need to be - so we just really need to work out what we are doing and start researching! That is my aim for this week!
I think that just about covers everything that has happened! I will update if I think of anything else!
I haven't updated my blog for a while, so here is a long overdue update!
INK BAR
We have had an email from Chloe telling us we are on the VIP guest list for the launch party which is on Thursday! There is going to be a photographer there to take photos of us next to the branding!
Megs and I still haven't heard anything back about my cover letter or her flyers - I know they have been really busy with the launch, so maybe they decided to leave these for now. In Chloe's email she did say she would sit down and reply to our emails tomorrow when she had some spare time ... but for now we will just look forward to the party :o)
PENGUIN Getting Into Publishing Day
I applied for this a got invited to attend! It is this Thursday ... I need to be there at 9.30 and it goes on until about 1.30 - 2pm - so as soon as its finished I need to get back to Bournemouth in time for the Launch Party for the Ink Bar! Its going to be a busy day but I am sure it will be well worth it!
PACKAGING BRIEF
This has gone really well considering how behind we all thought we were after doing the Ink Bar Brief. I have managed to get loads of research done and get a solid idea together with enough time to work through it and produce mock ups and preliminary designs in time for the Final Crit - I really wanted to have something ready so that I could get something out of the crit, such as suggestions for improvements etc. Sally has said that the group that worked on the Ink Bar can have an extension on the hand in date - but ideally I want to keep working and get everything finished as early as possible. We don't get briefed on the next project until next Thursday, so that gives me some time to catch up on last minute bits that need doing.
ISTD
I am still really not sure what I am doing about this. Megs and I are having a meeting with Sally this afternoon to try and get a better understanding of what is expected/required. I think, especially due to the talk we had last year about it, we are a little bit daunted - but Sally said there is no need to be - so we just really need to work out what we are doing and start researching! That is my aim for this week!
I think that just about covers everything that has happened! I will update if I think of anything else!
ISTD Briefs_Initial Meeting
MONDAY 20TH OCTOBER 2008 - We had a meeting this afternoon with Sally about the ISTD briefs. I really want to do one of these, they sound really good and with an interest in Publishing, I think a typographical project would be great practice for me. There are a couple that are of interest to me. I am going to sit down and work through them and see what initial ideas and thoughts I come up with, then I will chose which one I was to progress. As per my previous post, we are working on the Ink Rooms live brief as well, which is a 2 week deadline! I really want to do the ISTD brief as well and need to focus on my project work as well. I think I will try and do as much on the Ink Rooms brief as possible. Then once that is done, I can focus on ISTD and also focus on looking at the D&AD briefs as well.
Ink Rooms Live Brief
MONDAY 20TH OCTOBER 2008 - We had our first group meeting for the Ink Rooms Live Brief that Matt Desmier came to talk to us about last week. We came up with loads of ideas, of which a few were chosen and we are going to progress them in small groups. We only have 2 weeks however to produce visuals for them. Chloe, the Marketing Manager for Price Restaurant Group, is coming in on Wednesday afternoon to discuss initial ideas and share her thoughts on them. I won't be in on Wednesday as I have to work which is a real shame, but hopefully I will be able to catch up on what was spoken about. We have separated into smaller groups to tackle the few ideas we had. I am working with Meg, James, George and Luke on the Ink idea. I think we are going to meet tomorrow afternoon to get some ideas and a few visuals together.
Catherine Griffiths_Typeradio
MONDAY 20TH OCTOBER 2008 - During our Typeradio project last year I emailed Catherine Griffiths as it was her interview I was doing the layout for. I knew she was a very busy lady so to be honest I didn't expect a reply from her. She emailed me back saying she had been in Alaska but was now back and she would respond to my email fully as soon as possible. I sent her one back saying Thank You so much for the reply. I explained that we had now finished the project, but I would love to hear from her, however there was no rush, just when she had time. I got an email today from her:
Dear Vicky,
The terrible thing is, that you wrote to me months and months ago. Currently I'm living in Paris for another six weeks, and as you may know, have taken on the huge project of organising a typography symposium for New Zealand http://www.typeshed11.co.nz which has left precious little time for anything else, including all my student requests. You have probably (and quite rightly) given up on me, but here is a folder of articles that may no longer be of any use to you at all. As well, a link to these and more ...
http://www.catherinegriffiths.co.nz/00%203.ARTICLES.html
While it's far too late, you've probably graduated by now, I'll be much more attentive after February, and would be available for portfolio reviews or any other questions you may have.
Again, my apologies.
All the best,
Catherine
How lovely to get a reply! The Typeshed website is really great, I love it!
Catherine also attached a folder with a few documents and publications to do with Typography and also her work which are really interesting.
I am going to forward the email onto Lewis, I think he will be interested in what she has sent me.
I am going to send a reply tomorrow thanking her for taking the time to send me the information.
Dear Vicky,
The terrible thing is, that you wrote to me months and months ago. Currently I'm living in Paris for another six weeks, and as you may know, have taken on the huge project of organising a typography symposium for New Zealand http://www.typeshed11.co.nz which has left precious little time for anything else, including all my student requests. You have probably (and quite rightly) given up on me, but here is a folder of articles that may no longer be of any use to you at all. As well, a link to these and more ...
http://www.catherinegriffiths.co.nz/00%203.ARTICLES.html
While it's far too late, you've probably graduated by now, I'll be much more attentive after February, and would be available for portfolio reviews or any other questions you may have.
Again, my apologies.
All the best,
Catherine
How lovely to get a reply! The Typeshed website is really great, I love it!
Catherine also attached a folder with a few documents and publications to do with Typography and also her work which are really interesting.
I am going to forward the email onto Lewis, I think he will be interested in what she has sent me.
I am going to send a reply tomorrow thanking her for taking the time to send me the information.
PAL session 20th October 2008
Monday 20th October 2008 - We had our 2nd PAL session this morning. Last week the group said they wanted to see our sketchbooks from the first year so all three of us brought our work in with us. We had a group discussion about that and also Blogs. We were expecting to spend more time talking about Blogs but everyone seemed to be pretty sure of what they were doing, so we didn't spend much time on that, although by the end of the session they all said they wanted to go over editing the blogs layout and design. So that is what we are going to do next week - go over the HTML and all the little bits and bobs - they all want to make the blogs their own, so I think it will really help them. I know I really struggled to work out how to use the site properly. It just takes someone to show you where all the menus and options are, and then you can crack on. I think we made the mistake of not planning enough to do this week - we underestimated how slowly an hour goes! We are going to plan some extra things to do for next week, so if we end up ahead of time, they won't get bored. They were really chatty again this week which is good. They had lots of questions and they seem to be using the time well.
A Productive Day...
FRIDAY 17TH OCTOBER 2008 - I spent today working on designs for my cards. I am going to produce 2 sets of 6. One set of newspaper print designs and one set of most likely the same design pattern, but using different patterned paper for each one. I am going to produce the 12 greetings cards, and then if I have enough time before Friday, I am going to design some of my own patterned paper to use. I think it would be really great if I could produce my own paper pattern as I can choose my colour pallette and also, as I know what each piece of paper looks like when folded, I should be able to tailor the pattern to show certain ares in particular when folded. It will be very time consuming, but I think it will be worth it. At the moment I am constrained colour wise by the paper I have sourced. It is lovely paper, but there are a few things I would change if it was my design.
I went to the book shop in Winton this afternoon as well with Milla, Lewis and Matt. I was hoping to get some lovely old books, with really nice pages that I could scan in and print off, to use as paper for the origami. I got a few really lovely old leather bound books from between 1898 and 1947. A couple of them have a note written in the front where they have been given as a gift to someone. Incredible! and they were only about £2 or £3 each! I'm so happy with them and you can smell the log fire smell on them. Its my new favourite shop :o)
I need to re-do my CV tonight as I want to apply to go on the day trip to Penguin. I am really interested in publishing and book design so this would be an amazing opportunity for me. Kit is going to look over it before it gets sent off with the application.
I went to the book shop in Winton this afternoon as well with Milla, Lewis and Matt. I was hoping to get some lovely old books, with really nice pages that I could scan in and print off, to use as paper for the origami. I got a few really lovely old leather bound books from between 1898 and 1947. A couple of them have a note written in the front where they have been given as a gift to someone. Incredible! and they were only about £2 or £3 each! I'm so happy with them and you can smell the log fire smell on them. Its my new favourite shop :o)
I need to re-do my CV tonight as I want to apply to go on the day trip to Penguin. I am really interested in publishing and book design so this would be an amazing opportunity for me. Kit is going to look over it before it gets sent off with the application.
Greetings Cards ... stuck!
MONDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2008 - I spent the day working on the Greetings Cards project. I am stuck. In my research I have also come across some interesting vernacular photography.
www.accidentalmysteries.com
This means photographs that are created by an amateur or unknown photographer who takes photos of every day life. For example photographs of travel, family snapshots, photos of friends, class portraits and passport photos. Its like accidental art, in that they are usually unintentionally artistic. It is sometimes now called "found photography," which is the recovery of a lost or unclaimed photo. Such as those found at flea markets, thrift stores etc. Vernacular photography has become far more common in recent years as an art technique and is now a widely accepted genre of art photography.
I spoke to Neil about it and he explained the concept to me. I think it would make a lovely set of 6 cards. Because the pictures are old, you know they have a history, and the person or subject in the photo has a history. There is something about seeing an old photo that makes me feel strange, in a good way. It makes you wonder.
It seems a shame to rush this however. I only have until next Friday and this could be such a big project. I think it would be a great final major project maybe. Or I could carry it forward as a personal project. I know my other Nan in Kent has lots more pictures that I would love to look at. I also know that it will take me ages to scan them all in, but it will be well worth it in the end. I am going to sleep on it and try and decide which route to pursue.
I have looked at Kessel Kramer Publishing.
They seem to do a lot of work that involves Vernacular Photography. I really love their work. The subject books are great. I would love to go to some flea markets and pick up some photos. Lewis has said he would come with me. We will look into this! I love photographs and to find some old ones belonging to strangers would be amazing. I am also working on getting hold of all my Nans pictures in Kent.
Neil also showed me his Flickr page and his collection of postcards that are on there. These are really interesting too - especially as he never went to these places, but looking at them you know someone has been on a journey, and so has the postcard itself. Neil Leonard - Postcards.
This means photographs that are created by an amateur or unknown photographer who takes photos of every day life. For example photographs of travel, family snapshots, photos of friends, class portraits and passport photos. Its like accidental art, in that they are usually unintentionally artistic. It is sometimes now called "found photography," which is the recovery of a lost or unclaimed photo. Such as those found at flea markets, thrift stores etc. Vernacular photography has become far more common in recent years as an art technique and is now a widely accepted genre of art photography.
I spoke to Neil about it and he explained the concept to me. I think it would make a lovely set of 6 cards. Because the pictures are old, you know they have a history, and the person or subject in the photo has a history. There is something about seeing an old photo that makes me feel strange, in a good way. It makes you wonder.
It seems a shame to rush this however. I only have until next Friday and this could be such a big project. I think it would be a great final major project maybe. Or I could carry it forward as a personal project. I know my other Nan in Kent has lots more pictures that I would love to look at. I also know that it will take me ages to scan them all in, but it will be well worth it in the end. I am going to sleep on it and try and decide which route to pursue.
I have looked at Kessel Kramer Publishing.
They seem to do a lot of work that involves Vernacular Photography. I really love their work. The subject books are great. I would love to go to some flea markets and pick up some photos. Lewis has said he would come with me. We will look into this! I love photographs and to find some old ones belonging to strangers would be amazing. I am also working on getting hold of all my Nans pictures in Kent.
Neil also showed me his Flickr page and his collection of postcards that are on there. These are really interesting too - especially as he never went to these places, but looking at them you know someone has been on a journey, and so has the postcard itself. Neil Leonard - Postcards.
PAL Session Number 1
MONDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2008 - We had our first PAL session this morning for an hour! We think it went really well, unless they were just being polite! We had doughnuts, cakes and squash. We started by introducing ourselves and explaining about PAL as most of them didn't seem to know what it was. They were all very receptive and listened to us, which is good. We did the pass the parcel icebreaker, which I think got everyone joking and talking. There was a question or a task and a sweet in each layer. It was slightly daunting to start with, but like I said, they all listened and seemed really keen to make the most of the sessions going forward. I think I would have been the same had we started the sessions this early - its when PAL leaders are really needed I think, as its when the first years will be finding their feet and wanting to ask questions. They are doing text and image at the moment, so they have asked to see some of our work - which we are happy to show them, but will make sure they know what grade and feedback we got - we don't want them to think that our work is the right answer. I know how they feel though; I would have found it useful, actually, in a way, reassuring to see the second years work last year. Its so hard to know how well you are doing if you can't grasp what’s expected of you. Obviously they will all try their best, but it is still nice to have some idea where you are. I think by next week they will have lots to ask us, which is good. We spoke to them about our Blogs - none of them really seemed keen on doing them, but we explained how much it would help them with their PPRD to do the work as they go along, rather than leaving it until next year and panicking!
TRIAL_GOLDUST DESIGN
TUESDAY 7TH OCTOBER 2008 - AFTERNOON - I had my trial with Briony at Goldust Design this afternoon. I think it went really well. I re-formatted some photographs ready for her to put in InDesign and then I did some illustration work, kind of similar to my postcard project I did in year 1. Except I was creating the illustrations from scratch, I was dissecting existing ones. She is going to contact me about hours. I am very aware of how much spare time I have though. Baring in mind it is my second year, which is also likely to be my final year, and I work one day a week already. I am hoping that I can do 4 hours a week for her, or maybe some freelance work and then see what happens from there.
Situation Update
TUESDAY 7TH OCTOBER 2008 - I have so much to do this week, I haven't stopped and am feeling very exhausted and think I am getting a cold ... to top it all off! I think its because I have finally moved house and settled in one place. This has taken so long to sort out, now I have finally sorted it, I am starting to relax more and worry less - which personally, I think has caused my immune system to chill out too - perfect environment for a cold! How annoying! We have the crit for Look Again / Think Again on Thursday. I have spoken to Sally and Neil about everything that has been going on, so they are aware that I have struggled a bit, what with PAL, the job trial, moving house and work commitments. I am going to go home and do lots of work this evening to try and catch up. I have work tomorrow, but will also do some uni work in the evening too. I am starting to sort out all my possessions! Some stuff is having to stay boxed up as it is 'house' stuff rather than clothes etc. I won't be needing it until I move into my own place again. The internet is being connected on Thursday too which will be a great help!
PAL Leader
THURSDAY 2ND OCTOBER 2008 (PM) - I forgot to mention earlier, just before the discussion I found out that I was one of the people chosen to be a PAL leader! This is going to be a great learning experience for me. The training to be a PAL leader is Monday all day and Tuesday in the morning. We will be taught everything we need to know to be a PAL leader and trained on how to plan for the sessions.
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