Design

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Final Thoughts

For my project I tried to take a different approach on light and I looked at infographic design and they way data is protrayed throguh images. I liked the creativity and the story that was told behind these designs. I found it quite difficult to find artist precedents for this as infographics is quite a new form of design. So I selected images that inspired me and also illustrated a similar way and message in which I wished to illustrate through my series. The intention of my series is to represent social media and the way it has inflicted and overpowered society. It is uncommen to come across an indivisual that does not have some form of social media and I wanted to research and experiment further into this topic.

So I decided to use a projector to reflect light on indivisduals, with the colour dependant on the media they were partaking on. I then compiled these into images to show the extent in which each media is used. I begun by playing around with the shutter with those with the most amount of followers being exposed to the most amount of light and therefore the longest shutter. And those with the least amount of followers being exposed the least. I used a range from 8 second shutter speeds to .25. I found the images were not exageraterated to the most I would have liked them to be and so I did further exposures through photoshop in an attempt to portray a strong illustartion of my images. I compiled the images as such that the most commenly used social media begun at the bottem and the least at the top.

If I had more time I definitely would have ironed out the creases and made my series stronger just through the little amount of editing here and there and extra time to think about how the series is displayed.

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DSDN 144 - Project 3 Light Blue - Facebook Red - Twitter Orange - Instagram Green - Snapchat Compiling them with the most popular social media on the bottom to the least.

Followers

Followers of each individual i photographed are as follows

Zac

Facebook - 71  Twitter - 32 Instagram - 18 Snapchat - 28

Vel

Facebook - 1200 Friends Twitter - None Instagram - 96 Followers Snapchat - 43

Livi Facebook - 361 Twitter - 94 Instagram - 220 Snapchat - 14

Matt

Facebook - 108 Friends Twitter - 120 Instagram - 250 Snapchat - 98

When it came to exposing my individuals i decided to light them in comparison to each other, rather than make a scale for each social media of how many followers you have, rather i used the exposure to compare them where the individual with the most followers for that media had the most light exposure.

Light exposures

I experimented with the opening of the shutter to let multiple amounts of light into the camera. Using .25 second shutters and varying to 8 seconds however i did find this a bit difficult because the projector was so strong so there was still quite a bit of light even when the shutter was open for only a short time. Therefore i did alter and edit my images on photo shop after the shoots and then obviously i cut them and compiled them on photoshop also.  

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DSDN144 - Project3 Light Final Images

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DSDN144 - Project 3 Light  Experimenting  After thinking about my approach i have decided to use colours to represent each social media. 

Red - Twitter Blue - Facebook Green - Snapchat Orange - Instagram

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After Experimenting with the projector and researching info graphics i decided to marry these techniques with the theme of light for my project. I decided to look at social media, like one of my artist precedents but use light to express the extent in which social media is used. Now days it is extremely uncommon to come across an individual that does not use some form of social media, we are ruled by the internet. Further more the images and individuals we portray ourselves to be through this social media can be nothing similar to who we really are. Social Media has become a mask that most of society hides behind, but even worse most of society is too scared to take off.

For my project i decided to look at a series of social media including Facebook, Twitter, Snapshot and Instagram. Four common social medias in New Zealand. From there i questioned four of my friends about the amount of followers they had on each of these social networks. I plan to use the projector to expose each of the individuals to the light of the projector depending on how many followers they had on each network. Using different colours for each network. 

This idea is an attempt to expose people to more light relevant to the more followers they have. This idea relates to exposing the people literally in regards to the higher their followers the faker the individual is. Using light to  expose the true nature of the object The idea is that the people with the highest followers will be exposed almost to an amount were you can hardly make out who they are and those with the least will be so dark you can hardly recognise them either. Relating to the level of followers and the individuals themselves.

Lastly i will compile all four social medias within the images to create a info graphics image

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Proposal

For this project we were asked to explore the way in which light changes objects. This made me question the truth behind objects and the exposure of them. This is when I begun to explore way information is read and portrayed. I was interested in the way Info graphics employed data visualization and representations to communicate an information rich message to the viewer.

I decided to replicate this in regards to my project, taking social media and measuring light exposure in comparison to your network following. In this case I was attempting to illustrate the strength of multiple social medias. From a conceptual point I am demonstrating the way in which we, as a society are so involved in this culture. The higher your network following the longer I exposed the image to light. Attempting to associate the longer exposure with subjects who were more superficial and therefore by using a longer light exposure i was attempting to expose them more as an individual.  I used colour to represent each social media site. Blue, red, orange and green representing facebook, twitter, instgram and snapchat respectively. Using different angles to photograph each colour in an attempt to emphasis the idea that you can be any one you want on any of these sites. 

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DSDN 144 - Project 3 Light

For this approach i found it rather difficult to find artist precedent this is because majority of the time companies and businesses create or hire Info Graphic designers to make them on the behalf of the business yet sell them under the business's name. Also Info graphics is quite a new topic of research, it has only come about since technology and the internet has evolved, basically not until industrialisation begun to take place and therefore their is not an influential artist that date way back into history. However i choose these posters for artist precedents as i was instantly attracted and drawn into the first image and i feel the second image is illustrating similar things as i will.

Image One 50 years of Space Exploration 

Created by Sean McNaughton and Samuel Velasc for national Geographic. A huge info graph that shows the last 50 years of space exploration. Tracing over 200 missions to the moon, the sun, planets, astroids  and other international voyages. Illustrating the current positions of our most distant spacecrafts and a visual accumulation of fly paths of historic space missions.

Image 2 Twitter Users Profile

Created by Ciaran Duffy

Twitter. The newest internet sensation. With a large group of followers this info graphic illustrates the different types of twitter uses. Attempting to input humor using the twitter mascot and the overuse of circles for visual interest.

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DSDN144 - Project 3 Light

After experimenting with the projector i begun to think about the way i would use light to express a message. This is when i begun to think of Info Graphics and the way that a story is told through visually representing data through images, colours and minimal text. I thought this was really interesting and a different take on the way light can represent an object and at the same time express a very useful message by portraying loads of information on a single poster.

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DSDN 144 - Project 3 Light Shoots experimenting with the projector i like the shadows that could be created. i used pieces of material to manipulate the way the light was projecting.

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DSDN144 - Project 3

Light

Experimenting with the Projector, i think this is a really interesting approach to light and i would love to explore it more #TimeConstraints...

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DSDN144 - Project 3

Light

Inspiration

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After the tutorial i found i needed to define the theme i was attempting to portray, although i had multiple ideas i needed to choose one to run with.

I really enjoyed the light drawing i did and wanted to explore this in further. I begun to look at projector photography and found some really beautiful stuff. I hired the projector from school and begun to experiment with it.

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DSDN171 - Task 5   Academic Writing Final

Does mass producing Rococo designs serve the same social function as authentic designs of the eighteenth century?? Rococo emerged as a development of the Baroque in 18th century France. Like Baroque, Rococo was a luxurious and expensive art form designed for the aristocracy. However as a reaction against the strict symmetry and regulations of Baroque, Rococo used dramatic detailing with ornament in every curvature. A playful floral approach that used creamy pastel colors with asymmetrical designs.

Rococo was produced in a time where wealth and status was of the highest priority. An art form that was appreciated not only for its visual aesthetics but for its representation of the period in which it was created, reflecting the lifestyle of those who created it. It was a visual statement of what this society saw as an aspired lifestyle. To cheaply mass-produce Rococo Design in the modern day, removes all of the associated meaning from the production. It is beautiful, yes. But it is beautiful because of what we as designers can associate it with, and appreciate if for. We understand the labour and craft involved with these pieces, to cheaply mass produce replicas proves we are becoming the ignorant society we have long been accused of. Charles Jenks would agree with this view as he writes on Post-modern design, believing it is not an artistic style but a set of socioeconomic conditions. “Today Incongruity is usual.”(Charles Jenks, 1996.) Describing the way design no longer fits in its location or situation. Relating back to my argument that to cheaply produce and design Rococo today, does not fit in our society and it does not reflect our location. For these reasons I argue that no, these replicated Rococo designs do not serve the same social functions as those of the eighteenth century. Reference Charles Jenks, 1996. “What is Post-Modernism.” 4th. Ed. London Academy.

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DSDN144 - Project 3  Light Concealed Vs Exposed

shoots three and four

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DSDN144 - Project 3 Light Todays thoughts

Concealed vS Exposed?

Have light inside mouth?/hand?

Burning flowers → exposed

Look at printing images out and drawing on them

Think about getting matt to look out window taking a photo from inside and outside

possibly taking a photo of my window from the outside

car lights?

City lights?

Capturing movement? Cars

Dropping things into water

Dropping light into water??

multiple exposure to show exposure.. lifting skirt movement concealed → exposed

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DSDN144 - Project 3 Light Some awesome double exposed images i found whilst searching for inspiration. Would love to recreate some of these possibly for another project    http://www.adme.ru/vdohnovenie-919705/kartiny-s-dinamikoj-365755/ http://lieblings.weerke.de/2011/03/fotografie-double-exposure-portraits/

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DSDN171 - Task 5

Academic Writing

Is it necessary to still be replicating Rococo Design?

Rococo was produced in a time where wealth and status was of the highest priority. An art form that was appreciated not only for its visual aesthetics but for its representation of the period in which it was created, reflecting the lifestyle of those who created it. It was a visual statement of what this society saw as an aspired lifestyle. 

To produce Rococo Design in this day, removes all of the associated meaning from the production. It is beautiful, yes. But it is beautiful because of what we as designers can associate it with and appreciate if for. We understand the labour and craft involved with these pieces and to cheaply mass produce replicas, proves we are becoming the ignorant society we have long been accused of. Rococo illustrated irrational design. Our designers today understand the need to preserve resources and produce only what is necessary. Emphasizing my argument that it is unnecessary to being still reproducing Rococo designs.

Charles Jenks would agree with this view as he writes on Post-modern design, believing it is not an artistic style but a set of socioeconomic conditions. “Today Incongruity is usual.”(Charles Jenks, 1996.) describing the way design no longer fits in its location or situation, relating directed back to my argument. Still producing and designing Rococo does not fit our society it does not reflect our location, for these reasons I argue that no it is not necessary to still be replicating Rococo Design.

Reference Charles Jenks, 1996. “What is Post-Modernism.” 4th. Ed. London Academy.