Kingston BA Illustration Animation

Research blog for  Kingston University BA Illustration Animation Level 5. Module HA5106 Critical Issues 

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Dissertation Proposal

What is music tourism and why is it being ignored?

Themes and Issues

What is a music tourist and how do they benefit the tourism economy?

Music festivals vs music venues, who is receiving the most investment?

What is the government doing currently to promote music tourism in the UK? What can they do better? How is this promoted visually?

How does the closure of small music venues impact the music tourism economy, but also the UK (and global) cultural scene? 

What are the potential impacts of Brexit on music tourism and live music in the UK?

Methods and Sources

Interviews: with both musicians and music fans (who have participated and not participated in music tourism) 

Reports written by UK Music 

Case studies of UK small venue closures 

Academic journal research 

Looking at current music publications and advertising 

Statistical analysis of figures relating to music tourism 

Visual Material

Music publications

Advertisements - festival and tour posters, gig listings, venue promotion, live music photography 

Music fan representation in media 

Merchandise 

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Dissertation Porposal: Decolonizing Role Play Game Mechanics

For my Dissertation im interested in exploring how a new wave of independent ttrpgs and rpgs destabilize and recontextualize common game desgin notions that can be consiered colonnial do their nature of acquiring power/wealth (scores,money,levels, land).

 I will examine how these assumptions of game design rules came into being, how they would eventually evolve into trends  of the triple A market of today and how these same design rules can apply to more comunal, constructive aproaches to play that could lead to de stabilizing western modes of though related to colonialism

In the example above , Pathologic 2, the player is actively hindered by everyone else to incredible degress , constantly being lied too,mistrusted and attacked. The game never complys with the player, why would it? your and outsider, who knows neither their lives or their ways.

Themes and issues

.-Why is violence commonly associated with games , not only in a consumer level but a development level?

-how does performance affect the way players interact with a respective game?

-How can violence tell stories were theres not an active form of coloniazation?

-Does player agency affect the levels at which they “interact” with the game?

-What are examples of decolonized mechanics?

-How can reward systems change?

-DO GAMES HAVE TO BE FUN?

Methods And Sources

-Assiting video conferences that explore these ideas

-GDC talk archives

-Interviews with marginilized creators

-Run actual play sessions to see group reacts to a game

-Performance as a method of research (playing games as performance)

-Create simple systems that could incite decolonnized mechanics

Visual Material

-Game Artbooks

-A diverse range of rpgs , not only in mechanics but country it originates from (Pathologic, Dragon Quest, Mass Effect, Disco Elysium, Ten Candles)

-Box Art?

-the materiality of certain ttrpgs

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Dissertation Proposal: The Visualisation Of Music

For my dissertation, I am keen to explore ways that music is visualised. This was the topic I looked at for my photo essay and having gained positive feedback and being told that I had essentially planned a dissertation out of it, it confirmed my thoughts on wanting to pursue it for my dissertation. I still think I might need to narrow it down further, but these are my current thoughts and ideas for the proposal. 

★ Themes & Issues ★

Synesthesia & Chromesthesia - a neurological condition that allows the person to see colour when listening to sounds and music. I would like to explore how it can be utilised for music, such as the creation and composition of music and envisioning stage visuals / lights.

Characters, Stage Personas & Alter Egos - how musicians utilise characters. How they become and portray a character on stage and within album promotions in order to tell a story, a narrative that comes from an (often concept) album. Examples of Alter Egos and Stage Personas would be David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust, Tyler the Creator as Igor and My Chemical Romance as The Fabulous Killjoys. Also how musicians use characters solely within music videos, albums and merchandising, as mascots and / or a recognisable motif for their branding / album, but not as a whole on stage persona. 

Album Covers / Artwork - what makes a good album cover? How does album artwork allude and hint at what an album may be about / what kind of music it is? What difference does it make when the musician(s) themselves have a creative input into it the artwork as opposed to solely commissioning an artist to create a piece?

☆ Methods & Sources ☆

Research papers on Synesthesia & Chromesthesia - what causes people to experience it?

Interview / Questionaire for people who experience this condition - what are the common themes? What do they experience differently?

Art books / biographies on specific musicians / bands. 

Finding interviews - both written and video - (and perhaps concept art) on musicians thoughts and processes behind the creation of their characters, alter egos and albums - is there common patterns / themes that they all share in their thought process when creating these characters or albums? Any necessary factors needed for the character(s) / albums? 

Journals and articles

Conducting interviews with people who may have worked alongside / with these musicians (if I can)

Research into visual artists who are known for working within music and album covers, as well as musicians who create their own covers.

★ Visual Material ★

Looking at footage of stage performances and analysing them - how does it add to the narrative they are trying to tell? Are they playing a character on stage or are they simply dressed up? What do the stage visuals contribute to the performance?

Concept Artwork

Album Covers

Stage Visuals

Costumes

Music Videos

Promotional Material / Merchandise

Short films about albums / their process / visual albums

Getting people who have Synesthesia / Chromesthesia to draw what they see when listening to music

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For my dissertation I want to research if people have a common preference in animation, in the way we read images. I will be looking at 2D and 3D animations. 

Themes and Issues

What makes us like a specific type of media more than the other?  Is our preference based on intuition or nostalgia? (or both)

The maker and the viewer’s point of view. 

Realism vs. fantasy. 

What happens if a movie looks 3D, but is actually 2D? 

Methods and sources

Analysis of various movies based on society’s reaction. 

Do research on what goes into the making of a 2D animation vs. 3D. 

Interview makers and viewers, different standpoints.

Looking at research on human touch, and it’s importance in animation. As well as imperfections. 

Visual Material

Examples of 2D and 3D animated movies

Behind the scenes footage

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Dissertation Proposal

The truth in fiction: how can fiction such as Doctor Who (2005-present) be seen representing moral reality? How does it intertwine with our reality?

Themes and issues:

- media’s impact on audience (e.g. women in science)

- learning empathy

- fear (political and personal)

- morals

- Darko Suvin’s Novum

- mimesis?

Methods and Sources:

- interviews of casual watchers and fans

- online fan spaces

- studies of how media+images influence behaviours (in childhood and women in STEM)

- studies of how fears present themselves and manifest

Visual Material:

- stills from Doctor Who

- characters (to compare 1st and 13th Doctor, villains, companions)

- scenes and environments

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The significance of Ma (Negative Space) on Eastern Film making and Animation.

Themes:

Ma, translates to: gap, pause, distance, space, emptiness.

Indicates a sense of time, less is more.

Cultural importance, and effect on narrative in film:

Foundation of Ma: Derived from Edo Period Japan, Ukiyo-E Woodblock printing, Kabuki Theatre, Ikebana (Flower assembly), how this links to narrative/staging/sense of time

Decided to focus on broader exploration (Eastern Film and Animation) rather than single director as case study includes interests in:

Satoshi Kon’s use of Ma (Japanese Animator).

Joon Ho Bong (Korean Director) use of Ma in ‘Memories Of Murder’.

Hayao Miyazaki’s interpretation of Ma in film: ’ Time between Clapping is Ma, if it was non stop noise, it becomes busyness’.

exploration of Ma between Visual and Audio enhancements.

Focus on how Western culture doesn’t practice Ma, and effect.

Understanding why Eastern Culture practices Ma. Past/Present/Effect on future

Methods:

Archival Research, Interviews, Statistics.

Visual Material:

Cinematography Frames, Diagrams.

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Dissertation Workshop

Dissertation title

What makes a book unique?

Examining the physicality of books and the role of materiality in reading.

Themes and issues

Human touch as an essential part of reading. How does our touch change a book?

Differences between art books, mass produced books, and E-Books.

Does the digitisation of books / reading change the way we interact with physical books?

Book arts and the rise of hand-made books

The semiotics of reading

Methods and sources

Interviews: Simon Goode & Ira Yonemura, Flaminia Rossi, poss. Julian Walker

Studio / Site Visits: British Library LCBA, Penguin?

Experiments: handling rare / mass published / e-books

Books & Archival research

Visual material

Common / Mass published books

Rare / unique / art / Self published books

E-Books

Bibliography

Stephen Bury, 2019. The Artist’s Book in the Age of Digital Reproduction: Walter Benjamin and the Artist’s Book. Arts, 8(4), p.138.

Lyons, J., 1985. Artists' books : a critical anthology and sourcebook, Rochester, N.Y. : Layton, Utah: The Visual Studies Workshop Press ; (Distributed by) G.M. Smith, Peregrine Smith Books.

Desjardin, A. & Bloomberg SPACE, 2011. The book on books on artists books,

Morris, W. & Peterson, William S., 1982. The ideal book : essays and lectures on the arts of the book, Berkeley ; London: University of California Press.

Bettley, J. & Victoria Albert Museum, 2005. The art of the book : from medieval manuscript to graphic novel, London: V&A.

Bury, S. (2015) Artists’ Books: The Book as a Work of Art, 1963 - 2000. London, Bernard Quatrich LTD.

Cave, R. & Ayad, Sara, 2014. The history of the book in 100 books : the complete story, from Egypt to e-book,

Kress, G.R. & Van Leeuwen, Theo, 2006. Reading images : the grammar of visual design 2nd ed., London: Routledge.

Cirlot, J.E., 1962. A dictionary of symbols, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

Jaworski, A. & Thurlow, Crispin, 2010. Semiotic landscapes : language, image, space, London: Continuum.

Benjamin, W., 2008. The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction, London: Penguin.

Barthes, R., 1990. S/Z, Oxford: Blackwell.

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Dissertation Pitch

THEMES & ISSUES 

-Explore aesthetic and education values of ‘local biodiversity’.

-Engage children in environmental education 

-The role of the arts in environmental education

-How can printmaking be utilised in environmental education? (sustainability in printmaking)

-When is the most efficient time for children to have designed environmental education connecting with sustainable printmaking? (Child Development and Arts Education)

METHODS & SOURCES 

-Interview(not really sure yet): Primary school children about experience of taking environmental education. Students after primary school about the impact and influence of primary environmental education.  

-Research different artist (cases): practicing in environmental printmaking. Study their works, the process, the materials, the method and the aims. And find out the relation between their practices and their early age environmental education experiences.  E.g. Susan Groce, Lynn Bailey  

-Run actual kids workshop: document the process and collect photos of the works.

or

-Design a workshop for kids.

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Dissertation Proposal: Feminism in Media for Children

For my dissertation, I want to explore and examine Feminism in visual media and its impact on the audience, especially young children. This topic overlaps a bit with my previous essay topic: Feminism in games. However, I would like to study current Feminism in art in more depth.

By using Disney princess movies that are released in these 10 years (2010-2020) as a source, I will discuss about their both positive and negative sides as feministic media. In addition, I want to see how their impact on children: did it change children’s behaviour/favour/perspective as female/etc.

Themes and Ideas

Feminism in 21st Century

Traditional Stereotypes: princess and woman

Costume

Social role

Role in the movie: passive vs. active

Gender Hegemony

Heterosexuality

Multinational women: Black and Asian

Methods and Sources

Questionnaires via Internet

Interview with children age under/over 14

under 14- to see an impact on the young generation

over 14- to see how many people appreciate Disney Princess Movie as a feministic media 

Feminist movie reviews

‘Girls do not need a prince’ activism

Books and articles

Visual Material

Disney Movies:

Princess and the Frog(2009)

Tangled(2010)

Brave(2012)

Frozen(2013)

Moana(2016) 

Ralph Breaks the Internet(2018)

Frozen 2(2019) 

Fashion: girls’ costume

Screenshots of social media

Traditional depiction of female characters

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For my dissertation proposal I would like to explore the natural phenomenon bioluminescence and artists imitation/adaption. The themes I will be exploring are the overlap between art and science and the potential use of functional art installations in public spaces. My methodology would mainly be qualitative. There are some projects that are relevant to this idea that I will focus on. The sources used will be peer reviewed journals and artists statements.

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Gentrification vs. Bohemia

Themes/Issues:

Bohemia, Gentrification, street art, society, people. culture, shift 

Methods/Sources:

Reportage, Archival Research, Interviews 

Visual Material:

Street art, architecture, graphic design, posters, shop fronts, community workshops, fashion, music 

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Dissertation Proposal

For my dissertation I want to explore the relationship between semiotics and race specifically pertaining to the coding of black female/femme bodies.

Themes and Ideas

The Idea of semiotics as a study of sign systems

Racial coding in media and its subsequent impact on the experience of black women 

Black femme bodies as sexually exploitative projects

Fetishising and its impact

Transnational feminism 

Methods and Sourcing

Archival Accounts

Research papers on profiling and coding

Marlon B Ross: Race Rape

Messenger, Watson, Mack :Violence against Black Bodies

Black literature & Novels: Things fall apart, Beloved, Suturing Black Bodies

Visual Material 

Depictions of Black female characters media 20th-21st century

Common codes such as:

‘The Magical Negro’

‘The Black Best Friend’

‘The Hyper-sexualised Talent’

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Dissertation direction

For my dissertation I want to explore themes surrounding unity and community, specifically in times of crisis. With the global pandemic we are currently experiencing, I have found it uplifting to experience the ways in which people are coming together in a time of uncertainty. So far I have not come up with a phrasing for my question but I have thought of this so far:

In what ways are humans developing social connections during the COVID-19. Why is it necessary to stay connected for our collective survival as a species?

 Themes & Issues 

How “pro-social” behaviours remind us that we live in a civilised society

How do they bring clarity and confidence and reduces stress levels in a time of crisis

Methods & Sources

- Emma Seppala is the Associate Director at Stanford University's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. Read some of her investigations 

Looking at research that proves that social connection is a fundamental human need

Study in 2012 by the University of Chicago researchers who studied how people behaved when faced with outcomes beyond their personal control

Examples from social media, screenshots of conversations I have had with people

Visual Material

Screenshots from social media:

#ConnieAshford #HA5106 #Group3 

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diss proposal notes

Is masculinity toxic?

What exactly do we mean by ‘masculinity’ and in what ways can it be said to be harmful?

How has toxic masculinity evolved/ manifested itself in art/visual media/illustration/animation throughout the years?

How has the definition of masculinity been portrayed in visual media and how is it harmful?

Themes & Issues

Varied masculinity/multiple masculinities

Feminism

Pre 20th century masculinity

Homophobia

Patriarchy, hegemonic masculinity

Ww2

Manbox 

Methods & Sources

Interview men different age groups

Questionnaires 

Is masculinity toxic? By Andrew Smiler (book)

Visual Material

Look at adverts catered towards men 

Gillete 

Toxic masculinity adverts

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For my dissertation I am exploring how anger fuels or relates to art practice, specifically looking at two artist and comparing what importance anger has to their work. The artist I am looking at are Mark Rothko and Anni Albers.

Themes and Issues:

Art therapy, autography, materiality and meaning, abstract art and how it emotes, art analysis, art history, psychology in art

Methods and sources:

Analysis, archival research, gallery visits

Visual material:

Paintings, pictures of their work methods/workspace, other relevant visual examples from same era or material that relates to their work

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Currently, my proposal is to consider how 'inanimate' objects. are provided a voice in illustration/ animation. The three main points are that this voice is derived from archive (the objects act as biographers), through their own tactility (objects are more autobiographical, and speak of their own memory) and through depictions of us and objects (the objects are imbued with a voice through our interaction with them). 

Themes & Issues

- 'objectivity' and 'reliability' 

- changing attitude to objects culturally; from elevated objects e.g. those belonging to royalty versus the display of 'everyday' objects

-  concept of a ‘skin of film’ (Barker, 2001)

-  tactile memory

- Research regarding ‘attitudes’ of objects, how they ‘behave’ in lifelike ways 

-  haptics of childhood

- Watson's description of an ‘organic bridge’- whereby there is an understanding we transfer energy/ memory to objects through handling them 

Methods & Sources

Object analysis

Memory studies 

Fortean Archive 

Texts; System of Objects/ Shapton/ The Secret Lives of Things/ The Comfort of Things/ The Craftsman

Rocha essay 

Svankmajer text 

Archaeologist/ Investigative 

100 Objects British Museum 

Visual Material

- Svankmajers animation work as well as his three dimensional 

- Quay Brothers 

- Online archives of objects e.g. British Museum 

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Themes and Issues:

How did certain ancient religions influence art style, and vice versa?

How did certain ancient mythologies deal with mortality?

What role did visual art play during early history in developing the ways that people dealt with mortality?

Methods and Sources:

History, religion and art books

Archival material.

Secondary research, e.g: research papers and journals

Analysis of visual examples

Visual Material:

Examples picked from relevant places and times