OUGD402 - Studio Brief 02 - Self Branding Final Outcomes

The final outcomes for my Personal and Professional Practice Self Branding.

The Orange Juice Compendium 

0, 10, 100, 1000 Circles

DanceDanceDance

Moon/Sun

The History of a Colour

name stamp

During a selection of critiques that I undertook after their completion, feedback was positive towards the zine series. It was generally agreed that the content was widely varied and presented multiple aspects of my personality, which was the intention of the project. A select few found it more difficult to link some of the content back to me, particularly with the Moon/Sun zine, however a key aspect of the zines is that they would be able to stand alone as pieces of work as well as being representative of my practice. It was agreed that Moon/Sun did work as an individual piece of work and so ultimately the zine was still successful. It was also agreed that the handmade nature of the series gave a very personal feel, and most felt it related more to them than if I had digitally printed each one and used a digital typeface. 

In terms of how the zines were produced technically, there were only a few minor setbacks: when creating the front cover for The Orange Juice Compendium I used a basecoat screenprinting technique that I had never tried before. This technique requires exact precision in order to line up each layer directly on top of each other, however the orange and white circles on the cover are misaligned by approximately 1mm. This printing error is barely noticeable, and with extended practice using the screens it would be easy to correct. Also when binding the zines, a selection of the pages did not line up correctly, causing them to be shorter than the rest when the zines were trimmed. I decided not to trim the zines down to match this smaller page size as there would be a risk of cutting into the text and images, and I did no want to compromise the content of the zines. To resolve this issue in the future I would either be more precise when binding a publication, or print the content on a larger page, allowing room for a large bleed around the outside, and trim down to the correct size. 

Each of these zines were handmade, and if I were to physically send them out to people I would hand make a larger run. In the event that I would need to send out a bulk order, however, I have scanned each of the pages before they were cut and bound , so that I would be able to print out the templates for each page and add additional colour and stamped lettering by hand. 

As discussed in peer critiques, this project has the potential to be extended further into different areas. One example would be to use the rubber stamps and a selection of the phrases from the zines to create business card style slips of paper (below), that can be made quickly and in a greater number, and could be used to pass out details to a large number of people at once. Another would be to use the large number of sketches and test sheets created in the process of testing the rubber stamper to create an additional zine - the pages would be cut and bound in the same style as the rest of the series, and would allow people to view the creative process in creating these zines. 

OUGD402 - Studio Brief 03 - Personal and Professional Practice Presentation

In order to create cohesion between my zine series and the Personal and Professional Practice Presentation I used a black and white colour scheme throughout, where it was appropriate, and used a muted palette where it was necessary to show coloured images. I also embedded some of the images from my photographic zine within selected slides. For ease and increased legibility when projected onto a wall, I used a digital typeface for the text rather than hand-stamping each word with ink. I chose a typeface that closely matched that of the rubber stamps used throughout my zines series

Confidential typeface used in the presentation

Selected screenshots from the presentation:

OUGD402 - Studio Brief 02 - Logos and Branding (Or Lack Of)

The main focus of this self branding project was to use the content of the zines themselves as a way of reflecting my personality and style, and not on creating a logo or a brand identity for myself. I also felt it would be inappropriate to create a brand name under which to advertise my work as my practice is still emerging and I am still unsure which areas I will go into over the next few years. However, the zines will still be used as a form of marketing tool and so it is important that my name included somewhere in the design. The most obvious choice was to simply stamp my name on the back of the tracing paper insert using the same rubber stamps as used throughout the rest of the zines.

OUGD402 - Studio Brief 02 - Collating and Binding

The simplest and most professional form of binding for these zines was to all of the pages in half and do a simple saddle stitch. This kind of binding is minimally invasive to the content of the zines, while also being one of the strongest. These facilities were available to me in college and so I used a creaser and perforating machine to crease each page and cover directly down the middle, and then used an industrial stapling machine to bind each spine with two staples. Before binding I also added a tracing paper insert to each zine, as a form of protective layer to shield the inner pages. This is also a technique I have used on many of my other personal publications in the past, and I felt it was appropriate to stick to previous aesthetic guidelines for the sake of cohesion between past and present work.

zine folding in progress

zine folding in progress

OUGD402 - Studio Brief 02 - Zine Cover Designs

I wanted to create a set unique covers for the zines that would work individually but also link the series as a whole. When looking at the content there seemed to be a recurring theme of circles - drawing circles by hand, the moon and the sun both being spherical objects, and oranges being a spherical fruit. It only seemed natural to include this as a motif on the front covers, and so I sketched out some ideas for each zine.

I wanted to screenprint the covers for each zine as I wanted the exterior to appear more professionally made, and to contrast with the obviously handmade interior, so I digitalised these designs and exposed them onto a screenprinting screen.

To match the limited colour palette I had used for the content of the zines I used black stock for each cover and screenprinted each design in white, with the exception of The Orange Juice Compendium, which I screenprinted in orange. I initially had difficulty with the opacity of the orange paint on the stock, as the paint wasn't vivid enough to stand out again the black. However this issue was solved by printing a white circle first and then overlaying that with the orange paint in order to create a basecoat.

Letters Live

Letters Live is a celebratory live event that highlights the enduring power of literary correspondence. Each show brings together a selection of letters written over the centuries and from around the world, and features an array of great performers reading these remarkable letters. One of this year's performances featured names such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones, Carey Mulligan, Caitlin Moran, Jude Law and Danny Boyle, among others. Literature, in this sense, is not often found within the field of graphic design but looking at the two subjects broadly, both are about the communication of information. t was a unique experience to be in the presence of such an array of talents and to be in a theatrical environment such as that and this has added to my interest in the performative elements within our creative fields and how

Performing for the Camera

This new exhibition at the Tate Modern examines the relationship between photography and performance, while also exploring a varied range of artists and photographers. The collection encompasses serious works of art that deal with identity politics, carefully constructed fantasies, and witty improvisational snapshots. The exhibition was divided into appropriate sections, and looked at documenting performances, photographic actions, self portraits staging/collaborations, and performing icons. As discovered though these photographs, performance art is often more photographic, and photography more performative, than their usual separate histories suggest. The use of documenting actions through photography, and using photography as an action, is an interesting concept within the field of graphic design, and opens up many possibilities in not only how work is displayed, but also how it is created.

Yves Klein, Leap Into the Void (1960) - A performance in which Klein leapt

from a wall into the 'void': in reality, Klein leapt onto a tarpaulin which was

removed later on. Klein used the photograph as evidence of his ability

to undertake unaided lunar travel

Charles Ray, Plank Piece I-II (1973) - Ray was part of a wave of artists during the 1970s who addressed sculpture as an activity rather than as an object. In this iconic two-part photographic work, the artist documents the use of his own body as the sculptural component through a complex balance between weight and gravity

Dan Graham with Harry Shunk and János Kender, Pier 18 (1971) - A performative piece

in which Graham photographed his surroundings by placing his camera on different

parts of his own body, working his way down from his head to his feet.

Erwin Wurm, One Minute Sculptures (ongoing) - A series of live performative works that

encourages audiences to engage briefly with their surroundings and to create

 a sculpture using their own bodies and surrounding materials.

Running in the Student Elections

When it was announced that the Student Elections had opened with LCA, and I heard about the position for Editorial Officer, I jumped at the chance. Being Editorial Officer means being the editor of NEST magazine, and since arriving at LCA I've been keen to do more publication work. The magazine itself provides an amazing opportunity for students to get their work featured, but working on the production, publishing, and promotion of the magazine itself would provide me with so many more opportunities to gain experience working on a larger publication, and to network and meet other likeminded people.

After entering myself for the elections, and getting confirmation I was running for the position, I wrote an official manifesto for my campaign:

NEST magazine is an incredibly important platform for showcasing our students work, not only within Leeds College of Art, but nationally and internationally as well. As a young creative I understand the importance of gaining this kind of exposure, and in the role of Editorial Officer I am keen to use NEST as a way to allow as many students as possible to access this opportunity. I would guarantee to sustain the high quality of the publication as it stands, while continuing to utilise the many talents that exist within the college. I would further the encouragement of participation from students at both Blenheim Walk and Vernon Street, which would allow for a greater variety of subject matters to be covered, ultimately allowing the magazine to be accessible to a wider audience.

With a view to making the magazine a greater collaborative effort, the first big change I would make would be to assemble a small creative team that would allow students from all areas to experience the process behind producing and promoting a successful magazine. I also hope to devote more time to creating opportunities for students to curate and exhibit work physically, as I believe this is also an important part of the exposure process.

NEST is a magazine created by students for students and I can only make these changes with your help, so vote for me for your next Editorial Officer!

Alongside this I created a series of posters to help promote my campaign around the college. I created a t-shirt for myself with gold glittery iron on letters, channeling the DIY aspect of art schools and the slightly tacky effect of creating ones own t-shirts. I wanted the poster to show me wearing the t-shirt and holding a copy of NEST magazine, almost recreating an anorak design kid, but the photos felt too staged and fake. With the help of a fellow student (Sophie Oldham) I shot a selection of different photos. Sophie suggested that I try to be more free in front of the camera. We decided I should wear the t-shirt backwards and roll up the magazine and put it in my back pocket, so that both of my arms were free to move around. I danced a little to try and capture some movement, and this worked perfectly. From these I created ten different poster designs - I used the same font as my t-shirt to convey the information and kept the designs relatively simple in order for them to be as clear as possible.

To help spread my message about my campaign I visited the Vernon Street campus and talked to many of the Foundation and Extended Diploma students to tell them about the elections, NEST magazine, and their potential involvement. I also talked to a proportion of the Higher Education students at the Blenheim Walk campus. Talking to such a large number of people was relatively out of my comfort zone but it has helped my confidence hugely to get out and meet the people I hope to be working with next year. 

OUGD402 - Studio Brief 02 - DanceDanceDance

For this zine I wanted to use myself as the subject of a performance art piece, so I had a friend photograph me in front of a white wall while I danced, focusing specifically on how I moved my body and my limbs. The photographs were taken in several quick bursts. I then closely cropped each one to show specific sections of my body, and edited them so they would appear to replicate the grainy black and white photography that is synonymous with the 1960's and 1970's. The final images are below:

I wanted to annotate the photos in some way, either to describe some aspects of performance art or to detail what I was doing with my body in each frame. I looked into artist's manifestos, particularly those of performance artists, and came across this An Artist's Life Manifesto from world renowned performance artist Marina Abramović. None of the manifestos I looked at linked directly to my work and I couldn't quote them directly, so I wrote my own spoof version of the rules to performance art and being an artists to accompany my images:


An artist should always move all of their limbs

An artist should always move in black and white

Never make eye contact with anyone who doesn't understand your art

An artist should fill the square as often as possible

An artist should always stand in front of white walls

Be aware of your hands

final images and text printed in order onto zine stock

OUGD402 - Studio Brief 02 - The History of a Colour

This zine looks at the how the tones of a certain colour changes over eras, and features a colour swatch style square on each page, and in this case each is a different shade of red. To get these colours I researched magazine covers and photographs from each decade and took sample shades based on the popularity and use of each one, in order that they would representative of each time periods. To add humour, the first two decades (the 1940's and the 1950's) are actually different shades of grey, to represent the black and white technology that was available in those decades.

1940's

1950's

1960's

1970's

1980's

1990's

final content printed in order onto zine stock, with the additional of a final

page that reads 'colour has remained constant sine 2000'