Sequences/ Routine/ Wasting Time- ‘Collection of Zines’

For this self-initiated project I have developed ideas and outcomes exploring the themes sequences of my daily routine. I wanted to explore this as I wanted discover aspects of my own everyday routine and look at the sequencing that is associated with objects and places around us. 

My project began through collecting a vast range of images and compiling designs from mix media, this journal of visual pieces reflected my own inspirations and experimentations over the summer. The artworks act as an initial response to my own ideas and allowed me to develop a theme relating to aspects of each of my pieces. I felt there were prominent links between each of my designs depicted through similar patterns using lines, shapes and text repeated in each of the compositions. The nature of creating these pieces reflected a concept of sequencing and this was present through elements of my designs as a collective.

During the course of my introduction work I looked at a range of artist’s works from Richard Long, Anthony Gormley and Typographers, and created experimental designs to set tasks. Much of this work was irrelevant to my main project, however allowed me to approach my theme with alternatively to generic graphics projects as well as making me think more critically about the work of artists and judging my own my own designs. The introduction pieces I created also allowed me to work using a range of different mediums and experimenting through different ways of working, this period also allowed me to think more conceptually about my ideas and the purpose of my project.

I decided to take initial primary photographs for my project of a range of objects and items linked to the theme ideas, this started off with images I took of a typewriter. This was quite sporadic in choosing what photographs to take, I felt the typewriter visually presented ideas of sequencing and repetition through the keys and machinery and letters. The object also represented motion and is associated with the sounds of continuous typing through the keys. Another set of photographs I took were objects that I associated with my own daily routine which I felt had a strong link to the ideas of sequences. The collection of shoes represented ideas of journeys and pathways I take on my daily walks and travelling to distant places, this also provided me with other ideas of time and how this is divided up within my own sequence.

Within my research I looked at current designs which and art pieces relating to my ideas of sequencing. I took initial visits to galleries and museums such as the Saatchi Gallery, V&A Museum and Tate Britain, these places presented a range of works and ideas I wanted to integrate in my own works. From the Saatchi gallery, I particularly liked a strong piece I saw from designer Scott King and wanted to use his style of work within my own project. His inspirational pieces also led me to look at other influential artists such as Alexander Rodchenko and Barbara Kruger.

The artists I chose to study each consist of quite strong and overpowering works, in contrast to each other, much of Rodchenko’s style of work shared links to my summer journal and experimentation work linked with Kruger. Despite this I felt by studying these artists I could take elements from each of their styles of work into my own project, such as the use of bold lines and geometric shapes in Rodchenko’s constructivist designs and King’s bold use of bright colours and text. By focusing my design work looking at these artists, also I felt combining aspects of in their work would provide a unique approach to creating my designs and challenge me into keeping my designs contemporary attracting a young audience. Kruger’s work consisted of hand made and computer created layering photomontages using magazine cut-outs and overlaying her bold red block statements. The aspects of her designs I related to my own works was the uses of black and white photographs and conceptual associations with her work, leading the viewer to interpret based from the visual images and text placed. I felt that these elements in her designs were also quite versatile in the way they can be easily be created and replicated, linking back to some of my initial ideas of repetition and sequencing.

In my experimentation I used a variety of handmade and computer techniques, creating media experiments. I started developing ideas of composition, combinations of colours which worked and the arrangement of lines within my pieces using string adding a raised element to the designs. From this I created string circle diagrams which represented a day’s cycle as well as experimenting in 3-D creating geometric shapes and layering with my photographs. Using a range of materials in my project allowed me to push my ideas further and refining these in my development I felt my project resolved with having a collection of different works which link well together. Putting these designs together and working further onto them, I decided that it was suitable to conclude my project creating a set of ‘Zine’ booklets, with ideas being conceptually interpreted by the viewer as final outcomes.

The successes in my project was compiling my designs together into zine booklets, I developed during my experimentation. I have use a variety of compositions and digital and hand techniques with work for my final outcomes. The research and designs I have produced reflect on aspects taken from the secondary sources I have collected in my journals and linked to primary photographs I have taken. My final outcomes present a unique set of experimental zines which I feel works well appealing to an audience in an alternative and contemporary approach in contrast to generic commercial graphics.

There were improvements which I could have taken, for my final outcomes, I think I could have developed my ideas a lot further and have produced more concise and clear zines with information and text of the concept of my project. The photographs I have taken could have been taken using a better camera and could have been more prominently used within my development and experimentation. I think a strong weakness in my project was because I wanted it my work to be more self-initiated, it seemed to lack having the added element of designing for a client. I could have pushed my ideas and development of designs further to produce alternative sets of designs that suited to a possible target client relating to my concepts of wasting time, routine and sequences. Another weakness  that could be criticized to my project is the broad scale of my themes where I feel now I could have refined a lot further, going more in-depth to a certain element of my routine would have provided a stronger concept which I could have marketed.

Despite this linking back to the idea of sequences and my thoughts and ideas having evolved from my collections of images and experimental pieces in my journals, I think I have produced a strong representation of aspects in my own routine, discovering the amount of time I waste and images I associate to reflect ideas of sequences.

Overall I feel the project has developed strongly where I have worked in an alternative way and approach to conventional graphic design. By working in using a range of ideas and different influences I have been able to push my ideas and produce a unique set of contemporary zine outcomes.

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