Moodboards
When working out moodboards I have mainly been thinking in compositional methods that can represent my navigational words that I have made out (just to construct an understanding for myself, what I am doing). The visual framework has to connect these disciplines and create a narrative between them that is understandable. The focus therefore has to be on the fragments of texts, which calls for some typographical focus. Clearly arranged hierarchies etc. But also allow the emotional aspect of some of the texts.
Words: fluidity, darkness, division, binary opposites, typographic focus (text heavy), water (Tiamat), deconstruction, ambivalence.
The idea for this moodboard was to see if a visible structure could be used and then break it, to sort of underline the whole discussion on breaking old constructions. Felt a bit obvious though, to be honest. However, that sort of design can easily be scalable, applied on various media.
The focus for this one was fluidity in text heavy contexts. A visual context that allows for vulnerability (which is present in some of the fragments), respectful yet dynamic without being too playful. Allows for tactile elements.
Deriving from focus as a compositional method and explore typography on texture-like pictures. This is how my initial thought of the visual context was: dark, heavy, out of focus with glowing text. But as my research proceeds this feels more and more inappropriate. That visual enhancement is unnecessary as the subject is quite dark in its own. It would be over explicit.
This visual direction is built upon the idea of fragmentation, as the texts will be fragments as well. Perhaps underline it further with imagery that is also fragmented. Will the fragmented pictures steal attention from the text though? The text is the most important part.
Deconstruction! Why not use deconstruction in composition to dismantle an old construction? Well the idea is nice and this is my next best moodboard. This allows the content to take place and provides the opportunity to enhance the bits I want to. Working like this can however turn out a bit more gritty than intended?
Other thoughts on visualisation
Use reversed cursive on terms and words that are constructed? To echo the tradition of cuneiform in a contemporary context. In Cuneiform tradition, direction of the characters was almost entirely dependent on how the clay block could be used, the connection between the act of writing and the final outcome was unified, so that one way to determine whether a cuneiform is fake, is to look for individual wedge-shaped characters pointing upwards, to the left or to the right, since that was simply a too awkward a hand gesture to make. (Eleanor Robson p83)
Division? Possibly look at Joan Kilbourne and her discussion of deconstructing the female body (in terms of visual semiotics), in regards to Tiamat. Division can be used also to enhance the mother/monster discussion, perhaps in use of format? Contrast? Layering?
Experience & meaning? Escobar mentions in his book “Designs for the Pluriverse” that were in a new age of containing an inclusive definition of design, that centers around experience and meaning which stands in discrepancy to the modernist definition of design driven by functionalist and semanticist view.
Collaborative? Escobar also argues that a designer is a facilitator embracing ethnographic, participatory, and collaborative practices. So that is what I will try to enhance in the visual context, by bringing these extracts from different disciplines together and provide an opportunity of a new narrative, through them.
Format / Final outcome? Fanzine–Kate Eichhorn, Copy Machines Downtown Scenes, dissemination of queer activist ideas, reallocating power to the hands of the people etc.
Research
One major part of my research had to be for the content as the entire idea is built upon this exploration of the constructed narrative of “deviant” mothers as monsters. During the weekend when I read parts of these books and articles, it took a super dark turn. I did not know what I had expected from this research? In my head I think I was going to end up with a production that basically said “this is so unfair, naming women as monsters because they don’t live up to this, by men, constructed norm!” and to some degree it will still say that. The problem is that the consequenses of this narrative was a bit darker than I first thought. What this really means for me is that my responsibility for handling this material grew substantially. I think I can’t really include the consequenses, perhaps imply one of them, but I feel that is out of my capability, to handle that sort of material, without any education on those subjects.
I also think I will have to write a simpler framework to provide the connections and underline my intended narrative of these texts. That will also help me solve the problem with copyright. Some extra work–yes, but it is 13 degrees celsius and raining for the rest of the week. So this will be an appropriate night activity.
Visually my challenge in this project is to dare take a step into a for me unknown direction. Stuart mentioned Sam Winston on the Ideas Wall which is actually a super appropriate source for this, drawing inspiration from the deconstruction and vulnerability in his typography could do a lot for this project.
My notebook is filled with thoughts, and sketches. Usually when I work my approach is quote similar to the one in Philips book from last week. Design strategy–>visualisation. But this subject requires something else. This is intellectual, emotional, temporal. I have to treat it gently. It’s hard.
Visual research
Keith encouraged me to have a look at Brian Roettinger implicating that I could perhaps find inspiration in his way of working with deconstruction in quite modernist compositions. I ended up on the website for his design studio he shares with Willo Perron.
Sketches
The very first sketches and testing of formats let me know that a format that could easily be printed would be good. If this was to be a fanzine, then its essence and tradition is in the simplicity of creating it, disseminating it. The format then landed in an A4 folded on the long side (if that makes sense). The work with the typography however, was not going particularly well.
I needed to collect myself in this mayhem of prints and try outs and establish what I was doing. This publication will have quite a few pages, and requires a solid framework. However, that framework should be somewhere outside my comfort zone (meaning no modular grids, none of my usual sans serifs, no expected typographical hierarchies).
I felt I had to establish my typographical framework before adding any traits from my inspiration above. Something to rely on before starting experimenting with, what I anticipate will be some sort of analoge interference. So I tried sorting out what kind of texts I would have.
