When asked to think about my current practice, the core themes that was apparent was the confusion and hiding of messages. This series of images is in direct response to that, creating a isometric question mark and disguesing its shape and form.

The isometric viewpoint is somewhat inspired by Mirai Mizue’s isometric animation video.

This video was made in response to the 2nd brief. I didn’t feel like I wanted to do anything stop motion or with film and instead dab-bled with flash again. I wanted something that conveyed a message about my work, hense the song choice (Shuffle on a dream - Lit-tle Dragon). The concept of this video is that the words reflect people, originally in wire frame form but then hide the identity with consumerism. They eventually try and revert back to their orginal form, but when they go back they are not the same as before. As to whether this video was successful, I think it is mixed, the visuals do not create a lasting impression and the messaged is lost with the flashing images. Had I had known the brief would be extended to two weeks I would have made it far more elaborate with full flowing animation and fleshing out the message a little more. A large inspiration was the Hype Williams directed ‘All of the Lights,’ video with its flashing text.

Right - The original cast of letters created before the video. Collectively they all work quite well apart from the R, which in hindsight looks too fleshed out by comparison. Also possible oolour tweaks with the D possibly becoming pink.

Example screenshots of the video.Invidually the images stand out.

My last works had a strong focus on colour, with a colour scheme shunning black for pastel shades.. After looking at my old work I stripped back colour to the basic primary colours. They are all made with basic lettershapes, following a type-face I made a few years prior. This was the basis for the con-struction of these pieces. For intial simplicity it uses the RYB colour model as opposed to CMYK or RGB to make the thought behind them instant-ly recognisable. The work is certainly vibrant, and hides the messaege of the pictures behind it. By limiting the colour scheme however it feels like there is only so much scope for invention and creativity, it comes across very primiatave.

Left - Love 2Below - Primary LoveBottom Left - HateAcross- Revenge

Basis of colour for active research partly inspired by Pard Morrison

Thinking about how art and design can be considered timeless, I worked against this, looking at making something relevant and possibly even fashionable. Coming across this palette was a good basis to continue my work. I find it an interesting theory that essentially design can be retooled with the seasons to remain fashionable, no matter how iconic the image. The ‘revenge’ image (right), takes on a more mature tone when retooled in a different scheme. This idea of remixing and retooling an old piece has been in-spired by not only the music world, but also by a forum memb er who remixed my old work. It showed me that work can be reintruptted in a different way.

Unless stated, the rest of the portfolio uses this colour scheme in an attempt to create consistency.

With this piece, I think it completely changes the tone, making it softer, even romantic.

All the images previous all acontain a message, whilst this next series focuses on simple and repetitive pattern. I feel like this actually takes away from an interesting aspect of my work, and for that reason I revert back to becoming more cryptic.

Across - A pattern (Not using seasonal colours).

This is to show my old process, and how I wanted to do something with more purpose. Here in photoshop I would write what I intend to say.

Then I would pixelate it through the effects on pho-toshop, generally fiddling around with the settings until I found something I liked, but with no real thought behind it.

The import into illustra-tor and live trace it, again messing with the settings until I found something pleasing. Statement (Right) was cre-ated using this process. But there is only so far it can be taken.

An attempt to try and make something a little more substantial. This was not an inspired by anything but instead just to formulate an idea. Using a gridded system it is that simple. The trouble is is that it does not seem interesting or particualry pleasing on the eye. The second version was a revised edition of the first, trying to mix up the shapes somewhat. The vowels are also a darker shade to try and differentiate between the two. As a font it makes it a tad more effective.

ab

xwvu

tsrqponmlk

jihgfedc

zy

This was two botched attempts to try and refine and develop my previous statement. The reasons they were largely abandoned was because they were not very engaging image wise and looked almost arkward. The second typeface had a little more structure, built around illus-trators grid system, no line could be more than three squares long. The trouble was with letters such as K or V, it would have meant breaking such a code. My braille typeface (Right) has been far more successful. Although a quick search online has shown it has been done before [2], I have yet to find an example that is not dot based. This is a digitalised version intending to confuse but with a basic knowledge of braille should be easily understandable.

An attempt to make a cryptic text, beginning with a gridded system and drawing simple lines. The squares were created to differentiate the vowels from the rest of the alphabet. The second and third fonts are a refinement, trying to create a more consistent typeface tak-ing into account lettershapes and form. The variation in shape was to try and create something more appealling when put into sen-tences. In a way it is kind of an evolution of the brail typeface made previously. However, some of the letters are intentionally close so that only someone with a close knowledge of the type could understand it.

Taking further inspiration from different cultures, this is a look at the structure of words and how we read them. Firstly instead of the text reading left to right, the text above reads right to left. Although the text is already illegable, it is a further attempt to encrypt the text.The image to the right takes cues from Chinese writing, with text scrolling down the page.

Furthering a certain interest in oriental culture, I took the construcion and layout of their signs and made a graphic interprutation using my own font with the structure of the text going from right to left. I also drew on rememberance of childhood game ‘Wipeout 2097,’ and how the signs were represented there. Deep down there is an element of futurism there, the lines and angles. To a point even the colours.

Evaluation

Currently do I feel like I have forefilled the objectives laid out? I’m not sure I can answer that question because I feel I am not at the point of really nailing a FMP. I have ideas yes, but they have not been pro-cessed yet to a point where the are commitable. That being said, I am pleased with the journey that has gone on to this point. Every year I have an idea where my independent practice could be going and it always changes. Once again it has for the better. For the first time I am really acknowledging my inspirations no matter how small. My mind has opened up, almost grown up to where I can see that there is influence from outside sources, it is not all in my head. Some of the work in hindsight does not seem to serve much of purpose now looking back at the course of my work. The look into colour for example, was fascinating for me, colour has been a strong basis of my work and I felt personally that it had to be explored. Maybe this project for me then is not how i came to reach a FMP but a slightly more personal journey of exploring little things I have always had an urge to. Later exploring typefaces I felt was important because it is a basis for my work, my work, despite what it looks like, is text based. It was maybe have that extended control over my work that made me want to pursue it. One thing that I still hold dear is the cryptic messages in my work, and I don’t expect anyone to change that. I have concluded though, to nail that fine line between art and design I have to give the viewer the code to break the piece. Otherwise it is essentially a painting.

FMP

I propose that using a refined version of my typeface, that I explore the world of print and installations using a social/political message that has yet to be decided. I would develop the message until it had a consistant theme and then figure a way to give the audience the key to decode it. I think maybe 8 or so images in a variety of media, including installation, print and mixed media could give across the message I was after.