COP3; Revised Proposal

Revised Proposal

I thought it would be helpful to revisit my initial project proposal and rewrite it! This gives a clear view of where my project is at this stage and what sorts of things I want to investigate.

Moving Forward 

More visual research!! Both in terms of looking at the old, preexisting and practical making! Haven't made any drawings so far so get stuck in!!! Something I'll really enjoy making artwork in response to so get at it! Use quotes to help you, make sense of tests visually, immerse yourself in the research!!

More reading!! More and more and more!! Order books if needed that have more focus on Riot Grrrl, female zines or zines in general. Look at interviews, articles, documentaries and films as well as books.

Artists and Focus Progress

Notes

I made some more reflective notes about what I want to focus on from here on out. Female art collectives makes zines. Contemporary examples? Why still making them? Why important?

Artists & Other

I thought it'd be good to look at some artists that focused on women's issues and not just those in zines. This is something I'm quite excited to expand, to look at illustrators as well as fine artists, poets ect. How do their relationships work together, how does the role of illustration change in these instances? Can it be just as powerful as other forms of communication? (Yes!!!)

Theme & Focus Progression

Notes

I made these notes shortly after my talk with Aidan, to get down any initial thoughts and ideas before I forgot them. I think my previous blog post better highlights what I want to take away from this talk, however I had to get some notes down first I order for me to reflect later. 

Sources 

I also gathered together some books and resources from the library so I could begin some more focused research into my chosen topic.

Talk With Aidan

Picture taken from my instagram; HERE

Trip to Leeds

I recently made a trip back to Leeds for a few days, as I was a little stressed about my dissertation and felt going into uni to do some work and spend some time in the library would do me some good. It was while there I saw Aidan, a friend from Fine Art who I hadn't seen over Summer. Somewhere into our catch up we got onto the subject of dissertations, and I began explaining the research I'd undertaken so far the the possible avenues I could go down for a more specific question, and it was at this point I realised how completely VAGUE my ideas so far are. And though I've been considering and asking lots of questions, I haven't actually focused down my idea at all, quite the opposite actually. I've just expanded it up.

Cue dissertation meltdown before it's even started.

During this epiphany of "I don't know what I'm doing and now I'm really stressed about it" Aidan very cooly said to me "Jazz, just do sad girls and zines." And though a very off the cusp remark, what he'd said actually strung a chord with me. I complained that it was too different to my original idea, but in the library I couldn't shake the idea from my mind. 

A lot of my work is quite evocative, and sad lonely girls often feature in a lot of my personal work. It's become something of a motif of mine, exploring the world of sad girls is something I've found to come instinctual to my practice, it's a form of authentic expression, as I can draw a lot of it from myself. I am a girl, and sometimes I get sad too.

Zines are also something that I feel have had a massive impact on my personal practice. Before LCA I was completely unaware of their existence, and being exposed to this entirely new context my illustration can sit it has been amazing. They've subtly fed into a huge number of my projects this year, and their DIY hand crafted qualities are something that really speak out to me as an artist.

That still left me a little stuck however, as these two themes seemed a world away from the research I was already undertaking. That was however until Aidan mentioned the word RIOT GRRRL.

Focus, Fems & Zines

The Riot Grrrl scene gave me a way of making sense of my two seemingly polar ideas. It showed me how I could utilise the research I'd already done to date and focus it with the Riot Grrrl element to produce a project that would be interesting and beneficial to my own practice. 

Throughout the Riot Grrrl scene, a huge number of zines were produced within the movement. A large majority of these made as a collaborative effort between like minded women. Collectives of women, if you will, with shared personal politics. This fit perfectly into the research I'd been doing so far, only it gave it come context; something focused and solid to read into. 

I finally feel as though my dissertation research is beginning to narrow down with a clearer theme in mind. I'd like to explore the past world of Riot Grrrl and zines, but I'd also like to look at what's happening NOW. What female contemporary collectives are still producing zines? And why? What role do illustrators play in this whole process? My questions are finally focused and therefore my research can be too! 

COP3; Sketchbook Notes Cont. & Possible Sources

Further Notes

Considered using Humber Street Sesh as another collective // collaboration to look at. Involvement of organisers, artists and musicians. However this is very different to other examples.

South Korean Tattooists, Hacienda Club, Humber Street Sesh; all very different collectives with different aims and ways of working, what connects them all? PASSION.

Does creative passion bring people together; is this what I want to investigate? How do illustrators purpose and function change in each of these instances? What is their 'super power'? What do illustrators bring to collectives? Can illustrators say powerful things? (YES!!!)

Within collectives is illustration work elevated and more powerful? Artistic integrity VS role in a collective. Do collectives allow illustrators more creative freedom or do they stunt creative growth and expression?

Moving Forward

A LOT of questions at this point. Am I getting closer to a theme or over expanding it?

I feel a little lost in terms of research as I still feel my question and theme are very vague, I haven't nailed down a specific area I want to investigate and it's holding me back at this point. I don't really want to start trying to research all of these avenues as it'll get even more complex than it currently is.

Perhaps I need to sit down and refocus my intentions. My interest in the subject matter is waning as I don't really know what I'm trying to find out anymore.

COP3; Initial Sketchbook Notes

Initial Sketchbook Notes

To what extent does the personal politics of professional practitioners impact on the role and function of illustration?

Moving Forward

Getting a little too distracted by the Southern Korean Tattoo scene I feel, questions are straying too far from initial point without enough research; must continue to stay focused

What angle do I want to take on this? At the moment it's very vague. Do I want to know IF personal politics brings people together or do I want to know WHY it does? How successful is it? Are people more powerful together? I need a focused argument or statement in mind.

At this point I believe community and collectives are more powerful than someone standing alone; is this something I want to PROVE or something I want to EXPLORE.

More examples of collectives // communities being brave within the art world? Strength and confidence in numbers? What can be achieved by this? How does working in a group // collective affect how an illustrator works?

COP3; Austerity?

Austerity with Art

Given my interest so far in the South Korean Tattoo scene, and the previous example of Public School's collection, I've begun wondering if austerity with art is something I would like to further research. Both cases come from a place of rebellion and social constraint; they have something to act out against and fight for. This, in turn, ignites bravery within the act of making such art no matter its form. These are people going against the grain, whether openly (as such with Public School's collection showcased against the traditional fashion week pre-collection calendar) or more underground (as with the South Korean Tattoo scene). Is this kind of 'defiance' art what I want to base my dissertation on? Do harder times make for braver art? Does austerity and encouraged conformity lead to more active self expression? Are these the sort of questions I want to be investigating during the course of this module?

Research

I feel at this point, I'm faced with a lot of questions and few answers. Am I attempting to research too much? I feel a little lost in terms of a focus, and while bravery in art is something I feel very invested in, it's also a very large subject matter. Identifying and describing what 'bravery in art is' could be an entire project on its own, and so to use that in conjunction with all my other current questions could be detrimental to the sort of research I undertake throughout this project.

Moving Forwards

I believe it'd do me some good to sit down and write out what I have so far; all the questions and research and what I want to accomplish throughout this module. I have snippets of information spread over my blog, pinterest, and sketchbook, and I think it'd help a lot to organise that all and figure out where I want to go from there.

Public School’s Spring/Summer 17 Rebellion

Public School’s Spring//Summer 17 Collection

Original Article; HERE

Continuing with the theme of bravery I stumbled upon this article on Public School's Spring//Summer collection and how it had grown through the notion of rebellion and standing up for something. Is this something that could be useful to my dissertation on collectives and bravery? Although not illustrated, would it be worth looking at other art forms and collectives that have come together to form something brave; similar to this one? 

Should I begin looking at protest art as one avenue of bravery within the art phere? How do you measure bravery? Should I look at political art as brave? Satire? How far can this term be pushed.

From the article; 

"The concept of the show really was a reflection of the political landscape that's happening not only in the States, but all around the world — this idea of false leaders and false icons that are being built up," Chow explained backstage. Yesterday's offering saw a combination of military and athletic references — slashed silhouettes, strappy jumpsuits, sleeveless layering pieces, and punk patches slapped across the lot. The repeated use of shocking yellow, according to Osborne, was a "call to action."

Questions from research

Art as a platform for change? 

Can illustration do this? 

If so how is illustration doing this?

Personal politics bring people together?

Are people stronger as a collective?