“What I am trying to convey to you is more mysterious; it is entwined in the very roots of being, in the impalpable source of sensations. J. Gasquet, Cézanne
“You discover the world inside of your body. It’s a big part of the research. I wasn’t even concerned with the end result.”
- Alexandra Engelfriet
Above Quote taken from: https://www.alexandraengelfriet.com/about
Does language change in line with the limits of the world?
"Word meaning cannot be isolated from the world suggests that although the limits of my language may not be the limits of my world, the limits of my world are most definitely the limits of my language." (2021)
Above quote is taken from: <https://www.oriel.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/psaila_l_essay_title_2.pdf> [Accessed 7 July 2021].
Within the light of deafness:
An Independent study into to visual embodiment through deafness, through the creation of an asemic alphabetic forms. Influenced by peripheral visional, spatial placement and the movement and capture of light from the viewpoint of silence. Creation of physically created asemic forms based on exploration, sensory need, and bisectional creation of forms via the use of a two handed approach rather than one hand alone.
How do you portray a feeling? A sense of wonder, the movement of capture and time, spatial placement between objects and the shadows which escape from their originality.
A glance from a peripheral vision whilst your head is still forward whilst looking at inexplicable marks on the void of blackness, it was the shadows behind the white chalk lines which I understood the dust which fell on the surface and created shapes, the side light which highlighted the depth and pressure made by the hand this was writing, this was language because it came from the human But then the human removed the involvement of self and presented these lines as a foreign language of which we all needed to know.
I moved the marks around in my visual mind creating an association to the world, which fitted with the shadows in full vision on the outside of the peripheral landscape.
Finding my association and feeling a bond, a connection, yet no connection to the place where I was asked to be, a world of pens moving around on paper creating marks which had no connection to me no light, no angles, just flatness and straight on not coming from the human, not coming from me, not coming from spirit, and body, coming from someone long before the world was so stagnant, conformed. I needed to conform, and understand and create lines in a form so foreign and unfitting with self that it started to change my embodiment and vision of the world and my physical and mental affinity with what was creating and the created.
^ Above Image: Digital Logo creation, utilising shadows captured by Sony A7 (Mark 3) created as part of the Independent Practise Module July 2021. Utilising typographic forms, and over layering to generate new conceptual language form with hints of recognisable phonic language. The Logo was selected to represent the University of Worcester's Master of the Arts Programme in Creative Media.
LEONARDO DA VINCI
It is said that the great artist and painter Leonardo Da Vinci was able to create using both his left and right hands often at the same time and independently. It is often said the artist wrote in mirror language or in code, in fact Leonardo was comfortable writing with both hands. His writing skills were not too different to those found in the Voynich manuscript which was a mixture of symbols and an unknown writing system and also beautifully illustrated with flowers, leaves, and astrological features. Some believe it was a religious code, and there is also a mixture of latin and legible characters. Perhaps it is merely a book of life, written through the hands of the living, to speak to the subconscious.
It does not need language to be read and is read by the gestural marks, lines, curves, colourful illustrations alone. Not dislike asemic writing which in itself is meaningless and only understood by individual interpretation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heoqGWqqmes
"We are not usually aware that an unconscious experience of touch is unavoidably hidden in vision. As we look, the eye touches, and before we see an object, we have already touched it and read its properties. Vision and touch constantly collaborate. This is how art emerges too; the hand sees, the eye makes, and the mind touches."
^ Above test is taken from Slowanderluster.com. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.slowanderluster.com/single-post/2019/12/21/the-embodiment-of-art-human-body-aesthetics-and-self-consciousness> [Accessed 23 June 2021].
"To live is to leave traces." Walter Benjamin
Above quote taken from: https://traces-london.co.uk/
This quote is indeed true of all human life, whether it be a footprint in the winters snow, or the gestural marks in calligraphy, or the fingerprints in a ceramic work of art. The world leaves its mark upon on us all through our physical involvement, our memory, and our human senses. To understand the world we do not need to hear, we only need to hear the portrayal of our language and meaning can be understood on visual, gestural and facial expression. Sometimes there are just not the words to describe a feeling, there is just the intense feeling, and the experience of making the footprint, of feeling the rain fall, and of perifal blur and shift of the eye as it focuses on the subject. The eyes are never still the shifting and blurring of movement between the visual objects is a constant and shifting for our own sensory experience. Being unable to hear allowed me to be more visually alert and to percept objects intensely and with interaction.
The Following text is taken from: https://www.allaboutvision.com/over60/vision-and-hearing-loss/
Will my sight be affected by my hearing loss?
By Beth Braverman
Does hearing loss affect vision? Absolutely. If you lose your hearing, your sight becomes much more important because any loss of visual acuity makes it harder to read lips and use sign language.
Conversely, those with visual impairment rely heavily on their sense of hearing to assist with everyday activities such as maintaining their balance and avoiding obstacles while walking.
For example, research shows that blind people are better at identifying the source of a sound than people who can see.
How exactly are vision and hearing linked?
The brain uses inputs from both the eyes and ears to make sense of the world, so the loss of one can impact its ability to interpret signals from the other.
A 2016 study from UCLA found that the amount that hearing and vision interact varies by the individual as well as the situation.
above text from: https://www.allaboutvision.com/over60/vision-and-hearing-loss/ Ended.
What is Embodiment?
Arthur Berndtson (2021) states that "Embodiment may be defined as the perception of adequate emotion as fused with form. Embodiment is present in the contemplation of works of art and of natural objects, and it occurs insofar as the prelimi- nary activities of creation by the artist, or of recreation or "learning" by the spectator, have been completed."
2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2104788.pdf> [Accessed 16 June 2021].
Through the experience of deafness during the early years of of my life, the aspects of reading, writing and speech were harboured. I was in a world of visual beauty, mapping light, and movement, interaction and and the layering of objects. Forming relationships between these dimensions and the dimension of silence from the pure observation of relationships and spatial area from which was my world. One of my most clear memories from this time was the absolute fear of not being able to hear what was behind me, I would use my peripheral vision as comfort very rarely would the world be viewed from a straight forward perspective. Even now as I have reached middle age, my eyes are constantly searching, looking beyond the field of vision, from looking at the highest points in the room to engaging with the the extreme depths of colour, shape and texture fusing my emotion with the landscapes and images in front of me the fusion of emotion, light, movement silence are felt experiences. The pursuance of these elements constitutes an affinity of self in the world, a guidance from an emotion which has shaped me into the person I am. An artist, designer, photographer and empath.
Arthur Berndtson constituted visual embodiment as the following
"In the aesthetic perception of a colour or shape, the distinction between the sensory and affective components disappears: the emotion is seen in the act of being felt, and the colour is felt in the act of being seen: more exactly, the fusion of the two is intuited."
berntson, A., 2021. Beauty, Embodiment, and Art. p.50.
Michael Jacobson
Extract below taken from: Puls Ceramics. 2021. Puls Ceramics - Alexandra Engelfriet. [online] Available at: <https://www.pulsceramics.com/exhibitions/alexandra-engelfriet-2007/> [Accessed 22 June 2021].
Alexandra Engelfriet was born in the Netherlands in 1959 and has received her training at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. She takes a special place in the ceramic field, as she has also been into fashion design, sculpture and land-art. It is only in recent years that she has become an artist working with clay, with a strong fascination and reference to nature.
Engelfriet says about her work:
“For more then twelve years I have been working with the kneadable materials of the earth: mud, clay, sand, earth and snow. Huge spaces I have filled and formed with these materials, working with my body as an instrument. I have worked out in nature, using the materials and the natural forces I found on the spot.
This rich physical and spiritual experience with raw matter I now bring to the medium of ceramics. Through the process of firing, my work has become lasting. The mouldable hardens into stone in which the act, movement, remains visible. In the past I used walls and floors as a base to sculpt material on, now I use the walls of pots, as the base to mould clay on.
The essence of my work still is movement, moving matter, structures and rich textures emerging out of the process of kneading and moulding clay. They either follow the shape of the pot as a coat, or the shape of the pot becomes hidden under the sculpturally formed matter, that gives it a new shape. While kneading new possibilities emerge.
Sometimes it seems the movement in the clay springs from the empty inside of the pot, while at the same time materialising the invisible movements in the space surrounding it.
In a world that becomes more and more virtual, to be able to feel and experience the touch and sensuality of the body through the art of clay, is what I aim for.” Quote Ends.
We all leave a trace of our human form on this earth, whether a footstep, a painting, a photograph or a planting of a tree. To create and feel, and leave the trace of the human, and it's form in movement and blended with nature is the essence of Englefreits work.
^ Image above taken from: https://www.mansfieldceramics.com/projects/alexandra-engelfriet-netherlands/
“You discover the world inside of your body. It’s a big part of the research. I wasn’t even concerned with the end result.”
- Alexandra Engelfriet
Feeling the environment, becoming the environment and seeking the depths of the unheard.
Not being able to hear also had an affect on my speech, as I could often not hear conversations and would say things that had nothing really to do with the conversations around me, mimicking sounds, and releasing sounds that to me were not sounds relatable to people they were the muffled sounds which I heard in my world, quite often sounds which had association with the visual attributes with which I connected with.
I remember being so involved with the sunset and the interaction with the clouds above me that while I was holding my Mothers hand I was dragged into a lamp post abruptly being brought back to ground level and not walking with my head at 90 degrees to the sky. People would call me a daydreamer, often saying that I had wondered off somewhere again in my own little world. And to a certain extent this was truth, I interacted with the world and its bright and diverse landscapes, making visual pictures in my mind, whilst visualising these elements colliding like the people in their daily conversations.
Movement and light were where my visual reading were attracted to, also the depth of layers and the shadow caused by pressure into a surface. Early on in my development I would find myself holding my hand in front of light, walking into the light whilst out on regular daily activities, it was here that the creative abstract ideas were formed collated and immersed within the physical and mental experiences always looking around the objects placed before me, and never looking at surfaces or shapes face on as there was no change to the dimension of the object or change in it's appearance.
Looking above, or below or side ways was how I wanted to observe embedding the object with it's surface and environment whilst interlocking the object with light, perspective and self. Without the extra layer of sound these elements bonded easily as one of my senses was removed from the equation.
Johnson Jennifer (2017) states that "Drawing on Bourdieu’s view of positioning as a negotiation of symbolic power, Pavlenko and Blackledge (2004) assert that “[l]anguages may not only be ‘markers of identity’ but also sites of resistance, empowerment, solidarity or discrimination” (p. 4).An understanding of symbolic competence as an act of positioning aimed at exercising a symbolic edge must also examine the transgression of embodied modes."
Above Quote taken from: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4hh4r9sb
Johnson Jennifer (2017) also concludes that "What understandings are we offered through an analysis of symbolic power in the multimodal dimensions (the visual, auditory, tactile, and spatial) of intercultural communication? What might this teach us about how symbolic power is distributed not just through the various languages of interaction, but also through the bodies in interaction? This fine-grained analysis, which is part of a larger ethnographic study, finds that deaf and hearing participants draw upon multimodal forms of communication to both question and play with the cultural constructs of ‘hearingness’ and ‘deafness.’ It is also through what is not spoken or signed––that is, silence, face-work, and body positions–– that the focal L2 learners position themselves in a struggle over symbolic power. This research aims to expand the theorization of symbolic competence to include a focus on the meaning-making that takes place through the embodied dimensions of language. An embodied approach could be particularly useful in research that draws attention to multimodality and the various ways in which language learners make meaning, positioning self and other in the process."
Above Quote taken from: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4hh4r9sb
In this above statement Johnson is talking about how language is understood both through a hearing child and a none hearing child. That the embodiment process of language, and symbolic language is different on the extent of symbolic and semantic reference positioning themselves in the appropriate manner but differently based on the constraints of not being able to hear, and those that can. Communication is vocalised differently towards the none hearing child so too are the facial expressions and body language. Things are expressed slower and more directly. This can change the tempo and receipt of the language to between the communicator and the subject, often people do not estimate the level of response from a deaf child, when there has been more received in light of expression, physical expression, spatial placement and differences between communication of hearing and none hearing this affects the deaf child not only on an emotional level, but also on a personal level in terms of being accepted as an equal. In my experience of deafness I was often spoke over, direct conversations were often dropped during direct communication as well as not holding eye contact with me whilst talking. I never got their full attension during exchange. They would wonder, which in turn would make me wonder, both on an iinteractive level as well as a language level what this how we communicated in broken elements and changeable facial expressions? The spoken language although aimed at myself was often disjointed mid transition as they would look for approval to my mother to see if I was present in the moment on any level and not just a level of hearing. The transportation of language to me was indirectly asemic in translation, never perfectly fused from start to finish on a physical or spoken level, it was broken on all levels. It affected my ability to relate and engage wholeheartedly as they were never really engaging with me. The human communicator would filter into the landscape as a whole, I could make sense of the objects, direction and perspective, the human mark making did not fit into the landscape before me it did not engage with light, depth, shape, form, or movement it was static and forced. I fused with the broken elements of the language I was trying engage with. When I did start to make marks eventually, the forms were often mirror images of what the human had made, instead of making the marks horizontally I would write them vertically and in a mirror image of what it was supposed to be.
Arthur Berndtson (1960) stated that "Embodiment is the condition in which emotion, or pleasure alone for that matter, is perceived as fused with form."
Above Quote taken from: Beauty, Embodiment, and Art Author(s): Arthur Berndtson (https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2104788.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Adb86bb1a46f45fc3d0ef688b42b85521)
"It’s all making sense to me now. Also because I couldn’t hear people behind me, I would use peripheral vision larger, I think this is where the abstraction is coming in. I love the Yorkshire’s sculpture park, I used to live in Barnsley and would go there a lot. But not seen the Maggie hamblings piece."
Phosphenes
The following description is taken from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphene
"A phosphene is the phenomenon of seeing light without light entering the eye. The word phosphene comes from the Greek words phos (light) and phainein (to show). Phosphenes that are induced by movement or sound may be associated with optic nerves and visual cortex.
Phosphenes can be induced by mechanical, electrical, or magnetic stimulation of the retina or visual cortex, or by random firing of cells in the visual system. Phosphenes have also been reported by meditation." Description ends.
Research into the use of Phosphenes found that the use of the spiralling, and grid like patterns visualised during the closure of the eyes was experienced by Shamans as shown in the in the following information below. It goes in to detail of how the San and Coso rock art was created by entopic visualisation due to the amount of light entering the eyes and the meditative trance like state used by the Shamans. The flickering of watching an open fire would induce instant phosphenes they would record these visual experiences by carving into the rocks.
Above Image taken from:https://traveltoeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Watermarked2018-12-03-1551-1.jpg
Above images taken from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_and_Little_Petroglyph_Canyons
The article can be found at: from: http://psimg.jstor.org/fsi/img/pdf/t0/10.5555/al.ch.document.sip200035_final.pdf?fbclid=IwAR22gduwAtof3yIyqDw0_eZeGgIsGBJVUenzyx7iHCKScBJmB757p-ojnUA
Personal Conceptualisation/using Phosphenes in abstraction and asemic writing.
Concepts and ideas are built around experience and imagination. I use the opening and closing of the eyes to visualise and layer information stored by experience, in the years of silence through deafness often the closure of the eyes was a release from the social bombardment, frustration and fear of the world. I would use complete isolation and closure of the eyes in conjunction with imagination and experience to feel and learn and to reflect on the events and moments from the day. The use of available Phosphene traces captured and stored within the eye are the starting point where mental maps and pathways of outline and space begin the merge. Combined with linage and remnants of light visual over layering begins to take shape in this mind space. This visual composition is stored memory and is where conceptualism emerges and forms, I also utilise Entoptic phenomenon where captures of light falling onto the eye render and leave visual impressions of objects within the eye adding to this views from memory and environment layering builds these perceptions are called entoptical." Not everyone will visualise this phenomena entopic images are individually produced in conjunction with the brain, light and visual viewing and perception, due to the amount of light absorbed into the eye, and how that person uses their sensory system, or lack of a sensory system in my case deafness.
The use and visualisation of Phosphenes and entopic visualisation is apparent in the creation of the work produced in the practical elements of this Module. peripheral
blur, elements of linage and focus, combined with light, reflections, and asemic writing to reconstruct the memory of this visual phenomena.
Entoptic phenomena (The following description is taken from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entoptic_phenomenon)
"(from Ancient Greek ἐντός "within" and ὀπτικός "visual") are visual effects whose source is within the eye itself. (Occasionally, these are called entopic phenomena, which is probably a typographical mistake.)
In Helmholtz's words: "Under suitable conditions light falling on the eye may render visible certain objects within the eye itself. These perceptions are called entoptical."
Entoptic images have a physical basis in the image cast upon the retina. Hence, they are different from optical illusions, which are caused by the visual system and characterized by a visual percept that (loosely said) appears to differ from reality. Because entoptic images are caused by phenomena within the observer's own eye, they share one feature with optical illusions and hallucinations: the observer cannot share a direct and specific view of the phenomenon with others.
Helmholtz[1] commented on entoptic phenomena which could be seen easily by some observers, but could not be seen at all by others. This variance is not surprising because the specific aspects of the eye that produce these images are unique to each individual. Because of the variation between individuals, and the inability for two observers to share a nearly identical stimulus, these phenomena are unlike most visual sensations. They are also unlike most optical illusions which are produced by viewing a common stimulus. Yet, there is enough commonality between the main entoptic phenomena that their physical origin is now well understood."
Graphics, layering and juxtaposition
"The concept of layering was operationally explored by Rothenberg (1976, 1979, 1986) in a series of studies relating homospatial thinking to the creation of metaphors and images in the visual arts, literature, architecture, and science. "The homospatial process consists of conceiv ing two or more discrete entities occupying the same space, a conception leading to the articulation of new identities? (Rothen berg, 1990, p. 25). Rothenberg has been at pains to point out that the notion of space he adopted refers to "the phenomenologically experienced space in the mind or, to be more exact, the space constructed in mental imagery" (personal communication, April 20, 2005). This mode of thinking resonates with terms such as "bisociation" (Koestler, 1964), "remote association" (Mednick, 1962), and "magic synthesis" (Arieti, 1976) that describe the unique combination of disparate elements in creativity."
"Layering exists not just in the subject matter and style of artworks but also in the thoughts and feelings of recipients. The choice and juxtaposition of subject-matter elements provides artists with a means for commenting on personally or socially meaningful themes and, according to Rothenberg, being exposed to layers of narrative elements can stimulate creative artistic resolutions. Composite images comprised discrete foreground and background motifs which invited connection and emotion and response from the viewer."
^ The quote above is take from 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/20715434.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A149b584daa5b8260144bdadfcdf4a722> [Accessed 26 June 2021].
The Meaning of Bisociation
"BISOCIATION refers to the mixture of concepts from two contexts or categories of objects that are normally considered separate by the literal processes of the mind. Koestler coined the term bisociation to distinguish the type of metaphoric thinking that leads to the acts of great creativity from familiar associative thinking. Bisociation, according to Koestler, “means to join unrelated, often conflicting, information in a new way."
^ The text above is taken from Bisociations.com. 2021. Bisociation International. [online] Available at: <http://www.bisociations.com/aboutus/Biso.html> [Accessed 26 June 2021].
Bisociation as shown through practical application of graphics, photography, and fine art in personal visual creation during module participation.
Bisociation is the human act of creation, the bringing together of metaphors, allegories, identification, Life experiences, examples of Bisociation in personal application can be found with the blending of shadows, asemic writing, abstract shape and fusion formed together by the early interaction of the world through silence I layered the scenes of my life together in a sense to blend the emotion of the experiences I had embodied through broken communication of deafness and its translation in fragmented presentation by the humans who gifted this artificial and hormongenous view of how I should gesticulate and present my hand eye evaluation of what was seen through my visual and physical interoperation of the world. It was never to organise in horizontal harsh lines of black ink each form existing only for the use of man kinds social interaction and conclusion. To make the marks from self were to blend the mind, and visual observance and present the world, how the world made me feel they removed the beauty if this feeling by confining me to a space on a page this restricted growth, experimentation of self like removing the roots from a tree. No only was the world silent, they removed the visual joy which needed to be expressed physically through creation on paper and replaced it with an unknown feeling which they called language.
Revisitation - To separate, to encapsulate, to bind the human with the environment
There was a need to revisit the gestural asemic writing first created on glass during the Creative Identity module. The gestural flow of the brush and movement from self seemed to best define how I was blending asemic communication from self onto a transparent media that can then be observed from each side of the writing. The simple translation I found for this was that communication is a forever changing and transparent source dependant on the viewpoint of the observer, also dependant on the placement of the observer not only as it is being observed in the present but also how it has been observed in the past, all elements of past experience of communication and allowance to independently assess content, rather than to have that content assessed and and presented as a end of journey experience. Rendered forms which were lending a visual story, a script a feeling to the audience not an interruption and a pause. Asemic writing allowed the outcome of expression and understanding to be accepeted. A freedom to just understand from the point of being human, the glass allowed this dimention to be able to transcend into the forms because it allowed all elements to be observed together and as one. The layering gave way to visual transmission, no expectation just a freedom to understand on a personal basis.
Leo Tolstoy explains that "ART is one of two organs of human progress. By words man interchanges thoughts, by the forms of art he interchanges feelings, and this with all men, not only of the present time, but also of the past and the future." (pg175 "What is Art - Leo Tolstoy) Tolstoy explains clearly in this quote how by using forms rather than words we can communicate much more than thought alone, we can communicate emotion and feelings. It is the same with colour that for instance Red would give an emotional reaction dependant on the visual application, a red rose would allow the viewer to have a feeling of love, beauty, peace where as the red pouring of blood from a wound would denote suffering, pain, even death. For me the colour blue has significance because of the sky, and the light which often changes so quickly with the passing of clouds over the sun it was for me the comfort of the vast expanse of the sky would be my solitude and my escape from the troublesome rejection of my teacher telling me to concentrate and restrict my writing form to that of placement between a cm border of lines, and re-form the letter shapes over and over by the removal of them with a rubber which often would build up the trace, and imprint of the pre-formed letters they would overlap and become more interesting than the recommended forms which made me despondant and more removed from the environment. The removal, and re-application of words by pencil and rubber formed asemic writing in these early life experiences with communication. The rubber blurred the pencil marks into the white paper, and the pencil left the trace of the previous attempts of formation of letters, and then the re-application of new letter forms were applied over the top of these marks junxposition, layering and perspective and the blending and expansion of the letter form, and early introduction to asemic form although not always a positive one from the growth of confidence is a 6 year old deaf child who could not speak nor understand the putting together of the sounds of the forms produced.
The Visual Artist Cecil Touchon
Cecil Touchon is a visual Artist who basis his work around language, and abstraction of language and its understanding as we have come to accept it in our world. Cecil Touchon's paintings are inspired and based around typography. He takes the familliarity of known aspects of language and and creates abstract designs transferring language into a visual form of architecture. The language takes on a form and communication when viewed by each person in retrospect. The video below is taken from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=611VqQWjbpo
^ Image Above is: Fusion Series #3114 - Taken from: https://ceciltouchon.com/iberian-variations/
^ The images above is taken from: https://www.kelseymichaelsfineart.com/cecil-touchon-1/3h6bxc5corqyy46sz3rdc27g16b498 Chalk & Acrylic Painting on Canvas 2020
^ The image above is taken from the "Creative Identity Module" Susan Lloyd-Cowley Acrylic and Ink on glass 2020.
Nancy Rourke (Deaf Artist)
The Following Extract is taken from: https://deaf-art.org/profiles/nancy-rourke/
"Nancy Rourke was born and raised in San Diego. Her father was a full-blooded Native American from the Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians in the Kumeyaay Nation. When her mother first moved to San Diego from Port Huron, Michigan, she lived in the Barona Band of Mission Indians reservation and met her father there. Rourke’s mother last lived in the Barona reservation when she died and both her parents are buried at the Mesa Grande cemetery. Her ancestors were enslaved under Junipero Serra missionary, building the three missions in San Diego county.*
Rourke was not discovered to be Deaf until she was 6 years old. Prior to that time and for her entire life, art became her primary way of expressing herself. She attended oral schools in self-contained / mainstream settings. She did not learn ASL until going to RIT/NTID for college. Rourke has a BFA in Graphic Design and Painting from RIT (1982) and a MFA in Computer Graphics and Painting from RIT (1986).
In 2009 after a long career as a graphic artist for different corporations, Rourke decided to pursue becoming a full-time professional artist focusing on art about Deaf experiences, known as Deaf View/Image Art. She has worked non-stop to advance Deaf artists and promote a deeper, authentic and revolutionary understanding of what it means to be Deaf."
"Roukes influences came from painters Jean Michel Basquiat and Jacob Lawrence, who studied the civil rights movement. In resistance art, the work shows mask of benevolence, linguistic controversy, oralism, mainstreaming, genetic engineering, communication barrier, colonialism, paternalism, audism and identity struggle. In affirmation art, the work shows empowerment, ASL, Deaf culture, identity, acceptance, Deaf history and Deafhood. In liberation art, I transform resistance into affirmation that makes it empowerment. I paint how Deaf people have been controlled by predominantly audist environments. I seek to portray on how much suffering and submissive Deaf people were, many years when Aristotle (384- 322 BC) said “Deaf born senseless and incapable to reason.” I felt this was important for the audience to see who and what our human rights are. Discrimination was too much and this is what I am painting today."
Wittgenstein quotes on language
“The limits of my language means the limits of my world.” “I don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves.” “Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.”
"By looking at the use of language in deeper level, one is able to discern that language is a set of propositions about reality. Language is essentially a model of reality, and all models are wrong; as models are abstractions and simplifications of reality. The true limit of language then is that one is never able to obtain absolute truth through the use of language."
“The human body is the best picture of the human soul.”
Images of asemic writing used in media
Coldplay artwork
The following selection of black and white images are visual interaction with my self and the way that I explore and see shadows and light phenomena. The interest of the fusion and direction of the light pouring from the interaction of an object dependant on size, shape and density and its interaction with the objects in our world. When I view the world I am never placing objects into a selection of categories I observe them all on their own merits and interaction with the world.
Influences, Admiration, and sources of interest
Nynke van Zwol - Asemic Poetry
https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Asemic-Poetry-18/808808/4615426/view
https://nynkevanzwol.com/asemicart/
Nynke van Zwol (1972) is a Female Dutch artist who lives and works and practices her art in Purmerend, in the Netherlands. Her paintings are rooted in her spiritual connection with self they hold a hint of surrealism.
The asemic script she created is an attempt to use as inspiration the flat motherland of the Dutch landscapes.
^ Asemic Poetry 18 Painting
Netherlands
Painting, Watercolor on Paper
Sourced from: https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Asemic-Poetry-18/808808/4615426/view
In these asemic paintings Zwol allows the audience to use their own interpretation, visualising aspects of their own worlds, and emotions into the piece. The grey splattered ink brings a neutral a cool, neutral, and balanced colour. Grey is often described as a colour used to display often emotionless feelings, it is dull and displaced in this asemic artwork, grey is also signified as a colour which resembles loss, or depression, stillness. There is also the opening of white in the centre of the piece which can be seen as an opening, the gateway to new beginnings and hope inline with faith and purity the readiness for new possibilities and humility.
Asemic art allows the original piece to become a multilayered experience by the faccets and diverse imagination of others. Expanding the original artwork into a multidimensional amplification of numerous persons visions in the same room at the same time and space. This is turn will effect the next communication they have with others. Asemic language is transferable via emotional, physical and also verbal communication. It is like the spark to a flame, one human soul shouting into the world connecting all souls together on a variable platform of communication, all looking and listening to change the next actions from their orchestrated bodies and minds. We are so transformed by Art yet it is one of the least recognised academic fields. In the words of plato "Artworks are ontologically dependent on, imitations of, and therefore inferior to, ordinary physical objects. Physical objects in turn are ontologically dependent on, and imitations of, and hence inferior to, what is most real, the non-physical unchanging Forms. Grasped perceptually, artworks present only an appearance of an appearance of the Forms, which are grasped by reason alone. Consequently, artistic experience cannot yield knowledge.
" (Extract taken from: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/art-definition/)
Our experience of art is not limited by imitation only, by grasping a paintbrush to create an image we become physically altered by the experience of the physical pressure placed on the brush, the angle of hold and combination of imagination, physical placement, visual placement, time of day, seasonal aspects, mood, emotion the height level that the eye decides to start to apply the marks.
All these aspects are driven by the human, and enhanced by our interactions with others, and our application of these interactions by whatever medium we deem appropriate dependant on our embodied experiences, we are all omniscient by personal experience, and most importantly by our embodied experiences.
The Human need to leave a trace, the artists quest to locate the beautiful by visual scanning to capture and emulate the visions that the eyes movement captures in those flickering movements, draining the glances and filtration of light, and colour from the scene. As it passes through the retina of the eye positioning itself on route through every cell and impulse on route to the brain organising these visions and bodily senses working together with memory and present time to seek fulfilment a promise to the soul and spirit of the human.
The placement and variation so unique that the imprint is located within the humans vision and subconscious forever, sitting silently for the overlap of the next pentimento trace of light, contrast, form and fusion. These layers build within the humans conscious light seeking a natural resting place leaking to rest and fall within the remembered landscapes, each building on the relationship with the other. The human pentimento escaping onto paper, canvas, flesh and soul becoming one with the world and embodying the difference and depth of all experience.
The Following quoted Text is taken from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/empiricism
"Empiricism, in philosophy, the view that all concepts originate in experience, that all concepts are about or applicable to things that can be experienced, or that all rationally acceptable beliefs or propositions are justifiable or knowable only through experience. This broad definition accords with the derivation of the term empiricism from the ancient Greek word empeiria, “experience.”
Concepts are said to be “a posteriori” (Latin: “from the latter”) if they can be applied only on the basis of experience, and they are called “a priori” (“from the former”) if they can be applied independently of experience. Beliefs or propositions are said to be a posteriori if they are knowable only on the basis of experience and a priori if they are knowable independently of experience (see a posteriori knowledge). Thus, according to the second and third definitions of empiricism above, empiricism is the view that all concepts, or all rationally acceptable beliefs or propositions, are a posteriori rather than a priori.
The first two definitions of empiricism typically involve an implicit theory of meaning, according to which words are meaningful only insofar as they convey concepts. Some empiricists have held that all concepts are either mental “copies” of items that are directly experienced or complex combinations of concepts that are themselves copies of items that are directly experienced. This view is closely linked to the notion that the conditions of application of a concept must always be specified in experiential terms." above text from https://www.britannica.com/topic/empiricism ends here.
Personal Notes and thoughts made during research.
^ Its has been a vital aspect of this time of reconcile whilst writing the Evaluative Reports to re visit times where I have often been in thought and writing notes. The above quote in this text "Verbalised thought is where embodiment ends", is such a foundational aspect to the work of asemic writing.
To use verbalisation is the only way we can describe our embodiment. True embodiment is the process of the body creating outwardly to the world by presenting and delivering through the physical often subconscious acts of of individualities.
Our bodies consumed experiences and our relationship with the senses, the utilisation of empiricisms collected via the senses to gain knowledge. Through my visual reliance on the world and my sensory reactions the the world of silence. And in turn the making of the conceptual creative. It lead a course of these embodiments being retrived and acted upon through the phases of constructing who I was to become. A creative individual who was to give these embodiments back to the world in terms of Graphic Communication, Photography and art.
Active practical developments.
^ Above video capture of the creation of the asemic two handed chalk writing for use in the digital creation and over layering within the practical elements of this module. This is how I am most comfortable creating in practical work, the need to create whilst using two hands is overpowering, although I was required to choose a hand with which to write using social phonic language. When asemic writing is created the use of two hands becomes second nature. Embodied, and balanced with self.
^ Image above: Asemic writing being reflected into the mirror, then photographed from above aspect where the front asemic writing is shot deep in through the abstract cuts deep into the reflected mirror surface to produce distortion and blur.
^ Above After effects animation, produced to show entopic visualisation. And how light and shadows move around inside the eye when phosphenes are captured via movement and fusion inside the closed eye.
^ Above image: Two handed chalk asemic forms, photographed whilst being double sided and held over a mirror. Forms were cut out of the black card around the negative space within the writing, these were them photographed through to create and emulate language through the eyes of deafness and the none understanding of the social phonic alphabet introduced to me at 4 years old.
^ Above image: Two handed chalk asemic forms, photographed whilst being double sided and held over a mirror.
^ Above image: Two handed chalk asemic forms, photographed whilst being double sided and held over a mirror.
^ Above image: Practical experimentation utilising two handed chalk asemic forms, and digital manipulation of typography in photoshop.
^ Above image: Asemic writing added to water to observe reflections and dispersement on the surface and through the water. Later these observations were created in a short animation of how phosphenes are visualised when the eyes are closed.
"The world is silent yet beautiful, it moves around the form at varying speeds, positions and flickers of colour. The eyes shifting around leaving the deep groves of imprints and traces of light and shape on my conscious. Occasionally only broken by a nudge of the arm, or a smile from the audience. The audience also fill the space with their shape, character, skin, texture and colour and interaction. Difference of character can be seen by the changeably of clothes, body language how they approach, or don’t depending on their availability to the silence. The audience break up the landscape by fusion, walking through creating a passable time lapse the outside of my world moving and producing a production of such magnitude, while the inside talks to the eyes, and the skin, and every footstep I see place and feel."
^Above Quote by Susan Lloyd-Cowley 2021
Future? Personal thoughts
Embodiment is changing, our language is becoming less about words and more about the visual search. Through screens, swiping of the hands on cold none textured surfaces. It’s less about the search and more about instant information at the touch of the screen. Imagination is being diminished Pallasma states in the embedded image that “In the case that our autonomous capacities of imagination and critical judgement would actually weaken, as has been suggested it is inevitable that our experiences and behaviour are in danger of being increasingly conditioned by the viewing images of unidentifiable organs and intention. The weakening of imagination also suggests a consequent weakening of our empathic, and epical sense.”
The internet and its array of instant images are thinking for us, quicker than ever delivering instant possibilities, we are becoming redefined and embodiment is changing. The diversification of the senses have the ability to adjust as the none hearing child when hearing was eventually restored, silence and visualisation of images through a screen are far removed from silence and visualisation of a living, and moving reality where light, and shadows move with the world. are the senses reformatting just at my visual sense was heightened do to the loss of my hearing sense? More research and resolve is needed to answer this questions and a project to study peoples visualisation, retention and production of the imagination, after multiple hours of unreality spent online using one hand, swiping screens, in one touch sensations such as glass when humans are used to exploring with multiple textures, reading human expressions, movements and interactions. Language is restructuring itself, as well as interaction of the human. I was born deaf in a world full of loudness, speaking, and verbal communication none of which I could understand until I was eight years old. Up until this point I existed in a silent realm of visual beauty both through the experience of capture, memory, and visualisation of elements in the world. The need to write, and communicate was undeniably primal and instinctive, but it was via the use of two hands, and closure of the eyes to recapture, and redraw these elements in my minds visual eye. I was told to only look forward, not look around the room and use one hand. These elements of communication have never really been eliminated by the years of forced social communication and structure. I adapted to the world in which I needed to fit into, I became a graphic, photographic communicator all of which are created primarily in silence during the creation of practical work. Silence while a shutter is pressed to capture a frame of time in a photograph, and the imagination of design whilst sketching out ideas. So the world is still silent during these times of creation I had an experience of the worlds beauty in total silence without interruption and it is these embodied experiences which allow me to be the diverse practical creative I am today.
Todays lecture saw us as a group present our personal briefs to the group as a whole.
Good feedback was received, and interesting points were raised. such as secondary mark making which I will look into and also the mixture between digital and hand crafted lettering and letter form. The use of specific papers like papyrus, and the fact that mark making on these types of papers is not curved but relatively straight in form.
How is technology changing the form of asemic writing, what is the shift? Asemic writing is for me found as much in nature as it is created through the digital world. What I have created so far is bringing together the hand produced with the digital layout. I guess the answers are why? To promote to a wider audience, everything is viewed and shared online, apart from us, we still live and function in a very different environment to our online worlds. So bringing communication into these environments I feel is the key to being able to subject the human to asemic writing fully. Asemic writing could be applied to everyday objects such as a mirror, or a door, things which we pass through to get to more focusd areas.
I spoke about the production of the hanging layout design which could be utilised into any environment to fill the environment with abstract writing, shadows and asemic writing as a whole. The layout will also be manipulated and having cut outs so that the light can come through and become isolated shadows on the walls and floors of any room applied to. Also by looking through the visual layout it isolates the outside environment. So there are many phases occurring here, transformation of the piece, isolation of the piece, and communication to the audience via straight on visual communication. True asemic art is the piece of art transforming to another asemic work of art a spiralling knock on effect from one to the other. Also using natural light as the source to create the secondary transformation through the cut out letterforms with the gigital layout once in situ.
Iterative design
The process of the experimentation of the cut outs within the layouts will be the next process to look at the produced shadows. iterative designed system is used as a form of research for informing and evolving a project. This is the way I wish to conduct the research by making and trial. I would also like to hang a prototype to see how by time lapse motion the light changes the design and how the shadows form on an internal surface.
^ First asemic digital layout, background images were utilised from the Creative Identity module, and arranged with vertical/horizontal lines to replicate asemic writing. (See Image Below) and used to create the layout, Yellow was chosen for its relationship to the sun, (source of light)
(The Color Yellow, 2021) https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/
States that.
"The color yellow relates to acquired knowledge. It is the color which resonates with the left or logic side of the brain stimulating our mental faculties and creating mental agility and perception.
Being the lightest hue of the spectrum, the color psychology of yellow is uplifting and illuminating, offering hope, happiness, cheerfulness and fun.
In the meaning of colors, yellow inspires original thought and inquisitivene
^ Above image - Asemic writing projection from original artwork ink onto glass
Experimentation with the first asemic layout, primitive cut out shapes were created in the design just enough to let light flow through to create asemic writing in the shadows. As the sun moved around gradually graphic shapes were formed on the inside of the window from the layout. These proved interesting enough to be able to utilise in a layout. See the transition below. Layering up into asemic sections joining each element added more abstraction, leading to the production of a graphic work.
Instead of saying "cut ups" the process needed to have a more integrated name. So after research I decided to use the word "Apposition" for its meaning of using one or more words, the placement of layering side by side, in a set pattern or juxtaposition the bringing together in placement or relationship with each other. The phase "Asemic Apposition" will be used to represent the removal of the negative space around the asemic writing in order to create new asemic writing from the shadow projections.
^ Projected asemic writing from the cut-up layouts, utilising negative space.
^ Projected asemic writing from the cut-up layouts, utilising negative space. (Contrast Adjustment in Photoshop)
^ Projected asemic writing from the cut-up layouts, utilising negative space, diffused by cloud placement making the projection soft.
I was then able to use these asemic letters to create the design below. By Duplicating, inverting and using a juxposition of layout, 3D abstractions became formed and new asemic writing created. By replicating the original reflection and manipulating these forms in photoshop. It developing altered perception was newly formed from the original artwork. Its my hope that some of these naturally produced shadows can become a base for the characters in Isiah's Experimental practice module. Particularly the dispersement of ink, and the fading in and out of these characters in the produced animation.
^ Above image is a selection of collected asemic writing, from the projections made through the cut outs in the asemic layouts, removing the negative space with the layout gave way to the production of geometrically pleasing asemic writing, an inversion of the original shadow.
Focusing Out Experiment
Todays lecture saw the presentation of focusing in. Dr Pippa Galpin presented an exercise where we needed to collate a section of current work, and focus out of the parameters of this work. Focusing on the replication of asemic lettering forged from the shadows, the above abstraction became the focus within this exercise. What could be around the parameters of the shadows? Gradually using these creative concepts I conceptualised the possible extension of the above work. I could clearly visualise the piece, and worked out that the asemic shadows could be layered in depth, height, and perspective. The outcome of this was astonishing to me. The visual taking on the form of an above view of a New-York skyline. The other realisation in the work was that subconsciously I had created letter forms very clearly, manifesting the letters A, H, and the number 7. None of this intentional in the mapping out of this extension of image.
^ Sketches from the zooming out exercise.
^ Sketches from the zooming out exercise.
^ Projected asemic diffused by cloud placement making the projection soft, fusing out at the edges.
^ Above image "Asemic moon" is an example of asemic writing created by Susan Lloyd-Cowley (2021) hand crafted asemic calligraphy, assembled in Photoshop with geometric shapes. Inspired by the moonscape night projection.
^ Early morning transitional projection onto white paper.
^ Image above was dual alignment of layouts to collect asemic projections as a secondary exposed layout.
^ The above timelapse video shows how light trancends through the layouts and the removed empty space around the asemic writing. Taken over the time lapse of a 30 minute period mid afternoon.
^ The above image was taken utilising what light was being emitted by the moon at night. No editing was applied to this image. A clear blue hue, and the brightness highlighting specific areas within the layout. predominantly around the curved areas of the asemic shape. Using Optical Phenomena the interaction of the layout and the background subject of the moons natural occurring environmental light, whilst also utilising movement from the moon, night sky and clouds.
^ Moon Scape capture-1 - Asemic writing element captured via moonlight diffusing through the graphic template created from the trimming out of the empty space around the original asemic writing layout. These elements were fused together in photoshop so that the original projected elements could be used digitally.
^ Moon Scape capture-2 - Asemic writing element captured via moonlight diffusing through the graphic template created from the trimming out of the empty space around the original asemic writing layout. These elements were fused together in photoshop so that the original projected elements could be used digitally.
Moon Scape capture 3 - asemic writing element captured via moonlight diffusing through the graphic template created from the trimming out of the empty space around the original asemic writing layout. These elements were fused together in photoshop so that the original projected elements could be used digitally.
Optical Art
Optical art is created by by the use of light, shape and the altering effect of how we relate to what we see. Optical Art collectively uses shapes, colours and patterns in abstract and ways, by the use of juxposition, overlaying of elements to give the effect that images are moving, blurring and sometimes merging into the environment.
Inspired by the works of Ellesworth Kelly.
"The negative is just as important as the positive.”
-Ellsworth Kelly
Ellesworth Kelly is an American artist, sculptor, and printmaker. He created geometric hard edged paintings. He studied light phenomena and was fascinated by shadows, abstraction. (May 31, 1923 – December 27, 2015) he was inspired by minimalism, and the later works of Monet. The Work below "Seine" was created by the his experiments into how light dispersed onto water.
The Youtube video below is Ellesworth Kelly describing his first interactions, and observations and how he was visually searching for abstraction.
^ Seine by Ellesworth Kelly - 1951. oil on wood.
https://ellsworthkelly.org/work/seine/
"The Japanese concept of Ma
The Power of the Space in Between - The Center for Transformational Presence In-text: (Seale, 2021)
(Seale, 2021) States that "The Japanese concept of Ma can help us understand the significance of the space in between. Ma can be described as empty space, as a gap between one thing and another, or as a pause within movement or flow.
Yet it’s much more than just empty space, a gap, or a pause. Ma does not actually describe a physical space created by objects, boundaries, or structures. Instead, Ma describes the essence of the energy or intention that is felt or experienced in that space.Ma is empty space that can be filled with any possibility. What you project into that space – an object, an intention, or an awareness or understanding – shapes the experience of anyone who enters into or engages with that space. You can intentionally infuse the space around or within a particular situation (the Ma) with a particular energy or consciousness"
Above quote can be found at Seale, b., 2021. The Power of the Space in Between - The Center for Transformational Presence. [online] The Center for Transformational Presence. Available at: <https://transformationalpresence.org/alan-seale-blog/the-space-in-between/> [Accessed 10 April 2021].
Julio Le Parc
Born 1928
Argentinian artist, inspired by the works of Mondrian and the movement of Constructivism.
Parc worked in three dimensions, utilising movement and light. He incorporated projected, moving or reflection of light into his work.
‘Categories, in general, are reductive. I would prefer to be classified as an experimentalist’ Julio Le Parc
^ Continuel Mobile Lumière - 1958
lacquered metal, nylon string, aluminum, lacquered plywood and lightbulbs
^ Structualist Practitioner Quotations
^ Above - Time Lapse layout inversion from day to night, focusing in on negative space, line, shape. Drawing out new asemic writing exploration. How the form adjusts to light over a period of time. 2 Hour time lapse experiment.
^ Still frame showing transitional change through the time lapse capture.
^ Still frame showing transitional change through the time lapse capture.
^ Image Above - Shadows capture created from projected artwork placed on to window during midday sunlight. Creating diffused, and heavily dark and contrasting elements of form.
^ Image Above - Photographic capture from asemic writing on acetate hung via a wooden frame in outside woodland environment.
^ Image Above - Removing the space around asemic writing to create new elements for projection capture. Camera perspective looking through to the environment beyond. To utilise different and angles and environment.
^ Image Above - Woodland setup as used in the Experimental Practice module. Elements from these projections and captures through the acetate have been utilised as backdrop images behind the asemic shadow captures.
^ Image Above "Emmergence21" The above image is the result of utilising the projected shadows created from cutting and removal of the negative space around the asemic writing layouts, and using natural daylight to create shadows onto white paper while being suspended in a clear glass window pane. This has then been duplicated to create a character like presence and visual interaction with the background image which was created by hanging asemic writing within the natural environment there is clear visual form of trees and branches. The inspiration and impact of nature is my work has become obvious during these experiments as well as the utilisation of environment and light as a medium of art in its own right. The combination of these elements has created new asemic communication and abstraction. This has created a new outcome in terms of practical experimentation, and the elements of light diffusion captured through the projections
and a combination of moonlight, bright contrasting sunlight, diffused light and overlapping contrasting elements of light. Which have then been collated and placed together digitally. It is in Philosophy that emergentism is the belief in emmergence as this involves the consciousness and philosophy of the human mind. Objects are said to be emergent a new outcome of some other properties are revealed their interaction, while it is itself different from them
EMERGENT DUALISM: Human beings are no way identical to any other human or human physical body, as a human we consist. of a physical body and a non-physical human soul, our individual human soul is naturally emergent from and dependent on the structure and function of a living human brain and nervous system as well as our interaction and diversity and inclusion of self into our environments.
Ernest Weber - Webers Law on Perception
Weber determined that there was a threshold of sensation that must be processed by the brain before any prominent escalation in the intensity of the original visual stimulus could be recognised. Weber described a number of his experiments in this area in De Tactu (1834; “Concerning Touch”)
Weber experimented in touch and tactile sensations, between two points of touch on the skin, where a person can perceive two separate touches.
So in relation to my experiments of utilising natural light to create new asemic characters the relationship with the variable intensity in the shift of light becomes the important factor. Also our personal everyday experience with natural light is a key relationship with from a human perspective, and sensory experience, natural light is not new to us, but to establish a communication with it from the collation of asemic writing projection in this experiment is.
Michal Rovner
"I always start with reality, in anything I do, everything I do, I always start from something real".
"I go back to [the idea] that we are avoiding all of these unknowns, we're avoiding the night - most of us - we're avoiding the encounters, but we're also afraid to deal with something unknown, unseen".
The Israeli Artist is most well known for her projections of people onto stone, and in environments such as factories and coal mines. Rovner addresses the concept of time passing us all by, and how we leave our mark on the world. In the clip above Rovner talks about her work and how she creates imagery from cutting around the initial image, she uses the outline of the object to create the primary focus for her work. I found this to be very simular to the work I was creating from the shadows in the asemic cut-outs by utilising the negative space in the writing to create new object, and form and a new asemic writing in the process.
The element of time in my practical research has also been an element which I need to research further. How light changes with each passing second, how it is filtered and broken down by objects as well as the human eye, Optical phenomena, and the effects of light through objects and how time changes these instances although fractionally. The effects of the time lapses when they are overlayed there is a clear interaction and subtle change in appearance and how we judge these changes with our instinct and visual perception.
According to Roland Barthes.
According to Barthes anything which we encounter as a human can be a sign that triggers and relays a message to us in an individual sense as well as a collective sense. Myth in our cultures convert our human realities into speech based communication based on experience as well as our senses.
An example of a sign would be the colour black, which to the many would signify grief and death, or a white feather would signify hope, or a sign that an angel has passed our footsteps.
Signifiers
Signifiers would be for us to us form the sound of something like the word Tree for example, we would then have an image of a green tall tree, often surrounded by other trees in nature, with wildlife, plants at the trees feet.
Signals
Signals are the transfers of meaning, they grab our attention like smoke, or a loud scream, they often change an environmental element.
Signs
Signs are the are the pictures that surround us, drawings, art, we observe signs through all forms of life. They convey message, in all cultures, Signs can be changed in meaning by colour, size, environmental setting, form, material, human or animal.
Symbols
Symbols are individually and personally recognised, they are grown and expanded by the original viewers perception of life and the world around them, anything that they have touched and had experience with in their lifetime. In the experience of the new asemic writing this is a good example of a symbol that could be evolved to something new by the germination f the human experience. The abstraction and reading of the asemic writing is then converted to a new meaning by the viewer. The involvement of light, time, diffusion and elements of familiarity will be germinated by individual processing depending on the signal, sign, and symbol. If the colour can be added to change the asemic writing or several colours can be added to the asemic writing this will add a sign to the observer. Allowing them to associate with the new asemic alphabet, adding signs to the newly formed asemic alphabet and the research and principles of how Semiotics and Semantic theory work will be important foundation stone as I research and construct the practical elements for the practical development within the Independent Project next semester.
Moving Forward- Independent Project
The definitive plan for the independent project will be to take all of the experimentation from the Creative Identity Module, and also the Creative Concept module and combine the elements of light, evolution of light from the time-lapse videos, shadow and asemic writing and combine these elements whilst utilising the theory of semiotics, semantics and structuralism to create an asemic alphabet.
Having researched the symbolic work of Yukio Ota who famously designed the emergency exit symbol, dedicated his life to the creation of symbols but focuses in on the creation of an entire language made entirely out of symbols. One universal language for all cultural and ethnic groups of people all around the world.
The production planning for the independent project will take on the form of research by the use of enquiry from people in all social circles, looking at people from specific areas who have autism, deafness, and people who also have no cognitive impairment. I will trial the asemic alphabet and receive feedback from these enquiries in the form of a visual questionnaire. prompting questions of what the writing is suggesting in terms of communication, and how it makes them feel. The asemic alphabet will be a variation on the pure black print which we are used to viewing in society, it will contain elements of exploration in light.
This module and colour will carry these light and dark themes throughout as well as emphasis on the negative space around the form. Utilising the visual perceptive senses of many people and generating feedback from these explorations. Light has an intrinsic effect on how we process information, many humans are caught staring out of a window pondering the vastness of the sky and watching the clouds roll by, or needing to take a walk in the fresh air to clear our minds.
A well designed learning environment and a symbolic alphabet which contains semiotic traces, and elements of light may tune focus, and enquiry from the observer. Through the design process, research and practical experimentation and enquiry that I will carry this process on in to the independent project. I will further develop my research in to the movement of Abstract Expressionism, as I feel this will further my knowledge into my gestural and emotional mark making with its spontaneity. This will further lay the foundations in the creation of a symbolic asemic alphabet in the independent project.
“Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible”. — M. C. Escher
This morning we had tutorials with Isiah. We spoke about what I was planning on doing for the module, why I wanted to do this, and then how I was going to create.
Asemic Writing has really become fascinating to me. Communication has and is changing at a vast rate. Emojis seems to be the choice for quick communication nearly everyone uses them over typing a long sentence.
Symbolic communication is a quick and easy, it is also a universal language for all regardless of culture, spoken language. We can cross communicate very quickly and easily with anyone all over the world. Are we returning to our pre-historic cave? Where we are comfortable is a familier environment. Life is quick paced we move at a million miles an hour. Communication we want to be seamless and instant. If we so not get a reply quickly we become agitated, alarmed and lost in our current place.
Water is an interesting space for asemic writing to form naturally, seeing the movement within water is a great substitute for seeing the spirit move inside. How our environments change have a massive effect on how we feel, and progress with our day. With the rise of anxiety should we be looking at creating calmer more stress relieving environments or an environment what we can control, as the touch of a button dependant on how we feel. Are projection glasses the way forward, projection mapping within the environment.
Various free projection mapping software,
https://heavym.net/en/software/
https://www.ceedo.com/best-projector-for-projection-mapping/
Isiah, gave some interesting thoughts about using after effects to create something called the write on effect.
https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk02cd9eR_xTQXyz_z4LP55y1NU0rdg%3A1613044308037&ei=VBolYJjqAc2QhbIPj-KyiA4&q=write+on+effect+after+effects&oq=write+on+effect&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgBMgQIIxAnMgIIADIHCAAQhwIQFDICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAA6BwgjELADECc6BwgAELADEEM6BwgAEEcQsAM6BggAEBYQHlCXClj8IWC7K2gBcAJ4AIABRogB6waSAQIxNJgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXrIAQrAAQE&sclient=psy-ab
So this week. I will be looking at taking photographs of water while pouring ink into it, and seeing if I can intrigrate these images with the write on effect in After Effects. The idea being that the end viewer might see the word Water for example. But the reveal will be something different like the word spirit. There will actually never be any literal words, this is really important for the experiment to work. The work has to be read by intuition alone.
Below is my first experimental animated asemic type, created in Adobe After Effects. The Graphic was transposed from calligraphy on glass during last terms Creative Identity Module. Using only the centre portion of Calligraphy on glass. After Effects was a brand new animating software for me to understand. I had absolutely no former knowledge but I had a realisation that animation is one aspect of my professional practice I would like to be able to understand and utilise for the future.
Asemic Writing would be exciting to be able to be viewed from different angles, and perspectives as it brings a whole new instruction to the brain to engage with the visual. Digital animation is an area of practice I need to work on and understand fr the future. Particularly visual graphics, and kinetic typography.
With my developmental interest in Asemic Writing it's essential that I can use all platforms to access new possibilities.
As a conceptually sound creative, I have always had the ability to think outside of the box on most occasions my worry with not being able to utilise animation software used in todays industry is a concern as it limits me in terms of creation and possibilities, but it also limits me in terms of professional development and future.
Wanting to teach, and create graphics, and communication, essentially it was a leap of faith into After Effects, the first week was frustrating and at 47 years old I thought this is it I have reached my potential I am trying to move into an area I felt uneasy in it was actually upsetting and bewildering at times.
It took me at least two weeks to grasp the basics of the software and a further couple of weeks to successfully produce some animation. The key was to just work through the basics, not matter how many times, and hours it took. If I needed to go over it again I did. I also allowed myself to just play with the software without having any pressure to produce, working through its interfaces and tools. at a pace suitable to me.
I can confidently say that the foundations are now there with After Effects and I feel elevated to know that I can sit down and animate.
^ Above Image - After effects Asemic Animation
^ Image above - Projection of Asemic Writing into the outside environment. This projection was onto a broken down footpath.
This week has seen developments in the experiments using the portable projector outside. Projections were used again from Calligraphy produced on glass, and also digital layouts which are now in production for the Creative Concept Module. Projection onto natural objects gave a different perspective to viewing through a computer, and also from viewing through glass. Perspective was changed by angle, depth of texture of which the projection dependant on the surface of the object the projected light sits on giving a 3D effect.
^ Image above - Projection of Asemic Writing into the outside environment. This projection was onto a wooden gate post, the effect produced was pleasing in the way the light accessed broken and uneven surface. To change the spatial placement of the light was revealed in these experiments. It promoted depth, and contrast in its interaction with the broken down elements of the chosen subject.
^ Image above and below - Projection of Asemic Writing into the human form. It seemed natural to want to use the asemic projection onto the surface of the human. Communication comes from us as a voice, but it also is shared by the clothes we wear, our gesture, body language and physical approach with the world. We assess people on their aesthetic qualities. The changing of these qualities appears naturally in everyone of us and some can change on a daily basis. To project communication onto the human form, almost Camouflaged these physical and personal aesthetics. There was a moment where I had a thought of projection of the asemic writing onto the human tongue, but the tongue is only the vocal part of communication and not the whole. Our identities and the way we communicate runs through every aspect of the human.
Today saw an online tutorial with Isaiah on Aftereffects using Alpha Channels to bring in graphics created in external software applications like Photoshop. Next steps are to produce some flowing asemic calligraphy that will be used in the digital animation with the video of the ink.
Todays tutorial was discussion with Isaiah about the progression on the asemic writing animation in After Effects. This past week I have been experimenting with various handmade calligraphy tools, one being made from an old credit card. Discovering new strokes with these raw tools saw the calligraphy become more block like and varying in stroke strength. The only issue was holding enough ink, and having to refill the handmade pen frequently.
^ Image above - Manipulation of a credit card to create a new calligraphic tool for production.
^ Image above - Strokes created by the credit card manipulation.
^ Image above - Calligraphy used by Chinese calligraphy brushes.
"The color gold is the color of success, achievement and triumph. ... At the uppermost level, this is a color which is associated with higher ideals, wisdom, understanding and enlightenment. It inspires knowledge, spirituality and a deep understanding of the self and the soul." The quote used above is taken from a Google translation of the meaning of the colour gold.
^ Image above - Calligraphy used by Chinese calligraphy brushes.
^ Image above - Calligraphy used by Chinese calligraphy brushes.
^ Image above - Calligraphy used by Chinese calligraphy brushes.
^ Image above - Calligraphy used by Chinese calligraphy brushes, and the manipulated credit card.
^ Image above - Calligraphy used by Chinese calligraphy brushes, and the manipulated credit card.
Final After Effects Ink and water Animation with handcrafted Asemic Text
The calligraphy produced was more symbol like in appearance this was not purposely constructed, but more of a collision caused by the way I had cut the credit card to produce the strokes. The artwork was scanned in at 300dpi to maintain a high quality, changed in colour in Photoshop to the same colour blue of the ink from the video. Once imported into the video I began to transcend the symbols into a sequence where it naturally followed the pathways of the ink. I also got the symbols to interlink and rotate and interlock with one another.
^ Ink and symbol animation - Created in After Effects. With use of Ink and Water.
^ Above Image - After creating asemic calligraphy I decided to manipulate the text in photoshop to give change to form and shape and produce digital experimentation, this piece was printed onto the acetates and is a focus through the experiments.
“Any one who has common sense will remember that the bewilderments of the eyes are of two kinds, and arise from two causes, either from coming out of the light or from going into the light”
― Plato , The Allegory of the Cave
Connecting the artist to nature
Seeing and creating a connection to our world, via art and nature that uses our creativity and utilises the environments around us to create a connection is something that draws us in visually, not only on a level of imagination but it also portrays human messages of how we view, and interact on a personal level with the world around us, each artists creating its own unique message the need to connect with nature through the spirit, emotion and link to themselves and nature, to merge with it, and for our personal emotions to connect with it and create a physical link. Increasing the beauty of our incredible world by adding an extra layer of communication, that goes deeper than just the surface. For my experiments I have been installing the hand crafted asemic writing and installing in in nature, creating communication via the interaction of light, and the natural environment, allowing it to blend and fuse and then to be read by the human in a personal and physically interactive way. Not in a studio environment, but with the outside environment with the movement of light, wildlife, sound, and textures of the world.
Andy Goldsworthy. Video Sourced from You-Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DjCMqtJr0Q
'We Share a Connection with Stone' | TateShots
Michael Heizer - Video Sourced from You-Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVRgwEQX3zs
Land Art: Celebrating the work of Michael Heizer, Robert Smithson and Walter De Maria
Was one of the first Artists to create Land Art, he created a piece that was constructed in the Nevada Dessert “Double Negative. It was created frfrom 1,500-foot-long trench, formed from the natural placement of rocks on the dessert landscape. There were two manmade trenches with circled the naturally formed rocks which were inserted as negative space, one man made and one that had happened naturally within nature. Heizer added the negative space into this piece as he saw this as the real thing of beauty, to see what was not there and to add it with the abstractly formed rocks. Heizer became a promoter of public art in the natural landscape, art combined with nature. Of man made art, with the naturally manifested beauty of the world around us. The link between the two in a physical, and emotional way.
Tate Modern Museum, London
Adding light to an environment can be the added essence that is needed to create a flow, a connection, this example shows how the architecture within the Tate Modern has been designed to introduce a cascade of light into the space. Long vertical windows stretching up and reaching towards the heavens. Throwing long beams of light in vertical linage along the floor, providing a difference between light and shade. Image Sourced from - https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/
The Cologne Cathedral, Köln, Germany
This example of how stained glass steams through the windows into the grey walls of the church, it creates a calm relaxed environment, and the spectrum of colour increase visual interest and clarity. It creates a spiritual presence, collecting the natural daylight and utilising it during the course of the day and its natural presence and passage of time from day to night. Changing the created castes shadows every hour and second of the day. IImage source - Gerhard Richter. - https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/
The Following article relates to the experimentation of Lucio Fontana, ”
The artist, Lucio Fontana excelled in experimental practice, pushing the boundaries and dimensions of objects and art and questioning traditional structures used. In 1949, Fontana began punching holes through canvas, developing his concept of creating 3D space and spacial difference this can be seen inches work Tagli (cuts) and Holes series. The works in the series feature one or more cuts that are not performed for destruction, but rather for creation, which the artist expressed in this statement: “…I made holes in order to discover, to find the cosmos of an unknown dimension.” Quote taken from (The Role of Experimentation in Art and Science, 2021)
Lucio Fontana was responsible for the evolution of the Spatialism Movement, in Milan (1947). This type of Art synthesises colour, sound, space, movement, and time and principle of science, television and neon lighting.The following quote by Fontana really caught the imagination of the processes I was utilising and creating in the experiment.
Like the experimental work of Fontana, there were similarities with the work I was creating. The want to integrate work into the environment, the changing of spatial elements and objects changing them in form, perspective and abstraction. To change the form of the original art in some way that it blends and works around the space occupied.
Asemic art has been printed onto pieces of A1 acetate, next phase experimentation was to see the application of this in nature, to capture natural, and direct light source from a flash gun. To assess how the light worked with the acetate.
The second experiment of application of the acetate and light were not as successful as I would have liked them to be. It has been very cold and the acetate formed a layer of condensation not allowing the light to flow through the pieces and direct the light in a projective way. Also it was established that in order to get a more sculptured asemic form the acetate would need to be manipulated more in form. Next phase experimentation will see the form being constructed from acetate and some application of natural strengthening like branches from trees, or it may become circular, dependant on placement on the forest floor or if it is hung from some height. Once They were layered however and hung onto the wooden structure the sunlight, and surrounding environment became bonded together. The following experiments were more successful and because the acetate has a shiny layer the refection from the trees, sky, and forest were beautiful and the fusion worked dual interaction took place the impression of the forest onto the acetate via shadows, sunlight and diffusion through the leaves and branches of the forest, and the light from the Acetate into the environment. Finally the last experiment was to create an asemic writing sculpture, the evidence of the layering, and juxtaposition of the asemic writing caused a very immersion light could be centrally positioned and varied depend on exposure. Varying angles on the asemic slices would cause diffraction of light.
Image Above - Asemic Writing on acetate. Photographed at night to allow light to filter into the environment. Lighting was not diffusing correctly through the flat surface, which led to the further experimentation to create a 3D layered structure in the form of an asemic sculpture. By the cutting out and removal of all of the asemic writing elements. This would be key to the condensing of the writing, to further the abstraction of the writing and fuse the elements together. Extra lighting allowed the branches, and leaves to become exaggerated and cast large shadows through the work.
Image Above - Asemic Writing on acetate.
Image Above - Asemic Writing on acetate.
Image Above - Asemic Writing on acetate.
The application of the acetate and light were not as successful as I would have liked them to be. It has been very cold and the acetate formed a layer of condensation not allowing the light to flow through the pieces and direct the light in a projective way. Also it was established that in order to get a more sculptured asemic form the acetate would need to be manipulated more in form. Next phase experimentation will see the form being constructed from acetate and some application of natural strengthening like branches from trees, or it may become circular, dependant on placement on the forest floor or if it is hung from some height.
Above Image Time-Lapse Video against glass, mid afternoon (3pm)
The next phase of experimentation, saw the construction of a wooden frame so that I could layer the acetate and then expose it to the natural light. I chose the mid afternoon as the sun was getting to it's lowest in the sky, and it was not as bright in contrast so the diffusion through the acetate would be more balanced in sectional areas of the art work, as I had discovered in the previous experiment the light was much to bright and washed away areas of the asemic writing. The following experiments were more successful and because the acetate has a shiny layer the refection from the trees, sky, and forest were beautiful and the fusion had started to become more pleasing.
Human perspective and illusion were so important to the experimentation, also finding a way to stimulate the viewers senses, engage them, stimulate and kick start a chain reaction.
^ Above Image - To generate a different perspective of light, and an immersive experience, an exchange and bond with environment and art. The wooden frame was hung to capture low light in the afternoon.
Third Phase. - Sculpture
The third and final phase of the experiment will be the construction of an asemic sculpture.
Above Image - Sectional of the inside of the acetate. The contortion of the asemic writing and light blending in a pleasing and fusing way. Personally this became one of the most immersive pieces in the experiments, the warping of light, and perspective created a vortex like appearance.
Preperation/making of the Asemic Sculpture.
^ Above Images - Preperation/making of the Asemic Sculpture.
During the last two weeks of the module the weather took an unfortunate turn for the worst. The idea was to be able to take the sculpture to the same woodland where we had hung the acetates and be able to photograph/video with the Sony A7 iii. Torrential rain did not allow, so I improvised and shot some video via iphone in the absolutely pouring rain in the garden at home. The rain actually helped with the sculpture on this last and final experiment of the experimental practice module. It changed the acetate and almost brought it to life with the extra movement of water running across and down every angle of the sculpture. It seemed ironic that the experiment started with water and ended with water on the sculpture. One thing is in all of the external experiments weather controlled the outcome. Condensation, cold, wind, and heavy showers. But each in their own unique way brought these experiments to life, and added a physical, and human element to the research undertaken. And in these adverse conditions reconcile the artist with the creation, the human with the external environment, and the art with the physical environment. The bringing together all of these elements was where the experiments started out, and in the conclusion they were joined via nature in the collaboration of earth, water, air wind and of course artist.
^ Above Images - Final experiment Asemic Sculpture with light.
^ Above Images - Final experiment Asemic Sculpture with light.
^ Above Images - Asemic Sculpture with light.
^ Above Images - Asemic Sculpture with light.
Other Artists who use light in their Art are:
https://www.olafureliasson.net/
Olafur Eliasson is an artist from Iceland he is more widely known for sculptures which use many natural elemental such as light, water, to bring a natural outdoor experience to his audience. In 1995 he established Studio Olafur Eliasson in Berlin, for research into the arts.
Kazimir Malevich (1915)
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/kazimir-malevich-1561/five-ways-look-malevichs-black-square
Early research investigating the roots of early communication. Mesopotamian
clay tablets used as early manuscripts for the logging of live stock, and property. Lettering examples are created with Chinese calligraphy brushes combining calligraphic script with elements of nature. Water, texture, and colour to promote the viewers personal experience to the calligraphic/font.
Practitioners returned questionnaires
Lorna Horton:
Lois Parker:
Today we had an awesome presentation ny a local entrepreneur called Melissa Wilkes.
She has been responsible for many businesses alongside her husband.
She explained how honesty, responsibility fr you own actions and building up a genuine relationship with your clients is key to a sustainable and successful business. Catching your market audience with telephone calls, and emails. Social media marketing on maybe one or two platforms rather than trying to utilise all of them at once. Quality over quantity.
Her ethos was fascinating and not dissimilar to my own. I think I need more self belief in my work, and the qualities that I can bring to the team.
But also to understand and realise that not everyone knows everything all of the time. Life and business are a learning curve.
Where do I want to be?, what do I want to do, where do I go from here?
Online tutorials this morning with Maureen. Uncovered the fact that Neville Brody was very much of my generation. When I first was at college in the early 90's he was working on the face magazine, working on music albums covers for the Sex Pistols, and CABARET VOLTAIRE – MICRO-PHONIES: NEVILLE BRODY 1984.
It got me to thinking that I have always been influenced by handmade art, and Graphics starting off with my National diploma in Graphic Design in 1990, where we used Reprographics to create our film overlays, and combine these with handmade and illustrative backgrounds. This is how we produced our work, there was no real print at that point. If you had access to printing large scale pieces of work they were expensive to produce.
During the module I will be looking at the professional Development and practice of Neville Brody and Lee Jeffries. I have made contact with Brody Associates via their website this morning in hope that they might be able to give me some feedback for the assignment. Whilst Clearing my parents home I stumbled upon my first portfolio which contained some of my very earliest graphic projects, it is clear to see the simplistic typographic approach inspired by Brody within these early pieces of work. During the early part of research in my Masters Degree it has become clear to me that I have lost such a massive love of graphics, and design over the years. My Wedding Photography business whilst thriving for almost 20 years and driven my family financially has pit-stopped my career in other areas. It is my hope that through the Master Degree I can really immerse myself into what actually drove me to become a creative in the first place. Having carried a camera around with me from the age of 7, and my mother saying how I constantly described the views in front of me, and how how things looked in the light and shadows. One while having a pencil in one hand and a camera swinging around my neck. So that both could be so easily accessible when we were out and about. From the age of 5 I was thought to be backward in my education and development, using very little words, but choosing to communicate through drawing. It was later discovered that I was deaf, and was fitted with gromits that opened up the word of hearing to me. But I had already adapted my ways of communication, through being a overly kind, funny, and expressive little girl. One who would rely on facial expressions to know how people felt, and what mood they were in. It made me adaptive, and versatile. A kind face with a smile is almost welcoming to most. These early beginnings made me fit in with most scenarios. Its made me very people friendly and outgoing. I can read body language with ease. Having to rely on my eyes to dissect the world around me. Early conversations were not readily easy for me to access, people spoke over me believing that I could not understand them. So I concentrated on environment, taking in all aspects of my surroundings, life became my focus, stories which my mother read to me opened up a vivid imagination which I still have. I have a remarkable memory and vividly remember instances from life. Shape, form, texture, and light were studied from a very early age. These things have stayed with me. It's these early impressions I recall when I create.
Learning Journal - Mind Maps, initial concepts, ideas.
During the initial design and research stage for the briefs set by Nick it's one of the first processes to begin finding association of words. This helps me to devise initial conceptual ideas for the creative briefs.
Banner developments for the Erich and Springboard campaigns
During conversations with Nick Bancroft, we started to devise animated gifs which could be used on student noticeboards, screens before, and after lectures. Below is the first animated gif. These will be changed and developed during the start of 2021. Unfortunately I learnt yesterday that Nick is leaving the university to move on with a new business opportunity. He has introduced me to Sally Docherty who will be taking over the progression of the campaigns.
23rd November - visit from Melissa Wilkes
Today we had an awesome presentation by a local entrepreneur called Melissa Wilkes.
She has been responsible for many businesses alongside her husband.
She explained how honesty, responsibility fr you own actions and building up a genuine relationship with your clients is key to a sustainable and successful business. Catching your market audience with telephone calls, and emails. Social media marketing on maybe one or two platforms rather than trying to utilise all of them at once. Quality over quantity.
Her ethos was fascinating and not dissimilar to my own. I think I need more self belief in my work, and the qualities that I can bring to the team.
But also to understand and realise that not everyone knows everything all of the time. Life and business are a learning curve.
18th December 2020
I have asked Maureen for some help with my advancement into teaching after completion of my Masters Degree. She has kindly emailed some strategies and information for me. Also maureen has introduced mw to Alistair Nash is the Course Leader for Graphics.
https://zenfolio.page.link/V93NS
Email to Alistair regarding possibly getting some experience teaching.
