some thoughts on chickens

 

Did a bunch of drawing today. I think I'm going to turn these into a little hand-drawn book and see where that takes me

8 September, p.s.

This post repeats what was in e-mail sent out, minutes ago.

first off, keys alas won't be in your mailboxes until tomorrow. there's a form to sign, get it to me when you can.

still waiting for titles and tweet-length summaries of your thesis proposals (140 characters, up to 280).

for Thursday, read and consider :

1. First Things First
   Ken Garland (1963)
2. First Things First Manifesto
   Emigre 51, 1999
   (these relate in particular to Leslie's work)
   be aware of the Emigre collection at Letterform Archive
   and
   
3. Heinrich von Kleist, "On the gradual completion of thoughts during speech"
   in the Bosch series type specimen book that you have received via e-mail and in hard copy
   the text is only six pages long, internal (not pdf) page 11-17.
   it concerns thinking as stammering things out, and connects with last week's comparison of the mind to the Magic 8-Ball.
   and
   primarily for Leslie, but for others if interested,
4. Generation Anthropocene: How humans have altered the planet for ever
   Robert Macfarlane. The Guardian (1 April 2016)
   a kind of overview of the environmental moment (pre pandemic, pre Black Lives Matter, pre economic recession etc)

Behold, a man

 

Some preliminary sketches and final product for breaking a chicken down to its most basic elements. I'd like to know if these illustrations are acceptable, and if anyone has an idea for how I should format these.

September 8/10

scheduled google meet for tomorrow 8:15 — class starts at 8:20.

three students in room (Adam, May, Nate), three remote (Leslie, Paige, Rowan).
those who are coming into H-309, please bring laptop if you have.
and please be on time.

---

I will continue to move updated thesis proposals from regular posts, to the respective “designers, proposals” pages.

As I read and think about these, the gap between an “artist statement,” and a “thesis proposal,” comes to mind. The first is after-the-fact, retrospective. The second — tentative, ambitious, even stammering — is before-the-fact, actionable. The first helps provide an avenue/perspective into work that exists; the second a provisional, prospective approach to work that has yet to come into being. I suppose these two roles are not mutually exclusive; but they’re worth thinking about.

---

From CND to Hollywood: the ruthlessly brilliant designs of Ken Garland
The graphic designer who decried consumerism with a call-to-arms manifesto has won a lifetime achievement award. He talks about his career highs – and why so much modern design is ‘utterly mindless’
Oliver Wainright. The Guardian. 7 September 2020
here

The First Things First Manifesto
 

syllabus, update

The syllabus can be found at canvas, where it will be subject to tweaks etc.

I have been adding thesis proposals and updates, to your respective pages devoted to those, as I receive them.

update (4 September)
During our first meeting Thursday 3 September, we decided to go a second route: three students in the room and three remote, for each meeting, alternating who is where from meeting to meeting.

This arrangement is subject to change, of course, and any student preferring to remote in, on a day they would ordinarily be in the room, is welcome to do so.

for Tuesday 8 September —

1. updated thesis proposals
   (include title and tweet-length summary (used to be 140 characters, now up to 280);
2. read and consider etymologies of the words thesis and experiment/experimental
   (from the OED and from etymonline)
   and
   
3. have something to show of your work
   (sketches, references, analogues, previous and related work)
    

the room, etc.

Here is what the room looks like, at present (Thursday afternoon, 27 August).

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

There are five work tables (one under the window, the rest in back studio area). The two tables with computers on them are for anyone. I understand that four people want to work in this space, so we should be able to allocate the tables equitably.

Yes, there are too many chairs for the room. We'll deal with that later!

---

As we approach our first meeting next Thursday, I have been working in and straightening the room, and contemplating how we should use the space for group meetings.

I now believe that at least in the beginning, we should meet only three students in the room at one time. We could do this two ways:

1. the first day by having three people present, and three people coming in via Google Meet.
2. divide the morning up into two sections, 8:20-9:35, and 9:45-11:00.
   For the first session, three people are present in the room, and three come in via remote. We switch who is in the room, and who not, for the second session.
   But is this too complicated?

I wonder what you — all six of you — think. I'm also mindful that two people are returning for second semester of seminar, and four are completely new to the space and routine.

---

I hope to receive updated proposals from everyone over the next few days, and well in advance of our first meeting.

thinkings

 
While the College is still developing plans and protocols for the Fall 2020 semester, I want to float these initial thoughts about Design Seminar and how it will work. I welcome your thoughts on any and all of this, not to mention things I’ve not addressed and that matter to you.

19 July addition —

Much, even most, of this semester may be remote, in terms of meetings. We cannot know as of now, Sunday 19 July.
Studio work will go on in college studio spaces that are yours, in H-309 and elsewhere. We will together decide how best to proceed.

1. studio space —
   All of the H-309 seminar room (not only the studio area in back), will function primarily as studio space.
2. group meetings —
   I do not know how frequently we will meet as a group, in the same physical room. I do expect us to meet as a group, via remote channel like zoom or Google Meet, once and even twice a week.
3. The group meetings will have two main purposes:
   (1) discussion of each student’s ongoing work, and
   (2) discussion of readings (or viewings, etc.), some of which would pertain to an individual student’s work, and even be selected/assigned by those students.
4. How will the physical space work, for group meetings, whether in person or remote?
   I hope that each student has access to a laptop, iPad or other device, so that we would conduct our meetings, even if in person, as if in a zoom/meet meeting. In this way, students who are not present for the group meeting, can still participate.
   I anticipate that where we do meet, as a group, in the same room, we would move tables or any needed furniture as needed, to facilitate that meeting.
5. one-on-one meetings —
   We — I, the instructor, and each student — will meet at least once a week, one-on-one, remote or in person.
6. seminar blog —
   We will continue to post work on this blog; we might also use Google Drive, uploading files as PDFs, primarily)
7. Canvas —
   If we use Canvas, it will be primarily (or only) as a calendar/scheduling tool (and perhaps for its attendance function).
8. panel reviews —
   As in previous years, seminarians present their work to a panel of design (and other?) faculty, at least twice during the semester, typically in the evening. These reviews will likely happen via a remote/online channel.
9. guest/visiting designers —
   Also as in previous years, guests/visiting designers will participate in seminar, this semester via zoom/Google Meet.
   One who comes to mind, is Emma Fanning of Little Fox Design and @littlefoxdesignstudio.

Design Seminar achieves some different aims, for different students. Some are more oriented to professional practice in graphic or interactive design; others are on different paths.

It is my — and surely our — goal to make Seminar work for each student. Our focus will be on each student’s exploration of interests and directions, and bringing these investigations to strong formal conclusions, or series of conclusions, with learning happening at every stage of the process.

Regarding laptops, please advise if you do not have, or do not have dependable internet access. (Keep in mind that there are two computers/monitors in the seminar room (studio area), and it is not impossible that more might be secured.)