INDN 252: Initial Shoot

So, after my primary sort of test shoot, I moved into the ergonomics lab, and started doing some proper photos there, where there were lots of advanced lighting systems to play around with.

Some of the images are definitely workable, but after talking to the tutors, I want to re-shoot all of these, except for the first one. One of the phrases that was thrown around with regards to my body was "Alien Landscape", which I've decided will be the theme of my graphics for the anomalies.

Going to try some graphics on this one, maybe suggesting the moles are like star clusters or galaxies. I've got to make sure they're kept really really subtle, though. It would work quite well with the whole alien landscape thing, so it's a keeper.

For this one, I want to look at a combination of the tendon sticking up as well as the odd bone shapes in the background. Possibly hinting at a landscape formation? This one warrants a re-shoot though, so as to perfect the focus a bit more.

This photo is great, but I need to think about re-shooting with a higher or lower angle on the chest, and also cropping the nipple to halfway, so as to make it a point of reference to the image, however not making it a main feature. The chest cavity needs to be the main focus, and it could possibly be implied as a collision crater?

This image feels very "water on Mars", so I'm inclined to keep it, however, I think there could be more of a focus on the variety of different skin textures in the photo here. So it also warrants a re-shoot.

INDN 252: Design Physiology

This is one of my newest courses. It deals with human physiology and the relation of industrial design to the forms and functions of different elements of the human body. The course is already starting with a very quick project which we are expected to finish on Tuesday. That's one way of getting us back into the groove of things.

Our first project sounds like a lot of fun though. Split into two parts, we are expected to bare all and photograph our bodies. Well, maybe not quite bare all...but for the first part, we are expected to take photographs of what we consider to be anomalies on our bodies. These anomalies could range from genetic anomalies (birthmarks), to product-induced anomalies (scars and broken bones), to environment-induced anomalies (tan lines).

It's actually rather hard thinking of what would be work photographing on my body. I have a bit of a pigeon chest, so that's an obvious first port of call. It's always been something that people see at the beach or the pool, and their first emotion is that of disgust. So that's always been something I've had to deal with while growing up.

My second anomaly I'd photograph would most likely be the way my hand's tendons stick out like crazy when I move my hand in a particular way. It's quite alien, almost. Almost doesn't really look like a hand at all. I still quite like my hands though. In a weird sort of way.

My third anomaly would be a group of moles on my left arm. Moles have been a part of me for the longest time, and I'm not sure I'd be the same person if I didn't have them. I...wouldn't be me somehow. That sounds a bit stupid, but in a way it's kind of how it is for me. Just the presence of imperfections on my skin, they make me who I am.

My final anomaly would be a part of my skin that I always feel looks far older than it should. A small patch on the inside of my foot, I always feel like it's come from an older person. The veins and arteries that you can see through the skin feel like they are translucent and odd. In a way, I feel like this area of skin shows how much stress our feet go through every day carrying us.

I'm a weird person with a weird body.

On Thursday my partner and I are going to the ergonomic room to take some really good photos. Victoria University has a great ergonomics room, as it has a cyclorama, which will be fantastic for taking photos of ourselves.

As for the second section of this assignment, we have to photograph a moving, changing part of the body. While writing this blog post, I came up with the idea of exploring how the mouth moves in different ways, and the effect it has on the surrounding skin and the lips.

Lebbeus Woods: A Fantastic Graphic Designer/Architect/Installation Artist

Lebbeus Woods is a relatively recent discovery of mine. Introduced to me by my flatmate, I find his visions for a future of architectural structures fascinating, inspiring, and impressive. The fact that he had such immense vision for a world where architecture not only served a purpose far beyond what it serves today, but also has unique aesthetic characteristics is completely and utterly admirable, given the time where a lot of architects were designing tall, sleek high rises.

Lebbeus was designing buildings for a warzone. He designed building that merged the resurgence of a city with its destruction. The almost de-constructivist nature of his work leant towards these fantastic, shattered constructs that never looked like they could stand. And yet that is why his work is so fascinating.

Another grand idea of Lebbeus was to dam the Manhattan river and reveal the gorge where the river flows and build an "underground" city. Ripe with claims that his sketches and designs belonged more in Science Fiction novels rather than in reality, Lebbeus challenged the long-standing preconceptions about architecture.

Image acquired from: http://www.architizer.com

This piece of design work was actually done for the Berlin Free Zone, post fall of The Wall. The dramatic rift in the building feels to me like a created emphasis on the rift in the city. The dramatic edges and extreme structural rift in the building feels like something is deeply wrong with it.

Now, I hardly have any claim to be any sort of good architectural background to be able to critique these to any degree of a commercial critic. But that's okay, because I'm not critiquing, I'm really just giving my spin on what I think he was trying to do, and maybe throw some mild speculations out there. Don't take this too seriously.

Image acquired from: http://www.architizer.com

This image is of the plans for New York that I was speaking about before. I think it's a fascinating concept, and it may even be a concept we might have to explore more in depth as the population of the planet grows and we run out of usable space. And it will happen. So maybe Mr Woods doesn't have such a bad idea after all. The most astounding thing about a lot of Lebbeus' work is that not a lot of it was done on a computer. Most of his work was done with traditional mediums, resulting in a fascinating amount of work, all displaying superb amounts of skill.

Image acquired from: http://ths-concepts.tumblr.com/

I love this piece of his. It's a fantastic use of colours and shapes, and I really love the way the city isn't a completely linear development. The city he's designed or inspired by (I'm not sure which!) seems to developed in a very understandable, almost organic way. I'm not sure if the red sections are meant to be highlighting something or if they are meant to be something else. Either way, the way they intrigue me.

Just as this man's work intrigues me. I might be posting some more of his work in due course. Either way, his work is pure inspiration, and hopefully I will be able to use it in some way.

Lebbeus Woods, image acquired from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/01/arts/lebbeus-woods-unconventional-architect-dies-at-72.html?_r=0

Rest In Peace, Lebbeus. Your work will inspire worlds to come.

New Year, New Goals

Wow. Back for round 2 now. After the difficulties and challenges of last year, I've come back to Wellington with (hopefully) more of an idea on how to run this show.

Last year taught me a lot of things. I learnt, at the most basic level, the Design Process. And, in many respects, that's something I can never give back. It's opened my eyes in ways both good and bad. I've become more cynical of other people's design as a whole, but at the same time, it's taught me to look at things with an innocent eye when I want to appreciate simple aesthetic appeal.

Sometimes looking at things with an educated eye is to see all of the flaws, all of the process that's gone into it, which can sometimes hold you back from seeing what it is that the design/designer is actually trying to accomplish. This concept of the innocent eye was introduced to us in maybe the 3rd (?) session we had of DSDN 111, and it's something I now have to/have the ability to call upon when viewing designed things.

I've also learned a whole host of technical skills, including (but not limited to);
-Adobe Illustrator,
-Adobe Flash,
-Adobe Premiere,
-Adobe After Effects,
-Solidworks,
-Autodesk 3dsMax,
-Processing and the coding that comes with it,
-Rendering,
-Storyboarding,
-A brief(ish) history of design,
-Photographical skills,
-Time management,
-Workshop skills.

All of these things will be simply invaluable for the year that's very rapidly bearing down on me. Hopefully I get to re-use all of these skills and keep them up, and not lose them in one of the small insignificant recesses of my cortex.

So, to make sure that I keep a sharp design mind all through the year, and also on through the following summer, I've decided to set myself three projects over the course of the year. Three projects that I'll do outside of my coursework. Three projects that will hopefully test my boundaries, and get me to push my skills and knowledge to the limits and beyond.

I want to devote these projects to my two elective courses (in a way) and also the elective I took last year. That way, I get a broad range of bonus projects, which all pull me in slightly different directions.

The first project I want to do is one to do with Photography, my elective from last year. I decided to not take it as a course this year because I was told the structure and focus of the course in second year moved away from what I really enjoyed about the course in first year. However, it is still a passion of mine, and I do have a very trusty DSLR that I want to make sure serves me well.
Last year I came up with some very interesting ideas for projects, and for the most part, the ideas were well liked by the tutors and lecturers.

Image 7 from "Suicide" [DSDN 144 - Project 1]

The second project I plan to set myself is a project to do with a relatively new discovery on my part; the power of creative coding. Taking coding in first year was a bit of a gamble on my part, as having never done it before, it was uncharted water for me. However, the mathematical side of me, which had gone through the first trimester so unchallenged, finally awoke again, and I realised how much fun it was to learn the logic and mathematics of coding. I want to do a project which refreshes and revitalises my learned skills, while maybe touching on new aspects I have yet to learn about.

Final Submission for "Structure & Noise" [DSDN 142 - Project 2]

The third (but maybe not final) project I want to do is a form of more physical design work to do with the human body in some degree, since my second elective for this year is Design Physiology, which is a design course with an inherent focus on the human body. This is a new area of design for me, and I'm very excited to learn more about it. Since I'm taking this elective in the first trimester, I probably want to hold off on this project until the second trimester, when my understanding will be better. I'm very excited for this area of design in the near, because to me it represents a highly customised, personal area of design, where the field is all about the client.

Screen Capture from Final Submission for "The Clip" [DSDN 101 - Project 3]

I can't wait for this year to really begin. It's a year of change, and looking back, I'd actually say this year began when I sold two pieces of my design. Actually getting money for a piece of design work really solidified this whole gig as a career for me. Being told that you have original ideas that people actually will buy is a huge boost to one's view of the future.

Maybe I should start selling some of my work?