I know that your Unit 2 experience was compromised by circumstances outside of the course. I hope that your situation is better - if not, drop me an email, as it might be prudent for you and I to investigate any possibility for ensuring the University is made aware of any personal circumstances preventing a more positive experience of the workload. My email is pgomm@ucreative.ac.uk - don't hesitate to contact me should you feel it necessary.
Okay - well, I like your thumbnails actually - thumbnail 10 in particular, because I like the hint of surrealism and almost de Chirico emptiness and use of long shadows. The really important thing about this project is ensuring you're always using real world reference to assist you in the realisation of your space. Another element that can bring additional layers of narrative to your work is choosing specific eras and geographies - for example, an 1970's shopping centre in the UK, would be radically different to a 2011 American Mall. This kind of sensitivity for time and place in terms of your visual concept becomes increasingly important (and transformative) as you progress through the course. You want to avoid unintentional genericism in your design work - unless 'genericism' is being used as a trigger for the unheimlich effect.
In regard to your essay - remember, as with all written assignments, you must first introduce, define and show your understanding of the key theoretical ideas underpinning the essay question - in this instance Freud's 'the uncanny' - this means your introduction should acknowledge this in its sources and order of points raised; i.e. your first paragraphs should deal with defining the uncanny, and should do this before you begin to apply the ideas to your chosen case-studies. I'm not entirely convinced that using both the Toddlerpedes and Cronin's work is going to make for a focused discussion; the toddlerpedes resonate because they're using dolls - which Freud has a view on in terms of the uncanny - and it may pay you to simply focus on 'dolls and effigy objects', and use the toddlerpedes as one example of these specific objects being used for specific effect. Likewise, Cronin's work sits around the 'unheimlich' - the inversion of safe, domestic spaces - and this would make for a clear point of focus (the unhomely), again with Cronin's work as one example of this 'category' of uncanny. I suggest you focus on a single identifiable strand of Freud's ideas and more properly deal with it in a content-rich way.
OGR 13/12/2011
ReplyDeleteHey Anthony,
I know that your Unit 2 experience was compromised by circumstances outside of the course. I hope that your situation is better - if not, drop me an email, as it might be prudent for you and I to investigate any possibility for ensuring the University is made aware of any personal circumstances preventing a more positive experience of the workload. My email is pgomm@ucreative.ac.uk - don't hesitate to contact me should you feel it necessary.
Okay - well, I like your thumbnails actually - thumbnail 10 in particular, because I like the hint of surrealism and almost de Chirico emptiness and use of long shadows. The really important thing about this project is ensuring you're always using real world reference to assist you in the realisation of your space. Another element that can bring additional layers of narrative to your work is choosing specific eras and geographies - for example, an 1970's shopping centre in the UK, would be radically different to a 2011 American Mall. This kind of sensitivity for time and place in terms of your visual concept becomes increasingly important (and transformative) as you progress through the course. You want to avoid unintentional genericism in your design work - unless 'genericism' is being used as a trigger for the unheimlich effect.
Some useful links perhaps:
http://mallsofamerica.blogspot.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shopping_centres_in_the_United_Kingdom
In regard to your essay - remember, as with all written assignments, you must first introduce, define and show your understanding of the key theoretical ideas underpinning the essay question - in this instance Freud's 'the uncanny' - this means your introduction should acknowledge this in its sources and order of points raised; i.e. your first paragraphs should deal with defining the uncanny, and should do this before you begin to apply the ideas to your chosen case-studies. I'm not entirely convinced that using both the Toddlerpedes and Cronin's work is going to make for a focused discussion; the toddlerpedes resonate because they're using dolls - which Freud has a view on in terms of the uncanny - and it may pay you to simply focus on 'dolls and effigy objects', and use the toddlerpedes as one example of these specific objects being used for specific effect. Likewise, Cronin's work sits around the 'unheimlich' - the inversion of safe, domestic spaces - and this would make for a clear point of focus (the unhomely), again with Cronin's work as one example of this 'category' of uncanny. I suggest you focus on a single identifiable strand of Freud's ideas and more properly deal with it in a content-rich way.