Reflection and Evaluation: End of Session - 7th June

I found this subject more enjoyable the second time round, having a lot less on my plate and therefore a lot less to worry about, which left me able to concentrate on each topic.

The topics that I found most interesting were the ones that I was able to relate to or the ones that I were able to find an element to focus and expand on eg. fore edged printing for illuminated manuscripts.

I thought that I did well to work my way through the study guide and use the objectives, questions and study activities to aid my learning. I often forgot to look at the readings on the CD but I found the Art and Books site very useful and also did a lot of my own research.

Topic 1:

Discussing what a books is has been one of my favourite topics both years. Having done it twice now I am quite confident in my definition now and I don't think that I'd change it. I found that the easiest way to come up with a definition was to create boundaries. As if you leave things to open then anything could fall into the definition. I liked reading everyone else's definitions and comparing them to my own and wondering how definitions in the future may change and evolve with technology. I decided to do further research on this topic by thinking about how a blind person might define a book, assuming that there definitions would be based purely on form and feel rather than the structure and content.

Topic 2:

I love looking at illuminated manuscripts. Everyone agrees that they have such beautiful decorations and illustrations and they had such a long and careful process in order to create them which I personally believe is enough to class them as art. Another topic which there was a lot of debate on. The part of this topic I enjoyed the most was picking fore edged printing as my further studies. To begin with, I didn't actually know that it was a part of illuminated manuscripts, but it just shows how far research can take you. I think that I would like to read further about what art is. I would like to read some more discussions on what art is and what classifies as art. Not that I think there will ever be a unanimous answer but it's an interesting discussion.

Topic 3:

I wasn't as interested in this topic as the rest. Having done this twice now I struggled to find something new and exciting to research. I found myself sticking to most of the objectives in the study guide rather than finding my own points. The essay also cut into this topic so I feel like that would've taken my interest away as well. I think the most interesting part of this topic was looking at the publications that William Morris produced on his Kelmscott Press. I managed to find a site that showed the different works with some interesting facts on each one.

Topic 5:

This topic was great for me as it was something new. As I chose children's books last year, I leaped at the opportunity to study something new. It was a topic I was fairly unfamiliar with so I felt that I didn't get as much out of it as I would like to and therefore would like to read more about the history of. The topic really emphasized how much comic strips really harness movie techniques into them to create time, action, sound, etc.

I would like to look into Japanese comics as it was something I skipped over. 

I really enjoyed looking up some more fun comic facts to break up from the constant history research in the previous topics. My favourite part of this topic was looking at the history of Winsor McCay and Little Nemo in Slumberland. It was such a fascinating comic strip and I would love to get my hands on a few to read. I also enjoyed relating a story from my childhood to the theme of that comic strip.

Topic 6:

I spent the most time on this topic out of all of them as it was my essay topic. I actually had enough of it by the second week and struggled to find more information to talk about for the second journal entry. But I loved reading the different points of views on what an artist's book is from artist's and scholars and feel that I successfully delivered my point of view on the definition in my essay. I don't think there is much else I could revisit on this topic. I liked reading about Angela Lorenz and think that she has become one of my most favourite and inspirational artists. I like the work she produces and how she does it - relating every part of her piece to her research and theme. She is an artist who I would like to continue to revisit.

Topic 7: 

I started to get lazy with this last topic, anticipating the end of uni. But once again I enjoyed the discussions on the future of the book the most, being able to relate my love for the physical book vs my love for technology to the topic.

I think overall the topics that I enjoyed the most were the ones that I was able to find an interesting part to focus on that I had't noticed before. It was a struggle with some topics having to do them a second time round, but finding something new to research made them a lot more interesting and lead to me finding other parts that I would like to research further out of class. In conclusion I found that I was quite successful in working my way through the study guide and have found that I have a lot more knowledge on some of the topics then what I did before. I have become a lot more open to other peoples points of views in discussions and have found that they can help aid my own points of view. I have also discovered a few new favourite artists as well.

Digital Era: Week Two - 3rd June

The Physical Book vs. Technology:
I decided to list points for both the physical book and technological advancements in order to evaluate the future of the book.
First of all;
The fact that despite the technological advancements to date, books are still being produced. So this hasn't caused as much of an issue as was predicted. In fact, the production of books has actually increased. Books do a much better job at telling a story than movies ever will. There is nothing like using your mind to put together a scene through the descriptive words used by an author. And authors don't have restricted space to tell a story in meaning they don't have to cut anything else. I remember when Harry Potter came out in the movies, having read all the books myself, it was disappointing to see some of the scenes and characters that were a lot different to what was described in the book and the details and what I considered to be some important parts were completely cut out to fit within the usual 2-2.5 hr time limit of the movie. Thank God they split the last book into two movies!!
Library books really are the premium research material with a lot of online articles allowing the public to be able to change information at their own will which can lead to wrong information. Library books store the most information for free! Whereas a lot of internet sites require you to sign up or pay to view some information or books.
Books also offer a unique experience in there form as well. Many people on the forum have stated numerous times how they simply enjoy the feel of the book, being able to turn the pages, the crackle of opening a new book for the first time and the sound of turning the pages. Some have even noted the smell of a new book. These are experiences that you can't have with an electronic device.

On the other hand...

Technology has made for many advancements that have aided the book as well including printing, production, publication, distribution. It has given us e books and e readers which allow us to store numerous books in the one place, meaning we save on storage, we can take them anywhere and access them where ever we want along with other documents and information as well, we can also lie in bed with the light off and still be able to read. Technology has given artists another medium to explore through digital art and online exhibitions and portfolios. We are able to communicate quicker, shop online, find what we're researching quicker without library deadlines, read magazines, newspapers and articles online all within the comfort of our home. It has become quite a convenience. Schools are really beginning to harness the use of technology by accessing textbooks online. This allows schools to be cheaper for parents, the ability to access textbooks and schoolwork online, and eliminates the excuse of 'Miss, I forgot to bring mine'.

Although there seems to be a lot more points for the technology side, I don't think that it'll replace the physical book anytime soon. As long as there are people out there who treasure the 'book experience', I think that the demand will keep them in print. Perhaps in the future, as technology advances further and further, books may become outdated (much like the scroll or tablet). But hopefully, by the time this happens we won't be around to see it.

Digital Era: Week One - 27th May

I think the best way to define Hypertext is to think of it as a link on a webpage, at least that's how I see it. Hypertext is a way of organising and presenting information linked together that a reader can navigate in a non-linear way. It can also include tables, graphs and some images. Static hypertext can be used to cross-reference collections of data in documents, software applications, or books on CDs. On computers hypertext is accessed through hyperlinks that connect relevant pages to each other. This allows for the browser to select and skip to the part of information that they need. Much like a hyperlink, encyclopedias harness similar methods to access hypertext. Encyclopedias link information by organising its subjects alphabetically and the use of cross referencing to make links between relevant pieces of information and causes the viewer to read in a non-linear way. I think that contents and index's also aid hypertext and links by creating a quick reference to pieces of information. When images, sounds and animations and videos come into the mix we end up with hypermedia. The world wide web itself is a giant collection of hypermedia.



Arguably, the first hypermedia work was the Aspen Movie Map which was developed by Andrew Lippman

and an MIT team in 1978. The system allowed its user to take a virtual tour through Aspen, Colarado. Users were able to choose their path down various streets, clicking on certain buildings allowed the viewer to see interior shots, menus, videos etc. A navigation map also allowed a user to quickly jump to a chosen part of the city







Another example of hypermedia that relates more to books is Ruth Hadlow's 'Patternbook'. This online book features most of what a physical book does. It has a spine, pages bound together, text, images and even gives the illusion of different materials. The only difference is, you can't hold it, but you can physically turn the pages of the book (with your mouse of course). After reading about hypertext and hypermedia, I was expecting a lot more from this example in relation. Perhaps being abble to jump back and forth between pages throughout the book other then the next and previous ones, and perhaps some links to take you to different sections, or even simply some more images, videos, animations etc. As the book is, it displays sequential pages with animation of turning pages. There is also some ambience in the background giving the illusion of reading in a public place. Perhaps it even links to the text (I must admit I did not read any of it for lack of interest). I found that the parts that I was most interested in were the pages in between the text that displayed cut outs, different paper mediums, and hand written texts.

Topic 6 Week 2: Artist's Books - 20th May

Having done this topic as my essay I have done plenty of research. But I struggled this week to try and find something interesting to post on my journal having already written a post in the holidays, written my essay, posted on the forum and written a journal last week. I've flooded myself with Artist's Books and am finding it hard to come up with new information without repeating myself. So perhaps this week I will focus my journal on one particular artist of an Artist's book who interests me most.

Angela Lorenz;
I decided to further study Angela Lorenz because (apart from actually featuring in my essay) seems to be one of the Artist's who are more open to the ideas of an Artist's book believing that anyone can make Artist's books whether they are an artist, a writer or a philosopher. I also like her work!
Angela Lorenz is a modern American artist who has created many Artist’s Books that deeply explore the uses of mixed media and the book form.

• Sunday Stone- Light Verse Magazines Vol.III (2009-2010) : This Artist's Book was made in an edition of only 30 copies. The piece was based on composite minerals from pipes and water troughs
  
  of coal mines in England and Scotland. A black and white rock was found that recorded work patterns of the employees - black stripes (water with coal dust) indicating days of work and white ones days off (usually sundays and thicker white lines for longer holidays such as Christmas when the water ran clean). This piece incorporates many different elements relating to this period in the 19th Century including; black and white pages, handwritten poem on carbon paper (writing/working in the dark), glow in the dark fish skeletons on the back (light experimentation in the mines), ghost like fossil plant on front cover (workers feared evil spirits that may dwell in the mines, fossils of plants that miners couldn't link an origin to).

I like Angela Lorenz's work because of the amount of research that she puts into her works. They aren't just something she throws together. The title, the meaning, colours, materials, images and functions all connect to a central theme. Her works all really play with and test the form and function of a book by either; removing the binding, changing the shape, using different materials etc. Lorenz tries to be the sole producer for her works, but of course uses helpers when she explores a medium she hasn't tried before. I also like that all of her pieces look like they need to be touched, and need to be pulled apart and looked over and over in order to discover all parts of the story.

 

Topic 6: Artist's Books - 13th May

I found it very difficult to try and seperate the differences between Livre d'artiste and Artist's Books. They are so closely related that many of the below examples could really be placed into either category.

Before the Artist's Book movement became a separate field in the 20th Century, there was a lot of experimenting with 'Livre d'artiste'. An art dealer named Ambroise Vollard is considered to be the originator of Livre d'artiste and although the translation suggests that these and artist's books are the same, it is important to note the differences and the evolution from Livre d'artiste into Artist's Books. 

Livre d'artiste are books that have been illustrated by artists. They differ from regular illustrated books as the artist works personally as the printer or works very closely with the master printer to created individual prints especially for the book. Some key features of Livre d'artiste included large sized formats, hand colouring, fine binding and the use of rare materials. The original prints were often made from a material which allows limited uses and therefore limited editions. These books were created for a high end market. Artists like Picasso and Matisse were involved in experimenting with Livre d’artiste.

Although they are much like Livre d’artiste, there are some notable characteristics that Artist's Books had that Livre d’artiste didn't. Livre d’artiste was still very structural and traditional, with a distinction between image and text on facing pages. They didn't challenge the book structure to become a part of the production, theme or the books intention like Artist's Books did. The artist and writer didn't often meet in the production of Livre d’artiste. These kinds of books were often made to the editor’s vision and were visually pleasing to meet the markets expectations. Whereas, the artists of Artist's Books were involved in most details of the books creation. They tried to blur the boundaries between the image and text so that the books were an expression and creation of their own. Many Artist's books are produced on a low budget provided from the artist. They took advantage of independent printing which allowed them to have all the power in the production and publication of their book. However, craftiness doesn’t always make something into an Artist's Book. Artist's attempt to bend and stretch the rules of craft and book arts, much like they do with the book structure. 

There are some other distinguishing points for Artist's Books. These include the fact that they are often (but not always) portable, have a case for storage, protection, and transportation which is often integrated into the design of the book, they use mixed media, they are made to be touched and interacted with, and they have different display possibilities e.g. hanging, flat or as a performance book. 

                         

Topic 5 Week 2: Comics and Graphic Novels - 6th May

Winsor McCay was an American animator and cartoonist. McCay created popular comic strips including Little Nemo, Little Sammy Sneeze and Dream of the Rarebit Fiend. He also produced a number of animated films. Between 1903 and 1911 McCay produced many comic strips for many companies.

I found Winsor McCay's journey into making comic strips professionally quite interesting for the simple fact that he had so many obstacles throughout his life with people trying to hold him back and keep him in one place. I admire his perseverance to draw as much as he could. To begin with, McCay harnessed his quick drawing skills and great attention to detail to draw portraits as an attraction at an amusement park. This was his first step into the art world, even though his parents didn't approve of this as a career path. What followed was a series of jobs as a printer, then an artist, followed by a sign painter and eventually he landed himself a job making drawings for a local paper and also submitting drawings to other magazines. This is where McCay developed his skills in using a pen to create his drawings.

Winsor McCay became one of the first cartoonists to master the use of cinematic features in his drawings. This included things like cinemascope, tracking, panning, pacing, motion and even special effects.
In 1903 he accepted his job at the New York Herald creating comic strips.

Little Nemo in Slumberland (1905-1911), was a real hit from McCay which eventually made its way to broadway. Little Nemo was a little boy who had amazing dreams which were the theme for the weekly strip. It sounds like it would have been quite a cute comic strip, with the stories initially being about Little Nemo's adventures to King Morpheus' realm, "Slumberland" to meet playmate Princess Camille. However, his journey was often dark, surreal and violent and the comic strip often ended with Nemo waking up in his bedroom having suffered from a disaster or even death within his dream. The story eventually branched out to other imaginary lands as well.
I found it funny in a way to discover that Nemo, in Latin, actually means nobody. It makes for an interesting translation when you substitute it in... Little Nobody in Slumberland.. or even into the pixar film 'Finding Nemo' - Finding Nobody?

The stories of Little Nemo remind me of "Max and Moritz" a German stories about two mischievous children who always ended up in a bad way. My grandma used to read them to us (translating them to english) when I was little. They were funny but I don't think we truly understood the stories and black humour. I think this is why I took such interest in Little Nemo. Within my research I found that Max and Moritz may have influenced some German comic strips Katzenjammer Kids and Quick & Flupke. I've attached the below image to show one of the situations that the twins get themselves into. Unfortunately I couldn't put the whole story in because they are not in the comic strip format and therefore take up a few pages. Basically though after playing many tricks, the twins are caught, thrown in the mill and eaten by ducks. The twins constantly meet a terrible fate in their stories after being menaces to the other townfolk.

Comic Fun Facts

* Marvel was first known as timely comics (it was set up by a New York magazine publisher in 1939). It went from timely comics to Atlas and finally Marvel in 1961

* Marvel once owned the rights to the word 'Zombie'.

* The comics code authority forbade the use of werewolves in comics around 1969

* Marvel was the first comic company to give a black superhero his own comic book

* Superman was the first comic book super hero

* in 1946 when comic book sales in the US were out selling traditional books, concerned parents, teachers and libraries intervened by gathering and burning the books - a ritual which was later condemned

* The idea to use big eyes on anime characters came from American cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse, Bambi and Betty Boop

* The most simultaneously published comic strip is Peanuts by Charles Schulz, which appears in 2,620 different newspapers in 75 different countries

* The earliest cartoon strip named 'The Yellow Kid', was shown in the New York Journal in 1896

* The Addams family was originally a cartoon for The New Yorker