Personal Mythology

[Prof. Madad]

Design is the conjunction of internal imagination with the external world.
We will begin through an exercise where we can use oneself as a generative tool for ideas and understanding of (visual) language. Your Personal Mythology will center around:

• Filiation are concern things out of your control — sex, ethnicity, etc.
  
• Affiliation are connections you actively seek out and forge — requiring individual agency.
  
• Narrative and stories from your past that are particular to you.

Write, and elaborate on, (30) items for each of the above categories: Filiation, Affiliation and Narratives - for a total of (90) items.

[Prof. Madad]

9.26

Reflect on the shared conversations from today's class. Examine your lists, and try to identify salient features, qualities and points of focus that particularly resonate with you.

• Assign image(s) for each of the 90 items in any combination of: found and made media.
• As a first pass, aim for breadth (address each of the 90 items) and if you have time depth (going deeper into each)
• Bring in your lists and your images.
  

[Prof. Madad]

10.03

Consider the discussion shared during critique and particular points made by your peers as you re-make your image(s).

• What is the focus of your story/narrative, for a given image: how can you convey that story without a verbal narration?
• Make your imagery specific/original to reflect the nuance, subtlety, point of view and tone your stories contain.
• Explore multi-media - try photography, drawing, sketching, vector art, pixel art, by hand, etc. Find a form that best serves your content/story.
• Present your revisions in an organized manner.
• Don't throw away or delete old work; keep a running thread for each image, so we can trace its development over time.
  
• Bring your lists  and everything to class.
  

[Prof. Madad]

 10.10

Reread all the comments above.

• Continue to make your images.
• Organize how you present your work, to avoid distractions and help us focus.
  
• Experiment with more and different media that will help tell your story.
• Bring everything in.
  

[Prof. Madad]

 10.17

Reread all the comments above.

• If you want additional feedback on your work, send me an email.
  

• Continue to make your images.

[Prof. Madad]

10.24

Reread all the comments above.

• Absences, missing project work
  

• If you want additional feedback on your work, send me an email.
  

Get to the invisible essence the spiritual flame of your symbols and stories; this is most definitely not clip art, googled images and other unmediated forms.
Start to arrange your symbols and stories on sheets of 11x17; fit as many as seems appropriate, for us to properly view/read them.
Experiment, and combine, different media and technique that will help tell your story:
• tracing (photos)
• drawing (try your opposite hand)
• ink
• watercolor
• colored pencil
• stencil
• cut paper
• clay
• baloney
  
• anything else you can think of
  

[Prof. Madad]

11.07

Reread all the comments above.

Collate your symbols onto (3-4) tabloid sheets; they should be big enough to be show detail, separated by variations, etc.
Mix your symbols with one another (find interesting relationships).
Create (2-3) visual narrative compositions (multiple symbols), tabloid size.

Explore meaning making through form and content.

[Prof. Madad]

11.21

For the remainder of the semester, we will be working towards completing:

• (2) 18x24 posters [tiling and b&w is fine for sketches]
  
• (1) objects, artifacts, totems based out of your symbols
• Identity program: using/applying your symbols to create a system (logo, business card, letterhead, etc)
• Process book: capturing both the chronological and thematic development of your project (reading responses, etc)—with accompanying narrative

Bring in versions, variations or proposals for the above.

[Prof. Madad]

12.06

For our last class + critique, bring completed versions of:

• (2) 18x24 posters
  

• (1) objects, artifacts, totems based out of your symbols

• (4) identity program: using/applying your symbols to create a system (logo, business card, letterhead, etc)
• (1) process book: capturing both the chronological and thematic development of your project (reading responses, etc)—with accompanying narrative

Please have a DVD/CD of your work/files for me by survey.