Week 2

TOOL

The tool I am using is the diagram*. In my work, this also means technique, medium, method, language, etc. How can I develop this existing tool to the next level?

*The diagrammatic language and its use, with particular emphasis on its potential to construct/shape a narrative.

During Unit 2, I have experimented with many different forms, types, uses of diagrams but I didn’t develop any of those to sufficient depth.

Let’s have a look at the different types first (examples from some of my work (created during Unit 1 and 2):

1. Shapes, lines, arrows (diagram).

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2. Diagram, and text.

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3. A sequence of diagrams, no text (connection).

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4. Diagram and image (no text).

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5. Diagram, image, and text (collage).

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6. Diagram, image, and text.

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For this week, I have decided to work using this specific poem and create based on it different iterations using the different types of diagrams I have already investigated. In this way, I will be able then to choose which one I want to develop to sufficient depth.

The source I am using is a poem from the collection ‘Poems on the underground‘.
I have already used one in one of my previous stories. How would the project be developed if I use a series of these poems?

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Which type is the most successful? Which one will help me develop my own diagrammatic language? (balance between clarity and ambiguity, balance between elements as facts vs interpretation, balance between objectivity and subjectivity.)

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I have also experimented with using a black pen to create my diagrams around the above poem/idea (working on a blank surface, working on top of printed images, working on top of textures gave layout to my diagram).

The act of drawing with the pen and creating a diagram based on a written piece (poem), makes me feel as calm as reading the actual poem.

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However, using the pen to create handmade diagrams and not digital, didn’t add something new to the way I express/develop a story. The digital space (software) makes me feel safer, having the chance to add/remove/change the elements of the diagram until I reach the desired result (best way to communicate a storyline through a diagram).

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Feedback (20.01.22)

Instead of presenting (visual presentation) the poem or the written source, you will use, try to communicate (meaning) it using the diagrammatic elements.

The version/iteration with just shapes, lines, and arrows is more interesting than the others (no text, no image) but this depends on the ‘caption’ you will give.

I can have a simple story, a simple caption to create my composition. This will make it easier for me to visualize things but will also help the viewer connect and understand things easier.

Meaning and context (theme, topic). This will change the experience of the reader/viewer and the meaning of the diagrams. It will hopefully also add function and purpose (rationale).

References
Martin Woodtli
Dom Sylvester Houédard
Karlssonwilker Studio, New York
Scott King
Constructivism: Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge