Nest - Space - Collage Content

I wanted to produce something which represents my own practice as well as meeting the brief, that is why I have decided to produce a collage which combines screen print and images, I have come across all these images throughout my research and each element has been considered to be relevant for the outcome and concept.

Image of Buzz Aldrin on the outside of Apollo 11 - 1969.

Manchester Block Flats Built 1971

Block Flats Built 1972

Newcastle Flat Block - 1970

I will continue to manipulate these so that the aesthetic is one of space (as well as taking influences from Weingart). I have decided for the background to use a simple black mono print, these shall be simple and rough to put across a visual the represents 'Space'.

Nest - Space - Influences

For this project, I have looked at some of the designers that have influenced me previously, the foremost influential being Wolfgang Weingart. Weingart's work uses a combination of Swiss and new wave to produce incredible pieces of design which break convention. Weingart employs a number of techniques in his work such as Collage, typesetting and print, these three different disciplines come together to form content heavy posters and prints which are loud and brash.

Weingart uses shape and imagery (Usually manipulated imagery) mixed with typography in such a way that it is almost un-legible but remains brilliantly visual in a way which almost shouts off of the page. His content choices are brash and mixed up using old buildings, patterns and basic shapes all thrown onto the page with a great outcome. Weingart uses a very limited colour pallet, usually sticking to just black and white though on occasion incorporating another colour within it (Usually red or yellow, primary colours which will compliment the black parts of the page) As seen below Weingarts use of colour though rare usually occurs through his type.

Nest - Space - Research - Popular Culture

Space is interpreted in numerous different way through movies, tv, games, music and literature. The huge influx of space-themed works in the mid 20th century saw a new genre explode with colour and intrigue. The influx began following the Roswell UFO incident after a disc flying object crashed on farmland in Roswell New Mexico, the incident received wide media coverage while the government insisted it was nothing more than an Air Force Weather Balloon. The incident fuelled popular culture with intrigue of aliens and extra-terrestrial life beyond our own planet. Images of little green men and rocket ships began to bleed into newspapers, comics and books. The Sci-fi genre had already been apparent before the Roswell incident though this fuelled more than ever and with the invention of the television the phenomenon continued around the world. TV shows such as Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, The Twilight Zone all explored the genre but no more so than Doctor Who, the UK show changed the genre and opened it up to many more audiences from its beginnings 50 years ago. I began to list other influential movies, tv shows, games and books which explore the space genre:

Books - 

- The Time Machine - H.G Wells
- The Forever War - Joe Halderman
- Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
- The War Of The Worlds - H.G. Wells
- Star Ship Troopers - Robert A. Heinlein
- Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

Games - 

- Space Invaders
- Fallout
- Halo
- Mass Effect

TV -

 - Doctor Who
- The X-Files
- Star Trek
- Quantum Leap
- Stargate
- Futurama
- Red Dwarf

FILM - 

- 2001: A space odyssey
- Star Wars
- Blade Runner
- Alien
- Matrix
- Guardians of The Galaxy
- A Trip To The Moon
- Total Recall
- E.T

MUSIC  - 

- David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust
- Elton John - Rocket Man


David Bowie -

- Starman

The lyrics describe Ziggy Stardust bringing a message of hope to Earth's youth through the radio, salvation by an alien 'Starman'. The story is told from the point of view of one of the youths who hears Ziggy. According to Bowie himself, speaking to William S. Burroughs for Rolling Stone magazine in 1973, Ziggy Stardust is not the Starman but merely his earthly messenger – contrary to received opinion which often paints Ziggy as an extraterrestrial. The song has inspired interpretations ranging from an allusion to the Second Coming of Christ, to an accurate prediction of the plot for the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).

Goodbye love
Didn't know what time it was the lights were low oh how
I leaned back on my radio oh oh
Some cat was layin' down some rock 'n' roll 'lotta soul, he said
Then the loud sound did seem to fade a ade
Came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase ha haze
That weren't no d.j. that was hazy cosmic jive

There's a starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
Cause he knows it's all worthwhile
He told me:
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie

I had to phone someone so i picked on you ho ho
Hey, that's far out so you heard him too! o o
Switch on the TV we may pick him up on channel two
Look out your window i can see his light alright
If we can sparkle he may land tonight alright
Don't tell your poppa or he'll get us locked up in fright

There's a starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
Cause he knows it's all worthwhile
He told me:
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie

There's a starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds
There's a starman waiting in the sky
He's told us not to blow it
Cause he knows it's all worthwhile
He told me:
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it

Let all the children boogie 

I chose to look at this song as it is based on space and an extra-terrestrial being contacting earth, the song was written in 1972 during Bowie's Ziggy Stardust phase, the song talks about space and beings in the sky that would like to come to earth but we are not ready for them. The song came out at a time of huge inflation of the economy especially in England where poverty was rife throughout the land, this song is a ballad to the children of struggle, painting a story of better times and a fantasy style dream. The house price inflation during 1972 saw a lot of people become homeless or move to state-owned tower flats which were built in the early 70's and late 60's.

Nest - Space - Research - Moon Landing 1969

Naturally when thinking of space one first thought goes to the planets and moons in our system, especially our own expeditions there, for instance, the moon landing by the USA in 1969 is a key historic event in our space travel story as a planet. It was a milestone event which stories are still told of today, as nothing like it had ever happened before, it also started off a huge exploration into space which is still going on now with the satellites which are out millions of miles away surveying planets and even discovering new planets, moons and stars.

1969 - Apollo 11 - Spacecraft which landed Buzz Aldrin and Niel Armstrong on the moon, Armstrong taking the first steps onto the moon. Richard Nixon president at the time. On July 20, 1969, the Lunar Module Eagle separated from the Command Module Columbia. Collins, alone aboard Columbia, inspected Eagle as it pirouetted before him to ensure the craft was not damaged. 

'Throughout the descent, Aldrin had called out navigation data to Armstrong, who was busy piloting the LM. A few moments before the landing, a light informed Aldrin that at least one of the 67-inch (170 cm) probes hanging from Eagle's footpads had touched the surface, and he said: "Contact light!" Three seconds later, Eagle landed and Armstrong said "Shutdown." Aldrin immediately said "Okay, engine stop. ACA – out of detent." Armstrong acknowledged "Out of detent. Auto" and Aldrin continued "Mode control – both auto. Descent engine command override off. Engine arm – off. 413 is in."' - Wiki

Two and a half hours after landing, before preparations began for the EVA, Aldrin radioed to Earth:

This is the LM pilot. I'd like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way.

Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon, July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind. 

Images - 

With these images, I can experiment and explore the different manipulations of these pictures from the original moon landing.

Nest - Space

Deciding to submit to the University quarterly magazine Nest, as the concept behind was something that was open very open to interpretation. Nest magazine asks for submissions which take a unique angle on the concept and encourage different styles and interpretations, naturally, it felt like a good chance to produce something creative and also a good way, if chosen, to showcase work to others, promoting myself and what I can do.

The next issue of Nest has a theme of Space, through this, there are different interpretations of the word which can be explored;

- Outer space
- Blank space
- Space where something is
- Empty space
- Full Space
- No Space

These are a few ideas which came to mind when first thinking about the theme, I began to think about each individual interpretation to see which generated the most ideas, this way a clear choice will become apparent.

I found that Blank space, empty space, no space and full space all merged into one large category and were linked in various ways, though outer space brought up a lot of different interesting themes which can be explored, though it is such a vast subject itself, it is usually resultant in the same looking styles, I want to avoid falling into a cliche or expected style of 'Outer Space'. I also want it to reflect my own practice, this means I will utilise a number of skills which I prefer to use, Screen printing, monoprint and collage. A combination of these three attributes will help me find the best solution to the theme.

Outerspace -

- Science
- Stars - The Sun
- Space Mission - Nasa - 1969 - Niel Armstrong - Boot Print - Buzz Aldrin - Usu - Russia - Space Race - Ground Control
- Music - David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust - Moonage Daydream - Starman - Space odyssey
- Elton John - Rocket Man
- Solar System - Constellation
- Space Crafts - Shuttles - Satellites
- Moons - Planets - Mars - Venus - Mercury - Pluto - Saturn - Deep space - Galaxies
- Powers of Ten - Charles and Ray Eames
  

Quarry Hill Project - Memento Mori - Peter Mitchell

Peter Mitchell’s book ‘Memento Mori’ is a photography book which looks at the Quarry Hill project in depth during its demolition, though being made after its use in its last monthsm Mitchell explores the back story of the quarry hill flats this gave the project alot of information to help produce the most relevant work.

Collaborative - Design Developments

Taking the photographs Emma had edited I started to play with how the type content can be placed on the piece. Considering the rules which we are looking to break, Vignelli talks alot about layout and grid being a key tool, thinking on this I saw no reason why the grid can not be formed by the images we have produced, placing the text on the lines and blocks formed through the visuals instead of considering a real grid system. The type content are the quotes from Vignelli's Canon which we are breaking. Playing with forms of words and how the grid system is incredibly loose and sometimes completely non-apparent. 

Quarry Hill Project - Screen Print Outcomes

The production methods had to be those of traditional print, the obvious print methods would be to screen print the digitally designed posters, while the photographic elements would need to be screen printed the colour elements could be monoprinted to get a stronger colour of yellow. This then influenced the decision to monoprint type onto the poster too, changing the digitally rendered design, this arose through print, showing it is a changable process, which auses changes and comprimises while creating really interesting outcomes. With monoprint the design could be changed with each print, having cut out the digitally designed image to monoprint, I also used card to create the word hill in the background. 

The swiss influenced posters just show the might of quarry hill a modernist dream of small societies. The colours are influenced both by the colours of leeds, taking the yellow from that to represent the city, and also through the colour of the wallpaper and fire places of the flats at quarry hill, these are seen in Peter Mitchells photographic book on Quarry Hill.