HELEN FERRY - Personal Made Public

Project 11 [Option 1]

Subverting Visual Instructions (Extended)

Introduction

For the Semiotics Project, I chose to work to the brief, ‘Interchange, Switch or Substitute Visual Systems’ and I explored using the format of visual instructions to tell my own stories that were taken from personal everyday situations and thoughts. The one story I focused on was when my housemate, Lottie, put down her dinner of Teriyaki Salmon with Rice (which she had slaved over) on the lap tray between our two armchairs momentarily to get a drink, then came back into the room to find my other housemate, Georgia, sat down on one of the armchairs, causing the lap tray to flip up, and consequently, causing Lottie’s dinner to slide down the armchair and her jumper. Only a scattering of salmon chunks were saved and most of the rice ended up on the floor (see Fig. 1).

I first illustrated this in an instructional format, with arrows indicating something moving or being moved, e.g. the dinner being brushed off the jumper back onto the plate. I then experimented with referencing parts of the story (such as the rice and the jay cloth) in collaged pieces which I put together with the original visual instructions printed out onto acetate (see Fig. 2 and 3).

They work very well as prints on their own but in the critique, they mentioned that it would be good to see the story unfold in a book format, perhaps a comic book or a zine.

We discussed how there is a linking theme throughout my visual instructions of there being a mess to clean up. One idea discussed in the critique was that as the story progressed throughout the book and the mess was being cleared away, the actual images could become less obscured by the collaged pieces, as if they too were being cleared up.

Fig.1 Fig.1

Brief

I want to extend working on this project for the remainder of Semester 2 and create an outcome in the form of a book. I will investigate whether this subject will suit being in a zine which simply shows pages of the compositions put together in an aesthetical way, a comic book where the original visual instructions are clearer and follow a chronological order or other interesting formats such as a fold out poster zine.

I wish to reflect on the work I have done so far, ask people which of my compositions (see Fig. 2 and 3) work best and if necessary, create more compositions. As this will be in a book format, I may have to add more panels to lengthen the story. I could show more panels of Lottie cooking her Teryiaki Salmon to emphasise how long she spent making it, all to be spilled moments after. I would draw them out by hand and vectorise them in illustrator as I did before.

I will also need to decide on the best suited size and shape for the book and look into methods of binding.

Fig.3Fig. 2