Reading 2 | Mad Scientists!? 

1. Based upon the reading how are priorities set for specific projects? Or in other words, what is it that determines the guidelines for given projects?

In determining the guidelines for specific projects, concept is key. Before creating (or curating) a body of works, the concept must be there. It is only after this crucial step that the concept can then be explored through the works.

According to the interview on page 186 in Design and Art, the choice of the person making the works is also a crucial element to a project (whether it’s to be published or exhibited, etc). Here, Elliman explains that a greater freedom and exploration of an idea can be found in commissioning works by a particular person, rather than “editing down” from a large bag of works.

 

2. How does the artist/ designer approach decision making differently or do they?

Mathias Augustyniak claims that the designer has an easier time making decisions than the artist, who is “weighed down by the burdens of art history.” Design, on the other hand, has fewer constraints and can thus take on the idea of art with a sense of nonchalance. Åsa Nacking offers a different approach, arguing that he chooses to work as an artist to make creative decisions because of the freedom it offers. He, on the other hand, sees art as “a space in which to experiment, free from the bonds of convention.”

 

Personal Reflection

1. How do you make decisions? Are they based upon anything substantial? Why or why not?

I tend to make decisions based upon aesthetic. In this way, it could be said that I may lean more towards design than art. I enjoy creating works that are visually engaging and well-balanced. While these attributes can easily apply to both design and art, after reading these six articles I find myself identifying more with the concept-to-creation pattern of the designer. However, I don’t think I base my decisions off of anything meaningful or substantial. At the end of the day, I am still obsessed with style over artistic message. Finding meaning in my own work has always felt insincere. I create for personal and mass visual appeal.

 

2. How do you know when something is “good” or working?

I tend to feel like something is working, or “good”, when I begin to feel inspired by it. My process is often a building, a layering, that leads in directions I’m not initially aware of. Something will seem good to me when I can look at it and think “I want to keep going.” I get excited, and feel almost overwhelmed by the emotion of continuing. It often requires lots of starting, stopping, and restarting; a critical look at the balance between visual elements; and flipping the piece upside down to get a fresh perspective on form.

3. How do you rework projects to make them work?

I touched upon this earlier–my tendency in reworking projects is to view from different perspectives to create a more fuller experience. My initial approach is usually through my own eyes. I create for myself. That usually only goes so far, before I begin to hit a creative wall, so to speak. I then must force myself to stop, take a step back, and critically look at what is wrong. Once I can identify the “wrong(s)” of the project, I can edit back and continue to create. This process will continue until it works. If I still cannot seem to identify the issue, rotating the image and referring to the negative space has never failed me (yet).