(Un)Common Objects
Miller Ferguson - Art252
For this project, we were to create a word out of marks made by uncommon objects. The end goal was to merge image and concept together, creating a meaningful piece that demonstrated our ability to work with and control different mediums and show our in depth understanding of the word we chose.
Before beginning, we reviewed previous student examples in class which helped us gain an understanding of the project we were about to explore. This helped a lot since I think many of us were confused and nervous about achieving the final results, but it eased us into the work.
The initial phase of the project was mark making. Here, we used found objects and dipped them in ink, then placing them onto Newsprint paper. We experimented with different faces of the object, as well as different force, speed and angles, and different objects altogether. Using different techniques of mark making, we tried to create as many different marks as we could, finding new attitudes with each new mark. Doing this allowed us to create a plethora of marks from which we could choose from to begin creating our word.
From here we moved into the next phase of the assignment, choosing a word. We focused on the ten marks most interesting to us, and brainstormed words that reflected the imagery and attitude of the mark itself. I had an idea of what mark and word I wanted to do for my final piece, but this process allowed me to break free of my initial thought and really explore different concepts. I'm glad I did not stick with my initial idea because this led me in a completely different direction which I am much happier with since it allowed more creative freedom and opportunity for exploration than my initial concept would have. We brought our brainstormed words into class and critiqued in small groups, discussing which word best fit the mark.
After the small group critique, we began creating compositional sketches for the words we chose, creating sketches of creative ways to construct the word from the mark and exploring different orientations of the word. This process let us explore how to most effectively use the mark to create our chosen word, in a way that evoked the attitude of the mark in harmony with the meaning of the word.
From these compositional sketches, we moved onto the final phase of the project. Using skills we had learned in both Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, we digitally constructed our final pieces.
Miller Ferguson
