Semester II: Project Proposal Form Draft One

05/11/2014


Blog entry 13:

As it is an important part of my Personal Development Plan, I have decided to put the first draft of my Project Proposal Form on this blog, as it works to show the stage I am at with my project when taking certain aspects into account.

PROJECT PROPOSAL FORM

Name: Helen – Marie Kelly

Stage: Diploma

Date & Draft Version: 10/11/2014 Draft 1

1. Working Title:

Images of the Human Hand: A Gesture to Humanity?

2. Rationale for the project proposed: Provide a concise, logical rationale for the project, 200 words.

A Project based around the human hand as a semiotic or literal representation of what it means to be human. The project is broken down into several interlinked areas to ensure clarity of methodology. The first area is contained within the Research book, which deals in initial idea development. The second is contained in the Main Sketchbook, which is utilised to take ideas further from research to understand how far ideas can be pushed and to create visual imagery, which has the goal of creating an understanding how mediums and materials are working. A smaller but significant area is the Drawing from Life book, which deals purely with practicing visually representing the form of the hand, which in turn can lead to ideas to research more closely. The third area of the project is the Personal Development Plan in the form of a blog which outlines thought processes at different points during the work, explores the work of others to further aid the practice and explores more deeply how it is possible to present work when working as an artist/ illustrator.

The Project focuses on researching a wide range of material with the goal of finding successful ways of conveying empathetic responses from an audience. Whilst using research to create imagery, the main sketchbook is also currently being utilised for the exploration of how emotion can be conveyed through the human hand in illustration. This is being done by finding pieces of text from fictional texts to create compositions which feature the hands of characters in positions which are intended to convey the mood of the scene or emotion of a particular character; these texts mainly consist of adult publishing.

3. Audience: Describe the audience that the project is aimed at. Ask yourself, who will benefit from the process or outcome of the project proposed, whose needs will you meet, who are you communicating with, who are you seeking to persuade or inform?

At Present, audience is not clear due to the way research is being undertaken. As an artist I am aware that I do not want to work as a children’s illustrator, therefore I can come to the assumed conclusion that my work may be aimed at adults. Furthermore the subject of this project will possibly produce outcomes, which implore the audience to construct some of their own theories on the work and will possibly take an adult’s understanding to fully appreciate.

An audience for this project could be publishing houses or galleries.

4. Theoretical Framework: Summarise the theoretical framework of your practice enquiry.

This project exists to answer the question of what it means to be human through research around the human hand and to create a feeling of the human condition as a uniting factor. I want my project to provoke thought about something many take for granted.

5. Methodology: Set out the visual methodology you will employ in researching the question you have set yourself. Construct a time-based structure for your visual research and practice.

My methodology for this project is to break down areas of practice into separate areas, which feed into each other:

Currently at this stage the Research Book involves encompassing a broad compilation of ideas and theories based around the subject; these will include my own thoughts along with a range of material by others. Research varies widely from a scientific standpoint, such as exploring evolution and the musculature of the hand, to different meanings attached to the human hand from a human perspective and much more.

Currently the Main Sketchbook is involved with exploring stitch as a means to intertwine the notion of ‘feel’ and give the work a tactile nature. The Main Sketchbook uses ideas/ theories from the Research Book as a initial standpoint on which to build in order to ascertain the scope of certain aspects and to in turn allow ideas to grow and possibly allow new ideas to form, which can then be more closely researched in the research book.

The Blog involves researching the work of others to aid understanding of how mediums and materials can be used, which may inspire how physical work is created in the Main Sketchbook. The blog will also question and explore who I am as an artist and how work can be presented as possible outcomes, this area will focus deeply on what it is I want to achieve as an artist during and after my study at university. The blog will also provide a place to fully explain the thought process at certain points during the module.

6. Deliverables: Please list the outcomes that you envisage resulting from the project.

Currently I would find it impossible to envisage a ‘final outcome’ as such due to the working process; however I envisage this project resulting in a body of work, which explores and pinpoints how the human hand as a visual can comment on humanity to take forward to the Realisation stage.

7. Identify any exceptional practical requirements that the project will

necessitate: Please list anything beyond the usual provisions of the programme.

8. Bibliography: Reference all resources including images following the Harvard system.

 Adler. K. and Pointon, M. (eds.) (1993) The Body Imaged: The human form and visual culture since the Renaissance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

BBC News (2012). Fighting may have shaped the evolution of the human hand. [Online] BBC News. Available at: http://www.york.ac.uk/integrity/harvard_other_accordian.html [Accessed 4th November 2014]

Berman, P.g. (1993) Body and body polotic in Edvard Munch’s Bathing Men. In Adler, K and Pointon, M. (eds.) The Body Imaged: The human form and visual culture since the Renaissance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Gill, M. (1989) Image of the Body. New York: Doubleday Dell Publishing Inc.

Gombrich, E. H. (1993) Gombrich on the Renaissance, Volume 2: Symbolic images. 2^nd Ed. London: Phaidon Press Ltd.

Harter, J. (1985) Hands A Pictorial Archive from Nineteenth Century Sources. Ontario: Dover Publications.

Hatt, M. (1993) Muscles, Morals, Mind: the male body in Thomas Eatkins’ Salutat. In Adler, K and Pointon, M. (eds.) The Body Imaged: The human form and visual culture since the Renaissance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Hawkins. B.W. (1863) Frontispiece to Evidence as to Mans Place in Nature. In Huxley. T.H. Evidence as to a Mans Place in Nature. (1863). In The Zoological Relations of Man with the Lower Animals. (1861) 1^st Ed. (p67 – 84.) London: The Natural History Museum.

Jones, A.G. (1993) The ambivalence of male masquerade: Duchamp as Rrose S’elavy. In Adler, K. and Pointon, M. (eds.) The Body Imaged: The human form and visual culture since the Renaissance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Masters, M. (1997 – 2014) Does Petting a Cat Release Endorphins? [Online] The Nest. Last updated: 2014. Available at: http://pets.thenest.com/petting-cat-release-endorphins-10269.html [Accessed 9th November 2014]

Moore. G and von Minden. D.L. (eds.) (2010) The History of Fingerprints. [Online] Webservant. Last Updated: 15^th September2014. Available at: http://onin.com/fp/fphistory.html [Accessed 4th November 2014]

Nicol. K. (2012). Karen Nicol’s Gallery. [Online] Available at: http://www.karennicol.com/pages/gallery1.html [Accessed 4th November 2014]

Prud’hon, P.P. (1800’s). Bust of Female Nude. [Painting] France.

Raynes. J. (2007) Figure Drawing & Anatomy for the Artist. 2^nd Ed. London: Bounty Books.

SIOM Educational videos. (2010). Range of Motion in the Hand and Wrist. [Video]. Available at: http://www.york.ac.uk/integrity/harvard_other_accordian.html  [Accessed 4^th November 2014]

Stillfried. G and van der Smagt. P. (2010) Movement Model of a Human Hand Based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Venice: ICABB.

Taylor. T. (1999) Muscles of the Hand and Wrist. [Online] Inner Body. Last Updated: 2014. Available at: http://www.innerbody.com/image_skel13/ligm27.html [Accessed 4th November 2014]

Webster. M. (2014) Visual Dictionary Online: Hand. [Online] Visual Dictionary Online. Last Updated: 2014. Available at: http://visual.merriam-webster.com/human-being/anatomy/skeleton/hand.php [Accessed 4th November 2014]

Young. R.W. (2003) Evolution of the Human Hand: The Role of Throwing and Clubbing. Journal of Anatomy. January 2003, 165 – 174.

Zavaglia. C. (N.d.) Gallery. [Online] Available at: http://www.caycezavaglia.com/embroideries/xmyy2yq10qw4svjtp41c9qdz1kfali [Accessed 4th November 2014]