BY THE END OF THE MODULE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:
- Undertake independent research, locate and evaluate information and organised findings to provide an account of the main aspects, features and concerns of a negotiated topic.
- Analyse and disseminate information and key works to formulate a coherent argument that informs thought and debate within a chosen topic relevant to creative practices and visual communication.
- Present research in appropriate form demonstrating awareness of academic and industry conventions.
Background:
This module intended to build on the knowledge developed in Contextual Studies 1 at Level 4.
It aims to equip you with the knowledge and experience necessary to make informed decisions about preparing for employment within the graphic design industry and to consolidate your understanding of key issues in current creative practice
You will subsequently expand and demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the contexts that inform current thought and debate towards creative practices and your emerging position within the creative community.
Knowledge and non-design skills developed in this module are directly transferable to the workplace and employment as well as academic progression This module supports you through developing and refining your understanding of the critical and contextual realm in which you will operate both academically and professionally.
You will develop an understanding of how to position yourself within a realm of thought and practice in support of your career trajectory You will apply critical thinking and self-reflection to the production of a creative artefact which helps inform and consolidate your positioning within wider critical and professional realms.
Background:
In this part of the task, you will expand your knowledge and understanding of the cultural history and critical debate which informs current thought about creative practice. You will be given the opportunity to develop skills in critical analysis, research methodologies and formulating, developing and presenting coherent arguments following academic conventions. You will be given help and instruction on how to improve your research and presentation skills and techniques throughout the Module.
Brief:
Process
- You should first establish a critical position. “Know Thyself”. Position yourself in the constellation of thought and practice which is of concern to you. Articulate this position to different audiences- personal statements, manifestos, proposals, web presences, UCAS applications, critiques, all serve to position you in the bigger picture and establish a career trajectory. It is a given that you are on a graphic design course and have technical and design skills. You need to establish whereas a creative practitioner you stand on relevant issues. Note that this reflection should be the basis of proposal progression to level 6 study.
- You should establish what sort of research methodology will give you a genuine understanding of your topic. This is why you write a research proposal. This makes a rational clear to both yourself and your supervisor. Reacting to and critiquing text is an established academic practice, but to know a thing you have to experience it. The research should inform your practice in a practical way, you should do something as a result of it.
- Structure a discursive argument based on the stance you take and supported by both your research and engagement with critical debates around the topic. This essay clarifies your position established above. This outcome informs your career trajectory and is essential to establish if and what level 6 study may be. Evidence Required for Assessment You will present your 3000-word essay as a physical print copy presented or embedded in a form relevant to its content. as well as being embedded in a more widely accessible blog format which may contain further supporting materials.
Brief:
You are to write a 3000-word essay
Evidence Required for Assessment
You will present your 3000-word essay as a physical print copy as well as being embedded in a more widely accessible blog format.
A 3000 word illustrated essay derived from your research in task one. If you can justify claims (they are defensible), then the claim will be valid. If you make a claim you must provide evidence to make a case in its support. This is essentially the basis of all academic practice.
For my contextual studies project, I have decided to carry on exploring my interest in the environment and art and science work together based on the geological and historical influence that have occurred over time.
I have researched into illustration, photography, etchings and paintings to gather inspiration for my proposal. From this research, I have created a mood board on Pinterest showing how other designers have experimented and created visual and practical designs within the environment.
Link in Pinterest Board: https://pin.it/p3ot5da5nzl2ci
Proposal:
Research Proposal
‘How do plants take selfies?’
An exploration of the relationship between artists and biologists.
My proposal shows my intent to identify and research my area of study; An exploration of the collaborations between artists and biologists and resulting currents trends in data representation.
My own experiences and skills will assist my investigation as I am a British Graphic Designer, Photographer and environmentalist who widely recognises the importance of both our historical and geological background in the development of our culture and society.
I see and understand how philosophy and mythology we have has come to shape the different cultures around the world. Furthermore how science and art reflect the development of our society.
I value and appreciate the great wonders of our world from our wildlife, landscape, artistic creations, stories and feel now more than ever is an important time to conserve and inform people on there importance and beauty.
My appreciation and interest in these elements are what great impacts my work. I look at a mixture of traditional and digital practices to create a piece of art in order to achieve the most effective results.
My experiences and skills gained through my life such as my qualifications from National 4 to Scottish Higher’s in Art and Design, as well as National 4 and 5 qualifications in Biology will give me the support and knowledge to understand my area of study. Furthermore, along with my qualifications, I have grow up in a family filled with both artists and biology. My mother has a BA Hons in Biology as well as is a long time Biology Teacher and my aunt has a degree in Agriculture with a working background as a ranger and as an animal welfare officer.
Due to influence from my family, I have always had an interest in both science and art from a young age particularly focusing on the environment and living creatures as well as multimedia and the best medians to capture and portray my biological interests. This has evolved more as I have grown up due to moving to and from various landscapes. I grew up in the city before moving to the more rural peak district and then furthermore to a rural coast of an archipelago before finally back to the city.
The potential new knowledge contribution in my field of research is how through the reintroduction of drawing skills for scientists, in particular, Biologists will benefit the field and students.
This one essential skill. valued for communicating findings, but also used for enhancing observations is now a lost art. Pre the 1920’s and 1930’s drawing skills formed a fundamental skill taught alongside science was removed from the curricula. In favour of the new development of technologies such as the camera and etchings. These new technologies and the role of artists producing images in place of the science students poses the question ‘Are essential observation skills being lost?’. Have the understanding of scale and ratio skills becoming assigned to the skill set of the lecture. These once beautiful annotated images, now thought of as art produced by scientists are now in the realms of the artist. Should the art of drawing be reintroduced or should graphics, photography and computer coding be the main tools of the scientist, or should it be returned to the detailed observations once held by the science, in particular, biology students? Can we go back or should we carry on moving forward through the use of technology, or should the once forgotten skills in which if you wanted to convey information through images and sketches you have to do it yourself. Has technology although a wonderful timesaver eliminated the need for time intense drawing lessons. Thought of as outdated drawing techniques and a waste of time by scientists, after all, they are a scientist, not artists or was it a mistake to dismiss these essential observation skills.
after all Biological illustration course is not new, Biological illustration and science-related are has been an ongoing partnership thought out time. They are still taught in art colleges all over the world, not in the obvious science/ biology classes.
The understanding of the biological processes, anatomy and the relatively new study of microbiological worlds now available throughout the use of the electron microscope are the realms of the biologist. They are communicated through illustrations by graphic design and the artists yet it is the main communication tool for the scientific community. Through using artists are scientists taking shortcuts passing over the finer details allowing there brains to fill in the important details needed to advance understandings?
The relationships between art and science are and always has been intertwined, but is it time for artists to give back their skills to the scientific world. The scientific world has produced a plethora of new subject matter for the world to wonder at. This material ranged from the beautiful world of microbiology.
The observation skills needed by biologists and the communications skills though illustration seen by artists diverge. Artist is able to clearly communicate images efficiently, whereas scientist has a need to convey every detail.
Therefore the contributions of new skills and knowledge through the reintroduction of a now lost world of drawing skills for biologist would contribute to the scientific field of study. The research will show the need to reintroduce drawing skills for biologists.
The objectives of my research are:
To find evidence to support the growing trend for the reintroduction of drawing skills in the biology classes as a vehicle for observation skills.
To find evidence to show the relationship between biologists, artists and there working relationship in communicating information effectively.
Through research, I am aware that there is a current debate for the issue of a loss of observation skills raised in the biological community, in particular within the field of education.
My comprehensive literature search:
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/symbiartic/rediscovering-the-forgotten-benefits-of-
drawing/
https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(13)00010-9.pdf
http://www.augie.edu/biologist-turned-artist
http://abt.ucpress.edu/content/74/3/194
https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/1999/04/01/the-biology-of-art
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2815940/
http://theappendix.net/posts/2014/02/darwins-children-drew-vegetable-battles-on-the- origin-of-species
The research has allows me to reflect upon my first experiences of looking down a microscope at a new and exciting landscape. Allowing me to see the beauty within nature and the evolution of the history between art and science. In reflection, my work has always been influenced and set within the environment. I am still drawn to the early sketches by Darwin and the detailed botanical water colours. They lay at the heart of my wider work. Even though I have an army of technology in which I can embed my work; nothing inspires me more than being in nature and immersed within the environment, examining it first hand. The wind in my hair, my feet in the sand and the sounds of nature around me. That is where I am at home, that is where my workflows from.
My list of key questions:
- Should biology students be taught fundamental illustration skills as part of their course?
- Should biological drawings/diagrams be left to artists to create and not scientists?
- Do you think scientists have/will lose key observational skills by not spending time creating observational drawings?
- Do you think that artists are qualified to produce scientifically accurate illustrations?
- Do you consider illustrations to be an art form?
- Do you think biology teachers can effectively teach the subject without illustrations?
Methodology:
- Research into the relationship between art illustration and observational skills.
- Research into the current trends in teaching Biology via an interview with a current working professional.
Personal reflection of my own experiences and skill set. - Likert survey of people’s opinions.
- Personal statement.
- Personal investment from a young age reflected in my work as an artist/graphic designer.
Data collection rationale
Data collection in the project context is hinged on qualitative data due to the nature of the sample size. The use of numerical or quantitative data is restricted due to the small sample size. Therefore an interview has been used to address the balance between quantitive and qualitative data
Examples of qualitative data methods include:
Data collection method
Partner
Survey question bank: Likert items and scale
Justification for method
• Familiarity of the survey type for participants, as almost everyone would recognise this type of questionnaire.
• The Likert items and scale offer a broad measure of attitudes and values measurement, which offers a simplistic gauge of specific opinions.
The questionnaire versatility of two parts offers the ‘stem’ statement and the ‘response’ scale.
The scale offers a neutral point, thus avoiding a forced response.
The Likert scale offers a ‘summated’ scale, therefore measuring the respondents’ overall score on the attitude or the value.
The scale allows for greater accuracy in coverage of the differing facets of complex and multidimensional attitudes. Or values such as social-psychological core elements of authoritarianism, therefore diluting the impact of random error.
Timetable
| Week | |
| 1-4 | researching ideas for the topic |
| 5-15 | researching topic |
| 16-20 | writing proposal |
| 21-24 | writing paper |
| 24-25 | Proof Reading & feedback |
| 26-28 | Printing and binding |
Final Result
Natalie Rose 