End Of Module Summative Evaluation

Final Essay

COP3 Proposal

Visual Evaluation of Synthesis

Question Rephrase

There isn't much difference but it's slightly better:

'How and why have fairy tales endured to still be a significant part of our sociocultural environment today?'

Old question: 'How and why have fairy tales remained within our sociocultural environment?'

Megacrit

I was a bit worried about this crit as I wasn't sure whether I had used my visual journal right however the feedback I got reassured me that what I've been doing is fine. Everyone was super encouraging which is nice! Also, it was great to go round and see how my peers had used their sketchbooks. There was some really great work!

 At the end of the feedback sheet there was a section about issues that need addressing and someone asked 'How could you use collage in a way that represent the quotes in a non-obvious way?', which is interesting to think about. I may try to address this through more exploration in my visual journal.

Thanks buddies!

COP Submission Briefing (Checklist)

• Studio Brief 1- 
• Printed copy of essay & Bibliography 
• PDF on blog
• A digital version on TurnItIn- (word doc)
• Studio Brief 2- 
• Visual Journal 
• Blog other sketchbook 
• 10 page PDF presentation- sum up project (pictures & quotes)
• A PDF of blog 
• Printed version of Summative Evaluation 
• Digital version on blog (typed up)
• Studio Brief 3- 
• COP Research Proposal- 10 page PDF
• Last posts on blog:
• Written Evaluation 
• Final Essay
• COP3 Proposal 

Evaluation of Synthesis Poster

We had to create a poster based upon the 10 words chosen to synthesise our work. I used an image produced for my visual journal as the background as I felt as though it successfully demonstrated all of the selected words. My overall theme was fairy tales- a traditional form of narrative, made contemporary by the use of technology. The image was created through a process of reinterpretation and adaption, reflecting the nature of the genre. My research was focused primarily on the symbolism within the tales and their effects on society and lastly, the actual aesthetics of the illustration uses shape, colour and also texture (in order to incorporate a further sense of traditionalism).  

(I also want to point out that I am aware of the spelling mistake however, I could not actually go back and correct it as my laptop had a breakdown and the file was lost- apologies.)

Einstein- Imagination Vs. Knowledge

• "I'm enough of an artist to draw freely on my imagination, which I think is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
• This is a useful survival aid, helping us to solve problems, anticipate challenges and conceive alternatives.
• When depression sets in, an individual may lose the strength to use imagination to counteract the automatic, overwhelmingly negative thoughts characteristic of the condition. The products of others' imaginations provide an alternative.
• knowledge facilitates community and continuity, while imagination facilitates change. Knowledge binds us to a sometimes-oppressive existence; imagination helps us escape it.

Visual Journal- Wolf Exploration

So for the other side of my visual journal I decided to do something a little different. I wanted to look at the way in which fairy tales have been constantly reinterpreted and modified over the years and thought an effective way to do this visually would be to take an image and re-draw it over and over, altering each outcome from the last slightly, but making sure to keep the subject matter the same and quite obvious. 

I chose an image that I thought would be interesting to draw and was a key feature in fairy tales or one fairy tale specifically. I chose to draw a wolf, a key character in Little Red Riding Hood. 

I started off with a semi-realistic drawing, expecting the outcomes to become more experimental and interesting over the course of the journal. From the pencil drawings, I moved on to using pen and then paper-cut collage, changing the line quality, scale and technique. 

I proceeded to then move into digital software for the last quarter of the journal as a means of reflecting the way in which fairy tales have been largely distributed through TV, film and various other technological platforms. I found working digitally a lot of fun and tried to work exhaustively with the image I had created using vectors. I played with layers, incorporated colour and used print textures to express the underlying traditionalism of fairy tales.

I feel as though I have effectively demonstrated and experimented with the use of line, shape, colour, texture and collage. 

Laura Packer- Why We Need Fairy Tales

http://blog.storynet.org/why-we-need-fairy-tales

• I learned how to solve problems, trick my way out of dangerous situations and see beyond the obvious.
• They are a common cultural language, with familiar symbols and pathways, that let us connect more easily with one another.
• Einstein said “Imagination is more important that knowledge”. If you believe that, as I do, then fairy tales are one of your most potent tools to feed your imagination.

Justin Taylor- Why We Need Fairy Tales & Fantasy

https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/justintaylor/2006/12/26/why-we-need-fairy-tales-and-fantasy/

Study Task 9- Evaluation of Synthesis

This task was interesting. We had to make a list of 10 words that summarise our project and then link these words together. Some of the link we quite easy to make, and others were a little difficult, for example 'technology' and 'colour'. I'm sure there are loads of links you could make, however I think I was so stuck on the idea of fairy tales, that I couldn't really get it out of my head and forgot sometimes that I was simply linking two separate words, not in relation to fairy tales. Anyway, I created some links between the words:

Image Analysis

http://movies.disney.co.uk/sleeping-beauty

http://movies.disney.co.uk/maleficent

The above images show two rather different interpretations, both by Disney. The first image (left) shows Disney’s animated motion picture released in 1959, right showing their live-action version ‘Maleficent’, released in 2014. Obvious distinctions can be seen between both, one of which concerns the protagonist. The newer version shifts the focus to Maleficent- the ‘villain’ within the original narratives and attempts to transform the audience’s perception of her by explaining the reasoning for her wickedness. Folklorists may argue that this drastically obstructs the message being communicated as well as going against the usual conventions of a fairy tale- outlining ‘good’ and ‘bad’. This usually takes place within characters, in order for the reader to make clear distinctions, a theory suggested by Bettelheim in his statement- ‘In practically every fairy tale good and evil are given body in the form of some figures and their actions’ (Bettelheim, 1977, p.8-9) and proceeds to explain that ‘The figures in fairy tales are not ambivalent- not good or bad at the same time, as we all are in reality’ (p.9). This could therefore suggest the issues with representing Maleficent as both good and bad in this new interpretation. Furthermore, it is evident within the image (right) that Maleficent is a thing of beauty, regardless of the fact that she is a witch. It somewhat distracts the audience away from her evil nature by presenting something aesthetically pleasing for the audience’s enjoyment when viewing rather than focusing on the ‘deeper significance’ (p.24) of the story. This explains the reason for which Bettelheim suggested that as a result of TV and film developments, ‘fairy tales have turned into empty-minded entertainment’ (p.24), also supported by Joseph Campbell (Campbell, Moyers and Flowers, 2012). However, in contrast to this, Tatar claims that ‘For a good part of the last century, Disney studios kept fairy tales alive.’ (Tatar and Byatt, 2012, p.xvi) and this is further supported by Zipes who states that although they have been ‘geared to pure entertainment’, they have not lost their relevance throughout the world (Zipes 2013, p93). 

Wolf Ideas

I made a big spider diagram of possible ways I could explore the image of the wolf, suggesting techniques, materials and general ideas. I want to really exhaust this part of my visual investigation and left one side of my journal to do so, meaning I need 34 ways to draw a wolf (excluding the very last page for something else). Even though I want each outcome to be different, I still want them to link and show a journey, so I planned every thing out to help me. Hopefully it'll work!

(Visual Journal) Idea!

I had a thought. It is common knowledge that fairy tales have been reinterpreted and modified many times over the course of time. What if I used this idea to drive some visual exploration in my journal? I could pick out a key symbol or image or something within fairy tales and draw it over and over, modifying it slightly as a go or just creating different versions using different materials, but still keeping the same subject in the way that fairy tales do. They keep the original themes, features and lessons as the originals do, but in a slightly different way. This will be fun! I just need to figure out what I want to continuously draw.

Question

I figured out what my question is. I realised a lot of the ones I was considering were a bit long-winded so I've made it short and snappy. I then wrote my thesis and this explains the question in more detail.

.....

How and why have fairy tales remained within our sociocultural environment?

This essay aims to explore the methods and reasons in which fairy tales have continued to stay with us throughout the years and as a result become an important influence within our sociocultural environment, especially for children.

Study Task 8- Rationale

What is your theme?

The overarching subject matter of my investigation for cop is fairy tales, but more specifically the re-interpretations and adaptions of fairy tales over the course of time. A lot of the research I have carried out so far looks into these modified versions and explains how they have changed from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, but also, the contents of fairy tales.

How are you exploring it visually (methodology)?

One of the changes made by the Grimm Brothers in their newer renditions of their own original stories is a change in writing style. They proceeded to make the stories longer and more descriptive, helping the audience (which changed from adults to children) to visualise the stories better. Reading through some of them formed images in my head and thus provided me with potential ideas to illustrate to start my visual journal. I have illustrated quotes from the stories, and also, hand-lettered the quotes. I have also explored visual metaphors have begun to look at colour theory.

Why are you doing it this way?

I am going to have the quote written on one page and the illustration on the next. The reason I am doing it this way is to recreate the look of a fairy tale book. I wanted to make the composition more interesting than simple having an illustration on a page. The combination of text and image lent itself well to the idea of recreating book pages. 

Materials?

I started off by sketching my ideas out in pencil and pen. I have written out the quotes in hand-lettering and produced a paper cut illustrations to go alongside each of them.  At the moment, I am enjoying the process of paper cut as it also incorporates texture but more predominantly, it brings in a contemporary element to a theme that is quite traditional. For this reason, I also created the outcomes for the visual metaphors in paper cut. 

Any key theorists who have influenced this?

Through carrying out research I came across some theories, one of which described fairy tales as talking in a language of metaphors- “communicate feeling in efficient metaphorical terms”- Jack Zipes (2013). This informed and inspired the visual metaphors produced in my visual journal. Furthermore, I found some information into the colours commonly used in fairy tales- bringing me to look at colour theory. These consist of red, white, black, gold & silver. I also found out that the colour green is not considered a significant colour in fairy tales, so I am going to try and create something based on this. 

Colour Connotations

I did some outcomes in my visual journal that look into connotations of colour. The first shows an apple. Presented in red it has connotations of poison, danger and death- most likely as a result of the poisoned apple in Snow White. However, the green apple suggests ideas about health and well-being. 

Secondly, I looked at the idea of the forest- a common feature within fairy tales. Presented in black in suggests danger and darkness whereas the green version has connotations of nature.

Colour Psychology

Another thing I found out in my research was based on the analysis of colours within fairy tales. Luthi states that the main colours that are specific within fairy tales are red, white, black, gold and silver. And also that the colour green is almost never specifically mentioned. I thought it would be interesting to find out the connotations of there colours, so I did some research:

-Red-

Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. Red is a very emotionally intense color. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure. It has very high visibility, which is why stop signs, stoplights, and fire equipment are usually painted red. In heraldry, red is used to indicate courage. It is a color found in many national flags.

-White-

White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity. It is considered to be the color of perfection. White means safety, purity, and cleanliness. As opposed to black, white usually has a positive connotation. White can represent a successful beginning. In heraldry, white depicts faith and purity.

-Black-

Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery.

Black is a mysterious color associated with fear and the unknown (black holes). It usually has a negative connotation (blacklist, black humor, 'black death'). Black denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and prestigious color (black tie, black Mercedes). In heraldry, black is the symbol of grief.

-Gold-

The color gold is the color of success, achievement and triumph. Associated with abundance and prosperity, luxury and quality, prestige and sophistication, value and elegance, the psychology of this color implies affluence, material wealth and extravagance.This color is linked to masculine energy and the power of the sun, compared to silver which is associated with feminine energy and the sensitivity of the moon.

Silver

The color silver has a feminine energy; it is related to the moon and the ebb and flow of the tides - it is fluid, emotional, sensitive and mysterious. It is soothing, calming and purifying. It helps with the cleansing and releasing of mental, physical and emotional issues and blockages as it opens new doors and lights the way to the future.

Green

Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green is also commonly associated with money. Green has great healing power. It is the most restful color for the human eye; it can improve vision. Green suggests stability and endurance. Sometimes green denotes lack of experience; for example, a 'greenhorn' is a novice. In heraldry, green indicates growth and hope. Green, as opposed to red, means safety; it is the color of free passage in road traffic.

http://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/meaning-of-colors.html

http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

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The colours used appear to have both positive and negative connotations, and a pretty even amount of both. This represents the element of 'good' and 'bad' that is commonly used within fairy tales. It is interesting that the colour green isn't seen as significant within fairy tales when there is a lot of reference to nature, which the colour green represents. An example of an instance where the colour green has actually been replaced to portray a negative connotation rather than positive one is in the idea of the forest. The colour green is replaced with the colour black when visualising the forest in fairy tales due to it always being depicted as scary and dark- (i.e. in Little Red Riding Hood & Hansel and Gretel).