Amyyy K
COFA ASSESSMENT 1 (SEMESTER 2)
Within my research for Assessment 1 I have come across numerous methods with which to tackle the idea of a conceptual map. Personally what appeals to me is something that relates to the physical idea from such a unique perspective that the map and the thing it is trying to convey at first seem completely unrelated, but given the correct information, provide you with an alternative and completely new view.
My chosen subject to explore the idea of conceptual maps is the body. I chose this firstly because as with divergent thinking I decided that there were numerous possible parts of the body that could create a basis for a conceptual map. The research that I collated for Assessment 1 formed a foundation for me to approach the task, and I reviewed this information in order to create something that embodies these ideas.
My conceptual map is based, therefore, on the location of moles/beauty marks that adorn the body. For me, moles/beauty marks are a defining feature of the body, and one that can be associated with a specific person; a prime example is Marilyn Monroe. Throughout history moles/beauty marks were used as a way to determine somebody’s character, and are even falsely created due to their connotations. This concept – of taking a defining feature and creating a conceptual map, was inspired by the idea of contour lines used to map landscapes. By determining the key features, such as the steepness of hills/slopes, the landscape is mapped out using a number of layered contour lines. The artist Marnie Karger, provides a succinct example of this.
Also noted in my research was the idea of using relative symbols connected with the subject you are mapping, so that subconsciously we can relate these features. Artist Layla Curtis inspired my conceptual map for this project – most notably with her ‘Tidal Stream Drawing’, created using the arrow symbol to represent the current of a stream. Implementing this idea, I have therefore used the circular form that a mole/beauty mark takes so that although within my conceptual map you cannot determine what the subject is, once given the relative information, you can subconsciously recognise the form.
Also inherent in my research was the idea that removing certain aspects can create a more effective conceptual map. Influenced by the work of the collective Art and Language, and their piece entitled ‘A map to not indicate’ - their work explores geographical boundaries – how two American states, once removed from their geographical location, serve no purpose, focusing on radical subtraction. This ideology can be seen in my conceptual map – having focused only on the mole/beauty mark as a representation of the body, they lose their purpose and overall form, allowing the viewer to create their own interpretation.
The main themes that I have therefore adopted in my interpretation of a conceptual map are subtraction, symbolism and a specific characteristic, which once put together, creates a conceptual map that provides a new perspective on the human body.
COFA ASSESSMENT 1 (SEMESTER 2)
Within my research for Assessment 1 I have come across numerous methods with which to tackle the idea of a conceptual map. Personally what appeals to me is something that relates to the physical idea from such a unique perspective that the map and the thing it is trying to convey at first seem completely unrelated, but given the correct information, provide you with an alternative and completely new view.
My chosen subject to explore the idea of conceptual maps is the body. I chose this firstly because as with divergent thinking I decided that there were numerous possible parts of the body that could create a basis for a conceptual map. The research that I collated for Assessment 1 formed a foundation for me to approach the task, and I reviewed this information in order to create something that embodies these ideas.
My conceptual map is based, therefore, on the location of moles/beauty marks that adorn the body. For me, moles/beauty marks are a defining feature of the body, and one that can be associated with a specific person; a prime example is Marilyn Monroe. Throughout history moles/beauty marks were used as a way to determine somebody’s character, and are even falsely created due to their connotations. This concept – of taking a defining feature and creating a conceptual map, was inspired by the idea of contour lines used to map landscapes. By determining the key features, such as the steepness of hills/slopes, the landscape is mapped out using a number of layered contour lines. The artist Marnie Karger, provides a succinct example of this.
Also noted in my research was the idea of using relative symbols connected with the subject you are mapping, so that subconsciously we can relate these features. Artist Layla Curtis inspired my conceptual map for this project – most notably with her ‘Tidal Stream Drawing’, created using the arrow symbol to represent the current of a stream. Implementing this idea, I have therefore used the circular form that a mole/beauty mark takes so that although within my conceptual map you cannot determine what the subject is, once given the relative information, you can subconsciously recognise the form.
Also inherent in my research was the idea that removing certain aspects can create a more effective conceptual map. Influenced by the work of the collective Art and Language, and their piece entitled ‘A map to not indicate’ - their work explores geographical boundaries – how two American states, once removed from their geographical location, serve no purpose, focusing on radical subtraction. This ideology can be seen in my conceptual map – having focused only on the mole/beauty mark as a representation of the body, they lose their purpose and overall form, allowing the viewer to create their own interpretation.
The main themes that I have therefore adopted in my interpretation of a conceptual map are subtraction, symbolism and a specific characteristic, which once put together, creates a conceptual map that provides a new perspective on the human body.