Final Images

Summative Project Report

Week Beginning 10th December: Summative Project Report

The presentation of the development and resolved work:

• lots of sketchbook testing and development
• thoughtful consideration of work you're making and the ladies you're drawing
• exploration of different ideas and outcomes is good!
• lots of momentum within your sketchbook showing natural progression of ideas
• you should be v proud :)
• excellent journey from portraits to fully realised layouts
• you knew you wanted a book/ fabric prints but have clearly pushed your ideas through visual development instead of settling at portraits

The practical outcomes:

• Lovely! printing designs onto fabric links practical back to notion of protest
• very ambitious project with well finalised outcomes
• I'm excited
• dynamic layout, clever use of symbols, at once clear in meaning but leaving room to still notice things (like the coathangers!!!!!)
• nice synthesis of layout, type and symbols

The synthesis between practical and theoretical aspects of the project:

• YES! you obviously have a really good understanding of your subject and this comes through in both your written and practical work
• Feminist themes are clear
• does it purposefully play off protest poster aesthetic?
• do you purposefully use a square frame like and instagram image?

Any aspects that could be continued or further explored in 603?

• Definitley! I'd love to see you continue this project further
• your portraits are lovely, so enjoyable to look at!
• the grid format you've been working with is so nice and allows for a good balance of images/ text. GOOD STUFF!
• Have you made a publication? If not, make it!!! 
• As (possibly sexist) as this is, these would look really good as tea towels (reclaiming women's domestic roles)
• might be nice embriodered
• or as puppets for young girls!

3 words that sum up your feelings towards this work:

1. empowering
2. excited
3. it's very you!/ visually invested

What I can take from this:

I'm really happy with this feedback from my work, especially since I couldn't print my finals on to fabric as there was issues with the printers! I worried people wouldn't understand the effect I was aiming to achieve by printing them large scale and onto a cotton fabric. Although I'm still annoyed they can't be printed, its clear it doesn't take away too much from the meaning of the work. I'm happy that both peer feed backs mentioned they noticed different imagery the more they looked at the square compositions, such as the coat hangers and other small details. This was the kind of visual play I wanted to achieve by making such densely detailed pieces. They also picked up on the fact that the images are composed in a square format which reflects the format used for Instagram as I worried I'd not made this obvious enough. By far the most positive part of the feedback was that both said the work made them feel empowered. This was absolutely the intention of my practical work, I'd wanted to make a children's book that made the reader feel inspired and empowered by the content, and I feel I've achieved this in a different way with these fabric designs. For once in my work I can see a natural development throughout the course of this module, starting with the portraiture and moving into the text driven work. Then finally moving into combining the two into the Lisa Condon, grid inspired formats that you see in the final four designs. Where in previous modules I would have just stopped at my first idea of a book filled with portraiture, this time I've been able to push myself and my ideas a step further. And its meant me making something that I'm actually really happy with. This peer feedback session has also given me a lot of good ideas to take this project forward into 603, as I'm pleased with my outcomes but still feel there is more I could do. I'm going to definitely look into printing properly onto fabric and maybe trying to organise some kind of exhibition based on these works in the local community. In addition to this I will endeavour to make some kind of publication in 603. I'm still really determined to make some form of the children's book I'd intended to make in this module, however I've realised I'll need more time for this and to focus my ideas down and try and get a clear outline of my intentions. Now I've established this visual quality and the grid method of working which I really enjoy, I'm going to look at taking this further, perhaps considering making this the format for my children's book and adding colour or experimenting with other processes. 

Revised Proposal

What will I produce:

- A series of 4 printed protest style flags 
- each one focusing on a particular protest pertaining to feminism
- featuring the woman/women behind it, quotes, protest signage and relevant imagery
- black and white colour scheme, maybe colour variations if I get time
- first done in black pen then reproduced digitally for neatness and accuracy

What context I see them in:

- 2 uses:
- to buy as wall hangings or scarves, fabric artefact's for those interested in feminist protest history to have and enjoy
- these could be sold in museum or gallery gift shops, especially at places where the subject matter is relevant to the gallery itself (e.g. in Manchester Art Gallery when they had their collection of Suffragette artefact's on display or for the centenary of the women's vote)
- also intended for the full set of 4 to be displayed in a gallery setting with accompanying information available 
- maybe even send round to be displayed at schools for short periods of time to facilitate lessons for children on certain protests in history

Week Beginning 19th November: Practical Peer Review 2

What are your initial reactions to the work?

- portraits = good! 
- Type is stronger than just the portraits on their own
- some digital pieces not as good as analogue 
- seems at the moment to be two different projects- the portraits and the type work- could mix the two?
- maybe make a design themed book instead of a book just of portraits, too similar to Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls

On closer inspection, what qualities would you like to celebrate?

- visual quality is good!
- very accessible for children especially- suits age range!
- images are immediate and don't require too much concentration to understand and follow
- square format is working really well for you- could this be because it fits with grid like compositions? Instagram 

What requires further resolution?

- maybe take a look at cameos, or other interesting ways of formatting and composing pages- at the moment the images are just floating a bit lost in the centre
- portraits/ quotes- could you make this fit more into the grid system you've been working in? this could make the images look a bit more dynamic
- i think just make pages and square compositions that you like and enjoy making that are relevant to your topic, then maybe pull out certain ones that you think work well and consider printing them in different ways? maybe onto fabrics?

How effectively does the work...

Demonstrate a critical understanding of the synthesis between the theoretical and practical contexts of their own creative concerns?

- not hugely successful in mixing your essay and your practical currently apart from the fact that both are about womens issues
- seems like you're getting too carried away in all the interactive elements you could have in the book
- could you maybe make some squares about specific protests from history that you've spoken about in your essay? adding some details and information about more modern feminism and activism?
- use squares and the format to tell the story- you could maybe make 6 and display them chronologically (e.g. starting with suffragettes and ending in present day)
- could these instead be intended for display in a gallery?
- don't think too much about the setting and purpose of them for now, just try and focus on making something that you like and think is good

Evidence the capacity for undertaking a wide range of independent practical and theoretical research that demonstrates an informed application of critical, effective and testable processes?

- so far you've not done much experimentation apart from using digital, and ink methods
- start by physically going through your essay and picking out quotes and themes, then make work about that to give you a starting point that synthesises more effectively with your essay
- fabric print in various ways- vinyl, digital, screen
- make t shirts! t shirts work as a type of quiet protest, very topical due to the rise in popularity in feminist fashion on the high street

Based on what you've seen, list 3 pieces of advice you have for the remainder of this project...

1. start combining your type and portrait work in a more innovative way! play with squares and think about other applications for your work
2. your project is about activism and protest art- utilise that and make some of your own! work in larger scale, make banners, scarves, commemorative quilts
3. look at your existing image content and turn that into a design focused timeline- in chronological order of the history of protest and women integral to that


What I can take from this:
I've come out of this crit with so many more ideas for practical work and finally feel like i have a focus! When I'm left to my own devices I get too bogged down in all the ideas that I have and how I'm going to incorporate them into my book. What I need to be doing is being more realistic and focusing down on some of the ideas as we don't have enough time left in this project to make a full children's book. I also think too limitedly about where I can see my work fitting, I'd not even considered the idea of wall hangings or scarves but now I can see that its a good way of combining my work with something that's traditionally feminine. I think I need to finish more of my essay before I begin to do much more practical work as I need one to feed into the other, so I will aim to finish my essay by the end of next week, leaving me a good amount of time to get on and make some things. I also need to think more about how the case studies I am looking at feed into the work I am doing and the point I am trying to make in my essay. The synthesis is something I've always found the most challenging about COP and I think a lot of that is because I have a tendency to focus solely on one thing at a time. I need to not be so rigid with my work and let my writing influence my practical work.

Image Analysis- Lisa Congdon

- contemporary artist and illustrator
- Portland Oregon 
- A Glorious Freedom- Older Women Leading Extraordinary Lives
- Uses thin black micron pens to get a graphic line
- gouache, watercolour, acrylic and coloured pens to get the highly coloured aesthetic
-  photoshop and a wacom tablet for editing and finalising digitally
- Hand lettering very integral to her practise
- instagram: very prolific in discussing upcoming political events etc that she's interested in, uses her art as a visual aid to talk about politics 
- Maybe this is what makes her work visually engaging?


Key Pieces:








- http://lisacongdon.com/blog/2015/07/tools-i-use-love/

Image Analysis: Sister Corita Kent

- Roman Catholic sister and educator
- Work was popular in the 60's/70's during the large social upheavals such as- the civil rights movement, human sexuality and women's rights
- messages of love and peace
- affordable art for the masses- used printing techniques
- promoted love and tolerance
- "her art was her activism"
- inspired by Andy Warhol
- would rip up existing imagery and re appropriate it alongside writings by people like Gertrude Stein and E.E.Cummings
- heavily text based, scripture passages

- Particular Pieces:
- Stop the bombing:




Beatitudes Wall- 1964





Its nice That article: https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/corita-kent-ray-smith-art-international-womens-day-080318

Week Beginning 29th October: Practical Peer Review 1

What are your initial reactions to the research question?
- Super good question
- have the women you have chosen been picked for a reason thats personal to you?
- similar to goodnight stories for rebel girls!
- focus on young activists is a good question- and #MeToo can still be brought in as a case study
- could also look at how adding a # to a phrase makes it more significant?
- digital/reality- does sharing on the internet mean the same as sharing in real life?

What are your initial reactions to the work?
- lovely visual quality
- could you depict scenes/places so its more than portraits?
- look at protest signage and location
- do children know what activism is? do you need to give more info?
- maybe look at doing portraits with collections of related quotes/objects?
- add more narrative to hint at the context

The relation between the research question and the practical direction-
- What did these women do? could that be illustrated? could you give more than a face?
- how can the audience relate? think about the fact your audience will be children
- can see the link! images alone need more context however
-specific portraiture makes sense if you know the project aims but by themselves its a little unclear

The proposed outcomes of the project-
- Book for kids is ambitious
- a good challenge may be short animations?
- book is a good idea, but push it for the audience that its aimed for
- maybe begin mocking it up now?
- animation, pop up, interactive- what elements will it have?

What do you think could be improved upon?
- use of colour? B&W has connotations of history and the past- important for it to be clear that its happening now!
- visually confident and clear tone of voice that children can relate to!
- try some of these portraits through print
- add subtle life and emotion through animation

Questions that have arisen from looking at the work-
- focus on technology on how that can spread awareness and get involved in activism through your illustrations online to raise support
- how many women involved? will you include any men?
- what time period? all of history? present day? Timeline?
- how do you get children involved in a difficult topic?

What I can take from this:
Although I've made a good start to my practical work I need to get moving with it and begin to mock up how I intend for the book to look when its finished as at the moment its unclear to anyone who's not me what the intention is. I also need to do more market research into what kind of text will be included in the book and what kind of information is appropriate for children of my target age. I also need to settle on a target age. I am also realising that a full book is an unrealistic goal at this point due to the short amount of time we have left so instead I'll aim to make a clear proposal for my book with double page spreads and layout plans. I think it maybe would also help to have a mocked up front and back cover, book jacket which will encapsulate what I want to talk about in the book, and its title etc. 

Its also been mentioned to me more than a few times that it would be nice to add an animated element to my work which I'll endeavour to do before the end of this project. I'll look at using photoshop to make simple animations. I also need to look at adding colour to my work to make it less serious and more engaging to children. I may also look at doing some type and font work based on quotes from famous feminists which could maybe be a part of the book as well?

Luke Gittos: Why Rape Culture Is A Dangerous Myth

"In order to enact punishment, these informal online tribunals don't need evidence, because the point is not to find out the truth. Hashtag justice is merely a forum through which individual experience is validated and confirmed in the most public way possible." 

- The authors says that the people discussing topics such as high profile cases of assault and rape in the media don't find out the evidence and facts behind the case. Instead they just discuss their views on it which can be dangerous as obviously, some people are coming at it from a biased angle. He believes that sometimes conclusions are made about peoples guilt without first having all the facts. This could be a result of the immediacy of social media and with it being a platform where people are relatively free to say what the believe

"They had not given him the opportunity to investigate or take actions. Instead they had immediately set up a Facebook page"

- The author argues that some social media activists go about their campaigns in the wrong way. In the case of a Cambridge based kebab shop worker being accused of sexual assault by some customers, the local university community took it upon themselves to launch a social media campaign boycotting the kebab shop. Instead of taking the issue directly to the owners of the kebab shop and getting them to try and resolve the issue from within, the author states that they didn't give the restaurant a fair chance to fix the issue. Instead effectively beginning a hate campaign which wouldn't provide any kind of solution

"Individuals can effectively be held hostage by pending allegations and forced to cave into 'demands', while having their reputation permanently tarnished by the fact of the allegations themselves."

- In cases where the accused runs a business that relies on any kind of customer base or even has a job or career, especially those in the spotlight, the accusations alone could put their livelihoods at risk. Whilst this may be forgivable if the accusations are true and based in fact, with the increased use of social media for activism and the circulation of news, the information being recounted may be less based in fact and therefore might not be true.

"This web-based 'ransoming' is disastrous for any genuine victims of sexual violence. It scuppers the possibility for any objective investigation and makes it extremely difficult for any proper adjudication of the case to happen."

- He also makes the point that the accusation of people on social media is a pointless endeavour anyway as it doesn't allow for proper judgement of the case so a reliable conclusion can not be reached in this way. He states that this is destructive for both the accused and the victim, as the accused reputation is at stake, especially if this hashtag campaign is one the ends up in the mainstream media. And for the victim it doesn't bring them any closer to having closure or justice through legal action.

Roxanne Gay- Bad Feminist

Page 261: When Twitter Does What Journalism Cannot

"The filibuster was a gripping spectacle that kept me rapt for hours. On /twitter, people were able to offer support, however symbolic, for Senator Davis's efforts. There was a sense of community"

- the author states that twitter can provide a kind of online community and outlet for people to speak up about ongoing issues and can even offer a support to those already speaking out. Solidarity? However they also address the fact that the support is slightly symbolic

"There are times when social media is anything but trivial. During hurricane Sandy, social media allowed public officials along the Eastern corridor to disseminate information about available resources and evacuation routes, and provide updates on the storm."

Also

"Social media allowed community members to offer information and assistance and human connection through small, grassroots networks"

- Author implies that although there are a few bad resources surfacing online and on social media, it can provide a valuable tool in the face of disasters for both citizens and officials. Like this idea of it allowing for human connection in trying times. Rather than having to try and communicate on a larger scale with government officials. Making a kind of global community?

"Good journalism takes time that social media, which advances at a breathtaking pace, rarely affords. Good journalists need to verify information before they can report it. They need this time because, in the best of all worlds, we're supposed to trust that they are offering us accurate, unbiased information."

- again acknowledging that social media is a bit of a free platform in some senses, in this case meaning that information can be put onto the platform without much basis. But thats the important part of knowing the differences between old and new media. Old media can be more well written, typically less biased and based in reality. Whereas new media must be taken with a pinch of salt depending on who is relaying the information etc

"Social networking broadened the conversation"

And 

"Social networks also provide us with something of a flawed but necessary conscience, a constant reminder that commitment, compassion and advocacy neither can nor ever should be finite."

- Again touching on that idea of social media bringing a more human, sometimes compassionate side to the media. Although old media is reliable as it is typically less biased, new media can be biased but it is written by civilians, for other civilians to read. It can be maybe less clinical and removed than newspapers. The fact that it can be written and sent quickly as well most likely means that some of the statements made on the platform can be a bit more impassioned

"Traditional journalism can give us the grounding and context we dearly need, while social networks remind us that we do have today, that we can be mindful of the past and the future while taking some time to appreciate the present."

- What I get from this quote is that the authors suggesting that we continue to get our hard facts and evidence from traditional forms of journalism such as newspapers which are more reliable sources. Then when we have these facts we can use social networks to discuss them with others on the network and express our personal opinions. Social networks like twitter are a more immediate form of expression which has its own merits but maybe can't be a replacement for the traditional media outlets.

Notes From Peer Tutorial 23rd Oct

• Look at more than 3 texts in your essay
• interim submission is on 11/11
• look at J stor for some shorter texts
• Belle hooks- feminist activist
• look at the occupy wallstreet movement in more depth
• consider ethics policy whilst interviewing people- about past assault and sensitive information
• American politics- Lisa Congdon
• Carson Ellis- instagram 
• Irish wedding quilts- other typically feminine crafts that re passing down through generations
• maybe start making my own zines of imagery I already have
• quotes from women- embroidery
• stitch up- social enterprise, meanwood road 51 bus, hands on craft in the art community
• look at why communities form
• the culture of girlhood, women in punk, research further
• look at how people get access to feminism then and now, how did people meet? Class? black panther movement, white middle class women only?

Moving forward:

I now have to start actually formulating my essay and maybe begin putting it down into bullet points just to get me started and get an idea of the structure. I also need to find a few more sources that will exemplify the points that I'm trying to make which is that social media can be a useful tool for activism in a modern era if its used responsibly. I'm going to do some research in the library and on Jstor this week to try and find myself some more easily readable, shorter sources that will help me examine the pros and cons of social media activism. I also need to start thinking more critically with my practical work. My original plan was to make a children's book about activism but I'm now beginning to see theres no way I could do that in the time we've been given so I think instead I'll modify my plan so that I'm just making a few double page spreads for a proposal for a children's book. I also need to remember to get in touch with local organisations like Girl Gang and ask them questions about how useful they find the use of social media in their work as that will help me triangulate and give me a first hand source.

Week Beginning 8th October: Project proposal- Presentation feedback

Research question:
How has the #MeToo movement changed/affected the way in which media portrays rape culture?

Practical direction:
Poster/ storybook about the importance of activism and the history of activism intended for children

Aspects that need defining:
My question, needs to be more specific and the question and practical work maybe need to have more of a link?
Narrow down areas of interest, focus down topics. I think I'm interested in too many things around this topic and I need to be more selective
Find more visual examples that demonstrate the rape culture that I want to talk about

Aspects that need expanding:
My sources, research history of feminism (1st wave, different key players etc)
Speak to activists and organisations first hand, Girlgang, revoultassault 
Look at controversies within the world of feminism? Intersectionality, trans rights etc

Anything else:
The main things I want to aim to discuss in this essay are the importance of feminism and activism around any topics you're passionate about and the impact that activism has had historically. I could use this to look at feminist protest movements in the past such as the Suffragettes and the impact that had on the world, maybe comparing this to later protests such as the #MeToo movement and occupy Wallstreet. I mainly think it would interesting to touch on what I was discussing last year and examine whether the advent of the internet and the rise in social media have been a help or a hinderance for politics and activism within politics. Maybe I'll compare the methods of protest and activism and try and examine which methods are the most effective? To link this to my practical work, at the moment I'm imagining a series of images as a kind of proposal for a childrens activity book based around activists of the past and giving information and imagery about what they can do to make a change in their lives and local communities. I want to illustrate some influential women and use this to try and tell their stories to younger generations who hopefully can see these women as role models.

Last year I left my practical work til the last minute and looking back at this now I think this really shows as it looks rushed, low quality and doesn't really link at all to my essay and research. It also didn't have much of a use or purpose. This year I've started by making images that I'm already interested in making in my own spare time (portraits of famous feminists). Hopefully this will help me in the long run as I'm now trying to see the essay as a vehicle to fuel the imagery. My main aim of COP this year is to come out of it with a body of work that I'm still interested in taking further and that can serve as a proposal for a larger project in the future. Whether that means in 603 or further down the line its a project that I'm really personally invested in and hopefully that will keep me more motivated than I was last year.

COP - To Do

- I think my essay is quickly turning more into social media and its relationship to activism and I like that

- Next I think I need to look to see if I can find any more academic sources on the subject of social media and its effect on activism

- When doing this I'll think particularly in relation to recent topical movement such as #MeToo and Dr Fords recent testimony

- Also start doing practical work- portraits of women who've spoken up/out?

The #MeToo Movement

From The Telegraph : The #MeToo shockwave: How the movement has reverberated around the world- by Louise Burke

"As a viral campaign, part of the success of #MeToo was to do with how deeply personal it felt. Within days our social media feeds were flooded with friends and family members adding their stories. “Of course, me too,” a friend added simply on Facebook, neatly summarising the depressing inevitability that she too had experienced sexual harassment. The women mostly exchanged familiar stories and knowing looks. Surprise was the domain of men: “I knew it happened, but I had no idea it was this bad” was a common sentiment."

- personal heartfelt campaigns can be achieved through social media? It gives people a platform to get their message and truth across without having to go through legal proceedings which can be traumatic. The only problem is that by the same logic, there could be elements of mistruth in these statements.

"In Japan, journalist Shiori Ito did “the unthinkable” when she appeared before television cameras in May 2017 to publicly accuse a prominent correspondent of rape. At the time she only used her first name, but in late October, amid the explosion of #MeToo confessions, she revealed her full identity and published a book about her experience. In an article for Politico she wrote that it is taboo to even use the word “rape” in Japan and it is often changed to “violated” or “tricked”. “My coming forward made national news and shocked the public,” she wrote. “The backlash hit me hard. I was vilified on social media and received hate messages and emails and calls from unknown numbers. I was called a “slut” and “prostitute” and told I should ‘be dead’.” But Ito believed she had no other choice. She said #MeToo has provided an opening in the Japanese media to discuss sexual harassment and assault."

- social media spans the globe and transcends most other outlets like local TV and radio, meaning that protests tackling a subject in the USA also have the potential to be seen in China. This gives the opportunity of discussion and an outlet of support and solidarity that wouldn't usually be offered locally.

- Also evidenced in the article is instances where "triage services" have been put in place to support the influx of people giving online testimonies about their alleged sexual abuse. Pointing them towards counselling and other services

“Globalisation, connectivity and the women's rights movement have created the perfect storm,” Spicer told the Telegraph. “Women are able to share their experiences, from Sydney to Suffolk. “Suddenly, we realise we're not alone. And our experiences are being believed. For the first time, men are understanding what women have suffered for centuries.”

- Referencing the idea of globalisation and networks

“Our personal devices are such an intimate part of our lives, these women feel comfortable using social mediums - at any time of the day or night - to share details about these experiences. And it's easy to connect with other alleged victims. For example, in the Don Burke case, the first whistleblower was able to easily connect me with two women in the US.”

- Interesting idea that the appeal of activism through social media comes not only from being able to connect with a wider range of people who've experienced the same or similar things, but also in the way that we use and connect with our mobile devices. They can seem maybe less invasive that a trip to a therapist or the daunting idea of reporting to the authorities?

"A similar style of crowd-sourced document was used by University of California graduate student Raya Sarkar to gather accusations against more than 50 academics in India and the US. In both instances, feminists have been split over the methods used. Some argue that such extreme methods risk damaging the credibility of women’s legitimate demands to be heard. Others argue that they are excusable when the existing systems have acted to protect predators, rather than victims."

- Clearly theres some debate as to the viability of the online testimonies. Its difficult as of course theres no telling whether they're truthful or not without launching full investigations or having some sort of tangible evidence. However the case is also made in the article that the pattern of these online protests seems to be that allegations against certain figures in the public eye are made online until these mount and turn into a type of coordinated campaign such as the one regarding Harvey Weinstein which sparked the #MeToo movement. When these campaigns begin and the testimonies are too much to ignore, hopefully an investigation is launched by officials. 

- Aziz Ansari's case is also briefly discussed which brings up an interesting point as to whether its fair to bring up every point of contention online. Considering this case has since been recognised more widely as a confusion around the topic of consent, but can also be lumped in with the discussion of the sustained claims of sexual abuse in Hollywood. 

"There is a recurring image in The Power which helps us understand all this. Alderman uses the spreading, forking, tree-like shape of lightning - and which lightning strikes lave on skin or wood - as a metaphor to describe social change. It starts at the bottom, with millions of individual people suddenly realising that the rules have shifted, that they can do something. Their behaviour filters up and up until the whole of society turns upside down."

- Read "The Power"

Link to article: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/world/metoo-shockwave/

Social Media Activism

From Tweets and the Streets- social media and contemporary activism:

"Because of the availability of contemporary social media, activists like Penny argue, social movements can finally become leaderless, horizontal, and spontaneous. They no longer have to face the question of unity so obsessively important for dinosaurs like the Socialist Workers Party, which seems to be stuck in the era of Gutenberg. Much of the scholarship produced in the last few years about the impact of new media on contemporary society, and on activism in particular, has followed a similar line of reasoning. It asserts that the internet allows for more flexible relationships, enabling individuals to interact without the need for central coordination or a sense of unity in the display of collective action. "

Does social media and its quick and easy accessibility give us the opportunity to form larger and stronger groups than we ever would have been able to in the past? Activist groups no longer have to meet in person to form an alliance.

Research the terms Horazontalism and networks

"Social media in particular are characterised by a high degree of interactivity, and by a focus on user-generated content. Practically speaking, this means that users are also to a great extent ‘producers’ in communicative interactions."

"Castells has described this media landscape as dominated by a paradigm of ‘self mass-communication’ in which individuals and groups can broadcast their messages to large audiences (Castells, 2009: 416). For Castells, the advent of mass self-communication carries the promise of autonomy from bureaucratic structures and increasing scope for political and social engagement from below."

- using social media in which were essentially the authors and producers, can we reach a larger audience than those activists that have come before us? Does it also mean were moving away from the rigid social and political structures meaning that anyone who wishes to discuss politics and their personal views has a platform on which to do it?

No network has a centre? - online networks mean theres less of a "chain of command" type attitude with all instructions coming from one "leader", maybe means people can take action how they see fit?

"Networks are ‘an emerging ideal’, the pre-figuration of a society which is ‘self-produced, self-developed, and self-managed’, a model for re-organising society in the direction of an ‘informational utopics’ (Juris, 2008: 15)"

Study Task 10- Evaluative Statement

 

10 words that sum up my research:

• punk 
• feminism
• DIY
• zines
• manifesto
• expression
• tone of voice
• collage
• 90's
• musicians

Evaluation:

I found the majority of this project interesting and enjoyable as feminism is central to my life and my practice so it was interesting to see how the women of punk used their craft to express their views. I was able to work more with text and writing due to the fact I was talking about punk bands and their music and lyrics. This is something I feel I have a natural ability for and I enjoy mixing small hand drawn images and words into the same composition. I will definitely bring more of this into my work in the future. 

This project also encouraged me to start collaging again for the first time in a while, and whilst I can't say its my favourite way to work, its opened my mind to different ways of making a composition around found imagery. I have also really enjoyed the aesthetic that comes from using letters cut out from magazines as it looks much bolder and clearer than handwriting can. 

I've learnt a lot about the major players in the punk world in the 80's/90's, and how instrumental DIY zines were in furthering the interests of the women of punk. I was fascinated by the idea of handmade zines providing a platform that would have otherwise been hard to come by for women wanting to discuss the issues that faced them directly, and the ways in which this inspired many other women and girls to find or forge their own platforms to make themselves heard. I aim to create a discussion around the issues that women currently face in my future work.

My Manifesto

1. support your local girlgang
2. speak with encouragement, not jealousy
3. don't be afraid to feel your emotions, they don't make you weak
4. quit apologising for being yourself
5. support other creatives
6. smash the patriarchy
7. speak up for those who are voiceless
8. educate yourself
9. keep an open mind
10. rise above bullshit
11. be a good feminist 

Study Task 9- Reflective Writing

Steps I took:

1. researched generally into subcultures
2. realised the lack of information about women in any subcultures other than Punk
3. began researching punk and more specifically, women of punk, using research and drawing in ink
4. found out about the term Riot Grrrl and researched more into that then discovering the zines 
5. researched the content of the zines, reading Girls To The Front by Sara Marcus
6. researched the aesthetic of the zines and began collaging, working with graphic black text and drawings 
7. began comparing the punk zines of the 90's with the feminist zines were beginning to see being made now for example Cuntry Living
8. contrast the differences between these two, old and new, seeing how things have developed in terms of inclusivity and intersectionality
9. began writing my own manifesto to include all the old and new elements of Punk/ Riot Grrrl feminism 
10. made a Riot Grrrl style collaged, painted and hand-drawn version of my manifesto

Study Task 8- Action Plan

I plan to visually and practically investigate:
whether we have women of punk to thank for feminism as it is today

In order to do this I will:


Primary research:
- the blogs, book and journals both offline and online that I have been using so far to write my essay
- continue further to use the internet to look at what is happening in feminism CURRENTLY

Secondary research:
- considering how I can use what I have learnt to begin my own visual response
- zine making, DIY processes, collage, experimental photocopying
- then passing these round and seeing how far they travel, encouraging friends to photocopy them

Media and processes:
- drawing using ink
- typography, maybe using the printing press?
- photocopying
- feminine crafts such as embroidery and sewing

Context:
- Guerilla Girls
- Zines such as Riot Grrrl
- Barbara Kruger
- @hanecdote on instagram- feminist embroidery 

Study Task 7- Reading Dissertations

"Intersectional fourth wave feminism; is technology and the internet beneficial or detrimental to current female zine culture?" 

Research methods:

• WIDE RANGE!!!! 
• books: look up "all the rebel women; rise of the fourth wave of feminism"
• first hand, interviews with people that make zines and other female creators
• journals and online

Tone of voice:

• overall, impassioned and personable
• clearly the subject matter means a lot and is personal to the writer, which I like
• feels not too scientific or overly scholarly
• however, some sentences are overly packed with sophisticated vocabulary so that it is hard to understand in places 

Clarity:

•  as mentioned before some words and phrases could be taken out to avoid over complicating it
• quite rambling in places which makes it hard to remember the point thats being made
• but thoroughly researched and well rationed

Flow:

• the general 'chapters' are easily divided up into a few smaller categories which is good
• however the interview sections towards the end is slightly harder to understand, doesn't totally fit the flow of the essay
• smaller chunks easier to understand

Beginning My Visual Journal

Starting Imagery:

• women themselves (too easy?)
• things typical of the punk subculture; the clothing, makeup, symbols (anarchy), jewellery
• famous and influential women of punk; Joan Jett, Cherie Curie, Patti Smith, Kathleen Hanna, Siouxsie Sioux

Possible colour palettes and materials:

• PINK, anything typically feminine
• black, the colour that epitomises the punk aesthetic
• tartan
• metal, chrome
• collage, photocopy
• ink