Visual Communication Blog

I promise I’m not a Radio 4 spokeswoman, but an intreguing new manifesto was discussed on Material World yesterday (if you don’t want to listen to the whole thing it starts at 19mins). Techo-internet-computer-genius/theorist/inventor Jaron Lanier discusses his new writing on how we might have allowed the Internet to play too much of a role in our lives. He calls it ‘a Humanist manifesto, and hopes it will create a new form of humanism that puts computers in a subservient role.

He is quite critical of ‘open culture’ which he believes has not resulted in the collaborative dream once imagined. This could be quite controversial.

Also it seems he doesn’t want us just to read little bits of his manifesto, so all or nothing I guess!

Glasgow Film Festival is fast approaching. Great chance to see some amazing films, and also network with the people in Glasgow (and beyond) producing and making moving image work.

So we’re off to Berlin in a week or so, (and then 3rd/4th graphics next month), and coincidentally, the current issue of eye magazine has several special features on the city.

As an aside, the last few editions of eye magazine (72 and 73) have been full of interesting and useful stuff about illustration, graphics, graphic designers as illustrators, the changing world of photography, and generally stuff that asks lots of useful and interesting questions about these ‘distinctions’, their validity, and their place in the shifting world of visual communications. Strongly recommended.

(image by HORT).

I got this book recently and anyone is welcome to borrow it once I’m done. Futurist Alvin Toffler wrote it in the 70’s speculating on how society would cope with the acceleration of change as a result of technology and growth of population.

He defines Futureshock as like culture shock, where one is taken out of their comfort zone and they no longer understand customs/formalities/environment. With culture shock you can experience unknown territories then return to what you know. Futureshock is used by Toffler to express how we might not cope with the rapid changes in our culture. Basically imagine you went to a foreign country where everything was different, but the place you came from ceased to exist… wouldn’t that be A BIT SCARY.

Perhaps a clunky explanation but an intriguing concept I promise.

2pm Wed, 2nd year vis com studio, come one, come all.

Did we mention that Edwin has a badge-maker?

Apparently, writing about music is like dancing about architecture. I did google to check this long-held-dear quote, that I thought had been coined by Lester Bangs, but it turns out it might have been first muttered by Elvis Costello. Or Zappa. Or it possibly might have been Laurie Anderson and she actually said “writing about art…”.

Thankfully, this thing I’m making a pigs-ear of introducing is neither specifically about music or architecture, though they both come in to it. I’m hoping there might be some dancing, but it’s probably more dominated by ‘art’. With plenty of film and design thrown in too.

We’ve got 28 blogs coming up on Central Station – one each day in February, under the slightly dumb banner of ‘MIX-BLOG’ – which are dedicated to SOUND, and where it intersects with creativity.

We’ve asked our expert, passionate, insightful members to explore a panoply of good vibrations – from Sonic Art to Synaesthesia via the complex aesthetic codes of Subcultural Style. There are projects, podcasts and plenty of personal perspectives, hopefully with less alliteration and a lot more inspiration. Look out too for a few ex-vis com graduates in the mix…

Just one last thing: we want you to get involved too. Our 28 members are bravely taking the floor and putting this brand new material out there, just for you. We’d like you to comment, contribute, collaborate, corroborate. Sound-off, or show your appreciation. Just make some noise. [+ We're hoping that the most interesting discussions and collaboration will form the basis of a project. ]

Mix-blog#1 is by brian at Two Open Ears – he’s challenging designers to consider sound and how it shapes the everyday experience.

(and apologies for more Central Station ’spam’… I will post something else unrelated to censta soon, promise )

This & this & this show how much people love the ampersand.

No Mean Streets is a new social network that intends to encourage cycling, improve the attitudes of other motorists towards cyclists, and hopefully improve the proficiency for cycling in Glasgow. It has been set up as part of an arts project led by The New Social Art School, who will also be participating in the upcoming Glasgow Reshuffle at the Pierce Institute on Saturday the 5th of Febuary.

The Reshuffle is a free hands on event held at the Pearce Institute annually. It is an event to start the year on a positive note, get some people into a community centre and have them leave thinking they have seen something new that could be of interest to them.

Here’s a small selection of links to organisations participating this year:
Galgael Trust, Open Source Mapping, Unity, Burgh Angel, Gamesmonitor 2014, Documents Film Festival, Radical Independent Bookfair, Electron Club, Glasgow Social Centre, Sunny Govan Radio, Bridge Network

Blipfoto have launched a new initiative: Unstaged

NASA’s Earth Obsertvatory, and their amazing collection of free-to-use high-quality satellite photography, can prove a very fulfilling web-based distraction. It was brought to my attention via an article in Task Newsletter, an initiative which I think originates from the Werkplaats Typografie.

Also discussed a lot in that publication, which focuses on both design utopias and mundane science-fiction, is the Whole Earth Catalog — The product of Stewart Brand, some powerful drugs, and a left-over project from 1966 when he initiated a public campaign to have NASA release the then-rumored satellite photo of the sphere of Earth as seen from space, the first image of the “Whole Earth.”

It was Brands idea that the image of this “Whole Earth”, viewed as one, at once, might go someway towards creating greater global cooperation and understanding – a powerful symbol, evoking a sense of shared destiny.

Leonora Belcher from Indicate got in touch about their magazine. They’re on the look-out for contributors; if you’re interested email indicatemagazine[at]hotmail.co.uk

Image: Max Henderson, from current edition.

Note-to-self (2): remember to watch Arena: Brian Eno

This slideshow is to accompany a talk by Dr Neil Mulholland of ECA on altermodernism, in relation to postmodernism and modernmodernism. Thought i’d post it as it’s possibly retrospectively of use in the Post(er) Modernism project, if you can lay your hands on a time machine or fashion one from some aluminium foil and omnicrom.

Neil Mulholland not only has an excellent first name but is a very interesting writer/talker/practitioner, and doing some joint gsa/eca projects is on our collective radar. Note-to-self; must get back on the case with this…

I urge you to go and see the GF Smith paper exhibition currently showing in the Podium Gallery, ground floor of Bourdon Building. Only open 10-12 wednesday 27th (tomorrow).

And this is my favourite, a spread featuring the legendary footballer, Alan Ball.

Made In The Shade do Evolve;

This week Evolve will be running the final ‘Getting Your Work Out There’ event with the Made in the Shade girls coming in to talk about selling work at their events and selling work in their retail space. This will take place on Wed 27th 4-5pm in the Bourdon Lecture Theatre.

Hi, my name is Dick Murray, and I have a total hatecrush on Momus. And he’s written this stupid book. And he even writes (or wrote) for these idiotic magazines and blogs; Wired, Vice, Index Magazine, AIGA Voice, and Design Observer.

Monday 25th Jan, 17:00 hrs, the Work in Progress Show doth commence. All welcome.

Pringle is a new advertising video by GSA alumnus David Shrigley.

Thanks to Kate Hollands for the link.