Thoughtless Acts

The focus of the next few entries will be upon objects, how we observe them and our relationships with them. I will consider questions like: Why do we value the handmade? Why is an object built a certain way? As understanding these values can help me with my own design work. One way of answering these questions is through close observation. This should be done without preconceptions in order to find out how we are really using an object. Often this involves the consideration of affordances. An affordance is when an object is used often alongside another unrelated object in a way that it was not initially designed for. An example of this would be a coaster used to balance a table leg.

These affordances have been studied by different people, in the essay 'Parallel Universes' by Kevin Henry the way in which we perceive these affordances is considered. Henry looks at the differences and similarities between a designers (Suri) perspective and that of an artists (Wentworth). The affordances the two practices consider are done through a photographic documentation. The photographs are not intended as pieces in their own right but simply as a record.

Suri considers the affordances to be evidence of our subconscious interaction with objects. She sees them as reletively thoughtless acts. This differs greatly to Wentworth as he sees them as much more conscious. He sees them as warnings, reminders and repairs, as things that require some conscious thought. Interestingly however there is more ambiguity to Wentworth's images, he leaves much more up to the viewers interpretation. However in some ways this is not surprising, unlike designers who most often create work which conveys a clear message, artists thrive on uncertainty. Wentworth's photos are often drawn to the poetry of the image as much as the reality of the objects in them.

Wentworth sees his photos as documenting coincidence whereas Suri sees her images as a way of validating coincidence. However both of them discover their insights in the space between taking the images and collating them into narratives. Though the way in which they are collated into narratives again differs greatly. Suri's in a book and Wentworth in a slideshow which he presents in a random order. Both of them however are using photography to expand the narratives. Unlike moving image they demand more from the audience. You can't help when you are looking at them thinking I wonder whats happening just off frame. This interaction with the photographs helps to build a personalised vision of the affordances. Whilst the images themselves create memories and trap feelings within them.

The way in which the designer interacts with the subject is also the way in which I approach a subject, with a more structured eye and a definite message to convey. Whilst looking around for affordances I have already been dismissing some as they don't say what I want. Perhaps I should consider taking a more fine art approach to things and try and push my own boundaries. Try to document coincidence like Wentworth rather than find images to suit my own narratives. This could provide a more organic and perhaps more interesting result.

Physical Objects

The lecture from Ian Roberts centred upon objects and how they are a part of everything that we do. He begins by discussing the notion of an archetype, that we like to take the archetype and create our own version. He offers the example of chairs and table lamps and that their design never differs greatly. These objects unlike mobile phones with their quick moving generations are more static in their design. Wether this implies that they have a greater value? Or that they have reached their limit is something I would like to explore further.

He suggests that objects all have certain rules, language and vocabulary that they follow. Apple offers a good example of how by limiting the vocabulary of an object you can create excellent design. This vocabulary as I touched upon in my summary of Janet's lecture is something undeveloped in e-book design. The layout of e-books is yet unmapped. It lacks a consistent language which is creating the state of flux in industry and the anxiety which comes with that. Once a language has been established for the e-reader it will become much stabler an easier to use. For me this will happen only once someone has made the right sort of reader. The i-pad doesn't quite work as a reader and the kindle still feels quite slow and clunky.

Ian goes on to discuss the difference between craft and mass production. The notion of a value being added by being able to see the makers hand. This is something I have already been considering, along with the idea of authenticity as being valuable. Ian also considers the value of one persons a mundane object to another culture. He offers the example of lightbulbs being collected in India simply as the collector considers them a beautiful object.

Ian also looks at Baudrillard's system of objects. Something that has already been a strong influence on my research. He begins to touch upon collecting and our motivations behind it. He offers the Freudian theory that childhoods latency period and for middle-aged man collecting has the most importance. As the collection acts a replacement for their sexuality. He considers the object as an insentient dog. Something that reflects back the owners feelings, giving them pleasure.

These are all themes that I have begun to touch upon in my strategies of thought essay as well as in my wider research. As there is so much correlation between Ian's lecture and my subject I think that being part of his seminar group will be a great way to deepen my understanding of the topics.

Techno-poiesis

After listening to the various contexts lectures it was Janet Bezzants on Techno-poesis and Ian Roberts on Objects that held the most relevance to my own research. I was however very interested in Millers lecture on Politics in Art as it focused upon feminist themes which I often work with outside of the MA.

Janets lecture focused upon the quest to discover the poetics in material computing. She is concerned with how technology impacts upon our perception of the world. Something that bears relevance to the digital aspect of my research into how we read e-books. She considers the way in which we interact with technology and how this effects the way we understand the world. During the lecture the theme of technology almost becoming invisible emerges. Beginning with a prediction made in the 80's that 'technology will disappear into the woodwork'. Something that I agree with fundamentally, technology is becoming invisible with wi-fi internet being an obvious example. Tech based objects continually become smaller, sleeker and less intrusive. This is true of e-readers in particular, they are becoming less boxy and more intuitive as they progress.

Janet introduces the concept of affordance. That technology has a way of telling us how to interact with it. We recognise signs such as a 'play' symbol for a film. Affordance is something that still needs work in e-publishing. It is often confusing to navigate an e-reader at first. She also considers the 'tacit dimension' a new concept for me. This is the notion that 'we know more than we can tell'. She offers the example of riding a bike. That we can explain the mechanics of riding a bike but not how it feels. This feeling is something you have to experience for yourself. She suggests that the body has its own tacit understanding of something. This is a concept that has implications for reading and objects. Can we really explain the pleasure of holding a book? its weight, scent and the individuality of each copy?