thesis.

emily cappa

Jessica IrishPUCD 4200. Fall 2011

the beginning.

brainstorming possible design problems . . .

+ how to include elements of chance+ how can I encourage interaction between strangers+ how can I foster my compulsive doodles+ how can I include elements of the long walks I love+ how do I justify/include my daily happenings and compulsions+ how do I include my desire to ask questions to strangers+ how do I include the elements I’ve collected for my sitcom+ how can I use the internet to strengthen and facilitate random interactions+ how can I stay inspired+ how can I make my thesis a life learning experience and not just a design learning experience+ how can I change what I’m doing weekly+ how can I incorporate some sort of ritualistic quality+ how can I stay away from the Adobe suites+ how can I take pictures+ how can I travel + how can I include yoga+ how can I paint+ how can I collage+ how can I include the other Emily Cappa+ how can I produce something concrete yet non-restrictive+ how can I include the “trash” I like to pick up+ how can I include time+ how can I include horoscopes+ how can I include numbers (patterns I notice)+ how can I include a psychic + how can I use my thesis to do something that I’ve always wanted to do+ how can I make boring situations interesting + how can I embrace my eccentricities and compulsions + how can I use my thesis to like Brooklyn+ how can I use my thesis to like subways+ how can I be sustainable+ how can I visit my friends allover the US+ how can I spend time living in other people’s shoes+ how can I include the lottery tickets I find+ how can it not be rigid+ how can I make use of side-walk chalk+ how do I include my love of finding pennies, feathers, photos, etc. on the street+ how can I make use of wheat paste+ how can I use nature+ how can I go on hikes+ how can I get a fun job after+ how can I include a level of chance and spontaneity

creating a domain map . . .thinking about my interests & inspirations

emily cappa

asking peoplequestions

found objects

compulsive

+ pennies+ feathers+ lottery tickets+ numbers+ pictures+ letters+ ANYTHING THAT CATCHES MY EYE

friends

funny and talented

a group of usare always justchilling

same weird world

looking for something creatively we can do together

sitcom

small!things are funnywe record

+ sophie calle+ lee krasner+ miranda july+ gypsies

hair picking

writers.artists.musicians.funny.weird.

what we can learninteracting with strangers

bored !!!

weedwaiting

desire to make a game(games!)

notice

dig n’ save

craigslist

power of technology

off the computer

paint

+ doodle+ sitcom+ seen things+ collect+ notice+ document

notebook

letters

other emily cappa

ktown girls

+ document+ map+ collect+ notice+ go to museums+ wheat paste+ chalk + graffiti

RITUALS

COLLABORATION

CURIOSITY COLLECTING

MY ENVIRONEMNT

strangers

people i know

info

what i like to record

brooklyn(where I live)

friends (who i live with)

family

travel

+ yoga+ meditate

inspiration

+ I have rituals & compulsions+ I like to document+ I like to map+ I like to collect+ I am interested in my interactions (with strangers & people I know)+ I am interested in my environment

A journey to combat boredom . . .

my biggest fear and greatest struggle in life is boredom.

I am certain this boredom will be my biggest obstacle during the execution of my thesis, so certain in fact, that I have chosen to combat boredom as the main purpose of my thesis.

I want my thesis to be my creative diary, my tool for exploration.

Boredom is what compels me to create. Boredom is what gets me to notice. Boredom is what gets me to interact and engage. Boredom is what drives my compulsions. For my thesis I will embrace combating this boredom.

exploring artists that make an art of everyday life.

“We are accustomed to understand art to be only what we hear and see in theatres, concerts, and exhibitions; together with buildings,statues, poems,and novels ... But all this is but the smallest part of the art by which we communicate with one another in life. All human life is filled with works of art of every-kind ... It is all artistic activity ... ”

Leo Tolstoy (59, Choices)

miranda july

sophie calle

fluxus movement

teching hsieh

linda montano

initial experiments

+ exploring consumption - taking only and whatever is offered to me - seeing what I consume - seeing what my mom tells me to consume - seeing what my roommate tells me to consume

+ exploring collaboration amongst my friends

+ mindless, meditative drawings

+ handout questions intended to inspire

+ cell phone picture collecting (contacts & solicitation with flyers)

+ follow my compulsions on a walk

initial concept

a magazine.

This is an unrestrictive medium that allows me to easily extend my creative outlet to others . . .

Brings about a reason and purpose to be creative

. . .

or so I thought . . .

Making the Prototype . . . issue 1 . . .

I first considered a layout ... square ... 8 inch by 8 inch ... how cool ... then a grid ... a logo ... typefaces ... the index ... And then I began laying out the first issue on an InDesign document ...

I laid out 200 pages and was still not done ... nearly none of the content I had worked so hard on could fit!

Well ... there was no way I could print out the entire document, so I printed 30 pages ... to get the look and feel

I realized this was not right ... a magazine was not the right way of exhibiting ... I needed a less restrictive, more sustainable way At a loss, and after the lab closed on me ... I went home. Once home I showed my roommate the prototype and told her about the massive size of my document ...

We talked about my concerns + the amount of waste that went into a single prototype ... + the amount of waste that would be generated by copies of multiple issues ... let’s face it, most will end-up in the trash + the minimal amount of content that was included in a 200 page document + the fact that I had just spent two whole days laying out a document ... that is not fun ... that is not what I’m looking to do ... I am looking to go out and do projects ... generate things to go inside of the magazine!

We talked about going digital with the magazine ... since the start of the semester I have been tired of creating on the computer ... this magazine was an attempt to get away from the computer ... but here I had just spent two full days laying out on inDesign

My roommate suggested looking at Tavi’s ( that young fashion blogger ) online magazine ... Rookiemag ... ok ... pretty nice ... element of collaboration ... funny writing ... I approve

I then came across Mike Horowitz’s creative time project. For the month of November (2010), “Marc Horowitz put his daily decisions in the hands of strangers. He surrendered his life choices online for the public to vote on at www.theadviceofstrangers.com. Each day, Horow-itz posted the dilemma he was facing for the public to vote on. It is a collaboration between artist and audience, comprised of anyone who visits the website and casts a vote, thus influencing the course of the project and Marc’s life at the same time”.

How cool! ... I was immediately inspired ... Horowitz not only used a blog to successfully merge his art and his life, but also managed to include a collaboration element with the viewer.

1

1

www.theadviceofstrangers.com

Over the following days I continually thought about my thesis ...I realized I was happy with the content of my thesis, but I did not think the magazine was working as the place to exhibit. That had to change.

I realized that perhaps a blog format would be a good way of exhibting my work ...

I weighed out the pros and cons for both options ...

MAGAZINE BLOG

PROS

+ collaboration+ people like “things”

+ no inDesign + large audience (!!!)+ upload as I create . . . add time element+ cost effective+ lots of time to generate work+ sustainable+ work from anywhere+ very personal+ no restriction on content+ viritual gallery space !!!

+ lots of waste+ lots of time spent laying out+ restrictions on content

+ appear self-important :(+ lots of people have blogs+ sometimes you don’t want to blog+ unorganized

MAGAZINE BLOG

CONS

ajourneytocombatboredom.tumblr.comNew Concept . . . A Blog

ajourneytocombatboredom.tumblr.com

Components

+ number patterns+ chance encounters ( strangers & people I know )+ found objects+ walks+ journal pages ( mindless doodles & sitcom notes )+ cell phone pictures / texts+ horoscope

+ living situation

+ twin brother

my blog.an art piece.the best way to merge life & art.

my blog.an art piece.the best way to merge life & art.

initial design problems, solved.

elements of chance & spontaneity.interactions with strangers.compulsive doodles.recordings of walks.daily happenings and compulsions.sitcom elements.staying inspired.life learning experience.not restrictive.ritualistic.no adobe suites.pictures.travel.things I pick up.time.horoscopes.number patterns.boring situations interesting.embrace eccentricities and compulsions.sustainable.

Next Steps:

I must continue blogging, generating more work ... now that I have this not restric-tive format I must be more extreme in my work. Going more out of comfort zone.

I must figure out how to integrate the work I did in the past ... and put those onto my blog

I must better organize my blog ... figure out a proper tagging system

Research blogs themselves more ... the elements of successful ones ... incorpo-rating these into my own ...

Write more. creatively!

Desired Outcomes:

I am hoping to get into the habit of blogging, and I would like to continue after thesis is finished.

I also want to pick the blog entries I am most proud of towards the end and make a curated book. This format is perfect for me to keep generating work. I will have a lot to choose from at the end.

I think it is important to have an Internet presence . . . the blog is just that. my virtual diary.