We like to keep our First Years on their creative ‘toes’. So every now and then we like to bowl them the occasional ‘Googly’ * (creatively speaking of course!)
This year it took the form of our Sonic Soundspaces brief.
Here’s the problem…Graphics is very much an industry where good presentation skills and team-working and are essential. Designers present to clients, work with a wide range of different people (photographers, editors, copywriters, creative directors, etc) and everyone involved has to get along and work together to achieve the common task. If anyone fails to pull their ‘weight’ the whole enterprise can collapse. So how can we get our First Years to experience this in a creative and challenging way?
Answer…Sonic Soundspaces!
The brief:
Work in teams of four to research the work of a ‘given’ 20th Century creative practitioner. This could be a Graphic Designer, Architect, Painter, Sculptor, Furniture Maker, etc.
Respond to a specific piece of their work, produce a ‘soundwork’ and perform it live in the studio as a group. Here’s the catch, invent and make all your own instruments!
(Now comes the Googly)
The ‘Soundwork’ = data. Take that data (Volume, Rhythm, Pitch, Tone, Time, Timbre, etc.) and interpret it as a Graphic Map or Graphic Score.
Below you can see how they did…
* Googly noun, Cricket. 1.a bowled ball that swerves in one direction and breaks in the other. (A tricky delivery, difficult to play).
