Study Task 8 : Rationale

My overarching theme is aesthetics, but am more specifically looking visual communication in abstract illustration. So far, in reference to this subject, I have primarily looked at the semiotic theories of Pierce, Saussure and Barthes, as written by David Crow, and the work contemporary illustrators such as David Lemm and Nicolas Burrows. Practically I would like to investigate this subject further through distilling the key elements of communication in abstract illustration - looking at how colour influences form, simplifying subjects to their bare essence and experimenting with more visceral forms of image-making that explore the importance of a tone voice and media in visual communication. I am doing this because I want to develop a method of making images that uses abstraction in a functional and meaningful way - which, in order to do, I need to understand the bare mechanics of visual communication. Throughout this practical investigation I would like to focus on using handmade media - such as print, collage or paint. This is because the purpose of my research project is to develop a way of working relevant to my current practice – to which hand-rendered images are very important.