Research and Project Proposal, - post presentation reflections

I felt that the presentation I performed yesterday for the Research & Proposal module generally went well.  My feelings over it are positive because of the reception that I seemed to gain. However, I hope I have not miss-read this.

Over the past few weeks, I have been struggling with conceptual ideas of how to visually engage the notions of speculative realism and the method of the Peregrine in some form of delineation, and I think some of that inner struggle may have come out as anxiety, - albeit, active and enthusiastic though I hope.

It has suddenly dawned on me, almost like a "Eureka" moment in thinking about the original book, "The Peregrine" and the observations of JA Baker...

It seems obvious to me now, what I have been missing!

What I need to do, is to draw what the Peregrine sees!

e.g. to bring, through some sense of mediated discourse in DRAWING with another creature, 'the life of JA Baker', as witnessed by the Peregrine on a daily basis. To Peregrine, every day's observation of JA Baker might have been utterly insignificant to the bird himself, (the "Tercel") and what he actually sees occurring on a daily basis, may have not considered the clothed human, constantly watching him, as important.

In discussing this notion with Dr Bailey, it became evident that much of my own research will consist of making sense of other artists, who may have done similar work. I accept that there is much scope to review this and I need to carefully select appropriateness to avoid any potential rabbit holes (No pun to the Peregrine intended, although he might like that anyway)!

In analysing 'The Peregrine' text, the objective for me is to look at a perspectival shift. This change in perspective or shifting viewpoint must be considered carefully and in particular how I am going to achieve that to carry off a realistic new view and outlook from such a dimensional. It was suggested by another PhD research student that I looked at the film by Chris Pinney entitled Leviathan. This was directed by Lucian Castone-Taylor who is head of the Harvard University Sensory Ethnography Laboratory.

Conclusions:

And subsequently reviewing that film, whilst these are indeed an alternative viewpoint (and a wonderful deep engagement from a human visual point of view) all that actually seems to be happening is the camera is placed where the seagulls are placed, or where the fish are placed...

• This still makes for an anthropocentric view of the world through another creature's eyes. 
• Immersing myself in the film for its complete cycle reaffirmed my desire and anxiety to try to mediate the point of view through the act of drawing itself!  This is quite a difficult challenge because I suspect that, to many, the outcome may be very esoteric and difficult to understand. 
• Nevertheless, this, however, must not hold me back and my commitment to continue along the theme originally envisaged is growing stronger daily.

Reflections on the lecture of Wednesday 23rd of November 2016 with Dr Rowan Bailey.

Today's session discussed the importance of appropriate presentations for this module in developing the proposal and artistic research methods. For the next two weeks, these lectures will be replaced by our presentations towards the development of the project. In the final lecture during week commencing 11th of December, the intention is to use that session to look at next term's activities. All presentations for the next two weeks will occur in the postgraduate suite.

• The purpose of the presentation is to articulate how our work has been developing in this module TMA 1401.
• It's an opportunity to reflect on the work and research that we have already done and to help crystallise our next steps.
• It's also an opportunity to test our thoughts as to how we approach the major project in the New Year.
• Furthermore, the presentation session will create an opportunity for feedback from the tutors.

Ultimately what this presentation is, is a kind of sales pitch:

• to actively pitch and sell the idea of your proposal.
• To contextualise our ideas.
• To articulate and conceptualise the ways in which we work.
• To provide evidence of research.
• And how this research is going to be applied in practice.

How one articulates their proposal verbally would be different from a written plan simply because in a presentation and audience scenario, the verbal communication as such, cannot be self-plagiarising from the written word. This is not something that needs to be worried about!

It's important to discuss what worked well and good practice.

• Demonstrate project planning and time management so that work can be prioritised and scheduled for next year.
• And articulate the strategy of how you will achieve your each of the tasks that are identified.

The presentation will then be loaded into Turn-it-in after the verbal presentation for further review by tutors.

[see the six-point slide from Dr Bailey to provide areas of what to present. e.g.:]

1. The aims and objectives of the project – these might not be final yet, but a rough outline might help communicate the structure of the project.
2. Research and Development – to explore working strategies, processes, approaches to take.
3. To focus on the framework for your project.
4. the context proposed to work within – is there a target client/user/audience the proposed work is aimed at?
5. to reflect on the key technical skills or key areas of development needed for the project. 
6. Reflections on the project - Next steps?

It is essential to demonstrate reflective analysis which identifies strengths and weaknesses of the process and methods that have been reviewed.

Both visual analysis and text box analysis of any features such as reflections on drawings, sketches, design development and project planning should be self-explanatory.

As a strategy to develop the verbal presentation;

• start by identifying the key ingredients.
• Unpack what needs to be done as tasks and activities.
• Articulate what you have found.
• Set out the objectives to realise the actual project idea.

It is advised that one does not create a "petch-kutcha" style presentation which usually engages through just 20 seconds per slide and in this case would need to fill 15 minutes so that would require 45 slides at 20 seconds each and would probably be far too excessive.

Observations.

• Ensure that you have at least 12 texts that can be referred to, as the subject is an initial reference base. These provide information from your reading lists with relevant articles to reference.
• Remember that this is a proposal only, so start with a broad scope. That is a demonstration that if you have researched with a wide entry point and hence this is why 12 texts should be considered as a minimum starting point is references with a review of at least five other practitioners methods.
• The primary research methods must demonstrate that you have explored these other (five) methods and how you evidence these other methods is critical. As an example use the website at methods at Manchester, to help articulate other practitioners work.
• The method can be delineated through a description supported by various other references and how these might apply in your practice. The aim is to legitimise the work that you carry out yourself through your practice; verify what you do is practice, and then contextualise it to demonstrate its currency.
• As a useful example, look at the "business management" case study as contemporary phenomena would be a good place to start. Further reading can be gained from page 104 onwards for the section entitled "Methods in the book by Carol Gray and Julian Malins (Visualising Research) by Graham Malins (2004).

At this stage is also worthwhile to look at the section "critical reflection" to show some justification for the decisions that you have made as a practitioner to take your work forward.

Conclusions

• Be critical with the reading. 
• Identify what the flaws are in what I have been reading.
• Why is this important?  e.g. this reference is of importance because X, Y, Z.
• To have an excellent presentation is about selecting relevant specifics (just a few) and to have evidence such as strong peer-reviewed quotations to back up the specifics that you have drawn out.
• Demonstrate that one has a firm grounding in the subject matter that is explored.
• Use the University's library system "summons" together with appropriate filters such as the use of peer reviews, current references, and relevant evidence.
• Lastly, it is important to consider how the presentation sits within the marking system. For this module, the assessment will be divided into equal parts. Therefore as there are 30 marks split between the evaluation criteria, then the average taken for the proposal section is approximately five scores from the 30 marks total.

Reflections on a short tutorial with Dr Liam Devlin regarding Digital Media Concepts.

 This was a short lecture on Friday, 18 November 2016. Dr Devlin reminded us about the module being essentially about documenting, testing and experimentation.  Dr Devlin outlined the need to submit a Critically Reflective Summary.

This module, TMA 1404, is about critical reflection on the research that we are doing, and it is therefore necessary to include all relevant images that we come across when presenting our CRS.

(I need to underline the notion of what is relevant with regards to images though).

• Ultimately it is about producing evidence of our research and how we engage practically.
• Analyse key concepts and trends.
• Develop the concepts that underpin my own commercial/academic or positioned practice.
• Work towards furthering your own expertise through providing evidence of doing the same.
• Articulate your rationale for doing things.
• Above all make this a comprehensive and coherent CRS proposal.

There will be a stand-up presentation of the CRS, as it is vital for each of us to be able to explain our position verbally, so therefore the format of the document is equally important.
An illustrations list is therefore required at the beginning of the document, - not at the end for this CRS document.

Define;

• Which practitioners, authors and others influence your work. Document this clearly. 
• Who else is doing this, and where did they originally emerge from?
• And in what context is this? (Make sure the work you do is correctly purposed and target the audience accordingly).
• Articulate each stage of evaluation in your practice, together with the appraisal of it, including your frustrations of what did not work.
• What has caused issues for you? 
• What problems have you overcome and how?
• What are your next steps? -  Document these too!

The CRS document should be approximately 3000 words, but can also include moving images and video which should be placed on the Internet video channel.

Don't forget to articulate which tools I use, such as my blog, time management applications, Twitter, sketchbooks et cetera (if appropriate of course!).

In a nutshell, this module holds 30 credits and is ostensibly about;

•  this is what I wanted to try:
•  this is what I have done; 
• this is what worked; 
• this is what didn't work; 
• and this is what I want to do next!
• 
  

• A presentation for the work already completed as the CRS and your own practice work is required on 15 December. The proposal CRS document must be handed in on Friday, 16 December 2016.

Further reflections;
Following the one-to-one tutorial with Dr Liam Devlin.

• After discussing my ideas of speculative realism and object oriented ontology, I felt that I had been stumped somewhat by a simple question that I actually ended up asking myself!
• I wanted to ask myself how can I sum up speculative realism in art in 30 words or less. I must work hard to be able to articulate the simple tenets of speculative realism. 

It was recommended that I read the book "the aesthetic regime" by Jacques Rancier as soon as possible.

I must try to find this literature and work on this before further commitment to the CRS proposal.

Reflections on a discussion with Dr Rowan Bailey regarding my proposal for digital media research methods.

After a good conversation with Dr Bailey, she recognised and mentioned that it would be worthwhile to revisit the work by Bruno Latour and I should not forget this philosopher's critical initial writings which set the scene for object-oriented ontology.

• I need to do this to be distinctive with the various camps and ideas centred on speculative realism. 
• For example it is also worthwhile looking at a counter argument by Barnard Stiegler, who discusses ideas of Heidegger and also to provide a counter argument for techniques such as chance and time.
• Another good research area to revisit would be the work of Jacques Derrida and his book "Memories of the Blind". Further, work to study "The Metaphor of Drawing and Thinking".
• (Also not forgetting Michel DeCerto)

My core focus must remain on revisiting "The Peregrine" but also to look at methodologies and modes of drawing on the banality of everyday.  - Rowan also suggested that I take a look at Ben Highmore, regarding psychopathology of the everyday.

I need to work on drawing out from the Peregrine. The ideas of migration, the everyday, banality, and metaphors. To help me to do this, I need to think up new methods and metaphors of fracture. It is worth looking at 'experimental drawing' again to try and find practical ideas for this...

Further suggested reading by Dr Bailey was "sing theory, by Bill Brown" I have subsequently been able to locate the paper by this philosopher online. It will help to position my proposal with a view towards looking through the works of Heidegger.

• Let the drawing take ownership of itself!

It is also worth revisiting the work of our very own Dr Juliet McDonald, here at the University of Huddersfield, and her "experimental drawing". (I must try to get a copy of her doctoral thesis if possible).

Last but not least Dr Bailey repeated the very sensible mantra of making sure that I can tick off each of the points of the assessment criteria while producing my proposal document!

"Migration" - a lecture by Dr Rowan Bailey, Wednesday, 16 November 2016.

In thinking further and revisiting my notes regarding "Migration".

Within the context of "Migration," there are incredibly complex challenges of movement in time and space, with equally difficult challenges to infrastructure, population, food, culture, employment and welfare. Migration generates "Wicked Problems".

What seems to be changing currently, though, which is different from previous movements from history, is the expansion of global exchange. As a result, some 3.1% of the world's population are now considered as "migrants".

There are several "push and pull" factors.

• Lack of jobs/poverty
• civil strife, war and persecution
• refugees and "populations of concern" that is, displaced people who are now stateless and it is estimated to be somewhere around 35.4 million people worldwide with approximately 10.4 million of these displaced and stateless persons in the category of being refugees.
• Environmental issues, natural desire disasters.
•  See www.globalisation101.org/migration-introduction/
• desertification, the results of global climate change, etc.
• Illegal people trafficking. This represents the third largest global criminal activity after drugs and arms trades.

For further reading see the work by Doreen Massey "A Global Sense of Place" (1991). Within this book, she investigates

• "what is a place"? 
• -  'Local' versus 'global', (Micro versus Macro); 
• history of place; 
• movement of capital;, etc, etc.

Within this book, Massey also recognises a phenomenon known as "Space-Time Compression".

• What this means is that places don't have unique singular identities, but multiple ones.
• Places do not become frozen in time.
• Places are in constant flux, with multiple interchanges and exchanges of a variety of cultures, generations and new identities.

For further research see the three-part BBC documentary "Exodus" (2016). A documentary raising awareness of real life struggles of migration.
As creative practitioners, the real-world stories have to be told! It is our job as a social recorder and commentator to articulate them, therefore.

For further research look at the work of Sophie Henderson, director of the migration museum project in London.

"Call me by my name: stories from Calais and beyond."

Using graphic practice to explore and articulate the situation of migration and physical movement of displaced people. A new "Migrations Exhibition" is also happening in a small area of Huddersfield Gallery as part of the Migration Museum project. Part of this Migrations exhibition has been curated by Jessica Hemmings (See her book entitled cultural threads: transnational textiles today)

A worthwhile visit to Huddersfield Gallery proved very insightful, and I made the following observations;

Weekly briefing of research methods and proposal writing, Reflections upon a short group tutorial with Dr Rowan Bailey.

Reflection on the session of Wednesday 16th of November 2016.

• It was reminded that the proposal will need to be handed in by Unilearn approximately four weeks today, i.e. before 16 December, one month today. The presentation however will be a week earlier than the proposal hand in date!  I need to therefore make sure my prduction plan fits with these timetables.
• Dr Bailey asked the group if we are building the narrative for what we need in order to submit it. As a further reminder again I will need approximately 12 texts to define other practitioners who have done similar work what they have done and why.
• The five methodologies that we have individually been researching must be selected by now, articulated and referenced fully. The balance is required when selecting appropriate methodologies.
• A statement of consideration of these methodologies is required within the proposal. How have I analysed them and come up with the decision to use a particular methodology or adapted one for my own use.
• It is essential that we are not using a specific research method directly ourselves, we are not going to actually use them directly, but they will shape the application of our own research method.
• A clear framework of themes, contents, contexts, aims and objectives that we are setting ourselves is necessary in the opening introduction and as the strawman for this proposal.
• With regards to word counts it is expected that we will produce at least 3000 words minimally but 6000 words would be much better.
• A visual analysis of other practitioners works is absolutely required. Why are these practitioners inspirational with regards to your own work?
• Avoid the use of "I" through the document, but in the reflective section, it is perfectly acceptable and should be used.

Format;

11 or 12 point font at a spacing of 1 1/2 or double space is required, with Times new Roman, straight aligned left, clear text should be used.

• Illustrations should be referenced fully.
• An abstract is not required at this stage.

Whatever you do, make sure it is useful to you as a working document for the next year of study!

Be careful especially not to duplicate your work for the other module in digital media concepts. If we did, this would put us at risk of self plagiarism.

Within the digital media concepts module, we also need to write a Critical Reflective Summary, and to do so Dr Liam Devlin has created a template which is suitable for our reflective practice.

• Use the checklist of the assessment criteria!
• Structure the proposal for 6000 words. For example, provide say 1000 words for the literature review section with clear signposting of the assessment criteria.

"the Anthropocene, a New Ecological Age". Reflections on a Lecture by Dr Rowan Bailey, 9th November 2016

The following notes relate to a lecture given by Dr Rowan Bailey at the University of Huddersfield, on Wednesday9th November 2016.

The Anthropocene.

This new epoch or age in human history has now been properly recognised and fully 'announced' by The Royal Geological Society.
(For further references see the "Nature" journal regarding the human age and the new human epoch. There is an article entitled "Goodbye the Holocene" which is a look at how the science is generalised by the media, and the idea to question them in order to create new narratives).

How is the Anthropocene being communicated?

What is the underlying message / emotion /etc. regarding this?

Consider the differing disciplinary engagements that all commentate on these issues:
for example

• geologists
• feminists
• capitalists
• Marxists
• et cetera et cetera

What impact of population growth causes the potential environmental issues?

How is the Anthropocene era described as a "wicked problem?"

For example climate change, poverty, urbanisation, water shortages, demographics, waste, waste management et cetera. These are all inextricably linked.

It is useful going to revisit the Arup website www.driversofchange.com and also to relook at the "issues" cards.
Each of these issues cards help to identify on a microcosm type scale each of the current subjects being investigated by Arup research.

The phrase "wicked problems" was originally coined by Rittel and Webber, (1973) who started to explore "dilemmas in a general theory of planning". It was this research that coined the term wicked problems, particularly within urban planning and design. It was recognised that different stakeholders have different reasoning, often they are ill informed, they have subsequently ill-conceived ideas, confusion - born from indeterminacy!
The need is to move beneath this complexity.

See further the Austin Centre for Design website;
at this site it shows 10 characteristics of a "wicked problem" and defines each of the 10 criteria approximately as follows:

1). Wicked problems have no definitive formulation. People's lived experience is different from one another all over the globe.
2). It's very hard (near impossible) to measure things in isolation with regards to wicked problems.
3). Their solutions can only be good or bad, not true or false. In other words these are always subjective outcomes that may please some people but not others.
4). There is no template to follow. (But there is history as a guide).
5). Wicked problems always require more than just one explanation, especially with the explanation being dependent on a perception of X and Y but just as importantly the designer themselves.
6). Every wicked problem is a symptom of another.
7). No mitigation strategy for any of these, as it is always a human customer.
8). A solution is frequently a "one-shot" or nothing type activity, and is not universal.
9). A wicked problem is always unique! It is specific to the site or area and everything that surrounds it within that particular context.
10). The designer attempting to resolve a wicked problem must be fully responsible for their own actions and the outcomes of any proposed and implemented solution.

Wicked problems usually require a "soft" mindset approach to begin to understand the actual issues at hand.

The potential views to take are…
See the                     "hard systems approach V.s The soft systems approach".
Hard systems are ontologically determined, whereas a soft systems approach is epistemologically driven.

How do we consider the Anthropocene in the context of mindset within art and design?

(Tip; Look at the abstract of a paper whenever reviewing it first!).
 For example see the paper "Ethics, Ecology and the Future; Art and Design Face the Anthropocene" written by Kayla Anderson.

See also the work of Joanna Zylinska's paper entitled "Minimal Ethics for the Anthropocene".

Both the above documents are available for download through the Open Humanities Press.

A further book which is particularly useful for my studies is one written by Jonathan Carew entitled "Ontological Catastrophes".

[** Remember always to follow up a writer's own references whenever reading papers of this type!].

Conclusions;

• When writing our proposals, for us to be "critical makers" we also have to be "critical thinkers". We have to articulate the complexities involved clearly. We, therefore, have to move away from the idea that we are the centre of everything. We, therefore, have to think critically, conceptually and speculatively. In other words, we have to think of ideas that are radical/contrary/new!
• Criticality conceptualisation and speculation should work against the cultural norms.
• The idea that fear often stops us from doing this has been written about considerably, and I am drawn to remember a book I read some time ago entitled to feel the fear but do it anyway" by Susan Jeffers.
• "Complexity" is all about the human condition! See the website www.dearclimate.net, this provides a useful segue to an entirely different point of view regarding the climate change that is going to affect all of us. The old-fashioned "narcissist" notion of trying and conquering everything is a traditional way of dealing with "problems" and has to change simply because we cannot master everything. Therefore what we need to do is make an adaptation of situations to find adapted solutions.
• A useful book would be "Critical Design" by Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby, further information can be found at www.unitedmicrokingdoms.org/introduction/

(This is a bit like Thomas Moore's seminal discussions regarding utopias and dystopias)
The above website is a useful example of how artists are articulating new ideas. For example, the book I quoted a little earlier "Feel The Fear But Do It Anyway" by Susan Jeffers, used to fit into a category of books and articles known as "self-help". This suggested that there was something wrong and that there were problems with the reader. In itself this has now been adapted and "self-help" has now become known as "personal improvement". A much more positive view of trying to help yourself but without any connotation of negativity.

** Further research is necessary for "post humanists, and post-humanism."

How can we reimagine and create the speculative design? Speculation becomes a radical act. To think about future possibilities and changing our mindset of a "solution based" approach into new change we need to adapt an environment rather than try to conquer it.

See "The Infinity Burial Project" by Jae Rhim Lee, a TED global broadcast from July 2011. Within this TED talk, the author did detailed research in the science and reproduction of mushrooms and other fungi and came up with the notion of how they can be re-engineered to re-compose the human waste product of cadavers. While this sounds a fascinating and frightening consideration, it is also extremely practical.

Further research

But the themes of the Anthropocene that can benefit from further research would be thinktivism. Speculative realism. Object-oriented ontology. Et cetera et cetera.

We then discussed further details regarding sound ethical practices of a research practitioner. The necessity for openness, honesty, guidance, criticality et cetera. Don't plagiarise others research or findings or indeed reuse any sort of pirated research.

Our proposal is an explanation of our participation "of" and "in" our research.
Think of how other people will be involved? How will people be utilised and in what way?

Take a look at the "Research Ethics" procedure and governments of the University of Huddersfield, and together with the ethics forms and checklist go through the whole process.