Week 5: The Collaborative Mix

Tramaine Berry
Jun 25, 2021
17 min read

Updated: Sep 27, 2023

Week Objectives:

Research and analyse the different ways in which graphic designers produce work collaboratively;
Research and analyse the essential components of collaborative practice;
Design, write and deliver an editorial piece illustrating a collaborative project that has led to an exemplary and historically significant piece of work (300 words plus imagery);
Manage your independent learning effectively.

LECTURE //

‘Design to Change the World’

It was interesting to see Morag Myerscough's work and how she used colour inside 46 en-suite hospital bedrooms and 6 multi-occupancy suites to reduce the need for medication, depression, anxiety, blood pressure, pain intensity and improves mental health. She was invited by Artfelt, the Children's Hospital Chairty's programme, to design the interiors for wards of Sheffield's children's hospital.

When she first presented her ideas to the medical team, they were concerned for the people under medication when they look at these contrasting patterns, so she created a 3d model of the room with her design and showed other patients. By doing this, she informed the staff what the patients wanted as well as using a suitable medium to communicate her idea. This wasn't a physical collaboration, however, she was able to receive input from people that specialised in the medical industry and were able to explain to her the potential effects of the design. Without that input, she wouldn't have gotten the patients involved and move onto the prototyping stage - how do you know that it will work if you haven't tested it out on your audience yet? As a designer, she was able to act as the middle person that gains insight into what the patient wants and what the medical team are looking for.

Some of the medical team requested rooms to be blue and green to suit children with autism and others that had intolerance to colour and patterns. They also requested for the design to be easy to clean, so she digitally added patterns to woodgrain to balance clinical verses warmth in the room.

She moves on to say how she would have shown the hospital team an example of how art and change of the environment can positively impact the patients' well-being, like Newham University Hospital, which where she worked with a group of architects in the Rainbow Unit.

She did mention Sweden hospitals to have particularly beautiful designs but apparently this was probably the first time design had been considered for the bedrooms. I think it is finding the balance between practicality and comfort, which she has achieved through the foldable guest beds next to the patient beds.

Skane University Hospital in Malmo was designed by C.F. Moller (LINK arkitektur) in 2011. The circular design of the building is designed for better access to services around the building, whilst also creating a welcoming interior. And the dashes of colour add a warmth to the clinical building (Arch Daily, 2011).

Another project based in Sweden was Morag's colour mood tweet project in Linkoping University Hospital. She records her mood through the colour of her tweets, so she used an annual archive during the hospital project to inspired a 200m metre pattern for the hospital.

Morag Myerscough: Belonging

Gift of Arts program for hospitals
Inspired by Memphis.
Belonging came when she found her own space to do her work.
Traveling and films helps inspire her work
Power House in London was her first permanent installation
Pays people to help her paint.

Art Block is a free space on Sceaux Gardens Estate created to inspire children to engage in art. It is a 3 year pubic art and education project that invites artists with children. Workshops were created and Morag replicated elements of their work onto the walls.

Fundraising

Looking at her website, I can see that she is very passionate about using her work for social good because she collaborates with people and donates her profits to charities:

An annual art fundraiser during November - raising money for the National Brain Appeal
Stay Home - raised funds for NHS Charities Together
Peace & Joy - profits for Amnesty International UK
Shine - fundraising for The Albert Kennedy Trust.

Graphics That Engage

Kellenberger White is a London based multidisciplinary studio. The studio collaborates with artists, curators, architects and designers, programmers, illustrators and photographers.

A recent project they did was with MIMA. MIMA wanted to re-purpose art as a tool for change and are developing a programme that’s people-centred, addressing urgent issues. The aim was to create an identity born out of a public process so it would be part of MIMA’s artistic programme rather than a more typical client / designer relationship.

Kenjiro Kirton is the co-founder of Hato, which is a design agency based in London and Hong Kong. They use craft that engages its communities through creative play. Hato Press is a sub brand that works with the local community and donates profits go towards new publication tools to support their design audience. Even though their specialism isn’t the most environmentally friendly industry, they make sure to reduce their impact as much as possible through soy inks, uncoated paper. It’s interesting to hear that they are looking into more ways they can help the environment, which I assume is where the profits contribute towards. Inspired by William Morris’ publication called Utopia, which talks about the power behind distrubution - so thats when they started to use this tool to help other artists distribute their work. Through their community workshops, they designed outcomes for the workshops at the beginning but then replaced that with templates instead because children don’t work well with this format - I like the idea that you are creating tools to facilitate to their creative process.

What is designing on schematics?

Schematics design is the building systems, which includes the interior and exterior of the building. It often involves rough drawings of a site plan, floor plans, elevations and illustrative sketches to show the spatial relationships, scale and forms.

In their collaborative workshop called Space Bus, they had to design a digital tool for an iPad that allowed children to design their pictogram and add connotations and meanings.

Makes me feel like I need to design a process that allows dyslexics to utilise their creativity. These pictograms are inside a public bus for the community to try to crack codes during their commute. The inspiration behind this was to communicate to future generations how Liverpool invites a variety of people fro different backgrounds.

These workshops communicate the ethos of the design agency, which is making change through play.

Both Hato and Kellenberger white talked about the need to let go of the final outcome and to trust in the process, however, I wonder how you are supposed to let go of an outcome when clients ask for specific things like a logo? I also find it interesting how Kellenberger talked about influencing brands to make democratic decisions by providing them with or designing the to right tools to do that. Has M+ opened up in Hong Kong yet? Hato mentions Hong Kong’s culture expects results faster compared to the UK.

Havana Club 3 and Jameson Ltd Edition collaborative project by Pearl fisher London

Havana Club 3

Pearl fisher collaborated with Cuban artists to help capture an authentic brand identity for Havana Club 3. The brand identity uses various textures and shades of yellow, which were inspired by the eclectic tiles found throughout Havana, while 17 screen-printed graphics depicting icons of Cuban culture.

This reminds me of when Campo Viejo collaborated with urban artists Okuda & Remed to capture the expressiveness of the wines. Campo Viejo's distinct style mainly comes from Okuda as his portfolio is filled with rainbow geometric and organic shapes, whilst Remed takes his paintings are more abstract geometric forms with various colour combinations; I think Remed adds a softer and friendlier approach to Okuda's geometric forms by introducing shadings and abstract forms.

Jameson

Jameson and Pearlfisher collaborated with artists Claudine O’Sullivan, Alex Mellon and Leonn Ward to create a limited edition St.Patricks Day bottle. The design is inspired by the Irish folk story, Heroes Unite. In the story, three friends set out on an incredible journey, as they head to war the appearance of an eagle provides them with the shields and swords they need to stand united. Its using the creative process to portray this idea of getting together that St Patricks Day is known for.

RESEARCH //

Danielle Pender : Ripost Magazine

(Do more research into each of these resources)

Pender knew that the visual presentation of the magazine would need to be different in comparison to other magazines because the aim of this magazine was to celebrate women rather than shaming them or manipulating the way they looked (eye magazine, 2016). Co-founder and creative director Shaz Madani used text on the cover, but the vision of Riposte didn't begin until the right logo and front cover was created - the text on the cover didn't accuse to them until half-way through the process.

How do you find a co-founder for your idea? This is a good example of finding the right collaborator, but you need to be sure that they are the right person to stick with the business - what if they quit, would they still be co-founder? Trust would be a key aspect and making sure you are both contributing the same amount. What is it like remote working with a co-founder?

Jess Bonham and Anna Lomax

One of them likes minimalism whilst the other likes filling space, which is why they didn’t see themselves working together but ended up balancing each other out.
They like bringing discarded things to give a second life and creating suggestive imagery.

Liv Siddal: Rough Trade

Every 2 weeks at 64 pages
Asking bands to do horoscopes or comics, and take photos whilst on tour.

‘Director Tony Kaye happy to be working and out of “Hollywood jail”’

A few things I have learnt about Tony Kaye's experience with collaboration is the importance of neutral respect. Another element would be understanding his and others role within the team because this allows a smoother collaboration and makes sure he isn't taking over other roles or under-doing your own role (O'Brien, K. (2019)).

A BBC News article (2017) explains why he didn't have much respect because people were below him. The Harvard article talks about how the higher rank we are, the harder it is to be empathetic and listen to other people. Its interesting when Saville says Key was an important collaborator when another article says people working with him found him difficult.

(Give more context about each article)

Own finds

https://www.itsnicethat.com/features/tiktok-creative-canvas-lucas-zanotto-animation-brand-partnership-270520

https://www.itsnicethat.com/search?page=6&terms=collaboration

First things first manifesto

Isn't a manifesto some form of participation because when we adopt certain principles, we are all working towards the same cause. The manifesto is signed by various designers, which does suggest a form of indirect collaboration. https://www.readingdesign.org/first-things-first

The only resource for indirect collaboration is this diagram, which describes indirect collaborations to be done over resources held by third party servers. This is used within manifestos as artists are being given a set of written guidelines to work from and communicate with other people of the same ideology.

Ideas wall

Me: Might seem like a stupid question, but would a manifesto be a form of global/indirect collaboration?

I think of the first things first manifesto and how many designers are all working towards the same goal of saving the planet.

Ben Evans James: Hi Tramaine. I agree manifestos can certainly be great collaborations. From political charters (eg the UN) to artist manifestos (Fluxus) to film (Dogme) to as you say - first things first. There's also an interesting temporal nature to these manifestos through BLAST! is a great example which looked to define a new industrial aesthetic in England but was shit down by the outbreak of WW1. BLAST! is a great piece of design history too https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/v/vorticism/blast-radical-vorticist-manifesto

BLAST! The radical Vortist Manifesto

'Blast No. 1: Review of the Great English Vortex', 1914.

In June 1914, the Vorticists produced their first journal BLAST, which was just before the beginning of the First World War (Chris Stephens, TATE). And it contains a list of things Vorticists love and hate, and poetry/plays.

The tone of this edition is sardonic, vitriolic and humorous to read.

Chris Stephens is the co-founder of 'the Vorticists:Manifesto for a Modern World'.

The Vorticists was a radical art movement that originated in London, and featured mechanical and energetic elements to 'blast' away the Edwardian past. These elements included photography, literature and art forms (Tate Britain Exhibition, 2011).

'The Mud Bath' by David Bomberg was produced with oil paint on canvas, creating powerful contrasts. Even though they dislike the Edwardian era, they are still using the traditional medium and bathing scene we often see in art history, however, a modern twist by reducing the human figure to a series of geometric shapes (Tate, The Mud Bath).

Bomberg's Jewish heritage and identity influenced this painting (and many other paintings) as this scene was based on the steam baths used by a Jewish population in East London for cleanliness and religious observances such as the mikveh ritual bath. His decision to paint the water red was only a few months before the Mud Bath became a blood-bath.

He saw Wyndham Lewis's work (the founder of Vorticism) in Paris 1913, which inspired his appreciation for cubism. This painting in particular was inspired by Futurists and Virtcilsts. He exhibited with the Vorticists on a number of occasions and received an invitation to join the movement, however, he saw himself as too individual to join movements.

Sadly, after serving in the war and suffering from his brother's death in the trenches, his work became more representational with portraits and landscapes (Ruth Millington, 2018). He did however, go into a career of teaching, which as you can see from Ronda (1935) .vs. Tajo and Rocks, Ronda (1956) that he starts using strong colour again (Kate Aspinall, Tate Papers).

Ronda 1935 (pre-teaching) vs Tajo and Rocks, Ronda 1956

In the case of Messiah 1953, the student-turned-architect Richard Michelmore asked Bomberg to co-sign the piece after such feedback turned into something more like collaboration - Bomberg added hair and started the white sheet at the bottom.

His lessons were free and didn't have any rules (Didnt need to go through the academic to access the class).

Between the 1920s and 1930s, the subject matters of Bomberg's work were largely centred on landscapes and brooding self-portraits. His preoccupation with self-portraiture possibly indicates that the artist was reconciling his own identity, at a time when he was increasingly marginalised from the British art world and possibly at war with himself. The self-portraits are psychologically charged, and perhaps as a Jewish artist at a time of rising fascism in Europe, the artist's exploration of 'self' played a broader, political and psychoanalytic role.https://artuk.org/discover/stories/artist-teacher-and-provocateur-the-legacy-of-david-bomberg

According to Leon Betsworth, his classes 'soon gained notoriety because of his unorthodox approach and the cult-like fervour with which some followed him.' Bomberg committed himself to a unique pedagogical philosophy and his approach to teaching transformed the lives of many of his students. He encouraged them to focus on the energy and vitality of their subject matter and utilise their own agency as liberated artists – his mantra to his students being 'Throw yourself in!'

Considered a rather irascible teacher by many of his pupils, Bomberg's influential presence at the school nevertheless led to the fruition of two artistic groups: The Borough Group founded by Cliff Holden, which disbanded in the 1950s, and the 'Borough Bottega', a group which followed the artist and Lilian to Spain.

How is teaching a form of collaboration? What processes are involved? what is the hierarchy when the teacher becomes the participant?

Many of the students who attended Bomberg’s Borough classes had already experienced some form of traditional art school training at other institutions and were invariably shocked when they encountered his particular brand of unorthodoxy.

taught in art school. And they did it very conscientiously; and would show you how to do a thing: how to lay a ground or take a print, how to mix up tempera paint and all those things. Bomberg subscribed to none of this. Richmond says that instead he ‘wanted to get to know his students totally. So he didn’t just teach in an art class, he wanted to know our lives, he wanted to meet our parents, he wanted to meet my father’. Bomberg made genuine efforts on behalf of his students and worked to mitigate any difficulties that might hinder their development as artists.

Bomberg himself. Rather than sitting back while his students worked away at their easels Bomberg was much more involved and ‘present’ than other art teachers. Leslie Marr, former student and son-in-law (1922-), describes the two to three hour lessons as ‘continuous’ in the sense that Bomberg was working with his students constantly, which was not usual

He was just moving slowly from one person to the next, and probably doing a bit of drawing on their drawing; he would pick up their piece of charcoal and make some marks or he would make suggestions. And then he would go on, he was, if you like, he was working all the time.

Holden remembers being encouraged to walk around the model and study the subject from a variety of angles and perspectives. When work commenced, unlike the academic method of ‘correcting’ a drawing, Bomberg’s practice was to get them to engage with the subject to a greater extent; he would walk around the class coaxing them to put more and more ‘energy’ into their work.

One of his constant words he used in the course of his teaching was “Throw yourself in!” – What he meant was throw more energy in.

He didn’t believe a drawing could be done in a mechanical fussy way. ‘Bomberg was emphatic about the subordinate part played in art by technical concerns’, above all, he says, ‘he valued the development and expression of the personality of the artist as a unique individual’.

avoid convention’. The challenge for Bomberg would have been managing this tension and trying to teach without the approach devolving into a series of precepts and predetermined movements that would ultimately resolve into formulaic expression.

students must be rehabilitated and taught to forget any previous academic instruction and what they thought they knew about art in order to acquire what he calls ‘the confidence of their natural inheritance’

Bomberg saw it as the teacher’s task to nurture and guide his novitiates not in the mastery of technique but on an empathetic journey both outward and inward. Elaborating on his liberating pedagogical precept (above), he declares:

It was training in judgement’, he says, ‘which formed the basis of Bomberg’s teaching, and which made it a collaborative activity and not mere instruction.

The principle of the teaching should be to point out – if such can be the case – the inadequate representation of the forms; not to alter the artist’s drawing, but to encourage the artist to feel more deeply or more generously about it, and the most effective way of demonstrating this is through the medium of the Teacher’s own draughtsmanship.

Although Bomberg advocated the teacher’s draughtsmanship as the best way to teach: ‘The living touch of the master’s hand often more fascinating and suggestive than an elaborate finished picture’,52 according to Oxlade’s experience ‘the example was set not by Bomberg’s own work…but rather through the critical appraisal he gave at the end of a session, of the most successful student performance’.53 With Bomberg pitting student against student, it is arguable that a singular aesthetic emerged not because primal artistic impulses were being tapped but rather that an unconscious mimicry was at work through various influencing factors like in-group dynamics and peer-pressure – the desire not only to ‘please teacher’ but to satisfy and continue to be accepted by the group. In this view, Bomberg’s influence is effective at one remove – perhaps through the student(s) most sensitive and susceptible to Bomberg’s powers of suggestion.

He recalls how students would often visit Bomberg’s house where he held meetings with the class, and would fire them up and tell them that together they were going to change the course of Art in England. Looking back, Marr finds that to force such an idea upon young and impressionable minds was perhaps ‘much too strong’ and somewhat irresponsible

He remembers that there was quite a dispute on one occasion when there was a drawing that two people had claimed. Both argued ‘no, that’s mine…’ and Bomberg noticed this and went over to them and was delighted. And he said: ‘“Aha! Just like the old apprentice system! The pupils would absorb the style of the old master to such an extent that if they did well then their work would be unrecognisable as anybody’s but ‘The School’s

No you didn’t,” he said, “I got inside you and painted that”. Bomberg made his students feel as though they were artists, which is to suggest that there is proven value in what and how Bomberg taught. But it may be that ultimately Bomberg’s influence had a debilitating effect on those most receptive to his teaching. Bomberg once wrote that ‘he who follows someone’s lead will never surpass him’, never becoming an official member of either the Borough Group or the Borough Bottega. This student was very much like David by never joining any groups, and I think this idea of ‘never surpassing when following someone’ also applied to being apart of manifestos or groups (the founders are the leaders)

How did he change teaching methods?

https://www.dacs.org.uk/latest-news/dacs-launches-manifesto-for-artists-–-a-roadmap-fo?category=For+Artists&title=N

Harvard Review

According to Harvard Business Review, we fail to listen to others because we’re anxious about our own performance, convinced that our ideas are better than others. As a result we get into conflicts that could be avoided, miss opportunities to advance the conversation, alienate the people who haven’t been heard, and diminish our teams’. Pixar is one example that makes sure high positioning doesn't influence our inability to listen as they 90-minute lunchtime class on the art of listening. effectiveness.https://hbr.org/2019/11/cracking-the-code-of-sustained-collaboration

When team members focus on conveying empathy more than on sharing their opinions, I’ve found, everyone feels more satisfied with the discussion. Showing empathy also makes others more likely to ask you for your point of view. Collaboration proceeds more smoothly.

It also talks about self-awarensss and how our overly optimistic self-perceptions drive our decisions about whether to allow others to have control. This sounds like something that was lacking in Tony Kaye's collaborations.

IDEAS WALL //

My own insights

http://imageofthestudio.com/explore/influences

This is an interesting form of collaboration between studios that informs what it is like working within a studio. I suppose you need an element of trust in each participant's honesty because they might alter their answer to make the studio look better.

WORKSHOP CHALLENGE //

What are the essential components of the collaborative mix?

Find one example of collaboration past or present that has led to an exemplary and historically significant piece of work.

Analyse the relationship of the collaborators and the roles they played;
Research any documented history of the challenges they faced and the outcome they produced;
Explore and analyse any specific approaches they took to their creative process or recording of their ideas that facilitated a successful outcome.

Design as an editorial piece (300 words), along with accompanying imagery.

Essential components of collaboration

Compromise or finding a balance
Building a working system that fits the team
Listening to different perspectives
Trust in the process
Knowing your role within the team
Neutral respect
Same cause
Empathy

David Bomberg

Ive been looking into David Bomberg. It's interesting to hear how he didn't sign up for manifestios despite being invited to them.

He and another student both signed their name on a painting because his feedback was more of a collaboration. You could argue that going over a student's work when giving feedback isn't helpful but I think this teaches the student to not be too precious over their work.

As his work progresses in his teaching career, you can see how much the students bring back a sense of self in his work.

I was very interested in the idea of indirect collaboration and I taught I would explore the teacher's role in an art/design student's education using a model I found. There wasn't a lot of research on this topic, so I wanted to see how I could apply it to the design world.

300 words

In the case of the painting ‘Messiah 1953’, the student-turned-architect Richard Michelmore asked David Bomberg to co-sign the piece after feedback turned into a direct collaboration - Bomberg added hair and started the white sheet at the bottom.

Bomberg’s teaching style was unorthodox compared to other art teachers from the same facility (and different institutions for that matter) because he was more ‘present’ and involved in the students' work (direct collaboration); art teachers would only observe their work and correct their techniques. Bomberg believed it was important for his students to be rehabilitated and taught to forget any previous academic instruction and what they thought they knew about art in order to acquire what he calls ‘the confidence of their natural inheritance’ - this would mean they are less reliant on indirect collaborations or influences.

Bomberg would promote expression of the artist over technique by showing them how to feel more deeply about the object they are representing. He made genuine efforts on behalf of his students and worked to mitigate any difficulties that might hinder their development as artists.

Leslie Marr, “He was just moving slowly from one person to the next, and probably doing a bit of drawing on their drawing; he would pick up their piece of charcoal and make some marks or he would make suggestions”.

Even though Bomberg refused an invitation to join an art group, he used the movement indirectly to influence his own work, which in-turn inspired his student’s work through observation and direct collaboration. It was only when students would have their work too similar to Bomberg’s that he would claim as his own work rather than the student’s: ‘I got inside you and painted that (..) Just like the old apprentice system! The pupils would absorb the style of the old master’.