Persons of Note- Shape

I wanted to look at how date could be transferred through these circuits, and their binary nature, and how this ties to Turings method (0/1-hole punched/not).

What do I like?

-Like the repeated patterns and simplicity of rope

-Think the abstract shapes work well as they will give the audience something to 'decode' themselves

What don't I like?

- Rope doesn't really say 'Turing' to me, a bit too ambiguous- could I make abstract patterns and shapes reveal how he thought about the machine??

What's next?

-Turing thought there would not always be one absolute solution with machines, but many possible routes, only one of which is correct, I want to explore this further through exploring circuits more

-Could try adding stitch instead of ink? A more mechanised way of adding line?

Thinking about circuits and how they transmit information by
scrambling and unscrambling

Cut paper to integrate the punched holes and
patterns of rope

I like this abstract from the cut out shapes of the
rope,where one thing becomes another, just like
decoding 

Persons of Note- Key ideas

Through all my research, I have really begun to build a good picture up in my head of who Alan Turing is, and what his main, true successes in life were. I have narrowed these down to brief ideas which I would like to explore visually within this project.

Key Ideas:

- He believed that machines would not always be able to provide one definite answer, and that man must work alongside machine for them to be effective

- His contribution to the Bombe was mainly theoretical, he 'mapped out' how the machines should look at the relationship between letters

- Despite his appearance of a logical genius, he only became good at particular trials through intense, deliberate application (e.g. he was awful at chess- a logic filled game- for most of his life, until he decided to practise it to the extent where he didn't even need a board to play, as he did it mentally)

- People used to say he had a 'mechanical' brain, which meant he found it easier to understand and develop these machines, as they were wired similarly to his brain

- He was only really interested in the innovation and cultivation of new ideas, he became disinterested once the code was broken

- Despite being so quick and technical, his handwriting was notoriously awful


Existing stamps:

Like the aesthetic but scene is too 'twee'

Want to stay away from the true to life
drawings of the Bombe- too obvious and
could be boring

Quite like the repetition and
anonymity of background- not
sure of the face fits though

Really like the ambiguity of this, would
love to have an abstract feel to my stamps
also would like to incorporate the colours
of the drums on the Bombe

I found both of the following examples of posters in A Century of Posters by Martijn F. Le Coultre

I think they both are really relevant to my work, as they show a stripping down to the bare components and constructing a new, re-appropraited image to show a different meaning. 

This image I feel has a content really relevant to my project, as the repeated simple shapes, to me, talk about a binary kind of image which shows the input and output of the typewriter.  Also, I think the limited colour palette is really something I want to look into more, as I think this was a strength of my last brief, and I would like to continue it here.

I think the strong, intersecting lines and bold colours, along side the circle notion really remind me of Turing's work. Also both of these pieces were made during the 1950's, which is around the time of most of Turing's work, and I love the retro, nostalgic feel it holds. This is really something which I want to consider within my work.

Because of all this, I particularly want to look at:

The relationship between hand made and machine, especially looking at rotations and holes in the paper strips of the machines.

I think it's astonishing that Turing, in essence, turned something as small as punched holes in paper into the key to ending WWII.

Persons of Note- Bletchley Park second visit

I found the second visit to Bletchley Park extremely helpful, as I had had time over the evening to think over what I wanted to explore more, and I was able to spend more time in the museum near the end of the tour.

Through drawing different aspects of the components of the Bombe, I have decided I want to really focus more on the small details of Turing's work, as this attention to detail and accuracy was the only reason his theory came to fruition.

Components of the Bombe

Wiring sizes from the Bombe

The checking machine

Back of the Bombe

Front of the Bombe, loaded

Front of the Bombe, not loaded 

Switchboard scrambler

Alan Turing's watch

Turing's teddy bear, which he acquired as an adult

Some items purchased from Bletchley Park

Some of the leaflets

Book by Alan Turing's Nephew

I was really happy that I got the opportunity to draw during my second visit, as it really helped me to visually explore the Park and made me realise how I could translate what I saw and experienced.

Close up of some of the wiring which
covered the back of the Bombe

Inspired by the rotors in the Bombe, and how each
one has a different size and function 

Focusing on the front sections of the Bombe

Some of the finer details of the back section of the Bombe

Overall, I have been able to gather different stimuli and starting points, from which I will be able to develop my work through reflection over the coming weeks. I have found the experience of actually being at Bletchley Park extremely valuable.

Persons of Note- Bletchley park photos

Persons of Note- Bletchley Park visit one

Wow!

I'm just about to leave Bletchley Park after spending 5 hours here today, and I was blown away. Although I had intended to spend the day drawing around my subject of Alan Turing, I was so absorbed in his world and life that I didn't notice the time go by and I haven't done a single drawing! I took plenty of photos though, and really started to appreciate what it was like for Turing at Bletchley Park, I even got to see the 'bombe' in operation and went to a talk about it. 

Because the tickets are annual passes I will definitely come back tomorrow, as it is only half an hour from where I am staying in London. I plan to skip straight to the specific parts about Turing and just spend my time drawing drawing drawing!

I was given a map and 'multi media guide' on arrival, which had loads of useful and interesting information on different aspects of the Park as well as anecdotes and interactive games about code breaking. 

However, because I had underestimated the size of the place and amount of information it contains, I was so tired by the end of the day that I wasn't feeling energised enough to really read and draw when I got to the museum parts on Turing. Therefore these parts will be my focus tomorrow. 

The most interesting things I discovered were:

- How the bombe works, I went to a demonstration on how it works and found the complexities and mathematics behind it astonishing

- The re-occurrence of simple things, such as the thin paper strips, punched paper and simple red grids on paper, give an insight into how repetitive and huge the operation was

- The relationship between paper and machine, and how they both relied upon each other to narrow down and work out the codes

- Simply the beauty of the place, and how this was, in some ways, a haven from the war, whilst still being at the very core of it

This has inspired me by:

- Seeing the workings out and roughing made me realise how personal these relationships with numbers were, and how it was the trials of different theories which allowed the breakthrough

- The imagery available through the simple, repetitive parts of the machines has made me think about simple colours and patterns, and how these basic means put a stop to the war

- The co-dependence of paper and machinery has made me want to explore using paper to construct more complex items

- The calmness of the place made me realise that their war was totally different to the physical one. Turing had to fight with himself, his co-workers and reams and reams of text. I want to stay away from expected war-time imagery, as that wasn't Turing's legacy. His was a battle of wit and logic to win the war through saving lives, not taking them

My plan for tomorrow is: 

- Get there early and head over to hut 8 (most people follow the numbered guide so it will be quiet early on as it is halfway through the tour)

- Exhaustively draw the interesting parts of Turing's office and hut- re-listen to the guide 

- Try to get on one of the hour long 'chauffeur tours' of the gardens and huts

- Go to the museum and draw the intricacies of the bombe

- Spend some time reading about Turing in his exhibition space

What questions will I resolve tomorrow?

- What amount of contact did Turing actually have with the Bombe? 

- How did the actual construction of the Bombe work?

- Would the deciding of the messages be possible without Turing's work?

Leading to the cottages where Turing lived for
some of his time at Bletchley

Multi-media guide

Radio tower

Bombe prop from the Imitation Game

End of the day in the visitor café

Persons of Note- Notes from other Megan

During the feedback session Megan Naylor-Wardle mentioned she had some notes from when she met Alan Turing's nephew, which she sent to me earlier, I think this small insight into his life and his more personal interactions was a good way to start thinking about what Turing was about other than just the Bombe at Bletchley Park.

Persons of Note- The Imitation Game

Aims:

As suggested by Matt, I sketched whilst I was watching The Imitation Game, in order to just see what freely came to my mind during it.

Intent:

I wanted to just visually explore avenues I hadn't thought of before and look at broader aspects of his life that just what I had found online in Google Images.

Evaluation:

Although I don't think my drawings were particularly successful, they did help me to understand more interesting avenues about his work and how these could be depicted. I also found the quick nature of my drawings very interesting, as I has to quickly scribble down what I could see and how I made sense of scenes, which helped me to develop a deeper understanding of how all these small things come together to make what is Alan Turing.

Questions:
There were many times when I avoided drawing things because I wasn't confident in doing so quickly, can I compromise with speed and accuracy by using my imagination to fill in the gaps?
How far can I strip back the imagery without it loosing the nature of Turing?

Could I combine aspects of each element of the finals to create a bigger picture? (Like making something for the viewer to decode??)

Persons of Note- Time management

We got given timetables to help organise how we spend out time over Easter, which I think will be really beneficial to me in helping to manage my tasks.

Because of other commitments such as family visits and volunteering at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park exhibition, I don't actually have as much time as I initially thought to spend on my work over the Easter Holidays, therefore I have to make sure I use my time wisely.

What are my priorities over the holidays?
- Make the most of the studio space and print facilities whilst they are quiet
- Get my developed first designs done for my tutorial with Jamie on the 12th of April
- Chip away a bit at COP- so will make the most of my train journeys to work on my essay, and on my commute home/evenings during the YSP exhibition try to explore COP visually
- Document my experiences at YSP for PPP
- Stick to my plan so that during the time I have blocked off for seeing family and friends I can relax and have some time away from work (Easter and Sheffield)

Persons of Note- Primary research plan

I am really excited to go to Bletchley Park, not only because it will be a great way to gather research for my project, but also because I just have such a genuine interest in him, which will make sure this project is really fun for me!

On the way down I have booked the coach which takes four and a half hours, so I will have plenty of time to get stuck into the 800 page book on Alan Turing I have started!

I would also like to visit the Imperial War Museum, as this has lots of information and displays on the 'secret war' during WW2, including much of Turing's work.

Persons of Note- Research Feedback

Today we had a 'speed dating' type session for our feedback, which meant I was able to get feedback from a lot of my peers at the same time as hearing about their project and research methods, and thinking about how I could implement them into my own work.

What do I need to do next?
Look up Alan Turings' theories on morphogenesis, what makes him (more than just enigma)?
Think about how I can break down the components of the machine, what makes it work?
Experiment with letraset letters?
Get notes from Megan N-W on her interview with Alan Turings' nephew.
Try to make the most of visit to Bletchley Park- Maybe research other museums in London I could visit?
Play around with typewriter and the patterns I can make with that
Develop work to start experimenting with screen and mono print

Persons of Note- Initial sketches

I decided to begin to visually explore all of my people through some sketches based on what I found out about them.

Initial notes on Howard Hughes

Sketching based on what I found out about Hughes

Initial information about Alan Turing 

Briefly looking at the code machines used and how to portray it

Briefly exploring media and how to depict the bombe

The research material I have ordered

What do I want to explore more?
I have decided to focus on Alan Turing, as before the brief was set, I thought we would get to choose our person for the 'Persons of Note' brief and I was going to choose Turing, so when he was one of the people I was given I was really excited. I find his life and legacy really interesting, especially since his work and personal life were often so secretive, which really echo the sadness of his life and how so many of his achievements went unrecognised.

I am really looking forward to getting into the history of Turing and finding what he is really all about. I have purchased some books on him, as well as the film based on his life, The Imitation Game, which I have already seen, but I think will be a good thing to re-watch to get an overview of his legacy.

I also plan on going to Bletchley Park, where all the code breaking took place, on Wednesday, as there is a museum there and I think it will be extremely inspirational to see where Turing worked. I will take my camera and sketchbook and plan to spend the day really experiencing what it was like for him to work there.

Persons of Note- Hannah Hoch

I've always really loved Hannah Hoch's work, as I think she manages to strike an important balance between humour and seriousness with her absurd collages.

I also really like how she combines other components to ensure that her work is not solely portraiture, which is something I would like to explore throughout this project. I think her retro and yet still modern take on collage has ensured her images evoke a certain sense of nostalgia whilst still being fairly ambiguous. 

In addition, her use of a selective colour palette helps to cool the whole piece and make it easier for the audience to connect to it.

Persons of Note- Initial research

We got given three names to choose from to study in our persons of note brief, from which we will create:
4x Stamps 50x35mm
3x Postcards 105x148mm
1x A2 poster 594x420mm

Orientation and media optional, but they must be visually consistent.

The choices I had were:

Alan Turing
Born: 23rd June 1912, Maida Vale, London
Died: 7th June 1954 (41)
OBE
Worked at Bletchley Park, Britain’s code breaking centre, and shortened the war in Europe by two to four years. He played a pivotal role in cracking intercepted coded messages that enabled the Allies to defeat the Nazis. He improved the pre-war Polish bombe method and an electromechanical machine which could find settings for the Enigma machine.
Seen as the ‘father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence’.

Turing was prosecuted for ‘homosexual acts’ in 1952 and accepted treatment with DES (chemical castration) as an alternative to prison. He died from cyanide poisoning which was officially ruled as suicide, but there is controversy over whether it was accidental poisoning.

In 2009 Prime Minister Gordon Brown made an official public apology and in 2013 Queen Elizabeth granted him a posthumous pardon.



Howard Hughes
Born: 24th December 1905, Humble, Texas
Died: 5th April 1976 (70)
He was a maverick film tycoon, and gained prominence in Hollywood from the late 1920’s through often quite controversial, big-budget films such as Hell’s Angel and Scarface.

Hughes also formed the Hughes Aircraft Company, and set multiple world air speed records, as well as expanding several airline companies.

On the 14th July, 1938, he set a record by flying around the world in 91 hours (3 days, 19 hours and 17 minutes)

He is remembered for his eccentric behaviour and reclusive lifestyle in his later years.
He suffered from severe OCD during his life time, which varied from separating peas to size order using a special fork, to unnecessarily close attention to detail in his films, to stacking and re-arranging Kleenex boxes. He also suffered from allodynia (Pain response to stimuli that would not normally cause pain) which meant he refrained from cutting his hair and nails or bathing for weeks.



Jim Henson
Born: 24th September 1936
Died: 16th May 1990 (53)
Most famously known for creating the Muppets. He was a puppeteer, film director, television producer and musician.

His development of puppets began during college where he created several short forerunners of the Muppets show. He revolutionised the puppet world through the framing on cameras and creating the characters from flexible, fabric covered foam rubber.

He also worked on big budget films as a make-up artist and assisted in the casting of some voice roles too.

He was posthumously inducted into Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991 and as a Disney Legend in 2011.

His death came about very suddenly, as he cancelled a Muppet recording two days before his death due to ‘flu-like symptoms’ he then began coughing up blood, but didn’t want to take time away from his schedule to visit the hospital. It is rumoured that his Christian Science faith was the real thing which prevented him from seeking medical attention immediately. Later that day he was admitted to hospital but died from Toxic Shock Syndrome less than 24 hours later.

FINAL THOUGHTS

At the moment I think it is between the first two, as I feel a lot more excited by their legacy and am more excited by exploring their past more, but I will visually explore all three before I decide.

Persons of Note- Initial brief

Initial brief:

AIM:

We had two hours to complete some roughs and a final A2 poster outcome based on a famous person without showing their face or using type.

Initial sketches

Final A2 outcome

INTENT:
Initially I looked at a few different people, but I settled on Kim Kardashian as I had more interesting visual ideas about her. I wanted to convey a quite humorous and ambiguous image of her 'peachy bum' through using both cut paper and coloured pencil.

EVALUATION:
I think this image works well to convey the 'image' of Kim Kardashian, as at the end of the day my peers mostly knew who it was about and understood why I had used the peach to create a strong visual metaphor. After talking with Matt and my peers throughout the production of this piece I decided to change the material for the dress and orientation of the page in order to create a more dynamic composition. On reflection, I would have used a stronger colour for the peach in order to create a stronger contrast to the black.

QUESTIONS:
Did I explore enough ideas within my roughing stage? Could I have explored paint or cut paper for the peach?