Message

What is Message?

Carrier pigens, Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. 275, April, 1873.

Welcome to the new Message Research Group website.

Message is a research group based at the University of Plymouth.

 
Messages are everywhere.

It is evident when we look and listen and touch and taste and smell, that many things contain messages.

Messages exist because we must communicate to define our boundaries or be together.

Messages are sent and received in an infinite number of ways, sometimes resulting in collaboration and sometimes in war.

This group will explore the message...

•    A visual, verbal, written or recorded communication sent to or left for a recipient.

•   An official, formal communication, delivered with authority to an individual, a given audience or to the public.•   A letter, dispatch or item of mail - written, pictorial or printed.

•   A significant point, an idea, a central theme or object that has artistic, moral, political or social importance.

•   An inspired communication from a prophet, preacher, or teacher.

•   A remark, action or tone of voice.

•   A statement or piece of information - either explicit or implied.

•  The essence or meaning of something.

Message annual report 2010/2011

Download MessageAnnualReportVersion4

Growing Knowledge: The Evolution of Research

Last week, arriving the day before D&AD began i spent a few hours at the British Library, there is an incerdible exhibition of Science Fiction, book covers http://www.bl.uk/sciencefiction some really interesting designs here going way back into the 19th and even 16th century, though it is mainly 20th century material.

Across the hall was another exhibition i hadn't known about before my arrival http://www.growingknowledge.bl.uk/ that i thought was worth sharing with you all. lots to digest here and fortunately the majority of it is also online. One big area of development is the semantic web, applications that can interogate every detail of a text on-line and cross reference it with your own research to find common links.

This software http://www.mendeley.com/

looks interesting.

Also bumped into Kayla yesterday and she told me about this site http://www.academia.edu/ i have jojned up and also invited all of you via the site to also join.

I also saw The Hardy Tree, its behind St Pancras on a church site that incredibly dayes back to the 4th Century though the tree is far younger.

 

A one day symposium, text + image = message

Lizzie Ridout giving a paper at the text+image=message symposium

Message exhibition

Exhibition of work in progress by the Message research group.

Prezzi - A rather useful way to communicate

I've just found a great new way to do presentations.

all the info is here http://prezi.com

Easy to learn how to do these and i love the way they are so non-linear.

Really worth a look.

 

Two messengers go on an allnighter !

Tom Barwick & LInda Scott have both just completed a 24hr non-stop occupancy at the EDEN project in St Austell, Cornwall.

Find out all about it here at the live blog from the event here. Ssanned artwork from their drawing marathon will be uploaded to this sight, just as soon as the organisers have a chance to get some sleep. Thanks to organisers Tom and Phil , our live blogger Luke, the two Eden volunteers who brought us tea and coffee and made us feel so welcome and all the team at EDEN. And lastly all the other artists that took part, including Emma Carlisle a year 3 student on BA(hons)Illustration here at the University of Plymouth.

This was taken at about 09:00 - 21 hours into the event.

And this must of been around the same time, looking at all the artwork LInda has produced by this point.

Message exhibition

Friday 18 March 2011 Private View

Public viewing from Saturday 19 March 2011

Cross Point
Roland Levinsky Building
University of Plymouth

A one day symposium, text + image = message

text + image = message ⁿ
Designers, illustrators and film-makers are alchemists who experiment with this formula to transform their ideas into visual gold.

The successful visual message is arguably an ingenious blend of the spatial world of pictures and the temporal world of words. Words evoke images, yet images do not always evoke words. Words need an agreed system in which to operate, whereas pictures can refer directly to their subject without any such agreement.

Increasingly in our western culture our main forms of communication utilise the formula of words and images – film, internet, television, newspapers. Words and images inform us about the world and shape how we perceive it.

With the evolution of technology, the balance between word and image has shifted back and forth over the millennia from image to word to image – this balance of relationship reflects and informs cultural and sociological shifts and concerns.

It leads and follows. It is serious and irreverent. It confirms and subverts.

It is such a simple equation, yet is very difficult to get right and has an infinite number of possible solutions and outcomes to keep us engaged, entertained and outraged.

Made for Design and Communication practitioners
Graphic designers / art directors
Editorial and publishing designers
Illustrators and their agents
Photographers and their agents
University post-graduate students
University research groups and centres

Speakers
Rob Mason – Illustrator and senior lecturer
Norwich University College of the Arts

David Pearson – Designer
David Pearson Design

Rebecca Pohancanek – Curator
The Art of Lost Words

Graham Rawle – Writer, collage artist and lecturer
University of Brighton

Lizzie Ridout – Designer and lecturer
University of Plymouth

Professor Brian Webb – Designer
Webb and Webb, London

Funded by Centre for Media Art and Design Research – MADR
Faculty of Arts, University of Plymouth.

The Day
Includes a lunchtime viewing of Message 41, an exhibition of ongoing work by the Message research group and a private view / drinks reception of The Art of Lost Words in the Peninsula Gallery, with gallery talk by exhibition curator Rebecca Pohancanek, (www.textgallery.info/aolw).

Early bird booking (by 28 February 2011) – £30
Bookings (after 1 March 2011) – £40
University of Plymouth staff / students – no charge
Includes lunch and refreshments

To book:
Please go to:
https://estore.plymouth.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?compid=1&catid=11&modid=2&prodid=120&deptid=9

Enquiries:
Sue Matheron on 01752 585030
[email protected]

Plymouth Hoe and the surrounding world

Invitation
Artwork Opening and Artist’s Talk
Saturday 12 February 2011
12noon
Plymouth Hoe
“Plymouth Hoe and the Surrounding World”
Augmented Reality Art
by Vlad Geroimenko
http://bit.ly/hoe-art

“Plymouth Hoe and the Surrounding World” is an Augmented Reality Artwork by UK digital artist Vlad Geroimenko.
Visitors to the beautiful Hoe often ask “Which direction is Paris? Which direction is New York?” The artwork depicts 6 of the world’s best known landmarks as they would appear if they were visible from the Hoe:
 Big Ben (London)
 St Basil’s Cathedral (Moscow)
 Eiffel Tower (Paris)
 Sagrada Familia (Barcelona)
 Christ the Redeemer (Rio de Janeiro)
 Statue of Liberty (New York)
A description gives the distance to each place in miles and kilometres. Each landmark is depicted in a digital oil painting by the artist.
Meeting Point
Plymouth Hoe, Promenade
(in front of the Plymouth Naval Memorial)
Don’t forget to bring your iPhone or Android mobile!

What is Augmented Reality?
Mobile Augmented Reality is a new emerging technology that can display real time digital information on top of the real world. It augments the real world as seen through your mobile phone, based on your location.
How to View the Augmented Reality Artwork
 You will need an iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS or Android mobile equipped with the necessary browser.
 To get the browser, open the iPhone App Store or the Android Market and search for “Layar”.
 Choose the “Layar Reality Browser” (free) and then select “Install”.
 Make your way to the Hoe, launch the browser and search for the “Hoe” layer.
 Enjoy the artwork!

Artist’s Statement
With this project, I’m launching my research into the use of Augmented Reality in art, design and architecture. The purpose of the project is to try to combine the artistic and practical application of the new emerging technology. The artwork is intended to connect Plymouth Hoe (a spot of outstanding beauty and historic heritage) with some famous places from around the world (represented by digital photo paintings of their landmarks). This artistic augmentation of the real world shows the creative potential of Mobile Augmented Reality and provides a framework for my future projects.

Dr Vladimir Geroimenko
Digital Artist
www.geroimenko.com
Associate Professor (Reader)
University of Plymouth
www.plymouth.ac.uk/staff/vgeroimenko

32.05

 

The Messengers organised an exhibition of current work by Illustration, Graphic Communication and Design Research staff and colleagues at the University of Plymouth last week. Thanks in particular to Peter Jones, who carried the brunt of the work and orchestrated a fine affair.

A selection of the work follows:

Ashley Potter

David Smart

Dean Owens

Lizzie Ridout

Steven Bond

Emma Hopton