Design Context: January 2014

Monday 27 January 2014

Responsive - Secret 7 - Research

SECRET 7 - Elbow Grounds for divorce

For my Research for secret 7 i decided first to simply look at the history of the band and see what there about as i felt it would give me more of a feel for the band and help my design process.

Elbow are an English alternative rock band consisting of Guy Garvey (vocals, guitar), Richard Jupp (drums, percussion), Craig Potter (keyboards, piano), Mark Potter (guitar, backing vocals), and Pete Turner (bass guitar, backing vocals). They have played together since 1990, but since 1997 as Elbow, and have released five studio albums: Asleep in the Back (2001), Cast of Thousands (2003), Leaders of the Free World (2005),The Seldom Seen Kid (2008), and Build a Rocket Boys! (2011). All of their studio albums, in addition toDead in the Boot (2012), have placed in the top 15 of the British album charts, and seven of their singles have placed in the top 40 of the British singles chart.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elbow_(band)

They changed their name a third time to 'Elbow', after a line in the BBC TV drama The Singing Detective. A character (Philip Marlow) states that the word "elbow" is the most sensuous word in the English language, due to the way it makes the character feel when he says the word. The band then signed a deal with Island Records and recorded their debut album that was produced by Steve Osborne. However, when Island was bought out by major label Universal, the band was dropped in a mass cull and the album was not released.

They continued to record with the independent label Ugly Man and released The Noisebox EP, The Newborn EP, and The Any Day Now EP. These releases garnered extensive airplay on BBC Radio 1.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elbow_(band)

Musical style and influences

Elbow have cited a number of influences on their music, including Genesis (in particular the progressive rock years featuring Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett), Talk Talk and Radiohead. Guy Garvey has said: "I grew up listening to every Genesis record. I learned to write harmonies by listening to Peter Gabriel"Newborn", from Elbow's debut album, was directly influenced by "Entangled" from the Genesis album A Trick of the Tail. He has also claimed: "There would be no Elbow without Radiohead."

LYRICS:

I felt it would be appropriate to obviously look at the lyrics i am already familiar with the song but i think re-reading over the lyrics so i can get some strong concept.

"Grounds For Divorce"

Mondays is for drinking to the seldom seen kid

I've been working on a cocktail called "Grounds For Divorce", whoa
Polishing a compass that I hold in my sleep, whoa
Doubt comes in on sticks, but then he kicks like a horse, whoa
There's a Chinese cigarette case and the rest you can keep
And the rest you can keep
And the rest you can keep

There's a hole in my neighbourhood
Down which of late I cannot help but fall
There's a hole in my neighbourhood
Down which of late I cannot help but fall

Mondays is for drinking to the seldom seen kid
(Ooh, ooh)

There's this whispering of jokers doing "Flesh by the Pound"
To a chorus of supposes from the little town whores
There'll be twisted karaoke at the Aniseed Lounge
And I'd bring you further roses but it does you no good
And it does me no good
And it does you no good

There's a hole in my neighborhood
Down which of late I cannot help but fall
There's a hole in my neighborhood
Down which of late I cannot help but fall
There's a hole in my neighborhood
Down which of late I cannot help but fall

Someday we'll be drinking with the seldom seen kid
(Ooh, ooh)

AESTHETIC RESEARCH

I decided to begin my research by looking at there existing album artwork.

Elbow Album/Single Artwork:

People who inspire them -

Talk Talk -

Radio head -

I next looked at artists similar to 'Elbow' so i could look at there album artwork also for inspiration...

There weren't to many artists who had similar artwork but i found the 'Editors' which had similar designs to Elbows art work.

Also keane..

Next i decided to look at a variety of music artwork/illustrations for general inspiration...

I decided after initial sketches that i would research into some general texture and gradient designs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1V-Mj-iizw

http://www.traveljournals.net/pictures/l/7/76230-the-temple-of-convenience-an-underground-public-toilet-converted-into-a-bar-manchester-united-kingdom.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL4mywCOJXA&feature=kp

http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858706720/

Wednesday 22 January 2014

Body Shop - Research

FURTHER RESEARCH

I Decided to look at more spiritual side at Buddhism and also goddesses as a reference point.

BUDDISM

Buddhism is a non theistic religion that encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, who is commonly known as the Buddha, meaning "the awakened one". According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha lived and taught in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE He is recognized by Buddhists as an awakened or enlightened teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings end their suffering through the elimination of ignorance and craving by way of understanding and the seeing of dependent origination, with the ultimate goal of attainment of the sublime state of nirvana.

Two major branches of Buddhism are generally recognized: Theravada ("The School of the Elders") and Mahayana ("The Great Vehicle"). Theravada has a widespread following in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar etc.). Mahayana is found throughout East Asia (China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan etc.) and includes the traditions of Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Shingon, and Tiantai(Tendai). In some classifications, Vajrayana—practiced mainly in Tibet and Mongolia, and adjacent parts of China and Russia—is recognized as a third branch, while others classify it as a part of Mahayana.

Theres a lot of strong quotes and meanings that come from buddhism.

GODDESSES

A goddess is a feminine or female deity with supernatural powers.In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and vegetation. In other cultures, Goddesses also rule over war, death and destruction as well as creation, good, divinity, healing and life. They can be figureheads of religions and can be accessed in modern times by religious statues.

In some religions, a sacred feminine archetype can occupy a very central place in prayer and worship. In Hinduism, Sacred Feminine or Shaktism is one of the three major Hindu denominations of worship along with Vishnu and Shiva. In Tibetan Buddhism, the highest advancement any person can achieve is to become like the "great" female Buddhas (e.g. Arya Tara) who are depicted as being supreme protectors, fearless and filled with compassion for all beings.

The primacy of a monotheistic or near-monotheistic "Great Goddess" is advocated by some modern matriarchists as a female version of, preceding, or analogue to, the Abrahamic God associated with the historical rise of monotheism in the Mediterranean Axis Age.