Dear List
Perhaps a more positive offering.
Paradigms (pattern beside = template) and rhymes (pattern inside =
disclosed)
In finding myself outside the teaching of Design, I have a few paper
planes that I might project into an imaginary space * a space in which
I might be teaching Design.
Part of the problem with the concept of NEW paradigms is the general
conceptual problem of how to see what is not there to be seen. We might
point at the cloud of doubt and confusion hoping that a full moon will
emerge and be seen emerging (Zen moment?). But, what we might get is a
night of clouds and much morning rain.
Over a decade I taught a series of course called Concepts of Design. A
small sample of one element of my teaching can be found below. Maybe a
fragment of the curve of a moon, implicated, might emerge. Maybe just
the sounds of dogs in the distance, wishing they could sleep untroubled
by these night thinkers.
Design learning * case study * From Concepts of Design (concepts
that can be found in design including the limited set of concepts that
are seen as Design Concepts * root 2 for example).
Many design teachers use haiku as part of their visual program.
Famous examples are used to prompt layouts and designs.
Some history of haiku might or might not be given.
History can be a lazy way of pretending that all things can be
explained through a narrative (Basho sat down and using a bit of Chinese
stuff, married to the Zen back-and-forth of master and student, he came
up with *old pond, frog jump, water sound*).
Of course there can be good history that is analytical and integrative
and takes us into the areas of poetics and aesthetics.
A good history would tease out the philosophical differences between a
variety of ways of thinking that are implicated in the haiku such as the
syllogism and the enthymeme. Just what are the Japanese doing that
amounts to thinking (in the poem) and not merely expressing (a personal
apprehension/emotion)?
Further, a good history would elaborate on such matters as
Eisenstein*s appropriation of Kuleshov and the impact of haiku on
cinema. A digression through Russian poetics and aesthetics would be
helpful here (say a week or two).
As a way out the door, we might stop by Scott McCloud*s illustrations
of three panel comics, including the Peek-A-Boo (Freud*s Fort-Da) and
Closure, then thru his 6 varieties of Transition and on to Japanese
uses of Intervals and their different focus on Aspect-To-Aspect
Transitions. Along the way, we will have used analysis, graphs etc. to
see how cognitive movement is structured by various artists and in
different cultures in actual example comics.
We could extend McCloud*s model through a look at Manga and Anime
Fanservice, which possibly could be seen as an example of option 6
(Non-Sequitur) but if we are skilful, and employ Russell*s theory of
the Glimpse (yes, here is a plug for the teacher) we will find we have
come across a secret pathway to fantasy that is a special kind of leap
maybe best articulated by and for adolescents.
And then we might be ready to actually look at what is going on in the
haiku tradition and how we as designers might explore lyric
understandings of action and narrative.
Time for a semester break and time to watch the autumn leaves falling,
in Australia.
Keith Russell
Newcastle OZ
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