Ruby Beard MA Graphic Design and Art Direction
The focus of the year was a continuation of interest in books, focussing on concept design and production in the area of art books. The books made employed a variety of print and binding techniques and explore the role of the book designer in the digital age and how traditional and modern methods of production and design can work together.
The Butterfly Effect is a collaborative project with words by Freya Clarke. The zine includes a selection of images made by scattering flowers over a flatbed scanner, which introduced an element of chance and questions who was in control of the image-making. This explores the connection between images and writing and acts as a small space where the images take an almost chaotic placement and the text grounds the reader, allowing them to make their own connections between image and text.
Cordon Sanitairé and Lathkill are books that begin in locations in the Peak District. Cordon Sanitairé was based on the text Eyam: Plague Village by David Paul and explored the parallels between a historical event and the current day in an abstract way with the removal of narrative through text. Lathkill again started with a location as the basis but was approached with a geographical perspective rather than historical. Starting with one grid square from an Ordnance Survey map, on the Lathkill Dale, the photographs depict details of the area and how creative explorations can sit alongside scientific and geographical findings. Influenced by research into the walking artists the photographs guide you along walking routes.
