J Fidler
Los Angeles, United States
Project Question
Why not have a truth emerge at the moment and place of viewing, instead of struggling to capture and communicate a specific truth during the creation of the work?
Aim and Objective
Rather than find or – to use a more aggressive word – take someone’s story and attempt to express and recreate it, the prints act as scaffolding on which others are encouraged to construct their story and find meaning within them.
The project is a product of its time; whatever was happening will have made its way into the project. There are racial elements, Covid19 and the resulting lockdowns, riots and protests from a turbulent, unstable summer, and my own quiet tragedies. What remains interesting to me, is that the pieces will be viewed at a different time, in some cases, in a different place, and always by individuals who will be different from me. And to me, that is the crux of the project. How do different times and places influence how we read a piece of, in this case, visual, work?
The project name, ‘Translations’ is a veiled reference to Walter Benjamin’s thoughts on the task of the translator. It also refers to the viewer being asked to translate the visual into meaning and giving this translation equal or greater importance than to the piece itself.
Final Outcome
It is for each viewer to decide if there are multiple outcomes, one single outcome, multiple graphic elements that lead to a final outcome, or whether there is no finality but a potential circular project. It will probably be dependent on how, where, and by whom the project is seen.
Discussions can be a good thing, Ambiguities can lead to more interesting readings, so any thoughts on the outcomes or interpretations of the individual pieces are encouraged.
However, what can be stated is that there are currently five elements: The individual pieces, the exhibition, the book, the newspaper, and the video.
Any and all of the outcomes can be used to access the project.
How has your practice developed while studying the MA in Graphic Design with a global cohort?
Towards narrative, writing, and philosophy while moving further away from its banal and cynical application in the facilitation of commerce.