VL Project 2: Visual Contexts 1 Research 2 - Flow and Play

American graphic designer Paul Rand wrote an important essay called ‘Design and the Play instinct’ in 1955. To investigate Rand’s idea of Play more, you can access and read Michael Golec’s essay ‘Memory, Instinct and Design: Beyond Paul Rand’s “Play Principle”’.

You can also search the OU Library and the Internet with the terms ‘Automatic Drawing’ and ‘Concrete Poetry’ to discover relevant artists, designers and illustrators who use Play in the creation of their artwork. Particular practitioners to look for are Hilma af Klint, Joan Miro, Mary Ellen Solt, Kurt Schwitters, Anni Albers, Bob Cobbing and Ian Hamilton Finlay.

Make written notes on both the Michael Golec essay and the creative practitioners whose work interests you and why in your learning log. 

 

After reading and analyzing the ideas within Golec's essay, his exploration of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's theories of human instinct and memory and their connection in design and creativity. The ideas are somewhat complex, but when picking through carefully, the complexity of the subject I feel is quite well explained.

The first few paragraphs begin with the author suggesting that the learning and education a person receives from when they are very young into adulthood can oftentimes "banish free spirit and annihilate instinct." Golec questions modern life and how we no longer know how to think freely. Many adults today have lost that childhood spark; that instinctual creativity dwindles as we age. Referenced in the essay is Sigmund Freud, who suggests that 'playing' reignites that childhood instinct. Memory, experience in design is explained...

When playing, as the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud asserts, the subject is removed from the everyday; he or she forgets daily concerns, restrictions, rationalizations, etc. The subject acts instinctually. Now, when the designer plays, he or she also forgets the rules of the game. Again, if play leads to an exciting and new solution to the problem at hand, the designer learns from the game. To be even more specific, I might add, Rand's instructional theory is a tool for learning; it is not, as Rand proposes, learned. The play principle delivers what cannot be forgotten, what is relegated to some buried place—memory. But first, it draws an intuitive response, that which is outside of or beyond the play principle. The action beyond learning is actually before learning. Furthermore, as we become adults, everything becomes more structured and confined, even our thoughts.

Further on from that, "if instinct is likened to a child's response, then what is beyond the play principle is actually before Rand's scene of play." Returning to the time before learning allows the designer to continue learning; thus, the play principle is not a model for memory per se; rather, it accesses the very root of creation, which soon becomes just that which cannot be forgotten. This is precisely why play is a tool for learning, or, in other words, play is situated toward learning.

Rand ends the text reflecting on his own experience during a design project where he was completely lost with the brief. He initially panicked, thinking about how he would come up with a final piece, and in doing so partook in this "play principle." He let himself create freely, using a simple sketch and ignited that instinctual response as if he was a child again with freer thought. With this experience, Rand determines that play is necessary for creative problem-solving. Keeping this playful mindset helps designers find fresh and original ideas. This essay explains that ultimately some of the best work a designer can create is if they can somehow access their instinctual memories and play, like Freud said, from a time before formal education and adult life changes how we all think.

In conclusion, I find this essay really interesting. The author has presented a new perspective on design to me. It's not something I have ever thought about, and I think now when creating art and designs for future projects, I will think about using the 'play principle' and try to access those instinctual creative thoughts through experimenting and sketching.

 Following on from the essay, there are some relevant artists, designers and illustrators who use play in the creation of their work. some examples are:

• Hilma Af Klint
• Joan Miro
• Mary Ellen Solt
• Kurt Schwitters
• Anni Albers
• Bob Cobbing
• Ian Hamilton Finlay

I picked 4 of my favourites out of the list

 

Joan Miro automatic drawing

 

I like Miró's work because of the colors. The black lines and doodles stand out. He uses mark-making along with these abstract shapes to create vibrant and exciting designs. Each piece has a clear structure of shapes and lines, but there are dots, smudges, and patterns surrounding them. As an observer, it’s interesting to follow the page with your eyes, finding new shapes and satisfying doodles. You can definitely sense the playfulness in his work; it's so playful and bright.

 

Ian Hamilton Finlay concrete poetry 

Mary Ellen Solt concrete poetry

I think concrete poetry is a mixture of adult structured thoughts and the 'play principle' because an image is created through symbolism rather than pure randomness. There is a mixture of methods in the design, typography, and imagery. I think the playful element is in the shapes and composition of the letters and their colors. Ian, for example, overlaps red and blue, and when they blend, it creates a little separation in the design because of the color changes. However, when you look at Mary Solt's concrete poetry, there’s a lot more fluidity in the image. Rather than a change in color or a rigid structure, there's a bit more obvious play in her work because she brings more chaos in—she’s not afraid to be bold with the words and letter placement.

Wassily Kandinsky not from the list but I enjoy his work a alot and is art is very abstract automatic drawing.

Similarly to Joan Miró, Kandinsky also uses shapes, patterns, colors, and mark-making freely on the page. I find Kandinsky's work looks a lot more fluid and automatic. I think it's because there are more intricate patterns, and there is an overlap in styles of shapes and lines—thick, thin, connected, and floating around the page. You can see more of the image being built up in comparison to Joan Miró, where many of the elements on the page don’t really overlap; they stay surrounding the shapes and in the empty spaces.