Visual Communication Design and Chorography. Towards a Critical Practice in Visual Communication Design
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University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016 University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 2015 Tracing Country: Visual Communication Design and Chorography. Towards a critical practice in visual communication design Jacqueline Gothe University of Wollongong Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses University of Wollongong Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorise you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this work may be reproduced by any process, nor may any other exclusive right be exercised, without the permission of the author. 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Towards a critical practice in visual communication design, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, School of Law, Humanities and the Arts, University of Wollongong, 2015. https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/4614 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] Tracing Country: Visual Communication Design and Chorography Towards a critical practice in visual communication design. JACQUELINE GOTHE BA (SYDNEY), DIPLOMA OF GRAPHIC DESIGN ASTC DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG 2015 Tracing Country: Visual Communication Design and Chorography Towards a critical practice in visual communication design. A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY FROM UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG BY JACQUELINE GOTHE BA (SYDNEY), DIPLOMA OF GRAPHIC DESIGN ASTC SCHOOL OF THE ARTS, ENGLISH AND MEDIA 2015 CERTIFICATION I, Jacqueline Gothe, declare that this thesis, submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy, in the School of the Arts, English and Media, University of Wollongong, is wholly my own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. The document has not been submitted for qualifications at any other academic institution. Jacqueline Gothe 10 November, 2015 03 CHAPTER ONE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis has been a long time in the making and I am appreciative of the opportunity to have worked with many wonderful people before and during the study. Many thanks to my supervisors, Associate Professor Brogan Bunt and Professor Diana Wood Conroy, and the opportunity offered by my participation in the Senior Artist Research Forum (SARF) initiative established by Diana Wood Conroy in 2010 in the School of Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong. In addition to my supervisors, I have had the benefit of careful and considered comments during the writing of the thesis from Dr Craig Bremner, Dr Teena Clerke and Dr Ross Colliver, who all offered considerable time and thoughtful advice over many drafts with care and openness. For the duration of the study I have been privileged to have regular counsel and conversations with Dr John Boots. The hard work of writing has been supported by generous editing and advice from Dr Heather Jamieson, Dr Brenda Glover and Deborah Jenkin, and thoughtful times with fellow SARF member Nicola Heywood. In the projects Victor Steffensen, Clement Girault, Peta Standley Lyndal Harris, Mitra Gusheh, Oliver Costello, Marion Lowe, Jason De Santolo, Tally Palmer, Cynthia Mitchell, Sally McLaughlin, Kate Sweetapple Grant Hose Chris Reidy, Jeremy Walker, Roel Plant, Scott Rayburn, Richard Lim, Yin Phyu, Teresa Leung, Ross Colliver and Daniel Ireland. My colleagues in Design at University of Technology Sydney for their support and encouragement: Dr Jacqueline Lorber-Kasunic, Dr Zoe Sadokierski, Dr Kate Sweetapple, Dr Gerhard Bachfischer, Monica Monin, Aaron Seymour, Dr Alexandra Crosby, Todd Robinson and Professor Lawrence Wallen, Head of Design, who has supported my endeavour. I thank my partner and life-long friend Michael Snape and my children Agatha and Jackson for participating and enjoying the majority of this process with me. I dedicate this study to my mother, Beverley, my grandmothers Elsa and Linda, and my great grandmother, Mardi. 04 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 04 TABLE OF CONTENTS 05 LIST OF FIGURES 09 ABSTRACT 11 Introduction 12 THESIS AIMS AND CONCERNS 13 THE VISUAL COMMUNICATION DESIGN PRACTITIONER RESEARCHER 14 THEORETICAL FRAMING: CHOROGRAPHY 15 METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH 19 RESEARCH THROUGH DESIGN 19 PRACTITIONER RESEARCHER 21 TRACING THREE STRANDS OF DESIGN-LED PROJECTS 23 THESIS OUTLINE AND OVERVIEW OF CHAPTERS 24 RESEARCH ETHICS 26 Chapter One. Approaches to visual communication design practice INTRODUCTION 28 DISCIPLINARY AMBIGUITY 28 HISTORICAL TENSIONS 29 TENSIONS IN PRACTICE 30 COMPLEXITY IN PRACTICE 32 ESTABLISHING AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE DESIGNER IN COLLABORATIVE AND PARTICIPATORY PROJECTS 34 TOWARDS A CRITICAL PRACTICE IN VISUAL COMMUNICATION DESIGN 38 SUSTAINMENT 39 INTERCULTURAL RESPONSIBILITY 40 PRACTITIONER AMBIVALENCE: POSSIBILITY AND DISTURBANCE 41 RELATIONALITY, REFLECTION AND REFLEXIVITY 42 CONCLUSION 43 05 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Two. Chorographic tracing: historical and theoretical dimensions INTRODUCTION 45 TRADITION OF CHOROGRAPHY 45 INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION 46 MULTIPLICITY OF PRACTICES 48 OPEN PROCESS AND COLLABORATION 51 EMBODIMENT 51 CONTEMPORARY RETURN 53 THE PRIMACY OF PLACE 56 THE EMPLACED DESIGNER AND THE RECOGNITION OF THE AGENCY OF PLACE 57 COUNTRY SPEAKING 57 CHŌRA IN CHOROGRAPHY 59 CONCLUSION 61 Chapter Three. Chorographic tracing: material and performative dimensions INTRODUCTION 63 A MATERIAL PRACTICE 63 A CONCEPTUAL AND CRITICAL GESTURE 66 TRACING AS DRAWING 67 TRACING AS PERFORMATIVE ACT 67 REFLECTIONS ON EXPERIENCES OF CHOROGRAPHIC TRACING 68 CORANGAMITE (2002–2007) 69 ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS IN THE HAWKESBURY-NEPEAN (2006–2009) 75 COMMUNICATING SHARED TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE PROJECT (2002–2010) 82 THE QUALITIES OF A CRITICAL PRACTICE 88 CONCLUSION 89 06 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Four. Water: pesticides in the Hawkesbury-Nepean River INTRODUCTION 92 THE HAWKESBURY-NEPEAN RIVER 92 COLLABORATION 93 INTRODUCTION TO THE HAWKESBURY-NEPEAN RIVER 94 TRANSDISCIPLINARITY 95 TRANSREPRESENTATION 96 TRACING THE CONCEPTUAL EMERGENT 97 PRACTITIONER RESEARCHER AMBIVALENCE 99 COMMUNICATION DESIGN 100 PAMPHLET 1: THE PROTOTYPE. ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT OF PESTICIDES USED IN MARKET GARDENING IN THE HAWKESBURY-NEPEAN RIVER CATCHMENT 100 PAMPHLET 2: REDUCING PESTICIDE TOXICITY IN NSW RIVERS. CASE STUDY: WAYS FORWARD FOR THE HAWKESBURY-NEPEAN RIVER 103 PAMPHLET 3: THE SOCIAL LIFE OF PESTICIDES: THE FUTURE OF URBAN AGRICULTURE AND BIODIVERSITY ALONG THE HAWKESBURY-NEPEAN RIVER 105 CONFERENCE PRESENTATION: ADVOCATING FOR THE HAWKESBURY-NEPEAN RIVER 107 CONCLUSION 110 Chapter Five. Fire: building relationships and creating change INTRODUCTION 111 GENESIS OF THE PARTNERSHIP 111 INTERCULTURAL TRANSFORMATION 114 GETTING STARTED 114 COLLABORATION 116 TECHNOLOGY, COMMUNICATION DESIGN AND CULTURE 118 FIRESTICKS (2010 – ONGOING) 121 THE FIRESTICKS POSTER: COMMUNICATING FIRE 122 FIRESTICKS VIDEO: COMMUNICATING FIRE 127 AMBIVALENCE 128 CONCLUSION 130 07 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Six. Drawing Country: an investigation of the visual language of place INTRODUCTION 132 DRAWING COUNTRY – AN OVERVIEW 133 TRACING: A VISUAL LANGUAGE OF PLACE 135 DRAWING COMPLEXITY: CONSIDERING THE SCIENTIFIC AND THE SACRED 137 WORLDVIEW – DIAGRAM FOR A PROPOSAL 138 INTERSECTING WORLDS 139 INFLUENCES ON DRAWING COUNTRY: THE SENSIBLE AND THE RATIONAL 140 MOUNT YENGO 142 DRAWING WATER 144 CHŌRA FIRE.WATER.COUNTRY. 146 CONCLUSION 148 Conclusion 150 REFERENCES 152 ADDITIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY 166 08 LIST OF FIGURES List of figures. FIGURE 1. CHOROGRAPHY. 17 FIGURE 2. PLACE|COUNTRY. 18 FIGURE 3. RESEARCH THROUGH DESIGN: RESEARCH FOR DESIGN – CHOROGRAPHY AND RESEARCH ABOUT DESIGN – AMBIVALENCE. 20 FIGURE 4. DETAIL FROM ROOM SHEET FOR ‘COLLABORATION DESIGN AND COUNTRY’ EXHIBITION (2012). 33 FIGURE 5. PRESENTATION FOR THE INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM (2010). 37 FIGURE 6. DETAIL OF TABULA PEUTINGERIANA. SOURCED FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS. 47 FIGURE 7. TITLE PAGE OF SECOND EDITION ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF WILLIAM CAMDEN’S BRITANNIA (1607). 49 FIGURE 8. PACKE’S CHOROGRAPHY OF KENT (CHARLESWORTH 1999). 52 FIGURE 9. THE THREE LANDSCAPE PROJECTS WEBSITE (SHANKS 2012). 54 FIGURE 10. INTERPRETIVE WONDERINGS CULPRA MILLI STATION WEBPAGE 55 FIGURE 11. COVER. CORANGAMITE REGIONAL CATCHMENT STRATEGY WORKING DRAFT 2002 70 FIGURE 12. SUB-REGIONS. CORANGAMITE REGIONAL CATCHMENT STRATEGY WORKING DRAFT 2002. 73 FIGURE 13. J. GOTHE. DRAWING OF THE WATERWAYS OF THE UPPER REACHES OF THE NEPEAN RIVER