COLD MAKING IT IN AN ANXIOUS WORLD SWEAT STEPHEN GODDARD A THESIS IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF DESIGN (HONOURS) UNSW ART & DESIGN MARCH 2019 Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname/Family Name : Goddard Given Name/s : Stephen David Abbreviation for degree as give in the University calendar : MDes (Hons) Faculty : Art & Design School : Art & Design Thesis Title : Cold Sweat: Making it in an Anxious World Abstract 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) Cold Sweat: Making it in an Anxious World is a reflective examination of 25 years of design practice. The research is proposed as a transformational trigger leading to potential platforms for future design investigation. The Anxious World is best described as a combination of the significant pressures of wicked problems and the dominant ideology described by John Wood in his book Designing for Micro-utopias: Making the unthinkable possible, that ‘the individual consumer is God … the belief system that propels the economy’ (2007). Examining the place of my own practice within a range of theoretical models has led to a clarification of its position in what I’m referring to as a seam space that has allowed the negotiation of a generalised anxiety over a lengthy professional career. I use the tolerant and non-binary model of quadratic consciousness proposed by Wood and based on Leonhard Eular’s visual schema, which argues for a network of designers, greater than the sum of its parts responding to those pressures. This model positions the practice in a broader network. The thesis utilises a practice map that has emerged from theoretical exploration and reflection at an historical juncture in my career. It is deployed to frame the two case studies that form the primary methodology for the research – Obsessed: Compelled to make (Australian Design Centre, 2018) and Book Club (Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery, 2017). A comparison of these case studies informs the conclusions on which a future practice can be based. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). 18.03.2019 …………………………………………………………… ……………………………………..……………… ……….……………………...…….… Signature Witness Signature Date The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. Requests for restriction for a period of up to 2 years must be made in writing. Requests for a longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances and require the approval of the Dean of Graduate Research. FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requirements for Award: ORIGINALITY STATEMENT ‘ I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project’s design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged. Stephen Goddard 18.03.2019 ❉ INCLUSION OF PUBLICATIONS STATEMENT UNSW is supportive of candidates publishing their research results during their candidature as detailed in the UNSW Thesis Examination Procedure. Publications can be used in their thesis in lieu of a Chapter if: • The student contributed greater than 50% of the content in the publication and is the “primary author”, ie. the student was responsible primarily for the planning, execution and preparation of the work for publication • The student has approval to include the publication in their thesis in lieu of a Chapter from their supervisor and Postgraduate Coordinator. • The publication is not subject to any obligations or contractual agreements with a third party that would constrain its inclusion in the thesis Please indicate whether this thesis contains published material or not. This thesis contains no publications, either published or submitted for publication Some of the work described in this thesis has been published and it has been documented in the relevant Chapters with acknowledgement This thesis has publications (either published or submitted for publication) incorporated into it in lieu of a chapter and the details are presented below Candidate’s Declaration I declare that: • I have complied with the Thesis Examination Procedure • where I have used a publication in lieu of a Chapter, the listed publication(s) below meet(s) the requirements to be included in the thesis. Stephen Goddard 18.03.2019 COPYRIGHT STATEMENT ‘ I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis or I have obtained permission to use copyright material; where permission has not been granted I have applied/will apply for a partial restriction of the digital copy of my thesis or dissertation.’ Stephen Goddard 23.05.2019 ❉ AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT ‘ I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are any minor variations in formatting, they are the result of the conversion to digital format.’ Stephen Goddard 23.05.2019 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people who have supported me in completing this thesis, and a few in particular that I would like to thank. First and foremost, Associate Professor, Dr Ian McArthur supervised my candidature, and gave insight, timely advice, and friendship at just the right moments. Thank you to my co-supervisor Associate Professor, Dr Arianne Rourke, and colleagues Carly Vickers and Bic Tieu at UNSW Art & Design, who have been generous at various points of the research and writing. Debbie Abraham (Gallery Director) and Meryl Ryan (Senior Curator) at Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery, and Lisa Cahill (CEO and Artistic Director) and Penny Craswell (Creative Strategy Associate) at the Australian Design Centre were all integral in supporting the inclusion of Book Club and Obsessed: Compelled to make as case studies. In particular, Meryl has been instrumental in a transformation in my career over a number of years. I believe she has a rare insight into that which I’m hoping to achieve. Thanks also to Brian Parkes for opportunities at JamFactory that have fed the practice journey in significant ways, but more importantly, together with Imogen Landau for his enduring friendship. Technical support was provided by Dean Rowland at Signwave Newtown and Karam Hussein at UNSW Art & Design Maker Space in the creation of Blind Sight. Love and thanks to my parents Andrea and Graeme for many things, not the least of which was a small workshop at the back of the yard in Tasmania. Finally, and most importantly, to my partner Mark Wongcharoen for his patience and love not only during the writing of this thesis, but over the last twenty years. ❉ My candidature at UNSW Art & Design has been made possible by funding through the Australian Government’s Research Training Scheme. ❉ 4 CONTENTS PREFACE 6 CHAPTER 1 TRANSFORMATIONS 10 1.1 Cold Sweat 14 1.2 Making it 15 1.3 Anxious World 18 1.4 What will this research achieve? 21 1.5 General Methodology 22 1.6 Specific Methodology 24 CHAPTER 2 ROTATIONAL FIELDS AND SEAM PRACTICE 26 2.1 Rotational Fields 35 2.2 Seam Practice 38 2.3 Precedent Practices 39 CHAPTER 3 CASE STUDIES 45 3.1 Case Study – Obsessed: Compelled to make 47 3.1.1 Project Concept 48 3.1.2 Concept Development 52 3.1.3 Packing Crates as a Vernacular Language 53 3.1.4 Easels for Screen Installation 56 3.1.5 Floor Plan and Installation Principles 59 3.1.6 Digital Storytelling 60 3.1.7 Critical Review 62 3.1.8 Meta-reflection onObsessed 63 FISSURE Notebooks 68 3.2 Case Study – Book Club 80 3.2.1 Working with Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery 81 3.2.2 Book Club Concept 82 3.2.3 Past imperfect. Future tense. 84 3.2.4 Book Hack 87 3.2.5 Reflection onBook Hack 96 3.2.6 Blind Sight 97 3.2.7 The Process of Making 100 3.2.8 Blind Sight as a Research Provocation 104 3.2.9 Blind Sight Data Analysis 110 3.2.10 Blind Sight Data Findings 112 3.2.11 Book Club Catalogue Design 117 3.2.12 Meta-reflection onBook Club 118 CHAPTER 4 CONCLUSION 121 REFERENCES 134 5 APPENDICES 142 PREFACE It’s early – barely light – and the morning is cool.