RESEARCH AND REFLECTION:
Fig 1: Notes and research
My research and development process changes from project to project, some client based projects I have to do are almost set in stone, and my work is literally to put them together. In these cases, my research and the development of the idea or concept is limited, the idea is usually already there, and the clients have done, or are not willing to do much more. For other projects I tend to start with a lot of research, and then start my ideation process. But I still go back and research more during this period of idea development – the ideas may have led me off in a different area, my concepts may not be working and I may need to go down a different avenue etc.
There were a few tips from the lecture that I already use, or have taken onboard from this week – I do like to get my hands dirty straight away and start sketching and drawing out ideas. This helps my creativity and is a good way for me to get all my ideas down quickly. I also like to work on a load of different ideas, then walk away from it all and give it space, before coming back and going through my ideas more critically. I liked the idea of giving yourself milestones to work towards, I think this helps. One of my biggest problems is that once I start researching, I start looking at so many different things, and start to run out of time! I am keen to use this project as a way of reflecting on my process, so I am planning on spending time on experimenting, refining, and moving away from ideas that don’t work. This is a safe space for me to fail and make mistakes within this project, and still learn a lot about my work and practice.
Fig 2: Ideas Wall posts
I agree with these discussions from the Ideas Wall, I want to forget about my self doubt, and have fun with this project, to let my creativity run free and just see what the outcome is at the end.
As this is a more auto ethnographic project, I am keen to research as much as I can on the subject, and come up with a good concept, rather than trying hard to make a finished piece. I have a problem with not being able to move on until I have completed something, and I think this is an important thing for me to work on during this project.
WORKSHOP CHALLENGE:
Fig 3: Notes and research
I have gone back to my research this week, and looked more into both the idea of celebrity and religion, and religious iconography. Part of my interest in this project is the idea of the “Cult of the Celebrity”. I have read a few chapters from books, papers and articles and I think that Celebrity has become a new kind of religion. We have become a secular society in some respects, a lot of us do not have a religion, or if we do it does not inform our life in the same way it used to a few hundred years ago. When Gutenberg invented the printing press, the first thing produced on it was a Bible. When we create a new kind of communication now, religion is not the first thing produced – but usually, it is something to do with celebrity.
There are similarities in the way we treat celebrities, to how the religious treat their deities, we leave shrines, flowers and candles when they die, we identify ourselves with celebrities and their traits (or not), we develop strange relationships with people we have never met based on their public character and personality, and we try and change our lives for the better by following their ways. I want to compare these things – the way we idolise celebrities, with religion of old.
I looked at some existing projects which address this idea of religion and celebrity, in particular, a project called “Religion Remastered” by Aleksandar Todorovic. He has looked at themes such as history and pop culture, but in the style of religious iconography, he is literally remastering religion.
Fig 4: Aleksander Todorovic. 2019. iMandala- green polycarbonate tondo, paint, print, brass plate, silver and gold plating, 90cm diameter, 2019. (detail 1) 
Fig 5: Aleksander Todorovic. 2019. Fast-food pyramid- egg tempera, gold on ten 5x5cm wood boards, red velvet, hand-carved oak box 39x39cm, 2019. (sideview) 
Fig 6: Aleksander Todorovic. 2019. Saint Mr Must- egg tempera and acrylic, gold leaf and palladium on wooden board, 30x40cm, 2019. 
Fig 7: Aleksander Todorovic. 2019. Corpocross, black polycarbonate body, paint, print, glass, electric components and light, 92x146cm, 2019. (sideview) 
Fig 8: Aleksander Todorovic. 2019. Religion remastered solo show setup, Coronation of the Emperor (2018), Three-stage ascension (2018) and crib silver plate special (2019).
I started to jot down some ideas, based on my chosen concept from last week:
Fig 9: Ideas and sketches
I decided on this direction, portraying celebrities in the style of old religious icons. I spent some time matching up celebrities to old religious figures, and mocking up some ideas of how I could portray them.
Fig 10: Idea development 
Fig 11: Idea development 
Fig 12: Idea Development
I researched into different religious iconography, stained glass windows, Roman mosaics, tapestries, urns and statues, which religions used them and why. I want to be able to recreate a piece of iconography with the celebrity portrayed on there, mixing the religious symbology and aesthetics with an image of the celebrity.
Fig 13: Season, Roman Mosaic. Mark Cartwright. 
Fig 14: Fish, Roman Mosaic. Mark Cartwright. 
Fig 15: The Överhogdal Tapestry 
Fig 17: Exekias: Greek amphora depicting Achilles slaying Penthesilea. 
Fig 16: Geometric-style krater with funeral scenes. 
Fig 19: St Denis Missal, about 1350. 
Fig 18: Sion Gospels, unknown maker, about 1025 – 50 (manuscript) and about 1200 (binding).
Because of my time constraints I’m worried I am not able to complete this project, I have spent a lot of time researching and developing ideas and I do not have long to finalise this. I have decided to pick one of these ideas and try and finish as best I can. I’d like to have designed several different artefacts and displayed them as an exhibition, or in a book. I like the idea of there being a series of them but I really don’t have enough time within this project to do more than one. I have decided to attempt to make the stained glass window of Greta Thunberg, and attempt to make a real representation.
I researched into stained glass windows, I am not going to have enough time to make a real window, but I researched into the methods in which they are made, staining the panes and fitting them in between the lead, but the detail being painted on the panes afterwards. I am going to attempt painting on a pane of glass or perspex, to imitate a real window.
I went over to Exeter and had a look at the windows, statues and decoration there. I spent some time down there a few years ago photographing in Chapter House, so I went back and looked at some of those photos as well. (Photos of the stained glass window from the Exeter Cathedral site as mine didn’t come out as well!)
Fig 20: Chapter House. Photographed by author. 
Fig 21: Great East Window. Photographed by Diane and Malcolm Walker 
Fig 22: Great East Window. Photographed by Diane and Malcolm Walker 
Fig 23: Great East Window. Photographed by Diane and Malcolm Walker 
Fig 24: Chapter House. Photographed by author. 
Fig 25: Chapter House. Photographed by author. 
Fig 26: Chapter House. Photographed by author. 
Fig 27: Chapter House. Photographed by author. 
Fig 28: Chapter House. Photographed by author. 
Fig 29: Chapter House. Photographed by author.
Most stained glass windows are huge massive grand pieces to impress, which is not something I am going to be able to do in the time I have! I have thought about shrines – this is something that keeps coming up with my research into celebrities and religion – one of the similarities between religious figures and celebrities is the shrines we make to them both. I think I am going to present the final piece as a shrine, look into symbology and shrines/altars.
REFERENCES:
BOMPAS, Sam., FROST, Vince., FUERTE, Verònica., MILLER, Christophe., STRINGER, James. ca. 2021. ‘Week 3 Lecture: Development | Podcast Interviews’ [lecture]. GDE740 for MA Graphic Design. Falmouth: Falmouth University, 4 October 2021
CARTWRIGHT, Mark. 14 June 2013. ‘Roman Mosaics’ World History. 2013. [online]. Available at: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/498/roman-mosaics/ [accessed 4 October 2021]
CLAUDIA. 2 March 2021. ‘Who Were The Main Roman Gods And Goddesses?’ Strictly Rome. 2021. [online]. Available at: https://strictlyrome.com/roman-gods-and-goddesses/ [accessed 4 October 2021]
CONNELLY, Andy. 29 October 2010. ‘Heavenly illumination: The science and magic of stained glass’ The Guardian. 2020. [online]. Available at:https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2010/oct/29/science-magic-stained-glass [accessed 4 October 2021]
DEMERS, Dawn. ca 2021. ’10 Influential Saints and Their Legends’ Beliefnet. 2021. [online]. Available at:
https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/catholic/saints/10-influential-saints-and-their-legends.aspx [accessed 4 October 2021]
DESIGN INDABA. 26 September 2016. ‘Erik Kessels on the power of failure’ [Conference Talk] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYCqkTRQNxc [accessed 4 October 2021]
Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/Greek-pottery#/media/1/244731/26579. [accessed 4 October 2021]
ENGLISH HERITAGE. ca 2021. ‘ROMANS: ART’ English Heritage. 2021. [online]. Available at: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/romans/arts-and-invention/ [accessed 4 October 2021]
EXETER CATHEDRAL. Available at: https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/history-heritage/explore-the-building/great-east-window/ [accessed 4 October 2021]
JAMTLI. ca 2021. ‘The Överhogdal Tapestries’ Jamtli. 2021. [online]. Available at: https://www.jamtli.com/en/exhibitions/overhogdalsbonaderna/ [accessed 4 October 2021]
LOWE, Rob. ca 2021. ‘The arts are in everything‘ Supermundane. 2021. [online]. Available at: http://www.supermundane.com/public_html/the_arts.pdf [accessed 4 October 2021]
POYNER, R (2002) Design Without Boundaries: Visual Communication in Transition. London, Booth-Clibborn Editions
REDMAN, Sean., HOLMES, Su. Stardom and Celebrity: A Reader. (2007). India: SAGE Publications.
SKY HISTORY. ca 2021. ‘SEVEN OF THE MOST IMPORTANT GODS AND GODDESSES IN NORSE MYTHOLOGY’ Sky History. 2021. [online]. Available at: https://www.history.co.uk/articles/seven-of-the-most-important-gods-and-goddesses-in-norse-mythology [accessed 4 October 2021]
STEPHAN, Annelisa. 4 April 2016. ‘A Brief Introduction to Roman Mosaics’ Getty. 2016. [online]. Available at: https://blogs.getty.edu/iris/a-brief-introduction-to-roman-mosaics/ [accessed 4 October 2021]
SYED, Matthew. 14 November 2015. ‘Viewpoint: How creativity is helped by failure’ BBC. 2015. [online]. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34775411 [accessed 4 October 2021]
Ward, P. (2010). Gods Behaving Badly: Media, Religion, and Celebrity Culture. United Kingdom: SCM Press.
TODOROVIC, Aleksander. 2019. ‘Religion Remastered’ [Solo Show 2019, Serbia.] Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/82200287/RELIGION-REMASTERED-solo-show-2019-Serbia [accessed 4 October 2021]
V&A MUSEUM. 2021. ‘Illuminated Manuscripts’ V&A. 2021. [online]. Available at: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/illuminated-manuscripts [accessed 4 October 2021]
LIST OF FIGURES:
Fig 1: Notes and research. Scanned by author.
Fig 2: Ideas Wall posts. GDE740 Falmouth University Ideas Wall
Fig 3: Notes and research. Scanned by author.
Fig 4: Aleksander Todorovic. 2019. iMandala- green polycarbonate tondo, paint, print, brass plate, silver and gold plating, 90cm diameter, 2019. (detail 1). TODOROVIC, Aleksander. 2019. ‘Religion Remastered’ [Solo Show 2019, Serbia.] Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/82200287/RELIGION-REMASTERED-solo-show-2019-Serbia [accessed 4 October 2021]
Fig 5: Aleksander Todorovic. 2019. Fast-food pyramid- egg tempera, gold on ten 5x5cm wood boards, red velvet, hand-carved oak box 39x39cm, 2019. (sideview). TODOROVIC, Aleksander. 2019. ‘Religion Remastered’ [Solo Show 2019, Serbia.] Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/82200287/RELIGION-REMASTERED-solo-show-2019-Serbia [accessed 4 October 2021]
Fig 6: Aleksander Todorovic. 2019. Saint Mr Must- egg tempera and acrylic, gold leaf and palladium on wooden board, 30x40cm, 2019. TODOROVIC, Aleksander. 2019. ‘Religion Remastered’ [Solo Show 2019, Serbia.] Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/82200287/RELIGION-REMASTERED-solo-show-2019-Serbia [accessed 4 October 2021]
Fig 7: Aleksander Todorovic. 2019. Corpocross, black polycarbonate body, paint, print, glass, electric components and light, 92x146cm, 2019. (sideview). TODOROVIC, Aleksander. 2019. ‘Religion Remastered’ [Solo Show 2019, Serbia.] Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/82200287/RELIGION-REMASTERED-solo-show-2019-Serbia [accessed 4 October 2021]
Fig 8: Aleksander Todorovic. 2019. Religion remastered solo show setup, Coronation of the Emperor (2018), Three-stage ascension (2018) and crib silver plate special (2019). TODOROVIC, Aleksander. 2019. ‘Religion Remastered’ [Solo Show 2019, Serbia.] Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/82200287/RELIGION-REMASTERED-solo-show-2019-Serbia [accessed 4 October 2021]
Fig 9: Ideas and sketches. Drawn and scanned by author.
Fig 10: Idea development. Drawn and scanned by author.
Fig 11: Idea development. Drawn and scanned by author.
Fig 12: Idea development. Drawn and scanned by author.
Fig 13: Season, Roman Mosaic. Mark Cartwright. CARTWRIGHT, Mark. 14 June 2013. ‘Roman Mosaics’ World History. 2013. [online]. Available at: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/498/roman-mosaics/ [accessed 4 October 2021]
Fig 14: Fish, Roman Mosaic. Mark Cartwright. CARTWRIGHT, Mark. 14 June 2013. ‘Roman Mosaics’ World History. 2013. [online]. Available at: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/498/roman-mosaics/ [accessed 4 October 2021]
Fig 15: The Överhogdal Tapestry. JAMTLI. ca 2021. ‘The Överhogdal Tapestries’ Jamtli. 2021. [online]. Available at: https://www.jamtli.com/en/exhibitions/overhogdalsbonaderna/ [accessed 4 October 2021]
Fig 16: Geometric-style krater with funeral scenes. Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/Greek-pottery#/media/1/244731/26579. [accessed 4 October 2021]
Fig 17: Exekias: Greek amphora depicting Achilles slaying Penthesilea. Encyclopædia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/Greek-pottery#/media/1/244731/26579. [accessed 4 October 2021]
Fig 18: Sion Gospels, unknown maker, about 1025 – 50 (manuscript) and about 1200 (binding). Switzerland. Museum no. 567-1893, front cover and ff. 163v–164r. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Available at: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/illuminated-manuscripts [accessed 4 October 2021]
Fig 19: St Denis Missal, about 1350. Paris. Museum no. MSL/1891/1346, f. 256v. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Available at: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/illuminated-manuscripts [accessed 4 October 2021]
Fig 20: Chapter House. Photographed by author.
Fig 21: Great East Window. Photographed by Diane and Malcolm Walker. EXETER CATHEDRAL. Available at: https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/history-heritage/explore-the-building/great-east-window/ [accessed 4 October 2021]
Fig 22: Great East Window. Photographed by Diane and Malcolm Walker. EXETER CATHEDRAL. Available at: https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/history-heritage/explore-the-building/great-east-window/ [accessed 4 October 2021]
Fig 23: Great East Window. Photographed by Diane and Malcolm Walker. EXETER CATHEDRAL. Available at: https://www.exeter-cathedral.org.uk/history-heritage/explore-the-building/great-east-window/ [accessed 4 October 2021]
Fig 24: Chapter House. Photographed by author.
Fig 25: Chapter House. Photographed by author.
Fig 26: Chapter House. Photographed by author.
Fig 27: Chapter House. Photographed by author.
Fig 28: Chapter House. Photographed by author.
Fig 29: Chapter House. Photographed by author.
Laura Eydmann 