Visual Narratives - Visual Research

One Week Book
I was quite apprehensive about the impending week. Group work always ends in tears.

Group 1: James, Josh, Alix and Alex

ALL LOVELY, AMAZING PEOPLE, so I felt a lot better about the prospect of working with these folk. I know them and feel really pleased with this result; although there is no one that I don't get on with on the course, I know already that these people share similar interests to me which will make the week a lot easier and more fun.

In Reaction to the Briefing:

YOU ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON THE MOST INCREDIBLE JOURNEY (despite the impending doom of group week, this statement in the briefing automated my Bill and Ted mode and I felt a lot brighter about going out into the world with this mantra under my arm)

You assume a photograph is real - with a drawing you cannot be sure that it is the truth.

HAVE NO ASSUMPTIONS

BE A FLANEUR

We are Urban Wanderers

REPORTAGE ILLUSTRATION

"I'm an art student" is a great excuse for almost anything

Group Intentions
Group discussion, highlighting tasks that we found most interesting and practical. Definitely want to go to charity shops and the market. How much can we achieve in this time? Aiming for achieving as many outcomes as possible.

















Outcomes

Try something you've never eaten before:

Fortune Cookies

Satay Jellyfish
Buy a cup of tea:

Alix bought a homeless man a cup of tea. Who deserves tea today? Who needs it the most? Very cold day. Didn't want to record this with photographs because it seemed selfish and silly.

We heard people passing Alix, saying positive things about her act of kindness.
Go to the Kirkgate Market:

I bought a Bowie Vinyl for £1

Lots of weird stalls...

Man trying to sell junk, saying odd things in an attempt to persuade an old lady "You could buy these nice cufflinks for your son-in-law who you don't talk to anymore." ODD THING TO SAY. Made us wonder if the two had spoke before or if he was just assuming.

Antique Shop:

Lots of lovely junk! So many stories told by the items in this little room.

I found Post Cards - in Dutch… All to a woman named Karen.

Tea Pots and curious items that captured our interest.

Record Shops:

Personal interest of most of the group. Free posters! Bowie poster - I'VE NOT EVEN BEEN LOOKING FOR BOWIE TODAY, HE JUST KEEPS FINDING ME.

Charity Shops

James bought a book - Harry Potter? The poetic act of buying someone else's discarded reading matter. The height of successful authorship, J.K.Rowling, is ending up in Oxfam for £1.99.

The Downfall of Jay
It was a cold, long day and I was feeling very tired.

I eventually collapsed outside a shop and an ambulance was called.
I woke up fairly quickly but I was feeling much too anxious and low to continue with the task, so we walked back to uni.
I feel like I have ruined the day and let down everyone on my team.
My group was really helpful and understanding but I can't shake the feeling that they would have done better without me.

End of the day

Different experiences from the groups in the class.

Girls went to the roughest pub in Leeds, the Duncan. A really comical and amusing point that provided them with some amazing stories.

People had found some really interesting things that would normally go unnoticed, mundane elements of Leeds that we all walk past.
Some groups talked to people and found some interesting opinions/thoughts from these normal people.

I wish we'd talked to more people

I think that our group became wrapped up in what we enjoy and focussed on enjoying the day rather than experiencing it. We stuck to what we have done before, where we know is good and what we think we know about Leeds.
We should have been more experimental. We should have taken risks.
We became engrossed in the act of 'looking', which in an urban environment such as this, led us to explore as consumers. We were just looking for things to buy.