Jules response to Sous Rature

I photographed various areas around my apartment covered with a cloth and gave one of these photographs to each participant who had to find that area and photograph it themselves.

Brief Two: Image-wheels

Brief One
Thank you Debbie for Brief One. I think it produced a very good range of responses at the meeting last week. This new approach to Fullblown is already opening new possibilities and indicating where the challenges are if we are to become increasingly effective in defining how we work together and in supporting each other’s practices.
Brief Two

Brief Two is proposed in the context of discussions we have had so far and my presentation at our last meeting. You are invited to explore the practical application of image-wheels to mapping out the forces and structures that shape a specific aspect or dimension of your life. The aim is to explore ways to intervene in the way that the already designed shapes the course of every-day experience. The aim is also to explore ways in which creative insights can move the accent from victim of circumstance to living by design.

An image-wheel gives form and actualizes an image-complex The term image-complex refers to the process of engaging visually and textually with the entire heterogenous composite of sense impressions, sensations and mental processes that together constitute the self-moving activity of cognition.

The term is not however reserved for the interiorized and individualized terms of a reflexive consciousness but at the same time encompasses the complexes of connections and intersections at which embodied and site-specific assemblages realize human culture, nature and cosmos. The term therefore refers to the specific instance, the momentary first order experience, the happening and the living event rather than the generalization, or the phenomenological reduction that involves putting out of play or bracketing to engender the sense of a pure or universalized experience.

If the metaphor of a sphere is used to frame the contrasting qualities of irretrievable ephemerality of presence and the enduring perpetuality of existence then on the surfaces of image-complexes are projected all that can be apprehended of what it means to know life, to have a body, to be charged with desires and emotions, to be aware of being both in and of the world and to apprehend factually and without doubt what it means to exist.

The inside surface of image-complexes in the context of this metaphor are made up of the thoughts, internal dialogue, mental pictures, ideas, memories, intentions and future plans that seem to go on inside our heads. The outer surface is made up of the world we see and hear: the conversations we are involved with and everything else that seems to be beyond our bodies and constitutes the living world.

But if the metaphor of the sphere is to be effective then first of all, its surfaces must be conceived as transparent in such a way that the outer surface is exactly the ground on which the interior is inscribed and at the same time the interior provides the surface on which the exterior swirls. Now secondly the idea of a surface apart from this mutuality of interlocking patterns must be removed and the full three dimensionality of these differentiated surfaces returned to them. In this way the virtuality of the image-complex and its material actuality can combine and differentiate at will in the course of the singular totality of common-sense and the grounded diversity of every-day living.

An Image-wheel is a design tool The notion of image-complexes can be evoked through the metaphor of a sphere.

The notation for an image-complex is an image-wheel. It allows for a very straight forward pen and paper approach to mapping out a particular case-in-point of such a complex in two dimensions rather than three. In outline it works as follows for two people working together.

One person (the scribbler) draws a circle on a piece of paper and places a question-mark in the centre. This marks out the wheel. A series of points are marked on the circumference. As a preliminary preparation it can be helpful to sit quietly and pay attention to this moment at which scribbler and speaker prepare themselves (and each other) to engage in this mapping exercise.

The aim is to be aware of this point in time and space at which separate lives intersect. The milieu might be considered. In the broad sense the milieu is the territory and specific terrain to be mapped out. What are the circumstances that make this moment particularly important? What sounds can be heard in the immediate vicinity right now? What is the significance of the surroundings within which this meeting takes place? What are the specifics of this collaboration and what is its motivation? What has already been discussed? What might be achieved?

The first step is to determine the question. What needs to be explored? What area of common concern might be investigated? It can be important to take risks here. A challenging question might be considered. A previously un-investigated avenue might be delved into. A confusion arising from a previous discussion might be addressed. The role of the scribbler is to ensure first that what is recorded of the question reflects as closely as possible the stated intention of the speaker. It is the speaker's image-complex that on this occasion is to be evoked cartographically. It is their perspectives that must be clarified and concise wording selected. Let's take some simple questions by way of example. "Why am I unhappy with work at the moment", "Why have I been uncommunicative recently", "What is stressing me out about my flatmate" or "Why is it so hard for me as an activist to make real changes".

The role of the scribbler is to encourage the speaker to identify every perspective they can muster that in any way addresses the focus question. The aim is to explore the full scope of possible responses regardless of apparent contradiction or disconnection. It is important during this process to fully appreciate all that prejudices openness to other points of view, to shared understanding and to the difficulties inherent in exposing something that is new, unexpected or different. To attend successfully to a proper account of any situation is to enable the hearing of multiplicities of incomplete assertions and divergent voices. Informal voices, minority views, stutterings, peripheral and the otherwise excluded gossip of unofficial speaking all have their place in this polyphony. It is a process that might be visualized in terms of laying out a piece of fabric for the first time to reveal a previously hidden pattern, many details of which must be found hidden in folds and pleats.

As each additional detail arises the scribbler must prompt for the right words that can be formed into a brief phrase. Once a point has been made it is important to move on to define other points rather than to get immersed in detail. The scribbler must also look out for iterations of previous points and where possible group these together. If a subset of points emerges then these can be arranged on another wheel on another sheet of paper. Before any decision is made and recorded the speaker needs to agree to the wording.

Once it is clear that sufficient points have been made the next step is to identify those that now seem to be the most important for immediate consideration and establish the reasons why. Each point is then graded in both positive (0 to +10) and negative terms (0 to -10). The idea is to acknowledge the range of values that can be attached to any point.

For example the pain caused by falling off a bicycle might produce a negative value of -7 but a positive value of +3 might be applied because at least the dog had been successfully avoided. +3 -7 At the next stage the connection between statements with predominantly negative values and predominantly positive value can be considered as part of a process that looks for new inter-relationships produced by making connections between one point and another.

+1 -9 is predominantly negative

+8 -1 is predominantly positive

(more to follow asap: Good luck)

I thought that my image looks a little too dark on the blog and have posted this image to help you see the glowing lamp in my other image.

neither on or off

It's very subtle.... but if you look closely you'll see a slight glow of an energy saver light bulb after it's been turned off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6csdYGvU84

Here is my response to Brief One. It's been a fun and rather filling brief.