This blogs shows the tasks and process I had to undergo to develop my own project narrative and manifesto. The process began by relooking at the research questions from the group research phase of the project and changing them to fit a new narrative. Some elements I have kept the same such as the community aspect, the importance of education as well as food poverty, ensuring everyone in a community is well fed regardless of class and poverty lines.
The next tasks begin with comparing two images, one from a magazine and one from one of the books from our reading list. This developed into a critical analysis of the two images which helped develop a narrative of the images.
Looking at image A, without going into too much depth on the history and actual context of the artwork, the narrative is centred around a table, much like most important events such as social gatherings to daily dining. The artwork shows the natural human interactions that occur around the table and one can only create their own narrative about the piece. When one has an image of hospitality in their head it is often one like this, one that is a social event to spend time with loved ones, making it not just about eating but a central and important event in the household.
The second shows a more modern take on the hospitality industrial and captures the business of having to get food on the go in a more canteen setting. The artwork also highlights how much we have to eat on our own and often how isolated we are as individuals, having to get lunch or food during work breaks alone as opposed to a social gathering. Although unintentional, the faded shadows are somewhat symbolic of the current situation of lockdown with the hospitality industry’s future looking bleak and for the time being absent. It questions what is the future of hospitality and will a normality exist again?
In contrast the two pieces are vastly different and show a more traditional viewpoint on hospitality compared a modern more covid-19 view of lockdown where the ritual of eating and socialising is almost lost. The two images collide with one another and brings to question what will life be like after the pandemic – will it take on a more sociable, traditional view where people with consciously make an effort to be with loved ones? Or will hospitality takes on a new meaning and culture of food being less of an event but more of a necessity where dining in is an absent from of life and takeaway, on- the- go food is the new normal meaning that restaurants will cease to exist?
The next tasks were to chose a non fictional passage and a fictional passage of which the passage described a space. I then had to emulate the style of the author and write my own passages in a non fictional style and a fictional style and then compare the two. The purpose of this exercise was to explore how to write a narrative and what would be best for my own narrative. I came to the conclusion that writing a narrative in a non fictional style is more enjoyable to read but also gives more depth, adding to the development of the story.
The space was a fair size, and the furniture complimented the space with the best possible balance of furniture and breathable areas. Although the overall space was organised there was somewhat chaos scattered around with empty cups and side plates full of crumbs on the table and floor areas. This was accompanied with an array of pens and papers with scribbles and notes written on the pages giving a strong presence of the room belonging to studious individuals.
The centre of the room was focused towards to television and naturally the coffee table which just behind where the sofa sat. The sofa was cushioned with a collection of soft grey cushions and comforting bean bags, a reminder that although there was a strong presence of a hard-working atmosphere there was a balance of relaxation engulfing the room. I was drawn to the strong figure sitting in the middle of the sofa, half hidden by the soft biscuit beige blanket which kept in any extra warmth. Slouched in a relaxing pose, the dark-haired young man focused on the book that he was reading. He was young, mid-twenties perhaps with slightly unkept and overgrown hair as though he had been too busy to get it cut. The jumper that he wore was oversized but again comforting and adding to his interesting character. Just under his left arm appeared a moving, spikey ball that huffed at the slightest movement. As the young man moved, readjusting he picked up the prickly ball to reveal a hedgehog squirming as she was picked up, both face to face, nose to nose. This was by far the most interesting two characters I had encountered, and I was quickly drawn to the quirkiness that came from their interactions more so the rest of the flat.
As you enter the living space there should be a sense of a more welcoming presence as you enter the most used part of the home. The more natural light the better but this would also ideally be accompanied with warm lighting around the room which can come from smaller lights or spotlights as well as a side lamp. Lighting is one of the most important factors to creating an inviting and warm space, so it is something that needs to be considered in all parts of the house.
As well as the lighting to consider there are the home comforts and softer furnishings that make you want to get cosy in a space. The sofa can be a more signature piece, but it can also be more subtle and dressed up with more colourful and busy cushions. The key to creating a naturally cosy looking sofa is to have different sized cushions and to go for a mismatched look as opposed to staged with multiple identical cushions. This ideally would be matched with a colour coded oversized blanket that contribute to the overall warm look of the room but also acts as a key element of comfort to getting through those tougher, colder winter months.
Comparing both passages A and B:
Both the pieces of text, even though they are written about the same space are very different and almost create a different view of the same space. The fictional narrative piece of text creates a lot more atmosphere around the room as well as in it and creates naturally a lot more narrative. The second piece of text which is non-fictional, inspired by an interior design magazine, is written as almost an instruction manual of the dos and don’ts of interior spaces, creating less of an atmosphere but more of a guideline as to what to follow.
I prefer the first the which is a more narrative piece of creative writing but captivates you more to the story and narrative that is being told. There is also the added dimension of character description and development which emphasis how people and human behaviours and interactions are just as much of the space as the furniture and furnishings in the space, arguably more important than the physical aspects. The non-fiction text can also go into more depth and description such as the five senses and how the individual reacts and feels towards the space. In contrast, the non-fiction text is much less inviting and captivating than the fictional piece of text. Although it teaches or tells the reader how to create atmosphere in their own room, it lacks the own creativity and atmosphere in the writing. It is not a bad style of writing as it is formal and, in another context, creates a very formative, educational guideline which most people reading the text would find helpful. However, for the context of creating an interesting, creative narrative it is perhaps the wrong approach and extract A fits a better example as to what to expect for creating narrative and atmosphere to set the tone and purpose of the project.
Rachel C Clarke Portfolio 