déjà vu anyone?

I was excited to begin this weeks reading for several reasons:

1. I was back to Reading Images, a book I have thoroughly enjoyed (it matches seamlessly with my field of study)
2. The topic was discussing 3D imagery, specifically sculpture and video (moving pictures) which is rather appropriate to my MEmorial.
3. It was the end of the book, and I always feel some weird satisfaction whenever I finish a book (I could be finishing a children's picture book and I'd still have the same feeling)

Upon reaching the midpoint of chapter 8, however, I became slightly bitter at not coming to any new realization. I wanted the sky to open up and produce rays of pure genius for my MEmorial. The entire chapter was dedicated to review. The few new points, which were really just adaptations, were items we had discussed in class. Early on in the semester Jan asked if what we were learning about still images could be applied to moving pictures, and we all agreed and discussed how to adapt the rules of modality, given and new, etc.

The most interesting point became in chapter 9 (which I'm not sure I really consider a new chapter, more of a conclusion) when K&VL discuss regrets they wish they had pursued further.

"We have become increasingly aware of this [that the work has just begun] and have tried to write out grammar not as one which describes fixed 'rules' and a stable 'system', nor as one which seeks to capture the detail of everything people can and do do in visual communication, but as a flexible set of resources that people use in ever new and ever different acts of visual sign-making."

This was an appropriate decision on their part to make this text an overview, or guidebook, to people to adapt to their specific needs. I know I have learned much and look and evaluate images and my design work differently. Had they dug much deeper into the specifics, I think readers would have become bogged down in the nitty gritty and not grasped the basic concepts. Heavens, there are enough basic concepts to grasp as there is, lets not confuse students by adding more noise to the spectrum. This was a successful book in my opinion. Were they to bring out another book that specifically discussed new points about sculpture in gross detail, I would be appreciative, but until that point I am going to run with what I am given.

My MEmorial will be an in the round installation sculpture on the grounds of the American Legion in Anderson, SC. After the vandalism of the dough-boy statue, I have decided to erect a new statue, a digital one that cannot be torn down. My plan is as follows:

• Behind the current remains of the dough-boy statue I am going to place a large granite stone with a rounded top, similar to that of a tombstone.
• On the stone I am going to project digital images of children who are standing, and their feet will be missing, to be lined up to the remaining feet of the former monument.
• Because the majority of my audience is going to view this from their car as they drive by, I am going to hijack the radio frequencies when cars drive down the highway in front of the property. The song "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" will be heard being sung by children.
• The monument will only be seen at night to give an eerie feeling to the area, as if it is haunted by the fallen soldiers.
  

I had hoped to have the images taken for my web presence before class this week, and I was planning on driving there today, but the rain has made that impossible. Because of that I cannot start my website, so I'm going to describe it...and you'll just have to use your imagination. I am going to design a flash website that begins by having the background of the site appear as a watercolor. Then the statue (or lack there of) will appear from the bottom. Afterward the stone will grow up behind it, it will change color to mimic night, and the images will begin to flash onto the stone.

After considering making a Photoshop mock up, I felt that the rendition would look cheap and unbelievable. If I were to make a real proposal to erect this statue, as an artist I would draw up the plans myself. I want this to be believable and as though I were really planning to follow this through, so I am going to attempt to watercolor my proposal. My flash skills are a little rusty, so we'll see what happens (gulp).