Okay everybody. I've gone through all the comments, and I've spoken to a few people in class.
The general consensus seems to be that we go for option 3 for the front of the postcard (potentially with the labels, in 'and another option' as a UV varnish that's only visible depending on the angle you look at the postcard).
For the back, most people seem to like the idea of different aphorisms on different postcards. How many aphorisms we go for will be determined by the printers. If this is not possible, are we going to go for option F as the back, or for something very plain and simple?
I have contacted a printing company and I'm currently awaiting a cost estimate on the postcard described above.
BUT: we need to decide if we really want to go ahead and print this postcard or if we want to do/print something else. My concern is: what will we do with the postcard? Will we distribute them around campus? Hand them to our friends and family? Insert them into an academic publication? What is their purpose? Are they promoting our class, or Birkbeck?
Perhaps we should create an issue of Static with Catastrophe as our theme. Then we can perhaps use the postcard to solicit submissions. The postcards could be placed at the Tate, AA, ICA, etc etc and could advertise the next issue as well as solicit submissions.
Please leave comment on these questions and suggestions. If at least half of the class comes to any agreement then I will proceed from there.
6 comments:
Ooooh aren't you clever. The Static idea is a marvellous one, I'd be very up for that. It's a good way of creating something really concrete out of the idea of catastrophe as well as giving full attention to the Consortium's new courses, and it'll work well across the years as something more inclusive and functional than just us and our wacky ideas.
It would be a waste of resources not to go for Static: it would give us a budget and ready printing & distribution arrangements.
But before we go there we have to decide whether Static is an appropriate venue. If yes, then I assume this means we use material from the catastrophe papers.
Steve did talk about us taking it over, but he didn't go into what that might entail.
Since we are already talking about printing costs, I assume there is a budget. In this case, rather than in the form of postcards, Jonathan's work would have broader impact as an ad in just about any publication.
I'm thinking identical spreads in porn, sci-fi and interior design publications.
As for what we are trying to promote, how about we call it an attitude towards disaster?
Hiyi,
I also think we should make full use of Static. I agree with Chris in that we should consider what Steve's "taking over" could mean. Having odd bits from our papers there, as well as the catastrophe ad, would definitely be an idea. As for the appropriatness of the venue, I just think it's a good starting point; who knows what we could do with later...Distributing the postcards around the Consortium institutions seems a good starting point as well but, of course, there's scope for doing much more than that.
That sounds very cool but I think that Static: Catastrophe, pieces of our essays, editorial ads and so on are entirely distinct projects from that which brought on the whole postcards thing. These might be things that people are more interested in pursuing so thats understandable but in terms of continuing to work with the Catastrophe class I think I would rather see the postcards followed through as a sort of rhetorical, intellectual and, of course, self gratifying art project. Still, I think its an interesting use consortium resources and am keen to see the drafts offered by a professional designer utilized. In terms of the email correspondence and/or website I thing that's gonna require some time commitment so again Im not sure how people feel about that. Ok, just wanted to put down my thoughts. See you all at drinks tonight. ~Christien
Somehow I suspect this comment comes too late, given that we are all meeting in the next couple of hours, but still I thought I ought to write something, in thanks for all the work Jonathan has done if nothing else.
I see no reason why the postcard should not be printed with some kind of reference to Static, whilst also remaining a rhetorical gesture (marketing might be though of as a form of rhetoric anyway). That way at least we have some meagre justification for our waste of paper.
Hopefully that wasn't unhelpful, as well as being untimely.
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