Roy Rub
Toposgraphics
NY
When i sent in my initial concept to Roy Rub,he gave me feedback which helped me focus and come up with a less vague proposal.
I have read your proposal a few times and I have mixed feelings about it. Here are a few questions/issues that I think need to be better addressed:
1. The premise that children are so violent. Throughout the Victorian times there was a belief that children are pure being; not able of a malice thought. However, since than and thanks to work of many (a few comes to mind like Lewis Carroll, Maurice Sendak, Freud etc.) I don't think this idea is prevalent anymore. If anything, today we are used to see children as being with diverse psychic and emotional life. To my limited knowledge (I personally do not have kids) they reflect and amplify their surrounding. I am not sure it is so obvious that children are inherently violent. I would step a step back and try to first understand what is children violence, what evokes it, how does it manifest itself.... etc.
I think you have to focus your research question. Are you interested in children violence one against the other? Are you interested in the shock you as an adult had when you find out how aggressive kids can be (if this is the case, I think you should check why were you so surprised. I am not sure I find children violence so surprising).
2. I think you have to focus your deliverables. You basically say that you can do many different things with your research. That doesn't help you work towards a goal. I am afraid you will spend a lot of time researching everything on the matter (which right now is very broad) and will allow yourself very little time to produce the work itself.
I'd say that it sounds provocative and ripe with emotional content that could be very interesting. However, this will be a challenge as to how to retain this tension and impact without going over the top. Restraint could be key to make this work well.
Avy
Srishti
21.07.10
It's good the articulation but I would like to see what sort of
deliverables you have in mind, the range and what the deliverables are
going to demonstrate or do - to kids, to the market, to parents, etc.
So do some more thinking on this aspect and see how it links to your
process/methodology which also needs to be a little more articulate.
This should not take you more than half a day's work.
Please get Kumkum's feedback too, incorporate it with mine and send in a
fresh and final diploma project proposal on or before June 30.
Good luck. The concept is brilliant. I am really interested in the process
and outcome and would like to see more of that in the proposal (just so I
know you are thinking ahead:-)
Kumkum
Srishti
21.07.10
I feel that the basic premise of your project is very personal and very valid....however, there is a huge gap between studying/understanding the latent/inherent root of violence in children and the outcome of your project.
I need to see a connect between these two!
Ramesh
Srishti
04.08.10
It would be hard to justify creating products which are not problem solving. The products dont necessarily have to be tangible products but can be an experience. The focus can be the on creating the experience, which is facilitated by a product. Talk to psychologists about your experiments. How will the younger kids interact with tools, or if they were asked to break something, etc. If you are creating bubble wrap toys, is there a way to put a toy or something inside which the kid would get only on bursting the bubble. That way it allows the child to went out but is also rewarding. Although it shouldnt be thought, that everytime they are aggressive, they get rewarded. But a reward of sorts is a good idea. Cooking is a form of vent out-the idea of skinning, cutting, cooking in hot oil with spices etc can be something to vent out. For example, the process of cooking allows to vent out, and eating the food is the reward. Extending the process(adding steps to the experience) will be more interesting and effective. Also the problem with alot of toys in the market are that they are focusing on creating just the product and not the experience(ie-bubble maker).
Raghu
24.09.10
Since i was also looking into the realms of an art project, my panel asked me to speak to Raghu and Ramesh. I explained my entire project to him. His first question was that isn't it an assumption(kids are sick of cute). He also asked me to question myself: why would kids want to play with these toys? do all types of kids enjoy it or just some?etc. I gave him examples from my research after which he was a bit more convinced.
He gave me some great feedback:
Have several toys for people to interact with at the exhibition space and not just 4-5.
The video of the existing toys which questions perception-this video is interesting but should be made very carefully. Don't force your opinions and point of view on them. Shoot the toys just as they are because by speeding it up you are visually manipulating it so it may force the viewer to think a certain way.
Also consider the order of viewing the contents of your space. Will you be manipulating their thoughts by already showing them the video?should you show the video before or after the toys?
Maybe instead of just playing the video of children's interactions with your toys in the space, you could consider creating a booth or something. If they see the video of the children enjoying it first, then their views will become biased. Maybe they enter the booth and play with the toy and are asked 2-3 questions like:
describe the experience?
would you let your kids play with it?
do you think the kids will like it?
After they say or write these thoughts down, they need to press a button which will play a video of the children interacting with the same toy. This will make it interactive and interesting.
