Expanding ideas on interpretation, appropriation and adaptation

Thinking through the need to improve my drawing skills my creative practice can respond to a self negotiated element, and in particular the theme of adaptation is possibly the most illustration-al piece.

With regards to adaptation, a strand briefing conducted by Christian Lloyd helped us to consider the "evolution" of George Orwell's 1984 book covers, a novel which was initially published in 1948, as a metaphor for the post-war society.

 Under scrutiny, the book covers have changed significantly from the original published version, above, then adapted to a more sophisticated marketing device in the 1950s version which was an image silhouette of the backdrop of a large modern cityscape. ...

 It then developed through subsequent publications to the idea of the famous Lord Kitchener poster (which originally stated "Your Country Needs You"), appropriated and adapted / changed to "Big Brother is Watching You".
The changes on the book cover can also be seen through the actual typography and the recasting of the aesthetic to the latest contemporary cultural signifier of the time, for a further example the artwork by Ben Jones and later covers, which suggested that technological advances in the contemporary culture of the time, and the inclusion of barcodes, and then later again to the most recent publication of the 21st-century and the design by John Vallance of the "redacted" style which consist of the name that blackened out with horizontal bars.

   

Another example of adaptation which also includes interpretation is that of the work of Simon Starling in his piece shed boat shed (2005) where the viewer is invited to read, interpret, adapt and then represent.

If we now turn to interpretation, and drill down on the meaning of that theme, synonyms might be "reorganise, filter, sort, reposition, prioritise based on a value-based system.  Alternatively this could also mean redesigning.  Design and craft and its meaning of interpretation in art sits well in the field of contemporary art and illustration.

A good reference site or this might be the design Council website at www.design Council.or.UK/news-opinion/introducing-design-methods

This process which covers the four elements of design which are the discovery phase, design phase, development phase, and delivery phase; reminded me very closely to an industrial process based on motor roller research called six Sigma in which they have to streams one based on the design of the new product and the other stream of equality improvement of an existing product.  In the six Sigma methodology phases for a new design are define, measure, analyse, implement and control.  And for product improvement the phases would be define measure analyse develop verify.

And finally if we consider appropriations, the synonyms and meanings of this could be "using something for another process" for example the works of John's basic and his re-use of photos to create alternative forms of art.
Paul Aymara and his work which uses seashells as a basis for his art to redefine their function another process.
And finally Rebecca Saito and her use of the existing artworks by the mere and Velasquez.

There are few websites which may be worth looking at such as HTTP;//ska folk.blogspot.co.you are/
E9 fun.com

Another area in contemporary art which is gaining pace and fashion is through up cycling.  This particularly fits into the appropriation of materials originally designed for one use and being adapted to create art for another use.  See the work by Jason Peters or up cycling examples.

Another exercise which we could engage with is to see how each word can play against each other is a combination of appropriation, adaptation, and interpretation.