50 THINGS - Initial Research
Scala Naturae, 1994, Stepped plinth, artefacts, specimens, taxidermic animals, bust 238 x 100 x 297 cm
Mark Dion, Tate Thames Dig 1999, Tate
“Many people define it differently. Some feel that it is simply the visualization of data; others see it as the communication of any message in any form. This could take the form of an advertisement or of a safety sign: both communicate a message or meaning to the viewer, and both deal with information, whether it is about selling a product or about preventing risks to health.”
Quote from
An introduction to information design by Coates, Kathryn; Ellison, Andy
It seems that there are many different ways to interpret information design. I want to spend some time finding a range of examples that span the different ideas of what information design can be. From what I already understand, some view information design purely as a way of presenting data clearly. Others use it as a way to engage their audience with information that may otherwise be quite dull to take in. There are also designers / artists who use data to create works of art which hold more visual appeal rather than clear information.
Siang Ching’s Pattern Matters: Tangible Paper Infographic, Is a good example of data being used to engage viewers with data. The information displayed here regarding the frequency of blood groups in Singapore donor population is essentially just a list of percentages that could fit on a post-it note. but Ching has presented the data in a way that gives the viewer a beautiful visual representation of the raw information.
Mark Dion
I have been looking at the work of American conceptual artist Mark Dion. He is known for his installation artworks of collections, He explores methods of collecting, ordering, and exhibiting objects. His work seems to take a more modern approach to the cabinet of curiosities from the 16th and 17th Century.
“Mark Dion in his work Tate Thames Dig (1999) makes use of the form of the wunderkammer, or curiosity cabinet. He does this for two reasons. The first is its association with the beliefs that underlie the way in which Renaissance society organized and categorized the world within the space of the curiosity cabinet. He uses this association to make the viewer question why the modern museum is organised in the manner that it is, and what lies behind the rules that curators and art historians follow in the classification and organization of objects.”
Quote from tate.org.uk - Digging the Thames with Mark Dion
Dion’s study of museum cataloging and presentation will be useful for research for me to influence my own study of organising and archiving my own collection of items.