1. Diploma in Foundation Studies – Art & Design
Identifying Contexts and their Influence on Art, Design and Media Practice
Robert Smithson; Spiral Jetty, 1970

2. Identifying Contexts and their Influence on Art, Design and Media Practice
A range of contexts profoundly influence the production of all Art, Design and Media practice, and its subsequent interpretation.
When producing aretfacts such as a painting, a film, a book, or a piece of jewellery a whole range of contexts are brought into play at all stages of production.
Identifying what these are and how they can be exploited is a fundamental aspect of the creative process.
Established practitioners are profoundly aware of how they can exploit such contexts to make their work more successful.

3. Historical
Does the work relate strongly to a historical context other than the one in which it is made? For example Costumes made for contemporary productions of Shakespeare always exist in the context of the authors “time” and earlier production designs.
Costumes from a contemporary staging of “A Midsummer Nights Dream”

4. Social
Are there any particular social issues relevant to the production or interpretation of the work? For Documentary Film and Photography this is one of the most important contexts, and is often the work’s starting point.
Morgan Spurlocks “documentary” film Super Size Me from 2004 responds to the obesity epedemic in the U S. - Spurlock's film follows a 30-day period from February 1 to March 2, 2003 during which he ate only McDonald's food.

5. TV Nation – Love Night Part 1 (1998)
Michael Moore
TV Nation – Love Night Part 1 (1998)

6. Cultural Grayson Perry - Comfort Blanket (2014)
Are there any particular cultural contexts or concerns relevant to the production or interpretation of the work? When engaging with other cultures, ethical considerations are important. When dealing with ones own, a more critical view is common. Here Grayson Perry “warmly” pokes fun at his own culture.
Morgan Spurlocks “documentary” film Super Size Me from 2004 responds to the obesity epedemic in the U S. - Spurlock's film follows a 30-day period from February 1 to March 2, 2003 during which he ate only McDonald's food.
Grayson Perry - Comfort Blanket (2014)

7. Diary of a Victorian Dandy (1998)
Yinka Shonibare
Diary of a Victorian Dandy (1998)

8. Political
Are there any historical or current political issues that are influencing the production?
When looking at extreme political situations, such as Apartheid South Africa, or Nazi Germany it is clear that creative output was profoundly influenced by the dominant political climate.
John Hearfield produced many Photomontages criticising Hitler and the Nazi regime.
Adolf the Superman Swallows Gold and Spouts Junk -
John Heartfield (1932)

9. Generally due to the difficulty of making work which tries to explain complex political situations, or simplify them, contemporary artists try to “open up” a debate through the viewers emotional engagement with the work. An example being Mona Hatoum, the Lebanese born , Palestinian Artist who asks questions with her work, rather than providing answers.
Mona Hatoum
Dormiente (2008)

10. Economic
Following on from this, in times of economic recession, the focus of such areas as advertising and architectural design changes to reflect the more financially austere situation.
This Levi s ad from recession hit 2011 attempts to associate their product with the working person.

11. Iquique, Chile – Social Housing Project
Alejandro Aravena
Iquique, Chile – Social Housing Project

12. Theoretical
All disciplines have attached to them a theoretical discourse. This could be from establishing writing around the discipline or from new theorists exploring the nature of a particular medium. A major historical example would be Freud’s theories relating to the unconscious, which have heavily influenced Fine Art practice from the Surrealists onwards.
David Lynch’s Film Blue Velvet is seen as a modern surrealist Film influenced by Freud’s theories of the unconscious, the uncanny, etc.
David Lynch – Blue Velvet (1986)

13. Scientific
Most creative practices engage with “discourses” outside of their own. It is common for that engagement to be with more scientific areas such as physics, chemistry, biology or the so called “human” or “social” sciences.
David Lynch’s Film Blue Velvet is seen as a modern surrealist Film influenced by Freud’s theories of the unconscious, the uncanny, etc.
Damien Hirst – Lullaby, The Seasons (2002)

14. Catalytic Clothing seeks to explore how clothing and textiles can be used as a catalytic surface to purify air, employing existing technology in a new way. It is the brainchild of artist / designer Helen Storey and chemist Tony Ryan – people from very different worlds whose minds have come together over recent years in highly successful art/science collaborations.
Helen Storey
Catalytic Clothing

15. Exhibition / Site
The context within which the work is finally shown is very important to consider. An illustration will be “read” very differently when seen in a children’s book, than it would be when framed in a gallery. Both “site” and “audience” are different and affect the work’s meaning.
Grayson Perry collaborated with, and used the traditional “museum” context to exhibit recent ceramics that illustrated contemporary life.
Grayson Perry - The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman - British Museum, London, 2011