Tag: National Library of Scotland

A-Z

A-Z is a first year Illustration project celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, which was first conceived, compiled, printed and published in Edinburgh on 10 December 1768.

The project began with a visit to the archives of the National Library of Scotland, where library staff introduced the student group to the original Encyclopaedia Britannica.

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After being inspired by the original books, students were asked to each choose one entry and create two pieces of artwork in response:

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In support of the library’s appeal to digitise ‘Britannica’, students created short animated gifs, which are shared across the ECA Illustration and National Library of Scotland’s social media accounts. Use the Twitter and Instagram hashtag #britannica250 to find these lively interpretations of words you may be unfamiliar with. Here are a few examples:

 

 

 

Risograph print

In addition to the animated gifs, the A-Z is a collective book featuring the eighteen chosen Encyclopaedia Britannica entries in the form of risograph prints. The focus of this project was to get students to think about image and text layout and the imaginative interpretation of texts. It also served as an introduction to risograph printing and an exercise in working with a limited colour palette.

This work is currently on display at the National Library of Scotland throughout June, alongside the original Encyclopaedia Britannica.

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Muriel Spark 100

Muriel Spark 100 – student work exhibited at the National Library of Scotland.

This collaborative project between Edinburgh College of Art first year Illustration and Graphic Design students was inspired by the current exhibition ‘The International Style of Muriel Spark’, which celebrates the life and work of Muriel Spark one hundred years after she was born in Edinburgh.

Small groups of students formed a collective and worked on a series of tasks including creating a collective archive box inspired by Muriel Spark’s personal collections, the development of one character at different stages of their lives, a tunnel book in response to a piece Muriel Spark’s writing and a piece to help promote her work to a new, young audience.

Throughout the collaboration, the collectives were asked to research into the life and times of Muriel Spark, and to create different responses to their findings. The collaborative nature of the project meant that students had to find a common ground and identify common values to work with one another while delegating various tasks amongst the group.

The students attended a series of workshops and crits led by author Vivian French and artists / designers Brigid Collins, Mary Asiedu and Astrid Jaekel, which has influenced the work they have created. We are delighted to see the work displayed in the foyer of the National Library, where it will be on show until 29th May.

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Where are we?

Mapping the World

This collaborative project is inspired by and closely linked to the current exhibition ‘You are Here. A journey through maps’. The students from first year Illustration and Graphic Design worked in small groups and were asked to challenge what they know about maps, how they are made and how we understand them. They were encouraged to consider maps as a basis for storytelling beyond the attempt to represent factual information and investigate how maps may, for example, communicate emotional involvement in a place.

Each collective was given a series of tasks; this involved mapping a randomly allocated bus journey throughout Edinburgh, mapping their own personal journey from home to Edinburgh as a place to study, mapping a designated room at the National Museum of Scotland and lastly documenting the creative process of other students.

Throughout the 5 week project students were asked to attend a series of workshops and lectures led by Printmaker Jonathan Gibbs, Author Vivian French and Artist/Illustrator David Lemm to further enrich their skill set.

The group collaboration has been beneficial to our students who have been able to learn from their peers and experience their creative process. Skills were shared and tasks delegated amongst the group; for Illustrators and Graphic Designers this provides an invaluable learning experience building a solid foundation for their professional careers.

A selection of the work displayed at the National Library of Scotland until the end of May. 

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The Last Great Voyage of Discovery  

One hundred years ago, in 1914 Ernest Shackleton set sail with a team on the last Polar expedition of its kind, his aim to cross Antarctica via the Pole. This was the last great adventure of discovery, exploration today is rooted in scientific endeavor, and it is a story littered with intriguing details of reindeer skin sleeping bags, penguins, tinned food and lots of ice.

First year students from the Illustration Programme at Edinburgh College of Art were asked to respond to the story of the Endurance expedition and create an illustrated map of the journey. In addition to this they were asked to construct an artifact that illustrated an element of the narrative.

Maps come in all shapes and sizes. They are made for a specific purpose and include particular information that informs us, or take us on a journey. Students were asked to draw as many ideas as they could from the maps they studied in the immense collection of the National Library of Scotland – this included colour, textures used to mark terrain, timelines, lettering, borders, contour lines, latitude/longitude grids, references, size, shape….and of course the frying pan shape of Antarctica!

The results are currently exhibited in the National Library of Scotland, giving students the opportunity to share there illustrated discoveries with the public. A huge thank you to the National Library of Scotland for collaborating with us on this adventurous, challenging and greatly rewarding project.

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Pop-Up Burns at the National Library of Scotland

Our First Year illustration students have been busily working away creating Pop-up books that illustrate Robbie Burns’ epic tale ‘Tam O’Shanter’. They turned into veritable paper engineers, making books of all shapes and sizes: one comes in four little coffins, and another one is contained in two halves of a bottle.

But where can you see all these wonders? The work is on display in the entrance hall at Edinburgh’s National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge until Thursday 20 February 2014. Entrance is free!

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