BOW A2: Feedback

I have shared the Zine and had some helpful comments and answers via email and on Padlet following a hangout session to my questions as detailed earlier on the blog. Huge thanks for all the people who were able to make suggestions.

I am now trying to look at the sequencing again and have moved verse to front and blurb to the back. I need to cut as have 40 pages max for a zine with ExWhyZed who will print a very small run which I am going to try and sell online.

1. On the intro, I think the shorter intro might be served better if it was just the last paragraph i.e. even shorter than your ‘shorter’ option, though with an added sentence that “places” it. Along the lines of “…made in early 2020 in Italy by a native South African domiciled in England – or some such, that alludes to the narratives you explain more explicitly.
   I too wondered about the images in the book, wondering about the sizing, I thought perhaps being too big. But then I’m not sure about the overall sizing of the book, and I think that will be critical. I don’t think there is a temporal theme going on, which I like a lot, perhaps this is more important when you realise your introduction text more completely. And as for the “Made in China” concern, don’t be concerned, it’ll “spin” your reader and not necessarily in the direction you think.
2. Really liked the images. Useful comment about the postcard book- I may follow up for my work.
3. I too loved the images. Agree the fish image is over-dark, also with swapping the text and the poem. Given the nature of the work is there any way to make the poem less linear too? (good idea)
4. It did occur to me that with everything going on. Trump’s appallingness over the ‘Kung Flu’ will probably be largely forgotten so I wouldn’t worry about it. I think that image works brilliantly as is.
5. I’m sorry I missed the first part of your presentation due to the problems I was having with audio – the sound just disappeared!
   I’m very interested int he way you aligned the images – the separation between 10 and 11 and then the placing together of 12 and 13 – would love to know your decision-making process.
   As I said, I found looking at the images placed me in a more solemn and meditative space – reinforced by your choice of mono.  I agree with comments about the importance of not having a title so that the viewer can enter the mood
6. I very much like your zine and believe you should stay ‘true’ and leave the ‘made in China’ as it is. You have inspired me to research Cartesian theory thank
7. (Hangout tutor) Your zine content and layout does a great job of presenting complex ideas in a creative way that’s both sophisticated and accessible. The zine format carries the work really well.I recommend investing in a copy of McLuhan & Fiore’s ‘War & Peace in the Global Village’ book, as well as ‘The Global Village’ (McLuhan & Powers) – you won’t regret it! For your CS research you might find it interesting to research Heidegger’s theories around ‘Being and Time’, and Foucault’s ‘This is Not a Pipe’ – is a great little book on  phenomenology and how the meaning we take from what we see is subjectively preconditioned (so kind of of Cartesian). Finally, Karl Marx’s interpretation of ‘technological determinism may be be of interest, too