Molly Hawthorne, Thesis Presentation 01 August 31, 2009

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Over the course of the fall semester, I made several attempts at entry into the content of my thesis that have felt either forced or uninspired. The goal before spring is to treat content less preciously and consider new avenues into the subject of mental illness. This includes the decision to keep the DSM as a research tool, but to elevate it to the main source of data for my thesis. By deciding a text-only source is viable for harvesting information, I can include a larger scheme of typography and typographic experimentation as part of data visualization. Likewise, language and language development will begin to take a larger role as Data Disorder moves forward.

Originally, the deliverables for my thesis included posters designed around three chosen disorders—schizophrenia, panic disorder and bipolar disorder. Now, at least two more projects have evolved.

The first involves reinterpreting Rorschach plates. Up to now, attempts to arrange aural compositions based on the plates have not worked consistently. However, feedback from critic Paul Sahre reveals that my experimentation does not have to be based in processing or finding a systems-based way to create sound. Instead, as with many of my first projects, I can consider sound subjectively by actually interpreting the plates myself—something I did not feel comfortable doing at the beginning of the semester. Along with developing language studies, this theme of objective and subject compositions for similar data sets will continue.

The second project newly added to Data Disorder emerged from the visiting artist weekend with Georgie Stout. After diagrammatically presenting research of pharmaceuticals—mood stabilizers, atypical anti-psychotics and anti-depressants—I wrote couplet-based poems that combine drug brand taglines with frequently used risk language. This combines my desire to explore content objectively and subjectively simultaneously while also forming a new language for mental illness that remains rooted in medicine. I wonder, though, if like with the aural experiments, there is potential for humor, which could be a welcome to break to what can be heavy material for an audience of artists and designers.

Since mid-semester I’ve considered Michael Beirut’s series of 40 published Yale Architectural posters a real source of inspiration. I think, though, that as with abandoning some information design discourse, I need to make/create without a lead and see where I end up. Over the winter break, I want to work toward quantity. I’ve tiptoed around form-making this fall. By challenging my comfort level and trying quick iterations of project ideas, I think Data Disorder will have a greater variety of forms. Similarly, I still want to consider how my posters can work as a narrative. And, finding an appropriate entry into each of my three chosen disorders may help. I think there is a real possibly to use the new risk language poems as a contrast to diagnosis language to create these introductions.

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Molly Hawthorne, Fall 2009