[DES212] VISUAL COMMUNICATION & CULTURE | TASK 1 | ZINE
For this task we were asked to create a zine [this was actually the very thing that prompted me to start Idiosync]. The scope was very broad: it needed to be physical, could be designed & produced by any means, and needed to be of a cultural, social, or political theme [in other words: anything].
So I decided to paint leaves.
I’d seen someone do something similar on Instagram a while ago and
thought it would be a good opportunity to experiment with something different and see what my ambitious decision would result in.
Suffice to say it was both better and worse than I anticipated. However, overall, it was such a great experience.
This degree is really starting to be something special.
My crazy arty concept-driven mania has a place to be expressed, seen, interacted with, and appreciated. The feedback I received for this task was perhaps the most positive and glowing so far. This, also, is perhaps the most creative freedom I’ve had within an assessment piece so, the closer I get to where I shine, the more my light is seen.
It’s nice.
Feedback found below.
xo
[30-08-2025]
GRADE - High Distinction - 90%
FEEDBACK:
“Marley, this is a compelling piece. It feel a bit avant-garde—like a poetic meeting point between raw nature and experimental design.
It was interesting to see the way you chose to work with each leaf and transform them from simple organic matter into intentional objects, carrying both fragility and strength.
Your use of eyelets in the leaves is particularly striking—it disrupts traditional expectations of botanical taxonomy, almost rebelling against it. This intervention pushes the work into a space that feels both subversive and deeply symbolic.
Your choice of binding also has potential for interpretation. The decision to fasten natural material in this way invites questions about preservation and transformation. Each leaf becomes more than a surface—it holds its own story. I found myself wondering... what narratives are embedded in these leaves? What ecological resonances are you drawing us to consider?
As a whole, your work has an open-ended conversation between material and maker.
There is room to continue expanding the symbolic depth of your choices, whether through continued layering, juxtaposition, or development.
Well done on creating something so daring and evocative.”
- Ellen Parker