Comparative Matrix: Quantitative Research (Part 1)

An integral part of my Hons project is the use of objects from the 30s-40s and their modern day equivalents. In the project these pieces will morph as the memories of the old woman come back to her in the quiet of everyday activities such as making tea or going to the shops.

To start this process of visual research I listed out the objects of significance and then in the tradition of quantitative researchers such as Bernd and Hilla Becher (The Water Towers), I set about to collect images of these objects and will investigate in a comparative matrix the similarities and differences between the eras and across different objects from the same era.

http://worldwaterneeds.tumblr.com/post/343051188/becher-water-towers

This in turn will help me 'create the world' of my project and furthermore assist in the morphing of the objects by providing me with the extremes that can then be used to map the change that would occur if the objects were to morph in real life.

At this stage in the research I am collecting images from various sources. As my research is focused more upon the generalities of the design of the object I am less concerned about the history of the piece and more upon the overall look of the piece that will become a part of a combined vision (colour, design, shape) of what that particular object may have looked like in the memories of the old woman in my project. Therefore images of the objects have been taken from various online sources such as online auction sites such as eBay, Etsy and online antique markets based on searches for the objects and the year in which they were popular or produced.

To collect all these images online I have been using a new online program called Pinterest. Pinterest allows me to set up virtual pinboards onto which I can pin images I have collected from online sources. I have created a pinboard entitled Vintage that holds all images of objects of significance from 30s-40s to modern day objects.

My boards on Pinterest

The Vintage board on Pinterest:

This virtual pinboard is not the analysis of the objects, merely a means of collecting them and organising them, however one of the benefits of the boards is the ability to see all objects laid out together and already I can see similarity in shape, colour and design across objects from the same era from cars to kettles to teacups. It is this later process of analysis in a comparative matrix that will allow me to capture an era and tell a story through a single object that will be the key to the success of my project.