Exercise 1:André Breton Problem

Due: Wednesday 9-9

André Breton was a French Surrealist poet who studied the unconscious by experimenting with the phenomenon of automatic writing. This assignment reflects and draws upon his methods.

This problem is given in the spirit of pure experimentation with the hope of catching a glimpse of other consciousness levels that are always present within us but rarely perceived. Touching the unknown is the beginning of the realization that there is much more to learn about one's own nature.

Part I: In your journal, research André Breton and discuss his ideas, findings and work. Tell me why or why not you find his ideas interesting. Prepare your findings to discuss the next time we meet.

Part II: In an attempt to expand your perception of the creative process and discover subconscious forms and images buried beneath conventional appearances and habits. Using Adobe Illustrator CS4 and the given template to create in the spirit of André Breton. Explore and experiment with Illustrators toolbox. There are no right or wrong answers to this problem. You may create whatever imagery, abstract or literal, you wish to explore. There are no limitations.

Try not to think about what you are doing. Just let your automatic functions take over, letting them proceed as they wish. Your final solution will not come from your normal way of solving problems, but from a deeper, more intuitive impulse. So whatever happens let it happen.

You need to save these files in your area on the desktop.

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1. You will need to create the given template on letter 8.5 x 11 (portrait) art board

2. With the ellipse tool, make a .05 x .05 circle.

3. Fill it with 173-r, 173-g, 173-b no stroke color.

4. Under View> show grid

5. Under Illustrator>Preferences>Guides&Grid. Make Gridline every .5 with subdivisions 8

6. Go to your grey circle and center it on the 1^st subdivision axis on the grid.

7. Copy and paste the circle across the page (there should be 16 circles across)

8. Copy and paste the line of circles down the page to the next subdivision line.

9. Continue of 20 more lines

10. The page should be full. Save your file and begin to explore an automatic design.

11. Save often