ADAM DANT...
Really loved this image of his, has inspired my arrivals task, I have began looking a maps, and the roots where we come from. As I grow up and move away from home I feel a bigger connection with it and the people that make me.
Wednesday, 21 March 2012
WEEK 1 VISITING LECTURES (Lois Norman)
Ruth Murray: Arrival
I visited The John Ryland Library to experience arriving somewhere new in Manchester, as it is a significant place of heritage in the heart of the city. Entering this magnificent building with its Neo-Gothic Victorian design, I stepped back in time to a completely different Era. I spent ages viewing the features of each room to familiarise myself with this unknown world, and was captivated by the elaborate architecture and ancient books and manuscripts on display.
ADAM DANT TALK - Zoe Budwig
I was particularly inspired when Adam Dant spoke about the processes in the production of his work. He started sketching on buses, taking inspiration around him. This lead him to in 1995 produce and distribute Donald's Parsnips' Daily Journal. He also had a weekly column in the Independent on Sunday.
Dant also spoke about his work with members of the public, for example Reading Children's Police Force and a high class magazine.
The Triumph of Debt
This piece above relates to the Financial meltdown of Lehmann Brothers. His drawings are very detailed and always show his interactions with the public and spaces.
Dant's inspiration is always taken from things around him, and this is something I need to consider in my work, to make sure I am utilising Manchester as much as I can in my work.
DAVE HASLAM TALK - Zoe Budwig
This talk by DJ Dave Haslam was an interesting insight into the marginal activity in Manchester. Haslam made his reputation at the Hacienda club.
Haslam spoke about small scale activity, small clubs and new pioneering being so vital. An example is Drunk at Vogue at Kraak Gallery. This event is a gay friendly, hidden, derelict place and I really want to find it!
He mentioned the band Joy Division and the change from small scale into main stream. He really emphasised small undercapitalised places becoming populated and encouraged us to get out and exhibit our work in cheap spaces. My aim is to research and find these hidden spaces.
MMU VISUAL RESOURCES - Zoe Budwig
We were introduced to the slide collections in the Visual Resources Centre.
- Art & Design Collection
- Design Council Slide Collection
- Lantern Slide Collection
The collection includes about 275,000 slides since 1960's. Images for the slides were sourced from books, postcards, film strips and in house photography.
I definitely plan on going back to the slides and having a better search, possibly projecting and drawing from them.
EXPERIENCE OF ARRIVAL - Zoe Budwig
Thoughts
I have been thinking of quite a few ideas, but I am hoping to with time create more of a direction for my research.
My starting point is memories of arriving in Manchester, bringing me back to being a child again on my first day of school.
I decided to think about place of arrival as well as the experience. Thinking about places children would visit in Manchester, open areas, parks, gardens etc. I want to convey the feeling of arriving in the city and missing the green suburbs.
My plan is to bring a greener aspect to the new art school, and to create my fairy tale 'Green City'.
Research
- Photographing All Saints Park - first place of arrival as new TIPSTER.
- Mapping arrival at different gardens.
- Collecting items associated with places and my memories.
- Past & Present, being a child in Manchester, going back in time.
Arrivals - Kelly Lowe
I have decided to focus my ‘Arrivals’ task on Tib Street. After briefly learning about it in the origins unit, I felt having background knowledge on the street and the fact I found the street very intriguing a good ground base to work from.
As I walked through the street there was a real busy and rushed feel, very much the rush of shoppers which was something that I liked. The Hustle and bustle of the shoppers and the noise of the excited women created such an atmosphere that no one could dislike. The street held lots of character, with an urban vintage feel and the quirky vintage shops and ‘cute’ cafes that sit perfectly in the heart of the street. The buildings are tall with a Victorian look, which almost intimidate and make you feel trapped in the maze of tall buildings that overshadows everything below them. The stone pillars look weathered and sad, with cracks and peeled stone leaving a surface much like that of a rotted fence. The street displayed its history through art and told a story through vibrant and colourful graffiti which, contrasted with the grey and dull sky that only meant one thing... rain.
I liked how the Northern Quarter seemed to show something new and different every time I visited it and founf secret alleyways and backstreets very intriguing. I decided to look into the 'hidden spaces' within the Northern Quarter, looking at bars and cafes (inside and out) you many not necessarily expect to be there, along with details of their architecture, flooring and window designs on some of the buildings.
AIRPLANE, FILM NIGHT - Zoe Budwig
I have been to two of the film nights at HotSpur so far and I enjoy watching films I would never choose to watch myself. It is also good to do something that isn't work related.
This week the film was Airplane, which included a lot of funny moments.
All eyes were on Ted, an ex- navy pilot who has been nervous about flying, everything is a disaster and Ted has to land the plane. There are blow up pilots which are simply the best! The co- pilot is a basketball star and the air traffic controller has a substance abuse problem. I wouldn't say it is the best film, but it is most certainly funny.
ARRIVALS...manchester's underground culture and hidden features - Danusha Komar
I decided to look at Manchester for my arrival point as the start of the unit. I thought it would be fitting to look at the city and the immediate surroundings of the art school to add history and context to my ideas. I wrote a short piece describing the scenes I saw when I first visited Manchester and ended in the Northern Quarter which is where I have decided to focus my attention at this point in Unit X.
I made some drawings from memory that related to my 'short story'.
I then visited the Northern Quarter to gather research and take photographs. I started to take photos of backstreets and the brickwork but then discovered the metal tiles in the floor about half way up 'Oldham Street'. They are symbolic tiles with images and patterns synonymous with Manchester and what was once the underground music scene. This made me think about the marks and the memories people have made and left in and upon Manchester. Hopefully this idea of memories and mark making will feed into my work and help me to produce some amazing ideas!
Arrivals task - Rebecca Hayman
I visited Leeds art gallery to experience finding somewhere new, however finding it found to be more difficult than I first thought so I have based my arrival tale on the experience of trying to find the gallery...
Random natural light beams - Rebecca Hayman
I randomly took this photo a few months ago on my phone... I was lied on my bed and the way the sun must have been shining through the curtains it made these strange light beams and shadows on the ceiling... as I am interested in looking at light being shone through things to create different light and shadows... I thought this image worked quite well with this idea and is a natural example of what I want to try and create artificially.
Webpage - Rebecca Hayman
Hi everyone! ... came across this website the other day which looked quite interesting with lots of interior designs... might give people a few ideas depending on what their doing just thought I'd share it ....
Manchester's Witworth Cotton event.
This event was an exhibition opening party to celebrate COTTON : Global Threads. The event was very relaxed with a DJ 'spinning tunes and cotton' as you walked round the exhibition. You were also able to create your own key ring using cotton scraps, as well as up-cycling clothes hangers, giving them your own touch.
The current exibition is telling a story of the production, consumpsion and trade of cotton foucusing on west africa, with historic touches on economics, slavery, fashion and popular culture.
Anne Wilson
For this exhibition, Anne Wilson produced a beautiful weave based on the warping actions requited to produce a woven cloth, where it involves repetitive movements where the action itself becomes both a textile and a soft machine. The pattern and colour in the weave reminded me of african tribal patterns and I really liked the flow of how the colours transformed from one to the next.
Aboubakar Fofana
CUBE exhibition - Infra _MANC Rebecca Hayman
This exhibition was about the dreams of the planning and construction of four post war infrastructural projects in central Manchester. Two of these plannings were completed and two left to show what might have been. Amongst these hopes and dreams were ideas of a Piccadily- Victoria railway tunnel, a city centre heliport, Mancunian way and the Guardian telephone exchange. Drawings and photographs were among these plans and are displayed in the exhibition.Richard Brook and Martin Dodge are who helped to curate this exhibition and make it happen!
PAST AND PRESENT MANCHESTER - Zoe Budwig
Continuing from looking at my arrival in Manchester and leaving home behind I have started to look at parks/ gardens in my urge for a greener Manchester.
Thinking about childhood I have decided to look at the past and present of my particular locations, and possibly the memories that they hold.
Unveiling Past memories... Going back to the slide library and my own Photography
All Saints Park
Picadilly Gardens It was particularly interesting to research that Picadilly Gardens used to be an actual garden. I quite like the idea of overlaying the old with the new, being a child in Manchester and looking back at the history.
FINDINGS - Zoe Budwig
Hello.... a few links that may be of interest!
http://fashionarchitecturetaste.com/ - This is one of the links Rachel recommended we look at, if you haven't already seen it then have a look! Really Interesting!
http://loop.ph/bin/view/Loop/WebHome
http://www.olafureliasson.net/works/Harpa.html - an artist Kate mentioned to me, really like these architecture images, lots of repitition.
Ruth Murray: Decorative Patterns
I was particularly attracted the decorative patterns around The John Ryland Library. These included:
- Carved stone ceilings and banisters
- Stain glass windows
- Manuscripts ornate illustrations and typography
- Old book cover designs
The talk by Adam Dant was inspiring as he used architectural patterns to create attractive borders for his illustrations. I like Dant’s style of work: Very dense, elaborate drawings with a thoroughly researched logic behind them. Similarly in my project, I will focus on the idea of patterns within a place, gathering ideas from the cities resources.
The gold leaf embellishments complement the elaborate buildings and offer a sense of grandeur.
Ruth Murray: Special Collections Book Designs
I explored traditional book designs by visiting Special Collections. I loved the worn leather covers, a heavy textured material embossed with ornate patterns. The complex designs featured intricate lines and marks such as spirals and dots. Motifs were repeated or reflected to form an overall symmetrical pattern. The book spines were equally attractive: with a thin column of pattern or small motif isolated from the main design. Gold on a strong coloured background such as green or blue was a reoccurring feature which created a refined, elegant appearance.
CLAIRE LOWE 19/03/2012- Danusha Komar
Today I attended a talk by Claire Lowe, the partenership manager for 'The Corridor Manchester'. The 'Corridor' runs from St.Peter's Square, through the city and down to and past the Whitworth Art Gallery, the heart of the corridor being Oxford Road. The area covers 243 hectares and employs 18% of the city's total workforce.
The Corridor is a unique business location which links three of the main educational centres in Manchester:
Manchester Metropolitan University
The University of Manchester
Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS foundation Trust
The Commonwealth Games and the move of part of the BBC to Oxford Road (Manchester) in 2002-6 made way and kickstarted the partnership. In 2007 the Manchester City South Partenership was formed and in 2008 the name was changed to 'The Corridor Manchester'.
The main aim of 'the Corridor' is to be 'the leading UK location for knowledge-based businesses, research & development and learning and knowledge'. Their vision is to be CREATIVE, ORIGINAL and SMART and they are currently working on 5 main themes throughout their business:
1.SENSE OF PLACE
2.TRANSPORT
3.ENVIRONMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE
4.RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
5.EMPLOYMENT, BUSINESS AND SKILLS
One fundemental project they are working on at the moment is the Cross City Bus Package which is going to involve a bus route that travels up and down the Corridor and allows tourists and workers to visit and get to places along the corridor without a need for and transport changes. This should make the Corridor more accessible and more well known.
Another project the partenership is working on is the Public Realm. In this they aim to regenerate and to develop streets and areas which surround the Corridor through art and new technology. One area where this can already be seen is the Grosvenor Square.
They are also very interested in 'green' spaces and travelling.
Other members of the partenership are:
Cornerhouse
Bruntwood
Manchester City Council
Manchester Science Parks LTD
3rd YEAR EMBROIDERY TALK, LAURA FAITHFUL - Zoe Budwig
I went to this talk by 3rd year Laura Faithful....
It was interesting to hear about Laura's starting points, she was interested in irregular patterns in natural forms, but for her it was more about the processes.
She started working with coffee filters and doilies but there was a limitation with this. She managed to source blind material, which she had started to laser cut into, using her drawings as templates. These were really successful and especially because she had chosen an unusual material to work with.
She also showed us some experiments where she had been cutting up the blind material and stitching it together. She mentioned her plans on making an interactive light sculpture with this material, which brought me back to thinking about possible outcomes for my work.
She showed us a few mood boards, and this is possibly something I should think about doing when working towards my final concepts, as it will help me visually see what I am trying to create.
BARNEY, MIND FOOD - Zoe Budwig
I was intrigued as to what the Barney, Mind Food talks were, so I decided to check it out. Whilst in the talk I wasn't really sure exactly as to how it would influence my work, but reflecting on it I have been quite inspired.
Live Art. Provoke. Voice.
Inside Out Global Project - JR Art
JR's Wish
"I wish for you to stand up for what you care about by participating in a global art project, and together we'll turn the world...INSIDE OUT."
Moss Side, Manchester
The Art Club at St Marys Primary School were involved in this project. Alexandra Arts facilitated a series of speed photo shoots where the children could take photo's of each other whilst expressing their feelings about nature in the city. This is quite relevant to my work as I have been looking at parks and the green areas of the city, but also it is relevant in the sense of putting your work in a space and thinking about what you want to convey through your work.
http://www.synchronizedliquid.com/#! - Alexandra Park site.
Converse, Wall to Wall Manchester - Fauna Graphic
Northern Quarter - Newton St.
This is a spray painted wall done for converse, the project aim was to allow chosen artists to create and choose artwork for murals on walls, which they wouldn't usually be allowed to do.
The scale of the work has made me think a bit more about my work and the possibilities that my work can transform into. I definitely need to have in mind where I want to put my work and how it should be showcased.
Osgemeos
Twins Octavio and Gustavio Pandolfo, are known as Osgemeos. They play about with reality and fantasy. This is quite related to my thoughts about my Manchester fairy tale.
At only three years of age the crayons and imagination were already present, the twins would draw on the same sheet of paper or illustrate the same themes. Graffiti entered the life of the brothers, when the hip hop culture came to Brazil and the youth began to colour their ideas on the city walls.
A leap for the artists was the Deitch Projects Gallery in New York, these two images to the right are taken from the gallery. The duo had to bring their work beyond the street, creating 3D sculptures and installations.
There use of space and the way they work differently outside and in a gallery space is all important in relevance to the showcasing of my work. There is a certain energy and lively feeling you get from the work, I need to think about feelings created within my work so it subtly reflects what I want it to.
Swoon
Swoon, a street artist regularly pastes cut out works depicting her friends and family on streets in various places, particularly uninhabited locations. These people traverse a city of Swoon's unique invention. These images are from the artist's first New York Solo Exhibition. The cut outs are so intricate and work well in an exhibition space, casting shadows and hanging.
GROUP MEETING 19/03/12 - Zoe Budwig
A few things discussed from todays meeting... - comment on each others posts so were interacting more. - If someone has already written about a talk you went to, add a comment to show your view! - Record our meetings/ talks. - Go to things together. Exchanged numbers and planned next meeting after Easter holidays on 16th.
UNIT X ASSESSMENT/ BLOG HELP - Zoe Budwig
I went to the Unit X help session at HotSpur today, so just thought it would be of use to others also, these are a few of the criteria were marked on!
Team Work - work effectively together, share ideas, share work load. Contribute to others experiences. Feedback to each other and discuss.
Blog - Unpick the sessions and reflect on them through your individual work.
What you Make - Final Proposal, what will you put together and pursue. Presenting solutions to others, where will you showcase your work.
Share what you think and know. Feedback to other people not just your group members. Overload your group blog with your thoughts and ideas, to receive advice!
In weeks 9&10 we will be celebrating and producing our final things.
Tuesday 20th March BRENDAN DAWES (Lois Norman)
The lecture today by Brendan has been inspiring; his ideas behind his work and technology have made me think about the reasons behind my work more. His ideas are so simple but creative.
He began the lecture with a quote of his ‘FILLINGS FOR RECTANGLES’ and continued in saying that, that is his job. He began as a photographer and was inspired by his dad. But now, he calls himself more as a generalist experimenting with brand new technology and materials.
He said he gets inspired by the most humble of things in life, items that we over look.
‘all good design is never noticed’ If something is designed so well we should just take it as it is and live our lives using design that enhances our lifestyle.
He said he likes to surprise people with his work, he has a love for what he does.
It was inspiring listening to someone who money doesn’t matter; he is not bothered if he makes money from his work.
Some of his other ideas include combining analogue with digital; he created a video which speeds alternated depending on how much play-dough was on the screen. He manipulated play-dough to control video technology.He also said that as designers we should publish our work , it’s the only way to get results from a larger amount of people, let people criticise your work and make it cause debate!!!
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