February 2011

This month started with peer feedback from my tutorial group.  My question at th beginning of the month was:

How can traditional practices and culture be maintained with the use of crafting in contemporary society?

My journey of learning and understanding different crafting skills from designer makers and enthusiasts hasdeveloped into filming designer/makers and enthusiasts.  As well as people who are just getting involved with crafts for the first time.  

I have continued to research into new materials or materials that can be used in unusual innovative ways to help crafting be seen in a different light. I have found some wonderful materials, but as yet I haven't thought of how these can be sued in my kits. 

I would still like to encourage groups of friends, families and communities to get more involved in activities together, to encourage storytelling and the diffusion of knowledge and skills across generations. My thoughts did develop a little with regard to using craft as a way of empowering communities to become more engaged in decisions about their local environment.  I was amde aware from one of my films, that new mums would really relish a scheme that allowed them to learn new creative skills, rather than only coming together to concentrate on baby-related issues.  There are a number of artists that already specialise in participatory arts installations in communities that I could contact.  However I feel there are already a lot of schemes that do this, and so I do not feel this would be original enough for a Masters project. 

 

Thinking about my artefact, I am still concentrating on a type of kit and instructions that combine:

Fun,Games, Crafting, New skill, Re-using, Communication, Working together, New materials, Recycling

I have always been interested in identity, the mental barriers we put in place of our own development
and creativity, and the way we amplify negativity in comparison to positive feedback and encouragement.  So I have been considering how these kits could help people further understand themselves and encourage creativity and develop their imagination.  

I have also been totally inspired by the 2 exhibitions I went to at the Design Museum, for different reasons and in different ways.  The Threads of Feeling exhibition at the Foundling Museum was great in that it helped me think further about the idea that these kits could help people with identity and creative development. There were projects that explored the relationship between crafting, the charity and vulnerable young people. I would love for my artefacts to be used to help vulnerable people, to get them to explore who they are and where they fit. This led me to think about Graffi-tee, a project where the kit contained things to help individuals create a T-Shirt that represented who they really were.  

I feel very positive about my progress this month, and I hope to develop on my ideas through March. 

Winter Work 2010/2011

Articles: 
Press, M. & Cusworth, A. (1998) The value of craft in the information age. Craft Council. 

The Visual Arts Blueprint, Creative and Cultural Skills: A Workforce development plan for the visual arts in the UK (2009)

The Craft Blueprint, Creative and Cultural Skills (2009)

Lee, J.  (1996) A report on Craft Council's outreach project for primary, secondary and special schools in Hackney and Islington.  Craft Council. 

Robinson, K. (1998) Creative and cultural education: a national priority? Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural education

Allison, B (1998) Craft is more than helping in the shed: Times Educational Supplement.  3/4/98 p.80

Crafts Council (1995) Aspects of Crafts in Secondary Schools in England & Wales, Pupils as makers, London.  Craft council and Roehampton Institute.

Exhibitions and workshops:

Various (2011) High Society.  London: Wellcome Collection.  11 November - 27 February 2011. 

Various (2011) Drawing Fashion.  London: Design Museum.  03 November – 06 March 2011. 

Various (2011) Brit Insurance Designs of the Year.  London: Design Museum.  16 February – 07 August 2011. 

Various (2011) Threads of Feeling.  London: Foundling Museum.  14 October 2010 - 6 March 2011.   

Websites:

http://solutions.3m.co.uk/

http://www.materialconnexion.com/

http://www.materia.nl/
http://craftivism.com/blog.html/
http://designmuseum.org
http://www.channel4.com/4homes/crafts/index.html
http://www.craft-fair.co.uk/
http://www.craft-search.co.uk/
http://www.socialspaces.org/#543685/

"3D knitted & woven textiles, 3D Spacer & Cosmos are developed by Dutch fabric innovator Ferdinand Visser.

3D Spacer is made of polyester and polyurethane and is based on a 3D knitting technology. Used as contract seating and acoustical panels.

Cosmos is made of 100% trevira cs fibers and is based on a 3D weaving technology. Used for indoor applications, office chairs, or acoustical panels."

Record number of young people not in education, work or training

Figures show 15.6% of 16-24 year-olds were 'neets' at end of last year, as thinktank warns young people's unemployment likely to rise to 1.2m in next five years.

Guardian article

Making a Slow Revolution

I have been reading Helen Carnac's blog which investigates and prompts discussion about craft and its relationship with the Slow Movement. 

At the beginning of this course I did actually do some reading on the Slow food movement, it has developed as a critique of the consequences of our unsustainable consumerist culture and its increasingly fast lifestyles. 

‘The slow movement is a cultural shift towards slowing down life’s pace. It is not organized and controlled by a singular organization. A principal characteristic of the Slow Movement is that it is propounded, and its momentum maintained, by individuals that constitute the expanding global community of Slow. Although it has existed in some form since the Industrial Revolution its popularity has grown considerably since the rise of Slow Food and Cittaslow in Europe, with Slow initiatives spreading as far as Australia and Japan’ (Wikipedia) 

Craft skills are usually acquired over time, they are passed down through generations, can be learnt through iteration, therefore crafts that are considered a traditional practice and the communities in which they sit can often be considered Slow.  Slow is definitely not a new concept in relation to crafts on a number different levels. These notions of Slow can relate to time and process, the nature of production and consumption, lcoal markets and use of local materials, as well as the societal aspects.  

Key charactersitics of crafting and the Slow movement are:

• The relationships between craft and craft processes and social relationships, interactions and activities
• the storytelling elements withincrafts and craft processes, communication and the skills that are passed through generations
• The refletion aspect of the creator during the crafting process
• The lifecyle of the objects created

Craft your own business

Graffi-tee

An idea I had today about a project relating to young people and understanding their identity was Graffi-tee. 

Get a group of young people to bring in an old T-shirt and any images or textiles from home that they feel a connection with and help them to produce a piece of clothing they feel portrays their own identity.  By letting them see what's on the inside can be worn on the outside, it could help them understand and believe that they will be accepted for who they really are...

Year 2 - STUDENT PROGRESS REPORT

STUDENT NAME: Annahita Mackee

RESEARCH QUESTION:

How can traditional practices and culture be maintained with the use of crafting in contemporary society?

WHO ARE YOUR KEY FEEDBACK RESPONDENTS TO DATE? (individuals, companies, or interest groups):

Designer makers at Craft Central and Great Western Studios

Business support team and tutors at Craft Central

Researchers at Craft Council research centre

WHO ARE YOUR KEY COLLABORATORS TO DATE? (that is, people who are assisting you with artefact creation, surveys etc)

I have not collaborated as yet, I have written my own surveys, filmed the subjects myself and created my own artefacts, I will however need help from a graphic designer and editor soon.  I propose to ask my friends and colleagues for support.    

BRIEFLY, WHAT ARE YOUR KEY FINDINGS SINCE DECEMBER 2010?

Since December my question and artefact have evolved.  I am taking a keener interest in the community aspects of my project and how I can produce something or lead something that can make a difference in people’s lives. 

I have analysed my survey results, which narrowed down the scope of my question. 

I have developed new ways of displaying my process and journey.

I have decided and embarked on new research methods – video ethnography. 

WHAT ARE YOUR NEXT KEY ACTIONS?

To complete the video ethnography, and meet with a number of designer makers who are involved in community engagement craft projects.  To iterate my artefact from the findings of the video ethnography and interviews, specifically the key practices and cultural aspects that will redefine my question further.  Re-test artefact with my key respondents.  

PLEASE ALSO SEND WITH THIS FORM:

• Evidence of the artefact which you are currently testing

• Bibliography  - I am maintaining a blog for my MADS journal which is fully indexed, I will print this out for the final exhibition.  I write my bibliography up every 3 months, these are my references to date.

WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS OF YOUR PROJECT?

I am researching an interesting topic, which I am passionate about.  I have had goo and positive feedback and am now investigating further the ways in which my project could aid community engagement.

WHERE ARE THE GAPS IN, OR THREATS TO, YOUR PROJECT?

Time – it’s difficult to do my project in the evenings and on weekends, the participants and collaborators are usually only available during the day. 

I need to collaborate with a graphic designer and create a brief for the ‘kits’. 

Motivation and Momentum – there is an awful lot to be done, I need to ensure I keep going otherwise I will run out of time.  I have high standards and I really want to ensure that for the exhibition in December I can be 100% proud of what I have achieved. 

Threads of Feeling

Yesterday I visited the Foundling Museum again, to see their temporary exhibit, Threads of Feeling.  I found the exhibition really moving, as is the story of Coram's Foundling Hospital. 

The exhibition displayed pieces of fabric never shown before that were left with babies when their mothers abandoned them at the Foundling Hospital. I had previously seen the 'tokens' mothers left with their children, but these were things like the below:

Between 1741 and 1760 more than 4,000 of the babies left had a piece of fabric to identify them.  Some of these materials were of extremely high quality, there were ribbons, embroidered pieces, scarps tied into bows or made into rosettes.  

What I found extremely interesting were the number of community projects carried out by artists involved in the Coran charity.  

Stories of the World: London

This was a showcase of work by young people from certain London boroughs were either looked after children or care leavers.  They were joined by artists and encouraged to work with ceramics, painting, film, objects, sound and installations to create pieces that explored their identity and life in care.  I am interested in how getting involved in these crafting practices helping the young people understand themselves and their environments better.  

Relinquaries 

Another collection of items in the Foundling Museum had been created by young mums and young people currently in care, who had been adopted or live in supported housing from Coram.  They were asked to produce modern day tokens that were inspired by the items in the Foundling Museum, again exploring ideas around identity. 

I really enjoyed these projects that explored the relationship between crafting, the charity and vulnerable young people. I would love for my artefacts to be used to help vulnerable people, to get them to explore who they are and where they fit. 

The Brit Insurance Design Awards

Another great year for the Design Museum's Design Awards exhibition.  This year was incredibly busy, combination of half-term and the exhibition being shown on the news apparently, with families running around everywhere, fighting over iPad games, a lot of the installations 'out of order' and no leaflet given to you on the way in, I bought the catalogue to really dissect what was on the shortlist.

Firstly, the design of the exhibition itself; this year the entries were still grouped into: architecture, fashion, furniture, graphics, interactive, product and transport; but they were displayed for the exhibition in the following themes: city, play, learn, home and share. 

The sustainable and environmental theme the was prevalent last year was a continued presence, but a new feature was the advances of the portable touchscreen technology, like the iPad.

The exhibition signage was interesting, printed text on canvas and material, overhead signage hung from wire like washing lines.  

Architecture
I was glad to see Living Architecture's Balancing Barn  and Concrete Canvas were shortlisted.  Both projects that I was impressed by this year, but that fulfill completely different needs.  Living Architecture has created wonderfully the possibility for people to stay in buildings of real architectural value in the countryside without them having to be twee and period properties.  The guys at Concrete Canvas have created the most wonderfully innovative yet simple solution to shelter for humanitarian emergencies.

 

Fashion

Lanvin Spring/Summer '11 collection bright yet feminine and elegant.  

The Melonia Shoe made using a 3D printer/rapid prototyping machine!

  

Furniture

Spun, a sculpted, rocking, ergonomic chair, that is comfortable and functional.  Reminded me of the teacup ride!

Graphics
Marian Bantjes' I Wonder book was my favourite in this category, and has been a cherished purchase of mine this year.  Its filled with colours, textures and patterns that feel like you are spoiling yourself when you read it, hold it, buy it for yourself!  When I first bought it home it reminded me of the ornate manuscripts in the British Library, from times when the borders around the text were probably more important than the content itself!

Interactive
I was looking forward to experiencing Greyworld's 'Paint' for Nokia, which unfortunately was out of order when I visited; as was Wallpaper's Custom covers.  The majority of this section was iPad apps, which don't really inspire me, but this may be that it was hard to see any with the young members of the audience taking to these exhibits the most.  I did however enjoy Mimosa, an interactive artwork that mimicked petal configurations and reacted to movement.

Product
Pavegen really impressed me, a simple way to harness energy using paving slabs; the energy captured from footsteps can be used to power a light in the slab, as well as other street lighting, signage and local are information displays; to create a safer more energy efficient environment.

The other product I love, again because it is so simple yet perfect, and because lighting inspires me, is the Plumen 001.  The image below says everything you need to know.

Transport
The Barclays Cycle Hire has definitely changed the dynamic on London streets, I understand that the bikes themselves are a clever design, but somehow I feel encouraging people who are not necessarily 'cycle savvy' to ride through London traffic without helmets is such a great idea.  Considering the number of experienced cyclists with reflective kit and helmets that get hit by buses each year I think this is just a disaster waiting to happen.  It's also not reducing the traffic congestion in London anyway, and without cycle paths, is actually probably created more confusion.

Overall a great range of designs but somehow not quite as inspiring as last year.

Drawing Fashion

 Over the past 30 years by Joelle Chariau of Galerie Bartsch & Chariau have collected some of the most beautiful fashion illustrations from the 1920s to present day, they have been displayed for the first time in the Design Museum.  The exhibition was so inspiring, there is something magical about the way certain artists can represent fabric, the human form, movement and style with just a few strokes.  The exhibition was very simple with the illustration presented on large frames that were covered in slightly transparent paper that was backlit.  There was also videos that were back projected onto this surface.

The works show illustrations from all the major fashion houses of our times and all the magazines whose images we have grown to love.  I had a few favourites, but overall, this exhibition really hit the spot for me.  All the images are iconic and give a real sense of the time in which they were drawn, you would have any of them displayed in your own home. 

The collection included illustrations from Lepape, Gruau, Antonio, Mats Gustafson, Francois Berthoud and Aurore de la Morinerie's wonderful monotypes.

Bocci

Livingstone's Medicine Chest

The Wellcome Collecttion, Science Museum, Natural History Museum, Royal Botanical Gardens and Horniman Museum are showing five objects that have never been displayed before.  Each museum writes its own interpretation of the objects meaning, and its interesting to see the different stories that resonate with their experts. 

 I saw Livingstone's Medicine Chest, which was full of old glass bottles of potions that were supposed to equip the explorer Algot Lange for his Amazonian expeditions. The booklet for this exhibit holds the stories from each of the museums above, with different interpretations on the anthropological importance, information on plant diversity, conservation and sustainable use, the science involved, how the object shaped our lives and much much more.  

I have been thinking about communication in my exhibition, with my artefacts, my journey, my research etc at my exhibition and this has really given me some more food for thought. 

Galeria.Solar.S.Roque by Manuel Maia Gomes

Absolutely enchanting

High Society

Today I was back at my favourite place in London, the Wellcome Collection for their High Society exhibition. 

"With the illicit drug trade estimated by the UN at $320 billion (£200bn) a year and new drugs constantly appearing on the streets and the internet, it can seem as if we are in the grip of an unprecedented level of addiction. Yet the use of psychoactive drugs is nothing new, and indeed our most familiar ones - alcohol, coffee and tobacco - have all been illegal in the past.

From ancient Egyptian poppy tinctures to Victorian cocaine eye drops, Native American peyote rites to the salons of the French Romantics, mind-altering drugs have a rich history. 'High Society' will explore the paths by which these drugs were first discovered - from apothecaries' workshops to state-of-the-art laboratories - and how they came to be simultaneously fetishised and demonised in today’s culture."

My favourite installation was Biran Gysin's Dream Machine.  Gysin's installation aims to produce a 'drugless high' using a turntable, some paper, plastic and a light bulb!  You sit in front of the machine with your eyes closed while the light plays with you retina, and can apparently cause a hallucinatory effect.  

Bike spokes upcycled into handy oversized paperclips

Social entrepreneur Paole Richter has a keen interest in collecting old bikes and has started a program which gets the unemployed to restore and upcycle old bikes, most of which are sent to Africa.  The upcycled products include rubberbands from bike tires and the oversized paperclip (3") above from bike spokes. 

Who am I?

I am wondering whether my kits can help people explore their identity, their culture and their communities somehow?  Encourage people to engage more with the past and the world around them today?  These kits could be used with children in care, or those who have been adopted perhaps, to help them understand the world and how they fit in it.

Creative Communities

Feel slightly torn now between my original idea of a type of kit to encourage families and friends to create and communicate together; and a programme that looks at civic engagement through crafts.

I have been thinking a lot about a programme that would encourage communities to take part in activities and produce work that reflects their own experiences and places they live.  I would like to explore the role that crafts play in the social development of communities, but I am not yet sure I am willing to give up on my original idea.

We all know that getting involved in arts and culture stimulates conversations.  Can these dialogues be used to create stronger communities?  So do I want to create situations in which designer makers and craft enthusiasts are given opportunities that develop purposeful and deliberate debate in relation to the experience and community issues?  Dialogues about civic issues, policies, decisions about their areas etc. that help people understand themselves and their communities better.  They will develop new craft skills as well as gain confidence and learn how to lead and manage a group or project and communicate and negotiate with other members in their communities.

I am sure there are a number of designer makers in my area that specialise in participatory arts that can empower local people, create work that encompasses their diversity, and embed crafts into the key debates in the local area.

Reminded me of Slinkachu

Mini figurine jewellery

Marsha of hold out your hand just saw my bit in the Craft Central newsletter and has volunteered to take part in my project! I really hope I get to visit her, as a houseboat in a village called Hoo sounds just beautiful!

Chloe from Hatastic has agreed to let me film her in her workshop at the end of her garden in a few weeks, can't wait!

Winter Warmer

Bringing communities together through creativity.

My father would aboslutely love a room like this.  Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio in Japan created this house completely lined with with pine shelves to display the owners’ extensive collection of books.  The client had a huge collection of Islamic history books, the deisgn had not only be suitable for living but also provide enough storage for his books and to exhibit certain pieces. 

Daniel Julien and Mélanie Turcotte, Montreal designer, have created a line of 'self made' crafty accessories!  Scarfs made from sweatshirt sleeves and moustache bow ties!

Interesting Blogs

Hand Made Life

Craftivism

New Mums

Further to my day with Jodie, filming New Mum, New Crafter; I have been thinking about different activities to support new mums that are not the traditional playgroup, singing, yoga, baby signing etc.  Crafting gives new mums confidence to be creative in all aspects of their life, can help if they chose to return to work, gives them new skills, new ways to socialise and plan activities with their children.  Some new mums find the change to staying at home with their child extremely difficult, crafting activities could provide a less daunting way of meeting new people, and can help develop conversations about a variety of relevant issues.  There is a lot of new information to take in, and you need to understand everything to ensure the system works for you.  I don't mean getting involved the age-old local craft fair, but actually helping on projects that ensure they have an input into decisions that are made about their area. 

By providing new mums opportunities to work collaboratively with other mums in their area with professional artist as a facilitator they can access creative processes for enjoyment, for learning and as a tool for personal and skills development.

Project outline for Tuesday

How can traditional practices and culture be maintained with the use of crafting in contemporary society?

Key research themes

Craft skills

New materials

Community and interaction

What's important to me?

Learning and understanding different crafting skills from designer makers and enthusiasts.  

Researching into new materials or materials that can be used in unusual innovative ways to help crafting be seen in a different light.  

Encourage groups of friends, families and communities to get more involved in activities together, to encourage storytelling and the diffusion of knowledge and skills across generations.    
Using craft as a way of empowering communities to become more engaged in decisions about their local environment.

My research

Completed:

I have carried out an extensive survey

Interviews

To carry out:

I will be using video ethnography to help gain insight into how to develop my artefacts

My artfeact's 

Kits and instructions that combine:

Fun

Games

Crafting

New skills

Re-using

Communication

Working together

New materials

Recycling

 

Jodie: New Mum, New crafter

In January, Creative Review asked readers to nominate their top five logos of all time.

Porbably quite predictably when you ask designers about barnds they like, Apple came out pretty near the top! The others in the top 10 were all very simple, how a logo should be in my mind. 

Just found out we need to be ready to speak about our projects on Tuesday at uni and show our journals etc, glad I have kept this up to date, will just have to show it on the screen and write up a brief outline of my project over the weekend, key points to talk about. 

Telescopic Views

I really loved the old telescopic scenes in the Museum of London, I found the below on the V&a website, great idea!

Objects, furniture and people from other times or countries are exotic. They carry a flavour of the strange and mysterious. Scenes painted by artists carry some of that individual's imagination to the viewer.

Postcards are an accessible way of catching this exciting mixture, and of using it to create a fantasy of one's own. One way of doing this is to make a peep box. 

Materials

• Selection of postcards to use whole, or to cut images from
• Shoe box
• Tracing paper or coloured tissue paper
• Scissors
• Sellotape
• Glue

Instructions

1. Remove the lid and cut a peephole to look through at one end of the box. Cut one or two small windows out of each side (about three cm square), not directly opposite each other.

2. Cut three windows out of the lid, one very near one end.

3. Place a postcard at the end of the box opposite the peephole.

4. Cut shapes out of other cards to add at the sides. When cutting, include a margin at one side, to fold at right angles and glue to the peep box side.

5. Cut out figures to add interest. Fix an extra strip of card onto the back, with a base tab that folds at right angles to stick to the bottom of the box.

6. When everything is in place, place the lid on top, with the end window farthest away from the peephole. Adjust the lighting by covering the lid and side windows with a book or hand to find the right level. Block windows that you are not using with black sugar paper. Then cover the rest with tracing paper, which will diffuse the light. To create different atmospheres, use coloured tissue paper over the windows.

To create a feeling of distance, insert a spyglass, normally used for security on front doors, into the peephole.

Last night Rachel and I met up, no one else from the group was there.  But we had some great discussions, really feel like we progressed our own personal ideas and we have decided to give feedback on each others projects even though we are in different tutor group. 

Also noticed a poster for preparing for your show and have signed up to some workshops. 

Today I have had a response from Hazel at Craft Central, she is going to ask the designer makers there whether they would like to be involved in my project, fingers crossed!