Creative Mentoring

I am currently on a short course to learn the basics on how to become a creative mentor. I have been learning some invaluable skills that will allow me to teach a wide range of people from children, to folks with disabilities. I always saw myself teaching in a more conventional way, in a college or university, but this programme has shown me new possibilities that I could get involved with.

I like the idea of teaching one off workshops or perhaps a small series of workshops, and through Market Place Studios (where I am a tenant), I opportunities like this will be a regular occurrence. I’ve been looking into other practitioners and places that run workshops for the public, there are several in the Manchester area, it seems there has been a real revival of craft and the handmade. In this ever growing 'computer screen' lead world, people are enjoying going back to basics and learning how to use their hands - my Mum is a member of the WI who often have craft nights, where they get local makers in to run classes. Although my specialism is jewellery, I’d be quite happy to run general art and design workshops, encouraging people to get in the creative spirit.

To get a first bit of experience with something like this, I arranged a ‘Crafternoon for Comic Relief’ in the pub where I work. I taught a small group of locals to make crochet red noses (some made blue noses!). Even though it was only a very small and informal session, it really confirmed to me that this is something I can see myself doing in the future. I found it really enjoyable showing the people what they needed to do, helping anyone who was struggling to achieve the correct technique. I’ve already got lots of ideas for potential workshop ideas, and I’m really looking forward to when I can have another go at running one!

Professional Platforms

The Professional Platforms unit is great opportunity to push my practice and myself into the ‘real world’, through a practical project, research context, work experience and general interactions with an external partner. The unit runs from now until the end of the MA and we were given several projects to choose from. The project I have chosen to take part in is a teaching experience - Unit X, run for the BA students. Having always wanted to teach once I finish my own education, I thought it would be the perfect chance to discover the ins and outs of teaching at HE level. Also, as a past student that has taken part in Unit X for the last three years, I have a definite level of understanding from a student perspective and I am familiar with how the unit is run.

The specific course I am involved with is called Whitworth Limited Editions, aimed a students who are interested in becoming self-employed, working to create products in response to particular client and audience. After meeting up with course leaders Cj O’Neill and Sally Morfill we discussed where I would be able to help out and what my responsibilities would be...in a nutshell I am acting as a general teaching assistant or ‘extra pair of hands’ and I would also be required to document activities for the Unit X blog. I am really happy to have found a project that I will genuinely be able to learn a lot from, not only teaching and workshop management techniques but also gaining an insight into how units and projects are put together.

I have had a fairly heavy involvement with the introductory week; following an introductory lecture to the brief, the students began with a hands-on, drawing and making session. The aim of the day was to get them generating a range of ideas for potential project starting points, encouraging them to work is cross discipline groups, utilising each other’s different specialisms and skills.

At first I was a little worried about the amount of students we were working with in one space - 70! However once we got the group sat down in tables of 8 it was a lot less intimidating, wandering round asking how they were getting on and what they thought of the brief. I found it really unusual and interesting, as I still remember so clearly being in the same position a couple of years ago, I think its sometimes nice as a student to talk to someone who isn’t a tutor, and is a similar age, yet can give you first hand advice that isn’t patronising.

 In their allocated groups, the students began the creative process by constructing a list of words; five words that related to The Whitworth and five action words that related to a material, such as tear, weave or fold. From these words, they produced a series of timed two and three-dimensional drawings using a wide range of found materials provided. The next phase was to start thinking in a more product, problem-solving way. In groups of 4 or 5, the students were asked to design a container for an item of food; they had to select and assemble the materials that should be utilised, then without making it, develop a set of instructions to visually explain how to make this container.

It was great to see how the tutors adjusted the session as a result of the students reactions to each task; there was a basic plan of the day that all staff had received prior to the launch, but we found that when the students were asked to work alone, the room was very quiet, then once they were working in pairs or small groups, the noise level raised, they were conversing...so from then on, the students only worked in groups. Small adjustments like this made the day much more creatively rich as the students were loosening up and enjoying themselves. Showing that even though a plan has been made, it can always be adapted, allowing the session benefit all involved.

After the day I was asked to write a post for the Unit Xblog, I included a brief summary of the day and some photographs I had taken during the session. I made sure that during the day I made lots of notes and took plenty of photographs to help me remember what had happened. Some of the final containers that the students had made were really interesting and exciting; I kind of wished I were sat there with them doing the task myself!

The next and very important session I helped with was the introduction to the Whitworth, including a guided tour around all that the gallery offers; the two shops, the work exhibited in the gallery, the collections and the surrounding park. It was my first visit since the building had been refurbished, and although the place isn’t quite complete, I was really impressed. All the guides were clear to state that the new brand they are trying to create is based on playful, personal and intelligent work. Everything presented in the gallery and shops has been meticulously considered, right down to the fixtures and fittings.

During the day, again, I acted as a general assistant. Making sure that all the students were in the correct groups and knew where they had to be for each section of the day. I also documented as much as I could, taking photographs and making notes - I could only stay for half the day as I had other MA commitments in the afternoon. I could tell the students really enjoyed the day, there was so much information given to them, I’m sure they had lots of information buzzing around in their heads about potential ideas for their projects. I’m looking forward to the peer/post-it review next week to see how their thoughts are materialising. 

Cornelia Parker 'Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View'

Intentions to Propositions

The feedback I received following the Design Intentions unit was really helpful for me to find clarity within my own practice. When I’m exploring, reading and making it is so easy get bogged down with a mountain of paper and samples, resulting in overlooking patterns that are naturally forming in my research; you can force your practice in a way that you think it should be heading, rather than allowing the research to naturally lead you in new directions you perhaps aren’t used to.

The narrative of women’s issues have always been a really important element of my practice, however I found in the last unit I was forcing the idea...avoiding certain books or readings if I didn’t think they linked with my themes. I also started to find it difficult to explain to people where I stood in the argument. Was I against the expectations put on women? Was I empowering women? Was I making unfair judgements on stereotypes of modern women compared to women of the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s?

The topic of female issues is riddled with negativity and I need to clarify exactly what it is I am trying to say through my work, what is my narrative and how can I make it current and relatable for the women of today that I am aiming my jewellery at? I enjoy looking at vintage photographs of women and things that can traditionally be linked with women; floral patterns, hourglass figures and feminine pastimes such as embroidery or knitting. The idea of practicality vs. presentation inspires me, the way modern women can juggle so many different roles and necessities within their lives. I don’t like to call myself a feminist, as with that title comes a lot of pessimism and disapproval, I have always researched feminist issues simply because it interests me, not because I am a man hater or I burn my bra at the weekends. I don’t think women should be treated differently to men, I think they should have the same opportunities and expectations; equally I think that men should be able to partake in seemingly ‘female’ activities such as being a stay at home parent or watch rom-com films without appearing unusual or ‘un-manly’. Challenging that though, I also think that it’s perfectly ok for women and men to be different...because hey, guess what? We are different!

I think I am using my jewellery to celebrate women...embracing the modern woman and her various identities. A national campaign by Sport England that has personally motivated me recently, is This Girl Can, “It's a celebration of active women up and down the country who are doing their thing no matter how well they do it, how they look or even how red their face gets.”. The campaign encourages women to fight against judgement.. I want to find more modern stories to tell within my work and perhaps use real women’s stories to help me build a clearer message.

This Girl Can campaign poster

But in the mean time...
I have always felt a strong attraction to objects, in specific everyday, domestic objects; it became obvious to me in the Objects and Context unit that this was something I wanted to concentrate on and explore more deeply in my work. The Language of Things by Deyan Sudjic and The System of Objects by Jean Baudrillard have had a huge impact on my thinking and ambitions, and my tutorial with Helen reassured me that it is ok to put certain aspects of your practice to the side (like the feminine issues) to allow to you explore other areas, guiding your research in new directions. Perhaps a few weeks down the line I will come back, full circle to feminine issues through the domestic, utilitarian objects I am investigating.

I decided to make a list of things that I wanted to achieve by the end of the next unit (Design Propositions), finding and highlighting simple ways of moving my practice forward, taking a few risks to solve the questions still unanswered in the last unit (Design Intentions). To begin, I took a very straightforward, object lead approach; I gathered together objects I have collected over the years and interrogated them. What did I like about them? How were they made? What was their function? Who would use them? Did they relate to each other in some way? The interrogation consisted of photographing and drawing each object, and then visually describing it, I also photographed the objects grouped into categories to help me create relationships between each one, acknowledging similarities and patterns through the collection.

Some of the objects I have interrogated.

An example of a page from my object interrogation sketchbook.

Experimenting with different materials, isolating parts of an object, and reinterpreting its physical qualities.

I wanted to identify, on a material level, ways I could visually react to specific elements of each object. In the past I have always shied away from using new, different materials, this is going to be one of my main risk taking strategies in this unit. In The System of Objects Jean Baudrillard talks about the use of colour and material variations to create atmosphere, how colour can create a language understood by all. “’Loud’ colours are meant to strike the eye. If you wear a red suit, you are more than naked - you become a pure object with no inward reality. The fact that women’s tailored suits tend to be in bright colours is a reflection of the social status of women as objects.” (p.31) We have relationships with colours and materials embedded within us through cultural, mental and experiential structures; wood for example is “so sought after today for nostalgic reasons. Wood draws its substance from the earth, it lives and breathes...time is embedded in its very fibres...In short, it is a material that has being” (p.37). I want to experiment with the effect of combining different materials with metal to help create this visual language. I’ve made a list of materials and techniques I want to try, to introduce different colours and materials into my work.

More often than not, the part of an object I find the most interesting and appealing is the part that makes it functional; hinges, clips and clasps, things that invite you to hold, use and interact with it. In The Language of Things, Deyan Sudjic talks about archetypes in design; for example, a gun is traditionally a symbol of power and masculinity, yet notions of the trigger can be found in so many domesticated objects such as a hoover handle or oil can. Generating the same sensation but with none of the risk. I like the thought of creating notions of interaction; mimicking mechanisms from a domestic object, to create wearable and cherished jewellery...same sensation, none of the context.

As well as an object’s physical language, Sudjic also talks about luxury. Comparing why we value certain objects differently depending on what they are made from and how they are made, how ‘serviceable’ they are or the gratification the user derives from it’s contemplation as an object of beauty. He states that if an object is seen as expensive, or costly in the time it took to make, it is more likely to be seen as beautiful and consequently, luxurious. If an object is luxurious, the user is more likely to gain a sense of enjoyment, satisfaction and even indulgence from owning and using it. Again, this is something I am going to investigate further in my practice - jewellery is so easily designed as a luxury item, I want to challenge this by creating jewellery perhaps made from less conventional materials, physically inspired by objects not commonly seen as opulent.

To make things happen, I have been making regular ‘to do’ lists; I started by writing a list of things I wanted to achieve by the end of the project, then working backwards, things I needed to do to accomplish these goals. I now make a weekly and a daily to do list, it seems extravagant, but it really helps me to get work done. Simple, small, achievable steps make each day feel as productive as possible.

MATTER - an exhibition

For part of our final submission for Objects and Context, we curated a collaborative exhibition called ‘MATTER’. The exhibition was to reflect the things we had learnt as a result of the unit, and how this may have affected our own personal practices. We wanted to display objects we had found, made and photographs we had taken, and use them to observe peoples behaviour.

Each person from the group brought in an object that related to the Thresholds project. Throughout the unit I have been focusing on the public and private, and how we present ourselves to others in various different ways depending on circumstance. Jewellery is very personal, yet it is portable and public. We enjoy jewellery on many different levels and I thought about how we could potentially use jewellery to tell people a little bit more about ourselves. To explore this idea visually, I have made a series of ‘Welcome’ necklaces; playing with the notion of a welcome mat.

 

This idea evolved into investigating wearable objects that aren’t jewellery, objects such as lanyards, and keys on chains, pens, elastic bands or bobbles. I was especially interested in lanyards, because of their familiar physical connection to a necklace or brooch, yet remaining purely utilitarian. I was interested to acknowledge that unlike most jewellery, which conceals personal memories and information, lanyards broadcast personal information for all to see on an identity card. Having been so interested in the personal and the private throughout the Thresholds project, I felt a lanyard would be the perfect vehicle for me use as my object. I wanted to create my own ID card to go in it. I experimented with a few different ideas, I tried a simple ‘Welcome’ card, similar to the idea of my necklaces above, welcoming others into your life. What will the person wearing the lanyard allow the public to find out?

I also recreated my own version of my University ID card, rather than official information such as identity number, course details or dates, I have written personal information about myself. One version has a description of my journey into my house, the other has a list of things I like.

We chose to include some random acts within the exhibition, we had talked earlier in the unit about ‘thoughtful littering’ and how we find it more acceptable to litter if we do it in a careful, considered way. Something that I always do it fold my crisp packets into triangles, this makes the rubbish seem more controlled and I don’t mind leaving these triangles in places, however I would never just scrunch up an empty bag of crisps and throw it on the floor - but what is the difference?

I found a way to fold train tickets into origami frogs, and we placed these around the exhibition...funnily enough, not a lot of people recognised they were there until we pointed them out.

It was important that our exhibition wasn't stuck in the context of 'being an exhibition', we wanted to observe how people would view and interact with our objects and work. It was decided by the group that the best way to display our objects was simply on the floor inside a border of tape. It was extremely interesting to see how people moved around the objects, respecting the lines the tape made on the floor. Some people stayed on the outside of the box, peering over the boarder to view the objects, some walked through the gaps we had left, wandering carefully through the objects, some stayed on the outside of the tape lines yet leaned over to touch or move the objects. Even when we told certain people that they were allowed to walk through the box, they seemed unsure and very reluctant to do so, afraid they may touch or break one of the objects.

The Objects and Context unit has had a real influence on my own personal practice; it has made me think about objects in a much deeper and more meaningful way. The ‘Thoughtless Acts’ task has taught me to use photography as a way of documentation, treating photographs as a form of note making. I want to use objects as a much more integral part of my work, interrogating why I like about specific objects, and whether there is a running theme that connects each one. All objects have a story, from a hand made silver spoon to a mass produced tea strainer; I want to find out how these objects live together in harmony. The narrative of women’s issues heavily influences my work, I want to investigate how I can use certain objects as a visual language to help people understand and relate to my themes. Looking at practical, domestic, everyday objects and creating a relationship between these objects as aspects of women’s lives. Exploring my new interest in practicality and image.

Here's a list of some of the books that have inspired and influenced my work throughout the unit:

• ·      The Language of Things - Deyan Sudjic
• ·      Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo - Mary Douglass
• ·      At Home: An Anthropology of Domestic Space (Space, Place & Society) - Irene Cieraad 
• ·      Domestic Cultures (Issues in Cultural and Media Studies) - Joanne Hollows
• ·      Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things - Donald A. Norman
• ·      Non-Places: Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity - Marc Augé