The pathways seminars, delivered by Jane Webb have really started to affect the way I have been thinking about my practice and future ambitions; I've been introduced to so many new theories, people and words...I've really been enjoying them!
The journey that design has taken through time is something I have found especially interesting. The evolution of the designer from the person who designs society, to the person who designs through collaboration with society. This idea of designing not just objects, but people...and the way this then influenced the classes is something I have started to evaluate in my personal interests of feminism. People experience things in different ways, depending on their age, class or the time in which they live...like I have discussed in an earlier post (Material Matters), nothing comes without context, and it is this context that allows us to engage and understand how people and objects touch and alter our lives.
Ethnography; the study of people and cultures embodies this whole idea...and I have discovered that I am in fact, an ethnographer! Its very important to me that my jewellery in relatable to the women I am addressing in my narrative, and without these women's stories, there would be no influence to my designs. Its the human contact, the human interaction that is of upmost importance to me, thats why I love and am so passionate about jewellery, as historically and contemporarily (...great word!) the nature of jewellery completely revolves around people.
Histories impact on design...
You don't often get the chance to be given an overview of designs history in the space of a two hour seminar...and Jane Webb was clearly concerned about the amount of information she has been giving to us in her deliveries, however I have found this condensed version really inspiring. It allowed me to really get a grip of the timeline of design, the influential landmarks that shaped how we see it today.
From the god like control that designers had in the 1700's, to the hostile world of the Industrial Revolution, where people were being made to live in darkness and poverty, working like machines; to the Modernist movement of the 1900's where society was condensed into The Modular system designed by Le Corbusier, who believed he was creating a better environment for people to live in...then the existentialism in a new world, where society began to be seen as people, as individuals and as something to observe and celebrate.
The charm of the everyday was contemplated by designers and writers. Here began a working class power/revival (and where I begin to get excited!)...during the 1940s Barbara Jones set about documenting the everyday throughout Britain in her book The Unsophisticated Arts and exhibition Black Eyes and Lemonade. She put objects in museums that had never been seen in this context before, I like this idea that she wasn't afraid to break certain boundaries. In the 1950's and post war years, people had a new sense of revolution, women were liberated with their new sense of being needed, and began to be seen as more than just housewives.
Despite this seeming revolution of artists observing and relating to the lower, working classes...I can't help but wonder whether it was all a little patronising? The working class ways were seen as novel...did the higher class artists and designers actually relate to the people they were documenting or did they just find them unusual and amusing?
I watched a recent program called 'Posh People: Inside Tatler' which displayed upper class 'britishness' and eccentricity. The documentary was portrayed in a very humours way, this new way of viewing the higher classes in the novel way that the working classes have previously been viewed, and having each accepting and embracing the humour was refreshing to see. I think it is important when making social comments in your work, that it doesn't get too heavy and serious, I particularly like to see the humorous side of things. We need to realise that people are different, classes and culture are different, men and women are different. It doesn't make one variant better or worse than another, its just interesting for me to investigate and explore the ideas and point out bits that some may relate to and perhaps spark response, thoughts and conversation.
The reason I have titled this post as 'Pathways Seminar Epiphany' is because I feel like that is what I have had as a consequence of these lectures. They have flicked that light bulb above my head brightly on...during my BA, I always found great pleasure in the research side of my practice. I love reading, learning and discussing my interests with others, I feel quite passionate about craft, design and jewellery. I've known a long time now that I want to be a teacher, but I was never quite sure exactly where or what I wanted to teach. I still love to make and create, but I feel that to enrich my making, having an in-depth theoretical knowledge will only help me, and I now am beginning to wonder whether in fact this theoretical side is something I wish to take further and really specialise in. I am enjoying writing this blog especially now I don't have to, I am doing it because I want to.
I want to be an expert in my field...now hand me that book, I need to read!
No comments:
Post a Comment