Points of Notice.
This has been quite a strange project for me and definitely not what I was expecting. But it has been a very interesting experience and I feel like I have learnt alot out of it.
Firstly it has been very interesting working within a group, the project is not then just about you, you have to consider the other people that you are working with and it becomes a point of not just letting yourself down but letting other people down too. My main aim within the group work was to learn to have a voice and believe in my ideas, rather than just take a backseat and roll with what everybody else wanted to do. I think I achieved this to some degree but definitely could have pushed myself more. One of the things I think that we could have improved on was our
organization and how we worked together. We worked well at these things
but I do believe we could have improved. There were ten of us in our
group, the biggest out of the three, which I think can make it a little
harder almost, as it is difficult to keep up with what everyone is doing
and organizing us as a group. We did work well together and everything
did tie in together at the end, but there was also quite a lot of
individual work, where I personally feel that maybe we should have all collaborated a little more. We kept a group Facebook page which we all engaged on, keeping up to date with everyone's progress, sharing ideas and organizing our get togethers.
In terms of the work produced and our festival pitch, I do believe we all came together to create something quite interesting, we seemed to have a keen theme to make it fun, to make it interactive and I feel like we achieved that. As the festival was to be set in Manchester it obviously revolved around the city and its people, and I think to achieve an idea of what you want to do with the city you really have to engage with it, engage with its people. I think we achieved this to, through working within the city, speaking to its people through different surveys and interactions.
I don't feel like I have done my best for this project, but I am happy with the result of it. I still really need to work on my time management and stay productive through out a project not just in small bursts. I think I have learnt alot from this experience and it has left me really excited for third year. As this project hasn't been something that I would normally not be directly interested in, it has left me itching to go back to creating my own work. Over all it has been a very intriguing experience.
Friday 17 May 2013
Exhbition night
The exhibition was finally complete, everything set up, just waiting for the opening. The viewfinders finally hung.
It all came together really well, in reflection I am really pleased with it. I think the viewfinders look fabulous, looking into our exhibition space through these was a treat for the eyes, providing beautiful photographs.
It was really interesting watching everyone's reactions to our work, everyone seemed really intrigued.
It all came together really well, in reflection I am really pleased with it. I think the viewfinders look fabulous, looking into our exhibition space through these was a treat for the eyes, providing beautiful photographs.
It was really interesting watching everyone's reactions to our work, everyone seemed really intrigued.
Installing the exhibition
Installing the exhibition
Yesterday was the beginning of the exhibition installation, the spaces allocated to each group had already been decided, so we had a clear idea of what space we had to use.
We didn't have a direct plan for the space, more of an idea, that we were planning to tweek when we had all of our work in the space.
For the exhibition we had a keen idea to use the hexagon throughout, integrating our logo throughout the display. As our festival is quite interactive, we wanted to show this element to.
I came across this image on the blog patternity
it seemed to fit really well with our idea of integrating our logo into the display of the exhibition. We were also keen to present a zine library to showcase all of our zines and this shelving seemed like a great way to do that. But creating this shelving seemed easier said than done. A few of the girls in my group set to work on it but with few not particularly powerful power tools it wasn't seeming to hold up quite strong enough.
But we already had one of these hexagons now and didn't want to waste it, so the solution was suggested to use it as a sort of raised bed. We were already planning to create a sort of garden in the exhibition as a response to The Pothole Gardener and Guerrilla Gardening but it had yet to be completely decided how we were quite going to go about this. So this seemed like a perfect resolution.
We glued a plastic sheet around the insides, so that it could be transportable and to keep it neat and tidy and then started planting. I really enjoyed it. I personally regret not planning this a little better. I think in a way the fact that we hadn't planned it completely and the result being the transformation of our shelves worked wonderfully. But in terms of the planting I think we could have made it look a lot more attractive and maybe have collaborated with a local garden center or nursery to have gotten better quality and more interesting plants. The result did look visually appealing but I think it could have been better.
This idea of planting and working with flowers seems to be something that is constantly popping up in my work and I think it may be something I would like to pursue in the future. Here is a picture of our final box.
Yesterday was the beginning of the exhibition installation, the spaces allocated to each group had already been decided, so we had a clear idea of what space we had to use.
We didn't have a direct plan for the space, more of an idea, that we were planning to tweek when we had all of our work in the space.
For the exhibition we had a keen idea to use the hexagon throughout, integrating our logo throughout the display. As our festival is quite interactive, we wanted to show this element to.
I came across this image on the blog patternity
it seemed to fit really well with our idea of integrating our logo into the display of the exhibition. We were also keen to present a zine library to showcase all of our zines and this shelving seemed like a great way to do that. But creating this shelving seemed easier said than done. A few of the girls in my group set to work on it but with few not particularly powerful power tools it wasn't seeming to hold up quite strong enough.
But we already had one of these hexagons now and didn't want to waste it, so the solution was suggested to use it as a sort of raised bed. We were already planning to create a sort of garden in the exhibition as a response to The Pothole Gardener and Guerrilla Gardening but it had yet to be completely decided how we were quite going to go about this. So this seemed like a perfect resolution.
We glued a plastic sheet around the insides, so that it could be transportable and to keep it neat and tidy and then started planting. I really enjoyed it. I personally regret not planning this a little better. I think in a way the fact that we hadn't planned it completely and the result being the transformation of our shelves worked wonderfully. But in terms of the planting I think we could have made it look a lot more attractive and maybe have collaborated with a local garden center or nursery to have gotten better quality and more interesting plants. The result did look visually appealing but I think it could have been better.
This idea of planting and working with flowers seems to be something that is constantly popping up in my work and I think it may be something I would like to pursue in the future. Here is a picture of our final box.
Tuesday 14 May 2013
plant pot making
i think i may have gotten a little carried away
The unexpected.
I have been making planters out of recycled bottles. Inspired by people such as Anna Garforth, whom creates intriguing city installations out of moss and also created a series entitled "Head Gardener" which I have looked at previously for a different project. The "Head Gardener" series uses old milk bottles transformed to create intriguing plant pots. I feel this is a really good use of materials, up-cycling the old, encouraging a sustainable approach and a DIY ethic.
I have been using old juice bottles, building on top of this, layers of old newspaper and tissue paper applied with glue and white paint. By putting a whole in the lid and using the bottle upside down, it allows it also to work as a sustainable growth pot for the plant to survive. I wanted to apply the papers in such a way that it built up a different form from the original shape of the bottle. On top of this looking to create a hexagonal pattern to link in with our branding and what we are about. I initially looked at glue gunning patterns onto the bottles which created an intriguing effect, the heat manipulating the plastic a little.
But i didn't like how obvious it still remained that it was a juice bottle. From this once the paper was already applied, I started to play with the pattern on top of that, looking at creating a pattern with masking tape and stenciling on the pattern with spray paint, before settling upon using netting to paint over, then removing when the paint was almost dry to create a subtle honey comb.
For the aesthetic of them I was intirgued by artists such as Karla Black and Franz West. I like they're DIY aesthetic.
I fear I got a little carried away while creating these, spending too much time, wasting time, creating something which is only designed to be a mocket a little too intensely. Although I am happy with the final outcome and am trying to make more for the exhibition.
i think i may have gotten a little carried away
The unexpected.
I have been making planters out of recycled bottles. Inspired by people such as Anna Garforth, whom creates intriguing city installations out of moss and also created a series entitled "Head Gardener" which I have looked at previously for a different project. The "Head Gardener" series uses old milk bottles transformed to create intriguing plant pots. I feel this is a really good use of materials, up-cycling the old, encouraging a sustainable approach and a DIY ethic.
I have been using old juice bottles, building on top of this, layers of old newspaper and tissue paper applied with glue and white paint. By putting a whole in the lid and using the bottle upside down, it allows it also to work as a sustainable growth pot for the plant to survive. I wanted to apply the papers in such a way that it built up a different form from the original shape of the bottle. On top of this looking to create a hexagonal pattern to link in with our branding and what we are about. I initially looked at glue gunning patterns onto the bottles which created an intriguing effect, the heat manipulating the plastic a little.
But i didn't like how obvious it still remained that it was a juice bottle. From this once the paper was already applied, I started to play with the pattern on top of that, looking at creating a pattern with masking tape and stenciling on the pattern with spray paint, before settling upon using netting to paint over, then removing when the paint was almost dry to create a subtle honey comb.
For the aesthetic of them I was intirgued by artists such as Karla Black and Franz West. I like they're DIY aesthetic.
I fear I got a little carried away while creating these, spending too much time, wasting time, creating something which is only designed to be a mocket a little too intensely. Although I am happy with the final outcome and am trying to make more for the exhibition.
Zines
A strong part of the branding of our festival will be through different interactive and informational zines. I feel this creates an attractive and interesting approach to the festival, with many of the people in my group making up different forms of zine to acknowledge different aspects of our pitch. We have an over all festival zine which gives information on what we are about and with some space for interactive participation, engaging the audience to partake in the festival from the very beginning. On top of this we have a zine on the canal bombs, hear your city, seed bombs and gorilla gardening, a how to on origami boats and crowns, with some of these aimed also for children but of course could be used by all ages.
I have been creating a zine upon the unexpected in the city, focusing in particular upon the unexpected use of plants, surprise in the city. I am really enjoying making it, using the scanner and printer to build up different images and texts. Something I am really keen on in terms of my practice is a contrast of textures and a balance between technology and the hand made. Making a zine seems like something that really relates to that. Where I have used a combination of different papers such as newsprint, tracing paper and layout paper. On top of this printing a variety of scanned in photographs, texts and drawings. It has been a process I have really enjoyed. I have kept it quite simple as more of a piece of design than an information booklet including seeds within the book encouraging you "to grow your own beanstalk".
I think this use of zines is something quite relevant and accessible and is something that I myself would be intrigued by upon visiting a design festival. As well as being useful at the time, they are also something quite intriguing to collect and keep afterwards. Today we visited the Zine Library in Nexus Art Cafe in Northern Quarter and it was fascinating to see so many different variations of zine together, therefore we would be encouraging people to begin their own. One thing I am a little worried about in terms of our festival, is that we have so many which are all completed in quite different manors that people might get a bit lost in there purpose.
For our exhibition we are keen to display these zines, with many of them having more than the one copy available, in a Zine Library like format, using hexagonal shelving to showcase them.
A strong part of the branding of our festival will be through different interactive and informational zines. I feel this creates an attractive and interesting approach to the festival, with many of the people in my group making up different forms of zine to acknowledge different aspects of our pitch. We have an over all festival zine which gives information on what we are about and with some space for interactive participation, engaging the audience to partake in the festival from the very beginning. On top of this we have a zine on the canal bombs, hear your city, seed bombs and gorilla gardening, a how to on origami boats and crowns, with some of these aimed also for children but of course could be used by all ages.
I have been creating a zine upon the unexpected in the city, focusing in particular upon the unexpected use of plants, surprise in the city. I am really enjoying making it, using the scanner and printer to build up different images and texts. Something I am really keen on in terms of my practice is a contrast of textures and a balance between technology and the hand made. Making a zine seems like something that really relates to that. Where I have used a combination of different papers such as newsprint, tracing paper and layout paper. On top of this printing a variety of scanned in photographs, texts and drawings. It has been a process I have really enjoyed. I have kept it quite simple as more of a piece of design than an information booklet including seeds within the book encouraging you "to grow your own beanstalk".
I think this use of zines is something quite relevant and accessible and is something that I myself would be intrigued by upon visiting a design festival. As well as being useful at the time, they are also something quite intriguing to collect and keep afterwards. Today we visited the Zine Library in Nexus Art Cafe in Northern Quarter and it was fascinating to see so many different variations of zine together, therefore we would be encouraging people to begin their own. One thing I am a little worried about in terms of our festival, is that we have so many which are all completed in quite different manors that people might get a bit lost in there purpose.
For our exhibition we are keen to display these zines, with many of them having more than the one copy available, in a Zine Library like format, using hexagonal shelving to showcase them.
Todays pitch
Today was our final pitch, the pitch to the council, the pitch to various other people interested in beginning a design festival in Manchester. The whole thing was filmed, to show various other people and to refer back to for future ideas.
We decided as there were ten of us in the group to not all do the presentation, as it would get messy, therefore we decided only three should speak, allowing for a neater presentation and more engagement. We planned the presentation together but then split of so that the three doing the pitch could sort out who would speak when, while the rest of us got on with sorting out the exhibition.
The pitch.
It went well, we decided to do a Prezi presentation rather than the standard powerpoint, we thought it would look more interesting, and its innovative aesthetic went well with our ideas. Although when it came down to doing it it caused a few problems. The Bench space had had perfect wi-fi through out the project but when it came to pitch day for some reason it wasn't working properly. A prezi presentation is soemthing that works online, therefore we needed a good internet connection to show it properly, We were second to do our pitch, which gave us a little time to sort it out. It is possible to download the presentation but the forfeit of that is that any videos will not work as they need the internet connection. But unfortunately this was the best we could do.
Despite this I think it went well, we probably should have considered this when we decide to use Prezi but in ignorance we didn't think this was a problem that would occur.
We had a number of zines and viewfinders to hand out to the audience, many of which they could keep and take home, a token of our ideas. I think this element of handing out things to the audience to participate in is very important, it gives them something tangible that they can touch as well as engage in the presentation.
We decided as there were ten of us in the group to not all do the presentation, as it would get messy, therefore we decided only three should speak, allowing for a neater presentation and more engagement. We planned the presentation together but then split of so that the three doing the pitch could sort out who would speak when, while the rest of us got on with sorting out the exhibition.
The pitch.
It went well, we decided to do a Prezi presentation rather than the standard powerpoint, we thought it would look more interesting, and its innovative aesthetic went well with our ideas. Although when it came down to doing it it caused a few problems. The Bench space had had perfect wi-fi through out the project but when it came to pitch day for some reason it wasn't working properly. A prezi presentation is soemthing that works online, therefore we needed a good internet connection to show it properly, We were second to do our pitch, which gave us a little time to sort it out. It is possible to download the presentation but the forfeit of that is that any videos will not work as they need the internet connection. But unfortunately this was the best we could do.
Despite this I think it went well, we probably should have considered this when we decide to use Prezi but in ignorance we didn't think this was a problem that would occur.
Saturday 11 May 2013
The unexpected
unusual objects in unusual situations.
In terms of objects in hindsight I think we should have held an event, an event like a yard sale, or a swap shop, or something to encourage the use of old objects.
One mans dirt is another mans treasure.
We could have advertised the event for a good few weeks prior, leaving people time to gather or not throw away, then held the event as a trial. I think it would have been interesting research and an interesting event. Maybe even curated our exhibition with the results.
unusual objects in unusual situations.
In terms of objects in hindsight I think we should have held an event, an event like a yard sale, or a swap shop, or something to encourage the use of old objects.
One mans dirt is another mans treasure.
We could have advertised the event for a good few weeks prior, leaving people time to gather or not throw away, then held the event as a trial. I think it would have been interesting research and an interesting event. Maybe even curated our exhibition with the results.
Friday 10 May 2013
Lazarain Gerald
To make a swing,
surprise in the city?
Commisioning designers to create swings?
Gerald
Lazerian created a computer model of a dog and then into a flat layout, where a DIY version was handed out to over 100 artists to be decorated and designed.
These will then travel to exhibit around the world
why not do this with swings?
swings around the city?
swings on route?
Upon our urban gardening adventure, we got chatting to a young adult who when we asked what he would like to see around Manchester he replied with swings. This got me thinking, I think that it would be a fabulous project, swings are fun, and singular in a city, they are out of place. The perfect surprise.
At the beginning of this project upon having the lecture on previous design festivals, as mentioned earlier on my blog the thing that i really liked was the shop window project in the Eindhoven Festival where they had a singular seat opposite the display encouraging you as well as coming in to the shop to buy, to sit outside and observe it like an exhibition, the cross over between art and design is fascinating. Why not do this with swings?
Obviously they would not be appropriate for all times and ages and may have to be accompanied by alternative seating also. But I really do believe it could be something beautifully fun, engaging and practical.
We could commission various Manchester based designers and design groups and artists to. A collaboration of all disciplines. It could be something that we do like how Lazarian went about their project, by creating an initial model and looking for designer/artists responses to that.
In response to this I attempted to make a swing. It is far from useable and incredibly badly put together with bad resources but I wanted to have a go.
To make a swing,
surprise in the city?
Commisioning designers to create swings?
Gerald
Lazerian created a computer model of a dog and then into a flat layout, where a DIY version was handed out to over 100 artists to be decorated and designed.
These will then travel to exhibit around the world
why not do this with swings?
swings around the city?
swings on route?
Upon our urban gardening adventure, we got chatting to a young adult who when we asked what he would like to see around Manchester he replied with swings. This got me thinking, I think that it would be a fabulous project, swings are fun, and singular in a city, they are out of place. The perfect surprise.
At the beginning of this project upon having the lecture on previous design festivals, as mentioned earlier on my blog the thing that i really liked was the shop window project in the Eindhoven Festival where they had a singular seat opposite the display encouraging you as well as coming in to the shop to buy, to sit outside and observe it like an exhibition, the cross over between art and design is fascinating. Why not do this with swings?
Obviously they would not be appropriate for all times and ages and may have to be accompanied by alternative seating also. But I really do believe it could be something beautifully fun, engaging and practical.
We could commission various Manchester based designers and design groups and artists to. A collaboration of all disciplines. It could be something that we do like how Lazarian went about their project, by creating an initial model and looking for designer/artists responses to that.
In response to this I attempted to make a swing. It is far from useable and incredibly badly put together with bad resources but I wanted to have a go.
Wednesday 1 May 2013
City Planters
In reaction to looking at alternative ways of creating street art and Guerrilla Gardening, I was very much intrigued to try some of our own. Anna and I, another girl from my group, decided to do just that, going out packed up with different plants and plant pots and various cameras we set out along our roots to do some Guerrilla Gardening of our own.
It was an intriguing day.
It is peoples reactions to this kind of thing that I find the most interesting. Not many people came up and spoke to us, more said passing comments or just looked bewildered or intrigued by us. We walked along one of the routes leading back into the northern quarter, setting up various installations along the way. But where we found the most interesting reactions was when we decided to set up a mini installation in Stevenson Square then go and sit at one of the opposite cafes so we could observe peoples reactions from afar.
Firstly as we were setting it up, two young people came up to us, really excitable, really interested in what we were doing. We chatted to them for a while and asked them what they would like to do in Manchester? With the boy answering that he thought it would be a really great idea to set up various swings around the city. Saying that he sees so many places to set up single swings, There are so many signposts and various city architecture that would be brilliant for hanging swings. In hindsight we really should have recorded this conversation, or taken a picture of them for research but we were too enthralled by the conversation.
After we had finished setting this up we settled across the street to observe. There wasn't much going on, a few people glancing at it. But after a little while a group of three young people came bounding up to it, cameras at the ready. They stayed by it for quite a while taking pictures and chatting, a few pictures of themselves with the installation. Out of nowhere a man went over to join them, middle aged maybe, with a punnet of flowers in hand. We were too far away to hear the conversation, (which is something else I would try and do differently next time) but then he put his punnet down with our installation, chatted a bit more then picked it up and left. I don't know where he was going with that punnet but I would love to know! The whole idea of him adding to our installation was fabulous!
This point of interactive street art was something that we really wanted to explore on this city adventure, seeing peoples reactions and how they interact with it. The element of surprise.
One of the girls in my group posted an interesting article of audience participation and curating the city like an exhibition. I think this all links back to my initial ideas on having a trail of breadcrumbs, decoration, leading you around the city, the experience is the whole not just the gallery at the end.
It was an intriguing day.
It is peoples reactions to this kind of thing that I find the most interesting. Not many people came up and spoke to us, more said passing comments or just looked bewildered or intrigued by us. We walked along one of the routes leading back into the northern quarter, setting up various installations along the way. But where we found the most interesting reactions was when we decided to set up a mini installation in Stevenson Square then go and sit at one of the opposite cafes so we could observe peoples reactions from afar.
Firstly as we were setting it up, two young people came up to us, really excitable, really interested in what we were doing. We chatted to them for a while and asked them what they would like to do in Manchester? With the boy answering that he thought it would be a really great idea to set up various swings around the city. Saying that he sees so many places to set up single swings, There are so many signposts and various city architecture that would be brilliant for hanging swings. In hindsight we really should have recorded this conversation, or taken a picture of them for research but we were too enthralled by the conversation.
After we had finished setting this up we settled across the street to observe. There wasn't much going on, a few people glancing at it. But after a little while a group of three young people came bounding up to it, cameras at the ready. They stayed by it for quite a while taking pictures and chatting, a few pictures of themselves with the installation. Out of nowhere a man went over to join them, middle aged maybe, with a punnet of flowers in hand. We were too far away to hear the conversation, (which is something else I would try and do differently next time) but then he put his punnet down with our installation, chatted a bit more then picked it up and left. I don't know where he was going with that punnet but I would love to know! The whole idea of him adding to our installation was fabulous!
This point of interactive street art was something that we really wanted to explore on this city adventure, seeing peoples reactions and how they interact with it. The element of surprise.
One of the girls in my group posted an interesting article of audience participation and curating the city like an exhibition. I think this all links back to my initial ideas on having a trail of breadcrumbs, decoration, leading you around the city, the experience is the whole not just the gallery at the end.
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