whatisthecolourofsound?

a good day at camberwell – a day of considering the concept of bookness and setting up some of the philosophical thinking behind the making of books

meeting friends at the Barbican so I managed to get to the wonderful Japanese fashion show again - http://www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery/event-detail.asp?ID=10771 really struck by the image of the clothes off the body as much as the thinking behind the clothes – especially that of Issey Miyake and the idea of flatness – the work for comme des garcons and the 1976 make a piece of cloth was inspiring.

researchpresentationfilm

i have spent some time last week working on presentations for both the BA textiles museum project at the castle museum in norwich http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/004-developing-a-visual-language and the MA book art structure introduction at camberwell. http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/what-is-book-bookness-10 which will include how my practice is informed by the theory of ‘bookness’ http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/what-is-a-book-my-practice-10 meanwhile the weekend saw me at wingfield barns for the wingfield art awards http://www.wingfieldbarns.com/WAA.php – looking at the work of suffolk A Level students work – including their sketch books. recently my hard drive had to be rebuilt and some films have resurfaced - mainly insects and animals – today has been all about working on them –. here are some stills.

straightintosymposium1

first day at Camberwell and straight into Symposium 1 for the MA Book Arts – its educational purpose is to create a space for the students to present their history and share their aspirations for their time on the course - its also the starting point for me in terms of getting to know the students.
below are extracts from the notes i made during their presentations – they outline some of their intentions for the year as well as explaining their route to book - the wide ranging cultural reference points within the group will be exciting for everybody – it promises to be a diverse and truly global experience.

So I started using the office resources......
De-evolution of communication
Society of certainties
In-between space
Exploring the activity of the book
Typography as image
Giving letters a timescale
Information transfer through divergence
When does a book stop being a book?
Undermining the library space
Expectations of the book
Importance of the shelf
Use of book as tool
How to describe the universe to somebody else
I want to build a utopia
To make a book without content
What is a person to a place?
Authorial control
Identity of the book
Relationship between audience and maker
Accidental book
Translation of journey
Interaction between people and people
Building a physical internet
Finding a voice through book

artificialworlds

hoptonexperience

a busy two weeks which has centred around my work at NUCA on the BA Textiles course at NUCA – we spent a week with the first years residing at Hopton Holiday Park as a bonding/drawing exercise. an experience which i am sure has furnished the students with a number of lasting memories.

http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/hopton at Hopton an exercise that worked really well culminated in the students creating a motto or creed with which to hold onto and work towards.

Braving the elements pays off
Too many drawing not enough partying
Work hard play hard
Just do something and try not to worry about it going wrong
Take what you know, learn what you don’t and make something creative
Look twice draw once
Try everything quit nothing
Live with eyes wide
Finding thoughts to think nothing
Surroundings with restrictions
Do what you want to do and enjoy
Think wider use more make better
Make the most of everything
In the right mind you can open your thoughts if you approach it with what you’ve got
There are no boundaries
When drawing loosen up and have fun
Be open to new ideas and ways of thinking
Capture and embrace every moment and opportunity
More makes a difference
Keep looking at the small detail
Live for today not tomorrow
Do what works for you
The key is to always work
Live in the colour
4D thinking
The positives always outweigh the negatives
Experiment with / into your hearts content
Think different and look further
Have more than one idea to go further
Don’t be afraid just do it
Challenge and explore all concepts
Time is precious
There is no right and wrong
Don’t give up
Indecision is a tool use it
Analyse restrictions to become perceptions

working with Norfolk Museum Service in the castle museum in the decorative arts section has been a real pleasure – looking at the idea of context – the bibliography of an object .

fungiandfolk

a weekend of folk and fungi - friday night saw me at snape watching a country and jazz folk cabaret - know as the results of a Gwyneth Herbert residency at Snape – an exploration of the sea but really a gig which was good http://www.gwynethherbert.com/ and then a lot of stuff in the second half with the Rubber Wellies folk band and Heidi James (without the promised film element of the performance) and if anybody else comes to Aldburgh for a residency and records themselves walking on shingle I might implode with frustration – it’s not interesting and we have heard it all before. the fungi foraging course at Minsmere was most excellent and could become my new obsession - free beautiful food.