oldschoolartschoolthinking

A wonderful day working at Kings – reflective old-school art school thinking and values transposed into a science context led to some fantastic conversations and revelations for all parties. After the workshops we went onto talk about the possibilities of collaboration – I’m working on some structures that explore the forces within themselves and focus on the act of control. These fit with and in some way mimic the functionality found within the roof plate model and explore the stretching morphology of the structure. There is some interesting work ahead. The first session with Double Elephant was so positive and open and welcoming, sharing more lateral thinking and creative problem-solving ways of thinking. Onto screens – deep into season 3 of Ozarks – dark as ever, watching the impending doom of anyone who encounters the Byrde’s. The Nest had potential and yet was slow, maybe that was the point. My latest favourite YouTube music channel - My Analog Journal is a place that explores rare grooves from around the world on vinyl. It’s also an insight into DJs private spaces - https://www.youtube.com/c/MyAnalogJournal/videos a particular favourite is a House & Detroit Techno vinyl mix by the cute couple Sol Ortega & E110101 both the music and their set up. 

andweareback

Back at Kings working on the synthetic anatomy module and it is so glorious - we got off to a great start, the session tied in the lateral thinking problem solving approach to creativity that I value with a deep engagement of the professional skills around student centered learning that is good teaching. After lunch it was a quick session creating the learning outcomes with students that they will be assessed on. Building on the morning session the conversation was focused and delivered another set of intelligent conversations. I managed to catch a show about Hair at The Horniman, some great examples of hair objects - then a couple of shows in the West End - Wang Gongxin at White Cube Mason yard had lots of clever trickery so that most of the time was spent trying to work out how it was created, although the concrete steps are always an inspiration. A group show at Sadie Cole's was...... full of stuff. The shop displays in Bond Street offered more with Alexander McQueen delivering a huge net with hundreds of gloriously embroidered and iridescent bugs, Burberry has encased the whole shop whilst it's being renovated in material that gives the impression that the shop is a giant case and then Valentino has handbags to die for. Meanwhile Anne – a Hillsborough story was traumatic. Another in a long line of instances where working class people are crushed by the systems created by people other than them. The final season of Money Heist was a roller coaster ride and Munich – The Edge of War was..... long

doublethelearning

Looking forward to working with people who have signed up for a series of workshops I’m running online for Double Elephant Print Studio based in Exeter. The course is title Influence and Connection - An online course to support artists’ reflection and practice. The requisite number of people have signed up for it to be viable but if anybody is interested there is the possibility of joining in – check out their website https://www.doubleelephant.org.uk/courses  Its 4 sessions that will explore the lateral thinking, problem solving I have been developing over the past 10 years that started with my Post graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching where I focused my research on reflective thinking, introducing it to the Textile design Course at NUA. I’m working on a commission for the new space created in the Science Gallery at London Bridge – the space is being re-imagined as a well-being space for students and I’ve been devising activities, creating graphics, instructions, and workshops. It’s interesting to use some of the folding techniques I’ve been exploring alongside the work I developed for care homes and libraries. Before Christmas I had a quick visit to Laurence Edwards foundry in Halesworth to develop the ongoing series of film/projection work. These are just some screen grabs but show the idea. Onto screens – The Lost Daughter – endless sadness, Humans – The grief of family, The Matrix Resurrections – realities reinvented, Don’t Look Up – too real, The Last Train to Christmas – disturbingly clever.