craftcraftartmagic

I’ve been thinking about craft recently and how over the years what I do has been adopted into the craft arena. This is something that I have readily agreed with, I love the idea of connecting to a method of doing something with a long history. My work has often straddled several worlds and I have engaged with taxonomy, the art craft debate has fueled many an evening. On reflection, often the categorization would appear to of been about the outcome, whether the work looked like craft was one way of engaging with the argument. This was to neglect examining the impetus, the intention around the engagement with the process of making. Reflecting on a recent body of digital 3D printed structures has meant that I have been asking the question What is the role of the digital in this word? I have been thinking how technological procedures can have similar properties to what some would deem traditional craft practices. I can see this, both in my own current work and within recollecting discussions around what is needed to make work – idea, process, materials, and equipment.

I'm deep into assessment on a course I teach on, and a student’s research report leant on Malcolm McCullough’s Abstracting craft to build a similar argument. McCullough touches on the idea of the soul of craft, that ‘The possibility or craft lies not so much in the technology as in the outlook you bring to it’. It talks about how you use and look at this technology to create a product. In that way the current work is an indicator of my relationship between craft and digital practices. However I'm also in some way drawn to the sentiments expressed by Ivan Pope who admits that whenever he hears about 3D printing a part of him still screams, "WITCHCRAFT!". We are all adding to the discussion of what we deem to be craft for the 21st century. 

magiciswithinusall

A fascinating session at Kings, working with Jon Armstrong enabled us to explore magic within a scientific context – thinking about the magic we all have, thinking about what constitutes magic - the information or secrets that we have accumulated over our practice. Reflecting on the session both in and on the moment and it gets me to thinking about the unseen, the value of stillness – the idea of direction and gesture. It will be interesting to embed these ideas into my day to day teaching as well as rethinking my approach to the studio and making. Reflecting on the idea of the secret took me to craft and the factory. How the experience of working within a scientific field has informed and influenced my making is something I’m constantly thinking about – it happens almost by osmosis – how new ideas have transformed my approach rather than thinking of the work being directly an illustration. The current 3D work explores the seen and unseen, the process of the body as an idea of the internal/external seen simultaneously. Something there and not there, fixed in the moment, the work itself and the idea of it changes as you move around the piece, in that timeframe it exists but it can shift form in a heartbeat, unfixed. This fluidity of thinking shifts away from a need to give objects fixed meaning, a move away from focusing on the object. The craft of 3D printing, using and thinking about the process, to go beyond seeing it as a tool to use, to manufacture, and to use it to explore ideas rather than a means to an end, creating rather than documenting, developing a dialogue with the machine, a language. Meanwhile I managed to see Imi Knoebel’s exhibition ‘Once Upon a Time’ at White Cube Bermondsey which was bright with possibilities. Leah Gordon’s extraordinary photographs Kanaval at Ed Cross Fine Art are extraordinary and mostly disturbing. Onto screens – Megan – disturbing in an OMG AI is taking over. Nolly – disturbing in a wasn’t the past terrible way. Infamously in love – disturbing in a tragic way. Banshee of Inisherin - disturbing in quiet dark way.

instructivepaperfolding

An instructive day at Kings, a puppetry workshop, working as part of synthetic anatomy, animating, and infusing life into inanimate sheets of paper run by Alicia Britt. Lots to think about and potentially some things to incorporate into my own workshop toolbox. If you have several lifetimes, or maybe a couple of days, there is an extraordinary show at the newly reopened Raven Row gallery – called People make Television its hours of TV from the 70s where in a modern-day short-lived experiment into public ownership of open door broadcasting the BBC provided access to cameras and the skills to make programs. All you had to do was to have an idea with a community focused issue and complete a form. Its an astounding repository, a snapshot of the 70s  in all its darkness. On the way home dropped into Big Women at Firstsite, an eclectic exhibition/collection of art made by women, the private view was solid, and it was great to meet so many familiar faces. Being in Colchester was an opportunity to check up on a large public artwork I created for Distillery Pond. Its always odd to return to former work but it was great to see that it was as I had last left it. The words cut into the stone resonated and the shape reflecting what was once there. It stands as an object that has almost lost its connection to its formation but still has purpose. Onto screens - You People – funny in parts - a return to form for Eddie Murphy, but it is what it is. The Fabelmans – awesome and so clever, a gloriously celebratory film about the making of films that explores film making. The Vow – did they run out of money at the end? The Locksmith – so many inevitable scenarios. All the bright places – just so sad. Empire of Light – gentle yet forceful.

intergenerationaltraumaexpressedthroughpaper

I've been playing with the scan created at kings after a synthetic anatomy session - very odd to see a 3D rendering of my head looking back at me. When these become our ID 'card' it will be challenged at first. The 3rd session of synthetic anatomy was all about communication, starting off by exploring symbols and graphic devices within patterns, then illustrating text with shapes and sculptural paper construction, creating creatures which led to families, touching on genetics and finally landscape building, the engagement with the process was all encompassing, developing work that was truly meaningful. Still getting over the group who created a body of work which focused on intergenerational trauma. They created one of the most striking images to come out of a workshop I have given, along with some thoughtful reflection throughout the whole group. Meanwhile onto screens Plane - it was what you expect from an action thriller staring Gerard Butler. Deep into season 2 of Hacks - truly hilarious in a painful way.