colouristhething

So…. Heaven seventeen at UEA – what a lark – grown up old people having fun – Penthouse and Pavement has been on the turntable off and on since I bought it in 1981! But the highlight for me was Glen Gregory singing The Power of Love with ‘just’ a guitar and a full on version of Being Boiled, quite possible one of my top Human League tracks – it’s always best to leave the house! Moving into colour with the 3D printing is an interesting move. The layers are more visible and the whole object feels ethereal. Onto screens - The Creator – great sets and spaceships with an awesome soundtrack. The Crown is teeth clenching awful for the family – just sad. See you on Venus – quirky best friend material. Nyad – there is a lot of swimming, relentless amounts!

newthinking

Continuing the work of exploring bookwork thoughts with 3D printing – extending some of the strands of research. The pieces with the translucent material have become more complex in their construction, seeing the internal structures gives the impression of freezing individual ‘sheets’ in time. Adding colour is something I’ve wanted to get involved with for a while, defining edges and enabling the feeling of floating. The monochrome piece takes the work back to referencing basketwork, playing with the layers gives it the ‘handmade’ quality. Onto screens - Bottoms - was fun once you get into the humor, Killer – the voice over was a decision and music choice took the Smiths to another place, deep into Minx – loving the back and forth between main characters.

paperdialoguesembeddedmessagesandexchanges

A quick photographic performance in response to thoughts about the hands in paintings observed at the Prado. The idea of the hidden, paper dialogues, embedded messages and exchanges were in my thoughts. Onto screens - Started to watch Extrapolations – it demonstrates a devastating trajectory for us if we continue the path of climate destruction. Binged Beckham in two nights, such a strange production, at the one moment light but then with undertones of dark(ish). Stopped A Haunting in Venice after 20 minutes, great scenery.

insideandoutsidebecomeone

Continuing to develop my thinking and work with 3D printing. The new series of works started off looking at a single page, capturing it as it turns. The pages are bisected, fixing a stillness within the work, although the page appears trapped in time. The transparency of the material brings an ethereal quality, enabling the interior spaces too be viewed, inside and outside become one. Onto screens – Past Lives is beautiful but so painfully sad. No Hard Feelings had a very odd tone to it. Time, the woman’s prison version was too harrowing to get past the first episode.

eatingyourwaythroughthecity

4 days in Madrid - wow - an amazingly vibrant city - a great way to eat and in general exist - gotta love the small plates and 'brunch' beer. Eating your way through the evening/night in bars with plates of extraordinary food - highlights include - squid sandwiches - fried pigs ear - and of course patatas bravas but I could just list everything I ate. Spending time with 'old art' in the big 3 galleries is mind blowing. "Oh that's where it is" becomes a common refrain' especially in the Prado. The highlights from your knowledge of art history come thick and fast - Goya and his depiction of the Royal Family, did he actually like any if his sitters? Raphael's history paintings, Bosch's interior world in the garden of earthly delights, Caravaggio's brooding world view, a room of Zurbaran's still lives containing objects you feel you could pick up, the details in the clothes that Velazquez sitters are wearing. I was transfixed by the red eyes of an onlooker in Van der Weyden's descent from the cross,  obviously previously upset but now trying to hold back tears. The luminescence of Fra Angelica's The Annunciation takes your breath away. There are a couple of strands of research to embark on - the labels in Museo National Centro de Arte Reina Sofia were extraordinary, a work in themselves, something to consider. I thought about the idea of the witness, the one person slightly outside the main focus, towards the edge of a painting or photograph sometimes looking out at the viewer. What were they doing there? How did they get there? What are they thinking? Again something that has previously occupied my thoughts - how hands are used, what are they holding? The meaning, the symbolism of the objects that would of been understood, now lost to the majority of viewers. How blood is depicted in paintings, if you were nailed would the blood look like it does in say a Durer or would it be more like the slain in Goya's The Execution's? Other notes include - Walking with bread / objects on your head after watching Louis Bunuel's L'age d'Or  Extraordinary titles of organizations - for example - the Crossbowmans guild of Louvain, The grand cross of the order of the reunion. If the rules are that there are no rules what are the rules? A need to find out about the Strappo technique of removing murals and the meaning if the sticks/staffs held by the members of the Royal Family in Velazquez paintings. To look again at the knots used to tie up Jesus. The idea of the thread of life controlled by the fates in Goya's black paintings. The list goes on - lots of breathing in, there is a need to breathe out, can't wait to get into the studio. 

lookingandreadingtheexquisite

I think that I’m starting to get the hang of this 3D printing! Onto London for a very old friends significant birthday – music, talking, wine and people I haven’t seen in a while but are always there….lovely – I even got to DJ a little – well I played records one after another…..While in London I went to see the show at Raven Row - Aye by Lutz Bacher. It is exquisite, truly moving. The work and shows at Raven Row are always amazing but I think this is one where the artwork has become part of the space and vice versa. Opening a closed door becomes the work. Enabling the sounds to drift in and out, doors banging, footsteps and people talking via with the sound pieces. #mostexcellent. I’m in the middle of reading Richard Wingate’s-  The Story of the Brain in 10½ Cells. https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-story-of-the-brain-in-101-2-cells/richard-wingate/9781788162968 It’s a joyous accessible read about some important stuff! – I started to make notes and I found myself almost transcribing the whole book – so I stopped – some key notes so far though include….A roadmap to an answer of a riddle - 2D drawing of a blurred 3D object - The idea of style in medical drawings - To draw is to know - Great speculation = the use of photographic solution in staining cells might enable us to see that the brain might contain frozen still images - Purkinje cell array converts time into space - Our construction of a perceptual world suddenly appeared to be a tremendous piece of theatre, engineered by our brains, to convince us that sensations are complete and reliable while concealing a script of hasty translations and omissions - The sound/language of brain cells. So compellingly enjoyable. onto screens – Mission Impossible was very funny with incredible stunts, well real things filmed! Equalizer 3 has another eclectic array of ways to effectively kill people speedily. I’m in the middle of season 3 of The Morning Show, the dark venal activity depicted is skin crawling, although not as much as Partygate – the program drips with undeserved privilege, the two worlds it presents are so disturbingly contrasting and yet nothing has changed – how about that.

learningthroughmaking

Learning through making, focusing on the work of Ingold

Learning through making, often referred to as "learning by doing," is an educational approach that emphasizes active engagement and hands-on experiences as a means of acquiring knowledge and skills. This approach aligns closely with the work of Tim Ingold, a prominent anthropologist and scholar in the fields of anthropology, archaeology, and environmental studies. Ingold's work has explored the intersection of human creativity, skill development, and learning through practical activities.

Here are some key concepts from Ingold's work that relate to learning through making:

Skill and Practice: Ingold argues that skills are not abstract entities but are embodied in the actions and practices of individuals. Learning a skill involves continuous practice and refinement through doing. Skills are honed through engagement with materials and the environment.

Making as a Way of Knowing: Ingold suggests that making is not merely a means to an end but a way of knowing and understanding the world. Through making, individuals engage with materials, tools, and processes, gaining insights and knowledge that may not be accessible through passive observation or abstract thinking alone.

Materials and Tools: The choice of materials and tools plays a significant role in the learning process. Ingold emphasizes the importance of a deep relationship between the maker and the materials they work with. Different materials and tools offer unique affordances and constraints that shape the learning experience.

Process-Oriented Learning: Learning through making is a process-oriented approach. It values the journey of exploration, experimentation, and problem-solving, rather than focusing solely on the end product. Mistakes and failures are seen as opportunities for learning and growth.

Embodied Knowledge: Ingold's work highlights the embodied nature of knowledge. Learning is not a purely cognitive activity but is deeply connected to the body and sensory perception. Through hands-on engagement, individuals develop a bodily knowledge that complements intellectual understanding.

Contextual Learning: Learning through making is deeply contextual. It takes into account the specific cultural, social, and environmental contexts in which making activities occur. This context shapes both the practices and the knowledge that emerge from them.

Community and Collaboration: Ingold's work also emphasizes the role of communities and social networks in learning through making. Knowledge and skills are often shared and transmitted within communities of practice where individuals collaborate, share experiences, and learn from one another.

Incorporating these ideas into educational settings can involve project-based learning, experiential learning, and hands-on activities that encourage students to actively engage with the subject matter. By embracing learning through making, educators can help students develop not only practical skills but also a deeper understanding of the world and a sense of agency in their own learning journey.