Talk by Jon!

(23/03/09) This morning one of the Interactive Arts tutors talked about the artwork that he had previously completed. His earlier work includes ceramic work that is based on the relationship between people and places reflecting upon how he lived in the countryside of Cheshire and commuted each day to the city of Manchester were he went to University. He then became a specialist in cardboard as he recognised what cardboard was tolerant to water as he made sculptures by dampening cardboard and overlaying it upon objects. He created many fascinating pieces during the time he was a full time artist.

One piece I particularly liked was a large sculpture of a shirt that was made out of recycled clothing, it was hung on a hanger that had been made out of scaffolding. Lighting had been placed within the shirt so that when the lights were turned down it looked beautiful. This sculpture was positioned in a barn near another two sculptures, one of a dress and one of a pair of trouseurs. It was fascinating to see a photograph of this artwork that included a person next to it as it showed the huge scale to which it had been created.

Below are a few points that stook with me after this talk:

• You can complete artwork simply just because you have an idea and you want to see if it works rather than having to have a symbolic meaning/theory behind it!!
• If you want to learn something why not teach yourself (for example art history as I would like to know more about the many art movements).
• Makesure that your artwork is accessible to your viewers!
• If your ever stuck within a situation, for example a meeting, why not change the dynamics of the situation? for example stand up/sit down, swop seats...may help you look at things in a different dimension/way!- example he gave was that he threw a pile of postcards (relevant to what he was talking about) upon the desk-everyone then started to look at them + get ideas.

Capturing the sound of the waves!

(21/03/09 While I was in Llandudno I had a go at capturing the sound of the waves with an Edirol R-09 Digital Recorder and a shotgun Microphone that I borrowed from University. Within the first recordings that I completed the sound of the wind was overpowering compared to the sound of the waves. This meant that the sound was very distorted and it was very hard to pick out the sound of the waves. I then decreased the input levels to see if this would have a better effect. As a result of this the following recordings included less distortion however the sound of the waves was very faint and it wasn't clear that the sound was of waves.
I was recording the sound of the waves so that this could be the sound that is triggered off when the bottom drawer of the set of drawers that I made is opened. I therefore would like the sound to be easily identified as being of waves.
Still using the Digital Recorder and the Shotgun Microphone I had a go of recording the sound of the waves but on Llandudno's other coast to see if the waves could be heard more than the wind but the results still meant that the sound was unclear.
I decided to use my cam corder instead of the Digital recorder and have ago at capturing the sound of the waves. I completed some recordings with the microphone Kit attached to the cam corder and others without. Surprisingly the best results came from not using the microphone with the cam corder. The microphone did produce clear recording of the sound that it picked up but it picked up the sound of the wind more because it was stronger than the sound of the waves. It didn't have the ability to focus on one sound, were as the cam corder could pick up the sound of the waves more than the wind.
I have decided to use the recordings that I captured using the cam corder rather than the Digital Recorder and I will put this sound onto a DVD that can then be placed within the DVD player that will be attached to the set of drawers.

Manchester School Of Art Exhibition

(20/03/09) This afternoon I went with my seminar group and tutor to the specail collections Gallery within Manchester MET All Saints Library. Here they currently have an exhibiton of work completed by previous students of Manchester School of Art called 'Historic Perspectives' on display. This is being run along side an exhibition called 'contemporary collections' in the Holden Gallery of the Manchester School of Art, of work that is completed by current staff. Twenty tutors were invited to create contemporary work which highlights a piece or pieces of work from the historical special collections of the Art School.

It was fascinating to see work that had been completed by students who studied art within the same Art School as I am in now, nearly 100 years ago!! It was interesting to see photographs of what the Holden Gallery use to look like within the start of the 20th Century and to see how things differ to now. There were photographs of students within a life drawing class all wearing suits and looking very smart. We even got to see some of the life drawings that students had completed.

Martin Parr is a contemporary photographer and I have studied his work within College last year and it was a surprise to see some of his work on display as I didn't know that he use to go to Manchester School of Art.

It was great to also have a look within Holden Gallery and to see what current staff had produced in response to the archive of work from past students. Hazel Jones who is my Interactive Arts tutor produced a collection of rusty nails in which had been sent to her through a mail art project some from aboard and from her current students. I sent her two that I found during Bonfire night at a bonfire that took place at my friend's garden. The collection of nails that Hazel put on display were in response to a set of nails that she found within the Special Collections that had been removed from a special chair when it was being renovated.

Tutorial with Gary!

(19/03/09) Today I had a tutorial with Gary, we came up with the following ideas as to how I can take my project forward:

• Insert LED lights into one of the set of drawers, underneath a piece of acetate that has my images of Llandudno on. I could try and attach the LED lights to a switch so that it is only when the drawers are opened that the LED lights come on.



• If I was to include cereal in one of the drawers so that the viewer can make the sound of the waves theirselves as they opened the drawer then I need to think of how the cereal would be positioned within the drawer. Maybe it could be like a sea saw action so that the cereal slides down and makes the sound resembling the sea then even though the drawer is closed the next person can do the same. Would this work? I would have to do some experiments to see the best way to do this!!



• Make the objects/images within this set of drawers personal to me-images of past times in Llandudno to highlight how this is a place that I have visited many times as years have gone by.



• Create a book about Llandudno-small enough to fit inside one of the drawers. I could create this based on my Grandad's book about Llandudno. This book includes maps images and information about the climate, flora and geology of Llandudno. It talks about the pier, shore, tramway, The Great Orme and many toursit attractions within Llandudno aswell as the many excursions you can take from Llandudno.



• Include quotes from my grandads book and from family, friends who have visited llandudno within the book I make aswell as my own feelings I have towards the Llandudno!!

Tutorial with Nick Hardy!

(16/03/09) I had the opportunity to have a tutorial with Nick Hardy which was great as I could get some advice/feedback from a contemporray artist! He seemed to really like the 3d frames that I had made. He thought that they had been constructed well and he liked the fact that they reveal stories (work as a narrative) and provoke questions.
After speaking to him I have an idea to create a frame with a larger depth: I could take photographs at different intervals of the pier starting from the front to the end and then include these within the frame as if the viewer is lookng down the pier when they look into this frame. This could be interesting as it would create a greater sense of distance compared to the other 3d frames that I have already made! I can't wait to put this idea into pratice!!

Talk by Nick Hardy!

(16/03/09) This morning Nick Hardy, a Post Graduate from Manchester MET University, and now a minature model and film maker/3D artist, came into the sudio to give a talk about his work.
His earlier work focused on the use of light, space and scale which was reflected within his installation that was present within his Degree show. This final piece included a narrow section taken away from a wall therefore revealing a gap within the wall in which you could see all the way through. Inside this gap he placed small lights. Some people peered all the way through and made various sounds, some shouted listening to their own echo and others waved at other people who were on the other side of the wall who they could see. This piece of artwork was very interactive and he talked about how it was really interesting to see how viewer's reacted to his piece.
The theme within Nick Hardy's work during this time was hidden environments, it could be thought that decided to focus on this theme as many people don't spot artwork when it's not very obvious and can easily just walk straight past it.
He is currently reconstructing a minature version of an old factory that was dimolished within Manchester, which he is really excited about and would be great to see when completed!

There were a few points that I took from this talk including:

• If the majority of time appears to be spent on displaying your work with exhibitons, makesure that you still have time to carry on with experimentation and development of your own artwork so you are still getting pratice.
• Time management is essential-put the time and effort in then it will pay off.
• Always document what you are doing!
• Make the most of every second!!
• Think carefully on how you can achieve what you want to in the time available. Be commited and patient!!

Tutorial with Gary!

(12/03/09) After having a tutorial with Gary I left with the following ideas:

• When incorporating smell within my set of drawers by placing seaweed within one of the drawers, how about putiing the seaweed within a bottle with a cork on. This way the smell will be contained within the bottle rather than being able to smell it from a distance. Also the viewers then may be intrigued to open the bottle and it is only till then that they can smell the seaweed.
• Creating a series of small boxes, each of which could fit inside each other. Inside they could contain text, images or objects relating to Llandudno. The boxes could create a sense of secrecy and mystery as it is only until they are opened that you know more about Llandudno.
• Note within a bottle-reveal my personal experiences of being there. They could also be written by family members and friends that have also visited Llandudno.
• Research Foley Artists-sounds could relate to my work.
• Research Pandoras box-idea of including boxes relates to my work.