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Prescriptions: artists’ books on wellbeing and medicine
Get PDFOn Innards | Publication, by artists Richard Nash, Amanda Couch, Mindy Lee, and Andrew Hladky, was selected for the group exhibition Prescriptions, which ran in the Beaney House of Art & Knowledge, Canterbury, from 21 April to 25 September 2016 curated by Dr Stella Bolaki and Egidija Čiricaitė.
The title of the exhibition, Prescriptions, was taken from one of Martha A. Hall's artists’ books. Hall's book art, created from 1998 until her death in 2003, documents her experiences with breast cancer and interactions with the medical community. These themes find unique expression through the intimacy, immediacy and complexity of the artist's book medium that not only challenges the conventional book form but also offers a palpable experience of the patient's world.
The exhibition featured around 90 artists’ books by national and international artists responding to themes of cancer, disability, mental health, surgery, recovery, medicine and wellbeing. The curated show revealed the therapeutic and empowering potential of art whereby artists’ books become an alternative kind of prescription. The exhibition featured 15 books by Hall, on loan from the University of New England's Maine Women Writers Collection, which were being shown in the UK for the first time
Pomona encounters: ‘Pomona’s beauty spots’
Get PDFThe output, Pomona’s Beauty Spots, is a creative project comprising an interactive exhibit, which invited the audience to consider the presence of place and significant points of interest, and written text. The project was a collaboration between Hayward and Fabrizio Cocchiarella, with both contributing equally to the project. Research process: A passive experience of navigating the terrain has not been prescribed or facilitated, therefore we are free to create an un-regulated personal geography, establishing our own markers as points of reference, signposting memories through physical encounter, exploring freedom.” In order to consolidate visions, interpretations and works in progress from Pomona Encounters – the exhibitors were invited by Gaia Project Press to create a publication/book that reflected the thoughts, passions and connections explored was produced. Research insights: Discovering the city often uses commercial psycho-spatial systems of reference that mediate our relationships with people, landmarks and architectural objects. Our connection with nature is negotiated through the exploration of natural spatial phenomena, sometimes shaped by humans, but when exploring un-chartered territories, we encounter landscapes that are dependent on discovery. Through the interaction, walkers encountered a cornucopia of paradoxical tales around themes of biodiversity and urban planning, carbon-free air miles, invasive species for healthy living, and old toolkits to design new nature. with the status quo and propose new futures for Pomona and beyond.
Dissemination: The research was disseminated as part of Pomona Encounters, Pomona Island, Manchester on 21 July 2016. Findings were also shared through Pomona’s beauty spots, in Fruitful Futures, Imagining Pomona, published by Gaia Projects Press, 2016
Archiving women in film and television
No full textThis output is a documentary film. It results from a collaboration between Hooper, documentary/artist filmmaker, and historians/archivists on Archiving Women in Film & Television. The documentary includes video interviews with archivists, historians and filmmakers, and it represents archive material from Feminist Archive North (FAN). Research Process: Drawing upon a larger project, ‘Feminist Archives, Feminist Futures’ (Dossett and Denton, University of Leeds), Archiving Women in Film & Television focused on collections of women in film and television held at FAN, including the papers of Leeds Animation Workshop and Vera Media (independent feminist filmmaking collectives based in Leeds), and the Women’s Film, Television and Video Network. Hooper directed, filmed and edited the documentary. In addition to interviews, other project footage gathered includes conference material, workshops at Leeds City Museum and at Glasgow Women’s Library as part of the Radical Film Network Conference. Public screenings and Q&As held as part of the project at Hyde Park Picture House, Leeds, over the course of three years were documented. Research Insights: The film serves as a possible means to share academic research and inquiry into women’s filmmaking and television history with a broader audience. It is also a conscious recognition of the digital archive created as part of the process of the research project. This edited cut is a precursor to a pilot interactive documentary. Dissemination: The research was disseminated at the following: Presentation and workshop, Glasgow Women’s Library, Radical Film Network Unconference, April 2016. Paper & workshop, Women’s History Month, Leeds City Museum, March 2016. Presentation and workshop, i-Docs Symposium, UWE Bristol, March 2016. Feminist Filmmaking Screenings, Hyde Park Picture House, May 2015, May 2016 and May 2017
A device suitable for protecting and / or allowing cleaning of a bike and / or vehicle component and method of use thereof
Get PDFThe Brake Shield is an innovative new product for cleaning and maintaining the moving parts of a bicycle drive train and is the only one of its kind. It has a simple yet effective design of a polypropylene barrier that sits between the spokes and the cassette to protect your disc brakes and wheel rims whilst cleaning and/or lubricating of the gearing and drive train is undertaken. The nature of the product allows this difficult and unpleasant task to be performed in a quick, tidy and efficient manner. Many people just ignore this part of their bike; they put up with a muddied cassette and chain, either cleaning them periodically, maybe monthly, or just replacing them when they become unworkable which is wasteful and unsustainable. With the Brake Shield 'little and often' cleaning is made simpler and easier. The Brake Shield's innovative tray catches all the cleaning fluid, dirt and oil, allowing this dirty task to be undertaken anywhere without making a mess. A more formal abstract taken from the Patent Application Publication: A device is provided for protecting, allowing cleaning, servicing and / or lubrication of one or more components of a bike or vehicle in use. The device is formed from at least one blank of material including a first portion arranged to act as a shield element so as to at least partially shield at least one component of the vehicle or bike in use, and at least a second portion. The second portion includes at least one wall joined to the first portion by at least one fold line. The at least one wall and fold line are arranged such that when the second portion is assembled and / or erected in use it defines a tray or container portion joined to the first portion
Lost and found
Get PDFThe output is an installation called ‘Lost and Found’ within a disused tower block
in Grimsby. It was produced by a collaboration between April Virgoe, Patrick
Holley, Chris Lillywhite (visual artists) . The work was funded by the Arts Council
and supported by the Shoreline Housing Trust. Research process: The installation was created in response to the East Marsh tower blocks, formerly occupied by the residents of the Freeman Street area, which is the centre of the former fishing community in Grimsby, with a strong connection to the sea. The project was the result of a continual process of negotiation with Shoreline Housing, who supported the positive effect of the project as a ‘farewell’ to the tower blocks before demolition. Research insights: The installation was located in one of the vast garages between the tower block on Grimsby's East Marsh Estate. The intention was to respond to the seafaring history as well as the space itself. The installation comprising a boat, models, projections, sound, a 12ft smoke drawing of a ship and a disco ball, and, over the course of two weeks, underwent several transformations in response to the site. Dissemination: The installation was disseminated at the Lightworks Festival, Grimsby, 15 October–13 November 2016
Luxury brands and their role in eco-innovation diffusion
Get PDFPurpose: The purpose of this research is to understand the role of luxury brands in the diffusion of eco-innovations through the fashion industry, and whether the trickle-down theory applies.
Methodology: Structured qualitative interviews were carried out with 13 individuals working in luxury, mass and value market fashion brands to understand the perceptions of how innovation and eco-innovation were generated and diffused through the fashion industry. Rogers’ theory of innovation diffusion was used to analyse and explore interview responses.
Findings: The results of the research suggest the interviewees perceived the trickle-down effect as less relevant for eco-innovations than for aesthetic innovations (newness in style, design or colour). It was found that suppliers, competitors and senior management play a more important role in diffusion of eco-innovation. A five point model for successful eco-innovation diffusion within a fashion business was established from the research.
Limitations: As the first stage of a larger project, this research focused on one interviewee from the product design and development team within each brand. Further research will be carried out to explore the perceptions of eco-innovations for other functions within the brands.
Implications: Fashion brands wishing to adopt eco-innovations can use the five point model to help them establish the right conditions for successful adoption within their business.
Originality/value: This research extends existing work on the adoption of sustainability within the fashion industry by exploring the adoption routes for eco-innovation and using Rogers’ framework to create a five point model for innovation
Reflexive modernity: the work of Chris Paul Daniels
No full textA profile of the artist-filmmaker Chris Paul Daniels focusing on themes of artifice, authenticity and self-identity and considering his works Premier/Divisions (2013), A Tiger’s’ Skin (2014), You Are Here (2015), Safe at HOME (2015). Daniels’ witty and sometimes disquieting works are commentaries on our globalised contemporary culture. They probe the role that representations play in the construction of individual and national identity. Though often ostensibly documentaries they repeatedly use techniques that undercut the habitual authority of this format. The article was commissioned by the Contemporary Visual Arts Network North West (CVAN NW), as part of a regional critical writing development programme funded by Arts Council England
The pattern social
Get PDFThe output is an artefact comprising a collection of surface pattern designs.
Research process: Hughes has undertaken and developed a body of visual research using files, sketchbooks and digital platforms documenting a personal investigation in wallpaper archives. The aim was to investigate how the current wallpaper manufacturers incorporate the technical and design methodologies of difference periods, 1950s, 1970s and Scandinavian design, using a specialist design software package called AVA/CAD CAM to manufacture wallpaper design today without losing the quality of the original archive. Research insights: The research identified how ‘retro’ inspired design continued to make an impact
within contemporary textile design. Digital design within textile design has really
advanced in the last few years and is continuing to do so therefore it is crucial that
textile designers are fully aware of these new digital tools. Hughes has devised a
series of digital drawing exercises which allows the documentation of a variety of
different and innovative responses of exploring digital drawing. Hughes’ research
shows the importance of textiles archives and the reinterpretation of these archives in a contemporary design style using Digital rendering. The research also led to relevant insight into how software is best utilised in the textile industry.
Dissemination: The collection was disseminated under ‘The Pattern Social’ at the international Textile Exhibition and Fair at the Javits Conference Centre, New York, 15-18 May 2016 and 20-23 May 2017. The designs were also exhibited at the Great Northern Events in Manchester in October 2018
Witch milk: Samantha Sweeting’s lactation narratives
Get PDFThis illustrated paper explores embodied storytelling in the work of interdisciplinary artist Samantha Sweeting (b.1982). Sweeting’s work is characterised by reference to biblical Madonna and child imagery, nursery rhymes and fairytales e.g. Perrault’s ‘Donkeyskin’ which Sweeting visually rewrites from a feminist standpoint. In 2007-2011, Sweeting produced a controversial body of work in which she allowed various animals to suckle directly from her breasts. With reference to the legacies of French feminist theory (especially Kristeva and Cixous), I argue that Sweeting corporealises the fairytale in a way that opens it up to contemporary debates around the maternal body as a political site
Transcendental housework
Get PDFThe output is an exhibition comprising a series of sculptures, objects and drawings. Research process: As a feminist artist, Chambers adopted her mother’s domestic dissent, integrating it as philosophy into the processes and outcomes of her art making practice. When making the work, she did not have a studio but made art in her kitchen; she rarely cleaned or tidied up, she utilized her domestic space and the objects that inhabit it, as a temporalized site of domestic resistance. In this body of work, she subverted the domestic objects that haunt our retrogressive imagination. Research insight: The exhibition reveals that the domestic objects and household ornaments of our childhoods take on an emotional value that shape our notions of self; that construct significant personal identities. The exhibition contains dysfunctional furniture and ambivalent ornamentation. Sculptural objects, both floor based and wall based seem to lurk or loiter in the gallery space, they have a whiff of discontented anthropomorphism. Dissemination: The exhibition was shown at Stockport Art Gallery, 16 January – 27 February 2016