Arts University Bournemouth
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iPad: A Virtual Studio in my Handbag
Get PDFCentral to this practice-based investigation is the concept that the iPad has the potential to provide the appropriate tools and resources required to create a body of new and original artworks. I suggest that the iPad enables the artist to re-define the concept of an artist’s studio and facilitates a move away from the traditional studio towards a new virtual studio. This investigation considers the affordances of the iPad in engendering new ways of visualising intimate, private, domestic and public space, through filmmaking, photography, and digital drawing and painting.
The practice-based element of this doctorate is interwoven with an investigation of relevant critical theory and is presented as a descriptive analysis of my virtual studio. The research explores the contemporary methodologies of arts-based research; autoethnography and visual and digital ethnography. My contribution to knowledge is that the iPad is a virtual studio that enables myself and other artists to create new modes of creative practice.
I have examined and analysed the historical technological contexts that form the foundations for the emergence of a new means of artistic production. I have also addressed questions around machine replicability and the role of new media in shaping the cultural landscape.
An autonomous case study reflects on the emergence of new ethical codes of practice in relation to new media iPad art and considers the role of digital integrity within new Fine Art digital practices. It investigates the emergence of innovative online digital artistic communities who use the iPad as the main tool for the creation of iPad art and then access social networking platforms for its dissemination. It further researches a blog of female peers to consider the duality of the iPad as a complementary toolkit to traditional media
The Interactivity Lab: training toward the performer as ‘Architect-Clown’
Get PDFA challenge for performers working in interactive and participatory performance forms is a need to navigate between the position of the ‘Architect’, designing and structuring an audience’s experience, and that of the ‘Clown’, sustaining a performance state that is present and responsive to the particularities of individual interactions. While design and structure can preoccupy the development of new work, rehearsing for participatory performance proves a challenge when the pivotal ingredient – an unpredictable audience – is absent. How can training support performers to attend to both performance structure and the immediacies of interactive exchange? How can it support them to think critically about the aesthetics, ethics and politics of both? This article reflects on my pedagogical process of working with a group of undergraduates in spring 2017, exploring training approaches to support their devising process as they created a self-directed interactive theatre piece. It offers an ethnographic glimpse into the studio work and students’ responses, as we investigated approaches to developing the performer as ‘Architect-Clown’. Drawing on 10 years’ experience as a performer-deviser in this field, I sought the tack between these two training zones, applying pedagogic methods that work to develop performance qualities of listening, presence and improvisation, alongside methods aimed at developing a critical and reflexive approach to experience-design. Are the two roles as distinct as is suggested? How might they interact, and what might be gained (or lost) from this cross-training studio approach
Clothing and landscape in Victorian England : working-class dress and rural life
No full textIn the context of a rapidly changing world, Rachel Worth explores the ways in which the clothing of the rural working classes was represented visually in paintings and photographs and by the literary sources of documentary, autobiography and fiction, as well as by the particular pattern of survival and collection by museums of garments of rural provenance. The book analyses the ways in which clothing and how it is represented throws light on wider social and cultural aspects of society, as well as how 'traditional' styles of dress, like men's smock-frocks or women's sun-bonnets, came to be replaced by 'fashion'. This study, with black & white and colour illustrations, both adds a broader dimension to the history of dress by considering it within the social and cultural context of its time and discusses how clothing enriches our understanding of the social history of the Victorian period
Symbiosis: a model of resilience for small specialist museums
No full textThis website provides guidelines for the propagation of mutually beneficial relationships between small specialist museums (small defined as museums with fewer than five FTE staff) and their related industry, including a range of case studies of successful interactions.
Funding is becoming ever harder for small museums to secure at a time when the expectation is that they will become independently more resilient. This project involved 20 small museums with different specialisms and a range of businesses exploring ways that museums and industry can work together to mutual advantage. It was the first time that museums had collaborated on exploring the relationship between museums and their industries and is the only resource to provide case studies of such interactions.
Creation of the resource involved a series of collaborative stages including an online survey which explored existing practice: how museums made contact with their related industry, time spent talking to them, and the nature of any ensuing engagement; two seminars at which experiences were shared; development of four sample interactions with different companies; and creation of the resource. The latter includes an account of existing practice; a ten-step guide to developing relationships with industry with downloadable models and templates for each step; the four case studies; and a benefits analysis of the process. Peer-review was undertaken by representatives of the partnering museums and by users of the resource.
Web rather than paper publication makes it more easily available and allows users to take the path through that best suits their needs. The resource is unique: there is no other resource that aims to build museum workforce skills in interaction with industry. It is already a primary point of reference for small specialist museums, and will, in time, contribute significantly to increased engagement between museums and industries enabling museums to serve their industries better and to become more resilient
Entanglement in Shakespeare’s text: using interpretive mnemonics with acting students with dyslexia
No full textThis chapter describes the study the author carried out with two 2nd year acting degree students assessed as dyslexic, and how they gained an autonomy over the processing and performing of Shakespeare’s text. The study aimed to develop inclusive teaching strategies to facilitate the abilities of those with dyslexia and bypass their difficulties with reading. For those with dyslexia the reading and speaking of Shakespeare’s text can present significant challenges. This difficulty undermines practical work and masks the abilities of the dyslexic student actor. Conversely, Shakespeare’s rich language encourages a construction of meaning through visually interpreted modalities. The study demonstrated that the participants created an additional text of drawings, colours and symbols, replacing the alphabetical text, embedding meaning into long-term memory. This chapter shares the experiences of the two students and the author as teacher. These observations offer insights for improving inclusive pedagogical choices, when working with dyslexic acting students
Standardised or Simplified? The Effect of Government–Imposed Restrictions on Women’s Clothing Manufacture and Design during the Second World War
Get PDFThe Second World War necessitated the transferral of labour and supplies from civilian manufacture to war production. Orders initiated by the government, in an attempt to make economical use of limited resources, severely affected the clothing industry from production to consumption. As a result, many contemporaneous sources and contemporary scholars claim that civilian dress was standardised. Scrutiny of trade journals, government documents, Mass Observation records, extant garments, and sewing patterns demonstrates that though manufacturing methods were standardised and simplified, there continued to be a range of styles in women’s dress
Vision without the eye: Following the material of abstract photography
No full textPhotography’s role in the historical framing of how we see can hardly be overestimated: heralded as the most extraordinary invention in vision, it was meant to deliver the promise of technology’s ability to enrich and improve human sight. Simultaneously, the medium’s capacity to offer photographic evidence placed it at the crossroads of the techniques of representation and regulation. Even as the machine is ever so rapidly substituting the eye in the forging of endless stream of visual data that we are now subjected to, digital vision still relies on the photographic image.
Against such a background, this article departs from a proposition that if we were to envision different ways of seeing we can start from a reformulated understanding of photography. In order to do so, the article critically examines recent photographic works by Taisuke Koyama and Nihal Yesil and argues that abstract photography in particular enables the recognition of material entanglements between the medium and what it aspires to represent. ‘Following’ such materials as cellophane, aluminium, PVC as well as light, the article also mobilises Karen Barad’s project of agential realism in its view of abstract photography as a tool for looking with, a vehicle that enables the rethinking of the medium and, by implication, the ethical parameters of vision that hinges on it
The Costume Supervisor's Toolkit : Supervising Theatre Costume Production from First Meeting to Final Performance.
No full textCostume supervision, as illuminated in the second edition of Rebecca Pride's seminal work, encompasses a multifaceted array of responsibilities essential to the successful execution of theatrical and cinematic productions. Delving deeper into the nuances of this craft, Pride's updated exploration provides invaluable insights into the evolving landscape of costume design and management. From the initial stages of concept development to the final moments on stage or screen, costume supervisors play a pivotal role in ensuring the seamless integration of attire with character and narrative. By drawing on historical context, contemporary trends, and practical techniques, Pride's second edition serves as an indispensable guide for aspiring costume supervisors and seasoned professionals alike. Through detailed case studies, practical advice, and expert guidance, this edition underscores the dynamic nature of costume supervision and its enduring significance in the realm of visual storytelling.
Costume supervision is a multifaceted craft crucial to the seamless execution of theatrical and cinematic productions. Rebecca Pride's comprehensive exploration of this discipline delves into the intricate process of overseeing costumes from conception to performance. Through meticulous attention to detail and a deep understanding of historical context and character development, costume supervisors ensure that each garment harmonizes with the narrative and enhances the visual storytelling. From sourcing fabrics and collaborating with designers to managing budgets and coordinating fittings, Pride's book illuminates the indispensable role of costume supervision in bringing characters to life on stage and screen. With insightful anecdotes and practical advice, she underscores the importance of effective communication and problem-solving skills in navigating the complexities of costume production. Aspiring costume supervisors and seasoned professionals alike will find Pride's work to be an invaluable resource for mastering the art of costume supervision and elevating the overall quality of their productions.
Keywords: Costume design, Costume supervision and practic
Sedimentary costume
No full textThis research project explores the notion that by anthropomorphizing nature through an emergent practice of landscaped inspired costume design a sense of connectivity between humans and nature can be bridged. It builds on somatic costume research by Dean (2014 and 2016) and asks the question: How can the body be used as a somatic landscape to create a playful public engagement performance tool to promote a connection with the natural landscapes of Dorset.
A costume -design -led approach was executed by combining theoretical and empirical research that explored the connectivity between the landscape and the body. This included field trips and visual hands-on research included rock rubbing, sketching, fossil hunting, archival research and investigative walking. Most significant was the dialogue with the earth scientists from the Jurassic Coast Trust who supported the research and its development. Combining this practice-based approach with theories in social scientists (Tams et al. (2013), Berry & Wolf-Waltz (2014) and Lumber, Richard and Sheffield (2017)) the outcome of this research highlights how the intervention of performance, or more specifically costume design in performance, can be used as a method to get its audience to think about natural landscapes. Cited in Resonance in Rocks: Building a Sustainable Learning and Engagement Programme for the Jurassic Coast, Proceedings of Geologists’ Association, the work was referred to as a ‘remarkable piece of interpretation’ Khatwa Ford, (2018)
Narrative Experiences of History and Complex Systems
No full textThe chapter considers elements at play in the establishment of our current historical knowledge. Looking at past events as complex adaptive systems, it demonstrates why the current mediation of history is oversimplified. By formulating the possibility of a complex narrative matrix (environment), it explores its potential in offering both an archive of evidence drawn from multiple agents, and presenting the evolving relationship between them in time. This matrix aligns itself with a simulation of a CAS, the primary interest being the VR matrix' ability to be both an interactive interface enabling exploration of the evidential material from different points of access, and a construction able to reveal its procedural work; a dynamic that elicits the creation of meaning by including the reasoning behind the chosen archival material, the product of the process, and the process itself