Youthful fascinations

What student household didn't have a pack of tarot cards somewhere. Always a fascination when your future looks so open yet holds few clues, to have someone come forth with those clues, those answers. As an 18 year old aspiring to be the lawyer from 'Hill Street Blues', tarot seemed a must and after I did have my cards read and was told I could have the talent, well naivety knew no bounds, I was hooked. Thankfully it didn't last long, it was intriguing to come across a new exhibition at MMU of a range of artists interpreting the tarot deck.

Susan Hiller

Happy Memories : MA October 2011

Jane Clowes, Sarah Burgess, Fiona Wilson & moi

with our MA Textiles tutor Melanie Miller

MA Show Images

MA Textiles work

the beautiful work of  Fiona Wilson

The equally stunning work of Sarah Burgess

MA Show 1

Long time no post.....Work and setting up the show for the MA seems to have taken over. Good news is that I passed my MA hurray. So thought I should show how the show looked at the Holden Gallery, MMU. It has been a strange experience, as in many ways such a show isn't your standard end of year student show more a PR exercise for the University, so items were selected for the show. Initially I was to be in show 2 but the Fine Art tutor selected two of my pieces for inclusion into the first show which had a fine art slant.

Day 1 set up - thought it would be straightforward dress on mannequin, then on Thursday glove on plinth, how wrong can you get.....

'we don't think the mannequin is right, have you tried a dress makers dummy?' I had on Monday and that looked awful, what was interesting was that they were not interested that it was on a mannequin on purpose to represent fast fashion consumption, also fascinating to see my essays comments on the hierarchies within art disciplines so aptly presented. I was quite philosophical about it all so ended up talking to the Fine Art Course Leader who was happy with this selection.

MA Show

As well as rushing around doing the last bit of writing and practical work we have a show to put on for the last week of September for the MA. So all the MA disciplines for the first time this year will be showing together. Well we shall use this word loosely as they are at four different sites across Manchester. The Holden Gallery which is part of All Saints Campus where i will show and 3 & 4 Piccadilly Place where the remainder of the students will show. we visited on Thursday to mixed responses. Anyway pictures attached to help those of my colleagues who may not have seen the space and yourselves to conjure up ideas. we are not able to build walls as you would in an end of year show so its an interesting curating challenge.

curved space

square space

Oops just realised that......

Just looking through the blog I realised that I hadn't put up images from the whole space so here goes. Feedback as ever is most welcome the more constructive criticism the better.....

Testing Time

The title is true in so many ways, from working out how to get your plinths down and up two flights of stairs with no lift access, waiting for the AV store to open, sourcing display furniture, never mind the horror of working out what items to bare your soul with. I think i have felt sick all day...... The technicians as ever were fantastic in their help and guidance into getting the right equipment even when it involved borrowing without asking?

Anyway I still have quite a bit more to do before my first crit on Friday so here are my initial phases of work on the walls and I still have a film to do. Any thoughts or comments greatly appreciated.

The working title at the moment is 'How do they make it that cheap?' but this may change. Just looking at the photos I have been umming and aaghing as to whether to include the shirt from last stage I think its better removed.

Design4Life revisited

You may remember me being involved in the V&A's design 4 life project, which was a fantastic initiative and experience. I was thrilled to see the results of another project in te series exhibiting their outcomes at MMU's Special Collections. Claire Norcross lighting designer who had worked for Habitat worked with the special collection and a local school used it as their starting point to design lighting. A great collection of work is exhibited. Illustrating yet again what an inspirational project the design for life was and created such exciting possibilities for design education in schools.