I have been told to watch this film based on a true story about a man who fought a 30 year campaign in favor of euthanasia and his own right to die. A story that will keep you thinking well after watching the film.
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3237151001/
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Love Arts Festival Leeds; Happiness In Postcards
I had my first volunteering experience at the Love Arts Leeds festival tonight. The Happiness In Postcards exhibition is at Artspace in Leeds Art Gallery and I found it extremely interesting. The volunteers are there to help point people in the right direction and give them information about what the festival is about and help inform them of the aims of the festival.
After people had arrived and things some of the volunteers got to sit in on the lecture, including me. The guest lecturer was Professor Zeki, Professor of Neuroesthetics at the University College Of London. He is the author of studies on the neural correlates of beauty, exploring the links between art, beauty and happiness. I found this lecture completely fascinating, it was a lot to digest and think about. He made made many interesting points, one quote he used, and I didn't get chance to note down who said it, was;
'People make the mistake of thinking science is for knowledge and art is for pleasure'
I think this is a very valid quote as many people take the view that science is a more serious, academic subject which brings more credited knowledge and insight into the world than art. When, in fact, art can bring more knowledge to the world and the brain in different ways. He talked about how the different parts of the brain are affected when damage, such as when the Visual Motion part of the brain is damaged, it becomes difficult to talk. The only knowledge is Brain knowledge and we are trying to transfer information from a world which is never constant and still.
Finding beauty in any form such as art, music or even mathematics causes the same part of the brain to become active. Dopomene rises when experiencing seeing something beautiful, and it rises even more with the expectation of seeing something beautiful.
These are some points I managed to note down, not as well explained as him of cause and maybe not even fully right but this is what I understand of them from my notes! It was hard to note down what he said as everything he said was so interesting I didn't want to miss him saying it!
After the lecture we showed people round to the exhibition space, we had drinks and got to look at all the postcards people has designed using the theme of happiness. I am a big fan of the postcard format and using it in art projects to interact and get people involved. I am a big encourager of keeping the postcard alive, as it a dying format with emails and phones taking over, I am an avid sender of postcards when I'm away. Having the physical written documentation feels much more personal and real, not in cyber space!
It was really interesting to see the different approaches to making the postcards, people have used drawing, collage, photography and other materials. The many interpretations and ideas to this one word and feeling is what I find the most fascinating, every idea differs from the next. One of my favourites was one someone had designed illustrating a conversation they had had with there daughter about what happiness means. It showed the dialogue between father and daughter and how the ideas of the child to the concept of happiness differ from adults. The conversation involved talking about things that make people happy, such as babies, the daughter said, and also, ice cream brings happiness, following with, oh wait, its just yummy! I thought it was a very sweet and personal account of a conversation about happiness from a different point of view of a child, they are more easily pleased and have more uncomplicated ways of expressing their feelings.
The exhibition is free, and everyone should go!
After people had arrived and things some of the volunteers got to sit in on the lecture, including me. The guest lecturer was Professor Zeki, Professor of Neuroesthetics at the University College Of London. He is the author of studies on the neural correlates of beauty, exploring the links between art, beauty and happiness. I found this lecture completely fascinating, it was a lot to digest and think about. He made made many interesting points, one quote he used, and I didn't get chance to note down who said it, was;
'People make the mistake of thinking science is for knowledge and art is for pleasure'
I think this is a very valid quote as many people take the view that science is a more serious, academic subject which brings more credited knowledge and insight into the world than art. When, in fact, art can bring more knowledge to the world and the brain in different ways. He talked about how the different parts of the brain are affected when damage, such as when the Visual Motion part of the brain is damaged, it becomes difficult to talk. The only knowledge is Brain knowledge and we are trying to transfer information from a world which is never constant and still.
Finding beauty in any form such as art, music or even mathematics causes the same part of the brain to become active. Dopomene rises when experiencing seeing something beautiful, and it rises even more with the expectation of seeing something beautiful.
These are some points I managed to note down, not as well explained as him of cause and maybe not even fully right but this is what I understand of them from my notes! It was hard to note down what he said as everything he said was so interesting I didn't want to miss him saying it!
After the lecture we showed people round to the exhibition space, we had drinks and got to look at all the postcards people has designed using the theme of happiness. I am a big fan of the postcard format and using it in art projects to interact and get people involved. I am a big encourager of keeping the postcard alive, as it a dying format with emails and phones taking over, I am an avid sender of postcards when I'm away. Having the physical written documentation feels much more personal and real, not in cyber space!
It was really interesting to see the different approaches to making the postcards, people have used drawing, collage, photography and other materials. The many interpretations and ideas to this one word and feeling is what I find the most fascinating, every idea differs from the next. One of my favourites was one someone had designed illustrating a conversation they had had with there daughter about what happiness means. It showed the dialogue between father and daughter and how the ideas of the child to the concept of happiness differ from adults. The conversation involved talking about things that make people happy, such as babies, the daughter said, and also, ice cream brings happiness, following with, oh wait, its just yummy! I thought it was a very sweet and personal account of a conversation about happiness from a different point of view of a child, they are more easily pleased and have more uncomplicated ways of expressing their feelings.
The exhibition is free, and everyone should go!
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Badges
I really like this brooch made by http://www.folksy.com/shops/twiggd and based on a drawing of a fox from their garden. Made from solid Scottish Sycamore Mrs Fox is drawn with a pyrography pen, hand cut and painted and then finished with a shiny melamine lacquer. Selling for £18!
More work on http://www.twiggd.com/ .
I would really like to investigate ways of making sturdier crafts and try making and selling some starting with smaller items such as badges, purses, decorations and seeing how it goes. I would need to figure out costs to materials and time spent on each item and get going. There are a few online creative communities such as etsy and folksy where makers/crafters/illustrators/artists buy make and sell their work, I need to investigate further.
Ceramics, Paper and Glass
From the introduction today in the Ceramics, Paper and Glass room it became apparent that there is a lot available. I need to think about and decide what I want to try first, bring some ideas to the table and seek out the help. Andy talked a lot about time management, as the processes are time consuming often you will be waiting around for a long time whilst things are in the kiln or drying. I need to think about how I can fill these time gaps and what I can make and do. May be working on a few objects in staggered time, so each one would be at a different stage in the process and you always have something to do.
Questions;
What I know I want to do;
Questions;
- What kind of objects do I want to try making?
- What process do I want to learn first?
- How costly are the materials?
- How long does it take to make each object?
- Would there be a theme in the illustrations or tranfers on to the glass and ceramics?
- Do I want to try jewellery making?
- Is there a specific object that I want to become skilled at making?
What I know I want to do;
- Learn about each process, the time it takes, what can be achieved.
- Explore options and what is available to me in the Cermamics/Paper/Glass workshop.
- Experiment with materials, e.g. what you can put into the hand made paper to create different textures.
- Learn how to handle materials.
- Develop illustrations, images to combine with ceramic objects.
- Learn about ways of hand painting or printing onto glass and ceramics.
- Research to gain more knowledge and fuel ideas.
- Find out what I enjoy and what I am good at and take further.
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Where do my interests lay?
I am prodominately interested in handmade and crafts as well as photography, printing, painting and illustration. Also in combining these with working with people in community arts, teaching etc. I like to experiment with different crafts such as sewing, embroidery, book making and began to combine these things last year. For the first year 1 book project I embroidered the cover and over summer I began doing a lot more embroidery. I find myself wanting to dabble in many things. I am hoping that Comm Tech 2 will help me feel more sure of my area of practice and where my expertise lay, whether it be a certain skill, or working with people within art practice.
I would like to explore an area of practice I have not tried before, ceramics, paper and glass. The brief for Comm Tech 2 swayed me towards this area I have never really had the chance to explore before. I want to learn techniques and see what is available. This is an area of handmade and craft that cannot be self taught so is ideal for Comm Tech 2 as a learning project. I find myself eager at the prospect at learning something completely unfamiliar, this is unknown territory, which is scary but also a much more thrilling prospect, it may be just what I need. In the year 1 final major project I learnt how to book bind; something else that I have never had chance to learn before until then and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. I think that these handmade, hands on skills and crafts may be where my passion lies. I want to learn the basics and discover what you can actually make and achieve in this area. Developing my knowledge and skills, finding out what materials and time it takes to make these physical objects. I want to see where it takes me and if I enjoy it and if I am good at it. I'd really like to learn how you can hand paint onto ceramics. Bringing illustration and painting into the project.
I would like to explore an area of practice I have not tried before, ceramics, paper and glass. The brief for Comm Tech 2 swayed me towards this area I have never really had the chance to explore before. I want to learn techniques and see what is available. This is an area of handmade and craft that cannot be self taught so is ideal for Comm Tech 2 as a learning project. I find myself eager at the prospect at learning something completely unfamiliar, this is unknown territory, which is scary but also a much more thrilling prospect, it may be just what I need. In the year 1 final major project I learnt how to book bind; something else that I have never had chance to learn before until then and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. I think that these handmade, hands on skills and crafts may be where my passion lies. I want to learn the basics and discover what you can actually make and achieve in this area. Developing my knowledge and skills, finding out what materials and time it takes to make these physical objects. I want to see where it takes me and if I enjoy it and if I am good at it. I'd really like to learn how you can hand paint onto ceramics. Bringing illustration and painting into the project.
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