Geffrye Museum London

It was my first visit to the Geffrye museum in London at the weekend 

Just a stones throw from Hoxton Station as you enter the museum it feels very much like an Oxbridge college, with a clean manicured lawned quadrangle nestled in the middle of Hackney. The lawns are the centre piece to these beautiful Almshouses built in 1714. The museum has been curated throughout the main building the central entrance and focal point was the community church where everyone living within these houses would gather on Sundays.





The museum is dedicated to the history of the home over the past 400 years. As well as a splendid collection of furniture and objects there is a wonderful selection of gardens which have been divided into different periods of time and style. Demonstrating how gardens have changed and been utilised within the home or domestic environment. Beginning with a walled herb garden and finishing with the Edwardian garden space. It gives a very clear and concise insight into the ever changing face of the british gardens functionality and purpose over the past 400yrs. Spanning herb to kitchen, medicinal, ornamental, formal... I could continue... But .... 







I don't want to give too much away as I think it's well worth a visit and it's completely free !!!!

Second research trip to Spode for BCB 2013



Last week was the second visit to the Spode site for our research residency.
The purpose of this visit was to have a closer look at some of the architectural and structural details within the China hall, and to briefly discuss our ideas as a group. To pick up on recurring themes and ideas and to specify any requirements needed for the individual pieces of work. 
I'm still undecided whether I want to position my installation within the light expansive hall. The images demonstrate just how vast this space is and during the show it's going to be full of work. I'm rather drawn to the corners so the work is firmly embedded and then begins to expand out onto the floor. 







Or the second option is to find a darker more secluded spot but I don't want it to be missed....
I found a small dark room which looked as though it may have been or currently being used as a clay store. the two spaces resonate a very different mood and tap into different elements of thinking. The colours here have a real drama when you encounter this area for the first time. Sound would react well here.. I'm also intrigued with ideas of quietness or silence surrounding the work. 




I was also drawn in by the water marks. During the afternoon there was a heavy rainfall and it soon became apparent where the roof was leaking. I was really quite struck by the sound the rain created during that short period of time and the impact within a large empty space. 






I have a list of things I have to investigate to begin moving the ideas forward. 
I have however, decided that I will be building this piece of work onsite, and I'm particularly interested in the existence of this building in the absence of human presence.

Collect 2013 Favourites

It's the last day of Collect 13 at the Saachi Gallery today. 

 I was really lucky to have been given a Private View invite from my Hothouse3 buddy Laura Ellen Bacon who is showing her remarkable woven willow spaces upstairs in the project space. 

 I wanted to share a few images of my show favourites. 


Laura Ellen Bacon Woven Spaces:  Project Space 

www.lauraellenbacon.com


Mind blowing to be able to create these forms takes such skill.... I was thrilled to be given the chance to not not only meet Laura for the first time after our hothouse chats over the phone but I also get to see and experience her work. 





Jean - Claude Legrand Ceramics 

www.jclegrand.be

I completely fell in love with his work. It has real strength and density to it. Highly structured he handles the surface with subtle marks making processes, balanced with a dry matt finish. The images really can't capture what this body of work resonates when you experience it first hand. 
It exudes architectural elements and reminded me of some of Zumthor's work with small cut outs allowing light to shine through which instantly draws you into the work.




National Glass Centre Jeffrey Sarmiento 

www.jeffreysarmiento.co.uk 

Love the scale and the density of black glass. 


Daniel Widrig the Project Space Glass 

www.danielwidrig.com

This was assembled with such elegance take a look at Daniel's website it's packed with fascinating work.

British Ceramics Biennial Hothouse3 research residency.....

Last week the BCB announced the programme of events.... 
It's offical the Hothouse3 ceramics team have been selected for the Spode Research Residency.

 There are nine of us taking part take a look at some of the wonderful work.

 Myself 
Keith Varney www.keithvarney.co.uk
Jane Cairnes www.janecairns.co.uk
Miche Follano www.michefollano.com
Fay Jenkinson www.fayjenkinson.co.uk
Naomi Robinson www.naomirobinsonceramics.com
Grant Aston www.grantaston.com
Anne Laycock 
Jill Shadock www.jillshaddock.co.uk

A few weeks ago we all visited the Spode site to take a closer look at the building and felt quite privileged to be able to step into areas that are normally out of bounds. 
The research residency is an opportunity to produce a piece or series of work in and around Spode. We have around six months before the opening and as we are working as a group we are looking at the idea of mapping the work across the site. 
Our second visit will be later this month where we have decided to bring all our ideas together to have a brain storming session on site and begin to look at where each of us may want to be positioned within the building and why? 

 Here are a few images taken from the initial trip. 
It was fascinating to see and experience this vast space but at the same time it had a somewhat ghostly atmosphere as though time had literally stood still. 
What was once a hub of manufacturing and production is now an empty shell of times past.
It was also sad to see this remarkable building once a pioneer in print and bone china production succumbed to abandonment and decay. 
However, these are the elements I'm planning to draw upon as a starting point for the research. There are many more images I've could have posted but I'm in the process of of dividing them into separate boards to begin looking at what the visit really hi-lighted for me. 


Glaze room



Kiln Room 


Mould Store 







Old Print transfers 


Lucid Space project on hold

Due to unforseen circumstances Sasha and I have had to put Lucid Space on hold for the moment. 

 We will no longer be participating in this year's Chelsea Fringe Festival but we are currently looking to launch it in the Autumn and are working on new site ideas as we speak. 

1-1 Fabric Tests...

During the Easter weekend in Oxfordshire I took the opportunity to begin some mock up fabric tests. 
Sasha has been working on waterproofing the fire retardant fabric and some new design ideas whilst I started to collate some information on the fabrics behaviour in different weather conditions. 

I began by creating a string framework between three trees to one hinge point. With the linear structure up I added other lines in-between the three main strands creating a simple web by crossing lines. 
This was used to make internal spaces within the main frame. 





Using thin cotton I began tying the fabric to the framework to see how it behaved in windy conditions, did it hold it's form and what shapes were created by the wind. 
I very quickly realised the fabric would most likely need to be subtly weighted somehow to avoid it wrapping around itself. However, we don't want to make it too heavy as that will impact on the fluidity of the fabric and we don't want anything to distort the shape.


I tried pinning the fabric straight and then curving it over and across the string structure. 
If the framework is angled slightly it will enable us to work with the curved forms as long as any rain water can easily drain off. We don't want to encourage any water accumulation adding unnecessary weight to the form over the three week period.

The wind really changed some of my preconceptions, the sound the fabric made as it was moving was interesting.  
The element of unpredictability once it's outside is also fascinating as there will be long periods of time we will not be on site to witness the many transformations the weather conditions will naturally have on the overall structure. 





Making tweaks to the design we have been discussing ideas based around looking upwards. The space will be immersive from above as opposed to fully immersing the body into the structure.
 


Ibstock Brick Cattybrook Bristol

Two years ago I started building Pause within Ibstock on site at Cattybrook in Bristol. During my time there I was based within the Specials department. There are plenty of images on my website documenting my making process within the factory, but I wanted to post these images of the site, the equipment and the environment because I managed to get some great shots whilst working. It's also a good insight into industrial methods.

 The scale of the machinery and equipment was really astonishing. Particularly as I was looking at scale within ceramics. 
Working within a different context such as this also taught me a lot about how ceramics is handled on a large scale, how certain techniques and processes are applied to a material I'm so familiar with and the wealth of knowledge that is housed within the Specials department.
I look back at my time there with fond memories, although I was undertaking a very large and  often temperamental project which certainly had it's up and downs. Everyone was so friendly helpful, generous and really supportive throughout.


Kiln controls in the specials department


Internal view of the gas kiln in the Speacials Department biscuit firing bricks 




View from my working corner of the Specials department 



View of the main factory floor 



Main factory floor where the standard sized bricks are made this is an enormous space. 


The drying room where the bricks go to make sure they are ready for firing. These large steel structures are the rotating drying fans. 




At the end of the kiln room within the Specials department there is a room where all the old wooden brick moulds are kept. 




Final Proposal for The Postman's Park.

Yesterday Sasha hand delivered the second and final proposal into the Corporation of London to (hopefully) sign Lucid Space off. The purpose of this final document was to clearly explain the final design, fixtures and fittings needed for installation, to provide the risk assessment and health and safety forms, to show that we public liability insurance organised  and outline a series of dates for test runs and final installation. 
Of course there is always a chance at this stage that they could say no. The meeting is Monday so we just have to sit and wait. 

Chelsea Fringe models and tests

In my last Chelsea Fringe post I mentioned the beginning of tests and scale models. 
Sasha started a couple of weeks ago and now we find ourselves having the submit our second proposal in to the Corporation on Friday, these images are proving to be crucial in order to communicate our design ideas through visual material. 





It's always difficult trying to compile a document around your own work. It's easy to forget that  people maybe looking at this for the first time. Whereas, we have been working on this project for almost a year and know it inside out. 

If you are dealing with a panel that may not be visually minded I think it's important to try and include as much information as possible. That way it is clearer to understand and also shows that we have considered every aspect of the project in minute detail.

  Sasha's test model  







I've been looking at how we can assemble the inner structure to create walkways through the space. using folding, draping, how would we fix it? or does it need pinning at the base?  





Outer structure looking at wrapping, draping, layering 






I think what this model has shown me today is that we will need to sew 3m panels together before construction otherwise there will be too many singular strips of fabric.
The dimensions have become a lot clearer and I can visualise the outer structure. 
Whilst standing on site I was having difficulty understanding how we were going to begin this. The scale was confusing me because I couldn't manage to get a total over view of the space as it's too large. 

The next rendition will be examining twisting pulling and creating some tension within the form. Think about pinning on the diagonal to introduce some different qualities. 

So breaking it down has answered and resolved some of my initial concerns. There is still a lot of work to do to refine the design and make the internal structure an interesting moment in time for the visitors but I think we are getting there !! 

Hothouse3 Peer meeting Bovey Tracey

I can't believe our March hothouse group meeting marked the half way point for the programme. It seems to be flying by....
On Thursday we all met in Bovey Tracey for a day where the focus was entirely based upon our own work, how we talked about the work, ideas and our practise.

We using Edward De Bono's Six Thinking Hats as a framework to structure our presentations. We had to break our work down into clear defined sections to avoid long rambling waffle. It allowed us to really focus one one element at a time.
It sounds quite simple when you are presented with the subsections you soon realise that there are quite a few cross overs so it makes you think about which hat you are wearing at any one time. Some of us found we were wearing all 5 at the same time... 



We were split into 3 groups and each group had a mentor to listen but also to help us along the way with our own practise development. Paul Harper was heading our group http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/jcamd/research/staff-research/dpm/paul-harper.cfm with myself and Laura both working out of the studio on site specific works and collections Paul and Keith glass and ceramics both more studio based practitioners. (Links to their websites can be found on the previous Hothouse post.)


Laura talking about one of her installations to see more of her work take a look at www.lauragrain.com





I really enjoyed this session it made you focus on many aspects of the work but what I took away with me was to get feedback. Considering a large part of my practise is based around the senses and experience I need to actively begin collecting feedback from these objects and how people are reacting to them. 

Lucid Space will be the perfect opportunity as I will be there to see how the visitors are responding over the three week period.

Paul Harper was fantastic he was extremely generous with his knowledge, advice and time. He was genuinly interested in our work and practise and felt we had all taken a lot away with us to reflect on and work with. 

Key points to think about 

Collaborations 
Working across different contexts 
Being resourceful 
Really using this time effectively and the importance of building and maintaining networks. 


Chelsea project update

In the last few weeks we seem to have been stuck with this project.
What with searching for funding or sponsorship and then receiving an email from the Corporation of London telling us we now need permission from Westminster Abbey and the Bishop of London because they also own a portion of the Postman's Park it's really diverted me from the design work. Sasha has been ploughing ahead with practical work and I'm feeling as though I'm playing catch up at this stage. We have a second proposal to hand in before the project can be signed off. It's a constant juggling act between each process I'm feeling a little stretched by trying to keep everything moving at the same time.

 Yesterday one wet day trying to carry out tests
This is the pathway the installation is going to be positioned using the trees as hinge points.




The tree on the far left is also going to be included within the design so we are able to open the space up towards the side of the church. 
We want to use invisible twine to create a framework between the six trees for the fabric to be attached. Playing on the ides of elevation, invisibility, suspension. 

 Eventhough, it was a dreadful day it did give us the chance to test the waterproof fabric samples. these were left for about 40-50 mins to see how effective this was. 




Some of these samples were partially waterproofed. Others we found out that once the fabric came into contact with another surface it started to absorb water. Various sections had been painted but we realised this was heavier and had to be completely painted. In a short time we had gathered quite a bit of information. Of course it's always a different story once everything is scaled up.


 These are the three fabrics we have selected to explore two are fire retardant and one is a sailing fabric so has been waterproofed. 
They each have a quality that would suit the project and fulfil the elements we are striving to achieve in the final design. 

 In the meantime I'm going to begin making some 3d models. Sasha has already begun when I receive images I'll post them up........ 
It's the only way I can move forward as drawings are not helping at the moment. I need something more physical to start figuring out the possibilities for form and structure.    



Sou Fujimoto 1:1 architects build small spaces V&A


I am notoriously bad at remembering names and particularly names of artists makers designers until they have made a firm visual imprintation. 
However, I am good at recognising works so when Sou Fujimoto was announced as this year's Serpentine pavilion designer immediately I thought I haven't heard of this architect before !

 Then I realised that Sou Fujimoto had exhibited inside/outside tree in the exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2010 at the 1:1 Architects build small spaces. 
An exhibition that looked at spaces being used as places for retreat or refuge once again this was also prominent within my own work during this time so it was fascinating to see how architects had dealt with the subject as they normally work on a much larger scale. 
Where smaller spaces require an intimacy.

Cover image of catalogue  

 I loved this exhibition so much I visited it twice and bought the catalogue.... 
Once I had reacquainted myself with the work I instantly recognised it.

 Inside/Outside Tree was positioned at the top of the staircase outside the architecture gallery and I remember struggling to photograph the structure because I couldn't really step way enough to do the work justice.

  Here's a link to design boom where it can bee seen more clearly. 

 http://www.designboom.com/cms/images/-Z51/sf1.jpg



Image taken from the V&A catalogue copyright belongs to Sou Fujimoto and V&A publishing 


Taken from V&A catalogue copyright belongs to Sou Fujimoto and V&A publishing 


Taken from V&A catalogue copyright belongs to Sou Fujimoto and V&A publishing 



It's interesting to see a similar aesthetic between the serpentine pavilion and inside/Outside Tree.

 Transparency
Light 
Invisibility 
and a linear quality to the structure is also evident in both 

 I think the Serpentine pavilion has such a strong resonance with me right now. I
 find myself seeing similarities between some of the key elements Sasha and I are working on within lucid space. 
The overall aesthetic is quite different but the ideas and thinking underpinning it are coming from a similar place. 
I can't wait to see it in the flesh and experience the space myself in June when it opens. It's going to be such a contrast to the previous two pavilions which have been quite dark and more cavernous.  

Image taken from www.dezeen.com

The 1st Crafts Council Hothouse meeting in Devon

Our first south west cohort meeting in Devon last month was a two day affair. Each hothouse cohort has two supporting partners, ours include the Devon Guild of Craftsmen and Plymouth University. Where our cohort meetings will alternate between Bovey Tracey and Plymouth over the six month programme.
The first session designing your future in Bovey Tracey included two interesting guest speakers Tim Parry- Williams a weaver and Claire Loder a ceramic artist www.claireloder.co.uk both have very different practises and it was a great insight into their approach and values. I think this session really made you think about how you operate as a creative maker. It may with hindsight sound like an obvious reflection, but I don't think we often give ourselves the space to consider these questions whilst being wrapped up in the day to day of your practise.

 During the lunch break we had the opportunity to take a quick look around the Devon Guild of Craftsmen one of the partners involved with the South West cohort. www.crafts.org.uk

The current exhibition showing there happened to include two members of the group works Keith Varney Ceramics www.keithvarney.co.uk and Paul Stopler Glass www.paulstopler.com 
It was also a perfect chance to see their work in the flesh as we were still quite unfamiliar with one another's work at this stage. 
Here are a couple of images and links to both Keith and Paul's websites for a larger selection of images. 




The second day we were based within the University of Plymouth in the department of architecture and design. For another packed day of business modelling. 




During the six months with Plymouth University's kind support we have been given access to all the workshop facilities within the design faculty which is not only exceptionally generous but really helpful for anyone of us wanting to push a technique or process that maybe difficult to develop within our own studio's, or it could simply be used as time to experiment on something new. 
We were fortunate to have a tour of all the departments workshop's and meet most of the technicians on site. I was also really impressed by the library it's open 7 days a week and you can access it 24 hrs a day that's unheard of in most university libraries.













St Edmund Hall's Garden Oxford

On Tuesday I had the chance to take a quick visit to St Edmund Hall's garden in Oxford.
This is one of the smaller colleges in Oxford positioned just off the High Street near Magdalen Bridge. 

 Susan Kasper The Head gardener showed me around the grounds as she is a snowdrop expert and enthusiast  She alone has planted something around 14,000 snowdrop bulbs of many many different varieties in and around the back lawns. There were too many for me to even begin to remember, but I didn't realise how diverse they are. I also learnt that they came over to Britain after the Crimean war and derived from Turkey. Somehow they always seem so steeped within the idyllic idea of the English garden or countryside. 

  If you are get the chance to pop in during public opening times it's well worth a visit Susan's vision and aesthetic sensibility is quite inspiring. 



It was the most perfect day to capture this beautiful space and witness these wonderful little white yet robust flowers. They are always a sign that spring is just around the corner. 









Chelsea Fringe Material Tests

Yesterday Sasha and I started work on our first 1-1 scale material tests for the Chelsea Fringe Festival.
I took a train to Highams Park to meet Sasha as she knew a quiet area just on the edge of Epping forest for us to begin exploring form, structure and the material qualities for our installation. Without too many distractions from passers by we were able to have quite a productive few hours working on various ideas that had come to mind over the past fews months of working in sketchbooks.

 No matter how many hours you spend drawing or simply discussing what where how?
 Personally I find many of those questions are quickly answered once the practical work begins. It's so much easier to work through problems on site or at least outside the studio.

 The main purpose of this visit was to see how we could go about creating a framework.
How this particular weight fabric was going to behave outside and did it posses to qualities we are aiming to achieve, and to begin working on the form. 










The main points we picked up on were:


Points of contact between framework to fabric, fabric to fabric, fabric to ground.
The immersive quality we are wanting to achieve
The diffusion of light and transparency 
The form of the framework and fixtures
Invisibility and elevation 


During the next few weeks we are expecting more material samples to arrive from three more companies as the fabric has to be fire retardant and waterproof but still maintain an element of fluidity to it. 
And we are still on the search for a sponsor..... or a material sponsor.........

Winter snow

I couldn't resist posting some of the images I have been collecting during the past few weeks of snowy days. It follows on nicely from the images on the train and also filters through in the work Sasha and I are in the process of working on for the Chelsea Fringe Festival which is completely white. 
I think it's obvious to see a clear strand developing here.









More winter images can be found on my pinterest page http://pinterest.com/kimnortondesign/winter/

Richard Serra

Last week was our first Hothouse 3 South west Cohort meeting in Devon.
We were asked to give a short presentation on a artist craftsperson we admire and talk about their working values, and how that can translate into our own personal practises.

I found pinning it down to one person very difficult because there were so many people I could have included and cross referenced but after lots of consideration it had to be Richard Serra. 
His work continues to be prominent to my thinking now as it was the first time I saw his exhibition at the Gagosian Gallery in London in 2009 www.gagosian.com 
After that a trip to The Guggenheim in Bilbao www.guggenheim.org/bilbao was inevitable to see A Matter of Time. A collection of works commissioned by the gallery exhibited in a room specifically designed to house these pieces by Frank Gehry.

I talked about his work in my very first presentation at Central Saint Martins and he has  remained a key reference point throughout my MA both within my practical work and my thesis. So it almost seemed like a crime I hadn't already talked about him here.

(All the images below were taken at the Gagosian exhibition in Britannia Street, London 2009)







What I would like to touch upon here is scale, materiality and his ability to work with space.

 He is an artist with a very clear determined vision. He began his career as part of the  Process Art Movement in the 1960's now well into his 70's he is still successfully working. The longevity of his creative career is something that interests me. In much the same way as Peter Zumthor. The quality of work just continues to improve with maturity.



He has talked about wanting to change the way sculpture was perceived or re defining sculpture and removing it from the plinth. He certainly changed the language and understanding of sculpture. His vision is big and his work follows through on the same ambitious scale.

He describes space as being contained or held. The journey through, in and around. 
The human interaction with space. Walking seeing looking our own perception of space and object.

The scale in which he works is truly magnificent and overwhelming when you come into direct contact with it. 

Weight
Compression
Mass
Counter Balance 

Are all key to his thinking 

Experiencing his work is one of those memorable moments in time. The scale of these sheets of steel is monumental there are subtle changes in the curve and the angles of the walls which open and close in unexpected ways as you walk through.
Sometimes these spaces feel extremely claustrophobic and at times you can feel disorientated. 
Looking up through the top can also give you the sense that the form is going to fall in on you creating confusing visual illusions. Then you turn a corner or continue around the curve and suddenly a large open space is sitting there right in front of you. The shape at the bottom or base of the piece is quite different from the opening at the top (which can be seen in some of the images above) 

His work encompasses everything I love about the phenomenological experience it has such a strong physical and emotional impact on you. When you encounter works that immerse every part of you it will always remain embedded within your subconscious memory  





What I admire about Richard Serra is his understanding of materiality his work is built within a German steel factory. At this scale it would be impossible to make alone. The collaboration with industry is integral it enables challenges and risks to be taken, and for work and processes to be pushed to the limit because the resources are there in place. 
He is driven by process problem solving and innovation. I believe he has genuinely pushed the boundaries and changed the perception of sculpture during his long rich career, and pathed the way for many new art forms and movements to strive forward particularly away from the context of the gallery; and how we perceive structure and form. 




Anyone interested in texture and mark would be fascinated by the qualities achieved within the surface.
Sometimes the scale of the work detracts away from what's happening elsewhere. Steel changes over time depending on the conditions but there are some elements captured here that could resemble a painters canvas. yet it is partly a result of the making process involved and not an aesthetic decision.

 Integrity in one word I would describe to sum up Richard Serra's career I don't think I need to say anymore as that is an outstanding value to hold. One I also hold very close to my own practise. This is probably why he remains so integral to my thinking.