PhD Archive

23rd to 28th May. Printing and framing work for the Walking the Land “WaterWay” exhibition at the Old Passage. The exhibition builds on the work of the Weave in as much as it continues to celebrate and explore the value of waterways in our lives. PV attached (RSVP). Designed by Kel Portman.

Developing animation from the drawings made in the Brecon Beacons and adding sound extracted from video made on site. I still feel that the part of the drawing photographed as stills for the animation are not necessarily the elements I would want to include – i.e. I need to refine the drawing machine to include the whole drawing. At the moment the machine is “making” random decisions as to what is included in the animation, To an extent I’m happy about this but at other times I’d like to have a bit more influence, particularly regards composition and content. However, I’m happy to continue to explore this relationship between me and the machine. This builds on the ongoing “Train Lines” series of drawings. This concept seems to be one of the underlying issues that I want my work to address. Individual and machine. I also see the ways we organise ourselves in a similar light – enabling and at the same time restricting. Individual and community organisation. This seems to be a core issue for enabling creativity in communities and for me, both are about individuals and nature.

Preparing for woodland pilgrimage, checking accommodation, route etc. Also developing interface with Folly Wood membership, inviting people to do their own tree rubbings. The idea being to seek “sponsorship” in the form of tree rubbings and to include any resulting work alongside the tree rubbings made every mile on the walk. Work to be exhibited at Folly Wood gathering on 19th June.

Attachments

waterway-pv-invitations-1308561707.pdf

emailed Amanda Sultan-Black a suggested walk/yoga/drawing session for discussion. The question I’m interested in is the similarity between what Kant referred to as “disinterest” and the meditative approach taken by yoga which holds a distance between self and the world which at the same time enhances appreciation and well being.

Attachments

email-1306436031.doc

Produced discussion document for Folly Wood core group meeting.

Also developed thinking and planning for Walking the Land’s one hundred mile woodland pilgrimage.

Attachments

towards-a-layout-1306420266.doc

thanking speakers etc. Some discussions as to next steps.
At the conference the Town Council agreed to consider hosting the Weave Vision. My intention is to make an animation based on the Weave Drawing and sound recordings from the symposium. I intend for this to be the start of the content for the online vision. I am then considering taking this vision out to the wider community through a series of “artwalks”, adding to it and developing a relational aesthetic.

Tutorial with Rob Newell and Andrea Liggins. Journey by train – the River Severn still attracts my attention.
Questions about colour and choice of Chinese paper used with the drawing machine, especially its scale and similarity to toilet tissue. Is the disposable appearance of the drawing a meaningful statement? My own reflections on the appearance of the drawing at the symposium was similar in as much as it had been very much the outcome from a process rather than a product which the meeting focused on.

A number of analogies arise which seem to be about the role/purpose of the drawings, there meanings and their appearance :
1. can the drawing be seen as part of the weave of activity undertaken by the local community and if so, what is its particular and maybe ongoing role? Does it play a similar role to the warp and weft? The paper is quite similar in appearance to that used in sewing/tailoring patterns.
2. If the disposable nature of the drawing is to be emphasised, what would happen next? Is there an analogy to be drawn with flowers and their process of decay and the casting of seeds?
3. I am aware of the line in the drawings representing life, rather as with an elector-cardiogram; both its vulnerability and resilience – taking this further in terms of environmental fragility and resilience, what might reference to disposability or weft and warp be saying?
4. It feels to be about a creative driving force, some shared framework no matter how subtle and irregular, even invisible – maybe nature. Is it coincidence that this element of William Robinson’s landscape design is currently receiving a high profile on the Chelsea Flower Show TV Coverage?

seasonal meeting of Vision 21 Facilitators network. Sharing writing, thinking and feelings about Pragmatism. Sue Porter, Joolz Bennett, Alison Parfitt and Jaqui Taylor.

Attachments

pragmatism-2-1306409529.doc

Symposium:
images showing Elena Marco from UWE feeding back with architecture students on their Stroud based project, Cllr. Ben Spencer introducing ideas for Apple Town and traffic management and informal networking

Setting-up at the exchange, meeting with Max Comfort, Val Kirby and Tom Keating.

8th to 11th: making work for symposium. Collating photographs from various walks, transcribing sound recordings of interviews, making presentation including video, sound recordings and animation. Finalising programme, attendee list, briefing notes etc.

Attachments

symposium-programme-3-may-1306396997.pdf

confirmations-and-apologies-2-1306396997.pdf

making a drawing from First Friday Walk for the exhibition at the “Old Passage”.