(or written report, as it should be called)
Again, the week started with a focus on the report. After making further amendments I printed off the whole thing and passed it to Martin to read. That actually gave me a whole day to carry on with the practical work, so I did some throwing and made up a glaze test. It’s a variation of the black reflective glaze with less manganese dioxide. I managed to get a test in Richard’s firing and the results looked much the same s the original. There was a texture in the surface; more of a mottling that I realise is due to not having ball-milled the glaze. So I gave it 4 or 5 hours in the ball mill and dipped another test piece which was put into another glaze firing of Richards, this time to 1140°. Not a straight comparison, I realise, but I’ll get a test into a 1080° firing next week.
I think I’ll try another glaze variant with even less manganese as I hope to get a perfect finish on my pieces.
I threw a number of porcelain mugs, each of a different proportion, some my normal mug shape, but others wider & shallower. I have chosen a lovely satin white glaze, one of Emmanuel Boos tests that will provide a neutral effect, as I’m interested in how the contents will be perceived in use. Applying handles was an interesting exercise. I pulled some handles, but when they were applied they were far to heavy, fine for my earthenware, but totally out of balance for the porcelain. It’s interesting how the material made such a difference, or is it a result of our material associations?
On Thursday morning I greeted Martin with coffee and croissants as I thought we would need sustenance for going through the report that he had spend over 5 hours reading. It was festooned with post-it notes, quite a terrifying sight but Martin reassured me that it wasn’t as bad as it looked. The majority were punctuation or formatting, very few required any serious re-writing, thank goodness. I’m not sure I could face that.
I hope to finish the suggested amendments to the thesis this weekend and perhaps get out to see a film, or go for a decent walk. Spring is finally warming up, Kensington Gardens was looking beautiful this week and I would very much like to get a taste of the Cumbrian spring.
Saturday 26 April 2008
Saturday 19 April 2008
18.04.08 – Shuffling the thesis
This week’s focus has been the thesis. I had a tutorial with Martin on Tuesday afternoon where we started to look at the Evaluation section. I returned to my desk with a list of jobs to do in time for Thursday’s session at Martin’s studio.
When Thursday came around I cycled in to College, picked up my thesis and carried on to the far reaches of Clapham. I was greeted at the studio by Martin, with Tallis’s Spem in Allium playing. We laid out the thesis on the office working surface and made our way through each section, looking to see how the parts related to each other. The difference between organising the thesis on screen and shuffling the sheets is similar to handling actual and virtual objects.
The morning ended with the layout of the thesis quite dramatically changed. I had thought that the order was logical but we managed to improve it. Again I came away with a long list of jobs to do!
The other news was that I was selected to make the trophy for the Royal Overseas League music award. It’s to be presented to the winner, Sarah-Jane Brandon a Royal College of Music soprano from New Zealand, at a concert in London's Queen Elizabeth Hall in May. The organisers liked the look of the Wedgwoodn’t Tureen, so I used some of the design data as a starting point. Instead of the piece looking like bone, I made an image of random musical notes. The data was given to Alastair in RapidformRCA, who will put it together over the weekend. I’m relying on Gilles in France to be able to make the piece in time. Having completed the Wedgwoodn’t by the skin of his teeth I’m a little worried that this job will keep me on tenterhooks. It’s bad timing to have this job to do at the same as the thesis but it’s all part of re-positioning myself. It will be useful on the CV and I may make a few contacts.
When Thursday came around I cycled in to College, picked up my thesis and carried on to the far reaches of Clapham. I was greeted at the studio by Martin, with Tallis’s Spem in Allium playing. We laid out the thesis on the office working surface and made our way through each section, looking to see how the parts related to each other. The difference between organising the thesis on screen and shuffling the sheets is similar to handling actual and virtual objects.
The morning ended with the layout of the thesis quite dramatically changed. I had thought that the order was logical but we managed to improve it. Again I came away with a long list of jobs to do!
The other news was that I was selected to make the trophy for the Royal Overseas League music award. It’s to be presented to the winner, Sarah-Jane Brandon a Royal College of Music soprano from New Zealand, at a concert in London's Queen Elizabeth Hall in May. The organisers liked the look of the Wedgwoodn’t Tureen, so I used some of the design data as a starting point. Instead of the piece looking like bone, I made an image of random musical notes. The data was given to Alastair in RapidformRCA, who will put it together over the weekend. I’m relying on Gilles in France to be able to make the piece in time. Having completed the Wedgwoodn’t by the skin of his teeth I’m a little worried that this job will keep me on tenterhooks. It’s bad timing to have this job to do at the same as the thesis but it’s all part of re-positioning myself. It will be useful on the CV and I may make a few contacts.
Wednesday 16 April 2008
11.04.08 - Evaluation, continued
Sitting here on the Friday evening train the week feels like it caught up with me. It’s been a busy one, as I expected it would be, balancing the thesis with events following the Wedgwoodn’t Tureen project.
Arriving at College on Tuesday I quickly got ready for the World of Interiors journalist and photographer who spent most of the afternoon with me. I learned a lot from the photographer, the use of natural light and the way that I was positioned to create an image that would fill a double spread or a single page. He used film, as Rupert the editor prefers the quality to digital. I’m looking forward to seeing the article, which will be in the June issue.
Wednesday afternoon was scheduled for a tutorial with Martin to discuss the Evaluation section of the thesis. Interestingly, he looked up the word ‘thesis’ and found that the definition includes the practical work as it is also used to advance the argument. So what I’ve been calling the thesis is actually the written report. I have a number of points to amend and some additions to make. There isn’t much time left to fit everything in place so I don’t fancy the idea of starting a whole new lot of reading.
In the evening I went over to Brick Lane to see the fashion show that Grace had arranged for the Middlesex first year students. Understandably she was very nervous, but everything ran smoothly. I enjoyed meeting her friend Coco, she’s a lovely girl and they are obviously good friends.
On Thursday morning I took the Wedgwoodn’t piece over to MaDE, the `Material and Design Exchange to talk to the mentors about applying for a SPARK award. It was a very worthwhile meeting, with lots of enthusiasm for the project and plenty of good advice. I need to keep that project moving along, but must give the MPhil priority at the moment.
The rest of Thursday and Friday were spent making alterations to the Evaluation section and writing the Conclusion section of the written report.
The weekend is likely to be filled with writing, but hopefully there’ll be time to get out into the fields and woods with Vicky and Blue.
Arriving at College on Tuesday I quickly got ready for the World of Interiors journalist and photographer who spent most of the afternoon with me. I learned a lot from the photographer, the use of natural light and the way that I was positioned to create an image that would fill a double spread or a single page. He used film, as Rupert the editor prefers the quality to digital. I’m looking forward to seeing the article, which will be in the June issue.
Wednesday afternoon was scheduled for a tutorial with Martin to discuss the Evaluation section of the thesis. Interestingly, he looked up the word ‘thesis’ and found that the definition includes the practical work as it is also used to advance the argument. So what I’ve been calling the thesis is actually the written report. I have a number of points to amend and some additions to make. There isn’t much time left to fit everything in place so I don’t fancy the idea of starting a whole new lot of reading.
In the evening I went over to Brick Lane to see the fashion show that Grace had arranged for the Middlesex first year students. Understandably she was very nervous, but everything ran smoothly. I enjoyed meeting her friend Coco, she’s a lovely girl and they are obviously good friends.
On Thursday morning I took the Wedgwoodn’t piece over to MaDE, the `Material and Design Exchange to talk to the mentors about applying for a SPARK award. It was a very worthwhile meeting, with lots of enthusiasm for the project and plenty of good advice. I need to keep that project moving along, but must give the MPhil priority at the moment.
The rest of Thursday and Friday were spent making alterations to the Evaluation section and writing the Conclusion section of the written report.
The weekend is likely to be filled with writing, but hopefully there’ll be time to get out into the fields and woods with Vicky and Blue.
29.02.08
Sorry,this one's out of sync as I forgot to publish it!
Arrived at College, dropped off my things and went straight down to the Lecture theatre for the research presentations. I arrived partway through the session, but still managed to see three of them before it was my turn. It seemed to go OK, but sitting there waiting I was a little alarmed that Emmanuel was discussing the relationship of poetry to his project. As usual, he has strong views and can appear uncompromising. I used the first verse of the Elizabeth Cook poem ‘Bowl’ in my presentation, and explained to Emmanuel that it had been chosen, not because of poetic merit but because it demonstrated someone verbalising the act of looking at a ceramic container and going beyond its material associations.
Quite a chunk of emotional energy was burned up during the week trying to pin down the date when I could collect my tureen from the company in France. Having been told I could go on Wednesday I was about to book the tickets when I received a call to say that it would not be ready. As I was working for Ceramic Art London from Thursday through until Sunday, I was disappointed as one of the designers from Denby Pottery planned to see me on Friday and Martin Watmough had the Vice President of Z Corp visiting. It would have been really useful to have a Wedgwoodn’t Tureen to show them. But I’m in other people’s hands so to a certain extent I have to go with it.
The meeting on Friday with Gary Hawley and his colleague Thomas was very interesting as they have a Z Corp machine that is use every day. I am very keen to take the conversation further and hope to be able to visit them before too long.
Ceramic Art London went very well, setting up was smooth and exhibitors seemed happy with the help on hand. I looked after the ‘Discovery Programme’, the series of lectures and demonstrations that included the film of my wife Vicky’s ceramic installation to commemorate the Morecambe Bay Chinese Cocklers tragedy. I saw the final version for the first time that includes the final section of the ‘stones’ being covered by the tide. It adds a very poignant ending to the film that is appropriately slow paced.
Arrived at College, dropped off my things and went straight down to the Lecture theatre for the research presentations. I arrived partway through the session, but still managed to see three of them before it was my turn. It seemed to go OK, but sitting there waiting I was a little alarmed that Emmanuel was discussing the relationship of poetry to his project. As usual, he has strong views and can appear uncompromising. I used the first verse of the Elizabeth Cook poem ‘Bowl’ in my presentation, and explained to Emmanuel that it had been chosen, not because of poetic merit but because it demonstrated someone verbalising the act of looking at a ceramic container and going beyond its material associations.
Quite a chunk of emotional energy was burned up during the week trying to pin down the date when I could collect my tureen from the company in France. Having been told I could go on Wednesday I was about to book the tickets when I received a call to say that it would not be ready. As I was working for Ceramic Art London from Thursday through until Sunday, I was disappointed as one of the designers from Denby Pottery planned to see me on Friday and Martin Watmough had the Vice President of Z Corp visiting. It would have been really useful to have a Wedgwoodn’t Tureen to show them. But I’m in other people’s hands so to a certain extent I have to go with it.
The meeting on Friday with Gary Hawley and his colleague Thomas was very interesting as they have a Z Corp machine that is use every day. I am very keen to take the conversation further and hope to be able to visit them before too long.
Ceramic Art London went very well, setting up was smooth and exhibitors seemed happy with the help on hand. I looked after the ‘Discovery Programme’, the series of lectures and demonstrations that included the film of my wife Vicky’s ceramic installation to commemorate the Morecambe Bay Chinese Cocklers tragedy. I saw the final version for the first time that includes the final section of the ‘stones’ being covered by the tide. It adds a very poignant ending to the film that is appropriately slow paced.
Wednesday 9 April 2008
04.04.08 – Evaluation
The first part of the Easter break was spent at my brother’s in Austria. Vicky and I went out for a few days to meet our new nephew Luke, who is my brother & sister-in-law’s first child. Chris is like a dog with two tails!
After what we thought was going to be a brief trip back to winter, our landing at Stanstead was delayed by snow. The rest of Easter was cold, but I did manage to get out for some good walks with Vicky and Blue.
Apart from settling back in Cumbrian life, I spent many long days writing up the Evaluation section of the thesis. It’s a demanding section, pulling together themes explored during the project and relating them to other peoples work. A lot of time was spent thinking and writing about how I allow for subjectivity in the evaluation of this project. I had originally planned to have an evaluation and a conclusion but they seem to have morphed into one. I emailed my efforts to Martin and Alison, so I’ll see what they say.
In addition to all this, I'm looking for generative software to use on the Wedgwood project (if it goes ahead). Sometimes called algorithmic geometry software it can be used to generate 'natural' forms such as bone structure or plant growth. If anyone out there can point me in the direction of Rhino compatible software I'd be very grateful.
Next week is going to be a busy one, with World of Interiors interview as soon as I get in on Tuesday, tutorial on Wednesday afternoon, Grace’s fashion show at Brick Lane in the evening. Thursday morning I have a meeting to discuss applying for a SMART award towards next year’s research fellowship.
After what we thought was going to be a brief trip back to winter, our landing at Stanstead was delayed by snow. The rest of Easter was cold, but I did manage to get out for some good walks with Vicky and Blue.
Apart from settling back in Cumbrian life, I spent many long days writing up the Evaluation section of the thesis. It’s a demanding section, pulling together themes explored during the project and relating them to other peoples work. A lot of time was spent thinking and writing about how I allow for subjectivity in the evaluation of this project. I had originally planned to have an evaluation and a conclusion but they seem to have morphed into one. I emailed my efforts to Martin and Alison, so I’ll see what they say.
In addition to all this, I'm looking for generative software to use on the Wedgwood project (if it goes ahead). Sometimes called algorithmic geometry software it can be used to generate 'natural' forms such as bone structure or plant growth. If anyone out there can point me in the direction of Rhino compatible software I'd be very grateful.
Next week is going to be a busy one, with World of Interiors interview as soon as I get in on Tuesday, tutorial on Wednesday afternoon, Grace’s fashion show at Brick Lane in the evening. Thursday morning I have a meeting to discuss applying for a SMART award towards next year’s research fellowship.
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