Last week, after about a week of meetings and working, the exhibition in which we were invited to collaborate with the visiting artists Dunhill & O´Brien opened.
This exhibition had been planned some time ago and the students of our tutor had been asked if we would like to participate. The name of the exhibition is Stone Appreciation, and is about ... stones.
The artists have used stones in various ways for some time and this next effort seems to have been inspired by a particular stone of note, which was turned into a sort-of tourist attraction in the 1900s. The Bowder stone is in Cumbria.
The artists had their own work for the majority of the exhibition but wanted to include a Stone Appreciation Study Room. This is where the collaborative part came in. They had a lot of information and things they had collected which we could use, like postcards, souvenirs etc. The idea was that we, as a group, would create/curate this room, as part of the exhibition.
We had, a few weeks back, gone on our own Stone Appreciation Walk. This had given us a few ideas and provided us with photographs and a bit more knowledge too. However, at that point, I don´t think anyone really knew what was going to be involved. I also think that the artists were keen to see how this collaboration wold evolve and what it would be like, as not so much a directed thing but to give us freedom to realise the task.
So, we started by looking at the material which they had brought. Then the idea of categorising it, and working ourselves into groups to manage what we had and come up with and ideas on how to show/curate what we had. It seemed to work out quite naturally, in that people drifted into groups which they felt they were interested in and wanted to participate.
At that point it was really all quite vague as to what would be done - how to present this material, and in what format. Would it work together well, and how would the overall thing be presented.
Gradually, the groups formed ideas and came up with solutions. I worked in a group with two other students, both Japanese. My level of Japanese is quite poor, and their English was not too bad but not great, so communicating ideas at this level was a bit of a struggle. But, pen and paper work. Ideas drawn out worked well. One of the artists, Mark, had suggested the idea of a booth for viewing material. I loved this idea and we set about in converting it into our own. One of the guys, Yuki, is also a fan of the artist Yoshitomo Nara. Nara has worked with sheds and structures which house his work. They are cute in a Japanese way and convey a sort-of homeliness and warmth. So we settled on making a structure which had these qualities. We would display material inside these structures.
Actually making something like this was such a great thing. A physical object - wood measured, cut and screwed together. Although quite basic, it provided us with a great sense of achievement. We worked together, sometimes all three, sometimes one or two, as time allowed. It only took us three days on and off to finish the structures. At some point along the way Yuki and Shinji decided that one was not enough and we may as well make two! It is interesting working like that, without the benefit of being able to clearly express your opinions. It was quite liberating and there was less of a feeling of preciousness about the work, and a willingness to create something for everyone. It also showed the difference of working methods, for example - as long as it is measured, it should fit (my opinion) and Yuki was a bit dubious about it and was visibly worried that everything wouldn´t fit! It did in the end...
We used various pieces of wood we had found alongside the materials given to us. This really gave the objects an earthy and worn feel. The overall effect is kind of kitschy, quaint, collector-like. I think like what we were trying to achieve.
Meanwhile, the group as a whole were deciding on an overall theme for the room. Between a mad-collector type, obsessive... or a clinical study space.... eventually it placed itself somewhere between all of these, with the different exhibits. There were clipboards with facts about stones, objects laid out, stories in Japanese and English to listen to, maps of locations of stones etc...
It really was a great learning experience to work in a group on a project like this. For one, the language barrier was a positive thing - drawing out ideas and working through things in an instinctive way seemed to be more productive and concise in some ways. Also, you have to think a lot more about how to convey an idea, not just open your mouth. I can imagine what this would have been like at ECA - people being misunderstood, offended, insulting and egos all over the place. It was really refreshing to just work together without any of that getting in the way.
However, the Japanese students have a very different way of working together in a group. It takes FOREVER to make any kind of decision. I am not sure why this it really. Maybe it is a good thing to work out all the possibilities before committing to something, but I find it a really frustrating way to work (I am a more impulsive decision maker). However, after that they are really hard workers and attention to detail is amazing.
Almost finished...
Inside one,
And the other
In the space
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