Jack Bresnahan- Tin Cans
These superb tin cans were shown across from us at New Designers- I like the pure function involved in it, and as many have already it's hard not to draw comparisons to Jorre van Ast's jars which I also love and of course they're bloody different all you nay sayers. Cheap, simple, functional. Yes.
Well are they? Hmm. The thing is as an idea yes of course- you can see it. But as a project it feels weak. Firstly I can't buy these, which is a little frustrating, as these things should be everywhere. You can't help feeling that even if it does get to market it will be niche magma type stores where they will sell for ten pounds a pop which totally shits on the point of the project, it needs to be avaliable for 10p-£1 at supermarkets internationally.
So OK getting to market as a student is tricky and takes time- so get some kind of instructables out there about how to make your own, or even better how to reappropriate other objects to create the same effect. I'm ranting a little but I really like the objects and the utilitarian and mass function qualities that it has. I just wish that the project had been properly thought about and that it shouldn't end on a stand at New Designers but the realisation of the project is how do you get these bits to everyone who wants one and cheaply.
Immediately I thought of the tops of tennis ball tubes- good but you have to buy tennis balls in order to get them- I'm on the look out but let me know if you spot any other possible candidates.
Design Pirates at New Designers
The creme of the Goldsmiths Design graduates went to the Business Design Centre in Islington for the annual outing of New Designers, which is the show of the best graduates from all over the country (ahem, more on this later). This post is firmly focused on we what we were doing there. As the blurb says: 'The Goldsmiths Meta-Design Experience will be a five day production line, where we will mix our individual interests with the public’s input to create starting points around which we will build new projects in the space. It will showcase ongoing experimental design processes as opposed to static finalised objects.
Rather than displaying our work as polished, saleable outcomes we have decided to use the exhibition to demonstrate our design thinking and ability to generate ideas. We want to celebrate our design process and show the messiness, the bad ideas, the problems we face throughout, and so on.
Over these five days we aim to democratise our current work; offering it up for conversation, critique and re-contextualisation. Putting it under scrutiny, allowing groups of people to unpick processes, and concepts and developing new ideas to take it further.' Liam Healy /Tom Taylor
For me it was basically about showing designing not final pieces of design. I think we had the most vibrant and interesting space, compared to the other static showroom like atmosphere of other unis. I think it was exactly what we wanted in terms of a business card vs. something interesting type of show. I think we had to do that sort of thing as our work is not New Designersy, so maybe I am going to compare us to the others after all- it's hard not to when you and your work and what you want to do and even your own definition of what design is stand out so much from everyone else there. I am not knocking (well not too hard anyway) other people there: there was some crap- of course, but alot of it very pretty, some very functional objects. It just seemed that there was little thought or drive behind why people had done the things they were showing and that they were on a design course so they were obviously going to make a chair or table (or hat/coat stand- so many bloody hat stands!).
The level of technical and practical skill involved in the objects was brilliant- alot of skilled craftsmen and women- no doubt. But design? As I view it and like to think of it not that much. It's hard to say that's not design without defining what I think it is and I'm not going to do that here because I'm not sure I know yet, but you know when something is or isn't you know. I think a good deal of it is to do with concepts and theories and the questions asked of a brief which just doesn't seem as deep or interesting in alot of the work there (which I feel Goldsmiths' work does). If New Designers is 'The Future of Design' and the judges award prizes based on things that look most like a chair or whatever then maybe what I (and I hope we) need to do is create a new term for what we do- instead of challenging the perceived notion of what everyone including the industry thinks of design as we make something new- the closest I've come so far is Goldsmiths Design but that's a fucking shitty thing to call it. I guess it comes back to Lou and Liam's chat about the General Creative Outputter, Link. But I can't help feeling that there should be a term which describes things with a certain level and direction of thought- (hence Goldsmiths) perhaps a term which suggests a guild or something.
It'd be good to get some kind of short convo going- at least other guys's opinions on New Designers and more so 'Our' place within that design world- and what can be done so that what we and other similarly cool thinking guys isn't so esoteric and can be understood better? Also how do guys feel about me putting the project up on my site as a group project so that it doesn't get lost?
Anyway pictures of the awesome time we had below:
Camberwell Show
Honestly, I thought this show was in general crap. Graphic design had some great talent in it but was entirely let down by a crap exhibition style- one long table where everyone got one book or piece of printed matter to show- that's not graphics- it's boring after like five people. 3D Design...... just not good and as Lou said, "why do they get to show at the Tate and we don't?"- University of the Arts though innit.... Having said that i did really like the illsutration work and in particular Simon Memel's stuff (which i've just hunted down but found posted on it's nice that- dammit) This poster for their external show is amazing- just love everything about it-
Out and About
After the interview yesterday I went to the Wellcome Collection again to take some pictures for my project, and it kicked my ass again with how brilliant it was. The content and the design were astounding, i also went to the exhibition that they've got on the ground floor about madness and modernity (and other stuff), but Bobby Baker's drawings (a drawing a day of her experience wit mental illness) read like the saddest, most beautiful and interesting comic ever- everyone go now is ace. I also went to a place called the Crypt, underneath St Pancras Church which had a good little exhibition in it- about mapping and places and atlases and all the stuff surrounding it. Interesting space and a shame the work didn't have some better labelling and descriptions but the more sculptural stuff really worked out for me. They also give you quite a nice poster guide that has some essays in it- well wrth a visit to the two places (go to Euston).
Collected: Project Description
Through collecting, the passionate pursuit of possession finds fulfillment and the everyday prose of objects is transformed into poetry, into a triumphant unconscious discourse. (Jean Baudrillard, The System of Objects, trans James Benedict (London: Verso, 1996) Part B: Ch. 2: A Marginal System: Collecting)
Collected is a research led project into the cultural phenomenon of collectors, collecting, and collections.
The transgressive act of collecting places the collector between the Curator and the Hoarder, between reason and passion, between scholarship and curiosity: where both roles play/struggle with the articulation of boundaries, the completion of series, and the validation of their efforts.
Through exploring and examining the different modes of the collecting process: acquisition, display, organising, and storage, I hope to better understand the motivations and habits of collectors and the effects of their passions.
Feedback welcomed!
Conveyor Shelf
Not sure about this- I think the video doesn't show what this thing is about- I haven't got my thoughts clear enough about it for it to really make sense- but i've done it now so i'll post the video. Conveyor Shelf 1 from Luke Thompson on Vimeo.
Overheard & Interviews
A write up of stuff heard at Stampex (see previous post), I once had a customer, he's dead now, but we went to auctions together. Henry was a millionaire, and I would spend three grand on the business and he would spend thirty on his personal collection, & I asked him what was the best bit for him? Was it finding the right stamp at the right price, or just the right stamp, or putting it in the album or looking at it. He said the best bit was crossing it of his list.
Animals? Birds? Eagles? Bald Eagles? Do you have any?
Collecting is an opiate, it charms and gets in your blood & you're finished.
The stranger things are more interesting, when compared to the rarer stamps. All you can say about them is, well they're rare. At least the stranger ones are interesting.
Many wise people collect the envelopes- single stamps are intrinsically worthless bits of paper, but the envelope gives the use and history of the stamp.
It's in your hand one moment and then you don't know where then into the person you sent it to.
It's all National Trust bags, F1 T-shirts, Insignias, Beards & Boxes (me).