Choi Keeryong -Aesthetics of the Cultural Uncanny

As a Korean living and working in Edinburgh it is understandable to feel Keeryong’s frustration regarding the cultural differences. He suggests that glass art is a stranger to the contemporary Korean viewer.

The presentation of his career and influences was extremely hard to follow throughout and appeared a struggle for Keeryong to even express, which was evaluated at the end when he suggested that his usual style is completely different and much more relaxed and humorous but his love to tease his audience resulted in his dense, factual seminar to confuse.

The main area of focus for his work explores the cultural boundaries he has experienced as an immigrant. Keeryong explained how in daily life the divide is evident, from linguistic to cultural disconnection between himself and his peers.

Describing his home in Edinburgh as temporary, regardless of the fact he has lived there for decades, Keeryong hopes to explore the notion of familiarity with “home” and the individual sense of belonging. As an immigrant, he explains the emotional conflict of moving abroad, with a fear of losing your individuality or being different. He suggests that when you make the decision to move, you lose control and are living with uncertainty as you can no longer predict other people around you in their own culture.

It seemed sad to discuss anxiety as a student, or a traveller, or a migrant worker simply as a result of surrounding yourself with a new culture. This theme has cropped up frequently through the work of foreign artists, working in countries outside of their home.

Keeryong explained there is no objective assurance as “we” by the natives of the chosen country and how it is easy to feel like a stranger. He categorised “we” as a group of familiar people, “others” as a group of unfamiliar people (but recognisable) and strangers and being someone different or unknown. Throughout his portrayal of unease in a new society, Keeryong related back to scholars, professors and philosophers throughout, to back up his theory.

Described as a cross-cultural experience, following his upbringing and young adult life in Korea, after thirty years Keeryong moved to Edinburgh where he has inhabited for over a decade. He stated he has a steady communication with his family and friends in Korea but finds it increasingly difficult to describe it as his only home. When visiting Korea in 2013 for the first time in six years, Keeryong learned of his relationship to both his birthplace and his current home. He explained how he has often used his heritage as his excuse for language barriers and issues with integrating. This visit taught him that he is changing, as new Korean words are unfamiliar to him through not speaking in his mother tongue in Scotland. He suggests this could be another excuse to not find a place in Korea too. He asks “Am I Korean? What could the answer be now?”

Through Keeryong’s emotional changes regarding his home, he created the artwork ‘3^rd Battalion 11^th Company 1^st Platoon’ in 2007. With cast glass helmets to represent the fragility of war and the vulnerability of soldiers alongside a voice recording of a Scottish man with a stammer reading a political speech, Keeryong hoped to make a statement of frustration regarding his own experiences with relation to the viewer.

3rd Battalion 11th Company 1st Platoon, 2007

 

Discussing his time in Korean National Service as a marine, Keeryong talked through the emotions of the military training process to graduation. He clearly recalls the day he graduated and how the solider is presented with their uniform as a form of prize. Each soldier’s civilian clothes are then packaged in brown paper and mailed to their family, which he described as a ceremonial event. Keeryong opened up about his own graduation and how his mother told him that the whole family cried over his clothes when they arrived at the family home. This idea was presented through this work under each translucent hat a pile of packaged clothes could be seen. The fragility of this piece expresses his identity shift and the vulnerability which is experienced. Many have described the layout as similar to a military graveyard and the viewer as a commander as you must stand in front of the rows of hats. By using a stuttering Scotsman, Keeryong hoped to create a sense of frustration for his new home and for the viewer as they must listen to the speaker struggle.

After focussing on his own cultural experiences, Keeryong then went on to express his understanding of other people’s cultures. He explained how in Britain he has visited Korean-style restaurants and seen decoration from various parts of Asia, with the owners claiming to provide an authentic Korean experience. Keeryong suggests this could become embarrassing, making a Korean feel uneasy as an inaccurate image of Korea is presented. Through his work ‘Begging Buddha I’, a group of religious figures are formed in a stance of begging and decorated on a setting with traditional Korean pattern, but using incorrect colour schemes to play with the expected. Set alongside a sound recording of traditional Buddhist chanting mixed with a hip-hop tempo, Keeryong hopes to portray this falseness through the inaccuracy of the elements in the piece. He explains how cultural clashes can sometimes create tension and he hopes to show this through his glass work.

Begging Buddha, 2009

 

After working and living in the UK for so longer and experiencing change when travelling back to Korea, Keeryong is now at a stage where he feels like he is unsure where he truly belongs, “I am between South Korea and here, I don’t belong to any.”

Working with British manufactured porcelain and combining it with glass, Keeryong created art to appear like Korean glass to the untrained eye. He found a youth trend of creating new words in Arabic “alien words” which are unrecognised unless you are taught them and began to create his own words with an Asian influence. Using the names of political figures and writing them backwards in an Arabic format, Keeryong was able to decorate his objects and present them in an authentic style tricking the viewer until they were told the truth behind the work.

Arabic Glass, 2014

 

After such a heavy presentation filled with facts and quotes, Keeryong ran out of time. He explained how he doesn’t always like to describe his work and actively avoids doing so. He enjoys teasing his viewers, suggesting he plays a game (much like he has done with his presentation to create a false image of himself).

Jennifer Halvorson

 

Artist, educator and student, Jennifer Halvorson has an enormous range of experience within the world of glass art. With over 15 years of experience in glass art primarily, she also has skills working with a variety of metals. Currently partaking in two weeks at the University of Sunderland, Halvorson is utilising her skills to create works focussed on the manipulation of ordinary objects to give them human characteristics and emotional gestures, considering their past and present. She discussed her intrigue regarding mending clothing and material as well as oneself and the efforts needed to maintain. Her piece ‘Holding Stitch’ explores her techniques in cast glass and is displayed using her skills with metal to make the pieces stand accordingly with potential for dismantling when transporting the work.

Holding Stitch, 2015 (cast glass, copper, found objects)

 

Halvorson is currently on a one year leave of absence from her position at the Ball State University in Indiana, where her teaching role covers glass and metal work, sculpture, foundation classes and graduate seminars, highlighting just how broad her skills and experience is. It was here at Ball State that she began renovating and learning how to use a pressed glass machine, which seems to be a project she is very enthusiastic to discuss.

To give a sense of where is all began, Halvorson started with her education at Illinois University (Urbana-Champaign), where she studied alongside the National Glass Centre’s own Jeffrey Sarmiento. She completed her qualifications in both glass and metal, as well as gaining experience of a study abroad program which she took part in at the Australia National University. She stated, “If you think you don’t need to experiment or do not have the time, you should do it anyway because it could benefit your work in the future.”

To show us how her work has developed over time, Halvorson presented images from 2005, which were heavily influenced by the human body. She explained how at this time she felt her work had to connect to something that she had read and found an interest in the anatomy. Most of her work at this stage expressed areas of the human body or anatomical structures.

As well as an education in glass, Halvorson gained qualification in metalworking and began combining glass and metal to create artwork. This is where she was beginning to express an interest in lace and lace making, linking it to scientific forms with a Victorian style influencing the overall look.

Cocconeis Vanity, 2007 (thread, copper, enamel: tatted electroformed, sifted, wet packed, kiln fired, constructed)

 

Halvorson experimented with relief and colour placement during her time at university and also found an interest in welding, as she knew this could help the development of her work. Her advice regarding your final year at university is to be engrossed but also to consider your future once you leave your program. Halvorson herself applied for a graduate program, knowing she would gather a broader range of skills than she already had. Once the end of degree occurred, she decided to defer her place for one year and moved to Denmark to work. At Designskola she was able to develop her practice in computer modelling and theory.

Halvorson was keen to advertise the advantage of embarking upon an internship and how beneficial they can be to your knowledge of the market and professional practice. She worked with artist Steffan Dam to see how a non-teaching artist actually works. Here she was able to assist him with his projects, working out appropriate techniques and methods to make his work. Halvorson expressed how much she benefitted from her time with Dam as they worked out kiln programs.

After this year was over, she took up her place on the graduate scheme at Rochester Institute of Technology for American Crafts. This took Halvorson’s work in a new direction. After such a long time away from home, she began to reflect on home life and linked it to the lifestyle of birds. The works were intended to reflect a level of security and comfort without being too blatant and direct combining all of her skills and previous interests.

 

Beloved, 2008 (hotworked and blown glass, tatted lace, wool, copper, straw, antique egg basket)

 

She explained how she felt that her work was being too personal when she looked at the storyline of her own family and wanted it to be a combination of her own life with the lives of others and not a direct biography. Halvorson highlighted “Memory isn’t fact, so it must have a poetry to it” which inspired her to take objects with a history and make them connect to herself and a viewer. She wanted to create a presence without anyone actually being there through the manipulation of found objects.

Influence, 2012 (blown glass, tatted lace, found objects)

 

After her time at grad school, Halvorson desired change and new start. She travelled to the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Centre where she could experiment with the process of press machine working and research the history of the technique. Wheaton is known for its big kilns and this meant that Halvorson could start to thinker on a bigger scale as well as consider collaborating with other artists to share the advantage of skills.

Ever-Changing Perspective – collaborative piece with Cortney Boyd, 2011 (blown and hot sculpted glass, enamel, mirror, found baking tins, sound recording)

 

Halvorson’s more recent works tend to be created using cast glass and kiln forming. Using technical mould making in 2013, she was able to take part in a group exhibition where she made a cast paper bag inspired by cubism.

She was eager to point out that her use of lace still appears throughout her works and how needlework often features in her glass and metal design, as a connection to the past and the older generation. Halvorson explained how experimentation fuels her work and how she feels she must make as much of the object as she possibly can, through the skills he has developed over the years. Her work with metal not only adds to the glass but also assists the finish and overall aesthetics of the piece and she expressed her relief at being able to switch between the materials as she wishes.

At present, Halvorson is working from a space where she is making moulds for work until she requires kilns to cast the glass where much of her experimentation will be using Bullseye Opaline glass with reference to knitwork.

Having worked alongside Halvorson over the past two days, it is fair to say that her encouragement and teaching style gets results. She is keen to cover every aspect of the technique in hand and is eager to receive questions and issues. Leaving behind her contact details and kiln program for the session, she expressed her willingness to help with any future queries. An impressive yet dauntingly full career by a dedicated and educationally-thirsty artist.

 

Developing as a Silversmith

Similar to the style of my degree, my experience of jewellery making is developing at a fast pace. In only my second session I began learning to create bezel settings to fix stones/jewels onto a ring. Using my previously learned skill of sawing the metal, I carried out each step on copper first followed by silver, to ensure I did not damage the more expensive material.

Within the studio there are other jewellery makers who have more experience, which has proved both fascinating to see them work and beneficial for asking questions. Alongside these makers we were creating our own jewellery, which is really a dream come true for me. Whilst learning about the metal itself, we are able to see our ideas become a beautiful piece to wear.

During this session I did not manage to complete either of my rings, as I spent so much time trying to get every stage correct as well as soaking up the techniques going on around me for future projects. By the end of the day I had almost all of the components of my rings made, ready to bring together at the next class.

Two whole weeks went by until I was able to finish my jewellery and as an impatient maker I can admit was tough, meaning it became my mission to have a piece of silver jewellery completed by the next session to wear and show off my new skills. After three sessions I can proudly say that I have made three pieces of jewellery. Two attempts in copper and one completed silver ring with an amber stone.

Far from perfect, but we all start somewhere!

Jonathan Lynch – ‘An Essay of Emptiness’

Jonathan Lynch did not begin his education studying art, as he states that his school did not perceive him as being artistically skilled, resulting in his connection with photography after he had left school aged 17.

His main focus with his photography so far, has been to investigate and explore buildings with an aesthetic point of view. Lynch finds the process of taking photographs in  new places very therapeutic and likes to visit these spaces to think and respond to the environment. He explained the significance of light in the areas and how it can reanimate the whole space. Lynch is interested in the history of the building and how simply being there can make you consider the people who once were there and their memories within the site.  He likes to reflect upon the once lived-in rooms and how those people have moved on.

Lynch is fascinated by the idea that once people die, they are gone and how a picture can become precious. He explained that he only likes to take photographs of places when the light in perfect and that during the winter months the hue was the best. Yet he felt as though he did not have a real reason for taking these pictures and knew he needed to develop the meaning.

An Essay of Emptiness (Taken from series)

 

As the buildings no longer have a use or purpose, the surfaces never physically change and the lighting is the only inconsistency. After using a damaged camera, sections of his developed images were lost. This is when Lynch began experimenting with painting onto his photographs. This made himself and the viewer question the realness of the image and he was able to portray an image that was not true to the space.

An Essay of Emptiness (Taken from series)

 

Lynch has a passion for photography and explained how in the beginning it was important to his practice that his selected pictures were framed with care and attention, because he felt photography was about being beautiful and careful.

Through his visits to the spaces, Lynch became connected with the lost souls of the buildings and began to feel as though the light illuminated the absence. He began to collect old photos of people who had passed away from eBay, car boot sales and from friends and family. Lynch then began carefully cutting the people out of the photographs with a scalpel as well as removing them digitally, ensuring the shadows were left behind. This was when he realised that his title was beginning to make sense.

Through the extractions and enhancements of his images, Lynch liked to leave behind minor faults to leave clues that there was something missing, to provoke the truthful nature of the image. He discussed how through extracting the people from the photographs, light can then reactivate the characters.

Through a show in Edinburgh ‘Legacy’, he was able to produce two separate catalogues, one for his own photographs and another for his found ones. He explained how he saw these as separate chapters to the book of this idea.

Lynch seems a little unsure of what he wants to achieve and appears to have the luxury to take his time to decide what he requires from his artwork. When he began working for the Baltic Gallery in Gateshead, Lynch wanted to work with teenagers through youth projects to introduce his experiences to young artists. In 2011 when the gallery held the Turner Prize, Lynch worked with young people to respond to the works of the competition candidates. This is when he began discovering his love of teaching.

After some time away from studying he explained how he began to miss creating his own work and applied to do his Master’s Degree at the Royal College. Lynch then opened up about his personal dilemma with returning to studying and felt as though he was under pressure to be making art. As a result he turned down the offer to the Royal College and explained he did not feel ready to commit to the course. This is something I can relate to; having turned down offers myself in the past through not feeling like it was the right time in my life to return to education.

Lynch highlighted a need to explore and getaway after this event, which led to his move abroad to America to teach photography in Pennsylvania. He expressed his love of teaching and how pleased he was to have the experience of working in an educational environment, but how he soon felt like he needed to stop producing photographs for a while, so not to exhaust his ideas. Lynch then went on to talk about who he made a conscious decision not to make any more work for 4/5 years to focus on his educational work. He moved to Italy to continue this path and said he wanted to wait to develop his work because he was still unsure which way to take it.

Another year on, he returned back to the UK and moved to Newcastle to teach. At this point he stated he had made no new work since 2010, except for four rolls of film he had not developed from his time in America.

Lynch then restarted processing film and said he felt a sense of liberation when making prints without being so precious with the work. He decided not to think too much about the image itself and began embracing the mistakes. He was working in a school environment which was subject to error and learning and so incorporated the imperfect materials and damage. Lynch talked passionately about hoping to inspire his students to learn to use and love the dark room.

Finally he felt able to return to his work and began creating scenes for the extracted people from the old photographs. Lynch realised that the way people were positioned may have reminded him of things he had seen which were combining with his own memories, helping him to create characters for the scenes. This led to Lynch experimenting with his drawing abilities, where he created hand drawn scenes ensuring a gap was left for the missing people. This book of images was intended to have noticeable mistakes, where he could experiment with light through the removed figures.

Even though he wasn’t pleased with some of the outcomes of his processes, Lynch was eager to point out the importance of not denying any of your work, as it helps you to progress and learn.

Moving on in terms of materials, Lynch now wants to incorporate these images with clay and plaster, to experiment with destroying the picture. Through processing these photographs in plaster, the object itself is more fragile than it was and Lynch strives to get as much as he can from the images before they are gone. He hopes to recreate the existing picture through the emulsion left behind.  

Lynch expressed a sense of regret for destroying the pictures, as it could be perceived as disrespectful. He was sure to highlight that his processes are not intended to be offensive and that he simply hopes to push the material to its limits. Lynch explained that he believes it can be a difficult process to look at images for some people and that there is a sense of irony that his current work won’t last longer than the original photograph.

Through is AA2A at the University of Sunderland, Lynch plans to work with imperfect materials, which is a huge leap from his original mind-set of precision and care. Using clay, he plans to experiment with pouring photo emulsion onto the unfired ceramic in the dark room to create sculptures of other people’s history. Lynch suggests that you must embrace your mistakes to help you to move forward.

It is apparent that Lynch is passionate about teaching and he was keen to express that he wants his students to see him as a working artist and not just a teacher. He believes that the work/life balance does not exist and they should not be separate from one other. Lynch explained that he used to think he could hide behind his pictures and now realises he can express himself through them and his processes. Unlike a lot of makers and artists, Lynch seems more focussed on making art for the materials and not for the industry.

Rachel Laycock/Gretton – Student to Artist

Rachel Laycock has studied glass at Sunderland University and this alone makes her seem more approachable as a working artist. She began her education in Sunderland in her second year of university, where she became obsessed with this beautiful material and the techniques and limitations of working with glass. After graduating in 2001, she travelled to Mozambique for six months to work and explore her prospects.  

Laycock went on to explain that without the connections she had made at university, she may not have achieved what she has so far in her career. The importance of keeping contact with other people can be the key to your own success and ideas.

She set up her own business in 2004 and managed to get funding to buy her first kiln. Laycock explained how she needed to take a break from education to progress her technical ability and have a rest from being taught, as she did not feel ready to move on to a Master’s Degree at this point.

When she did begin working on her MA work, she primarily focussed on finding her own style, hoping to bring together all of the techniques she had learned with a recognisable design. Laycock explained how she often writes to explore her feelings and emotions as a way to relax. Using her own writing and her diary entries featuring her personal thoughts and experiences, she hoped to combine glass and emotion. She discussed how it felt to know people may be able to read her innermost secrets through observing her work and how it felt as if she was exposing her heart.

He Loves Me He Loves Me Not, 2005

 

Now You See Me Now You Don’t, 2005

 

Laycock was happy to discuss how her personal life affects her work and openly told us how she moved to Yorkshire for love. I feel like this grounds her and shows that just because you have a career, it doesn’t mean your life stops.

Unfortunately a gallery broke her MA work and it was destroyed, but the insurance pay-out for the work helped her to move on with her career and open a studio and gallery in her new hometown. Laycock emphasised how this was a big step for her and felt she had to relaunch her business in 2006. Thanks to grant funding she was able to buy equipment which helped her gain commissions and exhibitions whilst teaching workshops and completing residencies.

She was keen to explain how even though you may develop a style in your work, you must always be willing to diversify a request to get work and help a client.

Extracts of Love, 2006

 

Laycock developed a series of sculptures which could be easily made to sell and send to galleries. Again, all of these pieces contained pieces of her.

As a result of these works, she gained more commission work and won awards.

Glass Ballustrade (Commission), 2007

 

Once her name was becoming more well known, Laycock was asked to create a piece for an exhibition. She based this piece on her diary again and did not realise whilst she was making it that she was suffering with postnatal depression. She believes that this mental health problem affected her work and can be seen in the piece. Laycock got upset when discussing this work and explained that she didn’t feel able to talk too deeply about it as she struggles to think of that time in her life and how it is still very raw. ‘Little Black Book’ was her first installation piece and featured falling glass pages, interacting with light to create shadows.

Little Black Book, 2007

 

The depths Laycock went into when discussing her personal life and its effects on her practice was refreshing. So many artists hide behind their work and don’t seem able to reflect on their experiences and their influences on their art. When working on a commission, she told us how she had no option but to take her young son to the studio whilst she created the work. This highlights to me the determination she felt to keep going with her career while raising a family. Laycock went on to explain how she continually suffered with PND and how her relationship ultimately broke down and how she felt as if she was in a very bad place in her life and struggled to find her own words. Through music she was able to connect to the emotion in the lyrics and find herself again.

In 2009 she moved back to Hartlepool and decided it was time to reapply herself again and work on herself. She did night classes and began working on commissions again and began working with youth groups to create artwork. Laycock’s transformation after suffering with her health is inspiring. She trained in an arts award and used her connections from her past to help her network again. Through her drive she was appointed as the lead artist for the Tall Ships coming to Hartlepool. Over the period she held 35 workshops in schools, with mental health organisations and with the community and created the glass sails for an installation piece ‘Ship in a Shop’.

Laycock has re-established herself as Rachel Gretton.

Ship in a Shop, 2010

 

Through her work on the Tall Ships project, Laycock began her residency in a school, where she brought together the pupils and the parents to make artwork documenting their art, drama and poetry in the piece ‘Hear Our Voice’.

It was around this time when her career was again tested, as she fell pregnant for a third time. This time she was sure to keep her hand in and work throughout her pregnancy and battle with postnatal depression. Through her experiences, Laycock decided she wanted to set up an organisation to work with children. Along with another artist and friend, she set up ‘Bloom in Art’ which was designed to link with schools and community projects to make art more accessible. Through this project she developed an arts award where children can gain qualifications and receive certificates to encourage creative thinking processes. Her hard work and determination has allowed the project to expand and she explained she is still gaining funding bids.

Laycock’s links with her work with schools has helped her development and she was asked to do a commission for an installation piece in a school she had worked with before. She was keen to highlight how this work helped her to understand the health and safety aspects of permanent artwork when collaborating with the school.

Frequently throughout her presentation, Laycock opened up about her personal life and was able to let us in to her thought processes and influences, which I feel made her a more relatable artist.

She went on to explain how she began wanting to make her own work again instead of catering to briefs as often. Her current body of work ‘Cracks of Love’ addresses her struggles whilst celebrating what she has in her life. She hopes to experiment with shadow as well as the physical object and develop with the text.

Laycock was passionate when talking about her desire to raise awareness of mental health problems and how she finds that writing letters is an active removal of thoughts, helping her to embrace what she has.

She explained how she has been asked to work with the ashes of the deceased to incorporate them with glass, but she emphasised her passion to make work about people who are alive instead of those who are gone.

Laycock’s story was reassuring as a developing artist and she was able to present herself as a real person. She was helpful in terms of directing her own experiences to relate to your own. She ended with a list of advice:

• Be true to yourself
• Go with your instincts
• Don’t be afraid to fail
• Network
• Collaborate
• Experiment
• Never give up
• Develop skills
• Apply for everything

Neil McNally

Neil McNally was an artist I had never heard of before until this week. As far as contemporary painting goes, I am fairly in the dark as to the works and their concepts. McNally’s talk was something I was not expecting.

His discussion began by informing us of his academic achievements, from his Foundation in Bristol up to his Masters in painting at the Royal College. Once the formalities were covered, he quickly moved on to a much more relaxed presentation. Beginning with the music video by Judas Priest for Breaking the Law, McNally started by expressing his belief that like the musicians in the video there is an awareness with the arts that you must do what you have to do in order to make it as an established artist. He believes that if you do not do push yourself, no one will help you get through it – perhaps a reflection of the kind of education he has received.

McNally discussed his need to find something that hadn’t already been done before and his belief that in your career you only need to create iconic pieces. This is when he decided to start painting swedes. Over a ten year period he has painted over 140 images of the common vegetable and suggests they have a somewhat ‘Van Gogh’ influence. His enthusiasm for going with your instincts seems to play a big role in his work.

When working for the Cardiff Contemporary project, McNally was asked to promote Welsh art through his commission by coach. Instead he took his coachload to Newport to meet Ian Neale, who was known in the record books for growing the biggest swede in the country – much too many of the guests displeasure. McNally started his swede project in 2006 and is intrigued by the coincidence that occurred as they both live fairly close to one another.

As well as looking for something new and different, McNally finds interest in older works where there is scope for developing the idea to make it your own. His installation piece ‘Luncheon Meat on the Grass’ is inspired by ‘Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe’ by Édouard Manet. He suggests that this comedic way of recreating art is an avenue that has developed his reputation in the art world.

Luncheon Meat on the Grass, 2009

 

McNally discussed his use of other artist’s work to recreate his own impression of their pieces. As well as this, he explained how using mixed media can bring life into his paintings. McNally seems keen to express the lack of need to paint from a source or a reference image and how using your imagination can often create alternative work. His piece ‘Dirk Bogarde Wears White Socks’ is based purely on gossip of the celebrity, which McNally has imagined an image of and recreated in paint and mixed media. He did not paint the face of the man himself however, and suggested that it is ok to let someone else for things for you if you are not able.

Dirk Bogarde Wears White Socks, 2006

 

Despite this piece winning an online award, McNally painted over the top of it for another exhibition, which I find strange. His throwaway attitude of his work seems as though he doesn’t have a personal pride and connection with it. I feel that McNally uses controversy to try and create a persona. He signs his work in the corner simply because people do not find it aesthetically pleasing.  It appears that he thrives from disapproval of his practice. As a result of this he has become very used to rejection letters for exhibitions, placements and commissions.

When McNally does get work, he is keen to push the boundaries. His collaboration with Georg Weiβbach in Newport saw them develop a photography exhibition containing no photographs. McNally explained how they both took over 1000 photographs each and chose not to exhibit any of them, instead showing alternative work of their choosing.

This attitude of work to surprise can sometimes cause controversial opinion. When asked to raise the profile of a museum, McNally created ‘The Institute of Mental Health is Burning’, based on the Chartism movement and the Mayor of Newport’s painter who suffered mental health problems. This show featured work from a variety of artists, ranging from painting to film and was ultimately closed down due to causing offence.

It is hard to say if McNally’s approach to public reaction is a strategic career move, or simply a reflection of his personality and artistic practice. His painting ‘The Exhausted Exorcist’ is believed to be the biggest painting in the country at a huge 7metres by 3.6metres, costing him £2000 to create. After an exhibition curated by a couple of wealthy Russian businessmen, McNally was offered £20,000 for the painting, which fell through. Instead of waiting for another potential buyer, McNally cut up the canvas and reused it for other work. This attitude shocked me as a maker and artist. I am unsure how he is able to make a career from his work if he does not force sales and re-enter work in competitions.

 His work continues to shock through his use of materials and concepts. Stealing the cardboard bedding of homeless people and using it to build a life-size double bed didn’t seem to go down to well among the audience of this talk, resulting in a lot of discussion afterwards regarding the ethics of his choices. ‘The Snows of Kilimanjaro’ is the result of taking away the material that these people sleep on, (perhaps the only thing they own) to create sculpture and McNally highlighted the irony that the packaging itself was for luxury items.

The series of work ‘The Geneology of Suicide’ was a lot more interesting, I found in terms of material. Mixing poisons into the paint, McNally developed a group of paintings.

Introducing the Rabbit to the Dog, 2006

 

This image was selected for an exhibition by artist Angus Fairhurst. McNally discussed how he tragically hung himself shortly after the exhibition and how he will probably only be remembered for his suicide rather than his works. This concept is something I often explore in my own work, so was able to connect to this idea.

McNally went on to discuss how he lives to make “weird art” and how the concepts are often much more interesting compared to the images themselves. He suggested that his intent is often to provoke a reaction and it pleases him to create humorous work, exploring his sarcastic nature and black humour. McNally believes it is important to strip back this humour to see the more serious ideas in his work.

He finished his presentation with a video which was made during his foundation course at the beginning of his art training. The piece featured a man walking into a building who did not seem to be aware he was being filmed initially and appeared to become distressed once he had realised. An audience full of makers did seem to react adversely to this piece. While this may have been a heavily conceptual piece, it did seem to cause difficulties for the man involved and provoked a sadness and anger in the viewer. Perhaps we aren’t quite ready for using other people to get a reaction, regardless of the effect it may have upon them. McNally’s point when showing us this piece was to highlight the importance of keeping all of your work for the future, because you never know when it might be needed.

Vanessa Cutler – Waterjet Art

Vanessa Cutler has a wide range of skills in glass, thanks to her thorough education.

Through her talk she covered the extensive training she has received in regards to her glasswork. She began by discussing her initial training in Swansea, where her focus on traditional stained glass saw her develop a focussed approach to her working technique. But she was quick to realise that hand cutting glass can never be perfect every time and is very rarely the same as before. Here she was trained in restoration and traditional skills, but was expected to expose herself to more contemporary work. Through live commissions that were enforced during her study, Cutler was already gaining experience with public art.

Cutler went on to explore glass in Wolverhampton, where she discovered kiln forming and glass blowing. Her time working with public commissions in Swansea became advantageous as she started collaborating with other artists. Cutler’s first collaborative piece was created with Stuart Garford, which saw the production of ‘Glass Throne’.

Glass Throne (Glass and steel throne for Lord Paul of Marylebone, Wolverhampton)

 

Cutler then went on to regularly collaborate with other artists to create art. She is aware that even if her name is not present on the work itself, that it could not have been realised without her involvement and expertise. Through the development of internet communication she is able to expose her techniques to a wider audience, gaining collaborative contracts over an international range.

She has an impressive level of experience in various areas of glass. At her time in Wolverhampton, as well as her work in glass restoration, Cutler designed and created couture jewellery to support herself financially. Creating a series of one hundred hat pins, she was even able to give one to the Queen.

Her work with jewellery resulted in her interest with finish and attachments of glass and how the cliental can be narrowed according their requirements. Cutler was learning how to sell her work, considering mark-ups and costing within the market.

Cutler’s first commission was for Norwich Castle Museum, where she was able to utilise her skills to layer glass whilst mixing enamels to create a piece which covered all the requirements of the client brief. Her interest in fixings saw her experiment with nylon to fix the pieces together. She explained how her training had taught her to always listen to the client but to ensure she only presented something she was proud of, considering style, concept and narrative.

Norwich Castle Museum (6m screen for café)

 

Cutler explained how important it is to network in the industry. Talking to people from other areas which you may not have experience in can be very beneficial to your own work in the future. She discussed her meeting with glass engraver, Ronald Pennell. Cutler was enlisted to glass paint for Pennell and in return he helped her to network with other artists. She stills assists Pennell twenty years later.

Cutler described how important these relationships are to her career and how these vital connections have pushed her into areas she may not have been aware of. From her work with Pennell and her new connections, Cutler was offered a place to complete her PHD in Sunderland.

This is where her love of waterjet technology was realised. The precision cutting and achievable shapes and objects were something she could not create any other way. Cutler likes to be challenged and decided to push the process as far as she could. Through her research of the technology she has been able to help other artists to put the process into their own work and by helping them she has helped herself.

Cutler’s enthusiasm for waterjet techniques was admirable. She explained how her aim at Sunderland was to push the machine and the material to its limits with caution to develop her understanding. She would consider herself now an artist, designer and engineer after the completion of her PHD in 2006.

Spinal Wave (Waterjet cut and kiln-formed glass – 1180mm x 70mm)

 

Cutler’s love of waterjet technology has seen her attend conferences designed specifically for engineers using the equipment for industry. She explained how she understood the flow of the seminars through her experience with the machines and how she was aware of any problems with them according to the sounds that it made.

Her experience with the technology has resulted in her ability to assist other artists in their progression. Through her aid, she has opened up her availability and become even better known in the art world.

Cutler was keen to express the importance of speaking to people. She stated that without her dialogue with lots of software companies, engineers both locally and internationally, she would not be where she is today.

“Mayday mayday” – waterjet cut glass 2008

Her international links resulted in her residency in the United States where she was able to further her knowledge of waterjet technology. She states that her work is a result of her own interpretations of the received briefs along with working with other people.

Cutler showed a passion for teaching and research of glass. Her arrival back in Swansea saw her move directly into a teaching role where she focussed on getting her students to incorporate technology into their artwork. The way she spoke of treating her students as working artists to assist them to create professional work was endearing. Through the use of scaled models and templates, Cutler suggests your own work can be made more professional looking than without. She showed slides of some of the work created by her students, expressing a sense of pride and accomplishment. Cutler’s influence upon her class allows them to get on with their work under her guidance whilst they discover their own information. She suggested that teaching allows you to reflect on your own practice as well as continuing to learn.

Again, Cutler’s connections within the world of waterjet technology have paid off and many conferences now include a creative and artist involvement section to show the development of the technology for artists.

When invited to write a book, Cutler was able to cover all the work she has created and helped to create for others. Her aim was to inform the reader how a machine made for a function can also be used to create while testing the parameters and developing an aesthetic.

Cutler’s latest work for the Creative Wales Award, ‘Breathe’ is intended to be a break from helping other artists achieve their creativity, in order to focus on her own process and bring everything she has learned together. She talked about her desire to reconnect to her materials and explore machinery, drawing and dialogue with others. Admirably she states that with this project she hopes to push herself and her work with a degree of selfishness, hoping that the journey itself will create the outcome.

Vanessa Cutler shows great passion for her medium and her practice. Her level of commitment to the technology is fascinating and yet she appears to remain so grounded in her processes.

Becoming a Silversmith

Combining my love of glass and silver has always been a dream of mine. Had I not become a student of Glass and Ceramics at University of Sunderland, I am sure I would have moved away to become a trained Silversmith and jewellery maker.

My first job when I was at school was in the popular costume jewellery sister store ‘Accessorize’ where I worked part time and received amazing discount to feed my jewellery obsession. The price of the jewellery always interested me as it was not of the highest standard, due to the mass production of stock for high street sales. Every time a new piece of my jewellery became worn out and damaged after a period of time, it made me wonder how precious our jewellery becomes, especially if it is given a gift.

In the first year of my degree, jewellery influences crept into my glass work. My newly developing skill in the hotshop, resulted in five blown glass wearable sculptures for the ‘Contain’ module brief. With a conceptual basis of glamorisation of Hollywood icons, I researched starlets of the silver screen who died in tragic circumstances in the 1960s. Each piece was dedicated to a different actress, designed in response to their struggles glamorising the tragedies within the public eye.

Drop Dead Gorgeous, 2015 (Blown glass, newspaper)

Prior to this I began experimenting with beading, but soon became tired of the simplicity and access to materials, as anyone could make the pieces I was creating. My hunger for skill and originality resulted in scouring of the internet for local classes to gain some experience. Although the North East is becoming increasingly developed in terms of art and design, I did still find it hard to find an affordable jewellery class that was near to me.

Initially I started working with precious metal clay. Although I have never really taken to ceramics, it is an area I have had access to at my time in Sunderland. The metal clay is a similar medium to use, but can be a bit stickier and finer. Using this material I was able to create small disks of silver with images printed on them to attach to chains for bracelets. The clay is burned away with the use of a kitchen blow torch and the metal component is left behind.

Precious Metal Clay Bracelet Disk, 2015

My first encounter with silver jewellery making. It is true what they say about learning a new craft skill, you do become hooked. Several months following my self taught silver making, I found a course in a local adult learning magazine to teach beginners silversmithing. Regardless of my ever-decreasing bank account (which I’m sure fellow students can relate to) I signed up for the four session class.

Balancing my degree, my job and now this adult learning course has been a challenge, but it is amazing the efforts you will go to for something you are passionate about. After my first five hour class I was addicted and immediately began thinking of ways to combine my degree work with my new hobby. Much like glass work, silversmithing requires practice and patience to perfect techniques. Beginning with the cheaper alternative copper, we were taught to cut, shape, distort and solder the metal to create a ring.

First Copper handmade ring, January 2016

Since I was a child, I have always made things and it is only now that I am able to see myself making a career out of it one day. My drive to join together my two favourite materials will push me to develop my skills whilst I can seek advice from professionals during my studying. Next stop, New York Fashion Week!