As an example of ecologies and networks Anneke Pettican spoke to us about her experience working in a collaborative project with Chara Lewis and Kristin Mojsiewicz on their Brass Art, Touch AR project. Touch AR was done during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 3 members of the team had to draw on past research because they were working remotely. They worked on developing visual languages and used their tools to iterate their practice. They made art for places in the landscape to encourage well-being during the pandemic. The public realm art piece looked like the example shown below at a large scale, and people could come and use their smartphones to download Touch AR app and see the art in 3D. The Touch AR biomimicry* was shown in parks and shops etc because no one in lockdown could visit galleries. One of the pieces in a park ended up with an unplanned fairground surrounding it, the people who worked on the fairground were fascinated with Touch AR art and became invigilators by showing others how it worked. From these public realm spaces, the Touch AR artwork was in, it went on to be displayed in North Manchester and was iterated again and went to Portugal and then again to Sea Gruff (Vancouver) shown here in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWfKK0ntnkk. As they were seen it was opening up new ecologies and networks for Brass Art.
* “Biomimicry is learning from and then emulating nature’s forms, processes, and ecosystems to create more sustainable designs.” (Biomimicry 3.8, 2023, February, https://biomimicry.net/what-is-biomimicry/) I will investigate biomimicry further for my project on ‘Beauty and the media’ for possibilities on nature and products used by consumers. Brass Art used art within landscapes for well-being, how could I use biomimicry to promote health and wellbeing, could my campaign be located in parks, etc?
Anneke spoke about ‘uncanny’ something that is dead but can be brought to life through AR which is what Brass Art was doing with Touch AR. Anneke referenced, ‘Thing Power’ (state of change), I found more on this through Jane Bennett, journal here https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0090591703260853#:~:text=Thing%2Dpower%20entails%20the%20ability,in%20conjunction%20with%20one%20another.
Touch AR postcard shown below provided in class
Touch AR postcard filmed outside Barbara Hepworth Building at Huddersfield University.
We were asked about our networks and write down who they are:
- LinkedIn (shown below)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-gale-33205636/ - creativepool.com
https://creativepool.com/christinegale - All in Leeds
https://www.allinleeds.com/freelancers/christine-gale/ - Colleagues who I have worked with
- Local running club
I was asked to write which networks I would like to be in:
- Local Huddersfield’s, Wilson Republic where creative collaborate, I follow them on Instagram
- I would like to be in the DBA Design Business Association
Anneke referenced these networks and platforms to look into:
- The Hepworth Research Network
https://hepworthwakefield.org/our-story/hepworth-research-network/ - Open Collab – https://www.open-collab.org/
- Creative Boom – https://www.creativeboom.com/
- Fuse – https://www.fuseuniversal.com/
- Designed by Women – https://designedbywomen.org/en/
- In Good Company – https://ingoodcompany.org.uk/
As a student, I can use the university and organise a symposium, to network. It could be worth considering as I get further into my project proposal.
I have a few network groups, I follow on LinkedIn within the graphic design or marketing industry.
Reference:
Biomimicry 3.8, 2023, February, https://biomimicry.net/what-is-biomimicry/
