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ADM-HEA Teaching Fellowship 2010-11 The Museum of (x) – Collecting as Creative P ractice Cathy G ale // Senior Lecturer BA Graphic Design/with Photography Kingston University.
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ADM-HEA Teaching Fellowship 2010-11The Museum of (x) – Collecting as Creative PracticeCathy Gale // Senior Lecturer BA Graphic Design/with PhotographyKingston University
What is a collection?1. One is a thing2. Two is a couple3. Three is a set4. Four is a collectionMuseum of Online Museums at http://www.coudal.com/moom/
Noticing linguistic local accent in the written word (‘arfters’)
At art school, information gathering, such as the collection and archiving or visual materials in sketch books or collections of ephemera, are part of the acquisition of visual skills often regarded by more academic disciplines as eccentric. These practices constitute a method of learning that carries on through the working life of most designers, juxtaposed, for many designers with more formal learning. (Edwards, Lockheart, Raien:The Codex Project, 2002)
Aims of the museum of (x)1. To increase visual awareness of the everyday environment2. To actively explore and re-position materiality in the digital age3. To demonstrate the attributes of primary research beyond the internet4. To explore common ground and specialisms across disciplines through the same collected object/subject
Example 01. spray paint in diverse contexts1. As official street scripture 2. As protest graffiti3. As happy but unofficial statement4. As official home-made signage
Process and Purpose of Collecting 1. Collection as a source of information and inspiration2. Collection valuable through transformation of original source3. Collection understood through taxonomy (LATCH)4. Collection drawn from the everyday (familiar) 5. Collecting as a processencouraging increased visual awareness
Example 02. sign to an unknown person1. On a Post-it note, hand-drawn rapidly2. On an A4 sheet typed in Times New Roman, using A LOT of exclamation marks3. In chalk, directly into the space where the person lives
Example 03. elastic typography 1. Observation of elastic bands as letter forms2. Collection of whole alphabet made from chance shapes of elastic bands
Example 04. numbers1. From elastic band observation2. As 3D devices and/or toys3. As one of a series of tickets4. Hand-painted where digital form is impossible5. Hand-painted and painterly by accident6. As 3D letterpress forms
Rules:1. The collection must be acquired or observed directly (primary research)2. The subject/object may be scanned, photographed or collected physically3. The subject/object should have little or no monetary value4. Always collect far more material than you think you’ll need, using all 5 senses
Information and inspiration1. Collecting can facilitating collaboration across disciplines2. Collecting can enable identification of common ground and specialisms3. Collecting can be a non-specialist activity 4. Discourse of shared interest but diverse methods builds bridges across disciplines and practice
Transformation and interpretation1. The collection is a means to an end: it has a purpose2. The subject/object is a starting point for research and analysis3. The more mundane the original subject/object the better4. Encourages personal research methodologies beyond discipline constraints and notions of the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer
Primary research in the digital age1. Challenging the dominant role of the internet as the primary or sole source of information and knowledge (ref. Donald A Norman Emotional Objects)2. Exploring the role of materiality, psychogeography and the haptic in designing and perceiving the socio-cultural role of the (collected) object3. Connections built with artists and designers in the commercial sphere, eg. IDEO’s Tech Box
Taxonomy // classification and order1. Collection understoodthrough a system of taxonomy (LATCH)2. Subject arranged in several ways to interpret object/subject from multiple perspectives3. Taxonomy system itself as a research methodology4. Systems of classification contribute to individual methods of cognition, editing and planning through order
Taxonomy // LATCHLLocationAAlphabetT TimeC CategoryH Hierarchy
Animals are divided into: (a) belonging to the Emperor, (b) embalmed, (c) tame, (d) suckling pigs, (e) sirens, (f) fabulous, (g) stray dogs, (h) included in the present classification, (i) frenzied, (j) innumerable, (k) drawn with a very fine camelhair brush, (l) et ceteraDescribing a certain Chinese encyclopedia from Borges in The Order of Things by Michel FoucaultWithout a system of taxonomy or classification, random objects have little meaning.
The Museum of (x) is a work-in-progress.The (x) stands for anything and everything.The museum is intended as a multi-institution site for debate and exchange of research methods.The designer/curator (Cathy Gale) will retain control of content (using creative commons agreement) until partner-curators can be found.Content and structure ideas are welcome.www.museumofx.org
Cathy Gale // Kingston UniversityThis project was funded by the ADM-HEATeaching Fellowship 2010-2011c.gale@kingston.ac.uk