Our Manifesto.

Tuesday 28th October, 2014

Last week we were asked by Cerys to send her no more than 3 photo's to visualize what we wanted our class to be known for. We spoke a few weeks ago about different decades and their movements in the craft world, we spoke about the Bauhaus movement about how they credited the craftsmanship where their designs were often functional pieces with simplistic forms but a breath of fresh air in History with limited decoration.
This helped me to think of what craft is known for today and how the meaning is constantly changing in a commercialized way. The word 'Craft' is often thought of as hobbies, something you can learn from Youtube and magazines that's easily accessible. I think it's great learning new techniques this way but in reality I find it slightly discrediting to someone such as myself who would like to make a career out of this and sell my work as original pieces that have been thoughtfully designed.

We all explained what our photos meant as we went around the table, explaining what we wanted to be known for and why we thought we weren't, I find these seminars so helpful as they change and widen my mind the more we discuss various subjects.

I want our class of 2016 to be known fr giving Craft it's true identity, taking craft from the mainstream and focussing the attention back to us as designer makers, We should speak confident about our work and support our small community of makers with collaborations as wearable jewellery becomes more extreme and a walking work of art.

Azza Fahmy Jewellery.

I chose this piece by 

http://www.azzafahmy.com/

..

About Azza Fahmy Jewellery.

"We are an independent purveyor of hand crafted jewellery inspired by 7000 years of culture & defined by contemporary minds.

Our spirit is proudly Egyptian whilst the appeal of our creations is now global with stores on four continents and pieces worn by those with spirit worldwide.

As an international fine jewellery house of provenance Azza Fahmy brings different cultures and heritage to life through its unique and contemporary designs. Founded in 1969 with Azza Fahmys great passion for design and a desire to translate this passion into jewellery, the Azza Fahmy brand now has an exclusive international reputation with clients including world leaders, royalty, celebrities, and connoisseurs of jewellery worldwide.

Our journey started with a leap of passion in Egypt in 1969. We traveled the universe and back and our pieces have traveled with us. It was time that we bring all these travels back home with us, celebrating with a commemorative collection for Egypt’s icon Umm Kulthum. Each jewel has been made with love, taken on a journey together with more than 200 skilled artisans, designers and creative individuals. Every piece unveils an emotional story capturing a moment in a time capsule and a place in history. This story has become ours and is now becoming yours to tell."

I chose this piece and the story behind it because I appreciate the journey of being a designer and growing the business into something magnificent as this still keeping the same inspiration behind each piece using heritage, traditional techniques and keeping that quality amongst quantity.

The next image I chose was my own work which was inspired by building structure and body structure, these pieces appear to be growths as i played around with scale. I made these pieces using silk organza, starch, silver and magnets. 

I found the comparison between the two pieces interesting as the heritage of what I was surrounded by inspired me the same as the founder of the company Azza Fahmy Jewellery. 

I think it's important to research and find out about our heritage, experience different cultures and appreciate surroundings and history.

The craftsmen orignal techniques, how they achieved their work and spreading it allows people to have an insight into handmade, designed product.

As a group we spoke about how schools curriculum is more based around academic subjects rather than the arts suggesting these creative techniques and thinking process dieing out. I believe it's important to pass down these traits even when new technology arises as they're a huge part of history within design.

At the end of our discussion in expressing our thoughts on what our manifesto would be, a kind of deep brief after having each of our says. A lot of people mentioned they wanted their work to be beautiful and wanted people to feel something positive when looking at it. We all wanted to be appreciated highlighting the fact there are people out there that want these handmade pieces even if they cost more, where quality is priority over quantity. Toni mentioned she wanted the extraordinary to become ordinary and for people to open their mind about unusual work which we agreed on as making work technically beautifully and using the correct materials makes a piece desirable not just the overall look. We agreed on bringing back heritage and collaborating on projects or working in various medias and experiment to move forward in design we agreed on brightening the world with our designs and starting conversations with them which is a huge part of getting our work out there, if our pieces had nothing to say they wouldn't be as satisfying to make, we need to get up and return to our workstation or think about design each day as it takes 10,000 hours before we can call ourselves craftsmen.

Innovation.

Today we had a lecture on Innovation by Dan, I found this lecture really interactive and Dan would let people discuss their points of view. We spoke about privacy on Apps and how innovation has allowed Apple to become successful, thinking about the customer and how we view a product.
He spoke about radical Innovation, how inventions can change our lives such as the light bulb by Thomas Edison in 1800, this may have not been the first time this had been experimented with but it's taking that idea and making it appeal to people. The first Apple computers were intimidating bulky and invented for scientists yet adding a handle and changing the shape and colour to make it friendlier appealed astonishingly to this market.

"I liked the iMac. The modem worked from day one. And it had a handle on top, which was useful now I was 100% freelance and my home was my office, or a rented office was now my office. Moving house or office was much less hassle with the iMac. I switched from the iMac to a Mac PowerBook in around 2004, as I was doing more scriptwriting and wanted the freedom to write wherever I found myself collaborating and had moved out of London."

http://wherediditallgorightblog.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/apple-machines-of-self-loving-grace/

http://fptr.co/category/apple/

The interesting thing about this concept is the fact everything about this computer was the same except the appearance, this showed me that prototyping is so important to being innovative, feedback and group work, having roles within a group and knowing you can trust people to be honest can allow you to become a radical innovator.

Craft hard, Die Free

In our seminar with Cerys this week we discussed the political side to craft.

I found this subject really interesting because it involved designers, makers and general public getting involved in a subject they feel strongly about to create something visual.

Although the knitting a square and adding it to a piece shows support visually I found work by designers individually something further interesting as it becomes more into the mainstream.

Kali Arulpragasam.

Super Fertile is a London based artistic jewelry design house that highlights world issues through highly original pieces that push the traditional boundaries of form, design and reason. After graduating from Central Saint Martin's college, Super Fertile founder and creative director, Kali Arulpragasam, held senior positions in top flight advertising agencies in London, Los Angeles and New York. A decade later she returned to London and brought a new dimension to jewellery design, combining her creative advertising skills with her passion for global politics.

"Her work is highly influenced by social issues with collections titled “Rich Girl vs. Poor Girl” and “Endangered Species”. Her latest collection is called “Terrorism Affects Tourism”. The collection celebrates the positive side to countries that we think of as war-torn and poverty stricken. From the Times:

“There’s more to these countries than guys with guns standing in rubble,” said Ms. Arulpragasam, who fled Sri Lanka with her family 20 years ago. “What are the plants like? What music are the kids listening to? That’s what I wanted to show.”— PRIYA PATEL"These pieces are plated gold and silver and start at $800http://niralimagazine.com/2008/01/kalis-jewel-box/

"London-based jewelry designer Kali Arulpragasam's line, Super Fertile, from her Murder Collection"

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/46302702393891125/

These pieces are very effective and stand out to me from the details and materials used.

Using precious materials to express a political view that is wearable feels a lot stronger to me than a propaganda poster or a knitted political statement and although that involves countless people to get involved these pieces have longevity they speak about current situations and look fantastic on their own or worn. These pieces raise awareness to situations that are overlooked in the media, countries that gain reputations over war this work brings new light too and expresses what they really stand for.

Bauhaus

In our lecture with Adam today we discussed the Bauhaus, their unusual teaching methods and how the students there lived, breathed and slept design.

I was very intrigued by how their curriculum was set out 

I thought it was great that in the first 1/2 year they studied materials and workshops which gave them time to find out who they are and what they want to do.

This curriculum was great for all different types of roles within the industry, everyone experienced working in various workshops before deciding what materials they prefer.

I was also quite confused how Kandinsky, a typographer at Bauhaus created the colour and shape theory.

"It's unfortunate that most of the color theorists since Chevreul have been abstract painters rather than representational ones. I like to thumb through my Itten, Albers and Kandinsky color books once in a while but I have to admit that they're not very usefull. They are a lot of fun, though. Here just for the heck of it, are a couple of Kandinsky color theories. Maybe they'll spur you on to make theories of your own."

"A hexagon is midway in interest between a square and a triangle so it gets the midway color it deserves, orange. Toilet cover seats get green."

http://uncleeddiestheorycorner.blogspot.co.uk/2007/04/kandinskys-color-theories.html

Kandinsky

Composition VIII 

1923 (140 Kb); Oil on canvas, 140 x 201 cm (55 1/8 x 79 1/8 in); Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York 

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/kandinsky/

Through the lecture I was very inspired by the collages by Herbert Bayer, since there wasn't anything such as Photoshop available then, all his work was purely; photography, collaging, drawing and painting.

"Tea infuser and strainer, ca. 1924

Marianne Brandt (German, 1893–1983)
Silver and ebony; H. 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm)
The Beatrice G. Warren and Leila W. Redstone Fund, 2000 (2000.63a–c)

Under the direction of Walter Gropius, the Bauhaus sought a union of art and technology, with an emphasis on developing prototypes for industrial production. Brandt, the sole woman enrolled in the school's metal workshop, designed this silver teapot while still a student. By interrelating a number of pure geometric forms, including the hemisphere, circle, and cylinder, Brandt's design explores their formal relationship in space. Its very form and materials serve as the teapot's sole decorative elements, reflecting the Bauhaus emphasis on simplicity in design, without applied ornament. Like other functional Bauhaus items, the teapot was designed to work well in addition to looking good—it is well balanced and easy to pour. Like many of the metalwork designs of the Bauhaus, the teapot was conceived as a prototype for mass production, though this example is made of brass, silver, and ebony, expensive materials that would have precluded the broad audience hoped for by Bauhaus leaders."

“When Bauhaus designers adopted Sullivan's "form follows function," what they meant was,

form should follow function. And if function is hard enough, form is forced to follow it,because there is no effort to spare for error.Wild animals are beautiful because they have hard lives.”

― Paul Graham

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/347950-when-bauhaus-designers-adopted-sullivan-s-form-follows-function-what-they

I'm very fond of this quote because I do believe form follows function and not just in objects that have an important role in a domestic setting but decoration, such as a painting being a certain size for the expected reaction from it's audience.
I love the simplicity from this movement and how the geometric shapes were a huge part of the Bauhaus work whether it be 3D objects, furniture or graphic work.

Back to the Future: Crafts Interaction with Technology.

Tuesday 14th October, 2014.

Today we spoke about Technology integrated into Craft and our disciplines, I found it interesting how designers jumped at using 3D printers even though the work wasn't amazing it was the idea of how it was made but now this technology has been access-able for a while the work has improved and the results are amazing.

"Nylon collar necklace with complex foldable form using articulated modules; 3D printed jewellery design // Nervous SystemNylon collar necklace with complex foldable form using articulated modules; 3D printed jewellery design // Nervous System"

http://www.vicenzaoro.com/it/

http://www.designboom.com/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/517914025870423012/

I love this piece of jewellery, it shows how precise you can make jewellery using a 3D printer and it's software especially for a scientific subject as the nervous system.

I believe this technology will only allow us to push our ideas and skills further and sometimes it's not a time saver because the files you have to create and experimenting is expensive and time consuming but for finishing results like the image above it may be the only way to create your design.

What I found more interesting was the products that weren't entirely made with technology but are a piece of technology themselves, such as this product
 "Energy Addicts by Naomi Kizner - an invasive jewellery collection that converts kinetic energy from the body's involuntary movements into electricity"

The websites reads "A constant pursuer of missed compositions that believes in simple design with complex capabilities. Designs graphic experiences and a trend theorist that is looking to define the new black. 

Practicing everyday escapism and likes literal minimalism.

A Designer."

http://www.naomikizhner.com/#!

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/53832158021545830/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/520728775638634156/

These pieces have a scientific function but are beautiful objects by themselves created for scientific research that becomes a small technology by themselves.I find objects such as these so interesting from their detail to the reason why the form follows it's function, the materials that are used by the designer and how they're photographed. This whole white background and white material surrounding the products creates a futuristic ambiance. 

Design, Design Thinking

Thursday 9th October 2014.

For this lecture we discussed how to think like a designer and what we should consider when we're designing products, we watched videos of the founders of IDEO speak about their company 

"IDEO (pronounced “eye-dee-oh”) is an award-winning global design firm that takes a human-centered, design-based approach to helping organizations in the public and private sectors innovate and grow.

We identify new ways to serve and support people by uncovering latent needs, behaviors, and desires.

We envision new companies and brands, and we design the products, services, spaces, and interactive experiences that bring them to life.
We help organizations build creative culture and the internal systems required to sustain innovation and launch new ventures.
...

Our Approach: Design Thinking

“Design thinking is a human-centred approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to intergrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success” –Tim Brown, president and CEO"

http://www.ideo.com/uk/

Design Thinking

Thoughts by Tim Brown.

"I’m a big believer in the value of internships, that’s why IDEO runs a substantial program every year. As well as getting experience working on real design projects, our interns are tasked with a series of conceptual projects so they get the most out of their time with us—and vice versa. One of those activities is the Summer Intern Design Challenge, run out of our San Francisco and Palo Alto offices. Interns are asked to team up, tackle a design brief, then present their final prototypes at an exhibition. The Challenge not only gives interns a chance to collaborate with each other, but they leave IDEO with work they can share publicly"

I think this internship is a brilliant idea for graduates as many opportunities require experience but this provides that in a creative way building you up to exhibiting prototypes in an exhibition, this allows interns to have integrity about what and who they're making a design for.

I was very inspired by the video on their front page where the founders Tom and David Kelly 2 brothers speaking about their company and how they innovate and help other business' grow, they emphasized how important people are and what they find meaningful and getting their feedback from drawings and prototypes. They admit working with more people, talking freely about ideas can help designers gain confidence in their prototypes.

 I love the idea of working closely with clients and researching into information deeper creating more problems then solving them. Meeting people with different looks on the world and opposing problems allows you to see the bigger picture and you want to help them solve their problems.

Ideo's philosophy is a different way of working but has been very successful and being a creative company is inspirational to me because they believe everyone can be creative and open minded to advocate change into a successful way.

'Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All'

A few of my favourite things!

Chiara Scarpitti.

"quasicristalli 2011 | Chiara Scarpitti - tetraedri-spille (brooches)"

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/390476230166443390/

"Designer specialized in contemporary jewelry and PhD candidate at International Doctorate in Design and Innovation at Second University of Studies of Naples with a research about the practice of making as speculative research of Design. Her works develop on different aspects of the contemporary, hybridizing the technology with a humanistic approach, using the most innovative production techniques between advanced industry and high craft.

http://www.chiarascarpitti.com/

..

Her shop: http://www.chiarascarpitti.com/shop_online/

Her blog: http://chiarascarpittistudio.tumblr.com/ "

I find Chiara Scarpitti's work inspiring because the mix between structure and organic materials has made me realise that contrast within work plays off each other and makes one another appear stronger or more appealing. I'm very inspired by mixed media objects and projects because of the different textures and elements being mixed. I enjoy her website because of the ambiance she creates, her philosophy on her website reads interesting as she's inspired by poetry and various other art forms. She works in various forms but I love the piece above because of the accuracy and skill behind everything, I think this piece appears simplistic and easy to look at but from a makers perspective I find it amazing how the structure is so straight and perfect.

Han-Chieh Chuang

Red brick brooch serie- silver, copper, enamel, steel wire.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/106397609920043723/

 "Contemporary jewellery artist 

Based in Edinburgh, United Kingdom

From Taipei, Taiwan

My growing background and experience of the environments has strongly influenced the concept of my works. Growing up in such an advanced capital city I have become gradually tired of busy urban lives and yearn for the simple and buoyant life in traditional Taiwanese farming villages where people are sanguine and content. Agriculture has played an extraordinary role in Taiwan’s history. It has brought the island economic foundation and wealth, however as time goes on and the development of technology, traditional agriculture has lost its position. The relationship between people and land has been neglected. I’m proud to be a Taiwanese but I feel sorry for the lost of the dear tradition and the simple attitude toward life. Thus, I look for elements that have come from my affection for my homeland, particularly, the Taiwanese agriculture combining techniques with hand craft skills to complete series of works that I hope to express the strength and emotions connected to my home. I believe art has a strong power of communicating messages. Through my works I expect to pass an idea of the beauty of my homeland and bring it back to those hearts where beauties have been forgotten. 

I use enamel as my working material because of the texture and colours it brings. I’m attracted to its rich possibilities of colours and its characteristic of uniqueness. Every single enameling gives unique result and challenge. Through exploring and controlling the material I tell story of texture and colour and bring out the layers and completeness of my works. "

http://hanchiehchuang.com/

I absolutely love these brooches because Han-Chieh Chuang has incorperated these different textures within their work and pairing it with bright colours, I find it so attractive to the eye. Her work showsdifferent aspects of skills, organic ways using enamel onto the surface and then using steel wire as a perfect structure. Their inspiration behind the work makes me feel like I should explore my enviroment further and cultural differences.

Winde Rienstra.

"Architecture meets Fashion. Haute Couture Collections and Accessoires. Shoe Designer"

https://twitter.com/WindeRienstra

"Winde Rienstra’s work is situated at the boundaries of fashion, art and architecture. Rienstra’s fascination with spatial structures around the human body has led to a recurring play with three-dimensionality. Each of the resulting spatial designs is a new opportunity to allow the materials to shine like jewellery around the human body.

Winde Rienstra is not only know for her fashion designs, but is also famous and appreciated for her experimental and daring shoe designs."

http://www.fashionweek.nl/en/designer/winde-rienstra

Pump

Collection Spring/Summer 2012

photo by Peter Stigter

http://www.virtualshoemuseum.com/winde-rienstra/pump

I'm very interested in the structures and forms Winde Rienstra uses within her fashion, and although she is a fashion designer she uses the body as a jewellery designer would, selecting items as objects and almost changing models posture and figures with these laser cut, formed objects. I love the details and precise application of techniques. I enjoy her website as the colours are musted but the work and interaction of models reflects her intentions.

Overall looking at the designers and imagery that inspires me I have found I'm interested in mixed media designs, attention to detail and texture along with how they interact with the body! This are everything I want to remember when designing jewellery in my discipline, remembering what the function of the piece is and if not wearable such as Wine Rienstra's, it can still be seen as something couture and unique.