EVALUATION: Lead up to the event, personal contribution, the event itself and Unit X as a whole.

Leading Up to the Event:

The concept for the night formed relatively quickly: we played with the idea of it being a 1930s themed night, but in the search for a more ambitious idea that was stronger contextually and in its link to both House Proud and Easter Exchanges, Broke emerged from, "design loves a depression" (which we changed to 'recession' for a short while) and "do I care about design? I'm broke." It was at this point that we had a strong catalyst from which to generate ideas. This was a really strong quality of the group: we had a lot of ideas and many of us bounced off each other well, enriching each other's ideas and developing them as a team.
However, as stronger personalities in the group assumed leading roles, the input, generation of ideas and general final say on which ideas were carried forward or not was stronger from these individuals than others. This put a strain on the group at times, as those who are slightly quieter found it difficult to have their say and have a fair input in the ideas. Those who had assigned themselves leading roles made it very difficult for people to have a voice in the group, and suggestions and ideas from other members were quickly dismissed or, at times, completely ignored. I would say that this may have been one of the factors that affected the attendance of the internal meetings organised by everyone in the group - some may have felt that there was no benefit from them turning up as their opinions and ideas would not be counted anyway.
Having said that, the stronger personalities in the group may have contributed to how quickly the ideas and concepts materialised. We were on time with all that needed to be done and held regular meetings, at least once a week, to catch up with everyone and to make sure that we were all on the same page with regards to the concept of the event and at the same level of progression with workshops, artwork, performance ideas etc.
I found that the majority of the group worked well as a team and many of us were always on hand to help others who needed it. This was especially the case when it came to writing up proposals or a short piece of writing about the work or workshop they were putting in or on for the event. For those who did not feel confident that they could write this piece but had a clear set of ideas that they wanted to include, they would send me the main ideas and I would articulate them into a short paragraph or a few lines, depending on if it was for a label or to be included in the handout.
The meetings at Manchester Art Gallery with Kate Jesson were invaluable to how ideas were realised: a positive about the group is that we always had something to offer for every meeting, whether it be questions about workshops, health and safety, sound, pros and cons of the different rooms - these meetings really helped us to keep up the pace with both the creative side of the night and the practical side.

Personal Contribution:

In the early stages of group meetings, I agreed to be part of a workshops team that intended to generate ideas for the workshops together. The leadership issues I mentioned above meant that the workshop group splintered into many different, unclear ideas that were very difficult to pin down at the beginning. The quilt making and ceramics workshops were solid from the start and only needed the logistics calculating for them, but I felt that there was room for a workshop specifically about drawing.
As seems to be the case with my practice in general, the concept for the workshop was complicated, and after a tutorial with Dave we agreed that maybe a workshop was not the way to go, but instead a performance might work better. I planned this performance over Easter with the intention of keeping it open to public participation, but when I returned after Easter to pitch the clearer ideas to other members of staff at MAG, I knew that the concept wasn't strong enough as a workshop, had no necessity for a performative element and there was already a number of workshops occurring on the night.It was at this point that I made the decision to withdraw my idea for a workshop and concentrate on making a piece in response to House Proud that embodied many of the same ideas.
Making this decision was a turning point for me in Unit X, as I was able to focus on the concepts at hand. I also felt a great sense of satisfaction in how far the idea had come, and pride in my ability to compromise, be flexible, go where the idea takes me and ultimately do what is right by the Thursday Late event.
I enjoyed working with others a great deal, such as with writing the text pieces for the signs and handout, and in return I received a great deal of input and help from members of the team about where the piece should be located, how best to display it and hang it and general support when I was unsure about things.

The Event:

The most successful aspect of the night, without a doubt, was the workshop and bar area in the Clore space. The whole night it was buzzing with energy, and there was not a single workshop left wanting for participants. That space as a whole was such a success, however, that potentially it detracted from other things to see/do/experience in the gallery. I noticed a numerous points in the night that the gallery spaces themselves were relatively empty, while the Clore was bustling with people. This may have been down to not being able to take alcohol into the gallery, though.
One thing I enjoyed during the night which I did not expect to was meeting and greeting visitors and the public that came into the gallery. I felt confident in briefing them on what was going on that evening, and found I was able to identify those who had come in with prior knowledge to the event and those who had simply come to see the exhibition and were not aware of the student takeover. In the case of the latter, I would stress that all exhibitions were open as usual and try to make them comfortable in the space (some were very taken aback by the sound performance and general buzz of the gallery).
I was very surprised at how many people who were not previously aware of an event that night fully embraced the atmosphere. It was lovely to see their faces light up as they entered the spaces, surprised by the energy that they had not been expecting. That was the highlight of the night for me.
I was extremely pleased with how my worked was presented in the end. MAG also provided me with a small spotlight for the piece that really lifted it and made it flow with the rest of the space. I felt that it complimented that particular area well, with its neutral colour palette and wallpaper-esque format. Overall I really felt that it looked like a professional piece of work, and I was especially bemused to be situated next to a Ben Nicholson.

Unit X Overall:

Overall, I would genuinely say that Unit X has been the highlight of my degree so far. From taking part in leading workshops at The Whitworth, seeing where MAG store their art to working closely with MAG in general, it's been an amazing experience.
My intentions when choosing Unit X were to see what else was on offer to me other than being an art practitioner after I graduate. I feel that Unit X has given me a window into the different opportunities that can be had for someone with a Fine Art degree, and I definitely feel like I have more options now.
I would say that the most successful element of Unit X has to be the MAG intensive week. I believe that without working closely with the gallery for a week, getting to know some of the staff and the spaces, the event would not have been what it was and would not have come together in the way that it did. I was not aware of just how much Manchester Art Gallery caters to people from all walks of life, from all backgrounds and situations - they truly are a cultural hub for Manchester and no one is left wanting. Being made aware of just how much else MAG does other than exhibiting art instilled in me a new appreciation for what it does for art and Manchester, and being able to say that I have worked so closely with amazing people like Kate Jesson and Kate Day, even if it was only for a short period of time, makes me feel blessed and proud.

EVENT NIGHT

//BROKE TAKEOVER// @ MANCHESTER ART GALLERY
14.05.15
6PM-9PM

5:00PM-6:00PM - Installation of work in the space with Kate Jesson and technician:

  

6:00PM-6:30PM - Welcoming visitors at Mosley Street entrance

6:30PM-7:30PM - Circulating around House Proud and Easter Exchanges

 

7:30PM-8:00PM - Welcoming visitors into the Atrium

8:00PM-9:00PM - The Clore Gallery

   

Evidence of Engagement and Distribution of Event Over Social Media

Posted on personal Facebook timeline:

Posted on BA Fine Art Facebook Group:

Posted to personal Facebook timeline closer to the event:

Posted to personal Twitter Account using relevant hashtags:

Posted to personal Instagram account on two different dates using relevant hashtags:

OFFICIAL ROTA FOR THE //BROKE TAKEOVER// @ MANCHESTER ART GALLERY

Layout of Information Label for 'Both, One or the Other and Neither'

I decided to create the label on Photoshop rather than on something like Word or Publisher as it allows me to create a document to exactly the dimensions I wanted, which is h:21cm and w:15cm. It meant I could also use a font as close to Helvetica as possible, as that is what is being used for the publication. I played around with the layout quite a bit, placing the logo in different places and trying different spacing until I felt it looked right. I also consulted the rest of the group over Facebook so as to have their input on what they thought looked best as was most succinct with the event as a whole.

In the end, I went for size 12 Arial font for the main body of the label and 16, bold italic for the title of the piece, which I chose to put first rather than my name, which was something I did borrow from the labels already present in House Proud.

The group was unanimous in deciding that the logo was best placed in the middle of the top edge of the label, as that layout had been used previously by another member of the team on their workshop label/sign.
I am really happy with the outcome. I feel it looks professional, contemporary and fresh and I am looking forward to seeing how it will look alongside my work in the gallery. One criticism I would make is that there might be too much writing for the size 12 font, and if the font were any smaller it would be difficult to read. I feel that I chose the lesser of two evils by not condensing the text anymore and losing important information, as opposed to having slightly more room around the sides of the text and the tone of the information feeling rushed and clipped.

Second and Final Draft of Information Label

In response to House Proud, I question why Art and Design are defined as practices independent of each other. I aim to encourage a dialogue between the terms through a drawing that combines my own visual vocabulary with the language of flat-pack furniture instructions.

The drawing adopts a logical flow, becoming methodical and systematic in its realisation, while the rigid flat-pack language has become malleable and fluid once its function is removed.

Originally Amazon delivery packaging, the paper used is generally considered as disposable. By working on found or recycled materials, the ethos of my practice echoes BROKE’s stance on sustainability and ‘make-do-and-mend’ policy. Reconsidering the potential and function of materials and challenging our consumption of design, are key concerns of this piece.

The dimensions of the packing paper assumes a wallpaper format and thus, combined with the designed element of the drawing itself, reconfigures a conceptual drawing into something that could potentially function as wallpaper design. However, the hand-drawn element and absence of printing processes may lead to the conclusion that this is an artwork in its own right and should be displayed singly as such. Whether this piece is an example of both art and design is contradictory in nature: it is both, one or the other and neither simultaneously.

Word count: 212

I also need to think about how this is going to be displayed as a sign, such as the dimensions it needs to be, what type of text and its size and also whether or not to include the BROKE logo. I feel it would be better to create our own layout separate to that of the one MAG adopts to label their work, as we are a separate company and it would look more professional to have a unanimous coherent voice in all aspects of the evening, including things like the texts and layouts.

Notes from meeting:

First Draft of Information Label and Info for Handout

In response to House Proud, I question why Art and Design are defined as practices independent of each other and aim to encourage a dialogue between the two terms through a drawing piece that embodies them simultaneously.

Using my own drawing vocabulary in collaboration with the language of flat-pack furniture instructions, attributes of both practices have been exchanged so as to blur the line between art and design: the drawing adopts a logical flow, the process becoming methodical and systematic in its realisation, while the rigid language of the flat-pack furniture instructions has become malleable and fluid in having its function removed.

Originally a packing filler used in Amazon delivery boxes, the paper used for this piece is generally considered as disposable. By working on found, recycled or gifted materials, the ethos of my practice and this piece in particular echoes that of BROKE and is in full support of the company’s stance on sustainability. Additionally, this piece pays homage to BROKE’s ‘make-do-and-mend’ policy: their emphasis on being creative with materials, reconsidering their potential and function and challenging our consumption of design are key concerns of this piece.

In coherence with this, the dimensions of the packing paper means that it assumes a wallpaper format and thus, combined with the designed element of the drawing itself, reconfigures what is actually a conceptual drawing into something that could potentially function as a piece of wallpaper design. However, the hand-drawn element and absence of printing processes in the piece may lead one to conclude that this is an artwork in its own right and should be displayed singly as such. Whether this piece is an example of both art and design is contradictory in nature: it is both, one or the other and neither simultaneously.

Word count: 293

NEEDS CONDENSING, ALSO NEED SMALLER VERSION FOR HANDOUT:

“In response to ‘House Proud’, Georgia Markham questions why Art and Design are defined as practices independent of each other and aims to encourage a dialogue between the two terms through a drawing piece that embodies them simultaneously.”