Freshers week at Coventry

I attended the Welcome Day, Wednesday 27 September.  Most attendees were PhD students, both part time and full time.  There were also, fewer, MRes students, either full time, or like me, part time.  I could see there were lots of people working on health/engineering related qualifications, and only about 3 in the arts.  (The following day I met these two people, Jennifer who is doing women and domesticity, and is a writer/theorist, and Carole, who is a sculptor who teaches in the education/special needs/prison environments.)

The expectation is that part time students work: 24 hours per week; have 12 meetings with their Supervisor; and once per term meet with whole supervisory team.   You are meant to treat your studies like a job - so I am meant to 'work' 3.5 days a week.

Students are expected to make a significant original contribution to knowledge.  Consider different approaches that might be taken to your subject (possibly mention the research of your assessors!), then define your approach.  

Use this time to diversify your skills
Attend conferences, and prepare yourself to submit papers.
Write articles.

Each student has an entitlement to:

£125 Research allowance - equipment, stationery, software (not sure how I would use this)
£25 for inter-library loans.
200 printer credits.
£300 conference funding, for when your conference paper is accepted!
Bookable workspaces
22 working days holiday.

Look at one thesis in your subject area on the Coventry Uni website.  Maybe use Library - Curve; or British Library - E-thos.

Prepare yourself a 90 day plan:

- Define a question (Jill asked for one question plus 5 subsets).  j
- Create a plan - what are my methods; who are my candidates, refine techniques
- Build relationships with the team - one meeting a month with Jill, first meeting with Imogen; meet with Jennifer and Carole; publish my website to them, what else ....?

Key contacts for Post Graduate Researcher support:

Research Development & Capability Team.
- training and development of research skills.  Recap@Coventry.uk
Student Lifecycle Team.  ru.reg.co.uk

Faculty support:
Postgraduate tutor - pastoral/academic support - but not from your supervisory team.
Ethics

Coventry has dedicated weeks for learning events - writing week, conference week.

15-19 January 2017. Research Hootenany -
3 minute thesis competition.  What and why you are doing it in 3 minutes.
23-27 April 2018. Doctoral Capability and Development Conference 2018
Join the Coventry PhD community on FB.

Consult Global Researchers page for funding.
Join learned societies in your area.  These often have research funding opportunities.  (Like what?  The people running Feminism in London where I have my sampler on display; Eliza Gluckman at New Hall?)

Curriculum Framework meeting. Thursday 28 September. 2 years part time

Students need to define

1. Their literature review
2. Key Questions
    Objectives
    Methodologies and Ethical Approval
    Development Needs Analysis

Compulsory Module - M001 Writing Skills 10 credits.  (100 hours)
Gain additional 30 credits in 1st year.

10 - 20 PGR (Post Graduate Researcher) development credits.
10 - 20 Subject Specific Credits.
______
30 total.

Subject Specific Credits:

Consult the Module Information Directory (MID) to find appropriate subject modules.

Coventry University - portals - student
Login
Study at CU
Doctoral College
Prog Details and checklist
Mandatory Credits
MID
Masters Development courses.

Once I've found suitable module(s), check with the Module leader that they will accept me, then consult Jill, then complete the module choice form and email to RRU.  Modules come in 10, 15 and 20 credit units - but my course only accepts 10 credit blocks.  So I might need to go over if I pick 15 unit modules.

PGR Development credits

These can be conferences, mentoring, seminars, workshops etc.

- Agree actions with Supervisor
- Keep Log
- Write reflective piece
- Submit to RRU.reg@Coventry.

Alan Berry Building for modules.

How to run Supervisory meetings

4 weekly for PT students.  Student's responsibility to:

Book; agenda; provide to supervisors; minute; circulate to all supervisors; file (hard copy and e-file) - key points; actions; outcomes; DONM.

Personal and Research Development

1. Development Needs Analysis and Plan (DNA)
Complete yesterday's form

2. Activity Log
Conferences/Workshops/Seminars.

Create a draft Project Plan.  Use a Gantt chart.
Use the checklists - MSR 1.1, MSR 1.2, MSR 1.3

 Performance Review Panel (PRP)
Every 12 months.  Purpose - to decide whether you progress to next stage.
Panel of 2 - Independent subject expert and Independent chair.  Your Director of Studies will usually be present as an advisor.
15 minute presentation plus questions
End Aug-End September
Submit work in advance when instructed.

Katie Morrison - Arts Ethics administrator

5,000 word submission

Student portal
Moodle
My Course
Other modules
Research Students Website (RSW)
Outputs
Add submission - save changes.
To be submitted 10 days before PRP.

Phase 2  (Year 2?) Use Google Chrome (Not Internet Explorer)
Aims
Data Collection
Analysis
Write Paper
Present at Conferences
Final thesis.

Annual leave 11 days for PT. (Plus 3 day Christmas closedown and Bank Holidays.)

Use university email - they soon won't use your home email.

Arts Induction with Imogen Racz

Her Books:  Contemporary Crafts
Art & the Home: comfort, alienation and the everyday.

Currently working on Speaking off Diverse Practice:  British Art in the 1980s - 30 interviews with artists from the decade.

Use Visual Arts Research Centre.  VAR.

Visit Compton Verney?
Meet Gill Evans - ace specialist librarian.
David Sherriff - tech support; laptop provision aal875@coventry.ac.uk

Store work in many different places - laptop, memory sticks, hard copy.  Obviously this has been a problem before, and she does not want it again!!

Get student card validated for access for

PGR student room in ICE building; MF 128 in Maurice Foss; PGR student room in Graham Sutherland.

Marianne Straub workshop at the School of Textiles, Coggeshall

This workshop was given by Mary Schoeser and Kate Wigley.  All images are from the Marianne Straub Collection,  courtesy of Mary Schoeser, and the School of Textiles.  

Marianne Straub lived 1909-1984.  She was brought up in Switzerland but had polio from the age of 4-8.  This left her with a shortened leg, and she wore a built-up shoe.  When she was hospitalised and in bed, she was given an inkle loom to keep her occupied, by her father, who was a textile designer.  At 17 she commenced fabric design.  She was part of a handworking school of the Bauhaus tradition. There were many schools of this tradition, but 'The Bauhaus' was martyred and became famous due to the mythology of those in exodus.  So, as Mary said -  No, Marianne Straub was not Bauhaus trained.  

Women were excluded from further training in Switzerland, so Straub applied to Bradford, UK, to learn specialised weaving techniques.  She applied as M. Straub, so became the third woman to be accepted on the course, from 1934-36.  Having completed her training, she moved to Hollywell Mill in Wales, where they were keen to work with her.  Her interest lay in designing for their equipment and yarns - Welsh wool.  She celebrated the qualities of the wool and worked to maximise it.  She understood wool as an elastic fibre.  Softly spun, wool is elastic; hard spun it is butch and hard.  She used yarn and weave structure to upholster curves - this meant less stress on the corners.  She became a specialist in madder dyeing.  She because known for her 'language of British modern furniture' - in wool, whereas the Europeans used leather (Corbusier).  

From 37-49 she moved to Helios.  This textile manufacturer produced fabrics for shops, not for decorators.  Her bias designs worked well with the elasticity of wood.  This was design led by use - upholstery was different from curtaining.  During the war years she continued experimenting - and became adept at using left over yarns for her samples.  

During the wartime years, she developed a lot of double sided weaves.  These were expensive as a single piece of fabric, but because they did not need a lining which reduced curtaining costs. These fabrics were effective as curtaining because they were thick and warm due to the double layer of weave.   Examples were Brisbane and Adelaide - possibly for the British Government buildings - she named fabrics for the location either where she was or for the client's location.

Marianne Straub, Brisbane fabric, 1949
Courtesy of V&A museum

Marianne Sträub was designing in line with Government design intentions - using natural forms that had been designed using the new microscopes developed during wartime.    The Afwillite design was used for the restaurant at the Festival of Britain.  It had a huge pattern repeat - about 36".  It drapes beautifully and, being a double weave, was designed to be used unlined.

Afwillite fabric sample, with Marianne Straub's writing on the background.

Marianne Straub hand trialled all designs.  Her original samples are at Warners Textile Archive.  She transferred the feeling of hand weaving into power loom weaving.  She put a lot of effort into getting the warp threads right, so the weft wove quickly.  Yarns relax after being removed from the loom.  She knew that because of the texture achieved by hand weaving, texture read as luxury.  She produced 1000s of designs for multiple companies.  Her designs were informed by wear tests and flammability tests.  Her numbering system (e.g. 2975/1) meant the warp design number, followed by the colour trail number.

Helios fabric sample, note the bias weave for upholstery and variation of colour ways.

She sometimes used uneven spacing on the warp to give a textured weave.  The Ministry of Works commissioned many fabrics for Government buildings which kept the Braintree mills running.

Marian Straub, Silvertown sample.  Woven with a silver lurex fleck.

Marianne Straub textile sample, with her labelling system on a Warners label.

Marianne Straub, experimental cloth High Voltage Cable Suits.
 She designed the fabric for safety suits for people working on high voltage cables.
The dark line is a stainless steel thread, woven at quarter inch spacing
to give protection, along with enough flexibility for wear.

 She was part of the Great Bardfield group of artists.  There were photos of her with this set of people, although she told Mary Schoeser that she preferred some of the artists to others.  There was a photo of the prototype of the Antelope chair, designed by Charles Race, which he kept in his garden (all rusted in the photo) which he left to Marianne Straub in his will.

Straub designed for the cruise liners.  Also designed the Piccadilly and Victoria line mocquette (for train seats).  Also the District line colour way.  Straub believed the role of the designer was to keep weavers in employment.

Marianne Straub, experimental sample to give varied translucency.

Marianne Straub, experiemental sample showing different ways of using float threads

Section of Embroidered Cape, showing label from Mrs L Pilkington

Sleeve from garment woven by Marianne Straub

Weave was very loose,
so a beautifully fine binding has been added to the hem of the sleeve

Raw edge from sleeve seam.  

Marianne Straub went to Gospels for 9 months to learn how to improve her colour weaving.  She conducted many weave tests and introduced Gospels to double cloth weaving.  She used natural dyes for colour work.  The weave sample on the left below, is woven in the style of Gospels.  The centre, and right sample show how she adapted their colour work into her textured weave styles.

Weave samples

Textured sample with varied weight of threads

Textured sample with varied weight of threads

Gospels style weave with one yarn dyed in assorted colours.

Weave sample using coloured threads available post war.  

Strong, flexible upholstery fabric

Natural dyed weave, used as curtains by Marianne Straub and left to  Mary Schoeser

Diamond weave fabric for upholstery, showing front and rear.

Weave sample

Textured weave sample

Aprons woven by and used by Marianne Straub

Detail of above, diamonds about 1" long

"Norwich" Double weave cloth, slashed on one side.

Alec Hunter, key designer at Warners, was the Squire of the Morris Ring in (Braintree?) and asked Marianne Straub to design fabric for the dancers waistcoats.

Double sided weave Burdale, showing both sides.

Corner of Mrs L Pilkington cape.  Astonishing detail around the entire front edges, neck and hem.
All hand stitched.

Experimental sample - Look closely at the weft thread to see how it tracks to and fro.

This sample was worked with overspun weft yarn,
so the thread bobbles up when the tension is released as it is cut off the loom. 

I am not a weaver so I don't really understand the technical details, but her work was way ahead of its time.

Marianne Staub was multi-lingual.  She enjoyed how language was used - terms such as 'use the dye bath to exhaustion.  She worked extensively with symbolism - and considered the ravages of time on cloth.  She saw parallels in the frailty of textiles and people.  She was very self effacing.  She matched knitting yarns and tweedy fabrics.  She understood how dyes worked on different fabrics.

Mary Schoeser's first book proposal was to Marianne Straub about writing a book about her, along with an exhibition at the V&A.

When Mary applied for a job at the V&A, she was asked what exhibition would she like to research and run - she replied it would be about Marianne Straub.  Mary believes this is what got her the job!  So when she approached Marianne Straub, she was surprised at the diffidence with which MS took the approach.  Nothing further was heard from MS - Mary put this down to lack of ego.  The a couple of months later, Mary gave a presentation on another subject at the V&A, and sort of noticed a late entrant to the darkened presentation room - she thought no more about it.  Then Mary had a meeting with MS to discuss the proposal further and was instructed to bring her own dye samples. MS was busy prior to start of discussions and in a rush, said 'Just warp up that loom so I can show you how I work'.  Mary warped the loom in the complex way she had been taught as a student.  MS looked at it, and said "I see you warp in .... style - good!'.   Mary now realises MS had been evaluating Mary's skills as a speaker and her technical skills before giving her consent to allow Mary to write a book about her.  The exhibition took place, and the book was written.

Part of Mary's philosophy now, is about her obligation to pass knowledge forward, which is what she is doing to work with the School of Textiles.

It was a great day at the workshop on Marianne Straub.

Art Class at the Shedio

Art class at the Shedio focussed this week on Line.  We were drawing first, using pen, pencil, something hard, something soft, something sharp and something scratchy.   My first attempts were pretty dreadful, but once I started drawing an iron, and thinking about Aunt Joan, I felt impelled to draw using a scalpel - 'something sharp'.

Iron drawn with scalpel - cutouts.

Line drawing using scalpel - no cutouts.

Iron face plate, drawn with scalpel

Profile of iron cut into edge of page

Faceplate of iron lifted from page surface

Iron faceplate standing up from the page.

And a different angle of the iron standing up from the page

Cut paper iron, using paper pattern instruction page

Cut paper iron using paper pattern instruction page and pattern tissue.
Looks better when illuminated from behind -
but next time ensure the tissue is the same size as the heavier weight top paper!

During the day I could not work out why cutting felt so appropriate - especially as everyone else in class made work that was coloured, textured and more lovely than mine.  But now, after reflection, I realise Aunt Joan used cutting in everything she did - dressmaking, upholstery, glove making, flower arranging, embroidery, knitting.  So cutting as a drawing technique was so, so appropriate.

Grayson Perry at Serpentine Gallery

Great day out at "The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever". There was an extensive selection of Grayson Perry's recent works.  I was particularly taken with how Perry uses very traditional media (pottery, tapestry and metal) and forms in a contemporary way.  He thoroughly researches a contemporary issue (like Brexit) and creates a narrative that can be read by careful observation of the tapestry/pot/woodcut.  I hope that my samplers can be read the same way - a very traditional form, but with a contemporary message.

I spent some time looking at his artworks, and drew a lot of his logos.  On the Brexit tapestry, he had omitted the Crown (indicating he is a princess), and just had the W and Anchor.

Perry makes some interesting artwork, for example, showing how sensitive he is, as an artist - making the comment that he could quote verbatim decades old reviews - both good and bad.  Then he uses these emotional feelings to create a 'puff pot' which immortalise the positive reviews.

Grayson Perry, Puff Pot, Courtesy of Serpentine Gallery

The Battle of Britain tapestry rewarded lengthy observation.  It had the Brexiteers represented on the left behind a railway line, with graffitied railway cottages; no-man's land in the middle with a gathering storm cloud and a rainbow; and a motorway on the right with trucks with Eastern European names, making their way to the coast.  There was a burned out car, creating a plume of smoke, obscuring the vision of drivers leaving/returning to Britain. There were homeless/migrant people camped under the motorway; and a murmuration of starlings (or flock of migrants) in the sky.  Perry as artist sits on his bike in the foreground, observing it all.

Grayson Perry, Battle of Britain tapestry, courtesy of CultureWhisper

Closer inspection also showed patchwork patterns in the weave, and references to classical artworks.  This tapestry was digitally woven - another linking of the traditional form and modern execution.  

Brilliant show.  So glad I went.  Very clever analysis of contemporary issues, illustrated with the observational power of the artist.  Not always comfortable - in fact often uncomfortable - but all the better for it.  

And I bought the catalogue!

Private View at London Met

Last night was the Private View at London Met.  I had mixed feelings about attending, but wanted to celebrate the achievements of my fellow students, who had completed their course this year.

The show was in a section of Calcutta House, which may have been derelict beforehand, but had been given a lick of paint on the walls and the floors sanded.  I was surprised to find it made a good, spacious, exhibition venue.  The MABy Project group were on the second floor.  I have to say, I briefly looked at the ground and first floors where the Fine Art graduates were, and I just did not understand their work at all.

Gareth and Na'ama were my personal Best In Show awards.  Their work was in one section, well spaced, beautifully finished, conscientiously hung - really good finessing in the exhibiting of the work.  Gareth's artwork was atmospheric landscape, with a high level of skill to achieve the finish and patina.  Na'ama's work was sculpture of her hair, in metalwork with patination, by creating vessels to contrast an inside with an outside.  Their work was brilliant.

So having attended in the spirit of celebration, why did I come away feeling more than a little relieved that I had decided to withdraw from the course?  I had pleasant conversations with nearly everyone - students who had finished the course (Sophie, Gareth, Na'ama, Simal, Vlad, Nora); students who had decided to finish next year (Margaret, Lieta), tutors (Simone, Nick, Danielle).  Of those who asked me, I said I had made the right decision for me to leave the course and I was due to start at Coventry later in September.  Simone said I had proved I was able to do research and did not need to start again. I don't agree - the more I think about the Developing Project module, the more I realise I had no idea (and still have no idea) what it was about.  She was obviously bothered that I had jacked in the MA.  Also I think it shows London Met does not realise the poor esteem in which it is held by other organisations - I can't carry the credits across to other universities.  She also said I should not be a student rep again - I have no idea why - I did not think I said anything too out of line. There is something awry in the communication between me and Simone - I just don't understand what she is driving at.

Danielle asked what I was doing now, and I told her about my artwork being exhibited at the Institute of Education, and being shown alongside Caren Garden.  At which point she said networking was just as important as research ... which made me feel incredibly patronised.  I looked at the artwork that was successful to my eyes, and it all was by students who had spent a lot of time developing technique ... which in my opinion makes them very skilled technicians.  And I'm not interested in becoming a skilled technician ... I want to develop my thought.  And this seems to be what the tutors missed from my aims.

I left feeling quite disheartened and very glad to catch my train with seconds to spare, so I could just go home to my husband.

Image courtesy of Gareth Jones - Artist.

Today: About Gareth Jones - Artist

"Whilst language and ideologies appear to give fullness of expression, they fall short due to their fundamental limitations in conveying the ineffable. Philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari compare the generation of concepts to percepts – concepts are built using language (linguistics) to convey meaning, whereas percepts connect the seen to the felt, imagined, and non-lingual. 

Applying this to an artwork they say ‘the thing or the work of art - is a bloc of sensations or a compound of percepts and affects… …the artist creates blocs of percepts and affects.’
In looking at artwork, percepts and feelings generated are paramount - the non-verbal connection that builds between the work and the viewer. Is the power of art due to what it connects with at a fundamental level, rooted in our pre-verbal [or ante-verbal] mind? For communication, Language’s basis is ultimately embodiment which itself gives rise to gesture, visual expression and historically visual communication. 

I aim to delve into a deeper imagination of space and freedom [in these works] the idea of landscape. Investigating the nature of making and gesture, my approach is to compile over time, layer upon layer of washes, scratches, gestural and accidental marks – as an accretion of histories of acts until a wholeness develops – to convey the feeling of place or space."

Idea for research at Coventry.

Progress in many fields - the following recent events are coming together.

1. I've been accepted at Coventry to do a MA Research.
2. I've been on holiday via Gretna and went to the Devil's Porridge museum. I looked at the role of women in WW1, making cordite at Eastriggs, Scotland in the largest munitions factory (3 miles long).  Lots of female heritage (and my great aunt May worked in munitions in the London area during WWII).  I drew the triangular War Service Badge.
3.  I visited Cragside NT - where William Armstrong built the first domestic (! - 100 rooms) home with electric light powered by hydroelectricity.  He made his money from munitions - having used an Archimedes screw to lift water to get height and thus power - then applied the Archimedes screw to rifles to make them more accurate - which was then called rifling.
4. I've found an artist opportunity (paid!) in Enfield, requiring research into female manufacturing work from 1916.  Plus 2 workshops.

WOMEN - A paid opportunity

ACAVA and Building BloQs are calling for proposals from a women artist for a residency for a residency as part of the Heritage Lottery Funded Women at Work: Then and Now project in Enfield.

Artist must show competency with working with machinery within workshop environment.

The selected artist will be resident at Building BloQ's open-access workshop, with full use of state-of-the art machines. She will research Enfield's women in industry since conscription in 1916 and use her findings to interpret and generate a body of work and participatory opportunities for local people. The 12 week residency, starting in mid-October will include a research period at Enfield Local Studies Archive, a visit to The National Co-operative Archives in Manchester and 8 Weeks within the Building BloQ's workshop.

The artist will generate four outputs during their residency:
The artist will collaborate with a Building BloQs maker in facilitating two 3 hour workshops for local people which will aim to engage participants with the heritage of Enfield women's history in manufacturing. The workshops will be hands on and will explore relevant materials and manufacturing processes. The residency will conclude with a public exhibition at The Dugdale Centre, displaying work generated by the artist and workshop participants. The exhibition will include a launch event with a panel-discussion, convened by the artist including key contributors to the project who will speak about the heritage as researched and interpreted. Included in the selected artist’s brief will be the task to design a small publication including documentation of the research material gathered from Enfield and Manchester archives, development of new artwork and the outcomes of the participatory workshop.

Artist Fee
Research and development (1 day a week for 4 weeks @ £133 a day) £532
Making period (2 days a week @ £133 per day for 8 weeks) £2128
Materials £200
Artist Workshop Fee £310
Panel discussion delivery fee £124
Total Payment £3294
Travel to The National Co-operative Archives, Manchester will be covered

If you are interested in this opportunity please submit the follwing by email:
1. Name and address
2. ACAVA membership details
3. A short statement about your practice and why you are interested in researching the heritage of women’s work in Enfield .
4. An brief project proposal for the residency including an example plan for a public workshop (no more than 2 sides of A4)
5. An up to date C.V including 3 images of recent work.
6. Your availability for the project delivery dates.

Deadline 9am Monday 1st October 2017
Interviews to be held on Friday 6th October at Building BloQs

Please send submissions via email to rridgway@acava.org

5. There was a major munitions factory in Enfield.  https://new.enfield.gov.uk/services/leisure-and-culture/museums-and-heritage/past-exhibitions/museums-and-heritage-information-enfield-at-war-1914-1918-royal-small-arms-factory.pdf.  Which notes the lack of knowledge about the women at the factory, although research shows they were present.

6. My idea for the art workshops with the community would be to make triangular On War Service Badges, possibly updated to represent specific women known to the maker.

6. My tutor at Coventry is ok with me following up this opportunity while I am a student in my first year.