3 weeks into my research project, I’m exploring rubbish/waste/discards in art practice and the various types, definitions, categories and artists’ use of it in their practices.

I’ve been looking at the work of British rubbish artists Noble & Webster, recycling doctoral waste, books as rubbish, categorisation and types of rubbish, a municipal waste case study and sculpture as unintentional rubbish receptacle as blogged about on a-n: http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/2334120

I’ve also booked onto The Wasted Conversation at Manchester Science Festival (30 October at MOSI) which is looking Gina Czarnecki’s Wasted Works sculptures and the use of human tissue in art, the life-giving potential of ‘discarded’ body parts and their relationship to myths and history.

Last week’s Cultural Theory lecture was a double bill of Performance and Poetics by Prof Nicholas Temple and Dialogue with Toni Negri, Venice 2012 by  Verina Gfader. Word of the week is cosmopoiesis roughly meaning world-making.

There was also my second curated Pecha Kucha Night Wakefield at the Hepworth Gallery last Thursday, themed Drawing Lines to coincide with this year’s Big Draw. I presented 9 speakers and 3 artists’ films responding to the theme of lines in their practices and influences.

I also reviewed Meanwhile See This at Castlefield Gallery, Manchester, for art contemporary art and writing journal Corridor8.

Alice

I’m Suzi, a second year PdD student at Huddersfield, researching within the art department and looking specifically at art education. I have been spending a lot of time conducting interviews and going through the National Arts Education archives, with which my PhD is affiliated.

When some tutors from the School of Art in Besancon came to visit the university to talk to some PhD students, they asked me if i would like to come and stay at the university for an Artist Residency, so here i am. I am working with the English teacher to help improve the student’s English language, and continuing my research, while also working on my practice.

I’ve been here for only a few days, and already my head is clearing – the change of scene is very refreshing, and i hope to return to Huddersfield with new insights about my research. I’ll be here for 7 weeks…

I’m a final year Surface Designer, in my fourth year after just completing a placement year, where I did two placements; at a Screen-printing company and a Card & Giftwrap design company as well as a bit a freelance work; selling my own designs & gifts.
I’ll be talking about my course in general, some of the classes and lectures we have as well as work as a final year, exhibits of intrest I’ve visited or heard about and also as a student rep I may mention some issues brought up by students on my course.

Laura

So this is my very first blog for the University of Huddersfield, and I have to say, it’s difficult to know where to start so I thought I’d give you a bit of background about me and my studies.

I currently study a BA Hons Textile Crafts and am in my third year which I have chosen to take as a sandwich year. A sandwich year is a great opportunity as it gives you the option to either start your own business, undertake work placements or even go abroad on study exchanges. The best part of a sandwich year is that, if completed, it will go on your degree as opposed to just doing work experience in your spare time.

For my sandwich year I decided I’d like to travel but also to work within the UK. I originally had a work placement confirmed in Italy with a fashion company who create trimmings for top designers, however due to unforeseen circumstances this fell through. Instead, I spent the first six months of the year working for a company called Texere Yarns in Bradford. Texere is an old mill which is now used as a shop to sell yarn and other textile equipment.

Although this placement was unpaid, it was ideal for myself as the hours were as flexible as I needed them which meant I could also keep my other part time jobs. My role whilst there mainly involved creating samples from the yarn on sale to be displayed on the shop floor. Later in my placement I also started creating patterns for knitted garments which are now also being sold with my name on. I found this placement really useful as I was given a lot of freedom and had to learn to be very independant. I also had to teach myself to follow knitting patterns; something I had never done before.

After these 6 months I was due to go work in Italy, however because this had fallen through I instead chose to look into a study exchange and ended up here in Besancon, France.

The school I am studying at is called the Beaux Arts and is a lot different to Huddersfield. For a start, it’s much smaller and so are the class sizes. Moving here has definitley been an experience for me. For a start, this is the first time I have ever lived on my own and away from home. For my first two years of Uni I lived at home in order to save money and keep my jobs but felt that coming abroad was too great of an opportunity to pass on.

My classes are also very different to Huddersfield as is the style of teaching. There are no textile based classes but we can work with textiles within some classes such as sculpture. My favourite class so far has been painting. Each week we are challenged to something new and I feel my work is getting better and better. Back in Huddersfield I had become so focused on the textiles that I forgot about my drawing but by coming here I feel like I will try to balance it a bit more in my Final Year.

I sometimes find the classes difficult due to the amount of freedom we have. Everything is so laid back and very fine-art focused, which is great, but sometimes I miss the support of the tutors at Huddersfield and how they push me to improve.

I also miss British food! I have been craving fish and chips since I got here!

In my next post I’l be talking more about my classes and approaching deadlines.

That’s all for now!

Rosie