Basic Design: a practice-led investigation into the significance of space and form in art school pedagogy
Lead Research Organisation:
Newcastle University
Department Name: Sch of Arts and Cultures
Abstract
This practice-led PhD research will explore the significance of the Basic Design Art School pedagogy that developed particularly in the North East at Newcastle under the auspices of Victor Pasmore and Richard Hamilton. It is one of three AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Awards exploring art education in the North East and is in partnership with Tyne and Wear Museums.
Research Questions:
The project as a whole seeks to tackle the following questions:
- What role did art education play in the culture of the North East between 1930 and 1970?
- What were the key innovations in art education at Newcastle University?
How did these impact pedagogic goals and perceived values of arts? How important were individuals and their artistic practices to these developments? What was the significance of these developments to curriculum development and teaching at both national and international institutions?
And in particular this practice-led element addresses the following research questions:
- How might Basic Design be reconsidered in the present through its interrogation by contemporary practice?
- What is the role of sculpture within Basic Design? What insight can a sculptural approach bring to the largely two-dimensional outputs of Basic Design? How can the exercises undertaken as part of Basic Design bring fresh insights to contemporary sculptural process?
Research Context
Newcastle's Hatton Gallery and school of Fine Art have played a significant role in modern art history. During the 1950s and 1960s its staff included some of the most prestigious names in British art; Victor Pasmore, the Master of Painting, was one of Britain's leading abstract artists and Richard Hamilton, his chief assistant, was soon to become known as the 'father of Pop-Art'. What also made the Fine Art School one of the most advances and progressive in the country was the Basic Design course, which emerged as a radical form of art training and continues to underpin art education today.
The history of this educational development has, until recently, been under investigated but it has received some recent partial recognition through the Tate's 'Art School Educated' research (2009- 2014) resulting in the 'Basic Design' exhibition (2013), and a two-day conference on Hamilton and Pasmore at Newcastle, 2013 convened by Frances Spalding. It quickly transpired that the Tate's project was built on a false premise as many of the major developments of the period were generated in the North of England at Leeds College of Art and Newcastle (then King's College Durham), and not
London. More than this, other aspects of the teaching at Newcastle, and more broadly across the country, remain almost wholly neglected in studies of Fine Art pedagogy; namely the constitution and role of the 'teaching collection', and, linked to this, how expertise from Universities integrated with initiatives such as the Workers Educational Association to teach outside the University.
Research Approach
This practice-led PhD will draw on the archives of Tyne and Wear Museums, specifically the Hatton Gallery, and the Fine Art Education Archive at Bretton Hall. Material to be consulted will include works of art, education material, interviews and associated writings. If appropriate, interviews will also be conducted with former students and staff who taught on or undertook Basic Design. Research will progress through a series of experimental case studies investigating, in particular material, sculptural and spatial aspects of Basic Design.
This research will make an important contribution to understanding Basic Design and its contemporary relevance, provide a significant response to an important but neglected archive, reinvigorate understanding of teaching collections and contribute to emergent research on art education, both regionally and nationally.
Research Questions:
The project as a whole seeks to tackle the following questions:
- What role did art education play in the culture of the North East between 1930 and 1970?
- What were the key innovations in art education at Newcastle University?
How did these impact pedagogic goals and perceived values of arts? How important were individuals and their artistic practices to these developments? What was the significance of these developments to curriculum development and teaching at both national and international institutions?
And in particular this practice-led element addresses the following research questions:
- How might Basic Design be reconsidered in the present through its interrogation by contemporary practice?
- What is the role of sculpture within Basic Design? What insight can a sculptural approach bring to the largely two-dimensional outputs of Basic Design? How can the exercises undertaken as part of Basic Design bring fresh insights to contemporary sculptural process?
Research Context
Newcastle's Hatton Gallery and school of Fine Art have played a significant role in modern art history. During the 1950s and 1960s its staff included some of the most prestigious names in British art; Victor Pasmore, the Master of Painting, was one of Britain's leading abstract artists and Richard Hamilton, his chief assistant, was soon to become known as the 'father of Pop-Art'. What also made the Fine Art School one of the most advances and progressive in the country was the Basic Design course, which emerged as a radical form of art training and continues to underpin art education today.
The history of this educational development has, until recently, been under investigated but it has received some recent partial recognition through the Tate's 'Art School Educated' research (2009- 2014) resulting in the 'Basic Design' exhibition (2013), and a two-day conference on Hamilton and Pasmore at Newcastle, 2013 convened by Frances Spalding. It quickly transpired that the Tate's project was built on a false premise as many of the major developments of the period were generated in the North of England at Leeds College of Art and Newcastle (then King's College Durham), and not
London. More than this, other aspects of the teaching at Newcastle, and more broadly across the country, remain almost wholly neglected in studies of Fine Art pedagogy; namely the constitution and role of the 'teaching collection', and, linked to this, how expertise from Universities integrated with initiatives such as the Workers Educational Association to teach outside the University.
Research Approach
This practice-led PhD will draw on the archives of Tyne and Wear Museums, specifically the Hatton Gallery, and the Fine Art Education Archive at Bretton Hall. Material to be consulted will include works of art, education material, interviews and associated writings. If appropriate, interviews will also be conducted with former students and staff who taught on or undertook Basic Design. Research will progress through a series of experimental case studies investigating, in particular material, sculptural and spatial aspects of Basic Design.
This research will make an important contribution to understanding Basic Design and its contemporary relevance, provide a significant response to an important but neglected archive, reinvigorate understanding of teaching collections and contribute to emergent research on art education, both regionally and nationally.
| Title | "Draw a Square and Personalise it" |
| Description | The work comprised of a original archival photograph from Newcastle University's Fine Art collection which depicted Murray Mccheyne( the Head of Sculpture In the 1950's and 1960's) in front of some sculpture space frame (a exercise on the Basic Course which explored space and the three dimensional plane). This Photograph was displayed alongside a three dimensional paper college which was exploring the break down of the square into three- dimensional relief. My work was displayed within the inaugural exhibition called Fully Awake at the Gallery Blip Blip Blip, Leeds.My work also featured within the accompanying catalogue. |
| Type Of Art | Artwork |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Impact | Through exhibiting work in this exhibition, it allowed my work exposure to a wider audience. Because of the premise of how the exhibition was curated and selected, the artist and curator Ian Hartshorne, selected a number of artists educators, then these artists were asked to invite an artist that they had been taught by; and an artist that they had taught themselves to exhibit alongside them. Through this process it allowed my work to be in dialogue with both earlier career artists and more established artists. |
| URL | http://blipblipblip.co.uk/archive/fully_awake.html |
| Title | A Continuing Process |
| Description | Drawing inspiration from the archive, the Hatton's progressive culture of display and first-hand accounts, this exhibition explored the Basic Course and the critical role of both the 'exhibition' and the three-dimensional output. Using drawing, collage and installation practice, this show sought to interrogate and shine a light to this largely uninvestigated history through the lens of contemporary exhibition-making practice. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | It was a great oppertunity to dissminate my research to the public and to show archival material which had not been displayed to the public before. |
| Title | A Performative Lecture |
| Description | Expanding on the work 'Archival-Constructions' (2018) exhibited as part of 'Women Artists of the North East Library' at Workplace, I gave a performative lecture about my current and ongoing research into the pedagogical developments of the Basic Course at Newcastle University during the 1950's and 1960s and explored the narrative of the archive. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Impact | - first time I performed some of my text I have generated as part of my research. This was a great testing ground for this way of working. |
| URL | http://www.harrietsutcliffe.co.uk/news/ |
| Title | Everyday political exhibition |
| Description | Artists // Foundation Press, Emily Hesse, Joy Labinjo, Toby Phips Lloyd, Gayle Meikle with Ciara Lenihan, Kuba Ryniewicz with Deborah Bower, Jo Coupe and Janina Sabaliauskaite, Mark Pinder, Matt Antoniak, Jade Sweeting with Keano Anton, Holly Argent and Harriet Sutcliffe with the Women Artists of the North East Library The Everyday Political brings together artists and art collectives from the North East of England. Expanding on Holly Argent's Women Artists of the North East Library (Workplace Foundation, Gateshead, 22 June - 9 September), elements of the library will be exhibited at CGP London alongside new work including audio, text, painting and photography. The exhibition, curated by George Vasey, resists neat thematics and foregrounds a series of questions: how can we articulate a strategic regionalism? How do we frame the messiness and intimacy of the social? What are the current and localised urgencies felt within the North East and can they be transferred to another city? And where is north from here? These questions form a metaphorical metronome for the exhibition; if the curator establishes a rhythm section, then the participating artists provide the melody. This is further articulated through the conversational and collaborative nature of the group show. By inviting artists to suggest other participants from the region, intergenerational voices echo throughout the show in different guises. As such, The Everyday Political becomes a particularly subjective travelogue - a letter written from the North by the artists who live there. Taking inspiration from Joy Labinjo's paintings of her family, the exhibition forms a type of portrait of this art scene. Central to the exhibition is a series of photographs by Kuba Ryniewicz who has created a set of new narrative portraits in collaboration with the artists Deborah Bower, Jo Coupe and Janina Sabaliauskaite. These artists were nominated by Holly Argent and Jade Sweeting as influences on their respective practices and, through citation and homage, articulate the core values of the exhibition. Photographer Mark Pinder will be presenting images from his archive dating back to 1987, forming a fragmented portrait of the region during that period. Conversations had by the curator whilst undertaking a Teaching Fellowship at Newcastle University are manifested in The Everyday Political - developed by Vasey in conversation with Holly Argent and Workplace Foundation in response to the Great Exhibition of the North (June - September 2018). One of my archival constructions were shown in this exhibition. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Impact | - It was my first London group show - Increased my network - The exhibition was written up in two well known art journals - It was great exposure for my work and my research to new and diverse audiences. |
| URL | https://cgplondon.org/the-everyday-political/ |
| Title | Hatton Offsite Shortlisted Artist exhibition |
| Description | This exhibition showcased the three shortlisted artists, for the Hatton gallery offsite commission: Jack Mutton and myself, Catrin Huber and Toby Patterson. The brief was to create a temporary structure and pavilion that would showcase the Hatton gallery around Newcastle and Gateshead while the gallery was closed for refurbishment. For my collaborative proposal with architect Jack Mutton, we proposed to create a pavillion that would showcase facsimiles of the Hatton Gallery collection, displayed on a curved steel mesh frame. Inspired by the inspirational, innovative exhibition histories of the Hatton Gallery, for example, Richard Hamilton's (1955) exhibition, Man Machine and Motion and his collaborative exhibition with Victor Pasmore and critic Lawrence Alloway, An Exhibit (1957). Both these exhibitions took influence and precedent from avant garde exhibition designs in central Europe such as Mostra di Studi sulle Proporzioni IX Triennale di Milani 1951 and pavilions design by Le Corbusier. Much in the same way our proposal and gallery installation took further inspiration from pioneering exhibition design in referencing Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, Cafe Samt & Seide exhibition in which hanging silk and velvet curtains were used to create intimate areas for display and events to happen. Instead of silk and velvet our proposal took inspiration from materials used within the archive and art conservation. We wanted to be able to view the collection in a different and unique way from that which you would normally view a work from the collection. Instead of seeing the whole painting or work, we wanted to abstract the painting from the collection by cropping sections from the painting with cut out framed holes within the fabric curtains that would drape in front of the paintings. It was important to us that a variety of works were chosen from the collection as we believed it was vital to showcase the breath of style, technique and period within it. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2016 |
| Impact | Through this exhibition I increased my network through meeting people at the exhibition opening. My work was seen by a large audience as it was exhibited in one of Newcastle's major museum and Galleries. The work was also in dialogue with more established artists than myself. Furthermore the exhibition allowed me space to creatively respond to my research and enabled me to gain more of a form. Through the work it enabled me to be more critically engaged with the Hatton collection and familiarise myself more of how the collection was constructed and what work had been collected during the period I am researching. |
| URL | https://hattongallery.org.uk/showcase-artists-announcement |
| Title | Re-frame/Re-model: Reconstructing the archive |
| Description | Re-frame/Re-model: Reconstructing the archive, is a collaborative exhibition with my fellow CDA researcher. Within this exhibition we are showcasing the evolving processes of our research focusing on Newcastle University's Fine Art Department in the 1950's and 1960's. We have drawn inspiration from the Hatton Gallery archives and the experiences of staff and students. My practice-led research investigates the radical pedagogy of the Basic Course developed by Richard Hamilton and Victor Pasmore. This exhibition explores the relationship and translation of two-dimensional and three-dimensional material, my practice is informed by discoveries made within the archival material and through the Basic Course content. The exhibition consists of two large sculptural frames which I have designed and made myself. They are made of walnut dowel, painted mdf, archival hooks, archival plastic wallets and archival material from the University Fine Art Collection. These large structures have been developed and informed by the archival two-dimensional archival material I have discovered, as well as the exhibition history of the Hatton Gallery, with particular reference to Richard Hamilton's 1955 exhibition Man, Machine and Motion, where Hamilton displayed photographic reproductions on hanging traffolyte plastic panels. In my current exhibition, as well as being sculptures in their own right, my structures also become an exhibition mechanism for my colleague and I to showcase our research and archival material from the collection. As in Hamilton's Man, Machine and Motion exhibition, the experience of walking around the structures creates a relationship between the material that is displayed within these structures and the paintings displayed on the walls. In this way a dialogue and conversation is established with each other. Within the exhibition space I also have a large mild steel painted sculpture which explores colour and the relationship between two dimensional and three dimensional material relating to the Basic Course. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Impact | This has been an interesting and fruitful collaboration, both in terms of developing our research and also highlighting our different approaches, artistically through my practice-led research and also through how my collaborative partner has interpreted the archival material as a more theoretical thesis based PhD researcher. The exhibition has also highlighted our joint interests within our CDA project, namely our interest in the photographic reproduction and archival based research. |
| URL | https://hattongallery.org.uk/whats-on/re-frame-re-model-reconstructing-the-archive |
| Title | Re-frame/Re-model:Reconstructing the Archive - self-published Artist's Book/catalogue |
| Description | A 20 page A5 sized, self-published Artist's Book/catalogue printed in the Fine Art Department of Newcastle University, created as a record of and response to the exhibition, Re-frame/Re-model: Reconstructing the Archive, of February to May 2018 (separately recorded under Engagement Activities) The exhibition was the result of a collaboration between myself and my fellow AHRC CDA partner, Melanie Stephenson. The catalogue/publication was an ongoing collaboration as a result of the exhibition, which included photographs of the exhibition and texts either designed for or written in response to the exhibition and adapted for the context of the Artist's Book. I designed the layout and overall design of the catalogue. As well as the design and construction of this catalogue, I also contributed a semi fictional transcription between myself and my fictional protagonist in my research, Joan Iona Clift . Melanie Stephenson and I chose the materials for the catalogue, printed the text and photographs in the Fine Art Department and the assembled the catalogue by hand. The catalogue is being produced in at least two editions of 50. |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | Melanie Stephenson and I gave out the publication at a talk we delivered to our peers, tutors and supervisors and other members of the University Community, on 6 February 2019 (recorded separately under Engagement Activities). We gave out 35 copies thereby circulating a record of our collaborative exhibition and a reference point for our research. |
| Title | Women artist of the North East Library exhibition |
| Description | Women Artists of the North East Library is an artist-led project that brings together donated material, including: books, art, images, oral histories and music, to form a usable resource that contributes to the history of women artists working in the region. The Library was initiated by Holly Argent & Rene McBrearty in 2017 and is currently hosted by The Northern Charter in Newcastle. Throughout the Great Exhibition of the North 2018 the library will be resident at Workplace Foundation in Gateshead and available to the public as an evolving exhibition, library, and platform for events and discussions. The project aims to use the premise of presenting artists work as an opportunity to explore the act of building such a library; In what ways do artists make work in relation to, or with, other artists? How can a library of women artists associated with a region, exist for a community? How do we find our role models? Can archival strategies contribute to intergenerational conversations and art making? My work work Archival construction were show alongside artist Phyllis Christopher, Tess Denman-Cleaver, and Kate Liston. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Impact | - It was a great opportunity to test out ideas and experiment with my display/ installation whilst allowing the work to connect and be in conversation with other artists. - Exposer for my work, being part of the Great exhibition of the North programme, my work could connect to new a diverse audiences. - Increased my network. |
| URL | https://www.workplacegallery.co.uk/exhibitions/179/overview/ |
| Description | As I have not yet completed my research it is not yet possible to clearly identify how this award has contributed to any non-academic impacts.I believe that through exhibiting my research in a number of different forms it has enabled the public to engage with the Hatton gallery collection and archive in a new and different way. This has resulted in people reviewing and reflecting on their experience of the art school, on their past and current art practice and re-visiting their own archives. Furthermore, through interviewing and talking to alumni, my research has enabled them to re-engage with their past and their own history. Some of the people I have been in contact with have continued to engage with my research. This has resulted in an ongoing dialogue and sharing of information. In some cases, I believe, this has had the effect of re-connecting them more definitively with the activities of the Hatton Gallery, the Hatton Gallery Archive, the Fine Art School and the University. The exhibition Re-frame/Re-model: Reconstructing the Archive (reported under Engagement Activities), on which I collaborated, aimed to engage the gallery visitors with the Hatton Gallery collection and Archive and the pedagogy of the Fine Art School in the 1950s and 1960s. The Hatton Gallery estimates that it is visited by around 3,400 people each month so the exhibition had the potential to reach 10,000 - 12,000 visitors in its 15-week duration. This number would have included people of all ages and from diverse backgrounds, and will have attracted audiences locally, regionally and nationally, especially through the Hatton Gallery's participation, education and public engagement event of art workshops and talks which take place in the Learning Space adjoining the gallery in which the exhibition was held. I would like to think that all the engagement, exhibitions, collaborative activities that I have reported may be increasing awareness of the history of the Hatton Gallery and the history and legacy of the Fine Art department, encouraging people to visit the gallery and engage with the gallery and university's public programme and research outputs. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2016 |
| Sector | Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
| Description | Pioneers of Pop Exhibition display cabinet |
| Organisation | Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | In October 2017 my fellow PhD Collaborative Doctatorial (CDA) researcher/colleague and I helped to to curate one of the cabinet displays in an inaugural show in the newly refurbished gallery. The exhibition tried to highlight the North East's contribution to the development of British Pop Art. My colleague and I were asked to curate a cabinet that gave a flavour of the art school, the Hatton Gallery exhibition programme and life in the North East during the time Richard Hamilton taught within the department (1953-1966). We included archival photographs of the department and the Gallery together with exhibition catalogues, letters and correspondence and articles relating to the The Basic Course from the student magazine The Courier. Through the material we selected, we wanted to create an overview, as best as we could, of the sort of activities and events that happened at the art school during the time in which Hamilton was in the department. |
| Collaborator Contribution | TWAM provided access to the Hatton Gallery Archives and to the collection of exhibition catalogues, We also worked closely with the exhibition team at the Hatton and also Newcastle University's Special Collection team who provided us with some of the material. Please note that the financial and in-kind contributions described in this entry are the total amounts provided by TWAM over the three years of the CDA for all activities undertaken during the period of the award |
| Impact | -Developed my art and archival handling skills. -Made me more aware of some of the material that might be useful to my research in special collections. -It developed my exhibition communication skills. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | TWAM - Collection exhibition |
| Organisation | Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | In January 2016 my fellow PhD Collaborative Doctatorial (CDA) researcher/colleague and I helped to to curate the sculpture gallery in the Collection exhibition. The Collection exhibition was the last show in the gallery before it closed. This was a fantastic opportunity to be able to work alongside the Hatton Gallery's curatorial team as well as the front of house staff to realise this part of the show. My colleague and I were able to choose and curate a number of different sculptures, constructions, posters and archival material relating to the collection. It was fantastic to be able to endeavour to give a flavour of the kind of material the Hatton gallery holds relating to sculpture. I also documented the exhibition for the Hatton, so they were able to have a visual record of the exhibition for their archives. |
| Collaborator Contribution | My direct collaboration has been with the PhD researcher who is part of this CDA with the Hatton Gallery/Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums. TWAM provided access to the Hatton Gallery Archives and collection, curatorial expertise, Technical help from the front of house team and art handling advise from the conservation team. Please note that the financial and in-kind contributions described in this entry are the total amounts provided by TWAM over the three years of the CDA for all activities undertaken during the period of the award |
| Impact | The exhibition curatorial process has provided me with a more in-depth understanding of the Hatton Gallery and its collection. It allowed me to develop my curatorial skills, by trying to gain a visual but interesting balance from the material that we picked whilst at the same time trying to give a impression of the breadth and depth of the Hatton Collection and provide the audience with an interesting narrative, through the objects, sculptures and archival material that my colleague and I selected. It also provided me with skills in art handling and gave me insight into parts of the conservation and preservation work relating to exhibitions. The curation of this room also made me research more into the original plans for the Hatton gallery, and how the building has changed since the extension of the building in the 1960's. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | TWAM - Collection exhibition |
| Organisation | Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | In January 2016 my fellow PhD Collaborative Doctatorial (CDA) researcher/colleague and I helped to to curate the sculpture gallery in the Collection exhibition. The Collection exhibition was the last show in the gallery before it closed. This was a fantastic opportunity to be able to work alongside the Hatton Gallery's curatorial team as well as the front of house staff to realise this part of the show. My colleague and I were able to choose and curate a number of different sculptures, constructions, posters and archival material relating to the collection. It was fantastic to be able to endeavour to give a flavour of the kind of material the Hatton gallery holds relating to sculpture. I also documented the exhibition for the Hatton, so they were able to have a visual record of the exhibition for their archives. |
| Collaborator Contribution | My direct collaboration has been with the PhD researcher who is part of this CDA with the Hatton Gallery/Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums. TWAM provided access to the Hatton Gallery Archives and collection, curatorial expertise, Technical help from the front of house team and art handling advise from the conservation team. Please note that the financial and in-kind contributions described in this entry are the total amounts provided by TWAM over the three years of the CDA for all activities undertaken during the period of the award |
| Impact | The exhibition curatorial process has provided me with a more in-depth understanding of the Hatton Gallery and its collection. It allowed me to develop my curatorial skills, by trying to gain a visual but interesting balance from the material that we picked whilst at the same time trying to give a impression of the breadth and depth of the Hatton Collection and provide the audience with an interesting narrative, through the objects, sculptures and archival material that my colleague and I selected. It also provided me with skills in art handling and gave me insight into parts of the conservation and preservation work relating to exhibitions. The curation of this room also made me research more into the original plans for the Hatton gallery, and how the building has changed since the extension of the building in the 1960's. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | TWAM - Hatton Exhibition Catalogue Collection |
| Organisation | Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | In May/June 2016 my fellow PhD Collaborative Doctoral Award (CDA) researcher/colleague, and I helped to create a photographic record of the entire printed exhibition catalogues held in the Hatton Gallery archive collection from the 1950s - 1970s. An individual record was made for each catalogue recording a brief physical description of each item, its condition, date, content, designer and publisher (where identified). From this work we have been able to decipher the coding used by the King's College printing service, so that we are now able to identify the date of the publication and how many catalogues were produced. This newly created catalogue database will be a useful tool for future researchers and TWAM staff as they are now able to access and identify the relevant information more quickly easily than was the case using the previous working system at TWAM. Furthermore, with the increased interest in post war exhibition design and production, this new record will be able to provide both visual and textual detail on how exhibitions changed and developed during this period both locally and nationally and more specifically how catalogue design and style was influenced by tutor and artist Richard Hamilton and his students |
| Collaborator Contribution | TWAM provided access to the Hatton Gallery Archives and to the collection of exhibition catalogues. Please note that the financial and in-kind contributions described in this entry are the total amounts provided by TWAM over the three years of the CDA for all activities undertaken during the period of the award |
| Impact | My direct collaboration has been with the PhD researcher who is part of this CDA with the Hatton Gallery/Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums. Through the process I have gained insight into thesis-based research,and have gained a understanding on how she is using the Hatton archive in her own research which contrasts with how I am using it within my practice- led research. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Tyne and Wear Museums: Poster catalogue |
| Organisation | Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | In May/June 2016, my fellow PhD Collaborative Doctoral (CDA) researcher/colleague and I helped to create a photographic record for the Hatton Gallery poster collection from the 1950's - 1960's. We created a record for each individual catalogue. This record recorded a brief physical description of each item listed, its condition, the date, content, designer and printmaker (where identified). This new poster database created by us, will be a useful tool for future researchers and TWAM staff as they are now able to access and identify the relevant information more quickly and more easily than from the previous working system at TWAM. |
| Collaborator Contribution | TWAM provided access to the Hatton Gallery Archives and to the collection of posters. We also worked with the paper conservator who helped us identify the paper stock and printing technique for each of the posters from the collection. (We also made a audio recording of this discussion.) Please note that the financial and in-kind contributions described in this entry are the total amounts provided by TWAM over the three years of the CDA for all activities undertaken during the period of the award |
| Impact | My direct collaboration has been with the PhD researcher who is part of this CDA with the Hatton Gallery/Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums. Through the process I have gained insight into thesis-based research, and have gained an understanding on how she is using the Hatton archive in her own research and how this contrasts with how I am using it within my own practice-led research. The exhibition poster recording process has provided me with a more in-depth understanding of the Hatton Gallery exhibition history during the period I am researching and also provided me with a greater understanding of the various printing techniques that were used to produce exhibition posters both in house by students and staff at the university, and commercially during the 1950s - 1960s. I have also gained knowledge and understanding around the poster design, style and content surrounding the promotion of exhibition through printed media. Furthermore, it has allowed me a greater understanding of the Hatton Gallery exhibition programme during this period. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | A Continual Process Workshop - Thinking Through Making, Scarborough Winter School, Crescent Arts, Scarborough School of Arts |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | The workshop was inspired by one of the exercises undertaken on the Basic Design Course designed by Richard Hamilton and Victor Pasmore at Newcastle University. This was a spontaneous attempt to introduce a more open-ended and experimental mode of working more in tune with the radical spirit of European and American modernism during the 1950's and 1960's concentrating on the process rather than the finished artwork. This workshop used positive and negative image making using the medium of collage. By the simple act of adding and subtracting, doing and learning through the experience, it is hoped that this would bring new creative, interest and understanding into the process of what the Basic Design course was attempting to achieve. The event sparked off discussion and debate over the role of art education now and how art and design as subjects should remain as a core subjects within the school curriculum. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.crescentarts.co.uk/scarborough-winter-school/ |
| Description | A New Kind of Art School - AAH conference paper |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A joint paper, by myself and Melanie Stephenson. In this presentation explored how Gowing's, Hamilton's and Pasmore's art practices and ideas, combined with the environment offered by the Hatton Gallery and the University, helped inform and develop the art pedagogy of the Fine Art Department, which in turn significantly shaped the course of art education through the 1960s and beyond. We will also described how this knowledge has been formulated through collaboration between Sutcliffe's contemporary art-practice-led and Stephenson's more traditional thesis-based research. The purpose of the paper was to showcase our joint findings and differing approach to the research but also to gain critical peer feedback. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://forarthistory.org.uk/our-work/conference/2019-annual-conference/pedagogy-and-practice-in-the... |
| Description | Basic Course Workshop - Hatton Gallery |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The workshop was designed so that participants could understand what the Basic Course was through carrying out a number of different Basic Course exercises. For instance, exercises relating to line, shape, shape relationship, positive and negative, and point were all explored during the workshop. The workshop hoped that this would bring new creative, interest and understanding into the process of what the Basic course was and what it was attempting to achieve. It also aimed to discover whether this style of teaching was relevant to contemporary art practices. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Basic Design Second year strand, Newcastle University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Four week practical strand course exploring and investigating line, shape, shape relationship, positive negative, point and exhibition design as a pedagogic tool. The workshop hoped that this would bring new creative, interest and understanding into the process of what the Basic course was and what it was attempting to achieve. It also aimed to discover whether this style of teaching was relevant to a contemporary fine art curriculum. The students work culminated in an exhibition which was made and designed in collaboration with the students. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Basic Design Workshop and Talk: Friends of the Hatton Gallery |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Practical workshop and talk on the radical pedagogy of the Basic Design course. Participants were to respond to 4 exercises from the original basic course; a line exercise, positive, negative exercise, point and a shape exercise. It was hoped that the workshop would bring new, creative, interest and understanding into the process of what the Basic Course was, and what it was attempting to achieve. It also aimed to try and discover whether the participants felt that this style of art education was relevant to the contemporary curriculum. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Basic Design Workshop and Talk: Hatton Gallery |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Practical workshop and talk on the radical pedagogy of the Basic Design course. Participants were to respond to three exercises from the original basic course; a line exercise, positive, negative exercise and a shape exercise. It was hoped that the workshop would bring new, creative, interest and understanding into the process of what the Basic Course was, and what it was attempting to achieve. It also aimed to try and discover whether the participants felt that this style of art education was relevant to the contemporary curriculum. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Basic Design Workshop, HMO, Workshops with Artist/educators |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Inspired by one of the experimental, process-led exercises undertaken on the Basic Design Course. It aims to begin to explore whether the exercises are relevant and useful in the context of contemporary Fine Art training. Participants contributed their own experience and knowledge as artists/ educators. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Basic Design workshop and talk: Hatton Gallery - L-ink |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Practical workshop and talk on the radical pedagogy of the Basic Design course. This workshop was specifically aimed at the TWAM's young persons group called L-INK. Participants were to respond to three exercises from the original basic course; a line exercise, positive, negative exercise and a shape exercise. It was hoped that the workshop would bring new, creative, interest and understanding into the process of what the Basic Course was, and what it was attempting to achieve. It also aimed to try and discover whether the participants felt that this style of art education was relevant to the contemporary curriculum. It also was a good opportunity for the students to develop their portfolio ready for submitting to higher education institutions and an opportunity to engage with a practicing artist and researcher. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Basic Design: Starting with a Line, Artist-led workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | I delivered a practical workshop for students ranging from year 7 to Year 13 at the Royal Grammar School, Jesmond, based on a number of different line drawing exercises from the Basic Course. For this workshop I gave a brief introduction as to what the Basic Course or Basic Design was, and how it had transformed Art Education in the Uk in the 1950's and 1960's. I then asked the students to explore the topic of line, through sculpting/arranging some string in front of them. They were then asked to draw their small sculpture in a number of different ways. Firstly they needed to try and capture an accurate record of their string arrangement, including all the shadows that were produced. Secondly, they recorded all the negative space that surrounded the string and left the positive shape of the string blank, and thirdly they were asked to just simply make a simple line drawing not drawing any of the detail of the string but just draw the outline and form which the string created. The students had different amount of time for each drawing. This allowed them time to learn from each drawing and also encouraged the students to get a mark down on the paper quite quickly and not to be nervous about doing something 'wrong'. The important point was to start to produce observational drawings, exploring line, positive and negative space and mark making. The intention of this workshop was to see if this was a useful exercise for the students and whether they felt this way of teaching was relevant and useful for their art education. The students appeared to have enjoyed the workshop, and I have had feedback from the art teacher for whom I was running this workshop, that a number of her students have pushed these line exercises further within their artwork. The artist/teacher has also, since my workshop, been asked for more Basic Course exercises which she has subsequently taught to her students and has found the exercises a useful starting point to some of her classes. The Teacher has also recently used these exercises within a artist educator led workshops at Featherstone Castle. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Cut, Copy, Paste, Innovative teaching week, First Year Strand, Newcastle University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Two Week strand exploring line, shape making, shape relationship and positive negative. Inspired by original Basic Design archival material held at NAEA, Bretton Hall. The workshops hoped that this would bring new creative, interest and understanding into the process of what the Basic course and what it was attempting to achieve. It also aimed to try and discover whether the participants felt that this style of art education was relevant to contemporary curriculum. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Foundations of a Creative Curriculum, Baltic |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Practical workshop and talk on the radical pedagogy of the Basic Design course. Participants interpreted an original brief taken from the course circa 1960 - 'General Design'. It was hoped that the workshop would bring new, creative, interest and understanding into the process of what the Basic Course was, and what it was attempting to achieve. It also aimed to try and discover whether the participants felt that this style of art education was relevant to the contemporary curriculum. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.nafae.org.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/foundations_of_a_creative_curriculum_symposium... |
| Description | Newcastle Institute for Creative Arts Practice (NICAP) Talk - Re-frame/Re-model: Reconfigured |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This was a talk and slide presentation given to around 40 people in February this year as part of the NICAP lunchtime research sharing programme. This programme is made up of talks and presentations by researchers who have been awarded funding by NICAP towards expanding or developing projects within their research activity. My fellow AHRC CDA PhD research colleague, Melanie Stephenson and I gave a joint talk reflecting on our experiences of collaborating on and producing the exhibition Re-frame/Re-model: Reconstructing the Archive, of February to May 2018. The audience was made up of fellow postgraduates and staff from across the Newcastle University School of Arts and Cultures, staff from the Hatton Gallery, and Staff from APL. The aim was to explain to the audience about our research within shared archives - the Hatton Gallery Archive, what we had learned from our collaborative working and how working on the exhibition had informed our research. To accompany the talk and slide presentation we gave out the first edition of our exhibition publication to each audience member. This publication is a self-produced collaboration between Harriet and I containing images from the exhibition and texts included in or inspired by the exhibition, produced as a record of and an extension to the exhibition. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |