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Author Archives: ekealymorris

I attended and delivered a paper at the 3rd Annual Conference of the International Journal of Art and Design Education in Liverpool 19-20 October 2012. Due to my lecturing schedule I was only able to attend the Saturday session where I presented my paper “The Artist Book: Making as Visual Method” to the “Creative Thinking” strand.

ekm_iJADE2012_ArtistBook

ekm_The Artist Book_paperFINAL

Here I attach my paper and my presentation which focus on the embodied knowledge developed through the development of my first artist book. The paper and book were well received, delegates appreciated looking at and discussing artefacts as so much of the conference focused on the teaching and learning of art and design subjects (and rightly and importantly so!). One delegate asked me, “What will you do now?” which is such a supportive and encouraging question. “More making, reading and writing” was what was on the tip of my tounge but I knew she wanted something more specific. I told her I was going to work more into the photographs I had taken and make more books and collages. Interesting that my reply was based on my practice rather than the theory/methodology…something has shifted in my practice and how I view the way to push my investigation further. I simply can’t wait to get back to my visual practice after the hard graft of writing the paper.

I still have my Lit Search to do though…..rather large detail to not ignore…..

The process of making, researching and writing the book and the paper have been richly rewarding and have pushed my thinking and practice much further along. I now feel my doctoral study is practice-led rather than practice-based.

National Centre for Research Methods (Uni Soton) are holding a conference at St Catherine’s College, Oxford University 2-5 July

http://www.ncrm.ac.uk/RMF2012/home.php

Thought some of you might be interested, I’ll be attending on Wednesday when visual methods will be discussed in various ways throughout the day….can’t pass up an opportunity to hear Gillian Rose speak as Key Note!

Elizabeth, Uni Chester

I attended the HEA-ADM supported workshop Writing in Creative Practice: Thinking through Writing and Making organised by Dr Alke Groppel-Wegener at Staffordshire University 29 March 2012. It was a very inspiring and thought-provoking day and very relevant for my lecturing as a graphic designer supporting students in their critical analysis of the place of historical and contemporary design within culture and society.

These artefacts were developed during the workshop, the book represents the process we engaged in through Pat Francis’ reflective exercises with supplied texts, images and objects. The second artefact was an attempt by me to express through collage my gratitude to Alke, Pat and Sarah Williamson.

Book of Reflection and Inspiration

 

Thank you card

 

This workshop has inspired me to continue more deeply finding a way to support my students to own their research, to better link to their practice, and to learn tactile tools to get them through the inevitable rough patches associated with writing, reflecting, researching and evidencing to develop coherent arguments. Pat’s techniques were key to giving me confidence in developing my own workshops with students, I now have concrete proposals I can make to my colleagues as we plan for next year’s curriculum.

I am also pursuing this subject for my PhD, only just begun (!), and looking at the role of making in cognitive and aesthetic development in art & design students.  Sarah Williamson’s excellent presentation on this very point left me with a number of sources (I’ve already found a few!) and a sense that “I am not alone” and that “I stand on others’ shoulders” in my inquiry.

On reflection, it is the last point that I came away from the day feeling most grateful about: here was a room full of like-minded individuals, with so many skills and experiences that I can now collaborate with as I get stuck into my research. As I left the workshop I was already looking forward to the next one!

Elizabeth

University of Chester, Lecturer in Graphic Design Theory & Practice