The Justified Sinner's Posts - crafthaus2024-03-19T07:56:37ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinnerhttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/357622257?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://crafthaus.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=0icbja160kgzc&xn_auth=noA Quiet Month - Not So Quiet Monthtag:crafthaus.ning.com,2019-07-07:2104389:BlogPost:6272852019-07-07T19:28:28.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
<p>A fairly quiet month, May... towards the end of the submission period for the students, followed by the assessments, then graduate shows.<br></br> <br></br> "Talking Practice" at the School of Jewellery with alumnus, Peter Taylor of the <a href="https://www.goldsmiths-centre.org/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Goldsmiths' Centre</a> who is being given an honorary doctorate by the University. I've known Peter for years and it was great to hear him talking about his surprising route from bench…</p>
<p>A fairly quiet month, May... towards the end of the submission period for the students, followed by the assessments, then graduate shows.<br/> <br/> "Talking Practice" at the School of Jewellery with alumnus, Peter Taylor of the <a href="https://www.goldsmiths-centre.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Goldsmiths' Centre</a> who is being given an honorary doctorate by the University. I've known Peter for years and it was great to hear him talking about his surprising route from bench jeweller to project manager for the Centre.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Our "<a href="http://blogs.bcu.ac.uk/vittoriastreetgallery/talking-practice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Talking Practice</a>" events have become increasingly successful, with the last couple being capacity, which is very encouraging.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The same night, we hosted "<a href="http://blogs.bcu.ac.uk/vittoriastreetgallery/flux/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flux</a>", the exhibition of work by our Artists-in-Residence, a programme which has been running for some years now and which grows every year. This year, we had 17 artists working across the programmes, helping out with the teaching, advising students and, most importantly, using the facilities to make their own new work.<br/></p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work by Nikki Pugh - when you realise what it is, this is very funny.</td>
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<p><br/> June brings marking and the GRADUATE SHOW! Always a time for panic but this year, the co-ordinating team had it all thought out and it went really, really well. Everyone said that it was the best in years and I agree. The quality of the work produced was overall much higher than usual too, and I am very proud of my HND students, more than half of whom got much-deserved "Merit" and "Distinction" grades.<br/></p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horology - Robbie Isaac</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BA Jewellery and Object - Oliver Dodd</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BA Jewellery and Object - Jordan Petit-Furze</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BA Jewellery and Silversmithing Design for Industry - Huub Boekhurst</td>
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<p>As you can see, the full range of skills on show. Unfortunately, I was so caught up with everything that I failed to photograph any of the HND work. I do, however, have photographs and will post them soon. Here are the graduates, however:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Genuinely one of the very best classes I've ever taught. Lovely, lovely people.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> <a href="http://craftspace.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Craftspace</a> are an amazing organisation. Regular readers will have noticed that I have mentioned them rather a lot since my move to Birmingham and I feel very fortunate indeed that I had the opportunity to connect with them and work with them. Deirdre Figueiredo heads up the dynamic team which can bring together an exhibition like "<a href="http://craftspace.co.uk/show-your-metal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Show Your Metal</a>" in the space of about 8 weeks, from conception to opening!<br/> <br/> Working with two graduates of the School of Jewellery - <a href="https://www.daisygrice.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daisy Grice</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jordanherryjewellery/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jordan Herry</a> - we pulled together a show looking at how Heavy Metal, Jewellery and Birmingham go together as part of the much larger "<a href="https://homeofmetal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Home of Metal</a>" exhibition which is happening across the city this summer.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Working with fans and volunteers from the project, we had five, two-hour sessions to make pieces of jewellery which reflected their love of the music... Which, amazingly, they did! I will confess to having been very worried about whether this could work or not, but the results are superb:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> This is a big show - it is in one of the smaller galleries at the <a href="https://macbirmingham.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Midlands Arts Centre</a> until the middle of August alongside some marvellous photographs and the quilts by <a href="http://www.benvenom.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Venom</a>.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The choice of bands for the cakes at the private view were somewhat controversial, I would suggest:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Radiohead? Really?<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> <a href="https://www.newdesigners.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Designers</a> next. Not an especially great show overall but it was good to catch up with some of the people I had met in Rochester for the opening of "A Waste Land" earlier in the year and to finally see <a href="https://wromeril96.wixsite.com/williamromeril" target="_blank" rel="noopener">William Romeril's</a> automatic pencil-sharpener finished and working:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Also really nice to have a guided tour of the Glasgow School of Art stand by one of my ex-students, Cat Dunn!<br/></p>
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<p><br/> By far the most exciting work, for me, was not, however, jewellery. Fred Andrews makes very beautiful Aeolian harps and has been working on a method of allowing them to be 'played', for the user to influence the sounds which would normally be made by the wind:<br/></p>
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<p></p>The Disaster of Disaster Capitalismtag:crafthaus.ning.com,2019-03-31:2104389:BlogPost:5942312019-03-31T17:21:38.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
<p>Watching the hapless and not-very-bright Theresa May implode through the very density of her commitment to her beliefs would be a pleasure if I didn't know that she has the potential to take us all down with her. Almost three years ago, I wrote a <a href="https://wringhim.blogspot.com/2016/06/no-fun.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">blog post</a> about how David Cameron was the "worst prime minister since Chamberlain", never for one moment imagining that what came next could be worse: the…</p>
<p>Watching the hapless and not-very-bright Theresa May implode through the very density of her commitment to her beliefs would be a pleasure if I didn't know that she has the potential to take us all down with her. Almost three years ago, I wrote a <a href="https://wringhim.blogspot.com/2016/06/no-fun.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blog post</a> about how David Cameron was the "worst prime minister since Chamberlain", never for one moment imagining that what came next could be worse: the soulless block of dictatorial wood that is Theresa May, a dangerous, difficult, confused, theistic non-entity who has so little imagination that the naughtiest thing she can think of having done is "run through some cornfields" as a child. She has managed to piss everyone off completely - as has the equally hapless and equally dim Jeremy Corbyn, but that is another story - to the point that the EU are throwing her lifelines, presumably knowing that the UK is not in any way in favour of crashing out of the EU without a deal, plainly her preferred option all along, as well as creating a climate of blame in which MPs are advised to travel in groups in taxis to prevent them being attacked: immediately after one of her speeches, my MP for Brighton Kemptown was assaulted in the street by some leave-supporting thug. Meanwhile, the government petitions website crashes as literally millions of people flood to sign a petition calling on the government to call off the whole sorry mess and remain in the EU.<br/> <br/> Let me just remind everyone what this is all about. David Cameron, private schoolboy from Eton, fell out with his bestie, Boris Johnson, private schoolboy from Eton and they had a jolly big argument which meant that Boris Johnson had to get a new bestie in the form of Jacob Rees-Mogg, private schoolboy from Eton and form a secret club called the ERG or "European Research Group", which sounds frightfully dull but is actually frightfully exciting but not as exciting as the club that they all might have been members of where they possibly had to be fellated by a pig.<br/> To try and sort all this out, Cameron held a referendum - which has subsequently been proved to have been interfered with by foreign agencies and has been ruled 'unsafe' - and the British pubic were duped into marginally voting to leave the EU, probably the stupidest idea in modern British Politics.<br/> <br/> Now London is awash with fascists - actual "generation identity" fascists, the DUP and their ilk - and the government is out-of-control while Theresa May, like Violet Bott, just keeps repeating the same bad idea over and over until parliament crumbles and votes to support her awful deal.<br/> <br/> Also, she has the most ghastly, cheap-looking Marks-and-Spencer-from-a-knock-off-market-stall 'chunky'jewellery, jewellery so ugly that Wilma Flintstone would have rejected it.<br/> <br/> I'm optimistic that we have already passed the original date she set to leave the EU but I truly don't know what happens next.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> On to more pleasant topics - though this unpleasant topic will briefly return before the end - and something I forgot to mention in the previous post. My colleague, Katy Tromans, has been working with the first year BA Jewellery and Object students to help build their skills and she came up with a project where they had to design and make little robots.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> I think that the results are amazing and show incredible skills development in only half a year.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> I love the character in so many of these: the personalities of the students who made them really shines through.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> It only has one more week to run, but still time to get there if you haven't already, my collaborative show with Dan Russell is now installed in <a href="https://sunpierhouse.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sun Pier House</a> in Chatham, an absolutely wonderful venue and a fantastic gallery space, worth visiting at any time.<br/></p>
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<p>The show will look broadly the same as it did in Birmingham but without the vertical element. Unfortunately, I used my camera to make a stop-motion video of us setting up, ran out of battery and didn't have my charger with me, so there is only this photograph!<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The event closes on Saturday April 6th, so please come along and join us for music, food from the <a href="http://www.realjunkfoodbrighton.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real Junk Food Project</a>, Brighton, an artists' talk and a performance...<br/> <br/> I can promise that this event is NOT happening:<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p></p>
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<p><br/> The BA Jewellery and Object students at the School of Jewellery were having their interim show, giving previews of the sort of work we might be privileged to see in the final graduate show. As ever, it is looking very exciting:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> There is a LOT of politics in the show, which is good to see. From the personal -<br/></p>
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<p><br/> To the global -<br/></p>
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<p><br/> There will be more on these works as they progress.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> The project Norman Cherry and I have been working on to try and engage young people with the issues around knife crime is now over. I can't really post any pictures of it due to the sensitive nature of working in schools but I can say that it has been a fantastic success. We are planning to scale the project up and move it forward. More soon!<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> In between all this, I've been in Brighton and have been listening to lots of music, starting with another fantastic event by Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, "Murmurs", a concert of pieces by composers I had not previously heard, some of which was played on an instrument I had not previously heard, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheng_(instrument)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sheng</a>, or Chinese mouth-organ.<br/></p>
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<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_Saunders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rebecca Saunders</a>' music is quite wonderful, being detailed by texture and sound quality as much as the more usual melody and harmony. I was reminded in an oblique way of the work of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giacinto_Scelsi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Giacinto Scelsi</a>. Performed tonight were a new piece, "Murmurs", commissioned by BCMG, and an older piece, "CRIMSON - molly's song 1", which absolutely blew me away.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Also performed was a work by <a href="https://www.bcmg.org.uk/blog/an-interview-with-composer-donghoon-shin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donghoon Shin</a>, who has been working closely with BCMG as a composer-in-residence and we heard his "Anecdote" for sheng and instrumentalists, reflecting his (by his own admission) strange life in Seoul, Korea!<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The sheng part for this and for Jia Gouping's "The Wind Sounds in the Sky" was played by master sheng player, <a href="http://wuwei-music.com/en_US/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wu Wei</a>.<br/> <br/> You can hear this unusual instrument here:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Next was a series of three evenings at the <a href="https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Birmingham Conservatoire</a>, starting with the startling <a href="https://joebroughton.com/the-folk-ensemble" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conservatoire Folk Ensemble</a>, one of our Vice Chancellor's recital series. I am not, as I've said before, a big fan of "folk music" of the sort which is beautifully lampooned by Reeves and Mortimer as "Mulligan and O'Hare" but will happily listen to Steeleye Span, Fado or Tuvan throat singing. This ensemble, however is something quite other and reminiscent in many ways of another folk tradition which I love, the Italian "banda", massive, ramshackle brass bands which play operatic themes and arias in a glorious, rumbustious racket. This is exactly what this amazing bunch of performers give:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> An added interest for me was seeing the performers in a different context from the way that I normally see them, so where they would usually be in a jazz band or an orchestra, here they are applying their talents to creating music which varied from 60s-John-Barry-style cinematics to a deeply mournful Greek song. Utterly thrilling. <a href="https://joebroughton.com/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Broughton</a>, who leads the band, is brilliantly lively and very funny and, most endearingly, is plainly adored by his charges. Here they are, rehearsing, a couple of years ago:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Next up was <a href="https://soundcloud.com/hugobell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hugo Bell</a>'s (re)apropos, an evening of contemporary and experimental music for ensemble, electronics, video and a teapot!<br/></p>
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<p><br/> I only really went along for the teapot as it features in a piece by one of my favourite composers, Alvin Lucier, "Nothing is Real (Strawberry Fields)", a piece which takes fragments of the Beatles' melody "Strawberry Fields Forever" and then plays them back through a teapot.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> For all that is sounds a bit naff, maybe even twee, it is ravishing.<br/> Hugo's own piece was an electronic work with video, "Influence/Anxiety", unfortunately not on the Soundcloud link above and the programme was very strong. As will so many of these events, I discover something new to rave about and this time it was the absolutely breathtaking "Amproprification #6.1 'Kyrie', #6.2 'Gloria'" by <a href="https://www.marcoll.de/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maximillian Marcoll</a> in which 6 singers perform sections of Palestrina's Missa Papae Marcelli while their voices are variously amplified. It is hard to explain quite what this is like but it is rather as if <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobukazu_Takemura" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nobekazu Takemura</a> had got involved...<br/></p>
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<p><br/> As the singers are in the same room as the amplified playback, I cannot imagine how difficult this must be to sing.<br/> <br/> Friday night brought the <a href="https://www.hardrainensemble.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble</a> to play another favourite piece of mine, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_Carter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elliott Carter</a>'s "Triple Duo" and yet again, I was introduced to something wonderful, this time the Contrabass Clarinet.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> I love bass notes in an orchestra. Bass clarinet is one of my favourites - the opening of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Things_to_Make_and_Do" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moloko's "Pure Pleasure Seeker"</a> made me grin with joy when I first heard it - and while I have probably heard a contrabass clarinet before, I can't think that I've ever noticed it and certainly haven't heard it solo, so <a href="http://www.elizabethakelly.com/bio.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elizabeth Kelly's</a> "Into the Depths" was brilliant to hear, foregrounding the instrument with a piano accompaniment and showing off the extremes of range and extended techniques of which it is capable.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The rest of the programme was just as good, including pieces by Joe Cutler, head of composition at the Conservatoire and, of course, the Elliott Carter was incredible.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Sad to hear of the death of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Walker_(singer)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scott Walker</a>. I eagerly awaited each of his intermittent releases. I can remember hearing "No Regrets" on the radio when I was younger and even to my bombastic, youthful self - who would rather have torn my ears off than admit to liking "easy listening" - I found his voice captivating, both powerful and intimate at the same time. I was introduced to "Tilt" about five years after it was released by my good friend, Scott Lowe, and have never looked back, every subsequent album being a fantastic gem, no matter how complex and strange.<br/> <br/> I know that there is a lot of music in this entry, but I'll leave you with "Epizootics!" from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bish_Bosch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bish Bosch</a>.<br/></p>
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<p></p>Cute Apocalypsetag:crafthaus.ning.com,2019-03-03:2104389:BlogPost:5886372019-03-03T18:27:47.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
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<p><br></br> Bathed in pink, Jacob Epstein's Lucifer looks disdainfully down on the crowd at this week's "Carnival of Cute" at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. There is no version of hell he could have imagined which could be worse than this...…<br></br></p>
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<p><br/> Bathed in pink, Jacob Epstein's Lucifer looks disdainfully down on the crowd at this week's "Carnival of Cute" at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. There is no version of hell he could have imagined which could be worse than this...<br/> <br/> "<a href="http://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/bmag/whats-on/too-cute" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Too Cute! Sweet is about to get Sinister</a>" is a fantastic show, curated by an artist I've been watching for some time, <a href="http://www.rachelmaclean.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Maclean</a>, probably best known for her work, "Feed Me":<br/></p>
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<p><br/> It is mostly not her own work - though there is a new video piece - rather, she has designed an environment in which to display her own curatorial choices of work from the collections of the Arts Council and BMAG which sit on the uncomfortable boundary between "cute" and "sinister". Having always been unnerved by an excess of the deliberately cute and not really getting the more usually-defined cute objects (nasally-deformed dogs, babies, miniature fruit and vegetables, inanimate objects with eyes...), I enjoy that Rachel performs a high-risk balancing act in which she reveres the cuteness while simultaneously undermining it. There is a lot of fun in what she is doing but there is also a vicious skewering of the late-capitalist urgency for consumption, something which she makes explicit in the accompanying video and about which she spoke passionately at the reception.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> It was rather a surprise to see her as a self-possessed, balanced and cheerful person!<br/> <br/> The show is excellent. It is funny, thoughtful, disturbing and only after leaving do you realise that it is transgressive and shocking.<br/> <br/> I have linked to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/aug/05/rachel-maclean-artists-in-residence-channel-4-birmingham-bullring" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this article</a> before, but I think it is critical - late-capitalism needs the population to be in a constant state of angst. Rachel Maclean has exposed yet another tool in their kit.<br/> The show runs until May 12th.<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> On the subject of late capitalism, I've been listening to the new album by The Specials, "Encore" (which is very good, exactly what I would have hoped for but with a bit of a 70s funk edge going on, a tango-tinged "The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum" and a song called "Breaking Point" which is one Optigon away from Tom Waits) and was also listening to Terry Hall being interviewed by comedian, Richard Herring. I'm not a huge Herring fan but listened because I haven't heard anything from Terry Hall since the eighties and wondered what he had to say, especially about the current state of the world, given his fantastically gloomy socialist view of the 1980s. As with so many of the socialists from that era, they were not suckered in by the softer capitalism - or is that centrist socialism? - of the early 2000s as they had seen what hard-line capitalism ("Thatcherism") had done. In this interview, Hall mentioned that his favourite book was "The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher" on the grounds that "I like a book with a happy end", which is a pretty good line but I was intrigued...<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Discovering a new writer for me to enjoy. These are just fantastic short stories, all with a lovely balance of bleakness and humour. I've never read any <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilary_Mantel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hilary Mantel</a> before, having written off her "Wolf Hall" trilogy as the sort of historical romance stuff that you see people reading in airports and therefore it was something of a surprise to read these elegant, literary stories and to do a bit of research to discover that she's something of a literary superstar! That's what comes of judging books by covers...<br/> Thanks to Terry Hall for that one.<br/> <br/> If you are interested in the interview, it is on the <a href="https://www.comedy.co.uk/podcasts/richard_herring_lst_podcast/rhlstp_199_terry_hall/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richard Herring</a> podcast.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Music has been a big part of the last few weeks and this week I signed up to <a href="https://bandcamp.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bandcamp</a> (yes, a full eleven years after the site launched!) after discovering that the new <a href="https://testdept.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Test Dept.</a> album was only available through that outlet. I've also been listening to the incredible Spellling and her album, <a href="https://spellling.bandcamp.com/album/mazy-fly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mazy Fly</a>, which I also found on Bandcamp.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Off to Dublin for a flying visit to see <a href="https://www.crashensemble.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Crash Ensemble</a> perform <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fausto_Romitelli" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fausto Romitelli's</a> "Professor Bad Trip", a most incredible piece of music which I have wanted to hear live since I heard it on a radio programme some years ago, introduced by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Harvey_(composer)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Harvey</a>. I subsequently became a bit obsessed with Romitelli's music, which really sounds like nothing by any other composer, but have never had the chance to hear much live. The <a href="https://wringhim.blogspot.com/2019/02/not-out-of-woods.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">performance in Birmingham</a> of "Trash TV Trance" a few weeks back was the first piece I heard live and this is the second. I'm pleased to say that it exceeded my expectations and clarified so much about the music: the use of live electronics, amplification and spacialisation is not evident in the recording I have, nor is the importance of the 'cello in the central movement, played here with unbelievable bravado by Kate Ellis.<br/> <br/> Astonishing.<br/> <br/> Here is the "First Lesson", conducted by Ivan Volkov<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> I didn't have much time in Dublin, so went for a wander the next morning, being really saddened by the way in which the city has embraced Europe and the EU without losing anything of its own identity.<br/> <br/> Such a shame the UK is being driven to the exact opposite.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Perhaps we never had the same confidence in our own identity in the first place.</p>All About the Wastetag:crafthaus.ning.com,2019-02-20:2104389:BlogPost:5882642019-02-20T10:14:46.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
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<p>The last two weeks have been a bit of a whirl, what with the opening my collaborative exhibition "<a href="https://www.instagram.com/a.waste.land/?hl=en" rel="noopener" target="_blank">A Waste Land</a>" at the…</p>
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<p>The last two weeks have been a bit of a whirl, what with the opening my collaborative exhibition "<a href="https://www.instagram.com/a.waste.land/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Waste Land</a>" at the <a href="http://blogs.bcu.ac.uk/vittoriastreetgallery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vittoria Street Gallery</a> in the Jewellery Quarter. The launch was on Tuesday 5th February and kicked off with me and Dan Russell, my collaborator, in conversation with Sian Hindle and, I'm pleased to say, a capacity audience in the Lecture Theatre at the <a href="https://www.bcu.ac.uk/jewellery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">School of Jewellery</a>.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> (I was wearing clothes which I had found discarded in the street! This includes the amazing 1970s Levi's denim jacket, which is now in my permanent collection of clothes.)<br/> <br/> After the talk, we had the reception downstairs in the gallery.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The event was catered by by <a href="https://trjfpbrum.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Real Junk Food Project Brum</a> who supplied a fantastic vegan buffet and we had music by, <a href="https://twitter.com/James_Abel_Comp/">James Abel</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/george-west-96">George West</a> and <a href="https://www.peterbellmusic.co.uk/">Peter Bell</a> -students at the <a href="https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Birmingham Conservatoire</a> - who played found and discarded musical scores:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Peeking out of that bag, on top, is the score I found during my <a href="https://wringhim.blogspot.com/2019/01/kingdom-come.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">litter picking trip</a> round the Quarter with the JQ Bid Clean Team.<br/> <br/> The exhibition moves next to Chatham in about two weeks' time. We've still not released any photographs of the work other than what can be seen in the general images and will be doing this after the show is finished in early April.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> The knife-crime pilot project "In The Cut" moved into the final phase this week with the young people visiting the School of Jewellery for a workshop session and getting to use flames to solder and seeing things like the laser-welder and other bits of exciting equipment. <br/></p>
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<p><br/> The knife material has proved to be somewhat intractable and I have had to use a local business in the Jewellery Quarter, the amazing <a href="https://rfbevan.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RF Bevan</a> to cut them by wire erosion.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The finished work will be presented next week.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Off to the <a href="https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/events-calendar/sean-shibe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Birmingham Conservatoire</a> again, this time to hear the amazing <a href="https://seanshibe.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sean Shibe</a> play an eccentric and thrilling programme of early music and ultra-modern music, ranging from Scottish early music by James Oswald through Steve Reich's "Electric Counterpoint" to the ear-shredding LAD by Julia Wolfe. Fantastic!<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Off to Sheffield with friend and colleague, <a href="http://www.annalorenz.com/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anna Lorenz</a>, for the Re:Mains exhibition by <a href="https://rachaelcolleyartist.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachael Colley</a> at <a href="https://www4.shu.ac.uk/sia/events/gallery.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SIA Gallery</a> in Sheffield. This is a fascinating show and one which is distantly related to my own "A Waste Land" in that it deals with a lot of food waste. It also deals with the performance of eating and food and the implements for that performance, appropriate given Sheffield's history of cutlers and cutlery.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Rachael also catered the event with food waste, as I had done for mine, hers coming from <a href="https://realjunkfoodsheffield.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Food Works</a> in Sheffield, an impressive display:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> There is something disturbing about being able to so easily cater events for 50+ people using only waste food from the catering and supermarket industries.<br/></p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna Lorenz (left) talking to Rachael Colley.</td>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Off to the town centre and <a href="https://www.ikon-gallery.org/event/forward-new-art-from-birmingham/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Art from Birmingham</a>, an exhibition in <a href="http://www.medicinebakery.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Medicine</a> cafe/gallery as an outpost of the <a href="https://www.ikon-gallery.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IKON Gallery</a>. My next-door neighbour, <a href="http://www.leahcarless.com/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leah Carless</a> is exhibiting as part of the show.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> I was disappointed to see that her work had been moved from the centre of the gallery to the edge, much lessening the impact. Overall, a very strong show and worth a visit before it closes on the 24th March.<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> For all that I go to endless experimental, contemporary and often complex music events, one of the constants in my musical life has been Henry Purcell. I can't even say what it is about his music that I love but there is a certain turn of minor-key musical phrase which he has which raises goosebumps. After New Art Birmingham, I went to hear <a href="http://excathedra.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ex Cathedra</a> perform his fragmentary "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Indian_Queen_(opera)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Indian Queen</a>".<br/> <br/> The concert began with an unusual selection of Baroque music collected by conductor and musical director Jeffrey Skidmore from Bolivia and Mexico which were rather excellent and interesting, especially the little bits of history he gave, explaining why, for example, one of the pieces was in Angolan!<br/> <br/> Needless to say, The Indian Queen did not disappoint!<br/></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/46403491014/in/dateposted/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="The Indian Queen"><img alt="The Indian Queen" height="375" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7857/46403491014_8200aed4aa.jpg" width="500"/></a></div>Not Out Of The Woodstag:crafthaus.ning.com,2019-02-03:2104389:BlogPost:5883232019-02-03T18:23:00.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
<p>I've been avidly devouring a very strange and marvellous book indeed. "<a href="http://smarturl.it/outofthewoodsbook" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Out of the Woods</a>" by one of the founders and contributors to my favourite music website, "<a href="https://thequietus.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Quietus</a>", is an odd melange of autobiography, social history, confessional, and psychogeography which is - mostly - beautifully-written and poetic, his writings about his…</p>
<p>I've been avidly devouring a very strange and marvellous book indeed. "<a href="http://smarturl.it/outofthewoodsbook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Out of the Woods</a>" by one of the founders and contributors to my favourite music website, "<a href="https://thequietus.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Quietus</a>", is an odd melange of autobiography, social history, confessional, and psychogeography which is - mostly - beautifully-written and poetic, his writings about his relationship with his parents being especially touching.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> What makes this book especially unusual is that it is written from the point of view of someone who defines himself as "bisexual", a definition which we have overlooked in recent years, one which we don't hear much from in the ever growing list of L, G, B, T, Q, I, +..., all of whom seem to be eager to shout each other down. Turner goes some way to explaining this - the fear of the 'other', the power of homosexuals to adopt heteronormative roles, the way in which bisexuality undermines those roles in a way which "gay" can never do. Based around the author's relationship with London's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epping_Forest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Epping Forest</a>, the book twists and turns around and within the forest, exploring the role of "nature" in modern life, the author's psyche and relationships and with London. This book opened my eyes to an aspect of sexuality which I had, like most people, inadvertently ignored, my only criticism being that it could have done with a more rigorous editor. Having said that, I am going to love any book which gets <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/2019/01/in-epping-forests-dark-undergrowth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this review</a> from tory rag, "The Spectator".<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> On the subject of frothing tories, I came home to this heap of shite on my doormat:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Needless to say, it wasn't ripped up when it was delivered. I did this for effect. Ghastly pub chain, owned by the definitive "swivel-eyed loon", Tim Martin (he really does look like something "League of Gentlemen" would have come up with) serial exploiter of poverty-wage employees and with a personal wealth of something around £500m has decided to squander some of his shareholders' profits on putting out propaganda for the disaster-capitalist wing of the tory party.<br/> Naturally, he doesn't consider that it will be his finest, elderly customers who suffer the most if the UK leaves the EU... he's alright, Jack! He's one of the richest people in the UK. Like all the others pushing for the UK to leave the EU: Rees-Mogg, Banks, the Barclay Brothers... <br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> I've spent the last week with friend and colleague, Dan Russell, setting up our "<a href="http://blogs.bcu.ac.uk/vittoriastreetgallery/a-waste-land/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Waste Land</a>" show, of which I have previously written. This week was the install, filling the gallery space with all the waste we've gathered from the streets of Birmingham and Chatham. Dan was brilliant at curating the waste and it looks really good.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> We've not released any photographs of the work yet, but can now reveal how some of the cabinets look:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Each object comes with a "museum card" which we hope is in the style of anthropological museums, bolstered by an essay by Dr. John Scanlan and videos of our working process and the gathering of the waste.<br/> <br/> The opening is on Tuesday next week. Tickets for our "in conversation" event at 6pm are available <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/talking-practice-a-waste-land-tickets-54594618975" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.<br/> <br/> There will be music played on waste instruments by students at <a href="https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Birmingham Conservatoire</a> and food by <a href="https://trjfpbrum.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Real Junk Food Project Brum</a>.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> On Tuesday night, Dan and I went to Centrala to hear a piece I've wanted to hear live for years, Fausto Romitelli's "Trash TV Trance" for solo electric guitar and electronics. Played by Simon Aeschimann of the <a href="https://www.contrechamps.ch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ensemble Contrechamps</a>, this was an amazing performance and everything I had hoped it would be.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Afterwards there we moved upstairs for the performance with the percussion department of the Conservatoire along with the Ensemble for the premier of a ravishing new work for guitar and marimba by Fumiko Miyachi and a performance of Ligeti's absurdist song-cycle, "Sippal, Dobbal, Nadihegeduvel", which was also wonderful. It is such a privilege to have access to this much interesting music, played to such a high standard.<br/> <br/> Here is a recording of Trash TV Trance, performed by the person for whom it was written, Tom Pauwels:<br/></p>
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<p></p>Kingdom Cometag:crafthaus.ning.com,2019-01-27:2104389:BlogPost:5883162019-01-27T20:18:28.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
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<p>I've been a huge fan of JG Ballard ever since I read "High Rise" when I was about 16. I rapidly explored "Crash" and "Atrocity Exhibition" - which, at 16 or 17, I probably pretentiously pretended to understand: as an…</p>
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<p>I've been a huge fan of JG Ballard ever since I read "High Rise" when I was about 16. I rapidly explored "Crash" and "Atrocity Exhibition" - which, at 16 or 17, I probably pretentiously pretended to understand: as an adult, I still struggle with it - and up until his death, I eagerly awaited each new novel, "Rushing to Paradise", "Cocaine Nights", "Super-Cannes"... Thus it was that in 2006, I read "Kingdom Come". In this novel, middle-England revolts without realising that they are doing it. Led by a charismatic, media-managed, glossy 'eccentric' who is prone to outbursts of cruelty and buffoonery, they relieve the dissatisfaction generated by gigantic shopping malls and the boredom of consumerism by building a populist movement, sporting St. George's Cross teeshirts and hats, flags fluttering from car windows and suburban bungalows, overturning the rule of law and attacking Asian and Polish businesses.</p>
<div><br/> Sound familiar?</div>
<div>I have always viewed Ballard's writing as allegorical, sometimes far-fetched, but always with the point that society is only just held together by a thin veneer of civilisation but this novel is now something quite other. Re-reading it is actually frightening as it no longer reads like an allegory, more like a prediction: what seemed to be a warning now reads like an instruction manual with exact parallels in what is happening in the UK today. Ballard writes, "<i>The danger is that consumerism will need something close to fascism in order to keep growing.</i>"</div>
<div>We are close to some sort of fascism now, caused by the deliberate destabilisation of a consumer-led society. Artist, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/aug/05/rachel-maclean-artists-in-residence-channel-4-birmingham-bullring" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Maclean</a> hit the nail on the head when she said of her residency in the Birmingham Bullring shopping centre, "<i>There’s something about shopping centres and the whole experience of advertising that is anxiety-inducing. It has to make you feel bad in order that you buy something to make yourself feel better. It’s an entire culture that necessitates dissatisfaction.</i>"</div>
<div>The problem here is that the whole population has been exposed to this culture, they have been saturated in dissatisfaction, itself a function of the neoliberal economic model which requires the population to consume endlessly. Ballard posits that the population have become bored of neoliberalism, bored of consumption and, as they have defined themselves through their consumption, bored of their very core of being. This disaffection manifests itself in outpourings of violence directed against the "other" and, ultimately, against manufactured "others": "<i>New enemies were always needed, and one in particular was soon found. The traditional middle class...</i>"<br/> The outlook for the UK is not good.<br/> <br/><table align="center" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riv, one of the mentors and a musician working on the "In The Cut" project with pupils at Broadway Academy.</td>
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In terms of my own work, the 'big project' I've been planning with Norman Cherry has now kicked off and it relates very strongly to this malaise. This week saw us taking a group of Artists-in-Residence from the School of Jewellery into Broadway Academy in Perry Barr along with a couple of local musicians, BCU Criminology students and the fantastic Criminology lecturer and researcher Yusef Bakkali with a view to trialling a prophylactic intervention amongst a group of young people who could potentially be at risk of being involved in knife crime.<br/> <br/> The reality is that there is an epidemic of knife crime and all young people, excepting, perhaps, the most isolated and/or privileged are at risk. This is partly to do with survival, or at least the idea of survival, the idea that other people are carrying knives and so knives are carried as a "protection" - despite figures which show that carrying a knife <i>increases</i> the likelihood of being injured or killed in knife-crime incidents. These young people are anxious. Anxiety and fear are part of their lives. Even the best brought-up young people are targeted by advertising and are made to feel inadequate, to doubt themselves. It is little surprise that they not only have alarming levels of mental-health issues but that they also feel the need to defend themselves, both physically and psychologically.<br/> <br/>
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<br/> Unusually, our project is prophylactic. It is an intervention before anyone is involved: it seeks to alert the participants to the issues in a creative and thoughtful way, to make them think about their environment and to try to make them think about committing to a life which eschews violence. To this end, we've been getting them to draw protective amulets which are going to be made from the knife blades and we've been really encouraged by the outcomes so far.<br/> <br/>
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<br/> Over the last month, we've had <a href="https://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/directory/maker/john-grayson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Grayson's</a> PhD exhibition "<a href="http://blogs.bcu.ac.uk/vittoriastreetgallery/enamel-substrate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enamel:Substrate</a>" in the Vittoria Street Gallery and last week was his "Talking Practice" about the exhibition and his work on researching <a href="http://www.wolverhamptonhistory.org.uk/work/industry/enamels/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bilston painted enamels</a>.<br/> <br/>
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<br/> John is a great maker and a most engaging speaker and the talk was fully-booked, the reception afterwards very busy. I particularly like his work but his drawings and sketchbooks are really lovely:<br/> <br/>
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<br/><hr width="50%"/><br/> I have been making preparations for the show I am doing in Vittoria Street with Dan Russell, "<a href="http://blogs.bcu.ac.uk/vittoriastreetgallery/a-waste-land/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Waste Land</a>" which opens next week on the 4th with our "Talking Practice" on the 5th February. As part of this, I spent a day litter picking with the <a href="https://jewelleryquarter.net/jqbid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jewellery Quarter BID</a> Clean Team:<br/> <br/><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oTFWXGIAtVs/XE4OEnMZ32I/AAAAAAAAXjQ/dLu0mmTE80IctpLyg7WvCsRJS6qBjK1egCLcBGAs/s1600/DA%2B-%2BJQ.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oTFWXGIAtVs/XE4OEnMZ32I/AAAAAAAAXjQ/dLu0mmTE80IctpLyg7WvCsRJS6qBjK1egCLcBGAs/s640/DA%2B-%2BJQ.jpg" width="640"/></a></div>
<br/> Working with Dennis and Allan, the regular team members, we wandered about the Jewellery Quarter, gathering up the rubbish, something they do four days a week, 10am - 4pm. I was only with them about an hour and we found some horrors...<br/> <br/>
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<br/> It wasn't all bad, though and I did hear some great stories, such as how someone had dumped a safe in the middle of one street and about the complete set of boxed false teeth which turned up in another. In case you are wondering, that IS a "Moomin" on the cart in the first picture:<br/> <br/>
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<br/> Work starts on the exhibition tomorrow. Should you be interested in coming along, all the details are <a href="https://mailchi.mp/84898a9bb4e5/transitions-643083" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. There will be food from the Real Junk Food Project - made from food-waste - and music from students at the <a href="https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Birmingham Conservatoire</a> - <a href="https://twitter.com/James_Abel_Comp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Abel</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/george-west-96" target="_blank" rel="noopener">George West</a> and <a href="https://www.peterbellmusic.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Peter Bell</a> - which will include some sheet music I found on my litter-picking expedition, played on scrap materials and instruments:<br/> <br/>
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<br/></div>Celtic Connectionstag:crafthaus.ning.com,2018-12-02:2104389:BlogPost:5849762018-12-02T11:45:56.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
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<p><br></br> Kicked off from the end of the last post by jumping on a train to Glasgow to go and hear the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra perform three symphonies by Gloria Coates. I've been enamoured of Coates' work since reading an article about her in The Wire…</p>
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<p><br/> Kicked off from the end of the last post by jumping on a train to Glasgow to go and hear the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra perform three symphonies by Gloria Coates. I've been enamoured of Coates' work since reading an article about her in The Wire in the early 2000s and bought some CDs of her music on the strength of a verbal description of her music.<br/> <br/> Less hedonistically, I had planned to meet up with a friend who has become ill, but this was cancelled at the last moment as his daughter sent him to Valencia for the Moto GP! Instead, I met with my old friend, Janine and we headed off to the South Side of the city to the amazing "<a href="http://www.ranjitskitchen.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ranjit's Kitchen</a>". The story of how this place came to be is delightful and can be read on the website. Anyone visiting Glasgow should make the trip to eat there - the all-vegetarian food is really special.</p>
<div>What nobody visiting Glasgow should ever do is make the stupid mistake of booking to stay in the "City Center (sic) Rooms", bookable through Expedia and their own website, probably the most unpleasant hotel/rooming apartment I have ever had the misfortune to stay in. I can honestly say that my worst experiences of student accommodation have never come down to this level of damp, cold, drafty, dirty, noisy and:</div>
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<div>Verminous.</div>
<div>You can see how filthy the place was from the crud around the switches.<br/> Nasty.<br/> <br/> The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Coates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gloria Coates</a> symphonies - Nos. 1, 7 and 11 - were truly fantastic and I was absolutely blown away by them. Ms. Coates herself was present and was interviewed by Kate Molleson at the interval:<br/> <br/><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/44127160310/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Gloria Coates"><img alt="Gloria Coates" height="375" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4872/44127160310_a6a639a981.jpg" width="500"/></a></div>
<br/> You can hear her First Symphony, "Music on Open Strings" here:<br/> <br/>
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<br/><hr width="50%"/><br/> I've been working on the next exhibition, a big show at <a href="http://blogs.bcu.ac.uk/vittoriastreetgallery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vittoria Street Gallery</a> in collaboration with <a href="http://www.dr-jewellerydesign.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dan Russell</a>.<br/> <br/><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-881SfMgfSuo/XAO5cP8ZkeI/AAAAAAAAXOU/QH1KYKwmSA4SULgba1VjdObcaHgNdWomgCLcBGAs/s1600/A%2BWaste%2BLand%2BGraphic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-881SfMgfSuo/XAO5cP8ZkeI/AAAAAAAAXOU/QH1KYKwmSA4SULgba1VjdObcaHgNdWomgCLcBGAs/s640/A%2BWaste%2BLand%2BGraphic.jpg" width="640"/></a></div>
<br/> I'm not going to say very much about it here, except that it will be unlike any of my previous work. Here is a glimpse of some of the making:<br/> <br/>
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<br/><hr width="50%"/><br/> One of the things which has started a the School of Jewellery are informal "Hack Nights" where staff, students and artists-in-residence can come along and play around with techniques with some instruction from someone who knows what they are doing. We've started with Enamel Hacks - something of interest to me as it is a technique I have singularly avoided!<br/> <br/><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/31051904907/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Enamel Hack - 1"><img alt="Enamel Hack - 1" height="375" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4809/31051904907_4f6f6b97ff.jpg" width="500"/></a></div>
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<br/> In the first session, we experimented with liquid enamels on steel. I was particularly taken with this and will definitely consider ways of using it further.<br/> <br/> The second session was plique-a-jour... An essay in frustration.<br/> <br/><hr width="50%"/><br/> Off to see <a href="http://www.mogwai.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mogwai</a> (again!) at a new venue in Birmingham, <a href="https://www.themilldigbeth.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Mill</a>, and they were as fantastic and as loud as ever.<br/> <br/><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/32176513188/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Mogwai! (At The Mill)"><img alt="Mogwai! (At The Mill)" height="376" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4881/32176513188_47bcc49d01.jpg" width="500"/></a></div>
<br/> Ever the purveyors of classy merchandise, you could have a "Brexit is shite" teeshirt, riffing on their earlier "Blur" affair, or this rather stylish limited-edition screenprinted poster which allows a man of my age to have a gig poster on the bedroom wall!<br/> <br/>
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<br/><hr width="50%"/><br/> The following day saw the start of the <a href="https://jqopenstudios.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jewellery Quarter Open Studios</a> and I was based in the wonderful gallery setting of what used to be "<a href="http://www.guildsman.gallery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guildsman</a>" (soon to re-open as "Quo Vadis"), exhibiting with students and artists-in-residence from the School of Jewellery. A great opportunity.<br/> <br/> Unfortunately, because I was working, I didn't get to go to many other places as part of the event.<br/> <br/><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/31108503477/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Jewellery Quarter Open Studios - Quo Creations - 1"><img alt="Jewellery Quarter Open Studios - Quo Creations - 1" height="500" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4913/31108503477_165d6992e0.jpg" width="375"/></a></div>
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<br/> I sold a fair amount of work but the real highlight was when I met a customer from 2011, who had commissioned a piece from me by email and brought it back for a small repair! It was such a pleasure to meet up with her and her partner, for whom it had been made. Even more bizarrely, it turned out that she and her partner had been at school with <a href="http://www.tina-francis-tapestry.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tina Francis</a>, organiser of the Open Studios Event... a small world, indeed.<br/> <br/> This was the piece:<br/> <br/>
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<br/><hr width="50%"/><br/> A remarkable concert at the Birmingham Conservatoire this week as <a href="https://tinmenandthetelephone.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tin Men And The Telephone</a> brought their incredible interactive jazz event to "The Lab". Using a mobile phone app, the audience can control the music and it is incredibly impressive to see the speed with which they respond to the input and then create a coherent - and enjoyable - musical experience from it.<br/> <br/><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/44325604770/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Tin Men And The Telephone - 3"><img alt="Tin Men And The Telephone - 3" height="500" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4850/44325604770_148bc7288e.jpg" width="375"/></a></div>
<br/> They were performing a set loosely based around the rise of far-right politics and there were some hilarious moments, such as looping Marine Le Penn and playing along with her vile opinions:<br/> <br/>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/45230729435/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Tin Men And The Telephone - 2"><img alt="Tin Men And The Telephone - 2" height="500" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4835/45230729435_0d9a1fed2b.jpg" width="375"/></a></div>
<br/> Impressive set up to make all this happen, too:<br/> <br/>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/45418521484/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Tin Men And The Telephone - 1"><img alt="Tin Men And The Telephone - 1" height="500" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4874/45418521484_fc3562ab85.jpg" width="375"/></a></div>
<br/><hr width="50%"/><br/> Finally, last night I went to see <a href="https://www.yazzahmed.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yazz Ahmed</a> and her Hafla Band at the CBSO Centre, a very funky evening indeed, with Yazz playing trumpet, flugelhorn and electronics and her band comprising keyboards, bass guitar, drums, hand-percussion, electric guitar and vibraphone.<br/> <br/><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/31203120707/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Yaz Ahmed and her Hafla Band"><img alt="Yaz Ahmed and her Hafla Band" height="375" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4816/31203120707_b9ff525aa9.jpg" width="500"/></a></div>
<br/> I couldn't help imagining a 1960s spy thriller set in a dusty middle-eastern city!<br/> Have a listen:<br/> <br/>
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</div>Over A Monthtag:crafthaus.ning.com,2018-11-14:2104389:BlogPost:5838842018-11-14T18:30:00.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
<p>It has been over a month since I last posted and this is just not good enough! However, I am working on some very interesting projects about which more will be revealed in the coming months. Here's a whistle-stop tour of what I've been up to for the last few weeks.…</p>
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<p>It has been over a month since I last posted and this is just not good enough! However, I am working on some very interesting projects about which more will be revealed in the coming months. Here's a whistle-stop tour of what I've been up to for the last few weeks.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/44383509435/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Box Project - 2018 - 2"><img alt="Box Project - 2018 - 2" height="300" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1938/44383509435_5328843dbf_k.jpg" width="400"/></a></div>
<p><br/> We've had the "box project" with our BA Jewellery and Object students. This consists of them having to make a box in one week and the results this year have been fantastic!</p>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/31421736288/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Box Project - 2018 - 1 - Yan Zhang"><img alt="Box Project - 2018 - 1 - Yan Zhang" height="300" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1959/31421736288_14001710d9.jpg" width="400"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Box by Yan Zhang, "The Pain of Ice-Cream"!</td>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/45246544352/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Box Project - 2018 - 3 - Xilin Hu"><img alt="Box Project - 2018 - 3 - Xilin Hu" height="400" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1915/45246544352_4ddc53e3c4.jpg" width="300"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Box by Xilin Hu.</td>
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<p></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> There has also been another run-down of work by our Artists-in-Residence. Here Nikki Pugh reveals some of her wearable technology which alters perception about the environment, ably assisted by Rebecca Steiner and one of my HND students, Jack Deeley:</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> I went back to Wolverhampton for another exhibition, this time by another of our Artists-in-Residence, Zoe Fitzpatrick Rodgers. Organised around a theme of "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hauntology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hauntology</a>" at the <a href="http://www.theasylumartgallery.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asylum Art Gallery</a> in the town, it proved to be a very interesting evening and it was great to see jewellery presented in the context of a mixed-media exhibition of fine arts:</p>
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<p><br/> The exhibition itself was somewhat provocative:</p>
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<p><br/> No more to be said!</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Whizzed off to London for a few days at the UCAS careers fair, representing the University and caught up with my friend, Julia and her family. We went to the most wonderful and crazy restaurant in Peckham, Persepolis, a Persian restaurant run by the author of some very fine vegetarian cookbooks:</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yUCnLVk7e5M/W-vl4pWj93I/AAAAAAAAW_I/R_a6eZeYZusAmQv40dNrJ4aIbj4pEvYRQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20181015_192546.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yUCnLVk7e5M/W-vl4pWj93I/AAAAAAAAW_I/R_a6eZeYZusAmQv40dNrJ4aIbj4pEvYRQCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_20181015_192546.jpg" width="300"/></a></div>
<p><br/> Peckham is a very interesting place. Quite run-down but lively, with lots of fantastic old signs and buildings.</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p>Spent a day at the symposium held here on Magnesium and the use of magnesium for innovative technology. Unfortunately, of limited use for jewellery - it is used to some extent in watch cases - the symposium was interesting and a good event for meeting people.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/44830282584/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Magnesium Dinner/Symposium - 1"><img alt="Magnesium Dinner/Symposium - 1" height="300" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1940/44830282584_05b3e7b37e.jpg" width="400"/></a></div>
<p><br/> Best thing was getting out onto the 5th-floor balcony at the Curzon building to see a panorama of the city:</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/43737949250/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Birmingham Eastside Panorama"><img alt="Birmingham Eastside Panorama" height="117" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1904/43737949250_762fee6c16.jpg" width="500"/></a></div>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Went to hear contemporary baritone, <a href="https://www.thomasbuckner.com/">Thomas Buckner</a> perform a variety of contemporary pieces for (wordless) voice and electronics at the <a href="https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/events-calendar/songs-without-words" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conservatoire</a>.</p>
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<p><br/> He was singing works by some of my absolute favourite composers, Phil Niblock, Alvin Lucier and Robert Ashely and introduced me to the work of Annea Lockwood. It was complete chance that I spotted this was on and I'm so glad to have been able to attend.</p>
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<p><br/> Back to the School of Jewellery and the opening of a new exhibition at our <a href="http://blogs.bcu.ac.uk/vittoriastreetgallery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vittoria Street Gallery</a> of work by <a href="http://www.marianneforrestwatches.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marianne Forrest</a>, who designs watches and time-related pieces, including time-related collaborative drawings. At the private view, we had the chance to take part in one of her collaborative drawings:</p>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/45505297672/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Marianne Forest - Acts of Resistance - 2"><img alt="Marianne Forest - Acts of Resistance - 2" height="300" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1920/45505297672_b161dfec08.jpg" width="400"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo Pond leading the way in collaborative drawing!</td>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/43738013340/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Marianne Forest - Acts of Resistance - 5"><img alt="Marianne Forest - Acts of Resistance - 5" height="300" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1931/43738013340_1082318268.jpg" width="400"/></a></div>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Fiona Harris is one of the Artists-in-Residence here at the School but she is in the unusual position of being placed within the <a href="http://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/jewellery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museum of the Jewellery Quarter</a>, making work there and developing a collection of pieces from the archive for sale in the Birmingham Museums shops. We had the pleasure of being at her presentation of the work for production and sale:</p>
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<p><br/> I can't show any of the work at the moment, but it will be shown as soon as it is no longer under embargo. We did get a chance to look through some of the old Smith and Pepper design books, which was very exciting!</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Time for a soujourn in Brighton. Not much going on and the weather wasn't very good but it was nice to have a break!</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Back to the Conservatoire for an amazing concert of music by Tommy Fuller, one of the final-year students on the Jazz course, performing works by Philip Glass and Frank Zappa (and others) in conjunction with two students from the Orchestral Percussion course.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/45671772741/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Tommy Fuller Presents"><img alt="Tommy Fuller Presents" height="300" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1959/45671772741_ffc64c0e09.jpg" width="400"/></a></div>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> It's that <a href="https://www.lakesidearts.org.uk/special-events/event/3890/lustre-2018.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lustre</a> time of year again, always a good start to the wintry month of November. I drove up for the opening with Anna Lorenz. Loads of our graduates were taking part, as was my friend and colleague, <a href="https://www.jopond.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jo Pond</a>:</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/44952598165/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Shelanu Product Launch - 4"><img alt="Shelanu Product Launch - 4" height="400" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1946/44952598165_28a8197179.jpg" width="300"/></a></div>
<p><br/> This last week saw the launch of the new <a href="http://craftspace.co.uk/shelanu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shelanu</a> collection of jewellery at the <a href="https://theassayoffice.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Assay Office</a>. It is so good to see that they are producing a quality product and I was pleased to be able to introduce them to potential outlets in the Jewellery Quarter.</p>
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<p></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> I went up to Derby last weekend to meet with Rachael Colley. Neither of us had visited the city before and had wanted to go purely on the strength of the industrial areas which the train passes through on the way between Birmingham and Sheffield! We were not disappointed.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/45816380742/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Ewart Chainbelt Co Ltd"><img alt="Ewart Chainbelt Co Ltd" height="300" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4869/45816380742_09db19298e.jpg" width="400"/></a></div>
<p></p>
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<p></p>
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<p><br/> Strangely, the highlight for me was lunch at the <a href="http://www.yafflecafe.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yaffle Cafe</a> and bookshop.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EDvpdyS4DfA/W-v6MnLxQUI/AAAAAAAAW_g/LTEdob8IPN4EyM_Elek8qRm_r_9Xu7tQACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20181110_143704.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EDvpdyS4DfA/W-v6MnLxQUI/AAAAAAAAW_g/LTEdob8IPN4EyM_Elek8qRm_r_9Xu7tQACKgBGAs/s400/IMG_20181110_143704.jpg" width="300"/></a></div>
<p><br/> A proper, old-school radical bookshop with a vegan cafe attached! This reminded me so much of my student days and I couldn't have been happier to discover "Barleycup" on the menu and that all the food was basically brown... It was like the 1980s all over again and the radio even played Joy Division to make the illusion complete. What a place!<br/> <br/> There are some very odd things in Derby. I particularly liked the joke shop which specialises in wedding supplies:</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/45865814791/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Only Joking Ltd."><img alt="Only Joking Ltd." height="375" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4812/45865814791_f8e127a669.jpg" width="500"/></a></div>
<p><br/> "I do."<br/> "Only Joking!"</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Sunday saw a night out at the <a href="https://www.ikon-gallery.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ikon gallery</a> for music by <a href="http://www.jothomas.me/en/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jo Thomas</a> playing music inspired by Daphne Oram, Delia Derbyshire and others. We also got to see the legendary visual synthesiser developed by Daphne Oram, the "mini-oramics":</p>
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<p><br/> Highlight of the evening for me was getting to see a live performance by <a href="http://www.olivialouvel.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Olivia Louvel</a>. I've been wanting to see her since reading <a href="http://thequietus.com/articles/22355-olivia-louvel-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this interview</a> with her in <a href="http://thequietus.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Quietus</a> and was not disappointed. What a compelling performance for live voice and electronics with visuals, all about the creative spirit of Mary, Queen of Scots. You can hear some of the music on her <a href="https://vimeo.com/album/4287533" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vimeo page</a>.</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Delighted to have been selected for the <a href="https://www.wienerschmucktage.at/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2018 Wiener Schmucktage</a> in, of course, Vienna, Austria. I was representing the UK, which is very exciting, with this piece made from old clay pipes from the Thames:</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> I've been focusing a lot on litter and waste recently. It is depressing to walk about and see through the autumn branches, mixed up in the dropped leaves, low-grade litter: cans, bottle-tops, cups, crisp-packets, things just dropped or dumped because people couldn't care less.</p>
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<p><br/> But it is not just that. Cars, fridges, shopping trolleys, clothes... all this and more, just dumped in the street, an anthropogenic mess.<br/> <br/> What has been making me think about this waste?<br/> I'm working on a collaborative project with jeweller, <a href="http://www.dr-jewellerydesign.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dan Russell</a>, of whom I have previously written <a href="https://wringhim.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-heat-is-on.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>, exploring the ubiquity of waste in the environment.<br/> <br/> More on this project soon.</p>Reading and Listeningtag:crafthaus.ning.com,2018-10-07:2104389:BlogPost:5807462018-10-07T19:08:48.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
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<p><br></br> The wisdom of the "Ladybird Leaders" book, <b>Sounds</b> by Alan P. Sanday and illustrated by Bernard H.Robinson, published 1975. I wonder what his record is? In 1975, there were some…</p>
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<p><br/> The wisdom of the "Ladybird Leaders" book, <b>Sounds</b> by Alan P. Sanday and illustrated by Bernard H.Robinson, published 1975. I wonder what his record is? In 1975, there were some <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_in_music" target="_blank" rel="noopener">choice releases</a>, including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_Graffiti" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Physical Graffiti</a> (Led Zeppelin), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubycon_(album)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rubycon</a> (Tangerine Dream), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomorrow_Belongs_to_Me_(album)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tomorrow Belongs To Me</a> (The Sensational Alex Harvey Band), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wish_You_Were_Here_(Pink_Floyd_album)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wish You Were Here</a> (Pink Floyd), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiscreet_(Sparks_album)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indiscreet</a> (Sparks), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discreet_Music" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Discreet Music</a> (Brian Eno), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siren_(Roxy_Music_album)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Siren</a> (Roxy Music), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Americans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Young Americans</a> (David Bowie)... It seems that some of my absolute favourite music was released in this year and this is only a scattered selection.<br/> <br/> I've never been much enamoured of the concept of "Britpop", loathing both Oasis and Blur with equal venom, foolishly ignoring Elastica because Justine Frischmann was tainted with whiny Damon Albarn (I've got over that one now) and only really enjoying one Pulp album, This Is Hardcore. At that point, I was immersed in obscure electronica of the sort produced by Toshimaru Nakamura, the post-pop of Stereolab and Black Box Recorder and the industrial of the re-emergent Einsturzende Neubauten and Laibach. There are clear links between this and the list above from 1975.<br/> <br/> It is a bit surprising that the first band to be christened with the title of "Britpop", was Suede with their swooping, falsetto vocals, strings, unexpected melodies and a plundering of British pop history which was so far from obvious, unlike the crass thieving of Oasis or the oh-so-clever fake barrow boy shtick of Blur. Suede managed to make pop music which is British without being obvious, wearing their references clearly but not ripping anyone off or being smugly intellectual: Bowie, The Associates, The Smiths, Roxy Music... All my favourites. Brett sang of British things like class: class warriors, not class tourists (Blur) or anachronistic class stereotypes (Oasis) and of the claustrophobia of urban life. Not an album went by without mention of disenfranchised youth, desperate drugs and desperate sex, road systems and traffic.<br/> <br/> This week, I got round to buying the latest Suede album, released last month, inspired by a review on my favourite music website, <a href="http://thequietus.com/articles/25392-suede-interview-the-blue-hour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Quietus</a>.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> And it is fantastic. Everything is there that should be there: the disaffection, the swooping vocals, swelling strings, angular guitars and memorable melodies but while there are discreet songs, this is a <i>concept album</i>... Complete with orchestra, choirs, spoken word parts, a story about a missing child, or, perhaps, the missing child that we lose when we become adults.<br/> <br/> I've listened to this every night since it arrived. Especially wonderful is the track pair, "Chalk Circles/Cold Hands" which has more than a whiff of the "Wicker Man" about it.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> I have no idea why author, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Coe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Coe</a> has passed me by until last month. I found reference to his novel "The Rotters' Club" in an article in The Guardian and bought it, thinking it sounded interesting.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Since reading that, I've finished "What A Carve Up!" and have just started "The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim". It is a long time since I felt so compelled to read a writer's entire output. These books are political, cultural, humorous, warm and easy-to-read, yet are written with enormous literary intelligence, with endless references, quotations and allusions, often in differing styles. (The last chapter of "The Rotters Club" references Joyce's "Ulysses" and is, apparently, the longest sentence in the English language.) There are also references to another of my favourite authors, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alasdair_Gray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alasdair Gray</a>, in the books I've read so far.<br/> <br/> Like Suede, there is something essentially English about this writing: not the English of Wodehouse or Agatha Christie but the English of "Middle England". (Not to be confused with "Little Englanders".)</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> On Friday, I went to hear the fantastic <a href="http://www.annameredith.com/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anna Meredith</a> at the Town Hall, a rather sparsely-attended event which was, nonetheless, thrilling.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Performing with an orchestra, rock drummer, a tuba standing in for a bass player, a guitarist, a superstar 'cellist and electronics, this really defied definition: lying somewhere between rock, rave and Michael Nyman, her music and personality had the whole audience dancing. Here is "Nautilus" to give you an idea...<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Wonderful! And this is it <i>without</i> the full orchestra.<br/> <br/></p>Summer's Gone...tag:crafthaus.ning.com,2018-09-30:2104389:BlogPost:5805902018-09-30T16:38:29.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
<p>...and I'm back at work.<br></br> <br></br> Summer kicked off with a new car:<br></br></p>
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<p><br></br> Yes. I bought a 2-seater Smart Car! It is SO good. We were all over the country this summer and unlike the old car, the…</p>
<p>...and I'm back at work.<br/> <br/> Summer kicked off with a new car:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Yes. I bought a 2-seater Smart Car! It is SO good. We were all over the country this summer and unlike the old car, the air-conditioning works in this one. Also, it doesn't leak when it rains.<br/> <br/> Started off in Brighton - of course - and a trip to West Dean to see Bob Ebendorf there, in excellent spirits as always and so good to catch up:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> We then headed off to Bristol for an ACJ meeting, then to Scotland to see my mum - an event which found us staying in the worst hotel I have ever been in - and travelled back in a leisurely fashion, visiting towns in the borders which I had been to when I was much younger and had not been back to since. Places like Moffat, famous for the sour toffee:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> and the sculpture of a ram in the high-street:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Unlike the baking hot weather which had preceded the holiday, this dull grey followed us around the whole of Scotland. The rest of the summer was spent in Brighton and Birmingham and the usual nonsense:</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> First thing back at work - after the 300+ emails - was the MA Jewellery exhibition which included a recreation of Bjork's "swan" dress in thousands of Iceland shopping bags:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Made by my Hannah-May Chapman of "<a href="http://www.spamglam.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SpamGlam</a>":<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Also featured was a video with none other than Phil Jupitus being turned into a monster by <a href="https://www.chloehenderson.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chloe Henderson</a>:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Bridie Lander and I had fun with the sleep inducing wearables by Yueshang Wang:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> My own favourite work was environmental, with Jingyao Sun's work made from dead leaves:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> And Haochen Chi's work in single-use plastic bags:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Both really looking at the transformation of the materials.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> A very brief trip to Lichfield, which is lovely, to visit a magnesium casting plant. I've not been to Lichfield before and will take a longer visit soon. The mediaeval cathedral is incredible.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> I particularly enjoyed the "Kings of England" arrayed across the front! <br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> A very quick visit to see my old colleagues in Glasgow at Glasgow Kelvin and City of Glasgow colleges (it rained, of course), I was horrified to discover that the awful bronze statue "The Spirit of St. Kentigern" which used to sit in Buchanan Street and which my friends and I referred to as "the flying jobby" has reappeared. I was delighted some years back when it disappeared and I imagined that the ugly sub-Henry Moore had been quietly retired but it is back:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Tucked away in the car-park at the back entrance to the City of Glasgow College. Not sure what the college did to deserve this. I still think it is hideous but my art-critical language has improved since I was 14!<br/> <br/> (The sculptor was one Neil Livingstone, about whom I can find nothing.)<br/></p>
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<p>Opening night at the new V&A in Dundee.</p>
<p><br/> I was on my way to Dundee for the Handmade By Machines conference, held in Dundee University, where I was presenting a paper on "Technofreaks and Technophobes". The conference was excellent and saw an expansion of the event from an exhibition some ten years ago to an exhbition and symposium in 2013 and now this major event with an exhibition at the MacManus arts centre.<br/> <br/> The programme was really varied with friends and colleagues, as well as new speakers. Sandra Wilson kicked us off with her researches into retrieving precious metals from mobile phones, a project in which she is collaborating with Edinburgh University department of chemistry:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> We heard presentations from a wide range of makers, mostly about their practice. Antje Hiller spoke about her work using digital technology to make medical products more appealing:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Bin Dixon-Ward spoke about her concept of "digital cities" and how grids in her work reflected some of this:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The coup of the event was definitely getting Wendy Yothers to come over from the US to talk about her practice and meeting her for dinner afterwards was the highlight for me.<br/> <br/> My own talk was not about making but about the philosophy and politics of technology and how we should be thinking about teaching it. You can read it <a href="http://www.wringhim.co.uk/HMBM2018/DA_HMBM2018.docx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.<br/> <br/> The exhibition afterwards was excellent.<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> New students have all returned. We had an amazing ice-breaker this year where they all had to turn newspapers into wearable costumes, working in groups. The results were amazing!<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Here is a video of the final parade:<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> It was also time for our unique programme, the BA Jewellery and Silversmithing Design for Industry (DFI for short) to celebrate 10 years since it first began. This is the course which was so good that we stole the idea when I was still in Glasgow: convert a 2-year HND qualification into a BA with a 1-year technology- and business-based course. It's been run by Claire Price since the outset and it has produced some very well-known makers.<br/></p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: Alison Honour, Dean of Faculty; Gaynor Andrews, ex-Head of School; Claire Price, Course Director, DFI.</td>
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<p>It was lovely to see so many people from the industry turn up for the reception:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> I think that they were most impressed that Claire had laid on Gin & Tonic instead of the usual wine!<br/></p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work by Jack Rowe, one of the graduates from the first year of the course.</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work by Daisy Grice, one of the graduates from the most recent year of the course.</td>
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<p></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> FINALLY! Took a trip to London with the new students this week to see the legendary Goldsmiths' fair. Unfortunately, I was so engaged with talking to people (<a href="https://www.chrisbolanddesigns.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Boland</a>, <a href="http://www.jonathanmathewboyd.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Boyd</a>, <a href="https://www.susihines.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Susi Hines</a>, <a href="http://www.stephanieholt.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steph Holt</a>, <a href="https://hazelthorn.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hazel Thorn</a> and <a href="https://www.lukasgrewenig.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lukas Grewenig</a> were all there) that I forgot to take many photographs.<br/> <br/> Kevin Gray introduced me to the pleasingly eccentric <a href="https://www.ryanmccleansilver.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ryan McClean</a> who shot these beakers out of a cannon:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The videos of these being made are fascinating:<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> I'll end on an autumnal shot from my ride into work earlier this week:<br/></p>
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<p> </p>From Melanie To Melaniatag:crafthaus.ning.com,2018-07-18:2104389:BlogPost:5791122018-07-18T17:30:00.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
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<p><br></br>What a few weeks!<br></br>First off was the visit to the <a href="https://www.rca.ac.uk/news-and-events/events/show-2018/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">RCA Graduate Show</a> to see the work by my friend and colleague,…</p>
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<p><br/>What a few weeks!<br/>First off was the visit to the <a href="https://www.rca.ac.uk/news-and-events/events/show-2018/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RCA Graduate Show</a> to see the work by my friend and colleague, <a href="https://www.anthonywongjewellery.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anthony Wong</a>. I have barely seen him since he started the MA at the RCA two years ago and I was intrigued to see what he would come up with.</p>
<p>I was not quite prepared for this, however! Nor, I learned, was he. As a British citizen, born in Liverpool to Chinese parents, he was surprised to find himself in a cohort of students who were Chinese and born in China, awakening his interest in the lives of his parents and, specifically, the Blue Star Line which brought them to the UK. This photograph gives absolutely nothing but an overview of the depth of the work, which features not only metalsmithing and jewellery but text and graphics as well, all exquisitely made.<br/> <br/>Also in the show was <a href="https://www.ionamccuaig.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iona McCuaig</a>.</p>
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<p><br/>Iona has made a body of work which challenges the notion of "value" in the education she received at the RCA. A bold move, but one which paid off and which resulted in a witty and varied selection, playing with her background in traditional jewellery and allowing her to gently take the piss out of some of the famous artists who preceded her (such as Zandra Rhodes).<br/> <br/>I also loved the work of <a href="https://www.rca.ac.uk/students/kelly-toode/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kelly Toode</a>:</p>
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<p><br/>Combining ideas about armour and tailoring. Quite wonderful. The dress on the left, above, is tufted, like a rug:</p>
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<p><br/>On the jewellery front, I got a chance to catch up with Jonathan Boyd on his meteoric rise (currently acting head of Jewellery and Metals at the RCA).<br/> <br/>We didn't have a lot of time to see the rest of the disciplines, but I am glad I went to Ceramics - normally, I avoid ceramics: I don't get it and there are to many ugly lumps of clay for my tastes. However, this year, I was thrilled to find the work of <a href="https://www.ianthompsonceramics.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ian Thompson</a>:</p>
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<p><br/>Nothing to add to this. These are fantastic and utterly compelling.</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/>After this, we wandered across London in the baking heat to get to New Designers, the annual festival of graduate design talent.</p>
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<p><br/>The School of Jewellery stand was expanded this year to include some work by my HND students - the ones who are leaving with an HND and not progressing to the BA - and some of the horologists:</p>
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<p><br/>I was in a bit of a dual role here, supporting the students of the School but also in terms of making introductions to the students who have been awarded our new <a href="https://acj.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ACJ</a> School prizes. (The ACJ is giving a free one-year membership to a star student on each of the jewellery and silversmithing courses run around the UK.) These prizes are awarded at the discretion of the teaching staff in each institution and it was great to see some of them present at New Designers. First one I encountered was the voluble and engaging <a href="https://klimt02.net/calimerojewels/morrant-ailsa-moment-come-moment-too-late-treasured-moment-hope-street-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ailsa Morrant</a> from Glasgow School of Art:</p>
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<p><br/>Glasgow is increasingly presenting top-notch work, which is great to see.</p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work by Shona Dobie.</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work by Astrid Jaroslawsky.</td>
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<p>Pin Yak Tin from Sheffield Hallam University produced a body of work which I found to be quite challenging and controversial, seeming to play with tropes of BDSM:</p>
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<p><br/>I asked her about this and she staunchly defended the work as being about her own internal monologues, about how it prevented the outside from getting in, which, in my mind, opens up a whole other series of issues. A very successful collection!</p>
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<p><br/>Also at Sheffield, I loved Paige Newall's work in Whitby jet and fossils:</p>
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<p><br/>Off to Dundee, Duncan of Jordanstone, and another ACJ prize-winner, <a href="https://www.dundee.ac.uk/degreeshow/2018/workondisplay/jewelleryandmetaldesign/ievajankovska/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ieva Jankovska</a> who is making fascinating work from 3D printed models of muscles in motion while she grinds enamel and then using sections of that model to create work in conjunction with the enamel, fired onto metal. It sounds complicated and contrived but the work is lovely:</p>
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<p><br/>This is where the show became really interesting... I kept bumping into students who had been studying on my course in Glasgow the year I left, which was also the year that the Scottish Government decided that we could no longer run our degree. What a pleasure to see how far these people had come since their brief time with me.<br/> <br/>First up, again at Dundee, was <a href="https://www.dundee.ac.uk/degreeshow/2018/workondisplay/jewelleryandmetaldesign/erindyer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Erin Dyer</a>, with a lovely collection of fine jewellery:</p>
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<p><br/>I then bumped into <a href="https://nicolafabianhotmailcom.portfoliobox.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nicola Fabian</a> at Edinburgh College of Art:</p>
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<p><br/>Also at Edinburgh was the fantastic work of Hongzhi Zhu:</p>
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<p><br/>Not visible here, these little "mouths" have details such ass tongues and teeth!<br/> <br/>In a surprising revelation, I met with <a href="http://www.ukyoungartists.co.uk/news/newdesignerswinner2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jasmine Brown</a>, partner of my collaborative partner, <a href="http://www.dr-jewellerydesign.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dan Russell</a>, showing her collection of deeply political brooches, verging on badges:</p>
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<p><br/>I particularly love "Hello! I am an Intersectional Feminist".<br/> <br/>Outside of this year's graduates were some remarkable works in the "One Year On" section, featuring people who had been making more work in the year since graduation. I fell in love with the work of <a href="http://www.gsa.ac.uk/m/degree-show-2017/profile-miki-asai/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miki Asai</a> in Japanese lacquer and traditionally-associated materials:</p>
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<p><br/>Also in this area, <a href="https://en-gb.facebook.com/romanystarrsjewellerydesign/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Romany Starrs</a> (best name ever!), one of my ex-students, now working as a self-employed designer and maker. What a pleasure to see her again:</p>
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<p><br/>I've been a fan of <a href="https://www.rosiedeegan.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rosie Deegan's</a> conceptual craft work since I saw it at Lustre some time ago and it was a real surprise to find her in the "One Year On" section as I thought she had graduated some time ago. Impressive to have achieved so much in such a short period of time. Her most recent work is exploring her concept of the "pink tax", the idea that pink objects cost more than objects in other colours, relating this to feminist thought in a rather brilliant display of elegant and witty cast-glass:</p>
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<p><br/>The last thing at New Designers which particularly appealed was pointed out to me in advance by <a href="https://skfritte.wixsite.com/samuelritte" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sam Ritte</a>, a graduate of Plymouth College of Art with whom I have been in conversation over the last few years. He suggested that I check out Hereford College graduate, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tomnicolson.artist/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tom Nicolson</a>, and I was not disappointed... his massive iron collars are based on ancient African forging techniques and are compelling:</p>
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<p><br/>Wolverhampton!<br/>I've never been to Wolverhampton before but it is a short ride on the tram from Birmingham city centre to go and see "<a href="http://www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk/whats-on/melanie-tomlinson-ghost-horses-guns/">Ghost Horses and Guns</a>", an exhibition of work by my friend and colleague, <a href="http://www.melanietomlinson.co.uk/">Melanie Tomlinson</a>.</p>
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<p><br/>Melanie is primarily an illustrator but has moved into three dimensions, making illustrated work in metal, wood and automata. For this show, she worked with groups of young people from around Wolverhampton and with a group of refugees. This formed the first part of the exhibition and is marvellous:</p>
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<p><br/>Using her metal-embossing techniques, she got the participants to create "2.5-D" portraits of themselves which were then exhibited. Unfortunately, what with there being a world-cup football match on at the same time as the opening, none of them turned up to see their work displayed so amazingly!<br/> <br/>All of Melanie's work tells stories: from the appearance of mystery lights in the sky over a residential suburb of Birmingham, through a love affair between punks in the back of a wrecked Reliant Robin car, to the animals which roam the streets as we sleep (including the five white horses of the exhibition title).</p>
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<p></p>
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<p><br/>A fantastic show and worth travelling to see.<br/>It was great to catch up with Melanie and her partner, as well as Deirdre from Craftspace, who opened the exhibition.</p>
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<p><br/>Time again for the collaborative exhibition "<a href="http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/what-we-do/make-your-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Make Your Future</a>", setting makers from the School of Jewellery in place as tutors and mentors to school teachers and pupils in a variety of schools around the West Midlands. Working with the Crafts Council and the School of Jewellery, some of our tutors and some of our students worked with teachers and class groups to teach them skills which they can use in their craft, design and art teaching, all things which are under deliberate attack by a philistine government.</p>
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<p><br/>The atrium of the school filled up with makers, proud parents and teachers for a show of what is possible even under the most dire of circumstances and a collection of brilliant work.</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p></p>
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<p><br/>To London and the Carnival Of Resistance!<br/>So, the odious Donald Trump was in town to hold hands with the incompetent Theresa May and to be boorishly rude and patronising to HM The Queen. (Jewellery fans: a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2018/jul/18/was-the-queen-sending-coded-messages-to-donald-trump-via-her-brooches-absolutely" target="_blank" rel="noopener">good article here</a> about how The Queen may have subtly slighted the monster with her brooches. Shades of Madelaine Albright.)</p>
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<p><br/>Some people, 250000 of us in London alone, decided that we couldn't let that go unmarked and someone in the weather department turned on the sun for us as we crossed London to Trafalgar Square, bearing all manner of wittily scurrilous banners. There is something about the Great British Protest that is really inspiring:</p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From "Father Ted" quotes...</td>
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<p></p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To "bigly ugly" puppets.</td>
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<p></p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Music references and blank statements of truth.</td>
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<p></p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lot of craftivism.</td>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/42547663665/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Carnival of Resistance - Stop Trump - London 2018 - 14"><img alt="Carnival of Resistance - Stop Trump - London 2018 - 14" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/921/42547663665_1d664460c4.jpg" height="500" width="375"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ultra creative projects, such as this mobile punchbag...</td>
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<p>And a LOT of "Handmaids". I am not sure what Margaret Attwood would make of that, but she might like this:</p>
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<p><br/>I took my favourite shot of the day on my phone...</p>
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<p><br/>Under His eye.</p>Graduate Show, 2018tag:crafthaus.ning.com,2018-06-27:2104389:BlogPost:5781882018-06-27T12:30:00.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
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<p>Time once more for the School of Jewellery Graduate Show, the chance for our students to stop being students and show off what they have done with their shiny new qualifications. It feels like a bumper year, too.<br></br> <br></br>The graduate…</p>
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<p>Time once more for the School of Jewellery Graduate Show, the chance for our students to stop being students and show off what they have done with their shiny new qualifications. It feels like a bumper year, too.<br/> <br/>The graduate show ran for a week with two private views, one for "Friends and Family" and one for our industry partners, each having a very different character. The graduates themselves ran the first "Friends and Family" night with a band, a rather excellent bar (with sponsorship from local Purecraft Bar), band and introduction from our own starry Chancellor, Lenny Henry!</p>
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<p><br/>Lots of proud mums and dads, grandparents, partners, siblings and friends. An excellent night all round.<br/>The industry night had a rather different complexion, it also being the night of our prize-giving when the jewellery, horology and gemmology trade, as well as designers and makers and supporting organisations generously give prizes for the best work in the show.</p>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/41176999420/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 4"><img alt="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 4" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1803/41176999420_7479668e53.jpg" height="375" width="500"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lorna McNaught being presented with a prize by Head of School, Professor Stephen Bottomley and <a href="http://ellen%20mcadam%20%E2%80%93%20director%20of%20birmingham%20museums%20trust/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ellen McAdam</a>, Director of Birmingham Museums Trust, our guest speaker for the evening.</td>
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<p>Over 42 prizes were awarded from the industry both locally and internationally, including from <a href="https://www.hswalsh.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HS Walsh</a>, <a href="https://theassayoffice.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Birmingham Assay Office</a>, <a href="https://www.bettsmetalsales.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Betts Metal Sales</a>, <a href="http://www.westonbeamor.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Weston Beamor</a>, <a href="https://www.acj.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Association for Contemporary Jewellery</a>, <a href="http://www.andrew-macgowan.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regent Silversmiths</a>, <a href="http://www.scottishgemmology.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Scottish Gemmological Association</a>, <a href="https://bmi.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Birmingham And Midland Institute</a>, <a href="http://www.cartier.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cartier</a>, <a href="https://www.maunindustries.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maun Industries</a> and many, many more.</p>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/42986932981/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 5 - Tyler Davies"><img alt="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 5 - Tyler Davies" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1838/42986932981_9c75d4d873.jpg" height="375" width="500"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horologist, Tyler Davies receiving a prize from the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers with Jeremy Hobbins, Course Director of the Horology Course. </td>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/28118795377/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 9 - Hayley Volkering"><img alt="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 9 - Hayley Volkering" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1797/28118795377_de1a2827ea.jpg" height="500" width="375"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hayley Volkering accepting a prize from Maun Industries.</td>
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<p>Of course, in order to win these prizes, the work has to be exceptional and this year's show is very strong. Here are just a few favourites from some of our most interesting exhibits:</p>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/28841465408/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Graduate Show Opening - 2018 - 5"><img alt="Graduate Show Opening - 2018 - 5" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1742/28841465408_4cbd7726d1.jpg" height="500" width="375"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handmade clocks by Tyler Davies (left) and Kate Thomson (right) from the BA Horology course.</td>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/27846494007/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Graduate Show Opening - 2018 - 9"><img alt="Graduate Show Opening - 2018 - 9" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1739/27846494007_83b52dce93.jpg" height="375" width="500"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work exploring "the abject" by Tilly Wright of the BA Jewellery and Object.</td>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/42085426775/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 2 - Zhixuan Liang"><img alt="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 2 - Zhixuan Liang" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1826/42085426775_d4a13cb02d.jpg" height="375" width="500"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brooches made as part of a photographic exploration. Zhixuan Liang of the BA Jewellery and Object.</td>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/42986970281/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 13 - George Harrow"><img alt="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 13 - George Harrow" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1763/42986970281_c1bb251d25.jpg" height="375" width="500"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver salt-and-pepper shakers by George Harrow of the HND Jewellery and Silversmithing.</td>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/42268640324/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 18 - Erica Laver"><img alt="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 18 - Erica Laver" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1809/42268640324_7865ee3c64.jpg" height="375" width="500"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sketchbook work for fashion jewellery by Erica Laver. HND Jewellery and Silversmithing.</td>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/42085559225/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 28 - Yiru Weng"><img alt="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 28 - Yiru Weng" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1836/42085559225_dda39b7d6d.jpg" height="500" width="375"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Objects by Jiru Weng. BA Jewellery and Object.</td>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/42268680264/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 30 - He Fei"><img alt="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 30 - He Fei" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1837/42268680264_1f884e808b.jpg" height="375" width="500"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silver and wood object by He Fei. BA Jewellery and Object.</td>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/42268699624/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 33 - Lanyue Zhang"><img alt="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 33 - Lanyue Zhang" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1800/42268699624_8f1681674e.jpg" height="375" width="500"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Wearable object work by Lanyue Zhang. Graduate Certificate Jewellery and Related Products.</span></td>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/42987067421/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 36 - Andrew Cowley"><img alt="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 36 - Andrew Cowley" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1823/42987067421_9e09eb3c99.jpg" height="375" width="500"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fine jewellery work by Andrew Cowley. BA Jewellery and Silversmithing Design For Industry.</td>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/42085609505/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 38 - Hon Chun"><img alt="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 38 - Hon Chun" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1783/42085609505_5a7d3ba70b.jpg" height="375" width="500"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fine jewellery work by Hon Chun. BA Jewellery and Silversmithing Design For Industry.</td>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/42987089151/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 40 - Elinn Yi Fang"><img alt="School of Jewellery - Graduate Show 2018 - 40 - Elinn Yi Fang" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1765/42987089151_bfbe8dcc82.jpg" height="375" width="500"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jewellery by Elinn Yi Fang. BA Jewellery and Object.</td>
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<p>Overall, an excellent show.</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/>Last week, we had a visit from the estimable Nicolas Estrada. I've been a fan of Nicolas' work for many years - I own one of his carved rock-crystal pendants, "Suffering" - and we've been in touch with each other for over a decade but have, to date, never met, so hanging out with him in the Jewellery Quarter has been a real pleasure.<br/> <br/>He was in Birmingham to work with our MA Jewellery and Object students on their presentations for their final show and to speak at one of Sian Hindle's "Talking Practice" events.</p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/42085625135/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Jennifer Walshe"><img alt="Jennifer Walshe" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1834/42085625135_8fe3004d29.jpg" height="375" width="500"/></a></div>
<p><br/>It's been music galore here for me and I've been making the most of the <a href="https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Birmingham Conservatoire</a> opening festival to hear new music and discover new composers. My new favourite composer is Jennifer Walshe, a woman who sings like a broken sampler and writes music for electronics, video and traditional instruments. She is personable and charming - seen above in conversation with Sean Clancy - but her music swings wildly between the humorous and the harrowing, indeed this sign was posted outside the concert hall:</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KJllpi6m4p4/WzOCPRGKuUI/AAAAAAAAVMI/mOOltXulKEAjM3Q7UZv_fX9A4wtub-v_gCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180622_182249_655.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KJllpi6m4p4/WzOCPRGKuUI/AAAAAAAAVMI/mOOltXulKEAjM3Q7UZv_fX9A4wtub-v_gCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_20180622_182249_655.jpg" height="320" border="0" width="320"/></a></div>
<p><br/>Well worth hearing. Here is a video of her from YouTube:</p>
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<p><br/>On Monday, it was a whole afternoon and evening of <a href="http://www.fitkin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grahan Fitkin</a>, largely in partnership with harpist, <a href="https://www.ruthwall.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ruth Wall</a>. It was brilliant to turn up early for the main concert and to be treated to a guitar and harp duo and a percussion quartet in the foyer beforehand. The main reason for me to go along was to hear "Hard Fairy" live and I wasn't disappointed. What a thrilling piece! However, I also really loved the harp pieces too: one harp, two harps, four harps, prepared harps, harps and electronics, harp and saxophone... you get the idea.</p>
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<p><br/>Here is a performance of "Hard Fairy" from YouTube.</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/>Coming soon... New Designers and the Royal College of Art jewellery Graduate Show.</p>A Whistle-Stop Tour of Maytag:crafthaus.ning.com,2018-06-04:2104389:BlogPost:5771092018-06-04T09:00:00.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
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<p><br></br>It's been a very busy month as the students finish off their work for the final shows and we start to make all the preparations. There hasn't been so much on - a couple of concerts with the…</p>
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<p><br/>It's been a very busy month as the students finish off their work for the final shows and we start to make all the preparations. There hasn't been so much on - a couple of concerts with the <a href="https://cbso.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBSO</a> performing works by the great Russians, Prokofiev (5th Symphony) and Shostakovich (10th Symphony) which, of course, were stellar - as well as some interesting performances. The month kicked off with a talk by <a href="http://www.andrewlogan.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andrew Logan</a> at the <a href="http://www.rbsa.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RBSA</a> Gallery in the Jewellery Quarter. I love the enthusiasm and positivity of Andrew: someone who doesn't take himself too seriously but who has been a serious mover and shaker in the British alternative art world since the 1970s.</p>
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<p><br/>Regular followers will remember that I went to the 25-year Anniversary of Andrew's museum in Welshpool, Wales. You can read about this <a href="https://wringhim.blogspot.com/2016/08/music-for-hedges.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/>I represented the School of Jewellery at the prestigious <a href="https://jewelleryquarter.net/jqbid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jewellery Quarter Business Improvement District</a> Levy Payers' Dinner, which was held at the training restaurant of <a href="https://www.ucb.ac.uk/home.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University College Birmingham</a>, the food entirely cooked and served by students... and it was first-rate. I had heard previously that the food was excellent and I was not disappointed.</p>
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<p><br/>It was great to meet some new faces and spend some time with people I knew from the quarter in a relaxed and pleasant environment.</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/>For family reasons, I had a very brief meeting with my mum, brother and sister, as well as various nephews, partners, and all the other acoutrements of modern families. It was great to see everyone again, even if the reason for the meeting with the family was not fundamentally a positive one:</p>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H1bDaZyizW4/WxRBH0Y3Y5I/AAAAAAAAVBI/tHMRMv4HKtEnnep80MrWrBlk8fXVh8-4gCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180512_124906.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H1bDaZyizW4/WxRBH0Y3Y5I/AAAAAAAAVBI/tHMRMv4HKtEnnep80MrWrBlk8fXVh8-4gCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_20180512_124906.jpg" height="400" border="0" width="300"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with my brother.</td>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/>As usual, there has been lots of music, including the excellent "<a href="https://www.kitdownes.com/Projects/Enemy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enemy</a>", a jazz trio who performed at the Birmingham Conservatoire:</p>
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<p><br/>You can hear them here:</p>
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<p><br/>I've also been immersing myself in the history of <a href="https://www.spoonrecords.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Can</a>.</p>
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<p><br/> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/may/07/all-gates-open-story-of-can-rob-young-irmin-schmidt-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The book</a> by Rob Young and Irmin Schmidt is highly recommended. (As is the <a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/holger-czukay-cinema/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Holger Czukay box set</a>!)</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/>I took the advice of a colleague at work and went to the Birmingham Rep to see a performance of a piece called "<a href="https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/the-string-quartets-guide-to-sex-and-anxiety.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The String Quartet's Guide To Sex And Anxiety</a>" by Calixto Bieito, of whom I had previously not heard. I read that it contained a complete performance of Ligeti's second string quartet and a performance of Beethoven's 11th Quartet - not one of the late ones, but still interesting enough.<br/> <br/>The set was nice.</p>
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<p><br/>What a wretched piece of theatre. Not only were the string quartets interrupted by angst-ridden monologues, I actually started to be embarrassed by the fact that the really very good actors were having to declaim the dreadful crap. It was like listening to some self-indulgent neurotics talking about their own ghastly lives with no chance to change the subject.<br/> <br/>I suspect the self-indulgence is wholly on the part of the director.</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/>I was down in Brighton for both bank-holiday weekends and the weather was great. Unfortunately the roads down and, more particularly, back up, were not so great!</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/>We had a staff night out last week and went to the <a href="http://www.birminghambrummies.co/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SPEEDWAY</a>!</p>
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<p><br/>I loved it. I thought I would enjoy it but it was really fantastic.<br/>This all started as part of <a href="https://www.johnwigley.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Wigley's</a> "<a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-736142991" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hidden City</a>" in which the staff of the University record their thoughts and feelings about an aspect of Birmingham which is normally overlooked. (I recorded one about going to the fruit and vegetable market in Digbeth, which you can hear <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-736142991/hidden-city-digbeth-market-dauvit-alexander-jewellery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.) He invited <a href="http://www.drewmarkou.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drew Markou</a> to do the talk - amusingly, Drew thought he was going to have to ride one of the bikes!</p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R, Andy Howard, Katy Tromans and Drew Markou with John Wigley far right.</td>
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<p>Turned out to be too noisy to make a recording.</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/>As mentioned at the top, the graduate shows are looming and we've been doing the photography for promotional materials. One of the more challenging items to photograph was this broadsword, made by one of my students, Kai-Blu Triassi:</p>
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<p><br/>Modelled by fellow student and battle re-enactment expert, Sofie Macearnuig.</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> <a href="http://www.frictionarts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Friction Arts</a> brought us one of the oddest and most affecting things I've seen in a long time with their "Everything Must Go", a strange work based in the old wholesale produce market in Digbeth, being closed down after trading for nearly 900 years...</p>
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<p><br/>It was an odd event, kicking off with an opportunity to explore the market in a kind of mass "urban exploration" for about an hour, discovering installations by a variety of artists hidden in old deep-freezes or on boarded-up units:</p>
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<p><br/>Everyone was then gathered together and a performance ensued:</p>
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<p><br/>All about the daily life of the market.<br/>There was a nude poet tied to a fruit barrow:</p>
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<p><br/>And a tap-dancer, shuffling away to an out-of-tune "Lullaby of Broadway"...</p>
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<p><br/>As we left, we shook hands with the workers who said "Goodbye" to us all.<br/>Fantastic and very sad.</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/>Went to Sheffield to meet with Rachael Colley and track down the only cheese made in the city, "<a href="http://www.sheffieldcheesemasters.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Little Mester</a>", a Camembert-like surface-ripened cheese which is eaten young.</p>
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<p><br/>Needless to say, we had lunch here and talked about cheese with the knowledgeable fellow in the picture above. I think he was a bit surprised that we had chosen to visit Sheffield specifically to find his cheese! While I was there, I discovered another Sheffield speciality of which I had never previously partaken:</p>
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<p><br/> <a href="http://www.hendersonsrelish.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Henderson's Relish</a>! It is like Worcestershire Sauce (slightly lighter body, less salty) but is completely vegan: no anchovies. I brought a couple of bottles back, adding it to my growing list of how Sheffield has made my life better: The Human League (pre-Dare, including their work as "The Future"), Cabaret Voltaire, Pulp, Tony Christie, Moloko, stainless steel... !<br/> <br/>I also caught up with Cóilín Ó Dubhghaill, always a pleasure.<br/> <br/>Coming up, our graduate show.</p>(B)Easter Holidaystag:crafthaus.ning.com,2018-04-29:2104389:BlogPost:5768252018-04-29T20:05:56.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
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<p><br></br> I've been on holiday. Brighton again and this bizarre easter chick. To be fair, it was in the window of an "adult shop". The weather was absolutely stinking, rain, cold, only one decent day and that felt more like an early autumn day than a late spring…</p>
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<p><br/> I've been on holiday. Brighton again and this bizarre easter chick. To be fair, it was in the window of an "adult shop". The weather was absolutely stinking, rain, cold, only one decent day and that felt more like an early autumn day than a late spring one.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Back to work now and Birmingham has been swathed in rain and fog and I've barely had a chance to get out to the garden.<br/> <br/></p>
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<p><br/> Rattling through the events as they unfolded, we kicked off after Easter with a talk by Alessandra Costanza, a new lecturer at the School of Jewellery and an expert on Connemara marble, she teaches Gemmology, unsurprisingly. Her talk was fascinating.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Next, we had the closing event for the Subterranea exhibition in the Vittoria Street Gallery (see <a href="https://wringhim.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/a-wake.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> for the opening event). Nuala Clooney had very kindly made sweets for each exhibitor, sweets which reflected the work. By far my favourite were the liquorice buttons which she made for Bridie Lander's black mirror pieces. The work:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The sweets:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Delicious! I ate too many of these.<br/> <br/> The IAAF Medals just keep returning! This time in the form of two sets, one presented to the School of Jewellery and one presented to the designer of the medals, Menna Jones.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Here are Stephen Bottomley - Head of School - with Leader of Birmingham City Council, Ian Ward, giving the medal set to Menna.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> The weather broke for the week of <a href="http://flatpackfestival.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flatpack Film Festival</a> and Dingo came to visit in rather summery temperatures and mostly sunshine, which was great. We kicked off the week with the bewildering "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_Is_a_Four-Letter_Word" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Work is a Four-Letter Word</a>", shown at <a href="https://www.theelectric.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Electric</a> (the oldest continually-operational cinema in Europe, having been showing films continuously since 1909!). Featuring the talented David Warner, the talentless Cilla Black and with a soundtrack by Delia Darbyshire, this surrealist tale, set in Birmingham, features magic mushrooms, an evil corporation and an exploding power-plant. What more could you ask for?<br/></p>
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<p><br/> This song, it seems, split up The Smiths.<br/> Shame about Morrissey, isn't it?<br/> <br/> Tuesday night brought a stellar showing of the 1922 Swedish silent film, "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A4xan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Häxan</a>", a film about witches and witchcraft. The film was narrated with subtle humour - which is present in the intertitles - by Reece Shearsmith and was given a live soundtrack by multi-instrumentalist, <a href="http://stephenhorne.co.uk/biography/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Horne</a>, who also got the subtle humour: just how <i>do</i> you score a film in which witches kiss the devil's bum?<br/> <br/> The whole thing is available on YouTube, should you wish to see it, but this was definitely worth seeing in this unique performance.<br/> <br/> Here's the trailer!<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Next up was a very odd film indeed, "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unarius_Academy_of_Science" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unarius - The Arrival</a>", starring a space-version of Mollie Sugden! With music from <a href="https://twitter.com/shottivangorod?lang=en-gb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scott Johannsson</a>, played on his Russian AELITA synthesizer from the 1980s and ending with a lovely version of Suicide's "Dream Baby, Dream".<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The film itself is a propaganda piece for some whacked-out millenial cult which believes in UFOs... If it hadn't been for the soundtrack, I am not sure I could have tolerated more than about five minutes of it.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Should the lure of Space Mollie Sugden prove irresistible, you can see her here:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> After this mind-bending experience, I was to be further confounded by the latest offering from Sellotape Cinema, of whom I have written before, several times. This time, they were presenting a film to the soundtrack of a found cassette, featuring the odious Genesis P. Orridge discussing the making of a film "Decoder" - of which, more later - set to their incomparable visuals.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The Sellotape Cinema project was called "Recoder", here being introduced by Steve, one of the members of the collective.<br/> <br/> Needless to say, this was followed by a showing of "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decoder_(film)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Decoder</a>", which 'stars' F.M. Einheit (of Einstrurzende Neubauten) and Christiane F. (yes, that one) and has a soundtrack by Soft Cell.<br/> <br/> The film struck me as a kind of paranoid European equivalent to the contemporary "Liquid Sky". I'm not sure if I liked it or not.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> During the week, things went on as usual at work. I photographed my final-year students for their Graduate Show Catalogue, taking advantage of the sunny weather:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> We also had our interim show of work by the MA students:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> In which Hannah-May Chapman showed us her latest monsters:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> I do like these!<br/> The piece above that is made from layered, dried leaves and set with fine wires. It is going to be a good final show, I feel.<br/> <br/> After that came our Artist-in-Residence show, an exhibition of the work made by the artists-in-residence during their last 9 months with us. It is really interesting to see what has developed:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Shown above is work by Andy Mariott, <a href="https://www.racheljonesjones.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Jones-Jones</a> and <a href="https://www.timontio.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timon Tio</a>. For some reason, I didn't get round to photographing some of my favourite work, which is that of Matt Gale. I will get that posted next time around.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> This last week has been a week of music for me. Kicking off with a rare performance of Morton Feldman's compelling trio for flutes, percussion and piano/celeste, "Crippled Symmetry" at the <a href="https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Royal Birmingham Conservatoire</a> was just ravishing.<br/> <br/> I returned to the Conservatoire later in the week for "Entanglement! An Entropic Tale", an opera about quantum physics...<br/></p>
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<p><br/> A new work by composer, Daniel Blanco Albert, with a libretto by Roxanne Korda, a mezzo-soprano with the most compelling voice who also sang the role of "Entropy". It is hard to know what to make of the piece, which I thoroughly enjoyed musically but which left me a bit cold (heat death?) in that I couldn't really accept the premise of the anthropomorphic sub-atomic particles. Everyone in it was brilliant - especially Korda - and it was a pleasure to sit back and enjoy the sound.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Saturday brought much more familiar musical territory with the CBSO performing Shostakovich's 10th Symphony.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Freezing cold again today but I managed to get a bit of gardening work done.<br/> <br/> More soon!</p>A Waketag:crafthaus.ning.com,2018-03-25:2104389:BlogPost:5764192018-03-25T19:57:46.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/40284780134/in/datetaken/" title="Future Craft - Farnham - 2"><img alt="Future Craft - Farnham - 2" height="375" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4781/40284780134_80c42fcfba.jpg" width="500"></img></a></div>
<p>This last fortnight saw me off to the <a href="https://www.uca.ac.uk/life-at-uca/locations/farnham/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">University of the Creative Arts</a> (UCA) at Farnham for the conference organised by <a href="http://skeels.co.uk/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Rebecca Skeels</a>, "Future Craft:…</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/40284780134/in/datetaken/" title="Future Craft - Farnham - 2"><img alt="Future Craft - Farnham - 2" height="375" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4781/40284780134_80c42fcfba.jpg" width="500"/></a></div>
<p>This last fortnight saw me off to the <a href="https://www.uca.ac.uk/life-at-uca/locations/farnham/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of the Creative Arts</a> (UCA) at Farnham for the conference organised by <a href="http://skeels.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rebecca Skeels</a>, "Future Craft: Entrepreneurship or Enterprise", a great chance to catch up with old friends - <a href="https://www.elizabethshawjewelleryobjects.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liz Shaw</a>, <a href="https://www.anastasiayoung.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ana Young</a>, <a href="https://www.dundee.ac.uk/djcad/staff/profile/sandra-wilson.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sandra Wilson</a> and <a href="http://www.karen-anndicken.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karen Dicken</a> - and to listen to some of my favourite makers talk about their practice, including <a href="http://www.daphnekrinos.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daphne Krinos</a> and <a href="http://aditoch.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adi Toch</a>. It was also an opportunity to meet with and think about aspects of my own practice and especially my teaching practice and a conversation with <a href="https://www.rca.ac.uk/students/emily-ohlund-14416/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emily Öhlund</a> proved to be very interesting, talking about dyslexia and dyspraxia.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> In a certain sense, the conference lost the focus of the theme and became about the makers' own experiences of developing their practices, but this in itself was both useful and fascinating, from David Poston's view that once trained as a designer, even if one thinks of oneself as a jewellery designer, it is possible to develop a much larger career as a "design thinker", through to Vicky Ambery-Smith's acknowledgement of a somewhat hand-to-mouth existence as a maker.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Went to London with Dingo over the following weekend to pick up my shoes from The Old Curiosity Shop. It was bitterly cold and London seemed deserted. We walked past a remarkable building which I had not spotted before, "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Kemble_Street" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One Kemble Street</a>" and its adjunct, CAA House, both by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Seifert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richard Seifert</a>, another stunning example of brutalist architecture at its very best:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> This week also brought the staging of a new opera, "The Wake", especially commissioned by <a href="https://www.birminghamopera.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Birmingham Opera</a> from Italian composer, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giorgio_Battistelli" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Giorgio Battistelli</a> - apparently the "greatest living composer" in Italy - of whom I had never previously heard. (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/mar/15/wake-review-birmingham-opera-company-breathe-life-into-lazarus-tale" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a> pointed out that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvatore_Sciarrino" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Salvatore Sciarrino</a> might be better known!) In keeping with the house style of the company, it was staged in an abandoned warehouse with a wandering audience and a community chorus and the principals were all fantastic. The orchestra were fantastic. The staging was fantastic. The audience were fantastic...<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The music, however, was a mess.<br/> None of it is actually bad. Some of it is excellent - the broken, Schnittke-esque "spiritual" in the middle is quite brilliant - but none of it really hangs together. It made me think of calculus, where sampling any given moment yields something quantifiable (and interesting) but the sum of the parts tends towards zero.<br/> <br/> It is a re-telling of the biblical story of Lazarus with strangely pointless moments of homophobia and police violence and while Graham Vick and his cast of thousands worked hard to create something amazing, it failed to thrill. It almost failed to rise about "moderately interesting", which is a great shame.<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Our Talking Practice at the School this week was <a href="http://www.reytan.de/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Denise Reytan</a>, a jeweller who works with scrap materials to create pieces and photographic installations which bridge jewellery and fashion.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> She's been working with the BA students and I will post some of the resulting photographs soon.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> My own students have been working with the BA Illustration students to create graphic works based on themes derived from the Jewellery Quarter. They had a selling show this week:<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/><a href="http://blogs.bcu.ac.uk/vittoriastreetgallery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vittoria Street Gallery</a> hosted an exhibition of work by staff and alumni of the School, "Subterranea", a collaboration between <a href="http://www.drewmarkou.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drew Markou</a>, Bridie Lander, <a href="http://www.racheldarbourne.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel Darbourne</a> and <a href="http://nualaclooney.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nuala Clooney</a>. Part performance, part exhibition, the show consisted of jewellery and objects and about 10 kilos of handmade marshmallow, which was served to the guests!<br/></p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knife with teeth, on a bed of marshmallow, made by Nuala Clooney.</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridie Lander serving marshmallow.</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drew Markou</td>
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<p><br/> Although I love the work of all the makers, my favourite piece in the show has to be Rachel Darbourne's monkey-body neckpiece. Which I would wear.<br/></p>
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<p></p>Musicologytag:crafthaus.ning.com,2018-03-11:2104389:BlogPost:5761532018-03-11T20:30:00.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
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<p><br></br> A musical week, mainly, kicking off with the astonishing world-premiere performance of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Barry_(composer)" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Gerald Barry's</a> Organ Concerto by the…</p>
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<p><br/> A musical week, mainly, kicking off with the astonishing world-premiere performance of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Barry_(composer)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gerald Barry's</a> Organ Concerto by the <a href="https://cbso.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBSO</a>, conducted by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Ad%C3%A8s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thomas Adès</a>. Part of the most satisfying programme of music I've encountered in a long time, kicking off with Britten's "Sinfonia da Requiem": I've struggled with Britten for a long time and just gave up even trying to understand or enjoy his music sometime in the late 1980s, so it was interesting to hear this piece again after avoiding his work for so long and finding that I really enjoyed it. Time to re-appraise.<br/> <br/> The main event, for me, was the Gerald Barry piece, which didn't disappoint. A riotous mess of sound, infuritating, funny, cantankerous and thrilling. It is hard to explain how the piece actually worked and I wanted to hear it all over again the second it finished: it is broadly programmatic and deals with the composer's early years working as a church organist but that is all gleaned from the hilarious programme notes, which include this image:</p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Gadoo by Tamsin Shaw.</td>
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<p></p>
<p>The image appears alongside the gnomic comment,</p>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">There are always unexpected triggers in writing. For instance, I know a cat who lives in Washington Square in New York. His name is Blue Gadoo and he's a very peculiar cat. I saw a photograph of him in a book called "Sex and the Sacred in Wagner's Tristan and Isolde". By his expression, I knew he was mourning the loss of atonality. So I put his fight for atonality against tonality into the concerto.</blockquote>
<p>This was followed - after an interval to allow us to recover - by Adès' "Polaris", beautifully realised with the distant brass on the very top tier of the Symphony Hall, and Stravinsky's "Symphony in Three Movements", all superbly played.</p>
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<p><br/> <br/> Friday night brought a visit to <a href="https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/hire/venues/the-lab" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Lab</a> at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, the experimental music space with sound-spacialisation technology, to hear bassist <a href="http://www.chrismapp.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Mapp's</a> "<a href="https://gonimoblast.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gonimoblast</a>" and "<a href="https://stillefelt.bandcamp.com/releases" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stillefelt</a>" perform in a remarkable concert. Stillefelt Trio were up first, a gentle, meditative concert which felt like a showcase for the exquisite trumpet-playing of Percy Pursglove, not only a master of "Sketches of Spain"-era Miles Davis tone, but also of an holistic approach to extended technique. Quite wonderful.</p>
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<p><br/> Gonimoblast are a quartet of players, including percussion, electronics and keyboards, who were augmented by a brass section of five players on trumpets and trombones and who managed to make one almighty, exciting noise, part-composed, part improvised, the brass functioning - as Mapp explains in the notes - as an "ensemble within an ensemble".</p>
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<p><br/> Pursuing my casual interest in marginalised crafts, I headed off to "<a href="http://www.thecraftycowonthegreen.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Crafty Cow</a>" in Castle Bromwich to meet with Kiarna of "<a href="https://www.instagram.com/houseofmacrame/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House of Macrame</a>" for a lesson in... macrame! (No sniggering: The Guardian, in 2016, declared, "<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/mar/12/modern-macrame-craft-interiors-portland-emily-katz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Macrame Is Hip Again</a>".)</p>
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<p><br/> This was a tiny class - just three of us - and I really got into it. I hadn't realised quite how meditative it would be and I found myself really, really enjoying it. We started off with a simple series of knots:</p>
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<p><br/> By the time I had learned the "Monkey Head" knot, I was away!</p>
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<p><br/> Plant-holders next!<br/> Anyone interested should get in touch with Kiarna as she is running the classes regularly.</p>
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<p><br/> Saturday night brought another concert, this time one in keeping with the week in which International Women's Day falls: a concert of music by women composers, played by women musicians. "<a href="https://www.illuminatewomensmusic.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Illuminate</a>" is organised by <a href="https://angelaslatercomposer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angela Elizabeth Slater</a> (in the red jacket in the photograph above), a composer herself.<br/> <br/> Of the composers featured, I had only heard of two previously (three if you count Claude Arrieu, the gender of whom I had mis-attributed!) - Yfat Soul Zisso and Lilli Boulanger - and, if I am being honest, I struggle to think on many female composers... Gloria Coates, Ethel Smythe, Judith Weir, Hildegarde von Bingen: that is four off the top of my head but I could reel off literally hundreds of male composers.<br/> <br/> The concert was fantastic - a selection of fourteen pieces by eleven composers, some contemporary, some historic - all tiny chamber works which gave the event the feel of a "tasting menu", a superb way of getting a feel for the composers. It was performed superbly by <a href="https://kesiadecote.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Késia Decoté</a> (piano), <a href="http://www.cassandramathews.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cassie Matthews</a> (guitar), Sabina Virtosu (violin) and <a href="https://gemmamcgregor.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gemma Mcgregor</a> (flute/shakuhachi).<br/> <br/> Looking forward to more in this series.</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> After my post two weeks ago about re-reading Don Delillo's "White Noise", I've now finished that and started on Alexander Langland's "Cræft", an investigation into the meaning of craft. I've only just started - kicking off with an account of the wisdom of Alfred the Great - but can already tell that I am going to enjoy it.</p>
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<p><br/> <br/> More once I've finished reading.</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Some months ago, I sponsored the legendary Czech film-maker, Jan Švankmajer, to make his last film, "Insects". I've loved Švankmajer since I saw "Dimensions of Dialogue".</p>
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<p><br/> This film is compelling, funny and disturbing, and, as I subsequently found out, this is the pattern for all his work. His work has influenced so many film-makers, most notably the Quay brothers, and his influence can be seen in television adverts, cartoons, serious films, pop-music videos (The Cure seem to have been especially keen). When the opportunity to help fund his "last film" came along, I seized it: yes, it is sad to know that he will not make any more films, but it is also exciting to have been able to help him realise a vision.<br/> <br/> Last week, an email arrived in my inbox: "Insects" is finished and now available for me to view. Of course, I viewed it. Needless to say, I can't share the video here but you can see the trailer in which Švankmajer explains a little bit about the incredibly complex film, a film about a film about an amateur dramatic group rehearsing an obscure Czech play...</p>
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<p><br/> The film is very different from his other films in that it is also a sort of documentary about the making of one of his films. There are some genuinely horrific moments but also some hilarious ones - who would ever have imagined that vomiting up a cockroach could be funny? - and the whole thing is as demented as I could have hoped. If you get the chance to see it, do.<br/> <br/> In addition to this access to the film before it has been generally released, I have also a signed book of the script and a collection of all his films on disc to look forward to!<br/> <br/> I will leave you with another of his marvellous short films, "Jabberwocky" from 1973:</p>
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<p></p>Awards! Glamour! Events!tag:crafthaus.ning.com,2018-03-04:2104389:BlogPost:5762172018-03-04T17:26:32.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
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<p><br></br> What a week!<br></br> <br></br> Kicking it all off was the annual <a href="http://www.craftanddesigncouncil.org.uk/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Goldsmiths' Craft and Design Awards</a> in the gilded splendour of…</p>
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<p><br/> What a week!<br/> <br/> Kicking it all off was the annual <a href="http://www.craftanddesigncouncil.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Goldsmiths' Craft and Design Awards</a> in the gilded splendour of <a href="https://www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/company/goldsmiths-hall/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Goldsmiths' Hall</a>. About thirty of us, staff and students, jumped on a bus to London to collect our prizes - not that I personally won a prize, but several of my students and ex-students did.<br/> <br/> Hosted with aplomb by <a href="http://www.theofennell.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Theo Fennell</a>, the awards celebrate all that is great in the UK jewellery industry (I was delighted by the Prime Warden's comments about how we need to be able to say that without being 'brexity'). The work, of course, is fantastic, not just the work from my own colleagues and students.<br/></p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work by Thomas Johnson.</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enormous hand-chased silver salver by <a href="http://miriamhanid.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miriam Hanid</a>.</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-cowley-682354158/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andrew Cowley</a> and <a href="https://www.lukasgrewenig.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lukas Grewenig</a>.</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-price-9711b7130/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Claire Price</a>.</td>
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<p><br/> With one of my first-year students, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamedarab/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hamed Arab Choobdar</a>, taking a silver for his startling CAD design for a ring:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> And with students from BA Jewellery and Object, MA Jewellery and BA Jewellery and Silversmithing Design For Industry, Staff AND our one of our Artists-in-Residence winning prizes, it is hardly surprising that the School of Jewellery won the coveted "College Trophy" for the second year in a row.<br/></p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The winners: </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Although my favourite version of this photograph is the one with added <a href="http://skeels.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rebecca Skeels</a>:</div>
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<p><br/> On Tuesday we had the opening of the Staff exhibition in the Vittoria Street Gallery, "In The Loupe 2" - you can read about the secret box format in my previous post <a href="https://wringhim.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/off-with-his-head.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. As I hinted in that post, I've been working on something very, very unlike my usual work but first, the fun!<br/> Everyone had 30 seconds in which to open and explain the contents of their box and the contents varied from works-in-progress to pieces made especially for the show and every member of the teaching and technical staff was invited to take part.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Unfortunately, I forgot my camera and so all of these were taken on my mobile. The shots of the work below were taken later.<br/></p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridie Lander.</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna Lorenz.</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keith Adcock.</td>
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<p>And, of course, I unveiled the work I've been so secretive about since mid-January...<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Based entirely on a page of doodles from a long meeting:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Made in silver, enamel, CZ and stainless steel.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> I've never thought of myself as someone who works from drawings and I certainly have never taken my doodles seriously: they are sub-conscious or semi-conscious outpourings, which I have always done (I can remember doing them on the back of rolls of wallpaper when I was about 6). Every notebook I own is covered in them, so it was a bit of a surprise when Zoe Roberston suggested I turn them into work. Problem-solving the piece was fascinating and it was a pleasure to be working in more traditional fine jewellery mode again.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Somewhere in the middle of all this, <a href="https://katytromans.weebly.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katy Tromans</a> won the top prize at this year's <a href="http://www.palazzogiureconsulti.it/eventi/artistar-jewels-2018.kl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Artistar Jewels</a> competition, which is part of Milan Fashion Week:<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p></p>
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<p><br/> Thursday brought a visit to the Birmingham Arena for the <a href="http://www.wicbirmingham2018.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Association of Athletics Federations World Indoor Championships</a> opening ceremony, with my student, Menna Jones, designer of the medals awarded at the event. I am not going to post the medals yet again - you can see them <a href="https://wringhim.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/ending-hiatus.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> if you are interested. The very idea of going to a sporting event leaves me cold: I might just about be persuaded to go to a rugby match or to a mountain-bike event, but <i>athletics</i>?<br/> <br/> Menna was part of the opening ceremony, which was amazing. Here she is being interviewed on the big screen:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> I had originally planned to go along for an hour or so, show face, support my students - the two runners-up in the competition, Rachel Bromley and Sofie Macearnuig, were also invited along - and then leave again, but it turned out rather differently. The whole thing was actually rather exciting and we ended up staying until the very end!<br/> <br/> It was the high-jump (men's and women's) and the women's 3000 metres and there is something compelling about seeing these competitors sail elegantly over the bar or strategically hang back for a dash at the end.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Of course, I probably fail as a sports fan because I want them ALL to do well, not even caring what country they represented!<br/> <br/> It was so good to see the medals finally being presented and worn:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Unfortunately, outside, it had been snowing...<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> It has been freezing hard here. I've not been on the bike and my beard froze going to work!<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The poor garden is buried under an unseasonal 150mm of snow and has suffered -8 degrees C. The beans were up, the garlic was up, the artichokes were positively thriving and now this! The only thing I can see is that the artichokes are now looking very wilted indeed.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> SO, a weekend in the house.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Trying out some designs for next year's Goldsmiths' Hall Craft and Design awards!<br/> <br/> Here is a stop-motion video of me making one of the drawings which were the focus of the piece in "In The Loupe 2", mentioned above:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> This one starts off by drawing round a matched - but not identical - pair of smoky quartz. May lead nowhere, but it is interesting.<br/> <br/> Lots of reading and cooking. I've nearly finished Don Delillo's "White Noise" (see last post <a href="https://wringhim.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/off-with-his-head.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>) and have started this terrifying guide to post-Brexit Britain:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Set in the town of Scarfolk, somewhere in the North England, somewhere between 1970 and 1979, this is part novel, part cultural critique, part artwork and wholly brilliant. My own theory is that the UK is the only place where surrealism really became entrenched in the national culture and where it is still alive and kicking as a thread running through the mainstream, an especially dark and sinister surrealism: think "Inside Number 9", "League of Gentlemen", "The Bed-sitting Room". This book fits squarely into that mould and is based on the blog "<a href="https://scarfolk.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scarfolk Council</a>", simultaneously hilarious and deeply disturbing, I can't help but imagine that post-Brexit Britain will <i>really</i> be like this.<br/> <br/> More soon!</p>Off With His Headtag:crafthaus.ning.com,2018-02-25:2104389:BlogPost:5756922018-02-25T17:00:19.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
<p>Last week kicked off amusingly with a tweet from an ex-student, <a href="https://www.christinaroseleon.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Christina Leon</a>, who found this in the Tower Of London:<br></br></p>
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<p><br></br> Remind you of anyone? Probably there because Queen Theresa has had enough of…</p>
<p>Last week kicked off amusingly with a tweet from an ex-student, <a href="https://www.christinaroseleon.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christina Leon</a>, who found this in the Tower Of London:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Remind you of anyone? Probably there because Queen Theresa has had enough of my carping about the folly of Brexit.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p></p>
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<p><br/> I've had an interesting week in and around the Jewellery Quarter almost none of which I was able to photograph, due to commercial constraints. From taking the students on a tour of the ever-fascinating Assay Office to a tour of the incredible facilities at <a href="https://fattorini.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thomas Fattorini</a>, not one bit was photographed, except this:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> It's the die from which the Birmingham World Indoor Games medals were struck!<br/></p>
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<p><br/> My student, Menna Jones, who designed these medals arranged the tour for us and I'm really grateful as I now have a much better picture of what services can be arranged through Fattorini.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> This is a bit of a "placeholder" post as there is so much coming up <i>next</i> week, including the School of Jewellery staff exhibition, "In The Loupe 2".<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The <a href="http://blogs.bcu.ac.uk/vittoriastreetgallery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vittoria Street Gallery</a> in the atrium at the School looks as if <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riddler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Riddler</a> has been at work!<br/></p>
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<p><br/> We were each given a plain cardboard box and told to fill it. We could decorate the inside of the box but not the outside. I am SO excited about seeing what everyone has put in their boxes and also about revealing what I put in mine - a piece which strikes out in a radical new direction: I have genuinely no idea what people will make of it.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Another talking practice this week, this time environmental artist, <a href="http://npugh.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Niki Pugh</a>.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Interviewed for an "in conversation" with Sian Hindle. The graphic behind is a representation of how Niki locates and defines her practice. She is going to be based at the School of Jewellery for the next year and I look forward to the opportunity to engage with her practice.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> I've never considered myself to be an artist who works through drawing but in the last couple of months, the opinion of other people has made me reconsider the role of drawing in my work. Mostly, in terms of my work, I draw to problem-solve:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> But there is another class of drawing that I have always done, a type of almost sub-conscious drawing which I do when my mind is focused on other things: drawings done in meetings, when watching films, listening to music, etc. These drawings are very different. Here is an example of a "to do" list made in a programme leaders' meeting a few days ago:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> After a conversation with Zoe Robertson about my sub-conscious drawings - which fed into the contents of my cardboard box, see above - she sent me a link to an exhibition at the <a href="https://www.fringeartsbath.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bath Festival Fringe</a> called <a href="https://www.fringeartsbath.co.uk/normal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Normal Papers</a>, in which artists are invited to submit for a show which</p>
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>"invites its audience to look more closely at incidental mark making of doodles, the simple beauty of a to-do list, colour coding, setting out of information, work plans on the back of an envelope and so on, in order to appreciate their unassuming simplicity and visual qualities."</i></blockquote>
<p>I'm not sure that my drawings are "simple beauty" or of "unassuming simplicity"!<br/> <br/> Some of my drawings have been accepted and will be shown in this exhibition and there will be much more on the role of drawing in my work very soon.<br/> <br/> Anyone interested in submitting their own drawings should follow the link above. The closing date for entries is 20th March, 2018.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> I spent a really nice day yesterday, wandering around the Jewellery Quarter, taking photographs, having a beard trim, meeting friends for dinner and generally not doing very much. Some of the photographs:<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> By far my favourite website about music is <a href="http://thequietus.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Quietus</a>, an independent magazine focusing on mainly music but also film and culture in general. I really enjoy the fact that they manage to get unique interviews with the most amazing musicians and that they can bring to my attention new bands and artists about whom I know nothing. Yesterday, they published an article by Robert Bright about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_DeLillo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Don Delillo's</a> "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Noise_(novel)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White Noise</a>", which I read in the early 1990s and remember really rating and enjoying. In the article, "<a href="http://thequietus.com/articles/24105-don-delillo-white-noise-essay" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Too Much Information: Don DeLillo’s White Noise</a>", Bright suggests that the book is more relevant today than it was when it was written, arguing that even though the method of information has now changed, the way in which we are manipulated through it has not.<br/> <br/> Given my excitement a few years back on re-reading Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four", I was immediately compelled to re-read the book: I'm already 40 pages into it and it is every bit as good as I remember.</p>No Spring Bluestag:crafthaus.ning.com,2018-02-18:2104389:BlogPost:5757872018-02-18T18:12:36.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
<p>Spring Fair is upon us again, so off we trouped to the NEC with the students in tow for the biggest jewellery event in the UK calendar. The main reason for us going is that we take the opportunity to promote the students at the event in conjunction with <a href="http://www.westonbeamor.co.uk/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Weston Beamor</a>, who generously sponsor prizes in a design competition every year.<br></br> This year, they had to use their digital skills to design a matching wedding and…</p>
<p>Spring Fair is upon us again, so off we trouped to the NEC with the students in tow for the biggest jewellery event in the UK calendar. The main reason for us going is that we take the opportunity to promote the students at the event in conjunction with <a href="http://www.westonbeamor.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Weston Beamor</a>, who generously sponsor prizes in a design competition every year.<br/> This year, they had to use their digital skills to design a matching wedding and engagement ring:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The competition has been run for many years, since before I started teaching there, and we're really proud of the relationship we have with the company - each winning student gets not only a cash prize and their rings made up in precious materials, but they also get a work placement in the company.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The winning designs are picked by Weston Beamor and they have to be both innovative and commercial, a difficult thing to achieve. It gives the students an excellent grounding in designing for the industry.<br/> <br/> We went mob-handed and, unfortunately, attracted the attention of security...<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Went out for lunch with colleagues this week to a very unusual pop-up restaurant in one of our favourite pubs in the Jewellery Quarter, <a href="http://1000trades.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1000 Trades</a>. It was being run by Nick Astley who used to run the now-defunct Two Cats Kitchen which, just before it shut, was being tipped for a Michelin Star, so it was exciting to be able to take the advantage of this lunch pop-up, "Salt and Earth".<br/> <br/> We were not disappointed...<br/></p>
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<p><br/> This was the most amazing food! Top to bottom: sweet potatoes with dried olives, agave and feta; yucca fries with ponzu mayonnaise; Japanese style fried chicken with dirty 1000 island; tilapia ceviche, chia seed, seaweed; white chocolate cheesecake, blood orange honeycomb and shisho.<br/> <br/> Didn't feel like going back to work after that lot. It did inspire Claire to make her own honeycomb, however, which was rather good later in the week:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Chinese New Year this last week. As we have a lot of students from China in the School, we generally celebrate it in some way. This year it was an animation workshop followed by a feast of Chinese food. The animation workshop - run by <a href="https://vimeo.com/sellotapecinema" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sellotape Cinema</a> - was excellent and well-attended and the food was fantastic, provided by a new Chinese restaurant in the Jewellery Quarter, <a href="https://jewelleryquarter.net/directory/lisa-panns-kitchen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lisa and Pann's Kitchen</a>.<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> <a href="https://www.jopond.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jo Pond</a> completed the most unlikely commission you could imagine her undertaking. Yes, really. This is more like something I would undertake... <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skull_cup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a skull cup</a>.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> It is a replica of a cup made from a human skull which had been used by Lord Byron and from which he apparently drank red wine. It was commissioned from Jo by <a href="http://www.newsteadabbey.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newstead Abbey</a> some years ago and now they want another one! The skull is a replica in plastic.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> I've been incredibly busy myself, writing bids for Arts Council funding for a project next summer, working on the piece for the School of Jewellery staff show, <a href="http://blogs.bcu.ac.uk/vittoriastreetgallery/in-the-loupe-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In The Loupe 2</a>, and I spent a day in Cambridge with <a href="http://www.dr-jewellerydesign.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dan Russell</a>, planning a collaborative show for 2019. The title of the show was decided and it will be "<i>Don't Care Was Made To Care</i>". Details of that to follow.<br/> <br/> Cambridge is lovely but was incredibly busy. It is nearly 30 years since I was last there and my memory of it is hazy, rather like the above photograph but it was a most enjoyable day.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The highlight of the day was definitely climbing the tower of Great St Mary's Church to get views of the city!<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> It's been a week for new music, too, what with the release of a new album by <a href="http://www.laurieanderson.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Laurie Anderson</a>, "Landfall" with the <a href="http://kronosquartet.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kronos Quartet</a>, one by Steve Reich and one by Franz Ferdinand, all superb in their own way. I was most excited by the Laurie Anderson album as she's been a musical constant in my life since I saw her perform to a tiny audience in Edinburgh in 1978 or 1979, just before her unlikely "O Superman" hit. As I also love the Kronos Quartet, this was a marriage made in heaven and it is even remarked in the liner notes that it is surprising that it hasn't happened before!<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The Franz Ferdinand album is also very good and clearly shows the influence of their working with Sparks on the FFS project!<br/></p>
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<p><br/> I will leave with a couple of tracks, one from each:<br/></p>
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<p></p>A Lot Of Lintag:crafthaus.ning.com,2018-02-12:2104389:BlogPost:5759212018-02-12T14:44:26.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
<p>It's been fairly quiet since my last post but I've managed to squeeze in a trip to London with my ex-colleague and still-friend, Rachael Colley, a trip which involved culture and a lot of work by Lin Cheung. We started off with a visit to the <a href="https://www.vam.ac.uk/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">V&A</a> to see the final choices for the…</p>
<p>It's been fairly quiet since my last post but I've managed to squeeze in a trip to London with my ex-colleague and still-friend, Rachael Colley, a trip which involved culture and a lot of work by Lin Cheung. We started off with a visit to the <a href="https://www.vam.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">V&A</a> to see the final choices for the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3ZmmmZqHRFpq6xmf8j4hf4L/the-woman-s-hour-craft-prize-finalists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women's Hour Craft Prize</a>, a prestigious new award which has been awarded for the first time this year, described on the website as:</p>
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'arial' , 'helvetica' , 'freesans' , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>The Woman’s Hour Craft Prize aims to find and celebrate the most innovative and exciting craft practitioner or designer-maker resident in the UK today, in the most comprehensive prize of its kind.</i></span></blockquote>
<p> And very excellent the choices for the final proved to be. Less excellent was the back-of-beyond corridor end in which the V&A had chosen to present it:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> To find this, we not only had to ask a member of staff - it was not listed on any of their "what's on" guides - but then had to walk past education rooms, up some stairs, and round a corner, indicated only by a photocopied sign on an easel. The whole thing felt slightly contemptuous and definitely not like an exhibition of work by some of the most interesting craft practitioners in the UK.<br/> <br/> The exhibition is really very good and jewellers and metalsmiths are featured heavily, most notably Romilly Saumarez Smith:<br/> <br/> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/40051456532/in/datetaken/" title="Woman's Hour Craft Prize - 4 - Romilly Saumarez-Smith"><img alt="Woman's Hour Craft Prize - 4 - Romilly Saumarez-Smith" height="481" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4765/40051456532_4302e27404_z.jpg" width="640"/></a> <br/> <br/> An exquisite bicycle by Caren Hartley and Lin Cheung's most recent work around the concept of "badges" (or "buttons" to those in the US).<br/></p>
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<p><br/> These badges are made in carved gemstones, which Lin carves herself.<br/> <br/> The overall winner was Phoebe Cummings, a ceramics artist who creates marvellously baroque unfired clay sculptures which then auto-destruct:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> In this case, the object is a fountain which runs for a few minutes every day, washing away the carefully-sculpted flowers.<br/> <br/> It is such a great shame that this exhibition would never be seen by anyone who did not go out of their way to find it.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> After this, we headed through Hyde Park - dropping into the <a href="http://www.serpentinegalleries.org/exhibitions-events/wade-guyton-das-new-yorker-atelier-abridged" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Serpentine Gallery</a> to see the vacuous tosh of Wade Guyton, a big, boring mistake - and enjoying the "wild" parakeets:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Very odd on a bitterly-cold and wet February morning!<br/> <br/> We had lunch in a fondue/raclette restaurant - yes, such a thing exists in central London...<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> We then went to see Lin Cheung's solo show at <a href="https://www.galleryso.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gallery SO</a>. If you have a look at the website, you can better see the backs of the badges shown above and see what makes these "badges" rather than "brooches".<br/></p>
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<p><br/> This was only my second visit to Gallery SO (I'm ashamed to say) and the welcome we received from Valentina and Chris - whom I had met during last summer's ACJ Conference - was fantastic. We had the chance to see not only Lin's work:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> But also work by Hans Stofer, Andi Gut, Otto Kunzli, Bernhard Schobinger and Lisa Walker, amongst others. Well worth a visit when in London.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> On the back of my previous post about the <a href="https://wringhim.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/ending-hiatus.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House of Beauty and Culture</a>, I decided that I had to visit the last-remaining element of their collective, <a href="http://www.the-old-curiosity-shop.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Old Curiosity Shop</a>:<br/></p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/75905404@N00/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OZinOH</a> on Flickr.</td>
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<p>In this shop, the lovely, welcoming Daita Kimura, who now uses John Moore's lasts to make the shoes, showed us around and told us a little bit about the shoes, which are beautifully-made around all their rough-edges:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> I have, of course, commissioned a pair of hog-toe boots and this is John Moore-created last around which they will be made. It's a great pity that I can't get down to London to document the making process.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/10428457153/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Cursley & Bond - 5"><img alt="Cursley & Bond - 5" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3679/10428457153_e99d20c2b4.jpg" width="375"/></a></div>
<p><br/> Just back from a weekend in Brighton and Folkestone, where I collected my work from the erstwhile gallery, Cursley & Bond, now, alas! closed. It was lovely to see Chris and Nicola again but sad to bring a nearly six-year partnership to an end. They are off to the US now to possibly set up a gallery there and to allow Nicola to develop her own practice.<br/> <br/> The gallery will be sadly missed on The Old High Street in Folkestone, where it trailblazed the regeneration of the area.<br/></p>
<div style="text-align: left;">I'll end this post with a few highlights of my times there.</div>
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<td><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/12217051533/" title="in time of daffodils - 23"><img alt="in time of daffodils - 23" height="180" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7316/12217051533_3dea2df1cd_m.jpg" width="240"/></a></div>
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<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/10428283336/" title="Cursley & Bond - 1"><img alt="Cursley & Bond - 1" height="180" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2825/10428283336_38c9c53eec_m.jpg" width="240"/></a></div>
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<td><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/10428321205/" title="Cursley & Bond - 3"><img alt="Cursley & Bond - 3" height="240" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5550/10428321205_a88b64208d_m.jpg" width="180"/></a></div>
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<tr><td><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/17097037436/" title="20000 Leagues Under The Seas - Talk at Cursley & Bond Gallery - 3"><img alt="20000 Leagues Under The Seas - Talk at Cursley & Bond Gallery - 3" height="180" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7653/17097037436_99826e40d9_m.jpg" width="240"/></a></div>
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<td><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/37103151091/" title="Folkestone Triennial Visit - 2017 - 1"><img alt="Folkestone Triennial Visit - 2017 - 1" height="180" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4424/37103151091_29ceaab493_m.jpg" width="240"/></a></div>
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</div>Epigramatictag:crafthaus.ning.com,2018-01-28:2104389:BlogPost:5755772018-01-28T11:30:00.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
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<p>Kicked off the week of 16th January with an exhibition of work by one of my colleagues, <a href="http://directory.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/designers/toni-mayner/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Toni Mayner</a>, who brings her…</p>
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<p>Kicked off the week of 16th January with an exhibition of work by one of my colleagues, <a href="http://directory.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/designers/toni-mayner/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Toni Mayner</a>, who brings her fine-jewellery skills to the most unlikely of materials, in this case found fragments of wallpaper taken from the rather lovely <a href="http://lightwoodsparkandhouse.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lightwoods House</a> - which is about ten minutes' walk from my house and from Toni's house!</p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/39735542012/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Toni Mayner - Lightwoods House - 4"><img alt="Toni Mayner - Lightwoods House - 4" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4675/39735542012_a928588fc6.jpg" height="375" width="500"/></a></div>
<p><br/> The wallpaper was revealed when the house was being refurbished after many years of neglect and the work Toni has made is quite delightful.</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> The BA students have been working on another of their exciting one-day projects, this time using sheets of paper to make large-scale wearable objects...</p>
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<p><br/> The <a href="http://craftspace.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Craftspace</a> "Made in the Middle" exhibition is in the last venue, <a href="http://www.ragm.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rugby Art Gallery and Museum</a> - it seems like only moments ago it <a href="https://wringhim.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/a-hairy-week.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened in Coventry</a>! I went along for the opening, which was great... really well-attended and nice to catch up with the other makers in the show. The exhibition looks great in the space and if you haven't seen it yet, this is the last chance.</p>
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<p><br/> I'm still very pleased with the collection of my work in this show:</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> One of the advantages of being part of a big university is that there are opportunities and events to which I have access and which I would never get to be a part of in a smaller place. This week I had the pleasure of listening to the wonderful <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._C._Grayling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Professor AC Grayling</a> speaking.</p>
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<p><br/> He was speaking about what "brexit" means for the UK and how it can be stopped. It was a most encouraging talk and I'm glad to know that he is convinced that the UK will remain part of the EU, either immediately or in the longer term.</p>
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<p><br/> It doesn't look like it here, but I am pleased to report that the lecture theatre was well-filled! Grayling is an engaging speaker, witty, focused, effortless... my favourite comment of the night was almost an aside, "<i>Theresa May is not the brightest button in the box</i>". Enough said.</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> We had a new gem-dealer in the School this week, Maria Gross, who enticed the students with displays of stones which can only be described as "luscious"! She called the plates, "Gemstone salads".</p>
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<p><br/> As someone with an almost synaesthesic urge to taste gemstones when I'm working with them, I very much appreciate this form of display!</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Weekend concerts this weekend... all <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_Carter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elliott Carter</a>, performed by the <a href="http://www.bcmg.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BCMG</a> and associates. Last night was a lecture-recital of his "<a href="https://www.elliottcarter.com/compositions/epigrams/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Epigrams</a>", a marvellously concise set of pieces for piano trio. It was great to hear these explained to us by the players in advance of the full performance tonight.</p>
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<p><br/> More on the performance next blog.</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> I've been working on something rather unusual. In a meeting two weeks ago, I was doing my usual of subconsciously doodling on my notepad...</p>
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<p><br/> I have reams and reams of this kind of (almost) "automatic drawing" in all of my notebooks. I can actually remember doing this kind of thing when I was a kid - probably still at primary school (and I'd love to find some of those, which I clearly remember drawing on the back of sheets of vinyl wallpaper).<br/> <br/> A couple of months ago, <a href="http://www.drewmarkou.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drew Markou</a> suggested that I should do something with these drawings and this last week, <a href="https://zoerobertson.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zoe Roberston</a> was overcome with enthusiasm for the same idea, so much so that I decided to accept her "challenge" and actually turn this drawing - the one which enthused her - into a piece of jewellery. The very next page shows me starting to work things out...</p>
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<p><br/> No found objects. No narrative. Can I cope with this new "pure" process of creating jewellery?<br/> <br/> What has been really interesting for me has been turning the original drawing into something much more three-dimensional. There are hints of dimensionality in the drawing, but nothing explicit. Needless to say, much use has been made of CAD in developing the idea and I've now got it into production in silver and stainless-steel:</p>
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<p><br/> The unexpected bonus is that I had to make two shapes to create the layered effect I was after, completely failing to notice that this would give me the leftovers with which to make a second, related piece!<br/> <br/> There will be more...</p>Ending the Hiatustag:crafthaus.ning.com,2018-01-14:2104389:BlogPost:5754652018-01-14T18:07:26.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
<p>I have no excuse, no apology. I've just been too busy with minor things to get round to updating the blog, so it is almost eight weeks since I last posted. Unforgivable.</p>
<div>Let's get back to it with a whistle-stop overview of the weeks and a promise of a return to regular postings...<br></br></div>
<hr width="50%"></hr><p><br></br> Music first and on a wet an windy night, I cycled out to "The Hare and Hounds" to hear Mats Gustafsson's blistering jazz trio, "…</p>
<p>I have no excuse, no apology. I've just been too busy with minor things to get round to updating the blog, so it is almost eight weeks since I last posted. Unforgivable.</p>
<div>Let's get back to it with a whistle-stop overview of the weeks and a promise of a return to regular postings...<br/></div>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Music first and on a wet an windy night, I cycled out to "The Hare and Hounds" to hear Mats Gustafsson's blistering jazz trio, "<a href="http://matsgus.com/archives/category/groups/the-thing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Thing</a>". omeone told me 'It's in Mosely'... it was at least three miles further out of the city than that and actually in King's Heath but I can't complain: the exercise is good for me.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> This was an astonishing performance: powerful, sublime but all too short.<br/> <br/> Have a musical interlude: The Thing with Neneh Cherry, performing Suicide's "Dream Baby, Dream":<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Our BA students at the School had their annual Christmas sales event.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> This was held in a rather glamorous function suite in the city centre and was incredibly well-attended. I bought one of the pieces from Joanna Jewellery, the brooch on the right at the front:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Lovely work.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> More music, this time music inspired by and derived from a series of recently-discovered tapes of work by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delia_Derbyshire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delia Derbyshire</a> as part of "<a href="https://deliaderbyshireday.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delia Derbyshire Day</a>".<br/> Every kid of 1970s Britain was in thrall to the sounds of Delia, from her famous re-composing of Ron Grainer's "Dr Who Theme" to incidental music to educational programmes and she was very much instrumental in creating the sound of British pop music in the late 1970s and early 1980s. (Think early Human League, Gary Numan etc.)<br/> <br/> The amazing Birmingham Electro-Acoustic Sound Theatre (BEAST) produced the event of recordings and music and showed a short film about the composer. It was a real thrill to learn of the<br/> tapes and to hear the works derived from them.<br/> <br/> The short film is available to view here:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Christmas party time. The first of the winter Jewellery Quarter Open Studios was held this year with an inaugural party at the <a href="https://thedualworks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dual Works Studios</a>.<br/></p>
<table align="center" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;">
<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/38929037292/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Dual Works Christmas Party - 3"><img alt="Dual Works Christmas Party - 3" height="375" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4636/38929037292_456d7c9f48.jpg" width="500"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modernist Christmas-tree Decorations by Dual Works!</td>
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<p><br/> Also around this time was the marvellous exhibition in the <a href="http://blogs.bcu.ac.uk/vittoriastreetgallery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vittoria Street Gallery</a>, "<a href="https://ambiguous-show.tumblr.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ambiguous Implements</a>" featuring work by friends and colleagues Rachel Colley, Nuala Clooney and many others. The show was about challenging familiar objects, re-contextualising them in playful and intriguing (and sometimes disturbing) ways.<br/> <br/> The show was up for three weeks but somehow I managed to completely fail to take any photographs of it - I think because I had to miss the Private View - so here are some images from their <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ambiguousimplements/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram Feed</a>:<br/></p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;"><div style="padding: 8px;"><div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BcFb_HXFafU/" style="color: black; font-family: 'arial' , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@rachaelcolleyartist collaborative combing in action @soj_bcu</a></div>
<div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ambiguousimplements/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ambiguous Implements</a> (@ambiguousimplements) on Nov 29, 2017 at 7:56am PST</div>
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;"><div style="padding: 8px;"><div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bayf17BFgga/" style="color: black; font-family: 'arial' , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@katejhaywood Pommel @bandbprojects @folkestone_museum @makefolkestone</a></div>
<div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ambiguousimplements/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ambiguous Implements</a> (@ambiguousimplements) on Oct 28, 2017 at 3:52am PDT</div>
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;"><div style="padding: 8px;"><div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BcjuY67lhV_/" style="color: black; font-family: 'arial' , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One week left to see Ambiguous Implements @soj_bcu with new pieces by @daniel_fogarty_ @jonathan_trayte @nunous and @rachaelcolleyartist</a></div>
<div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ambiguousimplements/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ambiguous Implements</a> (@ambiguousimplements) on Dec 11, 2017 at 2:14am PST</div>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Up to Aberdeenshire for the start of the winter holidays and <a href="http://www.drewmarkou.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drew Markou's</a> wedding, which was brilliant.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Loads of colleagues from work were there, braving the snow, ice and terrible traffic and roadworks to get to the venue, just outside Inverurie.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> Andy Howard and I were in our kilts. Andy decided to not only be festive, but to guard against the cold:<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p></p>
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<p><br/> <br/> Brighton for Christmas and New Year. Did a lot of reading, including the new book about the legendary 1980s collective "<a href="http://www.anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/8817/house-of-beauty-and-culture-remembering-radical-creativity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House of Beauty and Culture</a>", which has been fascinating as, without realising it, I have taken a lot of inspiration from this group - which included jeweller/stylist, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy_Blame" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Judy Blame</a> - over the years.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> 2018 has kicked off with a frenzy already and one of my students, Menna Jones, unveiling the medals she designed for the <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Association of Athletics Federations</a>' <a href="http://www.wicbirmingham2018.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Indoor Championships</a> which are being held in Birmingham in March.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> There was a bit of a media frenzy on the roof of the Birmingham Central Library:<br/></p>
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<p><br/> The medals, of course, are fantastic.<br/></p>
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<p><br/> They were struck in Birmingham by <a href="https://fattorini.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fattorini</a> and the process of getting from the initial designs - there were 18 student entries, narrowed down to three and then to one - to finished medal has been fascinating. I was under strict embargo as regards the design until this event, which is why there has been nothing more than a few tweets from me.<br/></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Last week saw <a href="https://www.jopond.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jo Pond's</a> lastest solo show, "Rationed" open with a "Talking Practice" event before the private view:<br/></p>
<table align="center" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;">
<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/38758671755/in/datetaken/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Jo Pond - Rationed - Talking Practice Event - 3"><img alt="Jo Pond - Rationed - Talking Practice Event - 3" height="500" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4743/38758671755_7e5514dd15.jpg" width="375"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo in conversation with Sian Hindle</td>
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<p>Her new body of work looks at the domestic role of women during wartime, especially during World War II/Second European War, through objects and records left by her own family and is affecting, fascinating and quietly beautiful:<br/></p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> With all that, I aim to return to more regular postings from now on.<br/> <br/> Happy New Year!</p>Narrative Jewellerytag:crafthaus.ning.com,2017-11-20:2104389:BlogPost:5736942017-11-20T11:26:24.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
<p>I should have posted this ages ago but somehow, despite the constant reminders, I forgot!<br></br> My work has made the cover of a major new book on "Narrative Jewellery":</p>
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<p>"Blood Will Have Blood: A Macbeth…</p>
<p>I should have posted this ages ago but somehow, despite the constant reminders, I forgot!<br/> My work has made the cover of a major new book on "Narrative Jewellery":</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EnQXaZrKAdE/WgmmQwUpzeI/AAAAAAAASoI/rHW4hkERmowl1fq38vtuM_SyRtEFF_bCACLcBGAs/s1600/Narrative%2BCover_high%2Bres.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EnQXaZrKAdE/WgmmQwUpzeI/AAAAAAAASoI/rHW4hkERmowl1fq38vtuM_SyRtEFF_bCACLcBGAs/s400/Narrative%2BCover_high%2Bres.jpg" width="301"/></a></div>
<p>"Blood Will Have Blood: A Macbeth Brooch" is featured on the cover and there is an essay by me inside. Friends and colleagues, Jo Pond and Jack Cunningham have both written for and feature in the book, which is a major overview of the current field of "narrative jewellery". I'm proud to be able to call author, Mark Fenn, a friend and I know that he's worked incredibly hard for the last couple of years pulling this together, so it is great to see it finally finished. You can order copies from <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Narrative-Jewelry-Toolbox-Mark-Fenn/dp/0764354140" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p></p>
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<p><br/> Lots going on since my last post, including the <a href="http://www.bams.org.uk/" target="_blank">British Art Medal Society</a> prize-giving for their prestigious <a href="http://www.bams.org.uk/student-medal-project/" target="_blank">Student Project</a>, where students are invited to create a medal to a very open brief. The exhibition of this project is at the <a href="http://blogs.bcu.ac.uk/vittoriastreetgallery/" target="_blank">Vittoria Street Gallery</a> at the moment and the event was not only well-attended but it was great that loads of the prize-winners had travelled to collect their prizes.</p>
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<p><br/> The exhibition continues until the 17th November and is definitely worth a visit if you are in the Jewellery Quarter.</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> The BA Jewellery and Object students are gearing up to creating their graduation collections (already!) and had a small exhibition to show off their initial thoughts.</p>
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<p><br/> There are some intriguing projects being developed:</p>
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<p></p>
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<p></p>
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<p></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Also last week, I went to <a href="https://www.lakesidearts.org.uk/special-events/event/3634/lustre-2017.html" target="_blank">Lustre</a> with colleagues, a very high-quality and well-curated selling exhibition of some of the most interesting makers in the UK.</p>
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<p><br/> I do like this show very much: everything is of to the highest standard and the atmosphere is lovely. Additionally, they actively encourage our graduates and offer them stands as part of their "Young Meteors" and "One Year On" sponsorship programmes. <a href="https://www.loisjane.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lois Wiseman</a> was one of our graduates who was exhibiting:</p>
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<p><br/> And colleagues, <a href="http://www.drewmarkou.co.uk/" target="_blank">Drew Markou</a> and <a href="https://sallycollins.net/" target="_blank">Sally Collins</a> had a joint stand:</p>
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<p><br/> I bought a rather nice hand-woven blanket by <a href="http://www.sarahtyssen.co.uk/" target="_blank">Sarah Tyssen</a> which was meant as a throw but which I will be wearing!</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p></p>
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<p><br/> Last week, I had the pleasure of inviting commercial jewellery designer, <a href="https://www.artsthread.com/profile/laylakristina/" target="_blank">Layla McCook</a> into the School to lead a class in the techniques of classic fine-jewellery rendering:</p>
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<p></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> After the enthusiasm shown online for my new nut rings (the repair series):</p>
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<p><br/> I returned to Dungeness to collect the very last of the split nuts which prompted me to create these in the first place.</p>
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<p><br/> I love going to Dungeness and always find something new to photograph:</p>
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<p></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> A book I ordered on the recommendation of <a href="http://www.anastasiayoung.co.uk/" target="_blank">Anastasia Young</a> arrived this week, a guide to a form of Korean inlay, Ipsa.</p>
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<p><br/> It is truly fascinating and the flat-surface inlay is very different from the manner in which we do it in the west. There is a wonderful series of photographs of the work being done on this <a href="http://akfkyss.tumblr.com/post/70889407209/practicing-ipsa-inlay-ipsa-chisel-and" target="_blank">blog here.</a><br/> <br/> I am definitely going to try this at some point very soon.</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p></p>
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<p><br/> Took some fantastic shots of me annealing and cleaning the nuts found at Dungeness. Very dramatic!</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Interesting weekend as I did a "takeover" of the <a href="http://craftspace.co.uk/" target="_blank">Craftspace</a> Instagram feed on Sunday.<br/></p>
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<div style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbq0Gp1AF9C/" style="color: black; font-family: 'arial' , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Good morning, Craftspace! Take-over if the Craftspace Instagram this morning by @justified_sinner - coffee in bed with some Anthony Burgess.</a></div>
<div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by Craftspace (@craftspace_) on Nov 18, 2017 at 11:47pm PST</div>
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<p><br/> This is the first of the posts. There are about twenty posts further to that one!<br/> <br/> Including this image of the nut rings with their internal "scaffolding" being constructed.</p>
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<p><br/> More on these soon!</p>Goodbye Rottentag:crafthaus.ning.com,2017-10-29:2104389:BlogPost:5728332017-10-29T20:03:08.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
<p>But before I get to that title, what has been going on?<br></br> I find myself so busy these days - now that I'm Programme Leader for the HND Jewellery at the School - that I keep forgetting to update on what has been happening!</p>
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<p><br></br> Since the…</p>
<p>But before I get to that title, what has been going on?<br/> I find myself so busy these days - now that I'm Programme Leader for the HND Jewellery at the School - that I keep forgetting to update on what has been happening!</p>
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<p><br/> Since the last post, we've had the BA Students complete their expressive "Pots of Joy" project, where they make a little vessel to express something about themselves, a project of which I love seeing the outcomes...</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> We also had the talks from our extensive programme of Artists-in-Residence (AiR) who come and work in the studios with our current students, helping them out as required, as well as developing their own practice, getting support, mentorship and facilities in return for their valued input. I am lucky to be mentoring an excellent wax-carver this year, Andy Marriott.</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> A dinosaur tried to escape from the Technology Hub but was, fortunately, stopped by getting caught in the door:</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> We had a massive storm here - well, like the last massive storm, it didn't amount to much where I was - but it did cause us to have an amazing red sky and sun:</p>
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<p><br/> The light was so strange that my camera couldn't really deal with it and this shot even looks a bit solarised!</p>
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<p><br/> I was sent to London to represent the School of Jewellery and Birmingham City University at a careers fair in Docklands. It was, in the end, great fun. I hadn't been looking forward to it, but a calm train journey down, a fairly comfortable hotel, good colleagues on the stand and it proved to be exhausting but enjoyable.</p>
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<p><br/> On the second day, I gave a talk about Contemporary Jewellery and took a handling collection of work with me:</p>
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<p><br/> Being on long train journeys and staying in an hotel also gave me the chance to finish reading a remarkable book that I didn't even know about:</p>
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<p><br/> Anthony Burgess' response to Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four", 1985. I found this after reading up on the connections between Orwell's book and Murakami's "IQ84" which I read over the summer.</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> I've been making up stock for the dreaded Christmas period, as well as a few commissions. Not much to see just now, but I will have some photographs of finished works at the end of the week, including the "Repair" rings about which I wrote in my last post.</p>
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<p><br/> The earring trio on the left include a new material I found this week: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowden_cable" target="_blank">Bowden cable</a>! It was being stripped out of the old windows at the School and dumped in the back car-park, from where I rescued metres and metres of the stuff... expect to see more made from this.</p>
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<p><br/> Had a night at the Birmingham Royal Conservatoire with colleagues to listen to two student bands playing the music of Wayne Shorter. I initially bought a ticket for this as the poster made it look as if Wayne Shorter himself were to have been playing, but he wasn't. Mildly disappointing for a £3 ticket! The bands were fantastic and we realised that we were actually watching an assessment of their work.</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Which brings me to the end of normal business and to the sorry tale of "Hello Fresh", Nadz and the title of this post, "Goodbye Rotten".<br/> <br/> There exists in the Jewellery Quarter, a number of non-jewellery businesses who take advantage of the cheaper office accommodation than would be found in the city centre. Often, these are marketing- and design-based businesses. One of them, "MJ Experia" marketing runs a setup which, from the outside, seems very odd indeed, to say the least (and their reviews on <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/MJ+Experia+Marketing/@52.486157,-1.9124417,18z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m7!3m6!1s0x4870bc8a19aae3bb:0x644e3d2a76a5c949!8m2!3d52.4861569!4d-1.9117907!9m1!1b1?hl=en" target="_blank">Google Maps</a> seem to back this up - "...<i>They made me cancel a holiday to get the job, which I earnt next to nothing at, and what I did make they never paid me and stole. I worked about 70 hours a week for over a month and got given a total amount of £24...</i>").<br/> <br/> I should explain what makes them seem so odd: first of all, there are the cheap suits - I cannot express fully enough my disdain for the cheap, ill-fitting, lairy suits worn by the people who go in and out of this place; secondly, the chanting - they spend the day chanting and shouting and listening to crap, loud music; thirdly, the things they throw out of the windows - for a while, several times a day, a shower of pens, stress-balls, markers, paper cups and other detritus would be thrown out of the window. On the command of the instructors. Yes, really. They TELL their victims to throw things out of the window into the space around, never a thought for clearing up the mess, even when it falls into private land.<br/> <br/> And this is how I came to make this post as one of their victims, "Nadz", threw her <b>notebook</b> out of the window:</p>
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<p><br/> It lay about for a couple of days and as she had plainly decided that it was not to be reclaimed, I couldn't resist the sinister drawing on the cover and took it home. Inside were some quite science-fiction drawings which I rather liked:</p>
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<p><br/> Unfortunately, however, the contents never again reach these heights as the poor author is cowed by her indoctrination into the MJ Experia way of high-pressure door-to-door sales for a company called "Hello Fresh", nauseatingly interspersed with 'high fives':</p>
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<p><br/> The business of "speaking to all of your neighbours" is a common thread. As is lying to them about the neighbours all signing up.<br/> And more 'high fives', this time with a 'Yeah!!':</p>
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<p><br/> As well as the inexplicable plagiarism of the name of a popular TV Shopping Channel!<br/> <br/> As could have been expected, Nadz soon became disillusioned with all this superficial nonsense and returned to drawing:</p>
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<p><br/> This reminded me somewhat of Garth England's "<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/jun/02/garth-england-bristol-artist-murdered-with-straight-lines" target="_blank">Murdered With Straight Lines</a>". The next page initially made me laugh out loud but then took on a rather darker complex the more I thought about it:</p>
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<p><br/> The bit which made me laugh out loud was "Am I on the right path to becoming an architect", immediately following that drawing: what turned it darker was that it is apparent that Nadz realises that she is trapped, wants a better life and is having some sort of an existential crisis while the cheap suits around her high-five and chant and 'Yeah!!' and believe their own puff. Nadz is better than this. A lot better than this. Nadz has been duped, led on, led to believe that this is the limit of her abilities and yet plainly wants so much more. She realises that she is stuck in a dead end McJob.<br/> <br/> In short, this is a modern tragedy. We are squandering the talent of young people like Nadz, and, I dare say, the people in the cheap suits, on this sort of crap which functions only to make money for large corporations without any regard for quality of life or self-respect: worse than that, these people have been lied to, sold some sort of a dream based on... fast cars? ill-fitting suits? big houses?<br/> <br/> The reason I decided to post these pages was that about ten days ago, I received a mailshot from, of all companies, "Hello Fresh":</p>
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<p><br/> In which, in the first paragraph, CEO Claire Davenport seeks to insult my cooking as being "basic, uninspiring". It seems that the contempt for these marketing types stretches not only to their employees but to those that they seek to market to.<br/> <br/> As we near the end-of-days for late-phase Capitalism, I don't hold out much hope for things improving in the short term. When it happens, however, it will be a pleasure to remember Dingo's quip when I showed him this letter: "Goodbye Rotten".</p>Nuts!tag:crafthaus.ning.com,2017-10-08:2104389:BlogPost:5724372017-10-08T19:30:00.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
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<p><br></br> This week kicked off with "…</p>
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<p><br/> This week kicked off with "<a href="http://www.bcu.ac.uk/business/steam/makermonday" target="_blank">Maker Monday</a>", a fairly regular event in the city at which people who make discuss the philosophy, practice and politics of making. It is part of the University "<a href="http://www.bcu.ac.uk/business/steam/steamhouse" target="_blank">Steamhouse</a>" initiative and not only was this the first of the events I've attended, but I was also speaking at it. The theme this week was about digital practice and I chose to illustrate it with a talk about my "Pulling Rabbits Out Of A Hat" watch. Friends and colleagues were also speaking, including <a href="http://www.tina-francis-tapestry.co.uk/" target="_blank">Tina Francis</a>, <a href="https://artjewelryforum.org/authors/si%C3%A2n-hindle" target="_blank">Sian Hindle</a> and <a href="http://www.frillyindustries.com/" target="_blank">Frilly Industries</a> and I'm pleased to report that the event was jammed full... standing room only! I'll be going to more for sure.</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Tuesday night, I was off to hear <a href="http://musictheatre.wales/" target="_blank">Music Theatre Wales</a> perform a work by Hungarian composer, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A9ter_E%C3%B6tv%C3%B6s" target="_blank">Péter Eötvös</a>, "The Golden Dragon". Set in a Chinese restaurant, this is the second opera I've seen where the orchestra dress like kitchen porters and the orchestra includes scored kitchen implements!</p>
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<p><br/> The whole piece is marvellous... an illegal immigrant has a rotten tooth which the kitchen staff try to remove, killing the boy in the process: his spirit seeks a return to home: brutal, hilarious, bloody and touching, this was a brilliant performance of a brilliant piece of work.</p>
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<p><br/> And in case you're wondering about the other opera set in a restaurant, it was <a href="http://davidshrigley.com/" target="_blank">David Shrigley's</a> masterful "<a href="http://wringhim.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/back-to-blogging.html" target="_blank">Pass the Spoon</a>" with <a href="https://www.cmc.ie/composers/david-fennessy" target="_blank">David Fennesey</a> in 2011!</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> On Wednesday, we took all the students to <a href="https://www.chatsworth.org/" target="_blank">Chatsworth House</a> for a specialist visit looking at the jewellery in the collection there.</p>
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<p><br/> With some very impressive Andrew Grima pieces!</p>
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<p><br/> They had laid on talks from buyers, suppliers and from the collection historian and after the main part of the visit was over, I spent the rest of the day in the amazing gardens.</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> On Thursday, we had the judging for the <a href="http://www.wicbirmingham2018.com/" target="_blank">IAAF World Indoor Championship</a> medals... I've been under embargo until now, but I can now reveal that one of my students has designed the medals which will be given to the athletes in this prestigious world-wide athletics event. I'm still embargoed on the name and the design, but they put out this small video on Twitter to explain:</p>
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<p><br/> So pleased and proud!<br/>
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Thursday also brought an "In Discussion" evening for the <a href="http://www.acj.org.uk/" target="_blank">ACJ</a> as part of their AGM. The event was a conversation between Head of School, <a href="https://klimt02.net/jewellers/stephen-bottomley" target="_blank">Professor Stephen Bottomley</a> and <a href="http://emilykidson.com/" target="_blank">Emily Kidson</a> and was chaired by the estimable Terry Hunt, chair of the ACJ.</p>
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<p><br/> I was really pleased to see a good turnout for both the talks and the reception after.</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Friday night was my first visit to the newly-built Birmingham Royal Conservatoire to hear the Alternative Orchestra perform 6 new works in the inaugural concert for the concert hall. The music was all by student and ex-student composers.</p>
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<p><br/> I was especially taken with two pieces: <a href="https://soundcloud.com/olliefarrow" target="_blank">Oliver Farrow's</a> "Polyphonic Music" and <a href="http://www.robrobertscomposer.co.uk/" target="_blank">Rob Roberts'</a> "Or is it?", both deploying the strange ensemble in very different ways whilst still utilising them to the full. I'm really looking forward to being able to attend lots of concerts at the Conservatoire in the future.</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Work-wise, I've been working on some very new nut rings. I found these split nuts on my last visit to Dungeness and decided immediately that they had to be used:</p>
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<p><br/> I tried sand-casting silver into the space but the size of the nut chilled the metal and prevented it from casting properly: I realised that I would have to use a lost-wax casting process and started by laser-welding a scaffold of silver wire into the gap:</p>
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<p><br/> I then built wax up around these scaffolds:</p>
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<p><br/> And had these cast in silver:</p>
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<p><br/> I'm very pleased with the way these came out.<br/>
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The other nuts I've been working on were a set of square nuts given to me by <a href="http://www.markfenn.co.uk/" target="_blank">Mark Fenn</a>. I learned all about using a 4-jaw chuck on the lathe this week and set about milling them out. Having milled them out, I wasn't exactly sure how to go with them and a chance discussion with my colleague, <a href="http://www.drewmarkou.co.uk/" target="_blank">Drew Markou</a>, led me to think about how to use my endless and relentless drawings as a direct part of my practice, so I decided to set the rings unconventionally on one side face and then use one of the flat faces to draw in inlay. I am really pleased with the results:</p>
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<p><br/> I'll finish here on a video of me doing the inlay:</p>
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<p></p>Round Againtag:crafthaus.ning.com,2017-09-24:2104389:BlogPost:5720822017-09-24T15:40:00.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
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<p><br></br> It is that time again when the School kicks off and the eager new-starts arrive. We've just completed our "Welcome Week" in which we get the new first-year students into the way of the School of Jewellery. As happened last year,…</p>
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<p><br/> It is that time again when the School kicks off and the eager new-starts arrive. We've just completed our "Welcome Week" in which we get the new first-year students into the way of the School of Jewellery. As happened last year, our very loud colleague, Andy Howard, arranged the ice-breaker, a challenge to use common objects to build a machine which would traverse the atrium at the School and this is really just an excuse for a certain mayhem... The object above is the rather lovely winning entry, which sailed with ease over our heads to a length of 17m, launched with a balloon and running along a zip-wire:</p>
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<p><br/> There were some excellent solutions:</p>
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<p><br/> And, of course, if all else fails, BOOT IT!</p>
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<p><br/> I don't think the cleaning team were very pleased with the residual glitter and sequins, but it was great fun.<br/> <br/> Starting education in earnest on Monday.</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> A fairly relaxed weekend at events which are being held around the city for the "Birmingham Weekender", a biennial free culture event, which is great. It is hard to believe that the last one was a full two years ago, three weeks after I moved here.<br/> <br/> I'm going to apologise in advance for the fact that most of the photographs which follow are taken on my phone: the battery on the camera ran out on Saturday when I was touring the events.<br/> <br/> Things kicked off on Friday night with (Bowie collaborator) <a href="http://tonyoursler.com/" target="_blank">Tony Oursler's</a> "The Influence Machine" in Cathedral Square, a multimedia installation which used the square to talk about the influence television has on the culture. I am not sure it was successful and was best categorised as 'interesting'! Elements of it looked very good indeed:</p>
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<p><br/> On Saturday, I headed off to town to hear the marvellous Birmingham Opera perform three very short operas, new commissions especially for the festival. First up was the remarkable <a href="http://www.alisonrosesoprano.com/" target="_blank">Alison Rose</a>, singing "Freedom Bridge" by Susanna Self. This was performed in the most bizarre setting of a corporate shopping centre, "The Mailbox":</p>
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<p><br/> There were a good number of opera fans there for the event but there were a lot of casual passers-by who didn't quite know what to make of it!<br/> <br/> Two more works followed, the utterly miserable "That's Just Life, Isn't It" an emotional tour-de-force by Chloe Knibbs and sung by Stephen Bowen:</p>
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<p><br/> And the amusing "Hi Sam" by Yfat Soul Zisso, sung by Maureen Brathwaite:</p>
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<p><br/> After the operas, I whizzed along the canal to hear the <a href="http://www.bcmg.org.uk/" target="_blank">Birmingham Contemporary Music Group</a> perform "Canalside Serenade", a strange piece for canal-boats, musicians and two other luminaries of the Birmingham experimental music scene, <a href="http://excathedra.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ex Cathedra</a> and <a href="https://thebramall.co.uk/events/beastdome-delian-dome/" target="_blank">BEAST</a>.</p>
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<p><br/> The performance was a bit shambolic and beset by technical issues which meant that it was difficult to hear certain sections of the work: a great shame. The bits I could hear were great and I particularly enjoyed the choir chanting some of the notices and signs to be found along the canals, as well as the domestic percussion!</p>
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<p><br/> The evening was filled with "Clash of Drums" in the East Side park, an event of Bhangra with the <a href="http://www.lionsbhangra.com/" target="_blank">Lions of Punjab</a> Bhangra group followed by a face-off between two percussion orchestras, <a href="https://www.commandospercu.com/" target="_blank">Les Commandos Percu</a> from France and <a href="http://deabrubeltzak.com/en/deabrubeltzak-en/" target="_blank">Deabru Beltzak</a> from Spain.<br/> <br/> The Punjab Lions were full of enthusiasm and having fun with their dancing, there was a lovely sense of the pleasure they were getting out of the music and their individual personalities influenced how they worked within the ensemble.</p>
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<p><br/> They ended their set with a mass dance! I think it might have been meant only for the children but ended up with about half the park joining in...</p>
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<p><br/> The following percussion and firework event was quite other: much more dangerously playful and was really a kind of fireworks concerto, where pyrotechnics were woven into the performance as much as sound as spectacle: very exciting indeed. This is the troupe at the end of their set:</p>
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<p><br/> Here is a video of them performing in Skegness to give you an idea of what they do:</p>
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<p><br/> This evening, I am off to the Town Hall for more Punjabi music, this time the devotional Sufi singing of <a href="http://www.hansrajhans.org/profile.html" target="_blank">Hans Raj Hans</a>. If this is anywhere near as thrilling as the singing of Rizwan Ali Khan (whom I saw earlier this year - read about it <a href="http://wringhim.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/busy-spring.html" target="_blank">here</a>), it is going to be another excellent night.</p>Normal Servicetag:crafthaus.ning.com,2017-09-03:2104389:BlogPost:5717412017-09-03T17:00:00.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
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<p>After a four-week hiatus to let me relax and take some time to regain my strength and focus, I am back at work again. The holiday itself was uneventful, taking in the Jewellery Quarter Open Studios at the beginning…</p>
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<p>After a four-week hiatus to let me relax and take some time to regain my strength and focus, I am back at work again. The holiday itself was uneventful, taking in the Jewellery Quarter Open Studios at the beginning which led to ordering a new lamp from Zoe and Steve at the <a href="https://thedualworks.com/" target="_blank">Dual Works</a>.</p>
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<p>Also doing lots of gardening:</p>
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<p><br/> And spending time on the south coast, as usual. I was most delighted to find a set of Murakami's IQ84 in a second-hand bookshop for a mere £2 and most of the summer was spent reading that - I'm about half-way through book 2 just now!</p>
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<p><br/> These were in Bexhill, where, in between downpours, Dingo and I found the most cheerful beach house ever:</p>
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<p><br/> While I do really like what the owners have done with this, it is a horribly stark reminder of the sort of crap that fills our oceans...<br/> <br/> For our holiday proper this year, we went to Wales, to the wonderful resort of Barmouth. As you already know, I'm a huge fan of old, British seaside towns and Barmouth <i>should</i> have been wonderful but it rained most of the time we were there and the place was overrun with UKIP-types buying the Daily Mail and endless numbers of dogs. Fortunately, we were staying in a fantastic Art-Deco guest-house, the Sunray (highly recommended!):</p>
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<p><br/> This has wonderful views of the bay and the mountains:</p>
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<p><br/> We also took in a few castles, especially the excellent Conwy Castle in the very north of the country:</p>
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<p><br/> On returning home, we got a few day-trips to the West Country in rather better weather and I kicked off my autumn preserving by making 5 kilos of bramble jam!</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Friday night saw the launch of our annual MA Graduate Show, this year showcasing the work of 39 students:</p>
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<p><br/> Held in our Margaret Street campus, the School of Art, the show is entitled "<a href="https://www.instagram.com/informedchaos/?hl=en" target="_blank">Informed Chaos</a>" and I get the sense that this may have been born out of uninformed chaos at times! It is a very strong show and well worth a visit.<br/> <br/> Some of my own favourites include:</p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xiao He - work in carved stone and graphite.</td>
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<tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/36862928381/in/datetaken-public/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="MA Graduate Show 2017 - 21 - Gretal Ferguson"><img alt="MA Graduate Show 2017 - 21 - Gretal Ferguson" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4434/36862928381_470cca354d_k.jpg" height="480" width="640"/></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gretal Ferguson - silverwares, hand-raised, in the form of stills from an animation.</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olivia Marsha - work in resin and electroformed metal.</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xi Tong - Anthropomorphic creatures in resin and metal.</td>
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</table>Craftivism!tag:crafthaus.ning.com,2017-07-30:2104389:BlogPost:5709452017-07-30T18:42:36.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
<p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Craftivism!</span></b></p>
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<p><br></br> A portmanteau word meaning "activism through craft". I don't think it has made the dictionary yet - though it has made…</p>
<p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Craftivism!</span></b></p>
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<p><br/> A portmanteau word meaning "activism through craft". I don't think it has made the dictionary yet - though it has made <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craftivism" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> - but when it does, you can be sure that it will be the definition of a project I was involved with for young people in their final years at school or college in the Aston and Newtown areas of Birmingham, "<a href="http://makingforchange.craftspace.co.uk/" target="_blank">Making for Change</a>". This is yet another project from the powerhouse that is <a href="http://craftspace.co.uk/" target="_blank">Craftspace</a> - of whom I have written many times over the two years since I moved to Birmingham.<br/> <br/> The idea is to engage young people in making while engaging with their concerns about their worlds and without a doubt, they worked hard. I was there for 2 days out of the five that they were working and the amazing thing was that they didn't know each other before the project, having all come from different schools and different parts of the area: by the end they were all firm friends.<br/> <br/> As everyone involved was between 16 and 19, I am not allowed to show any images of them at work but can show some of the work-in-progress.</p>
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<p><br/> The project in the two images above was the one I was mainly involved in, devising a game which encouraged people to look at the real stories behind the social-media "hashtags" and to think about the implications of using hashtags without translating their use into real action. They discovered some amazing facts about the use of some popular tags, such as #GrenfellTowerFire, #BlackLivesMatter and #IceBucketChallenge, fundamentally proving that the use of a hashtag does not necessarily indicate an engagement with the subject thereof and suggesting that many uses of these tags is merely fashionable.<br/> <br/> I loved this model of Grenfell Tower, which was part of a project looking at similar issues but specifically around the fire in the London tower-block:</p>
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<p><br/> In this case, the issue was around the contemptible fake charity accounts which appeared in the aftermath of the fire - and, which I didn't know, in the aftermath of almost any disaster.<br/> <br/> I was doing my 'guerilla etching' with them, which allowed them to make etched metal plaques and they had workshops on data analysis and research, film-making, laser-cutting and 3d printing, book-making and metal colouring and forming. It was great to see that all the processes ended up in the final presentations.</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> I've been finishing off my own work for <a href="http://www.theoldcinema.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Old Cinema</a> this week. Finally got it all completed and I'm happy to be able to go on holiday for four weeks!</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> This has been the weekend of the Jewellery Quarter Festival and I went along to support friends and see what is going on. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so here are a very few mobile phone shots...</p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open Studios in the Jewellery Quarter with <a href="http://www.tina-francis-tapestry.co.uk/" target="_blank">Tina Francis</a>, <a href="https://en-gb.facebook.com/b18leather/" target="_blank">Deborette</a> and others.</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New lampshades by Zoe and Steve at <a href="https://thedualworks.com/" target="_blank">The Dual Works</a>.</td>
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<p>I bought one of these lampshades.</p>
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<p><br/> Other than that, I've been doing a lot of gardening, including harvesting my garlic:</p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Dressing Uptag:crafthaus.ning.com,2017-07-23:2104389:BlogPost:5706632017-07-23T18:01:17.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
<p>Another busy week with no chance to wind down from the post-conference activities. Not so much to report - finishing off a lot of work before the holidays:</p>
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<p><br></br> Some for…</p>
<p>Another busy week with no chance to wind down from the post-conference activities. Not so much to report - finishing off a lot of work before the holidays:</p>
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<p><br/> Some for <a href="http://www.theoldcinema.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Old Cinema</a> in Chiswick, some for <a href="https://en-gb.facebook.com/Cursley.Bond/" target="_blank">Cursley & Bond</a> in Folkestone. I'm particularly pleased with the pieces for Folkestone, where they are part of the Triennial exhibition at C&B on the theme of "Double Edge". I'm making a pair of pendants from a pair of broken Victorian scissors:</p>
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<p><br/> Set with peridot, rhodolite garnet and a natural quartz "lens" which makes it into a kind of lorgnette magnifier.</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> There is an excellent exhibition on at the <a href="https://ikon-gallery.org/" target="_blank">IKON</a> gallery in Birmingham just now: work by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheela_Gowda" target="_blank">Sheela Gowda</a> made from old metal drums, flattened out, cut and some of them spun into bowls. Well worth a visit:</p>
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<p><br/> One of the courses at the School of Jewellery which is often overlooked a bit is the unusual Graduate Certificate course which is a short course designed to prepare non-jewellery graduates to enter the MA Jewellery course, run by <a href="http://kitandcaboodle.ning.com/profile/BridieLander" target="_blank">Bridie Lander</a>. Bridie is tasked with taking a cohort of students with BA qualifications in anything but jewellery, mostly from the Far East and South East Asia, and preparing them in 6 short months to be able to make jewellery. This sounds impossible, but...</p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work by Xinrui Fu, exploring masks and Chinese theatre.</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work exploring "preciousness" by Qiao-Zhen Lin.</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work exploring "preciousness" by Qiao-Zhen Lin.</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angelia Chen's surrealist ear-cuff.</td>
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<hr width="50%"/><p>Friday night took me to Sleaford to the <a href="http://www.nationalcraftanddesign.org.uk/" target="_blank">National Centre for Craft and Design</a> (NCCD) where I have work in their newest show, "<a href="http://www.nationalcraftanddesign.org.uk/whatson/#the-world-is-your-dressing-up-box" target="_blank">The World Is Your Dressing Up Box</a>", covering all aspects of radical fashion, including jewellery. Once more, both <a href="https://zoerobertson.co.uk/" target="_blank">Zoe Robertson</a> and I are in the same show:</p>
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<p><br/> And I've just realised that this is the third consecutive show that I've been in at the NCCD! (Made in the Middle, ACJ 20:20 Visions and this one.)<br/> The show is superb, great fun, thought-provoking and really well-curated, featuring a nice mix of big names, relatively mainstream makers (such as <a href="http://www.irregularchoice.com/" target="_blank">Irregular Choice</a>) and some emerging voices.</p>
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<p><br/> There is a really pleasing mix of the thoughtful, the wearable and the outlandish too.</p>
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<p><br/> I was really pleased that my work opens the show with a little section of its own about men and jewellery...</p>
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<p><br/> And, of course, there is work for sale in the shop!</p>
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<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Holiday soon!<br/></p>Jewellery Internationaltag:crafthaus.ning.com,2017-07-19:2104389:BlogPost:5708572017-07-19T08:55:29.000ZThe Justified Sinnerhttp://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/TheJustifiedSinner
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bit of ruff: image by Boris…</td>
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<p><br/> I've just re-set the house and am preparing to get myself back to work for the final two weeks of the year. The last ten days have been a whirlwind, what with the ACJ Conference - the image above was taken at that - and entertaining and getting to know the marvellous <a href="http://www.melissacameron.net/" target="_blank">Melissa Cameron</a> and <a href="http://borisbally.com/" target="_blank">Boris Bally</a>, both of whom have been staying with me in Birmingham after the conference ended in Sheffield - though not, thankfully, at the same time.<br/> <br/> The conference was, frankly, a triumph. That might sound a bit egomaniacal but aside from suggesting that we take a political theme and giving the names of a few speakers who might be involved. The main body of the work was done by our organising committee, the board of the ACJ, our administrators, Tam and Haru, and the two conference organisers, <a href="http://www.racheldarbourne.co.uk/" target="_blank">Rachel Darbourne</a> and <a href="https://klimt02.net/jewellers/laura-bradshaw-heap" target="_blank">Laura Bradshaw-Heap</a>.<br/> <b><br/></b> <b>FRIDAY.</b><br/> <br/> I kicked off on the Friday with a visit to Birmingham Airport to collect Boris from his flight - that could have gone better but somehow British Airways took well over an hour to get the bags off the plane. We headed straight up to Sheffield and got there just in time to go on the visit to the <a href="http://www.assayoffice.co.uk/" target="_blank">Sheffield Assay Office</a>.</p>
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<p>We then returned to <a href="https://www.shu.ac.uk/" target="_blank">Sheffield Hallam University</a> for the main conference.</p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A roster of famous faces in the front row!</td>
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<p>First up was our keynote speaker, the ever-engaging <a href="http://ultraindigo.com/team/simon-fraser" target="_blank">Simon Fraser</a>, who spoke to us on the theme of "<i>Crash! Bang! Wallop! Designing strategic narratives for the 21st Century</i>":</p>
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<p>Considering how all aspects of the jewellery world - both commercial and art - have changed and how they are likely to change through the impact of changing demographics, geopolitics and technology. This was followed by "<i>Contemporary Jewellery as Stuff</i>" by <a href="http://www.elizabethshawjewelleryobjects.com/" target="_blank">Liz Shaw</a>.</p>
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<p>Liz talked about the problems of mass-production and -consumption and the issues arising from the "sustainable studio".</p>
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<p>After a break, we came back to <a href="http://kitandcaboodle.ning.com/profile/JohannaZellmer" target="_blank">Johanna Zellmer</a> and her "Visions from the Colonies" looking at identity, collaborative practice and how her own work around displacement, passports and identity looks at ways in which jewellery can engage with the displaced and people struggling with their identity.</p>
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<p>Next up was our pre-dinner "entertainment" with <a href="https://rachaelcolleyartist.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Rachael Colley</a> and <a href="http://nuala-clooney.squarespace.com/" target="_blank">Nuala Clooney</a>, who presented an aperitif, as it were, in the form of "<i>By|With|By</i>", a multisensory experience derived from their backgrounds in jewellery and silversmithing but very much focused on food...</p>
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<p><br/> There were edible menus:</p>
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<p>Strange cocktails in even stranger cups:</p>
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<p>Beautiful and disturbing objects:</p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All cast from Nuala's own mouth....</td>
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<p>And all very delicious food!</p>
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<p>Appropriately enough, it was time for dinner, which was followed by a short talk by the first Chair of the ACJ, <a href="https://artjewelryforum.org/authors/norman-cherry" target="_blank">Norman Cherry</a>, and the current chair, Terry Hunt. This was followed by a series of Pecha Kucha talks from the regional groups about what they have been doing over the year.<br/> <br/> <b>SATURDAY.</b><br/> <br/> First up today was Norman Cherry again, this time discussing "The Chinese Question". Norman's own personal experiences in China have given him a unique insight into the issues around working with China and the Chinese approach to creativity. Interestingly, he was much more positive about the future of working with China than Simon Fraser was in yesterday's keynote.</p>
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<p>This was followed up by Boris Bally (of whom, <i>much</i> more later!) who was talking about his pro-peace project about gun crime, "<i>I.M.A.G.I.N.E. Peace Now</i>", a show in which I have a 'piece'!</p>
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<p>Some of you will recall this:</p>
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<p>Which appeared in the presentation about how artists can make powerful points. It was great to see him point up some of the idiocy of people who oppose an exhibition of work which represents a move towards a safer, more peaceful society by showing us some of the emails he had received from gun-nuts.<br/> <br/> This brought us on to our first practical sessions where people could choose to learn about tool-making with <a href="https://bladesworks.com/" target="_blank">Tim Blades</a>, learn soldering techniques with <a href="http://skeels.co.uk/" target="_blank">Rebecca Skeels</a> or take part in our innovative jewellery walk, "<a href="https://roseannebartley.wordpress.com/seeding-the-cloud-a-walking-work-in-process/" target="_blank">Seeding the Cloud</a>" by Roseanne Bartley which involves removing hard plastic waste from the environment by turning it into jewellery. Fortunately, it was a fine, sunny day and even though Sheffield is one of the cleanest cities in the UK, we still managed to find lots of waste!</p>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work in progress - seeding the cloud.</td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rebecca Skeels demonstrating soldering.</td>
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<p>After the break-out sessions, it was back to the talks and this time it was <a href="https://www.christophzellweger.com/" target="_blank">Christoph Zellweger</a> with a talk which caused a slight outbreak of nausea in the audience as he showed some rather intriguing slides of cosmetic surgery in action!</p>
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<p><br/> In his quiet, humorous way, Christoph was probably the most controversial of the speakers with his talk on "<i>The Cultured Body - an artistic investigation</i>" which questioned notions of 'beauty' and I think that he has been the dominant theme of all the main conversations I've had over the last ten days.<br/> <br/> This hard-to-follow act was followed with calm aplomb by <a href="http://www.melissacameron.net/" target="_blank">Melissa Cameron</a> and "<i>The Body Politic</i>" which outlined her move towards being a politically-engaged maker.</p>
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<p><br/> Talking about the sense of distance between her born identity and her adopted identity and how this distance allows for critical observation, especially in the post-Trump, post-truth USA.<br/> <br/> Light relief came in the form of the irrepressible <a href="http://www.silviaweidenbach.com/" target="_blank">Silvia Weidenbach</a> with "The Cherry on the Top", a talk about her research at the V&A and the digital work she has produced from that.</p>
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<p><br/> With titles like "Granny's Chips, Reloaded", her work takes a very playful, feminine, intuitive approach to digital creation - one which is very much at odds with much of the cerebral work and precise work which tends to be associated with digital productions.<br/> <br/> The business day finished with a performance of <a href="https://zoerobertson.co.uk/" target="_blank">Zoe Robertson's</a> "<a href="https://flockomania.com/" target="_blank">Flockomania 4</a>", about which I have <a href="http://wringhim.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/permission-to-play.html" target="_blank">written before</a>. As ever, it takes time but eventually everyone got into it and tried on the pieces...</p>
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<p><br/> Which only left dinner and the legendary Pin Swap! Unlike the SNAG Pin Swap, the ACJ one went for one pin from each maker and a lottery to re-allocate them and what a fantastic collection we had:</p>
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<p><br/> Keen-eyed observers will notice that mine is missing... I left it in the house when I set off to the conference but fortunately, it was won by Boris, who was staying with me after the conference, so that worked out well!<br/> <br/> My pin is "<i>The B Of The Bang"</i>:</p>
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<p><br/> <b>SUNDAY</b><br/> <br/> Brought <a href="http://pgr-studio.co.uk/pgr_profile/sian-hindle/" target="_blank">Sian Hindle</a> to the podium to talk about jewellery and embodiment, "J<i>ewellery at the boundary of the self</i>".</p>
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<p><br/> Illustrated with her own drawings of the conference participants so far...</p>
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<p><br/> To be fair, she did invite the conference participants to draw her and send the drawings to her</p>
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<p><br/> This was followed by <a href="http://www.mariahanson.co.uk/intro.html" target="_blank">Maria Hanson</a> and her "<i>Making as Agency: a jeweller's reflection</i>".</p>
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<p><br/> In which she looked back at her practice in a range of areas, from the JUNK project to working with NGOs in West Africa. After a tea-break, it was back to a couple of technical presentations from <a href="http://www.coilin.com/" target="_blank">Cóilín Ó Dubhghaill</a> and <a href="https://annmarieshillito.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">AnnMarie Shillito</a>.</p>
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<p><br/> Cóilín spoke about a very exciting development in metals, "friction-stirred" metals which he has called "<a href="http://www.mikana.co.uk/" target="_blank">Mikana</a>" and which looks amazing:</p>
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<p><br/> It is emphatically NOT a mokume... have a look at the website for more details.<br/> <br/> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_justified_sinner/35722814011/in/datetaken-public/" title="ACJ Conference - 20:20 Visions - Sheffield 2017 - 52"><img alt="ACJ Conference - 20:20 Visions - Sheffield 2017 - 52" height="376" src="https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4237/35722814011_ba74500454.jpg" width="500"/></a> <br/> <br/> AnnMarie spoke about and gave a demonstration of her <a href="http://www.anarkik3d.co.uk/">Anarkik3D</a> haptic software which is an innovative way of generating more intuitive and sculptural 3D work. Unfortunately, it only generates STL files. If only it could use T-Splines to make NURBS surfaces...<br/> <br/> A plenary session followed with Maria Hanson, Norman Cherry, Boris Bally and audience member and ex-student of mine, <a href="http://www.heistjewellery.co.uk/heist-jewellery-about-anne-walker" target="_blank">Anne Walker</a>.<br/> <br/> The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. I think the pressure is on for another one in the next few years.</p>
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<p><br/> After the conference, I took a few days off work to show both Melissa and Boris around Birmingham, kicking off with introducing Boris to <a href="http://kevingrey.co.uk/" target="_blank">Kevin Gray</a>, an international meeting of metalsmiths.</p>
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<p><br/> We headed off to the <a href="http://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/jewellery" target="_blank">Museum of the Jewellery Quarter</a> after that:</p>
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<p><br/> There was a trip round the School of Jewellery (which I did again with Melissa later in the week), a visit to the <a href="http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/" target="_blank">Staffordshire Hoard</a> (which Melissa went to later in the week: I declined a return visit, having seen it several times before!), dinner with Professor Norman Cherry (which I did again with Melissa later in the week) a trip to <a href="http://www.custardfactory.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Custard Factory</a> to check out the local graffiti - where I found a pink Bialetti coffee pot in the street:</p>
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<p><br/> And made a little promotional piece about not taking drugs:</p>
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<p><br/> When Melissa arrived, the pace changed a bit and we went to the amazing <a href="http://www.comptonverney.org.uk/" target="_blank">Compton Verney</a>, a Robert Adam building set in grounds by Capability Brown.</p>
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<p><br/> The museum has a lovely, well-curated collection in the main house and while we were there, an exhibition of "Op-Art" in the contemporary gallery, which was excellent - can't beat a bit of Bridget Riley! One of the most remarkable parts of the collection is the <a href="http://www.comptonverney.org.uk/whats-on/permanent-collections/british-folk-art/" target="_blank">British Folk Art</a>, which I loved:</p>
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<p><br/> We then headed off to the Pen Museum, another of my favourites:</p>
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<p><br/> Where some old ladies critiqued Melissa's calligraphic style!<br/> <br/> I now have my own brooch by Melissa, too:</p>
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<p><br/> Altogether a fantastic 10 days.</p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Meanwhile... back at the School, it's been the exhibition of work by school children who have been working with both staff and students to create work as part of the Crafts Council's "<a href="http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/what-we-do/make-your-future/" target="_blank">Make Your Future</a>" event:</p>
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<p></p>
<hr width="50%"/><p><br/> Somehow or other, I've still been managing to get a bit of work made too:</p>
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<p><br/> Phew!</p>