Practice 2 : 7C7/C8/D7 – Professional development

My initial reason to obtain a masters degree was to be able to teach in higher education and progress from being a college lecturer, ideally I wanted to work at LCA. As the course developed, I underestimated the value of studying at a higher level and how academic research began to shape my practice. By undertaking the MA it has challenge my beliefs, values and have taken an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach in my practice.

I work best when I have a brief and have guidelines to work within, that to me – is the challenge. Engagement with healthcare and research has been a constant throughout this course. Taking my practice based research further to Ph.D. level is something I am considering and will pursue in the future.

Having exhibited internationally twice, designed, produced and installed my own solo exhibition I am now confident to develop my practice further. There are opportunities for further collaboration as a result of the success of ‘Trials of Engagement’ exhibition, which is exciting.

Regarding income and my design business, I can now dedicate more time to building up the client base. I have redesigned my website to be responsive and have space in a creative studio working with Orange Crush Digital, who I have worked with over the last seven years.

I have also designed two one-year courses to be delivered as evening classes at LCA, which is something I am very excited about. Being able to continue to teach and inspire others whilst giving myself time in the day to work on my graphic design business seems to be the perfect combination at this moment in time.

In the last month there have been vacancies for lecturer (0.4 – 2 days) and senior lecturer (0.8 – 4 days) in graphic design at Leeds College of Art, @ months ago before the exhibition knowing I was ending my time at Selby College, and referring back to my initial goals I would have jumped at the chance of teaching at HE level on a degree programme. Surprisingly however, I have not applied. I have already committed to teaching on the short courses programme and am very excited about this as I have taught night class many years ago and really like the demographic of students that attend. Also opportunities of collaboration with Leeds University and Leeds Teaching Hospital may also occur and I want to be able to take these opportunities if they arise, so to continue my research and development as a research activist!

On reflection, my experiences and how I have developed as a research practitioner are more than I ever hoped for, even though the path at times was muddied and felt mountainous.

I will be entering images to the Wellcome Image Awards 2017 as I now feel confident that the work I have already done will stand up to scrutiny and you never know what is around the corner!

 

Practice 2 : 7A9/B8/7D7 – Reflection on “context” in my work

Analizing the macro images taken from Trento, other images from travels such as Berlin I do question whether images are more interesting to view without context of place yet it becomes frustrating as one feels they need context in order to place a value judgement on the work.

In my data visualisations and certainly in my solo exhibition the installations and vinyl data visualisation wrapped around the pillar where purposely without context until one read the blurb, placed purposely around the corner.

I used clinical medical data and so there could not be the context with axis, keys and titles – as this information is protected and the main focus for me is to take the data and present it in a different context to promote engagement, discussion and to develop a future narrative.

Equally when looking at Danila Tkachenko’s haunting documentary series featured in Dead Space and Ruins which is part of Calvert 22 Foundations series of exhibitions “on utopian public space and the quest for new national identities across the post-Soviet world”.

These images are hauntingly beautiful and I appreciate them without the context of place or background but knowing the context, reading the title blurb it makes the images even more abstract desolate as though they have been made to appear in an Apocalypse style film set.

Practice 2 : Practice 2 : 7A9/B8/C7/C8/D7 – Refection on solo exhibition

On reflection I have found the area of practice based research insightful, challenging and enjoyable which has been a surprising development. Particularly combining healthcare and design/creativity to engage the public, raise their awareness and even influence their health and lifestyle choices, which relates back to my initial proposal and areas of interest.

I feel I have come to a new level of understanding my practice and a new point in my life and career, as a result of undertaking the MA course. In the beginning of the course I was concerned my work as a designer should not be viewed or judged along side fine art responses; such paintings, illustrations, photographs or textiles, as I considered my work to be disadvantaged. Designers design exhibitions for their clients – they very rarely exhibit themselves, except in perhaps an academic educational setting…

In my dissertation one of the conclusions I came to was the fact that as a designer you are bound by professional obligations; client’s brief, budget, audience etc and to be able to produce a pure, truthful, individual response to a problem can only be achieved by to taking on the role as graphic artist rather than a graphic designer, which would alleviate some of those obligations.

Having just designed, produced, installed and launched my own solo exhibition as a graphic artists I do feel I have achieved and have been successful in taking a conceptual approach even though it was working to a brief. On reflection the installations were not as experimental and abstract, as a previous project where the outcome was a moving image piece, but I felt it was engaging, appropriate use of materials for the setting and it had greater depth and a longevity to the pieces. I can see these installations as a series and certainly developing into a wider breath of work.

On the exhibition night I was incredibly nervous, more so than at any other time in my life. On reflection this was due to the first time in my professional career I have put my own work into a public space, rather than a clients, and invited people to share, engage and comment. I felt challenged but believed in myself to succeed and I did.

I have been inspired by the workshops, exhibitions, conferences and masterclasses I have attended and this has subconsciously and consciously influenced my practice.

Taking an interdispliplinary approach and allowing myself the freedom to explore visual possibilities with only myself to answer to was a new way of working and one that I would like to repeat through a practice based academic research activity.

I am considering a possible Phd route but would need it to be funded. But proposals may be to explore how visual arts can influence health and lifestyle choices – using data and research such as this…

“Can data be used to engage the public with medical research using visual arts practice”

This video was filmed by Victorine Mangono, graduate in Film making as I thought it was important to document the decisions, explain considerations and evidence the exhibition as part of my professional development.

 

The videos below were kindly filmed by Annabeth Robinson, tutor at LCA. This was my talk to the attendees to the preview night and the second video is Debbie Beirne’s response to my talk and our collaborative project. She became tearful because I had “surpassed her expectations” and produced something meaningful to both patients and clinicians.

 

This pillar raised lots of discussion as this was a data visualisation, yet void of context but used as art to engage and visually link the installations, as well as the promotional literature for the exhibition. The data is sensitive and complex, therefore using it in this way allows for creativity, experimentation and then changes the expectations of what data is and what it means.

I do strongly believe healthcare needs creativity in order to engage successfully with the public. My exhibition is a perfect example of this and I have been contacted by Dr Alexa Ruppertsberg from Leeds University, who wants to use my exhibition as an exemplar case study to encourage the university academic staff how public engagement can be successful, when presenting research and data.

I was incredibly surprised, overwhelmed and thankful that my vision will be used in this way to inspire others. It is a huge compliment. The possibility of having ‘Trails of Engagement’ exhibited on different sites, directed by Dr Rupertsberg to promote how an interdisciplinary approach combining research and creativity to engage is amazing and could promote other avenues of research. It will then come to rest it the Clinical Research setting within Leeds Teaching Hospital next year.

Practice 2 : 7A9/B8/C7/C8/D7 – Exhibition

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Practice 2 : 7A9/B8/C7/C8 – Exhibition’s survey

Again I wanted to capture people’s opinions of the exhibition but also what they experienced and gained form the exhibition. This was quite important as the focus was on engagement, generating interest and discussion in relation to medical research and clinical trials. The result were positive, everyone seems to fins something within the installations to engage with either from a patience, public or clinicians point of view.

So I deem the installations, the work and exhibition a success in that it bet and in Debbie’s words, “surpassed all expectation”, which is excellent.

Dr Alexa Ruppertsberg from Leeds University also wants to use this an an exemplar case study to show Leeds university academic staff how research can be used on a creative way to engage with the public and ultimately raise awareness of their work. This is something she has been struggling with as up to now they has not been any work to show as examples. They want to be able to use the installations, which I have donated to Leeds Teaching Hospital, Clinical Research Facility, in various event and settings before they are permanently installed next year in the new facility. This is an incredible compliment for my practice and confirms the exhibition was successful in meeting the aims and objectives.

I am due to meet with Debbie and Alexa to discuss these possibilities and hopefully future collaborative engagement 23rd August 2016.

the survey use din the exhibition – SurveyMonkey_81763396

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Practice 2 : 7A9/B8/C7/C8 – Clinician’s survey

As a result of it being problematic to set up any interviews with the clincians as they are quite stressed, have a very busy important roles and very little time to dedicate to anything else other than their job. Discussing this issue with Debbie Beirne, an on-line survey was considered the best solution.

I researched and found Survey Monkey were the most appropriate application to use.

I set up the survey and discussed the phrasing of the questions and what I wanted to get out of the survey. On interviewing patients see pf then expressed their frustration in not knowing what was the result of the trails they had undertaken, or the value of their work. They were after all poorly people and so if they are putting themselves out when somthing they can be at a low ebb then it is only right they should know how their actions and effort has helped.

The results of the surveys enabled me to work with words and the value of the patience’ actions in respect of the clinicians. This began the ideas generating process using words fundamental rather than the data visualisation being the focus.

clincians survey

the responses

the worlds to describe the patience by the clinicians

Practice 2 : 7B8/C7/7C8 Clinical Trials Week

Events were taking place all over Leeds area and in the Leeds Hospitals for Clinical Research week. Andy Wilson, Research Engagement Manager, Cancer Research UK Leeds Centre, Cancer Research Building, St James’s University Hospital who I met from the PPi meeting organised one event held on 17.5.16 in Leeds Market next to Jamie’s Ministry of Food.

A table was laid and medical staff were manning the stall. There was a simple quiz game about cancer and what lifestyle habits cause the most or least cancers. I thought this was quite obvious until you being to do it. It’s tricky.

The results on how many cancers smoking could prevent far out ways all the others 64,500 as opposed to 3,400 for being overweight!  Shocking but great they are using data to get the message home.

Another event organised by Andy was in Bexley Wing in the reception area at St James and there were many stalls all promoting the clinical research they are undertaking. As part of the PPI group we were asked to bake cakes to sell in a way to engage in discussion and promote the PPI group and recruit! The recruitment drive was not very successful however the cake flew off the plate in record time! They were very grateful that Gillian, chair of the PPI group and myself manned the stall all morning as you can see below from Anys’s email…

Hi Gillian, Sarah, Jacqui, 

A massive thank you to you all for your various contributions in Bexley today – baking, stall-keeping and buying. We ended up with so much that I really  I didn’t think we’d sell it all but I shouldn’t have doubted the allure of ‘lovely buns’ –  we sold every last crumb with half an hour to spare and made £295.36 – just about double what we made last year.  So thanks again to you all!

Best wishes, Andy W   

It was an opportunity to also see what the other stalls were demonstrating or showing. I was amazed by how generous people were and how many staff were not aware of the PPi groups.

Practice 2 : 7A9/B8/C8/D7 – Book Binding Course

Context – I have books in every room and are devoted to their tactile quality which involves every sense. I am conscious of the immediacy of the digital world I work and live in, and yet you will still find images and words in books that you will not find anywhere else. I wanted to learn a skill that takes time and needs practice to develop and perfect the skill. I chose the art of bookbinding as part of my mindfulness act.

Process  – I joined a community based course in Leeds; Introduction to bookbinding. Each week for 10 weeks we learned a new process and method of bookbinding. Basic cheap materials were used but the method and processes were the same. We made a range of books from the simple to the complex; Accordion, Flag, Blizzard, Concertina, Coptic Case Bound book, T-Cut, Concertina Spine with pamphlet stitch, Japanese stab binding.

Reflect – This course was enlightening. The people in the group were from a wide range of cultures, backgrounds and had a huge difference in the levels of ability, which can be challenging to any tutor teaching a practical subject. I learned new processes and was aware I was articulate, precise and a quick learner. However, something I had not appreciated was the holistic experience and a sense of community I enjoyed attended this group. These people were there to learn new things together, as part of a group, regardless of achievement – it was the act of making that was important. East Street Arts run these courses and I now understand and appreciate why and the value of them. It made me humble, grateful and more importantly view my own situation and outlook differently.

Practice 2 : 7C7/8 – Reviews of presentation: John Barnbrook

5.4.16 – Review of Jonathan Barnbrook’s presentation and work

I hadn’t realised Barnbrook had worked extensively with David Bowie and it was refreshing to listen to a incredibly successful, world renouned designer who had extensive knowledge and experience, and who had developed a personal relationship with the truly creative innovator David Bowie.

Darnbrook was probably about the same age as myself and I was sitting there in the lecture theatre @ LCA listening to these great words. I often think why wasn’t I that person, what choices did I make to take me on a different path, would I want to be that successful, what would I have had to sacrifice to achieve this success?

When I graduated my mum was incredibly ill with secondary breast cancer and so to be at home, was without doubt, the place I needed to be and from that point I took a new path as being closer to home and my family became just as important as being a graphic designer. I also wanted to work in a small design consultancy where I could learn all the elements of what it is to run your own consultancy; from the director, account managers, PA, designers, artworkers, printers, exhibition display installers etc. This was my grounding with which to base all my experiences from.

So listening to Darnbrook was enlightening, he had that ‘old’ humour to engage with the young audience which made me smile as I could recognise many things in his manner and approach in myself, when teaching. He also, comfortingly, said most of the things I hold dear as my own values and preachings.

When discussing his approach to design and his clients he made this comment “the best work from from repeat business… personality is important as it a positive attitude so people want to come back and engage with you. Have courage in your conviction. And where there are restrictions – the result end up being more creative”

He also made the statement that, “Graphic Designers are corporate whores!” which made me chuckle as I have said similar things in my career, ‘selling my sole’ is just another phrase but inferring the same thing.

He also discussed the First Things First Manifesto 2000 which I regretfully had never heard about before but one I whole heartedly agree. They are primarily concerned with how the world perceives designers, how designers are moulding other’s perceptions and that our skills can be better put to use.

“The profession’s time and energy is used up manufacturing demand for things that are inessential at best… Many of us have grown increasingly uncomfortable with this view of design… To some extent we are all helping draft a reductive and immeasurably harmful code of public discourse… There are pursuits more worthy of our problem-solving skills.”

Their aim was;

“…to stimulate discussion in all areas of visual communication – in education, in practice, in the organisations that represent design’s aspirations and aims – as well as outside design. The changing relationship of advertising, graphic design, commerce and culture poses some profound questions and dilemmas that have recently been overlooked. If anything, these developments are accepted as an unproblematic fait accompli.”

I know that myself as a junior designer was and have always been grateful that it was in a design consultancy that focused on medical design, so our clients were surgeons, medical practitioners, educated and intelligent and I did not have to ‘sell my sole’ to the commercial world of chicken burgers, fruit juice or cereal boxes.

Practice 2 : 7C8/C7/B8 – Leeds St James

Meeting with Debbie Beirne at Leeds St James Hospital, Bexley Wing, we had a tour around the building and discussed what was on the walls currently and what other possibilities were. Debbie indicated that she would like the images to possible link with research, show, inform, to engage the public but wasn’t sure of how or the visual aspect.

This is the environment where images could possible go: waiting areas, hall ways, reception are in new building etc.

considerations for this environment – must not protrude not the walk space too much, need to pass H&S risk assessment, will need to be cleaned and so the materials need to be robust and stand up to cleaning, they need to have impact and be seen at distance to engage or nice the viewer.

There were obviously corporate visuals from charities involved with the clinical trials research and a small consulting room where patients can get support and guidance which seems to be a very supportive and well used service.

There is already some quite interesting and engaging work on the walls which immediately is more attractive that the staid and vapid “expected” visuals of rolling hills of Yorkshire or Van Gogh’s sunflowers!

Very little connect or link with research. I felt the blood cells on the wall are actually very off putting and would raise my anxiety levels as I found them confrontational, aggressive in their nature although I completely understand the idea of visually signposting the specific department entrances to indicate to the general public what department they are entering but perhaps the execution needs a little more sympathy.

These I thought were hanging in the main entrance of Bexley Wing and I thought they were stunning, they also act as visual markers to direct people to the right area/stairwell from reception which is helpful.

I immediately considered this as an option but perhaps this would be a one off and of course it would depend on the geography and geometry of the new building and you would need the height to achieve the impact. I could use data visualisation to achieve this and perhaps look at colours and feeling of emotions.

In there reception area they have an exhibition space which would be idea to exhibit in but this is not permanent and the artists who exit here are booked in for a period of time and the waiting list is 6 months in advance! So this space is not an option but other areas are for consideration.