Author: Rebecca Elizabeth Bierton

I have just had my meeting with Dan about my ideas and the progression of my piece. I am now using the third floor as my location, particularly the back wall of the third floor. This is because the third floor is an interesting space in general, as there is an unspoken understanding that you do not speak up there. I can play on this idea of silence and have nothing spoken and no sound made within my piece. This means the audience will be purely focusing on the work I am creating. The back wall is the original brickwork from when the library was a warehouse, and as my piece is about drawing attention to the unnoticed areas of the library, this will be ideal. The third floor also has the original wooden beams, which will be fun to play with and explore. Most students do not notice these beams as they are above eye level, but they are an original architextual feature of the warehouse that has remained intact since the reconstruction.
I want to build on my idea of an illustrated trail, but make it specific to the third floor. I want the brickwork of the back wall to be a feature, but also to incorporate the beams using ideas from the past. One way to do this is to look at the railway, and use a literal railway as the basis of the trail. Maybe have it circulate around the wall of the third floor, leading you to different ‘boards’ and ideas presenting information about the warehouse and it’s uses. I could use solid materials, like grain, IT equipment, books, brick, and pages to help create these boards and make them a sculptural piece rather than a informational piece. These ‘boards’ could be styled like a railway station to fit in with a railway theme.
I am wanting the bring the past into the present in a literal visiual sense and look closely at the idea of the railway running alongside the library.

Although Conan and Dan liked my idea, they did feel as though I could push myself further and push the boundaries I had created for myself.
I can be more ambitious and work on a bigger scale, being more daring and creative with my work.
In order to move forward, I need to think of a way to make my work more ambitious.
Some ideas suggested were to make sure the boards were bigger and more visiual, to put them at eye level and make them more appealing  by using interesting and different materials. Maybe looking at old warehouse produce and the railway. I need to emphasise the architextual features more and explore hidden areas of the library. Encouraging the audience to use and explore the full space.
It was also suggested that I don’t use the whole alphabet for my work, and that I only focus on a few letters, focus on making them bigger and using different more diverse materials. This gives me more time to make those fewer boards bigger and better, as I’m not focusing on 26 different ones, but rather a few simpler ones.
It was suggested that I lead the trail myself and take on a performance role, leading the audience around the library and taking them on the journey. This adds less of an academic aspect, whereas the audience can listen to me guide them rather than follow of their own accord.

Rebecca Elizabeth Bierton

During my research phase, I took a group of my friends on an ‘exploration’ of the library. It became clear as we travelled that many of my friends only visited the section that contained books for their subject area and failed to venture further into the library. One of my friends wasn’t even aware that there was a back staircase and another had never set foot on the third floor.
I would like to look at this concept for my piece, and hopefully use my piece to encourage exploration and full use of the library.

The library runs on an alphabetical format. This means it’s quick and easy to find the books and resources you are looking for.
The alphabetical system is a main feature of the library, it creates an easy organisation that students are familar with.
I am wanting to look at this concept when creating my piece.

I have thought about using the alphabet as a starting point. Having the letters A-Z in board-like forms, each containing a word that relates to the library. Whether this be the library structure or the way the library is used. You follow the boards, in alphabetical order, on a trail-like adventure through the library, causing you to visit and look at places you may not have been aware of. The boards will contain bright and visiual information about areas of the library, encouraging you to read and learn as you follow the trail.

This is what my boards will look like, although they will have text on them for participates to read and engage with.

Rebecca Elizabeth Bierton

Before the railway, library site was rural.
The canal was main means of transport, transporting canned goods and connecting Lincoln.
Waterway infront of the warehouse. – Easier to load/unload goods.
– Distribution
Great Central Warehouse, dominance of water.
Agricultrual Community

Railway for distribution, Canal for distribution.
Engine Shed + Warehouse.

Warehouse was abandoned for a while before library construction.

Rebecca Elizabeth Bierton

Architextural features of the library?
– Could look at this literally or metaphorically
– Playing with the original structure or looking at how we could alter the architexture?
– Turn the building/space into something else

Industrial side of the library?
– Look at the way the library was used before
– How we could bring the past into the present
– How the past meets the present anyway within the library literally
– Look at spaces where the warehouse meets the new library building

Literal Library?
– Using the library in a literal way
– Looking at literal books and reading
– How reading can be used to educate?
– Reading can be used for pleasure and to relax

Creative Library?
– The way the library can be used for other activites (rehearsal etc)
– The way spaces can be transformed

Social Library?
-Looking at the way the library is used to promote group work and discussion?
– How friendships and relationships are formed and created in the library?
– The idea of the social aspect, coffee shop encouraging this?

IT Library?
– Idea of the access to all information
– How IT connections can help and hinder the library
– Online library?

Factual Library?
– Seeing the library as for factual use only
– The rooms that are purely for work and research (third floor)

Text piece – creating a literal story rather than a creative piece? Some kind of performance structure?

Soundscape – lights out? recreate areas of the library via sound, recreate the industrial past and slowly bring it to the present?

The People Who Use The Library – Look at who uses the library and why

Re-draw parts of the library. Create a blank canvas and literally re-draw areas of the library. Different sections could be re-drawn to give a better understanding of the material. For example, canvas the Drama section of the library and draw over it the tragedy and comedy masks, drawing shakespeare and illustrate Stanislavski techniques. Architexture could be re-drawn with images of skyscrapers and buildings. The IT section could make illustrated reference to the world wide web and everything it has to offer. This could be the performance and people could come and observe you drawing over the sections they know with an illustrated stereotypical representation.

Rebecca Elizabeth Bierton