Tasks – SITE SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE

Art Studio Work

Abigail Elizabeth Earlie / April 24, 2015 / Tasks

22cnd April 2015.

As our performance is based on the architexture of the libary and the human body we have chosen to Mod Roc body parts and place them in interested and unusual places on and around the libary stair case. Body parts and the image of body parts have been our groups main focus this week as we have researched the architexture to an extent and now are focusing on creating a decent amound of Mod Rock casts to place all over the libary. These are images showing our group mod rocking an arm using strips of material and water and we are still waiting for the outcome of the cast. The results of our mod rocking in the past have been very good and the casts replicate real imitations of body parts. The casts when finished have alot of detail and are very interesting to look at as well as looking very unusual. We created these mod rock casts in the Art studio on the University Campus and found that we can create alot of material in the space and with the avaliable materials that are on offer. Hopefully when these casts are finished we are hoping to place them all around the stair case of the libary. It will be very interesting to see our audiences reaction when they see the casts. We are continuing creating the casts for the libary this week.

Abigail Earlie

Video of 101 Things to do with a Trolley.

Samantha Foster / April 20, 2015April 22, 2015 / 101 Things to Do with a Trolley, Tasks

Here is a short video of us trying out some of the evens that are going to take place. This is what it is like going to be on the day just random little events that people get to see with the trolley being used in different ways then what they should be used for.

Here is the link to The trail of 101 uses of a Trolley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YplA5JkFHuk

Sculpture Art

Rebecca Anne Lothian / March 10, 2015March 10, 2015 / Tasks

The human body is limitless to work with. As drama students, we know this to a certain extent. Modroc is an excellent material in creating sculptures, my group and I have been experimenting with it on the body.

Making sculptures out of architectural features in the library that people may not notice will allow people to develop their understanding of the building and maybe even appreciate it more.

The link between the human body and architecture of this building is crucial, yet undermined. The working space has changed and adapted to suit the purpose of the building and the people who wish to use it. It’s also interesting to make the connection between how the building makes the body physically move, for example, how people walk up the stairs, or how they sit at a computer desk. These two elements integrate massively; perhaps through art we can express and even challenge this.

A Guide to Using Facebook while pretending to work at the Library

Josh Curran / February 18, 2015 / Tasks

Script for a test audio guide:

Sometimes it’s really hard to just do that essay or that assignment whilst having no idea what’s happening in the lives of your Facebook friends. If only there was some way to look like you’re working while actually reading about how much someone loves cats. Well now there is.

It may not be against the library rules to go on Facebook, but what would people think if they saw you doing it? Everyone else there is hard at work on their education, using all the resources of the library, to forward human knowledge. But then they see you, on Facebook, watching a video your friend has posted, of a fat person falling over. How do you think they would feel, seeing a valuable space in the library, wasted like that? That’s why they can never know. Let’s go find a computer shall we?

Now just log in. Good. No-one knows what you’re about to do, there’s no need to panic. Ok. Good. Now just open up Google Chrome. Or, if you’re a beginner, you can even use Internet Explorer.

Now, the first thing you open, needs to look clever. Why not find an article on ‘War and Peace’? Or the biography of an Italian painter? Anything that’s long and complicated will do. Have a look.

Very Good. This is what’s called, the decoy. But now it’s time, to open, Facebook. You have to be very careful while logging in, in case someone sees. You can try making the window smaller, to make it harder for people to see. Or you can stand up slightly to block the screen with your body. Or you can simply just turn the screen away slightly to make sure no-one sees. That’s it. Now log in as quickly as you can. When you’re done, switch to the decoy.

Well done. You’re in the clear. It’s easy now to switch back and forth between Facebook and the decoy. It’s going to be smooth sailing from here on out. But, if someone does catch you, make sure you have some excuses prepared. For example, “I’m doing a Psychology study on social media” or “I design websites and I was looking for inspiration”, or “This is the most suitable and reliable method in which my study group can liaise. What are you trying to do? Destroy my opportunities for employment after graduation?” Your excuse, should be personal to you. Why not have a go?

Excuse me, I was just browsing research documents whilst studying for my PHD, when I happened to notice that you were merely browsing Facebook. Can you explain your actions?

Very well, I suppose that is an acceptable explanation. I am sorry to have bothered you.

Excellent, you’re now an expert at hiding your internet activities. You’re a star.

Josh Curran

Facts and Fairytales – an art ‘book.’

Jessica Bark / February 11, 2015 / Main Page, Tasks

Finding time to pick up a good piece of fiction and get lost within the story is rare. In fact the only time I find myself lost in any form of fiction is when I’m asleep, in an allusive non-realistic dream.I know this is the case with a lot of university students. We often find ourselves only rummaging through book after book to gain factual knowledge or understand different theories or interpretations.

Therefore I decided to a create a book of fairy-tales.

Why fairy-tales? With the stress of deadlines, research and performance – it is nice to sometimes just follow a story that seems utterly unrealistic. More importantly, a fairy-tale book can be read anywhere, it isn’t attached to a particular site.

I thought back to a time of when fairy-tales really meant something. Childhood. However, there’s little use reading a fantasy story now and hoping to get lost within it like I did when I was eight.

I decided to look into the original series of Grimm’s Fairy-tales, first published in 1812.

I wasn’t thinking of the commercialised versions with happy endings such as Hansel and Gretel killing the witch and finding their way home, but the real true publications which were censored and some banned for being far too violently descriptive and frightening for children. In these versions, Hansel and Gretel brutally murder the witch, never find their parents and are forced to live a life in the woods…alone. Perhaps too frightening for children, but perfect for students aged 18 upwards.

I was set on this idea, but I still needed to make something that was interesting to look at, but practical in terms of time. I decided my book must have many pictures (after all, a picture is worth a thousand words), short snippets of fantasy text and be visually stimulating.

I went back to my thought of dreams. If the only time I managed to get lost in a story was in a dream, then I would have to create a book that could be read when sleeping. Impossible. Or not…

In fact there is a huge market of ‘books’ which cater to sleep and dreaming. Baby mobiles! Often having different characters, shapes, colours: all in order to create a story, sort of safety blanket to encourage happy dreams if a baby does stir from sleep.

I began to create my own, with string, burnt paper and dead flowers -using characters from Grimm’s fairy-tales. A scary picture of Hansel and Gretel pushing the witch into an oven, a boy who had lied so much that his nose became too big for him to walk, and his parents abandoned him and short sections of text all about the consequences of being bad.

My art book, on the contrary to traditional fairy-tale books is specific to site.
It can only be read to its full potential hanging over a bed. This is because its full potential would mean engaging with it when stirred from sleep, with the hope it might influence your dreams.