The Maker Project: For Constance
- Submitting institution
-
The University of Bolton
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Output identifier
- 0049_32_REF2_TS_01
- Type
- T - Other
- DOI
-
-
- Location
- -
- Brief description of type
- Creative and curatorial project
- Open access status
- Compliant
- Month
- -
- Year
- 2018
- URL
-
-
- Supplementary information
-
-
- Request cross-referral to
- -
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
-
-
- Research group(s)
-
-
- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- The Maker Project is an action research project involving photo diaries of 11 UK based makers who have employed their knowledge and skills towards reinterpreting the iconic twentieth century bandstand chair. The outputs for assessment are The Maker Project website, including Tom Sutton’s contribution: For Constance. Contextual Information: The research explores issues in manufacturing, design technology, the arts, education and social history. It interrogates how combined post-digital and traditional applied practices can promote effective use of haptic skills. The aim was to pragmatically address issues raised by the Crafts Council regarding the rise of post-digital technologies within making - such as Laser Cutting and 3D printing - coupled with concerns about the regression of craft-based education (Pooley and Rowell, 2016).
Sutton’s contribution takes an object from a period in British history that celebrated excellence in design, engineering and manufacture: the 1940 Cox & Co. tubular chair. Working from original artwork designed by Constance Haworth housed within the textile archives at Bolton Museum, his re-figuration of this object placed equal importance on the artefact and the recording of the production practices.
Using reflective practices such as the experiential learning cycle (Kolb. A & A, 2017), Sutton demonstrated the potential of new technology in contributing towards process rather than outcome, eliciting opportunities for new collaborative practices. Given widespread concerns over the loss of haptic skills demonstrated by graduates and early career professionals in science, medicine and engineering as well as arts and crafts, this research has far reaching implications.
The Maker Project and the applied processes have been exhibited widely to manufacturers, educationalists, craftspersons, and the general public at the GNCCF Manchester from the 10-13th October 2019 and at the Marketplace Studios, Stockport 2-23rd March, 2020. For Constance was shown at Making Textiles, Bolton Museum and Art Gallery in January 2019.
- Author contribution statement
- -
- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
- -
