Sustainable Mobility

We live in a society obsessed with consumerism, constantly wondering what we have to pay out for or what we need to buy today. We're a nation who would rather pay just that little bit extra to have the same coffee shop re-branded and placed just a little nearer to work because its closer than the one we ate lunch yesterday. A world where more ofter than not we're compartmentalised for what we own or how much 'stuff' we have.

I intend to carry out a number of experiments where i will abstain from all possessions and live my life in the role of someone else. By looking into various cultures, sub-cultures and roles in society i will gain an understanding and see what its really like to 'walk in someone else's shoes'. 

Sustainable Mobility: Has there been any changes in human values?..

In the Universe, there are countless life forms, and they all have one thing in common: they evolve, transform and adapt to the environment in order to sustain as a species. In both, flora and fauna worlds, species are challenged by time; Throughout the generations, they undergo great structural and physical transformations in order to survive. The planet's life forms are sometimes said to form a "biosphere". This biosphere is generally believed to have begun evolving about 3.5 billion years ago. A key point in human evolution begun approximately 12,000 years ago. Compared to the evolution of the biosphere, human evolution happened in the blink of an eye. Humans are an intelligent beings, who have evolved both physically and intellectually. Thanks to their ability to contemplate, create and improvise, humans not only survived great ecological changes throughout the years, but managed to create conditions for their greatest comfort and safety which concur with the natural environment of the Planet. What has made human evolve is the inborn need for knowledge and awareness, -this is where we are different from animals from the behavioural aspect. We all have a common ancestor; we have over 1000,000,0 species of animals from 1 type of single celled organism. We are different because we have self consciousness an a conscience. We are aware of the duality of spirit and matter.Animals live by their instincts. Our minds/consciousness has evolved beyond that. We are questioning ourselves: 'What/How?/When?/Why?'...We have a spirit and a free will as well as a body. We anticipate and change the transcendental future.
Any kind of life form which is a part of our Planet's life cycle can be called 'Sustainable Mobility'. Humanity too is a 'sustainable mobility',-and every generation counts. Where are we heading? What is the concept of humanity, how exactly do we need to sustain ourselves (as a human beings in comparison to animals)? Why do we have to care about our inner beauty, morality, values, interpersonal ecology and intelligence? Why do we need to challenge the quest for knowledge,...and having fulfilled our basic needs and being settled professionally and financially, do we still need to pursue knowledge?
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My aim as an interdisciplinary conceptual visual artist is to encourage the viewer's contemplation about the SELF in respect to the concept of humanity.

I will create an audio-visual environment, inviting viewers to question their values, and examine the subject of 'sustainable mobility' in terms of personal development. I will relate this to the entire concept of humanity.

Statement:

Good design improves the quality of life for the end user. This concept is commonly thought of in relation to consumer culture. However there is at the moment, an attitude towards this world of needlessly expanding, inpersonal clutter that is making designers and architects look to the more human concious side of their profession. Is it possible to distinguish between the often falsely implied lable of sustainability and the products of this shifting professional ethic?

Links: www.projecthdesign.com www.jorrevanast.com - jar tops. www.iconeye.com

rowan.mackay@hotmail.co.uk

Sustaining Movement between Existence and Art

Exploring the elements within life and art and discover relationships between the two.

Elements: Sustenance, Possessions, Personality, Finance, People, Skills.

Alison Booth: preserving treasured objects...

Statement:
"Objects can be such strong vessels for memory, but cannot always physically kept with us. Can a design create a way of transporting these objects, or the essence of them with us, whether this is in our suitcase or to a new home?"

I am developing a document that will preserve the memories and essence of an object in a easily transportable, well-designed format. I am currently experimenting with layout and graphics to successfully communicate the richness of memories and a timeless element.

Sustaining craft in primary education through movement workshops...

I recently attended a one day conference titled 'Materials and Processes; The Future of the Craft of Making' held at the British Library, by the Crafts Council. This day brought up my key interests in craft primary education and its current status in Britain. The subjects discussed were about the threats and weaknesses and how we can to sustain craft education in the future.

In response to this topic I will be holding my very own craft workshops for school children, leading up to main collaborative workshops at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, facilitated and lead by me, with help from YSP staff and the teachers. These workshops will include current themes discussed at the conference such as promoting 'hands on' practical ways of learning rather than computer screens and televisions.

The theme for the workshops is movement/mobility my inital plans within movement but i would like pupil lead activities within this theme. My ideas are literal and straight forward which young children can engage with and understand. One theme being movement of the body, using dance, drama and exercise and the other relating to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park exhibitions, creating sculptures that can move or represent movement.

My plan is to include creative strategies for me to work with, subconsciencly teaching the pupils a wealth of different skills, for example i could to include; spontaneous tasks that have to be done in a certain amount of time or limitations, other tasks could involve, drama, the environment,team work, mathematics, problem solving, confidence and last but not least a being creative and imaginative.

If any students/ tutors have any ideas, comments bad or good about my project or this post, please email or comment.
Annnna77@hotmail.com

Poking fun at tourism

Tourism changes landscapes and peoples' lives as well as impacting on society in general.
After an initial trip to Cyprus, my project focused on a 'typical Brit abroad' and how the area had changed to cope with the demand of British tourists.

After seeing a red double decker bus takign tourists on a trip of the local attractions i wanted to address the issue of catering to tourists needs and how this impacts on the environment.

After suggestions during a crit i aim to create a humorous animation that follows the journey of the bus around Cyprus and the 'authentic attractions' they experience. The project aims to be a light-hearted view of tourists abroad.

More posts and images to follow..................................

Sustainable Mobility.......What can this mean to me?

After much confusion from the project the title, I developed a response to the project that could be considered slightly different to others. I believe our course allows us to look differently at project and respond in a different way. Therefore I have interpruted the brief very loosely, I havent seen it as a fixed 3d outcome that reflects the projects title "Sustainable Mobility" in an obvious way.

Project Statement:
Collecting and accumulating a range of objects from various means, to create a piece that pokes fun at the innocent and impractical. Whilst documenting the history of the objects and the journey they are going to make.

Aim: To create an impractical, fun, innocent, playful piece to represent the title of this brief. Reflecting back at my statement and gathering a body of research, I then started considering how this project could play upon the impractical, fun, mocking elements.

So I then moved onto looking at the mobility of objects, how they can change in meaning or how I could change their meaning. The outcome I am hoping for is a performance piece that reflects my own personal journey in this module and looks at the migration of emotions and how material objects can change. And in this performance piece I plan to use myself and my own attachment to the objects. At the moment I am considering the possibilities of a book, dvd or/and a collection.

Influences for this project: Jake and Dinos Chapman, Brothers Quay, Alan Carroll, Yoko Ono

Sustainable Mobility - Laura Taylor

I will update this blog with images later...
After the initial meeting of sustainable mobility, i knew i wanted to carry on with a war theme from last year. A comment from one of the tutors (Cheryl) saying sustainable could be 'little or no damage,' this made me think about the damage war has on soldiers and the conflicting countries. I am thinking of using either the physical or mental damage caused by war.
I am thinking of making either a protest which is mobile, you can pack it up and move it anywhere, or packs including images, postcards and pins, also asking people to join a blog/website i will be creating.
I am inspired by anti war protests and images created by such artists as Mark Wallinger, John Heartfield, Picasso and Goya...
More info to come...

Example post

Exhibition view 2007 - Donna Walker: Re-design

Exhibition view 2007 - Alicia Talikwoska: Re-toyed trash

Art and Design (Interdisciplinary) student Alicia Talikwoska ran a series of workshops in 2007 inviting members of the public to create sculptures using discarded toys. Her approach invloved both 'Making' (manipulating 3D materials) and 'making things happen' (facilitating and project managing workshops and public interventions...

Donna Walker created a range called re-design ( including this ironing board chair). She was influenced by Droog following her GIDE exchange to Breda.

blah, a bit more text here: about working processes, key influences, practice direction, aims, research themes, etc

http://recycledtoys.wordpress.com/
http://www.donnawalker.org/