Making an exhibition: processes and techniques
As the year progressed into summer, the Studio Collective turned to the more practical elements of putting together an exhibition, and looked at how The Studio could be transformed into the most engaging space for visitors.
The group imagined the Pavilion, where we met regularly, as The Studio, and we walked through it envisioning where to place objects and artwork for the best impact. Getting up on our feet and imaging the space really helped with the decision making process.
The Collective examined creative processes in greater detail and started to finalise decisions for the exhibition opening in October, from the materials and colour schemes to the type of paints and dyes.
Dying experiments
Have you visited the Dye Garden at the Horniman?
It’s at the edge of the Sunken Gardens and was blooming back in April where we discussed dying in more detail. The Collective explored this beautiful area and found the history of natural dyes and the plant uses fascinating. It’s great to take a wander through and see how many different colours you notice.
Inspired by the Dye Garden, the Collective were eager to try some dying themselves. Although the group were keen on the benefits of natural dyes, they were also interested in how synthetic dyes would turn out.
Dying is an easy and fun activity to try at home. If you want to give it a go you will need:
· salt
· dye (natural or synthetic) — you can buy this in craft stores or try some of the natural ideas we investigated below
· boiling water
· plastic gloves
· plastic cup
· materials to dye
· some newspaper or covers to avoid splashes
Mix the dye with the salt and hot water, according to the dye instructions. Dip in the material you want to dye, like a T-shirt, and have fun seeing what colours come out.
Tying elastic bands or twisting the materials into different shapes might give some more unusual results.
Natural dyes
The Collective tried spun paper yarn, different threads and sheep wool, which all came out in a beautiful array of vibrant colours. We loved the varied results and some members of the group are going to use the dyed materials for other weaving projects.
During this session, the group also experimented with everyday items that we could turn into simple natural dyes. Herbal berry tea turned white yarn a beautiful shade of pink, while redbush tea turned it a surprising pale green.
Coffee and blueberries both turned yarn brown whilst madder root from the Dye Garden turned sheep’s wool a reddish-brown.
What everyday items can you find in your house or garden that might make great natural dyes?
Tell us in the comments if you try experimenting and let us know how they go. If you have any tips to share with us, we’re dying to know.
Objects or nah?
A large part of our May meetings focused on making a big decision; did the Collective want to include objects from the Horniman collections alongside our artwork, as originally planned, or to move away from this idea and focus purely on the artwork.
A couple of members of the Collective are involved with the Critical Arts Group — the group who drew up the long list of artists, and continue to give us guidance on best practice. At their last meeting they had many questions about the inclusion of objects from the collection in our exhibition.
This raised the idea of whether the Collective were including objects in the exhibition because it was the traditional thing to do, or whether it truly reflected our vision for The Studio. Some felt the objects selected so far will explain our process to visitors, as well as open up access to those objects for people who may not otherwise be able to experience them.
Others felt that objects in glass cases would be restrictive, particularly to anyone partially sighted or blind, and that a more radical approach would be to not include display cases.
After much discussion, the overall consensus was to not include objects in display cases. Although this was a difficult decision, the group believed that display cases of objects would restrict our vision of having a tactile, sensory, engaging, and fully accessible space that feels very different to traditional museum spaces or galleries.
The objects we looked at and selected have informed the process, and so will still be referenced in the exhibition, but this new approach will allow the Collective to be more creative and free in their choices.
This decision frees the group to focus fully on making the artwork for the exhibition, as well as the overall aesthetic.
The Collective want The Studio to be an immersive experience for visitors; this has made everyone think about every aspect of the space, from the ceilings to the floor. It has opened up ideas for how the artwork can spread across every part of the room, which may include painting surfaces, covering areas of floor, or adding wall or ceiling hangings.
Painting
To reflect the themes of sustainability within our project, we tried out a selection of eco-paints to see what colours they produced and whether this is something that would work well.
The Collective made samples of the final artwork to get used to the techniques needed and to feel confident in sharing these techniques with the public once the exhibition opens, to involve them in the creative process.
First, the group started making rag rug samples in order to experiment with different patterns and materials.
Rag Rugging
To make a rag rug of your own, you will need:
· a hook tool to thread the material through
· hessian or mesh for the base of the rug, and
· any scrap material to thread through (like cut up old clothes)
Thread the material through the holes in the mesh or hessian and pull through, so both ends of the fabric are hanging loose on one side of the mesh like a loop. You can tie the two ends together for durability, but the density of the strips will also keep the fabric in place.
Keep repeating this process to cover the base material with scraps of fabrics, in whichever design and colours you choose.
We’d love to know how you get on with your own experiments — tell us about your own rag rugs.
What do you know about an object?
The Collective held public events over the summer for visitors to help create the pieces of art, like the rag rug, and learn some of the techniques we have been experimenting with this year.
During June, the Collective had a fascinating session with an anthropologist, looking at objects and discussing the stages of making, known as the chaîne opératoire — a technique used in anthropology and archaeology to understand the physical actions and social processes involved in making an artefact.
Our discussions have highlighted how complex every object is, from the process of making involved, to the stories and depth of human history embedded within them.
The Collective looked at a range of objects which included a carved wooden mask and a musical instrument from Iraq called a kamanche.
We discussed the following questions:
What different materials are in the object?
Where do these materials come from?
How were those materials made?
How have they been transformed to become this object?
What are the properties of the materials? For example, the smell, texture, weight, hand feel etc
What is the type of energy and tools that have been used to make it? For example, muscles, hands, electricity, heat, saw, hammer etc
We then placed all the materials and making processes in the order we thought they might have occurred. This was quite difficult guesswork and really tested our knowledge of where materials come from!
It made us realise how complex a seemingly simple object can be and how lengthy the making process is when you peel back the layers.
It was also interesting to think about all the things we couldn’t see in the objects, such as the maker, rituals that may have surrounded the object, and all the conversations and social interactions that went on during the making process.
The group would have liked to incorporate this idea of showing stages of manufacture in the final exhibition, to help reveal our process to visitors. In depth examinations of where materials come from, and who is involved in the process, can also highlight the ethical and environmental impact of an object that we are so often removed from and unaware of.
Try this exercise yourself, either with an object at the Horniman or an object of your own that you use every day. It is easy to become familiar with the objects around us without thinking about where they come from, how they were produced, or who made them.
What did you discover about the object?
Did it make you see it in a different way? Let us know your thoughts.
