Research Seminars at Liverpool School of Art and Design

The ADRG hosts a regular series of research seminars centered around the work of our own researchers and research students, as well as of our invited guest speakers.

By holding regular seminars to include external agencies and stakeholders, the ADRG provides a mechanism through which to ensure our research is aligned with broader agendas and articulated in ways that resonate with and matter to those beyond our specific subject areas.

Invitation to the Art & Design Research Group (ADRG) Research Seminars at Liverpool School of Art & Design. 

Wed 27th  March, 12.30 to 1.30pm in Lecture Room 3 (ADA, 3rd floor)

Dr Robert MacDonald will give a presentation on The City as a Laboratory of Shadows

‘When I first started at Liverpool University School of Architecture, in 1970, my tutor was a Sociologist, the late Frank Horton. He said to me a University is organised around the Word. I really did not understand his meaning but it is only in recent years that I have come to appreciate the creative and cultural power of the Word. Perhaps we only experience The City through the Word, light and shadows ? My discussion paper is a mere play on words, a draft in progress. Hopefully, in time drawings and paintings might follow. In this discussion paper I plan to describe alternative New Cities of Shadows, Seeing with Different Eyes, The Collective Memory of the City, Soft Cities, Situationist Cities and Liverpool as a Laboratory of Shadows and Sorrows.’

Dr Robert MacDonald is Reader in Architecture at LJMU and was born in Toxteth in 1951. He has travelled, several times, across the Sahara Desert, where he lived with The Tuareg Nomads in the Hoggar Mountains. He saw Caves in the Hoggar Mountains were the first ever shadow/hand paintings had been made by fire light. As an Architect he has designed and built in Zambia, Glasgow, Wales and Liverpool. He is proud of the housing cooperatives that he has designed in Liverpool. In 2010 he curated The DIY City Exhibition and publication. Rob really enjoys teaching with his third and second year students of architecture.

Wednesday 27 March,  6pm-8pm in the Johnson Foundation Auditorium, ADA

The first ERC keynote lecture by Maria Lind (Director, Tensta Konsthall in Stockholm)

Friday 15 March,  5:30 to 6:30

The opening of the second ERC exhibition titled 'In Camera', will feature documentation (film, photographs and publications) spanning the career of London-based curator, writer and filmmaker CS Leigh: http://erc-ljmu.org/forthcoming/

Invitation to the Art & Design Research Centre (ADRC) Research Seminars at Liverpool School of Art & Design.  

Wed 13th March, 12.30 to 1.30pm in Lecture Room 3 (ADA, 3rd floor)

Francesco Manacorda will give a presentation on Spacetime Machines

‘The talk will illustrate examples of my practice that use temporal and or spatial displacement as a curatorial and research tool. This preamble will lead on the vision for Tate Liverpool that looks at history and relationship between the past and the contemporary.’

Francesco Manacorda is artistic director of Tate Liverpool. Previously he has been director of Artissima, in Turin and worked as a curator at the Barbican Art Gallery, London. Since 2006 he has been visiting lecturer in exhibition history and critical theory in the Curating Contemporary Art department at the Royal College of Art, London
 
Wed 27th Feb, 12.30 to 1.30pm in Lecture Room 3 (ADA, 3rd floor)

Sally Tallant will give a presentation on Situated Curatorial Practice

Through talking about situated curatorial practice, Sally Tallant will address the importance of a programmatic tempo and duration that encompasses performance, long-commissions as well as exhibition and non-exhibitionary practices, and how these practices can evolve to operate on the scale of a city.

Sally Tallant is the Director of Liverpool Biennial – The UK Biennial of International Contemporary Art. She was formerly Head of Programmes at the Serpentine Gallery, London where she was responsible for the development and delivery of an integrated programme of Exhibitions, Architecture, Education and Public Programmes.


Wed 13 Feb, 12.30 to 1.30pm in Lecture Room 1 [change of usual venue]

Matthew Johnson will give a presentation on Text and Image

Matt Johnson will consider images and their relation to the overcoding of language based regimes of signs, the concept of the machinic assemblage related to practice, and the (sometimes fraught) relationship between practical work and theoretical approaches to Art and Design research.

Matt’s current practice based research reconsiders the relationship between text and image. He is studying for a PhD in the Visual Cultures department at Goldsmiths College in London. See http://mutanten.tumblr.com for examples of Matt’s recent art and design work.

Matt Johnson has been a freelance illustrator, artist and designer for a number of years. He completed a post-graduate teacher training course at the Institute of Education in London in 2004 having first studied at Leeds Metropolitan University and Central St.Martins College in London. He is currently enrolled as an MPhil/PhD student at Goldsmiths College in the department of Visual Cultures. Matt has written and delivered a number of papers at academic conferences in the past few years including Social context of the sketchbook at Recto Verso, The Gallery, Lincoln University, and The Rhetorical Potential in Image and Design, Rhetoric in Society conference, Lessius University College, Antwerp.

Wed 30th Jan, 12.30 to 1.30pm in Lecture Room 3 (ADA, 3rd floor)

Dr. Emma Roberts

will give a presentation on 

Public Sculpture of Cheshire & Merseyside

The Superliner and Liminal Space

The Carved Figurehead of HMS Conway

Semiotics and the Bicycle in the Disney Town of Celebration 

Public Sculpture of Cheshire & Merseyside which culminated in the publication of a book in October 2012.  This long-term project involved researching the numerous public sculptures of the area.  Using traditional archival research methods, details were unearthed about the sculptures’ commissioning processes, concepts, making, siting, unveiling and critical receptions.  Some of the most interesting stories from this project, as well as some of the research ‘coups’, will be disclosed.

The Superliner and Liminal Space.  This will be a chapter in a Lit-Verlag book entitled The Atlantic: Tourists Experiences in the Twentieth Century for publication in May 2013.  Using the Cunard Archive at the University of Liverpool, research has been done in to passengers’ transatlantic journeys by Cunard liners.  Great use has been made of photographs of the interior design of liners by Liverpool photographer, Stewart Bale.  Particular attention has also been paid to menus, liner art work and passenger diaries and ephemera. The argument is that passengers enter a liminal space when boarding a cruise liner.  This is also based on first-hand experience!

The Carved Figurehead of HMS Conway.  Using the Carter-Preston archive at Liverpool Hope University, research is being done on the ship’s figurehead adorning HMS Conway.  This is one of the last, traditional carved figureheads and was made by Edward Carter-Preston whose carvings proliferate within Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.  This research will be presented at the Association of Art Historians’ Annual Conference at the University of Reading in April 2013.

Semiotics and the Bicycle in the Disney Town of Celebration.  The Disney town of Celebration, Florida, uses the symbol of a young girl cycling past a picket fence.  This logo is used throughout the town and on promotional materials- even being present on the town’s manhole covers!  Further research has discovered that other ‘New Urbanist’ towns in the USA also use similar imagery in their logos and advertising.  Using semiotic theory, some possible meanings of this imagery will be suggested.

Dr. Emma Roberts completed her Ph.D in 1997 at the University of Liverpool on the sculpture of Barbara Hepworth and has worked in Liverpool School of Art & Design at LJMU since 1996.  She is the co-author of The Liverpool Academy: A History of Index (1997) and The Public Sculpture of Cheshire and Merseyside (2012) as well being the author of journal and exhibition catalogue articles.  Research interests include sculpture and aspects of design history.  Emma is Programme Leader of BA (Hons) History of Art & Museum Studies and BA (Hons) History of Art.

Exhibition Research Centre’s opens with Jacques Charlier

Never before exhibited in the UK, Jacques Charlier’s photographs of openings chronicle the cutting-edge art scene in Belgium, Germany and Holland between 1974 and 1975. Conceived as art works, the photographs also serve as an invaluable record of a decisive moment in the development of conceptual art in Europe, capturing fleeting exchanges between artists, collectors, curators and writers including Marcel Broodthaers, Daniel Buren, Hanne Darboven, Catherine Millet and Fernand Spillemaeckers, among many others.

This exhibition is the first public event of the newly formed Exhibition Research Centre, part of the Liverpool School of Art and Design’s growing research offer.

Opening
30 January 2013, 5.30–6.30pm
Free public tour with Jacques Charlier and curator and publisher Yves Gevaert followed by drinks

Exhibition
31 January – 1 March 2013
Monday to Friday, 10am – 5pm

Invitation to the Art & Design Research Centre (ADRC) Research Seminars at Liverpool School of Art & Design.  
 
Wed 5 Dec, 12.30 to 1.30pm in Lecture Room 3 (ADA, 3rd floor)

the presentation is by Rosalind Nashashibi on her work as a film-maker

Rosalind Nashashibi has been making 16mm films but she would struggle to pin down what they are collectively about. One aspect is the phenomology of looking, the nature of perception exactly where it meets with interpretation. Relations between elements in the films are either simply stated and left to the viewer to project meaning onto, or the interpretation is imbedded in the film as a greek chorus effect; for example, a man experiences a vision in a busy street whilst two gods interpret what is around him, or buildings with the faces of monsters and idiots are juxtaposed with New York's wary policemen. Often the films turn out as narratives of power and control. Nashashibi is aiming for the zone where mythologies and archetypes collide with everyday life in order to harness the boundary friction that is produced there. In her films you could find out what the gaze of a policeman looks like when it meets that of a ballet dancer whilst a group of local residents look on.

Rosalind Nashashibi studied at Sheffield Hallam University and Glasgow School of Art. She won the Beck's Futures prize in 2003 and represented Scotland at Venice Biennale in 2007. She has exhibited widely and internationally, and is currently preparing for a commission from the Imperial War Museum on Gaza. This year she has also been a selector for Bloomberg New Contempories and has been nominated for the Northern Art Prize.  

Wed 24 Oct, 12.30 to 1.30pm in Lecture Room 3 (ADA, 3rd floor)

the presentations are by:

Bee Hughes on The Hunt for the Count's Moustache

and

Ruth White on ‘Fly-on-the-wall’: Social Class in the Art of Gillian Wearing

Bee Hughes: The Hunt for the Count's Moustache

Bram Stoker's novel Dracula (1897) has played a pivotal role in the creation of the dark glamour now associated with the vampire myth, which is reinforced by cinematic adaptation. The legacy of these adaptations can be seen in many illustrative representations, which draw heavily on the aesthetics of gothic cinema. However, this presentation proposes that these works are at odds with the original novel, utilising the motif of Count Dracula's moustache to highlight the issues of representation and misinterpretation within this niche of illustrative practice. The presentation will have three parts. The first offers an overview of cinematic adaptation, mapping the evolution of Stoker's creation from 1922 to 1992. The second will present a selection of the eight fully illustrated and unabridged editions of Dracula that have been published between 1985 and 2012. The illustrations will be discussed in relation to the original text, discussing the engagement of each illustrator with Stoker's work. Finally there will be a short presentation of the researcher's practice-led research, discussing the utilisation of the novel itself as the direct catalyst and inspiration for illustrative response, and the development of a combined research and illustrative practice.

Bee Hughes is an illustrator and researcher based at the Liverpool School of Art and Design, LJMU. In 2011 she graduated from the BA (Hons) Graphic Arts programme, and September 2012 saw her complete her MRes in Art and Design. She is currently taking a short break from her own studies in order to concentrate on her new role as Sessional Lecturer in Graphic Design and Illustration, and before commencing doctoral study in the new-year. Bee's research centres around the cross-pollination of ideas between word and picture, particularly within the illustration of fiction for adults. Her MRes thesis explores Bram Stoker's most famous work Dracula (1897), discussing its interpretation and (mis)representation in illustration and through the context of its visual culture and literary history. In 2012 Bee has presented research papers at the Bram Stoker Centenary Conference (University of Hull) and at the Salford Postgraduate Annual Research Conference (University of Salford). She will also present a paper discussing her practice-based research and curatorial activities at the Gothic Association of New Zealand and Australia's inaugural conference, to be held in Auckland in January 2013. She has written for the International Gothic Association blog, and in November 2012 will contribute to e-Gothicist, a new resource for gothic scholars and educators to be launched by Edge Hill University. Bee was a recipient of the Susan Cotton Travel Award 2012, and has recently returned to the UK from a three week research trip to Central and Eastern Europe.

Ruth White: ‘Fly-on-the-wall’: Social Class in the Art of Gillian Wearing

This presentation provides a unique sociological and philosophical reading of the art of Gillian Wearing. Utilizing Pierre Bourdieu’s theories of habitus and capital (1986, 1989), Diane Reay’s extension of Bourdieu, emotional capital (2004) and the fieldwork and insights of Simon J Charlesworth (2000), this presentation argues that the damaged psyches of Wearing’s subjects are a result of experiences that emanate from their positions within the English class system. Jay Prosser has described Wearing’s work as ‘ethical realism’ (2002) in part because of her reflexive ethnographic methodology that acknowledges the problematic nature of documentary photography and allows her subjects a voice. This presentation asks: Is this enough? Does not much of Wearing’s work reinforce perceptions of Britain’s underclass? Does the representation of the alcoholics in her work evoke sympathy and a deeper understanding of their plight or do they merely repel the predominantly ‘well educated’, ‘higher social classes’ that visit galleries?

Ruth White is an artist and researcher who has recently completed a Masters in Research in Art and Design at the Liverpool School of Art and Design, LJMU. Her thesis ‘Making Visible: Social Class in the Art of Gillian Wearing’ explores the history and decline of working class culture in relation to the art of Gillian Wearing. After completing her Fine Art degree, Ruth spent several years as a primary school teaching assistant before completing a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) at Liverpool John Moores University in 2009. Having enjoyed the theoretical component of the PGCE and wishing to return to her ambition of a career as an artist and tutor, she completed the Artist Teacher MA (ATMA) for which she gained a distinction in 2011. Ruth hopes to continue her studies at PhD level.

4 Oct 2011 - 4pm - 6pm, Studio 9 (first floor)

- Dominic Wilkinson on The International Seminar on Urban Form, Montréal, Canada 2011

Art and Design Research Centre Staff and Postgraduate Student Seminar Staff Research Presentation
(Theme: Urbanism, Class and Gender)
Dominic Wilkinson Will Speak about The International Seminar on Urban Form, Montréal, Canada 2011

18 Oct 2011 - 4pm - 6pm, Studio 9 (first floor)

- Anjalie Dalal-Clayton on Exhibiting Black British Artists 

                                           

1 Nov 2011 - 4pm - 6pm, Studio 9 (first floor)

Lose All Maps
Neil Morris will discuss his none linear strategy in establishing a series of international printmaking residencies in collaboration with Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool. During his presentation Neil will discuss how a passion for process, hard work, accident, faith in alumni, failing undergraduates in their second year and a selection of foreign friends and colleagues can some times pay off. There may also be magic tricks!!

Tales of the Unexpected: Studies into Formative Feedback in Architecture
Charlie will discuss his on-going research into the crit, which is the primary vehicle for delivering formative feedback in the Architecture programme.  This work has included a number of research projects that have evaluated the crit from the point of view of contemporary pedagogic theory, and also from the student perspective. The latter has proved to be insightful, critical and – on occasion – damning, and has itself shaped the trajectory of the evolving research project.

21 Feb 2012

The combination of elements in his work includes the materiality of making drawings in relation to a variety of spaces, situations and media.

You are all cordially invited to the ADRC Research Seminars. Other relevant, interested parties are also welcome - please do invite them.

ADRC Research Seminars are a valuable opportunity to hear presentations and engage in stimulating dialogue with leading art and design practitioners, conducive to the development of your research and enhancing the School research environment.

6 March 2012  - 4 -5.30 pm, Studio 9 (1st floor)

20 March 2012 - 4 -5.30 pm, Studio 9 (1st floor)

- Michael Parkinson Director of the LJMU European Institute for Urban Affairs  

Second Tier Cities in Europe: Why Invest Beyond the Capitals in an Age of Austerity?

Michael Parkinson will present his main findings on second tier cities in Europe; a project he is undertaking  for the European Commission with 5 European universities.  He will

• present a lot of quantitative evidence about the economic performance of 155 cities across 31 countries in Europe 
• tell some stories about successful second tier cities - Munich, Barcelona, Tampere, Cork, Turin, Lyon, Leeds, Katowice Timisoara. 
• make recommendations about the right policies for national and European governments to follow in future to get the most out of our cities. 

PROFESSOR MICHAEL PARKINSON CBE

Michael is Director of the European Institute for Urban Affairs at Liverpool John Moores University. This is a self financing research group which has undertaken work for governments and cities for over 20 years.

Michael has acted as adviser on urban affairs to the European Commission, OECD, EUROCITIES, the Department of Communities and Local Government, the National Audit Office, the House of Commons Select Committees, the Core Cities and a range of cities in the UK.  He has generated over £8m in research funds to assess the development of cities, urban policy and regeneration in the UK and Europe. He lectures extensively nationally and internationally. He is a regular contributor to the media. He was made Commander of the British Empire for services to urban regeneration in 2007.

Michael was recently  Specialist Adviser to the House of Commons  CLG Select Committee Inquiry into Regeneration. He is also leading for DG Regio of the European Commission the Espon project on ‘Secondary Cities in Europe: Performance, Policies and Prospects.’ He completed in 2010 a major study of the impact of the recession’ The Credit Crunch, Recession, Regeneration, and the North: What’s Happening, What’s Working, What’s Next?’ This updated his original report to government in 2009   ‘The Credit Crunch and Regeneration: Impact and Implications.’ He produced the ‘State of the English Cities’ Report in 2006 for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister - the authoritative analysis of cities in Britain.  He led CLG’s expert panel on Regeneration and Economic Development Analysis until 2010.  He was Director of the ESRC’s Programme on CITIES: Cohesion and Competitiveness, a major five-year research programme involving 25 Universities. 

He has published over 100 books, articles and reports. 

3 April 2012 - 4 -5.30 pm, Studio 9 (1st floor)

- Kevin Egerton Invitation to the Art & Design Research Group (ADRG) Seminars at Liverpool School of Art & Design. European Funding Officer at the LJMU Development Funding Office will give a presentation on How to apply for research funding and what makes a good application.

He will be exploring the changing landscape of funding, for example how AHRG funding priorities are changing, the need for collaborative research and the move away from the lone scholar doing research, and then provide an overview of how to identify funding routes, including an overview of possible funding schemes.

17 April 2012

1 May 2012

15 May 2012