Friday 25 April 2014

Artists inspired by Belle Vue


Jenny Walker, a lecturer from the Three Dimensional Design programme at Manchester School of Art, has sent us links to three blogs written by her students who spent time with the Belle Vue Gardens archive earlier this spring. Part of their remit for this Belle Vue project includes keeping a blog where they can explain how they are reacting to what they learned here at the Library, at Manchester Museum, at the Histories Festival and in guest lectures at the School, including one given by Librarian Michael Powell. Blogging becomes a way for them to document the steps that lead to a finished project and to articulate the ideas and influences that get them working. It is fascinating to get a glimpse into how the design process moves from inspiration to creation, but there is an added fillip for us: these blogs provide a rare opportunity for us to see how our material and our teaching influences creative work. Who says libraries don't matter?
The students are working in small groups, so each blog is the work of several students. Pictured are some of the preliminary ideas from two of the students, Josh Till (above) and Joanna Piech (below).
  You can find out more by following the links to their blogs:



We look forward to seeing their ideas develop in the next few weeks weeks, and even more to seeing the finished work at their May Show.