changing fashions potteries museum in stoke

Jonathan Korejko©2008 Changing Fashions=Changing Ideas Potteries Museum &Art Gallery Stoke-on-Trent

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CHANGING FASHIONS = CHANGING IDEAS The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent is constantly looking for ways to make their collection more accessible, especially to children, so this project reflects their commitment to improving the museum’s role in the community. The idea is a simple one: give children the opportunity to view the displays in a chosen gallery, ask them to make notes and drawings about what they see, and then design their own pieces of work to echo that experience. In this project, I was commissioned to teach everyone how to make use of screenprinting techniques so that we could produce prints on paper and cloth which would relate directly to some of the objects in the “Changing Fashions” gallery , where most of the items are behind glass. It is an attempt to make what is untouchable (e.g. a precious piece of 18th century ceramics or a Georgian dress) tangible. The children learned how to interact with the exhibition, and then to create objects which would become part of the display outside of the glass. For example, one of the children made a screenprint on cloth based on a pattern seen in a 19th century Japanese woodcut. This material was then used to create a beautiful lampshade, thereby giving that child ownership of something in the museum's collection. No longer trapped in a picture frame, the item became personalized, and thus more relevant to the child and to all who view the work. Everyone involved in the project had the opportunity to work in the following way:

1) Find an object “behind glass” in the exhibition. 2) Make “information “ drawings about it. 3) Write down notes about what you see, and how you feel about it. 4) Imagine how you might make use of your discovery in the screenprint room. 5) Create a design/piece of work which could be displayed “in front of the glass” i.e. in

the gallery.

Jean Milton, the museum’s Collections Officer for Art, was the originator of the idea, and in charge of managing the whole project. Her philosophy is very innovative: give practicing artists (in this case, Jonathan Korejko, printmaker and papermaker) the chance to work with school children, and then find ways in which this combination can actually change the look of the gallery. Through this process, the collection becomes part of everyone’s experience and hence, makes the objects on display come alive (despite their age) and, gives the public better awareness of the exhibition (“Look, mum, that’s my cushion cover”).

This is ground breaking stuff, and hopefully will inspire museums and galleries in other parts of the UK to follow her lead.

The gallery is now full of the children's design plans and products, thereby finishing the process of the interaction between the Gallery's traditional displays, the children, and their adult helpers.

This programme has not only introduced children, teachers and museum staff to the process of screenprinting, but it has also moved into new territory; one in which the display space in the museum has been altered to reflect the experience. The children used their growing intellect and curiosity to identify ceramics, carvings, glass and delicate costumes inside the protective glass cases which they felt were relevant. They proceeded to “lift” imagery out of the cabinets and into the workroom, and then to make stencils about what they had observed, create prints on cloth with their new skills, and finally to exhibit their finished pieces in the gallery.


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Children were invited into the Changing Fashions Gallery to look at the displays and to make drawings about the different items in the exhibition. It was explained to them that they should consider two crucial things as they made their observations:

1) How they might use their drawings and ideas as a basis for their screenprints.

2) How their proposed print could be used to enhance the museum's exhibition by creating new 2 or 3 dimensional artwork which would link directly to something displayed in the glass cases.

All of the adult helpers assisted in this process, and the children responded with a multitude of ideas! Final design proposals were made, and new screenprint stencils were cut (under supervision), using scalpel knives, in preparation for the next stage: to print on cloth and ceramic tiles.

Working in the Changing Fashions

Gallery


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The final day of our work together was intense, creative, and great fun. The adults got

just as involved as the children, assisting those who needed

help with complicated tasks like colour registration and pattern making. Everyone learned the importance of teamwork whilst printing on paper, ceramic tiles,

and cloth. The spacious workroom in the museum made a big difference to the success

of the programme.


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For three days after the workshops, museum

staff then proceeded to complete the objects

designed by the children. This included ironing the printing inks

to heat seal them, hemming, pleating,

making cushions, wall hangings, seats , a lamp, as well as

glazing ceramic tiles with acrylic sealant.


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The gallery space has been transformed! Lively and evocative

prints create a dialogue with the many objects behind the glass.

Hopefully, the children's' artwork will encourage visitors to the

museum to have a closer look at the items on display. At the same

time, the actual glass of the display cases has added an unexpected

dimension to the project : there are many reflections of the screenprints echoing around the room in ways

which none of us could have predicted. The glass, that hard, glossy see through barrier has

actually helped us to achieve the very thing we set out to do: to

change ideas about how a gallery can be used.


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The Changing Fashions gallery has been rejuvenated, by changing ideas about how the museum's collection can be displayed on both sides of the glass. This

creative approach to exhibition management has proven to be a worthwhile activity for all of the children and adults involved in this exciting and innovative

programme.

The children came from Longton High School, Stoke -on-Trent

12 Children participated, year 7, aged 11-12

We worked with the children over a three day period in February, 2008

The team of adults involved in the project was:

Jean Milton, Collections Officer for Art, Potteries Museum and Art Gallery

Denise Lambert, Learning and Outreach Officer

Alison Tinning, Curriculum Development Officer- Arts

Karen Downie : Art Teacher, Longton High School

Bryony : an enhusiastic volunteer who helped us

This report has been written by:

Jonathan Korejko, Printmaker and Papermaker

© 2008 . Photographs by J, Korejko and J. Milton

Jonathan Korejko,12 Church Lane, Timberland, Lincoln LN4 3SB T:01526 378222 E:[email protected] W: www.timberlandand.co.uk

http://www.timberlandand.co.uk/

changing fashions potteries museum in stoke

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