So, this week is Innovative Learning Week and University of Edinburgh, which has been great, I’ve been busy, and felt like I’ve been productive in the studio, so win all around. It’ sort of like reading week at other universities, in that there is no teaching, but there are a ton of interesting events going on to help students to think outside of their discipline, or try something new. I started this week with a seminar called “The Reverse is True: Drawing Towards Print,” which was very interesting, it focused on the relationship between the original drawings, the plate used to make a print and the final print itself, and explored issues of meaning, truth and authenticity with regard to those issues.
In the afternoon Juli and I went to a Japanese Tea Ceremony demonstration at the National Museum of Scotland. It was lovely, and I’ve never before seen or heard a Shamisen played, so that was interesting. It made me think about how objects relate to ritual and tradition, and how importance repitition and habit are in that as well. Also made me want to make things with gold leaf, which has been something I’ve been playing with the idea of for a while, I guess since I started playing with the reactive glass and silver, so that’s interesting. I really like the way the silver paint I found in Germany reacts around the outer edges, but remains looking like silver where it is thick after firing.
