4th December 2024
Join us to celebrate the final exhibition showcasing the work of MA Contemporary Crafts graduates from Hereford College of Arts.
‘From Deterioration to Acceptance: Material Metaphors in the Reframing of Progressive Adult-Onset Hearing Loss’ The aim of my project was to explore and evoke the personal feelings of loss associated with my adult-onset progressive hearing loss and demonstrate a reframing of these feelings in a more positive light. I have used fused glass and forged metal as material metaphors to conceptualize the subjective by means of the tangible and embodied, drawing on both Lakoff’s Theory of Metaphor and Frame Theory. The project is composed of two sections – Deterioration and Acceptance. Deterioration is demonstrated by a series of forged tuning forks of diminishing size (implying increasing frequency), housing fused glass of decreasing hue and clarity. I have taken Lakoff’s linguistic Frame Theory and applied it to a visual vocabulary using resonance patterns and the concept of ‘Sound as Vision’ to create a series of Acceptance Bowls. The process of self-reflection and transformative learning throughout this project has resulted in an invaluable reframing of thought and the crystallizing of new perspectives, not only of my deafness but in the wider sense of how I see the world.
See more of Ali's workAncient Threads in a Digital Wasteland Through my research project I explored and interrogated examples of ancient and historic folk embroidery to better understand their importance as a form of communication and language to influence my own contemporary narrative embroidery practice. Many embroideries in the historical record use patterns, images, iconography, and symbology that were intended to confer metaphysical protection on the people, places, and objects they dressed. Considering this stitched, communicative response to external stressors – be they magical, physical, environmental, or political – led to the design of a body of contemporary narrative embroidery that held the intention of sparking dialogue around the more socio-political threats faced in the modern world, and the tangible psychological benefits of engaging in a craft practice as an antidote – a way of creating our own protective magic, after all.
See more of Amanda's workSympoiesis I use my art practice to collaborate and create in sympoiesis with the natural world, producing outcomes that reflect my concerns about the changing climate. New Materialism has been the catalyst for this work, leading me to discover concepts that align with my worldview. By exploring principles of flat ontology, where matter has agency and everything is interconnected, I develop new approaches and working methods framed as research-assemblage ‘events’ to gather materials and source inspiration from my environment. This enriches and roots my work in both time and place. The resulting artwork, in the form of outcome-assemblages, is made of commonplace materials such as paper, thread, and natural matter. These materials create networks connected by stitches and are produced by working in collaboration with matter as a co-creator. The outcomes aim to engage audiences, evoke a sense of care and kinship toward nature and advocate for a harmonious, connected, and positive vision of the future.
Seem more of Emma's workStudent, Bex Wood, has created a large moss-covered sculpture of a dog emerging from the ground. Dogs have a long history of being known for their loyalty, protection, and companionship. As the hill forts were designed for protection, it is only appropriate to use an animal that is well known for being protective. Only the dog’s head and back appears above ground, giving it the appearance of being partially buried, as if, like the fort, the dog has been there for centuries and, over time, has become part of the landscape. The dog's mound-like form will also reflect the shape of the long barrow that has been identified between the Iron Age hill fort and the Neolithic site.
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