Circles

Olive Pearson and Naomi Mcintosh – Aural Textiles Collaboration

Knitting and Jewellery – The Sound of Making

Meeting 1 – 30th May 2019 – Dunkeld

Our first meeting was on the 30th May 2019 in beautiful Dunkeld. This is a lucky halfway meeting point for us between the Cairngorms and Glasgow. As we were not able to see each other’s studios we discussed making from our perspectives and wondered how the sound of making could symbolise our practices; knitting and jewellery.

In conversation we have discussed our approach and identified how we approach making in a repetitious and methodical way. By exploring sound in our practices we want to further explore our similarities and differences in our approach to making.

Looking at methods of making in both our disciplines we will start this process of collaboration by investigating what sounds are synonymous with both our practices.

Our starting point will be identifying specific making sounds from our individual studios that represent our process and making practices to investigate the different ways in which sound can be transformed into three dimensional forms. We are looking to translate the invisible and create tangible symbols of our similarities and differences.

Key to both our practices is the relationship between the body and objects. Making is a process of meticulous attention between materials and the maker. The sound of the making and materials is therefore an intrinsic representation of our practices. Through this collaboration we will use these sounds of making to inform collaborative design and making through a variety of materials and processes.

Our starting point will be three making sounds from both our studios.

Jewellery – the sound of making.

My making Approach – Component for a neckpiece.

The starting point is the sounds made is the creation of a circle. A circle has been chosen as to explore the changing sound and changing perception of sound in space. The circle has meaning in both our practices and we both identify the importance of circles within our work: in my practice this is evidenced in the growth rings of the wood that I primarily works with as well as being visible in the objects that she makes; rings bangles, neckpieces, lighting and wall pieces are circular and all continuous, and unbroken lines. In Olive’s work a scarf and shawl can be made into circles and circular economies is something she mentions.

Three sound recordings I have sent Olive.

1. Drawing

2. Laser cutting

3. Sanding

At this point we are both interested in the sound waves and the transformation of 2D date into a 3D object but I am cautious about being too literal with the forms becoming three dimensional objects. I am interested in the one pointed focus of listening and was fascinated by unfamiliar sounds of Olive studio. How my brain made connections to things that I had heard before. For example her knitting machine sounded like birdsong.

Through drawings and model making ideas are being developed - I am working on sounds from Olives studio and she from mine and we will meet again in a few weeks and share our visual language and interpretations.

Next time in Edinburgh.