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Paper for an audio-visual presentation at the 4th annual seminar for academic
education - 'Teaching, learning and research for the creative professions'.
27-29 November 2001. Rajabhat Institute Suan Sunuanha, Bangkok.
Dr Kevin Petrie
The Institute for International Research in Glass (IIRG),
School of Arts, Design, and Media,
University of Sunderland,
National Glass Centre,
Liberty Way,
Sunderland,
SR6 OGL.
UK.
kevin.petrie@sunderland.ac.uk
Abstract
This paper will introduce aspects of current research in the field of glass
and ceramics. It is illustrated with practical examples of possible frameworks
that may be applied to other fields in art and design. It offers some core definitions
of research for our field from key UK commentators on the subject. I outline
my own PhD research into printing for ceramics, at the Centre for Fine Print
Research, University of the West of England, under Professor Paul van der Lem.
This provides a practical example of how research training can introduce an
artist into new career opportunities. In my case at the Glass, Architectural
Glass, and Ceramics department at the University of Sunderland.
I emphasise the importance of the effective dissemination of research in order for it to be of value to the wider community. Our research group, The Institute for International Research in Glass (IIRG), uses traditional exhibitions, seminars, articles, and a website, which I have developed in order to disseminate its activities. The paper concludes with a discussion of the development of our new and very substantial virtual glass research and education resource, 'The Gateway to Glass'.
1. What is research in Art and Design?
Before introducing my own doctoral research, it may be useful to define what
I mean by research. This is important because in the UK there still appears
to be some confusion as to what constitutes research in Art and Design. The
focus on research in the UK is very much influenced by the five yearly Research
Assessment Exercise or RAE. This is the audit of the quality of university research
and is used to determine the distribution of government funding. In the RAE,
an original contribution as the result of artistic practice is counted as a
research output. This has led to the belief by some that all artistic practice
constitutes research. However, others would like to draw a distinction between
the purpose of the related activities of the professional artist and the professional
artist researcher in order to identify specific qualities, which underpin or
distinguish research.
1.2 Essential elements of research as outlined by key commentators in the field
At this point, it will be useful to outline some definitions, made by key commentators
in Art and Design, that have been useful for me when undertaking and developing
research projects. It should also be made clear at this point, when discussing
research in Art and Design, that I mean practice-based research. Rather than
that which relates to Art or Design history. This area already has many precedents
and is less contentious than research involving an element of artist's practice.
At the 'Research into Practice' conference at the University of Hertfordshire in July 2000 Dr Anne Douglas, Senior Research Fellow at Gray's School of Art, in Aberdeen articulated several factors that she felt to be important in practice based research (Douglas, 2000):
1. Research questions or issues are articulated at the outset.
2. Practice is a critical part of the methodology
3. Research is intentional not assumed
4. A methodology is identified with an analysis of the research
5. The research is published as an augment which text and visually based.
Dr Douglas suggests that this approach differs from practice where the research is fused with creative development in a rarely explained or published personal activity. At the same conference David During emphasised this distinction between practice and research with the following points:
1. Research seeks primarily to extract reliable knowledge and articulates it in ways that others can re-use.
2. It asks questions, selects appropriate methods, tests the questions, and analyses and disseminates the results unambiguously (Durling, 2000).
Durling makes the point that artistic practice does not necessarily have these goals. Practice can be part of research but is not inevitably research. The artist/researcher can pursue research that is rooted in their practice but unlike the sole practitioner the researcher must define their research problem, issue, or area within a context. They must unambiguously articulate and justify their methods or approaches, and they must communicate the significance of what they have done.
When discussing research in our field it is useful to look at the generic requirements of the PhD. As the PhD is a training in research these requirements, in my view, remain valid for all postdoctoral research. Professor Paul van der Lem, Director of Studies for my PhD, neatly sums up the standard elements of the PhD and so provides a useful framework for the researcher (van der Lem, 1996). Paul suggests that all PhD's will contain the following:
1. A description of the field of Study.
2. The identification of a relevant question or problem within this field.
3. The Solving or illumination of the problem in a convincing manner.
4. An account of the process which is helpful to others.
Paul also states that the researcher should aim to convince the sector that
the whole range of activities within the research process is relevant beyond
personal involvement or gain.
I think that this last point is very useful, as it should encourage the pursuit
of value and open communication in research. If we subscribe to this model the
need for effective means of communication and dissemination become apparent.
2. An example of a practice based PhD . Water-based ceramic transfer printing
- The development and creative use of a new on-glaze screenprinting system.
After these definitions for practice based research in the creative professions
I would like to illustrate how this works with a few examples. First I will
use my own practice-based PhD and relate it to the criteria I have already outlined
above. I will then give an overview of the activities of the Glass and Ceramics
department at the University of Sunderland. Many of which directly use the same
model.
2.1 My field of study
Today the vast majority of industrially produced ceramics are decorated with
transfer prints. For example 'Old country roses' by Royal Albert, the best selling
tableware in the world. The UK accounts for approximately 14% of global production
of ceramic transfers with a total annual value estimated at around ?31 million.
Currently transfers are produced by printing enamels mixed with a solvent-based
medium onto a specially prepared gum coated paper. The printing is achieved
by lithography or screenprinting. Screenprinting being the most common was the
focus of my research. After printing, the image is over printed with a solvent-based
film called covercoat. Once dry the transfer is soaked in water. This dissolves
the gum layer and releases the image and supporting covercoat. This thin transfer,
or decal as it is sometimes known, is then applied to the surface of the ceramic
ware. During a firing, in a kiln, of around 800 degrees C the covercoat and
medium burn away cleanly. Leaving the enamel image bonded permanently to the
glaze.
Although primarily used for industrial decoration, transfer prints have also
been used as a means of individual creative expression by artists in limited
editions. In the mid 1990's the influential, 'Hot off the Press - Ceramics and
Print' exhibition, was the first to survey the work of an international group
of artists working with ceramics and print. In this exhibition 69 out of 150
pieces were produced using screenprinted transfers. 'Hot off the Press' was
shown in nine venues throughout the UK and visited by over 50, 000 people.
2.2 The identification of a relevant question or problem within this field
At the time of my research, the disadvantage of the current transfer printing
process was that it required the use of noxious solvents in the form of printing
mediums, covercoats and cleaning agents. Environmental and Health and Safely
legislation, concerning the levels of solvents used had led the industry to
seek different systems. In the absence of alternatives and in order for the
industry to comply with the ever-tightening legislation, it was felt that very
expensive solvent abatement technology would have to be installed. This would
have cost in the region of ?2 Million per factory and in a competitive market
was not seen as a viable option.
The legislation and the health implications of the process had also made transfer printing less viable as a technique for the small-scale artist/craft user. In the education sector, health and safety restrictions ensured that all solvent-based printing could rarely be taught and was often dropped from the curriculum. For printing onto paper and board the result of this has been to convert to water-based systems. The Centre for Fine Print Research, University of the West of England was a pioneer in this conversion to waterbased inks. However, at the time no such alternative existed for ceramic transfer printing. Therefore, when there was great interest in the process, exemplified by the 'Hot off the Press' exhibition, ceramic transfer printing could not be used with out substantial investment in extraction facilities.
2.2.1 Aims of my PhD research project
In the light of these problems my PhD project became an attempt to solve some
of these difficulties and developed the following research aims:
4. To develop a new water-based screenprinting system, to produce on-glaze
Ceramic transfers, which will alleviate many of the problems associated with
solvent-based ceramic transfer printing.
5. To produce a body of transfer printed ceramic artwork, using the new system, which enables the demonstration and assessment of the possible creative potential of reduced solvent transfer printing both for the individual artist and industry.
2.3 Solving or illuminating the problem in a convincing manner.
My PhD addressed these problems and aims through the development, testing and
patenting of a new water-based screenprinting system using my creative output
as a possible model of practice for other artists to follow (Anderton, Hogdson,
et al, 1998). This was achieved through a practice led methodology approached
from the perspective of an individual ceramist/printmaker. Initial simple standardised
images were used as tests, applied and fired onto tiles, and established the
creative production potential for water-based transfer printing. This work explored
a variety of variables relating to water-based printing for paper and board.
These included a full range of tones, shapes, and colours in different types
of medium, order of print/covercoat layering, types of enamel, and firing regime.
After many practical tests possible potential routes were identified which involved
the use of a water-based printing medium and a pre-covercoated transfer paper.
However, at the first stage the potential new process had only been tested on standard white tiles. It had not been used to produce complex artworks. Therefore, it became important to produce a substantial body of artwork in order to test the process fully in terms of the range of aesthetic possibilities, its practical usability, and its potential to decorate two and three-dimensional objects. Several ranges of artwork were produced which explored different aspects and potential uses of the process.
After that a series of collaborative industrial trails indicated that the research also had industrial application potential. Several trails for this were completed in collaboration with industrial producers including Wedgwood in the UK and Commercial Decal Inc in the USA. These trails aimed to ascertain the effectiveness of the system for a variety of specific industrial needs. For example fine half tone work, solid flat colours, and high-speed printing.
2.4 Producing an account of the process that is helpful to others
The research was presented for review as a body of practical test pieces, a
body of transfer printed ceramic artworks, and a written thesis. Text was important
in order to render the full range of activities involved in the research accessible
to others. The thesis contained details of all the practical methods used, a
contextualisation of the research, and images of all the practical work. However,
it was crucial to also present the actual pieces produced, as the photographic
imagery did not fully exhibit the subtle visual and tactile qualities apparent
in the actual objects.
2.5 Convincing the sector that the whole range of activities within the research
process is relevant beyond personal involvement or gain.
Having produced a range of tests on tiles, a body of artwork, and a series of
industrial trails I and my supervisors was convinced that the new process was
comparable to the previous solvent based method. However, it was important at
this stage to create an augment that clearly articulated to others the significance
of the research. I did this by reflecting on the field of study prior to my
research and then comparing the new system to this baseline of knowledge. In
practical terms, this meant using the available literature combined with the
direct study of examples of printed ceramics in museums, such as the Wedgwood
Museum in Staffordshire in the UK, to create an overview of methods of ceramic
transfer printing and their resultant aesthetic characteristics over period
of 200 years. This enabled me to argue that screenprinting now offers the greatest
diversity of aesthetic effect for the easiest and most economic means. For example
screenprinting can be used to produce flat expanses of colour as well as fine
halftone imagery. This diversity is not possible with other ceramic print methods
such as engraving or lithography.
By establishing that screen printing offers the greater flexibility and greatest ease for the ceramic printer I was then able to compare, with reference to practical work that I had produced, the usability and aesthetic potential of the new waterbased system to that of the solvent-based method. This indicated that the new printing system could achieve all the types of aesthetic effect possible with the previous print methods at a similar level of quality. Also, significantly, it could do all this faster and easier in practical terms.
2.6 Areas for further research
Although the new system was shown to be cable of producing transfers of comparable
quality to the solvent system it also identified areas for further research.
The prime areas of difficulty with the new system were the lack of flexibility
of the covercoat and the inconsistent reds that could be achieved. Although
these problems could be avoided by the artist they are likely to be an issue
in some industrial contexts where specific designs have to be produced and certain
complex forms decorated. The Centre for Fine Print Research, in Bristol, has
continued to liase with industry and explore solutions to these issues. This
has started to yield useful results particularly the development of a more flexible
covercoat.
Other significant areas for further investigation were the possibility to print onto other substrates such as glass and enamels. After completing my PhD I worked at UWE on a short project to assess the potential to use the process to print on to glass. Although some advances were made this area it still needs further exploration in order to develop the same success as achieved on ceramics.
2.7 Dissemination and development
In the area of enamel on metal the University of the West of England has appointed
a Research Fellow, Elisabeth Turrel, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research
Board to explore the creative potential of print on enamel. Her work since then
has generated two international symposia on Enamel and Print. At the first,
in 2000 I was invited to lead a workshop to teach artists from the UK, USA,
Israel, South Africa, and India the principles of transfer printing. As many
of the artists working in enamels on metal are jewellers, this symposium represented
an opportunity to widen the dissemination of the new process. This has been
further expanded through the exhibition 'Contemporary Print in Enamel', organised
by Elizabeth Turrel, which has been shown in the USA and UK (Turrell, 2001).
Regarding the dissemination of the new water-based system to the ceramic world, The Centre for Fine Print Research, in Bristol has launched the new process on the market. They regularly run seminars to teach the process to lecturers and technical staff from universities in the UK and Europe. They have also organised an international exhibition, 'Get Mugged', featuring a 100 mugs designed by artists and printed with the new process shown at the Manhattan Graphics Centre, New York. This project was very useful because it clearly demonstrates that a vast variety of aesthetic expression can be achieved. My colleagues and I have also produced a number of articles relating to the new process for different sectors including ceramics (Petrie, 1997), (Petrie, 1998), (Anderton et al, 1998), (Petrie, 2001), and print (Petrie, 1999).
I currently work at the University of Sunderland teaching Ceramic and Glass and also developing projects to explore water-based transfer printing for glass. We are in the early stages of investigating the potential to enclose print with the glass form. This involves exploration of a variety of print methods and creative visualisation techniques. Although I no longer work at University of the West of England I continue to share ideas with my colleagues there and we are exploring ways of developing collaborative areas of research between our institutions.
So far I have indicated how my own practice based PhD project has based me
in a research and teaching career in the creative professions. I will now describe
a few of activities of a rapidly developing research centre primarily in the
field of Glass but also allied to ceramics.
3. Glass and Ceramics at the University of Sunderland
The Glass, Architectural Glass and Ceramics department of Sunderland University
is based in the National Glass Centre on the banks of the river Wear. We are
situated very close St Peter's church which is famously recorded, in the 7th
century AD by the monk know as the venerable Bede, as having the worlds earliest
examples of stained glass. The area has more recently been an important focus
for the Glass industry with the famous Pyrex factory situated nearby. In the
nineteenth century the now very collectable printed Sunderland ceramic ware
was produced in the region. These pieces, usually jugs and plagues, often feature
the Sunderland Wear Bridge of 1798. At the time, the largest single span iron
bridge in the world. Incidentally, the current Wear Bridge built in the 1920's
on the site of the original was modelled on the Sidney Harbour Bridge in Australia.
In recognition of the regions importance in glass making, the National Glass Centre was opened in 1996 and houses artists studios, exhibitions and demonstrations relating to glass. Sunderland University's Glass and Ceramics department moved into brand new studios at the Glass centre in the autumn of 2000. We believe that our new facilities represent the largest department if it's kind in the UK and the best equipped for glass in Europe.
We currently teach undergraduates on our BA(Hons) Glass, Architectural Glass, and Ceramics programme, Post graduate students on our MA Glass programme and Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy students in both Ceramics and Glass. Sunderland University was one of the pioneers in practice based research degrees in Art and Design in the UK, having its first successful PhD completion in 1991 and 6 more since then. Incidentally, the first PhD at Sunderland was Dr Ann Douglas, who I quoted above (Douglas, 1992).
3.1 Institute for International Research in Glass (IIRG)
As well as teaching we have developed a number of research projects, especially
in glass. All research conducted by the department comes under the umbrella
of the Universities Institute for International Research in Glass (IIRG). The
director is Professor Sylva Petrova an eminent glass historian formally of the
Prague Museum of decorative arts in the Czech republic.
IIRG was set up in 1998 in order to develop new knowledge relevant to contemporary glass practice. We also aim to explore diverse methods of disseminating that knowledge though the Internet, Exhibitions, Residencies, Master Classes, Workshops, and Publications. This provides an interface between high level practice in glass and other artists, students and the public.
As part of our commitment to disseminate our activities I have developed over the last year, with my colleague Andrew Richardson, Lecturer in Design, a new website that covers the range of our activities.
3.2 Tour of IIRG Website
I would like now to give you a brief tour of the contents of the site in order
to provide an overview of the range of activities we are currently engaged in.
The site is divided into pages that represent the range of activity that we
pursue:
Home
Projects
Exhibitions
Publications
Conferences
Events
Glass tour
Staff
Post Grad
Degree show
Links
3.2.1 Projects
On the projects page we detail the range of practice based research that we
are currently undertaking. In this work we are exploring, through practice,
new ways of working in Glass. These are funded from both the University and
external funding bodies such as the UK's Arts and Humanities Research Board
(AHRB) and Higher Education Funding Council (HEFC). Many of these projects have
also forged links with industry.
3.2.1.1 Innovation in Architectural Glass
This project co-ordinated by Dr Laura Johnston, Post Doctoral research fellow,
is exploring innovative architectural glass applications. In particular Dr Johnson
is developing new public art projects using specialist coated glass such as
dichroic. This is a glass which changes colour when viewed from different directions.
This research stemmed from Laura's PhD undertaken at Sunderland which was the
first practice based PhD in Architectural Glass in the UK. Laura's PhD research
enabled her to create the spectacular 'Shoal' hanging sculpture for the National
Glass Centre using dichroic glass.
3.2.1.2 Paper Glass - The development and creative use of a new glass fabrication
process.
This project developed by Christina Kirk, Head of Glass at Sunderland, and myself
is a pilot study to develop the technique of Pate de Verre into a new method
of forming Glass. Pate de Verre is a kiln forming process using finely crushed
glass granules mixed into a paste. Traditionally the method required layering
the glass paste into a mould. Recently the paste has been applied onto ceramic
fibre paper allowing greater flexibility. During firing the particles of glass
in the mould fuse to create a rigid structure.
Glass artefacts have been made from the third century BC in Egypt using this
process. Since then there was virtually no documentation of the process until
it emerged again in France around 1890 and was exploited by artists such as
Henri Cros and Gabriel Argy Rousseau. After this period the process again became
obscure only to re emerge in the last fifty years as a significant artistic
method.
The concept for 'Paper Glass' developed through discussion between Christina
Kirk and myself. We both had experience of papermaking and I had seen the on
going research in to Paper clay at the University of the West of England. Christina
is a Glass artist with many years of experience of working with Pate de Verre.
This combined knowledge led us to believe that the practical process of papermaking
and the principle of pate de Verre could be combined to develop new ways of
working with glass.
For the project we gained funding from the Arts and Humanities Research board and Christina spent part of the summer at Bullseye Glass in Portland, Oregon in the USA. Bulleye glass produces a range of compatible glass powders and sheets that can be mixed and fused together. Initial experiments, combining these powders with paper pulps and fibres have shown that small-scale sheets of paper like glass can be formed and assembled to produce simple forms and collages. In the future the intention is to develop this project into large-scale works. In order to do this Christina plans to seek more funding from the AHRB in order for a research assistant and PhD student to work with her. We also believe that this process has the potential to be combined with some of the print process for glass that I am currently working on. Again we envisage that this will lead to future funding applications.
3.2.1.3 Large scale kiln forming in glass
As mentioned above we plan to explore the possibility of producing paper glass
pieces on a large scale. This will be facilitated by a new kiln that we are
currently installing. This will be the largest kiln for glass in Western Europe.
It was paid for with ?200, 000 secured from the Higher Education Funding Council.
The Kiln is housed in it own room with associated equipment including diamond
flat bed grinders, hand held polishing tools, and a cement mixer for preparing
the large quantities plaster mould material that will be required. The kiln
itself has internal dimensions of 2.5m by 1m and will allow for a monumental
scale in glass terms. Research Professor Zora Palova, a pioneer of large-scale
sculptural glass making will oversee the use of the kiln and is in the process
of developing other research projects around its use.
3.2.2 Exhibitions
One of the most important recent exhibitions curated by IIRG is 'Innovation
and Diversity - 75 years of Swedish Glass' art curated by Jack Dawson, Head
of Glass and Ceramics at Sunderland. Swedish Glass art enjoyed immense critical
acclaim, status and popularity throughout the twentieth century. The exhibition
traces the development of Swedish Glass and its importance to industry from
the 1930s to the present. It includes the work of one of our visiting Professors,
Bertil Vallien, who works as a sculptor in Glass and also designer for the famous
Kosta Boda factory. Vallien is an imporatnt role model who shows the potential
imporatnce that artists can bring to industry. His drinking glass design produced
by the factory has become the best selling drinking glass in the world.
The Exhibitions page also contains details of exhibitions and commissions undertaken by members of our department. Recent projects include 'Steady Eddy' a decorative glass screen designed by visiting lecturer, Cate Watkinson, for Newcastle International airport. A glass-seating project also by Cate Watkinson produced for Newcastle city centre. 'Head Space' my first solo exhibition of Glass held at Studio Fusion Gallery in the Oxo Tower in London and New Work in Glass, again a first solo show, by lecturer in Hot Glass, Kirsteen Aubrey.
3.2.3 Publications
The publications page details books and articles produced by IIRG and its staff.
These very much reflect the international perspective that we aim to achieve
within our field. Jack Dawson has produced two books to accompany his exhibitions
on Finish (Dawson, 1996) and Swedish Glass (Dawson, 2000) art and Sylva Petrova
will shortly publish her extensive survey of Czech Glass. This features extensive
new materials on seminal figures such as Libensky and Brychtova.
3.2.4 Conferences
The conference page lists the range of conference presentations, such as this
one, undertaken by our staff. Again these reflect our international approach
and includes papers given by Sylva Petrova at the Biannual Ausglass conference
in Canberra Australia.
3.2.5 Events
The events page lists the range of seminars, master classes, and lectures hosted
by IIRG. This year we will receive visitors from USA, Germany, Spain, Czech
Republic, Belgium, Finland, France, and Australia. I should say here that we
have had no visitors from Thailand or the Far East as yet. So if you have colleagues
or contacts in your institutions that are involved in Glass please let me know,
as we would very much like to meet and work with people from this part of the
world.
Our programme of events for this year includes an international symposium on the 'Roots of Modern Glass', A week of Australian Glass, an International symposium on Glass in Architectural and a symposium on Italian Hot glass techniques.
3.2.6 Glass tour, Staff, Links and Degree show
The Glass tour page provides a visual tour of our impressive new open plan studios.
The staffs page list all staff in our department and includes contact details.
The links page gives list useful sites for glass artists. The degree show page
features a selection of graduate work.
3.2.7 Post Grad
This page is devoted our MA and PhD students. We have started a new MA in Glass
this year with two students. We are expecting six students next year and envisage
a full complement of 12 students for the following year. We also currently have
three PhD research students working in Glass and Ceramics. Again we are expecting
new research students to join us next year. Our current research students are
working on the following projects.
3.2.7.1 Delia Whitbread MA (RCA). Reconfiguring the Rose - Translating a visionary
medium of the second millennium into the visionary medium of the third.
This is web-based project, which exploits both traditional artistic principles
and new technologies. It will involve the designing of a rose window collaboratively
over the Internet with participation from women artists around the world. This
will involve a reflection on a range of strategies for managing a complex collaboration
over the Internet, the creation of a body of information as a didactic resource
and a new artwork using medieval stained glass design principles in a modern
context. Delia plans a full-scale projection of the design at the National Glass
Centre in 2003.
3.2.7.2 Vanessa Culture MA. Exploring the creative use of water jet cutting
for architectural glass.
The intention of this research is to extend the vocabulary of production methods
available to the glass artist. Currently large scale cutting of glass is only
capable of producing straight lines for very simple shapes. Waterjet cutting,
involving a high-pressure jet of water and abrasive materials is primarily used
to cut heavy substrates such as metal. Vanessa Cutler an architectural glass
artist has shown that the process can be developed to cut highly intricate shapes
in glass. Her research is exploring through a range of projects the possible
creative potential of the process with the aim of narrowing the divide between
art and industrial processes.
3.2.7.3 Carol Metcalfe. New Ash Glazes from arable crop waste: Exploring the
use of straw from the Pisum Sativum (the Combining Pea) and of Vicia faba (the
field bean).
The addition of ash to ceramic glazes creates a range of distinctive surface
effects that have a 3500-year history. There is still considerable interest
today amongst potters who aim to pursue more traditional approaches to their
craft. However, the contemporary maker faces the difficulty of finding a sustainable
and consistent source of ash whilst avoiding the need to fell and burn trees.
Although, the use of other plant materials have been explored Carol has identified
two crops which are widely grown in the EU and are also readily available to
her on her farm that may offer a viable, substantial, and consistent source
for glaze ash. Carol is currently developing a new pallet of ash glazes using
these sustainable ingredients.
3.3 International on line Glass resource - 'The Gateway to Glass'
Although we believe that the website we have developed is useful in promoting
and disseminating our activities, its current weakness is that at present it
only provides an overview of each activity. Although further detailed information
can be obtained by contacting the relevant researcher, we now hope to provide
more detailed and accessible information through a new on line glass research
resource. This will contain not only detailed papers relating to our activities
but also those from the international glass community.
The project has received ?95, 000 from the New Opportunities Fund that receives monies from the UK lottery. Peter Davies, Senior Research Fellow at Sunderland and myself, will lead and develop the resource. We also have web designer working with us on the site. We plan for the site to become the major research resource for glass. It will contain pages relating to Glass art in different countries. This is already underway with the research we have undertaken relating to Czech, Finnish, and Swedish glass as I described above. But we also want expand this to cover the history and contemporary developments of glass worldwide. Again, as I said above, we are very keen to hear from glass artists in this part of the world in order to develop a full picture of glass art worldwide.
In relation to UK glass art we will have an artist registry featuring images of works and biographical information on the countries key makers. We also plan sections on technical aspects of glass making which will be of educational value, specialist sections on public art, and links to other useful sites.
Once online we hope that this will become one of the most assessable routes
to disseminate and gain information on our sector of art and design. I hope
to bring you more news of its developments at a future event.
Summary and concluding remarks
To summarise, I would now like to emphasis a few points relating to research,
that in my short experience as a researcher seem to me to be important.
1. Research is different from practice in Art and Design. In research the onus is on the researcher to communicate their research Aims, Methods, and Outcomes. The practitioner is not obliged to do this.
2. Communication is a vital ingredient to research. Research cannot count as research unless you communicate it so that other people can use it, test it and develop it.
3. Research is often most successful when it is a collaborative activity. This allows for a synergy of ideas and approaches. I have worked on four successful applications for research funding, totalling ?265, 000. In all cases the concepts for the research evolved from talking and working with other people.
4. The Internet offers a very useful route to disseminate and promote research activities. However for it be genuinely effective websites must by cared for and updated on a regular basis. At present very few institutions seem to have the infrastructure to do this effectively.
Finally, for me, the kinds of research that I have discussed represent the potential to develop new techniques and methods for creating artworks and useful products beneficial to society as a whole, as well our own field. As an activity, research also offers those of us engaged in it the opportunity to broaden our horizons and possibly lead more interesting lives.
That concludes my paper and very I much hope that aspects of my presentation may have been relevant for some of areas that you are engaged in. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Rajabat Institute Suan Sunuandha for inviting me here and also all those involved in the organising of this seminar.
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