the research process
the images below represent a shorthand version of a research process - in this case for Rochester Cathedral. When developing objects we work with groups to develop both specific research themes and key words within the themes. We input these key words into mind-mapping software so that they can co-exist and so that they can be moved around. The main reason for doing this is so that a thinking space can open up between the words - moving the words brings them into new adjacent words - often this can be enough to ignite a new idea. The words are tropic, in that the combination of them pins down some kind of essence of a subject, but the essence is not static - it moves vectorially between the terms depending on shifting perspectives of the thought applied to them. It was never an intentional strategy but the colouring of the space between the tropes is a demarcation of a tropographic space. The slow process of painting enables enough time to think about the terms and relationships on the map.
To ensure that we stay within the parameters of a given theme we gradually begin to three-dimensionalise the tropographic relationship. We turn the word-based tropes into visual tropes trying to find some kind of loose equivalence between language and visual language. It is difficult to tease out all the strands of thought that begin to weave together - site visits, academic texts, photographic documentation, conversations, art history - but they get 'drawn' together in the process. In Rochester the materiality of the building - the blocks of stone - is 'foundational' to the thinking of the context. We used this as a starting point that resonated with process of developing or constructing ideas. There were several co-incidences that began to entangle - the mind-mapped words looking like bricks, the discovery of a Victorian building-block toy and corresponding instruction manual, an illustrated Victorian copy of "Pilgrim's Progress', Rochester's Pilgrim's Steps, the symbolism of pearls, Benedictine ritual (prayers and bells), and an interest in both Euclidean geometry and the medieval marks of stone masons. The process of drawing heaps attention on the visual tropes, mistakes and failures interrupt representation, and things are set in flux. This is one way that objects find new possibilities - they gradually become more unfamiliar through purposeful play. This graphic play is accompanied by material play, objects are handled, felt, observed - they are empirically investigated with the intention of finding new possibilities. In the example below we took the term 'scallop shell' (which is a significant symbol for pilgrimage) and bought the corresponding object. In the ensuing empirical enquiry the object (we had more than one) was cast, drawn on, added to, and one or two were broken. Co-existing with a number of other objects bought for the same purpose the scallop shell was combined and re-combined. Thinking about the Benedictine bells that governed the rhythm of their days we had also bought a number of bells and horns. The scallop shells finally found form with a chromed bicycle horn - the last two images in the gallery below show the final object. The object is made from a modified cast of the inside of the shell, the horn was chopped up and the reed and chrome tube were set inside the cast. The finished object is haptic in that the 'bulb' can be squeezed to make a sound. To listen to this go to the 'moving things' part of the website (clicking on the image will also take you there). To view the other Rochester objects click here.
Hundreds of image like the ones below were produced - more will be added to this site in due course. Many sheets of research cannot be added for copyright reasons - they are kept in our personal research books - called 'enchiridions'. Some of the sources can be found at the bottom of this page.
* some of the images below are of Norwich Cathedral
Hundreds of image like the ones below were produced - more will be added to this site in due course. Many sheets of research cannot be added for copyright reasons - they are kept in our personal research books - called 'enchiridions'. Some of the sources can be found at the bottom of this page.
* some of the images below are of Norwich Cathedral
To help with the enquiries that might happen around the objects we produce collections of the words that are printed on small cards. The full list of words for Rochester can be seen in the slideshow below.