※Lecture11, Fran Allison※

‘Take more resk, value the exchange and time in working.’

-Fran Allison

This Tuesday, we had a presentation about collaborative art practices from our school’s lecturer who also a jeweler, Fran Allison. Allison was trained in London and also joined a collaborative art practice group ‘Workshop6’. When she was in university, she went to worked in a design company between her two degrees. In her own practice, she likes to work with metals. She made jewelry work about balance and home in her ealier work. In her current practice, she moved from house to garden. She also like to explore what the material can do. It was very interesting to hear that she likes to make a perfect structure and distroy them.

It is true that we are all collaborate in some way. Such as music, dancing or working etc. The collaboration is a group of people to create something. People will occupy themselves in doing what they are confident with and get a part of the group. Nowdays, it is a very common thing to see lots artist will choose to work collaboratively. Such as ‘Workshop 6’, the one that Allison has introduced in her presentation. It is consisted of a large group of people. They work together but they also have their individual studio. Everyone in that group has their own job to do. Some are bright to do the finance and some are happy to organize and systemize the equipment and materials for use.

I think the strength of working in collaboration with others is can gain a greater resources, recognition and reward when encountering finite resources competition. Everyone has their own taste and aesthetic standard. When we working collaboratively, we can receive many informations such as opinions, feelings and ideas which we might never think of. This would help me extend my field of development in my individual practice to some levels. Making an artwork is always about the ideas. Working collaboratively is a way to get more ideas from others to develope our own notion and skills. I would like to work as collaboration with others if I have a chance. It would be fun and I’m sure we will learn alot from each other. As an art student, it is always gonna be learning from others.