During my research I discovered the importance of women in the chain making industry and its relationship with fair wages and the women’s empowerment movement. These chain makers required the support and understanding of how to come together and unionise from outsiders to gain empowerment over their craft and livelihood. Also, they needed others to set up showcases and to tell their personal story to the masses. I want to explore using chain as a platform to create conversation and use my own experiences as a trans woman. Looking to bring forward the power that the chain makers liberation had on their society to our own current discussion over trans lives and our rights.
Initial research into the history of chain making and the women involved.
Chain (2023) The Chain Comparison Site. Available at http://chain.org.uk/history-of-chains/ (Acceded: 5 October 2023)
Marcia Edwards (2022) Dancing the story of the chain making industry. Available at https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/dancing-story-chain-making-industry-and-its-links-slavery-and-emancipation (Acceded: 5 October 2023)
Further reading into the women in chain making and Cradley Heath
Unite The Union. (WOMEN CHAINMAKERS Be Anvil Or Hammer!) [Internet]. Forthcoming 2021 [cited 2023 October 29]. Available from: https://www.unitetheunion.org/media/5575/womenchainmakers.pdf
Marian Hall, online video recording, YouTube, 11 March 2020, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvm8Adm_MSY > [accessed 29 October 2023]
Researching the manufacturing of hand hammered chain
Willy Filmit, online video recording, YouTube, 6 December 2017, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0R4XwOjeNk > [accessed 29 October 2023]
TheGobbledygook1, online video recording, YouTube, 23 July 2019, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-Mb4JRfxvw> [accessed 29 October 2023]
Black Bear Forge, online video recording, YouTube, 5 January 2018, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G5xuheCcPI > [accessed 7 November 2023]
Black Bear Forge, online video recording, YouTube, 29 December 2019, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j814AqiKVvE&t=1031s > [accessed 7 November 2023]
Rural Industries Bureau (1952) The Blacksmith 's craft : an introduction to smithing for apprentices and craftsmen. Wimbledon: Rural Industries Bureau No. 54
Week 6 Crit feedback:
Pink = what is working well
Orange = progress forward with ideas
Yellow = areas to improve
Reflecting on the feedback given in the crit from lectures and students I found that they saw the progress and the skill development in my material testing was strong especially with the copper soldering. Also, I was urged to keep working at my forging tests and keep developing the skill set. Another positive was my research into the traditional craft which supported the practical work and investigation into the fight for a fair pay movement.
They also liked the digital body collage that I did to start to bring together the narrative and physical form but pushed me to explore this further, and with a set goal to keep the designs telling the correct narrative that I wanted to voice. This was reinforced by their comments of how I incorporate script into the final piece, potentially replacing links with words or phrases to blend the physical with thought. Furthermore, I need to investigate more practitioners that look at ways of using chain in a contemporary sculpture or wearable piece. Moreover, I need to consider the impact of wearing a chain on the body and what this has symbolised in the past.
Andrews J. (2021) ‘Out/Loud: Queer storytelling’, Metalsmith, 43, 18-20
Lucie Gledhill (2019) Curb cast iron and fine silver [Digital art]. Available at: https://www.luciegledhill.com/#/chains/
Lucie Gledhill (no date) Chain Of Thought [Digital art]. Available at: https://www.luciegledhill.com/#/chains/ (Accessed: 26 October 2023).
Joanne Thompson (2023) Hopper sculptural statement necklace [Digital art]. Available at: https://joanne-thompson-jewellery.myshopify.com/collections/necklaces/products/hopper-sculptural-statement-necklace (Accessed: 29 October 2023).
Joanne Thompson, Joanne Thompson studio insight, online video recording, YouTube, 29 July 2020, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAzDGajVzD4> [accessed 29 October 2023]
Agnes Larsson (2010) Carbo [Digital art]. Available at: https://www.agneslarsson.com/carbo (Accessed: 3 November 2023).
Inspiration for contextual photography from journals.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
Figure 13
To contextualise my work, I initially went and investigated how others recorded individuals in an environment in different journal articles. The key features that I found created a successful picture was the consideration of placement of the subject in composition. Placing them centrally helps to draw the attention to them even in a busy environment. Whereas placing them to one side can either help to create breadth and freedom or isolation if backed into a corner off the frame. On top of this looking into these photographs drew my attention to the importance of paring the colour of the background with the subjects clothing to create a cohesive, as demonstrated in figure 2 and 3.
Figure 1: Fantastic Man (2022) ‘Fantastic Man’, Obsessed, 35, pg 20
Figure 2: Fantastic Man (2021) ‘Fantastic Man’, Reuse, 33, pg35
Figure 3: Fantastic Man (2021) ‘Fantastic Man’, Reuse, 33, pg37
Figure 4: Fantastic Man (2019/20) ‘Fantastic Man’, New, 30, pg 50
Figure 5: Fantastic Man (2019/20) ‘Fantastic Man’, New, 30, pg 172
Figure 6: Fantastic Man (2019/20) ‘Fantastic Man’, New, 30, pg 173
Figure 7: Creative Quarterly (2023) ‘The journal of art and design’, 71
Figure 8: Creative Quarterly (2023) ‘The journal of art and design’, 71
Figure 9: Creative Quarterly (2023) ‘The journal of art and design’, 70
Figure 10: Creative Quarterly (2023) ‘The journal of art and design’, 70
Figure 11: Creative Quarterly (2022) ‘The journal of art and design’, 68
Figure 12: Creative Quarterly (2022) ‘The journal of art and design’, 68
Inspiration for contextual photography from Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cha-gfQrqKm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/CjRbo6lstHs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/BadcY8alhgY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIvn6BbsqlN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/CzlTOdpocmr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/CxvthpANC77/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/CylocfcOnSt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx2cWK2s5Y0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/C0HfwhFCT5X/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChDrCr4BJvz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/CwZf4WpMzBx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/CztS8CPtMjb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_h3G-opZW8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUfgWhGsY87/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/CuQj-XqJrcx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ6U_mwDngT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/CoDlwQBoQRG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/CpqOYyyIERn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWdnNiYKe2l/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Reviewing my research into contextualising work I found that I had focused on portrait photography through my journal articles which helped with subject but not representing wearables on an individual in an environment. Therefore, I explore this through jewellery practitioners on Instagram who advertised their work predominantly on the body.
I found that the use of lighting was the key element to elevate their work and emphasise the details in both form and texture. The light's angle creates shadow in the relief areas creating contrast and bounces off the highly polished smooth surfaces creating highlights. Also, I discovered that paring the texture between the piece and the environment not only creates unity but also helps to drive the narrative of overall work.
