My chosen Commission group included the following members:
- Joe Borsos
- Bradley Helbert
- Rebecca Smith
- Sacha Stevenson
- Martin Wilby
- Ashleigh Wright (myself)
- Dana Zvarova
Our work made up Commission Group E. Our chosen output was an exhibition.
Our First Meeting
In our first meeting we decided, after each reviewing the three possible exhibitions spaces, that Fort Amherst in Chatham would be the best choice as it suited our work. We also assigned preliminary roles to each member of the team. These are as follows:
My first step in this process was buying the materials to build the model. I decided that foam board would be the most logical material to use to make the structure itself and double sided sellotape would be best to hold it together as it provides invisible joins but is still very strong.
The final part of the initial model that I made was the lower entrance area. The challenge with this floor was the curved wall in one corner as it is hard to simply bend foam board as it snaps. With some help I resolved to scoring the foam board with a craft knife which allowed me to shape it to the curve of the wall.
The images below show the entrance portion of the lower floor. They show the section before the extra partitions were added.
- Joe Borsos: Writer
- Bradley Helbert: Curator
- Rebecca Smith: Writer and Typography
- Sacha Stevenson: Curator
- Martin Wilby: Research (Location), Designer and Health and Safety
- Ashleigh Wright: Model Making and Architect
- Dana Zvarova: Designer
Before our next meeting my task was to create a model of the exhibition space that we could then add our work to when we decided on which order we wanted it in and how we wanted to hang it.
Making the Model
The first piece of the model I constructed was the top floor. I made each part of the Fort on a one centimeter to twenty centimeter scale, meaning that for every one centimeter on the model there were 20 centimeter on the actual building.
I made sure to include every detail that is present in the real-life exhibition space so as to give an accurate and well rounded view of the exhibition space we had to work with. I found that creating the stairs was the hardest element of this floor as it was difficult to keep the steps of equal sizes whilst making sure they fit in the space provided.
The image below shows the completed model with extra partitions that the group discussed should be out in place to hold the work (although this decision was not made until after the initial model was made).
The next part of the model I created was the main part of the lower floor. I made it to the same size ratio as the top floor.
The images below shows the completed main part of the lower floor without the extra partitions that were eventually added.
The final part of the initial model that I made was the lower entrance area. The challenge with this floor was the curved wall in one corner as it is hard to simply bend foam board as it snaps. With some help I resolved to scoring the foam board with a craft knife which allowed me to shape it to the curve of the wall.
The images below show the entrance portion of the lower floor. They show the section before the extra partitions were added.
After completing this section of the model I took it to the next group meeting to see what the rest of my team thought of it and if there were any changes that needed to be made.
Our Second Meeting
In our second meeting the team made headway on deciding which order our work should go in and which rooms of Fort Amherst they should go in. After much deliberation we decided that Bradley's work should open the exhibition in the first room of the upper floor which would then lead into the second room where Sacha's work would be situated. The path would then go down the stairs to the main part of the lower floor into Rebecca's work and then through to Dana's which each would have their own section of the floor. The lower entrance hall would be home to Joe's work. My own work and Martin's work, as decided my ourselves and the team, would take residence in the separate room opposite the lower entrance hall. This meant that I would have to build a new part to the model. I did not mind this as I enjoy making the models and trying to get them as accurate as possible.
The other aspect of the project the group discussed was theme and the name for our exhibition. After much deliberation and discussion we decided on 'After Thought' which takes it's influence from the William Wordsworth poem 'After-Thought'. We all thought this was a good name and running theme for the project as it is a strong reminder
of what our work is: an 'After-Thought'. It
is only once the damage is done that something becomes waste, and it is only
then we spare it a different approach or thought.
Image Sizes
Another aspect of the exhibition the group decided on during the meeting was the sizes each of our work was going to be. The sizes are as follows:
- Sacha: Image 1: 168.2cm x 168.2cm. Image 2: 168.2cm x 168.2cm.
- Joe: Image 1: 400cm x 180cm. Image 2: 300cm x 260cm. Image 3: 300cm x 260cm
- Ashleigh: Image 1: 118.9cm x 118.9cm. Image 2: 118.9cm x 118.99cm
- Bradley: Image 1: 168.2cm x 118.9cm. Image 2: 168.2cm x 118.9cm.
- Rebecca: Image 1: 168.2cm x 158cm. Image 2: 168.2cm x 158cm.
- Dana: Image 1: 168.2cm x 106.6cm. Image 2: 168.2cm x 106.6cm.
- Martin: Image 1: 113.6cm x 84.1cm. Image 2: 113.6cm x 84.1cm. Image 3: 113.6cm x 84.1cm Image 4: 113.6cm x 84.1cm Image 5: 113.6cm x 84.1cm
From these measurements I now need to work out how big each of these will be one the scale model by dividing each measurement by 20.
More Model Making
After the group meeting it was clear that I needed to create another part of Fort Amherst to house both mine and Martin's work.
The images below show the completed model of the extra room with many extra partitions that I had previously discussed with Martin. He wanted each of his images to be housed in its own separate section with a slit cut into the front walls through which the images were to be viewed. This design allows each image to be given the full attention of the viewer. I enjoyed making this part of the model more than the others as it was a more complex challenge.
Our Third Meeting
In this meeting we discussed audience and promotional material. Sacha then went on to create some fantastic, professional flyers, posters and invitations to private viewings. These are shown below:
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| Promotional Poster |
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| Promotional Flyer |
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| Postcard (Front) |
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| Postcard (Back) |
The group also thought it would be a good idea to have a postcard to further advertise the exhibition.
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| Invitation (Back) |
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| Invitation (Front) |
Sacha also created an invitation to the private viewing we wanted to include for the exhibition.
Floor Plans
Another aspect of my job as architect was to draw up floor plans that detailed the exhibition space on paper. I drew each of these on a one centimeter to thirty centimeter scale. I ensured that each floor plan was as detailed as the models I had previously created. Unfortunately I do not have any images of the floor plans as I was unable to scan them as they were A2 in size and I also did not get a chance to photograph them before I gave them in.
Budget
As well as making models and drawing floor plans I also endeavored to create a budget that showed how much the materials and printing would cost if we were to create this exhibition for real.
I looked through many sources to find the best prices I could for what the group had discussed we would need.
The two screen shots below show my initial spreadsheet complete with all the sources I looked into for materials.
Below is the final spreadsheet I created after my research spreadsheet (above).
The overall theoretical total I came up with was £4910.46. As this is only a mock up of an exhibition I am sure we, if this project was ever reality, that we would find cheaper methods of producing the same results.
The Pitch
Our pitch was due on the Monday the 21st of May. Our allotted time was 11:55 but we agreed to meet up at 10:00 to go through the presentation that Martin had put together using all the details the group had decided on. When it came to the pitch I feel it went quite well but definite improvements could have been made as I think we were all nervous and some of the notes weren't delivered quite as planned. However, there were no harsh comments made about the work and any criticisms made were of a constructed nature.
I was happy that the group was praised for the hindsight of having a mock budget as it made me feel that my hard work (which included on one occasion staying up until 3 o clock in the morning finding materials sources) was appreciated.
Evaluation
Overall I feel that this project went quite well. I enjoyed working in the group with the people as I felt we worked well together as a team as we each had our own personalities and qualities to bring to the project. The only thing I would change would be the way the presentation was presented. I feel it could have been better presented as a whole and maybe more time could have been taken to ensure the presentation ran more smoothly.
