"By Design" gallery at NEC

My last thoughts from the NEC last week are about a fascinating group called "By Design" whose work was very thought provoking. Why? Because the work was visually very interesting and because working as sub groups of four each produced a starter piece which was subsequently worked on by three others in turn. The only stimulation being that ALL of the piece must be used but could be re shaped and re-pieced as each in turn saw fit. Finally the work was returned to the initiator who then completed the work.

This methodology is well established within the group who also had produced a book about this exhibition and had copies of the books on previous shows.

I have spent a lot of time just reading and thinking about the mindset that enables this sort of free work and am finding the challenge it offers very exciting. Not that I want to copy their methodology, but would be interested in exploring that sort sort of collaborative freedom.

I love it when ones ideas are challenged and one is opened up to new possibilities. This was definately one of those moments!