Hannah Waldron | Visiting Lecturer

We just had a talk from Hannah Waldron. Going into it I knew nothing about her work apart from her involvement in textiles, coming away from it there were lots of interesting thoughts and connections!

What struck me the most was how Hannah's work was incredibly research-based, the concepts were so strong which helped to add another dimension to her pieces.

I think because the concepts of her work is so strong, this is how the work manages to suit and adapt to a multitude of contexts and purposes.

 Japanese furoshiki scarves designed by Hannah

I also really admired how many different things she has done, not being defined solely as an illustrator. Projects including printed textiles, editorial, product design and packaging, as well as publishing and narrative-based work.

Hannah also seemed to take inspiration from a lot of different places and things, such as travel, Bauhaus art and design, Modernism, exhibitions, as well as traditional textiles and cultural art. This is something I try to do also, being influenced by things outside of the illustration sphere.

• Drawing is spending time with your thought process

• Maps - turning experiences, sights, sounds, feelings, into diagrams and maps. Telling a narrative through marks and simple shapes.

• How textiles can be used - wrapping, wearing, displaying, carrying, very versatile!

Thinking about this made Hannah's work have so much more depth, and showed that it could be applied to real-world objects and situations in many different ways.

Illustration about Dream Studios

• Space - also mentioned how the places which work are displayed can add so much more meaning to a piece of work. New contexts are created. So this would include locations where art is placed, or how it is. Galleries? Public spaces? Places completely unrelated to art?

• Packaging and presentation - Not just the object itself, but how it is packaged and delivered. Boxes, sleeves, inserts, posters, fold-outs, how can an audience interact with an object?

• Be aware of context and explore different ones. Hannah explores the relationships between art, craft, and manufacture.

• Manifesto - what's your work about? What do you set out to do? How? Why? What values are important to you and your practice?