Craft and Apps
Blown by Geoffrey Mann, represented by Joanna Bird at COLLECT 2012
The use of digital technology to make and to market is becoming increasingly important. We asked a few people who have delved into the world of apps why they decided to create a craft-related app and what they think users will enjoy about them.
Anna Collette HuntAnna Collette Hunt completed the Crafts Council Hothouse scheme earlier this year and is currently exhibiting in Made in the Middle.
I was awarded a digital arts grant by Made in the Middle to enhance the experience of my installation work. I developed an app because these programs are exciting emerging channels to reach new audiences on a global scale. Apps naturally connect with the varied social media platforms, enabling a new exciting way for craft to be debated and shared with others. For users, my app acts as a beautiful tool that enables them to explore and engage with Stirring the Swarm, and even get involved with the creation of a cyber-swarm that will mirror the physical body of work.
Download from iTunes
www.annacollettehunt.com
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Geoffrey Mann
Geoff is developing an app called Blow that he will launch at COLLECT to celebrate his new ceramic pieces of the same name, shown through Joanna Bird
The interactive process between audience, object and artist utilises the iPad as a compelling tool to enhance their experience of the work and to provide a deeper understanding of it. In recent years the the iPad has become a daily studio tool within my practice and through developing an engaging application, the user has this opportunity to become part of the projects unique creative process. The user will also be able to save their unique animation and upload it via Twitter and an automatic hashtag, creating a critical mass of bespoke Blown animations.
www.mrmann
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Nick Stevens
Nick is the Web Project Officer at the Crafts Council and led on the commissioning of the Lost in Lace app that accompanied the Crafts Council and Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery exhibition of the same name.
The Lost in Lace exhibition provided an exciting opportunity for the Crafts Council and Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BMAG) to further the experience of exhibition visitors, and those not able to physically visit the exhibition, by providing an iPhone app enabling users to have some fun with ideas engendered through the exhibition. The app also sought to engage audiences that would not necessarily have ever thought about lace before, a younger audience more technologically savvy who might never have thought about visiting a contemporary craft exhibition; furthermore, for BMAG, it was hoped raising an interest in Lost in Lace would encourage visitors to explore Birmingham’s rich collection of historic lace and the social history surrounding this important industry.
Download from iTunes
www.lostinlace.org.uk