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The Tree Project: Andrew Lamb & Misun Won
103 Plays10 months ago
Andrew Lamb graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 2000 and completed his masters at The Royal College of Art, London in 2004. He balances his time between his jewellery practice and lecturing at The Glasgow School of Art, where he is a Reader in Jewellery. Andrew, an Honorary Member of The World Crafts Council Europe, has received multiple awards for his work. Including prizes for technological innovation in the Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council Awards, London and the prestigious Arts Foundation Fellowship Award for Jewellery in 2010. Work has been acquired for collections including the Crafts Council, The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths’, Aberdeen Museum & Art Gallery and The Victoria & Albert Museum.
South Korea-born jewellery designer and maker Misun Won moved to the UK and enrolled on a MA programme at the Edinburgh College of Art in 2006/2007. From 2008, she started working as a professional jewellery artist in UK. She has showed her jewellery at major UK and international craft shows including Origin, Collect, Goldsmiths’ Fair, Elements, Baltimore American Craft Show, and SOFA Chicago/New York. . She has won many awards including Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council award and Creative Scotland open project funding. She works as a residence artist at Coburg House Art Studio in Edinburgh.
During her time as Head of Jewellery & Silversmithing at Edinburgh College of Art, renowned jeweller and educator Dorothy Hogg MBE inspired students in the workshop and beyond. For more information on Dorothy Hogg, the project and participants, visit: www.scottishgoldsmithstrust.org/tree-project.
Hosted by Ebba Goring
Edited & Produced by Eda Obermanns
Cover Image by Shannon Tofts
Music: Precious Memories by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
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Transcript
Introduction to Dorothy Hogg's Legacy
00:00:02
Speaker
Hello and welcome to The Tree Project, Dorothy Hogg Life and Legacy podcast series. I'm Eva Goering from the Scottish Goldsmiths Trust. This podcast series has been developed to highlight the impact and legacy of the late Dorothy Hogg MBE and her influential time leading the jewellery and silversmithing department.
00:00:21
Speaker
Edinburgh College of Art. The participants in this project were selected by Dorothy alongside her friend and curator Amanda Game. For more information on this project and all those involved please head over to our website www.scottishgoldsmithstrust.org
00:00:44
Speaker
In this episode, I'm joined by Andrew Lamb and Mee Sun Won. Thank you both for joining us.
Guest Introductions and Educational Background
00:00:49
Speaker
Let's start with introductions and why you chose to study at Edinburgh College of Art and what you do now. My name is Andrew Lamb. I studied at Edinburgh College of Art between 1996 and 2000.
00:01:02
Speaker
The first year was a foundation course and I was able to do a five-day elective in the solar smithing and jewelry department and it was definitely during the walk around the tours of the studios that I was excited about the prospect of learning new skills and Dorothy's encouragement and Dorothy's enthusiasm rubbed off on me. It was great to be able to learn something completely new, new techniques, new skills.
00:01:24
Speaker
I think, yeah, I owe a lot to Dorothy in that this intervention happened because potentially I would have gone on to study graphic design or fine art painting. I tried lots of other things in first year, but it was definitely silversmithing jewellery that was what I was drawn to. I absolutely loved the department. I was able to explore lots of new different materials and throughout the four years, I just recall thinking I didn't want it to finish, counting down the terms or the semesters. Graduated in 2000.
00:01:51
Speaker
Dorothy was very encouraging, interested in what I was going on to do next. And she pointed out that a good opportunity would be to go to Bishops Land workshops. I went on to do a residency there for one year in South Oxfordshire. And then after that, Dorothy welcomed me back into the department and I was able to do a one-year residency. During that year, Dorothy helped me with my application to the Royal College of Art. I then went on to successfully apply to the Royal College and did two years there between 2000 to 2004.
00:02:19
Speaker
So since graduating from the Royal College of Art, I set up a studio. I'm now based in Glasgow, and I'm a lecturer and reader at Glasgow School of Art. My name is Misson Won. I'm currently an independent jury designer-maker based in Edinburgh. I came to Edinburgh in 2006 to do a Master of Design in jury and service department, completing my course in December 2007.
00:02:48
Speaker
and after that I did a further residency until autumn 2008 and then after that I tried to do a lot of shows so while I'm doing the residency and Dorsey and staff in ECA they helped me to find out the show what I can do so I applied as much as show I can do so since then
00:03:12
Speaker
I did a goldsmith's fair, an o-ray seam and collet. I'm working as an independent designer jeweller.
Learning Environment at Edinburgh College of Art
00:03:20
Speaker
So Andrew now thinking back to your time at UCA, what was the kind of ethos there for learning were you in there every day at the bench? Were there a particular emphasis on drawing or what can you remember about your time in the department? So when I specialised in silversmithing and jewellery,
00:03:38
Speaker
In second year, I remember my workbench looking out directly onto Edinburgh Castle and Bill Kirk's bench was behind me. I mean, I wanted to be in the department at the workbench, making learning new skills. I remember Bill, his technical demonstrations, precise working. We did a wire project with Susan May, and that was really key in the development of my work because I'm continuing to specialise in wire. Obviously Susan Cross as well, her tutoring and inspirational work.
00:04:10
Speaker
My course was one and a half years
00:04:14
Speaker
is quite interesting because most of master course was one year or two year. When I choose ECA it was quite a brave decision because I have no idea about studying abroad even the Edinburgh things like that but as soon as I came to Edinburgh and arrived at ECA I feel like so welcoming from all the people
00:04:39
Speaker
Because at the time, I'm the only master's student in the department, but there is a lot of artists in the residency program, so they so welcome me to be part of the group. So that makes me very comfortable to be in the department.
00:04:57
Speaker
My course was only one and a half year, which seems very long compared to one year, but I think it was quite short to focus on making. I did my BA course already in Korea, so I already know all the basic techniques to make jewelry. So my course is more focused on creating my own collection.
00:05:20
Speaker
Dorsey trying to show me because she already know what I've done before so she trying to show me new material and new technique she always bring something mission please try this and try this and you can make this kind of thing and she encouraging me to do different things
00:05:40
Speaker
And then she kind of encouraged me to develop the idea more further. At the department, there's teacher Sue and Grant was there. They were so helpful to settle down into the studio.
00:05:56
Speaker
I'm the only one master's student at the college. My bench was with other fourth year students. I was always into the group with other fourth year students or artistic literacy people together. So I wasn't feeling that lonely when I did my study. And Misson, coming from Korea, what made you choose Edinburgh and Edinburgh College of Art for your master's?
00:06:21
Speaker
I came to UK with my husband together to do the further master degree. When we researched about the college program, there is kind of limited choices because he wanted to study glass or I want to do the jewelry department. There's not many art colleges have both subjects. But when I researched about ECA, we feel like it was perfect to coming over here together.
00:06:52
Speaker
As I said, it was quite a brave decision because we didn't do any research coming first year, we only do the internet research. And Andrew, what do you remember from being in the department when you were studying? It was really, really hard to condense my four years plus my one year arts and residence.
00:07:10
Speaker
What do you remember? I mean, I remember the very first project that we worked on. I remember Dorothy encouraging me with new skills. She used to get really stuck in with the teaching and, you know, help you with the design, the technical side of things too. And again, that was something that made me want to specialize for a further three years because she was just so encouraging and the enthusiasm of all the staff, you know, Bill, Susan Cross, especially, it led to the whole learning experience.
00:07:38
Speaker
Professor Yasu Hiramatsu came in and gave us a lecture. Ms. Ko Yamada came and taught us how to hand raise a self-portrait out of a flat sheet of metal. Again, these things are amazing.
Dorothy Hogg's Mentorship and Support
00:07:50
Speaker
And it showed that Dorothy's network, she was able to bring people in. The key things were that led me to develop my own techniques I'm doing now. We're also things like The Wire Project and Susan Cross. Dorothy always encouraging us to embrace those happy accidents and the experiments that maybe didn't quite go right, but you could all see the potential in.
00:08:08
Speaker
She also could see what opportunities that would further benefit your studies, such as she encouraged me to apply to lots of places for work experience between my second and third year. If I hadn't got this opportunity, I think my direction for further study might have been different. Adrian Hope let me do a few weeks work experience in this studio.
00:08:26
Speaker
that two or three weeks work experience with Adrian was fantastic. He allowed me to make something in the final week. And I designed a wire dish, I think, because I enjoyed the process of wire work. And I was still a wee bit resistant to being a jeweler. And I wanted to make a silversmithing piece. I designed this bowl. I expected, like at Edinburgh, you could go into the store and pick up some wire of the correct gauge. This wasn't the case at Adrian's. And he gave me a huge sheet of copper thick gauge metal. And we cut strips off this.
00:08:55
Speaker
I was able to draw this down into war work. And again, this was a real trigger into my further passion for working in war. I took this piece back to the department after the summer holidays and immediately Dorothy picked it up and put it on her body rather than it wasn't a tabletop piece. She lifted it up and held it up as a brooch. And she saw that encouraging me to take the path and she could see that this had potential in jewellery. I suppose seeing that I was maybe resistant to being a jeweller. Why do you think you're resistant to being a jeweller?
00:09:25
Speaker
When I went to art school, I had no previous experience of working in jewellery. And I think what drew me to the department initially was the potential for working in new materials and new skills. I think because I didn't wear jewellery, I didn't necessarily want to become a jeweller. I was interested in fine art and I did sculpture in first year, things like stone carving. And I think I always saw myself working on a larger scale and
00:09:48
Speaker
Despite the fact that a lot of my projects, especially my very first piece I made in the five day project was very intricate, drilling very fine holes and perspex and trapping a delicate leaf. Again, I still think I was trying to push maybe the scale beyond what I'd done in first year. I'm glad that Dorothy encouraged me in that direction. So yes, it's kind of actually challenged you in a way to see it differently and recognise that you were working in this very minutious scale. And that was what was exciting you.
00:10:19
Speaker
You said you applied for other places and you did that time with Adrian. Was there any other experiences like that that you had at ECA? I mean, lots of things. Like we did study trips to London and we'd jump on the 5.30 train in the morning to a day trip in London, seeing galleries like Leslie Craze. We'd go to Chelsea Craft Fair. We'd visit the V&A. We'd travel all around London before jumping on the 7 o'clock train back home. And that was really inspiring.
00:10:44
Speaker
Dorothy took us in third year to Munich for in Orgenta and it was a brilliant trip. We visited galleries, were introduced to curators, we went to tool shops. It has the shared passion for really good quality tools and being introduced to a whole new area of jewellery. We went to the trade fair, saw a whole new range of work, which often seen in books or gone to the library, it was pre-social media. I didn't even have my first email address until I think
00:11:13
Speaker
my final year at my College of Arts, so that gives you a rough date stamp on when I was studying. These experiences were really inspiring. I remember not just visiting the jewellery museums and I was going to see different exhibitions and taking sketchbooks. We were encouraged to draw and I think I had a disposable camera which I've still got the role of film from somewhere. It was an incredibly inspiring time. And me son, were there any particular visiting lecturers or experiences on the course that have stayed with you?
00:11:43
Speaker
While I did my course, I mentioned that it was quite a short time, one and a half year. I was working there very close to Dorsey Hawk and Susan Cross and also Craig McCake who did a service missing teaching. The department is quite small but it's very familiar atmosphere. So whenever I need something to ask them, they're so welcome and they always encourage me to do something.
00:12:12
Speaker
The Andrew saying that remind me about the Munich trip. I went to the Munich trip with the Dorsey Hall with other 30 students. At the time, there's nothing we don't have there like a Google map on the phone or things like that. She printed out all the information about gallery in Munich and shops and art shop and tour shop.
00:12:37
Speaker
and the list of the restaurants we can go together, things like that. So it reminded me of a failed trip when I was in high school or middle school with all the students together along with Drusi was in the front and she was very enthusiastic to show all the things to the students. And some of the third year students, that was their first
00:13:02
Speaker
Obroad trips, so some of them was quite frightened on the plane. So she kept telling them, it's okay, it's really fine, everything like that. To keep keeping down with the students was quite fun experience. I feel like she was kind of like a mom that cared about all the students together. So it was quite a sweet experience, spending time with her and other students together.
00:13:27
Speaker
So Andrew, we heard about this time you had with Adrian and discovering your love of
Career Paths and Inspirations Post-Graduation
00:13:32
Speaker
wire. How was that then developed and tell us about your key experiences after you graduated? I'm returning from the summer and doing work experience with Adrian. In third year, you were able to do a second subject one day a week in another department. Dorothy was great because we discussed what I wanted to do. And instead of going out into another department, I stayed and did my one day a week in sewersmithing jewellery, but I was able to specialise in wire.
00:13:57
Speaker
Being given that artistic license and freedom to do that was again very key and it fed into my final year of collections and the development of work. So my final collection in 2000 at my degree show was entirely made of meters and meters and meters of wire. Dorothy at one point called me a wireholic and she could see the potential for developing this work further. It was great to be able to go on and have our workshop at Bishops Land where I can develop things and go on to exhibit more work internationally.
00:14:25
Speaker
Dorothy curated numerous shows and I was invited to the 100% proof exhibitions, which toured America. I mean, that was a really key opportunity for myself. I had passed solo show as well at the Scottish gallery on graduating and work from that was purchased by the National Museum of Scotland. Really key moments right from the outset. And I think, again, Dorothy, she was instrumental in promoting you, suggesting things that would be good opportunities like playing for competitions or further funding.
00:14:54
Speaker
I mean someone was talking about how Dorothy was like a second mother almost and looked after us so that was while a student but beyond graduation as well I felt that Dorothy
00:15:05
Speaker
opportunities. You'd get handwritten notes, postcards into you, highlight an opportunity, or just to say hi. And it was really something that I constantly think, what would Dorothy think of what I'm doing? She's still there as someone who I feel is kind of looking over my shoulder and trying to support. I would think, yeah, what would Dorothy be thinking? Would she be proud? I owe a lot, not only that she got me excited about the subject, but they continue to support well beyond graduation.
00:15:33
Speaker
That's been something mentioned in our previous interviews as well. Dorothy would identify opportunities that would ideally suit the individual student and well beyond their time of study. You had some really pivotal opportunities early on. I remember that catalogue for 100% proof and it being so inspiring for those of us studying jewellery in the following years. What did you do after that, Andrew?
00:15:56
Speaker
When I returned to Dumour Arts and Residence at Edinburgh College of Art, I continued to be extremely busy. I had commissions and was developing work from my degree show, but through discussion with Dorothy and other members of staff in the department, they definitely saw that there was a potential for taking the work further and it was through this encouragement.
00:16:13
Speaker
I remember sitting down with Dorothy and having a mock interview for getting into the Royal College of Art. I think it was Susan Cross and Dorothy interviewed me as if they were that David Watkins and Michael Rowe and they supported and encouraged me to go on to develop my practice further at the Royal College of Art. I mean it was challenging but it was a really brilliant two years in London and kept in contact with Dorothy throughout.
00:16:34
Speaker
One key commission I had before going to the Royal College of Art was for Wedgwood and it was to make two pretty large sculptures and I do think back to working with Adrian Hope and working on what I thought was quite large-scale pieces. I worked on two large-scale silver sculptures about 30 centimeters in height which was really challenging. Part of that made me think could I develop my work on a larger scale again when I was at the Royal College. I didn't go up in scale massively apart from a couple of projects.
00:17:00
Speaker
I then chose to really get engrossed and continue my research into wire techniques. I'm working with fine metallic changing colour techniques. I was making work that came alive and I was thinking back to Dorothy bringing in her own work. There was a handling session I think my third year or fourth year. She brought in her spirit level broaches and her bangle with a hundred rings. Thinking back to how important jewellery and the body was and how it was important that it became alive.
00:17:25
Speaker
And I think that's something that I've continued to think about in my work. I'm not using kinetic movement like Dorothy did or sound. I'm playing with viewers' perceptions and how pieces change visually as they're moved or as they're worn.
00:17:38
Speaker
The role of teaching in my practice has always been quite important. My mother actually was a primary teacher. My dad also, later in his career, was a teacher in the medical profession. And I learned Edinburgh, seeing Dorothy and Sue, how it was possible to develop your own practice alongside teaching. Dorothy very much, her teaching approach and, I suppose, being a role model is something that was very key to what she was to me. And initially, Dorothy gave me the opportunity to do some teaching as an artist in residence.
00:18:04
Speaker
I wasn't particularly confident right after graduating, so being given that opportunity and support and some paid work teaching was really, really very key, which I continue to do after graduating from the Royal College of Art, various universities and colleges. Amisa, tell us about your career journey after the master's program. After I finished my master's course, I stayed at ECA as an artistic residency.
00:18:30
Speaker
is the program established by Dorsey to help support new graduates and keep a lively teaching so we can have a workspace.
00:18:42
Speaker
After graduation, it's really hard to find a place to work as an independent juror. So college provides the workplace as well as we can have a teaching experience. So I was able to experience some teaching by myself or with a teacher, like a helper in the class. I did that kind of experience and it was very interesting to working as a teacher at the college.
00:19:10
Speaker
I'm more drawn to working in my studio myself than the teaching because I knew that I'm not really good at teaching because I think the teaching ability is kind of another level that I can do so I move into making my own jewelry. My residency program was finished a bit earlier than one year because though she was retired, my residency was finished when she retired so
00:19:37
Speaker
After that, I was looking for a space for work. And at the time, the tutor, Grant McCake, he planned to move to London for his master degree at RCA. So he supported me in his studio. So I was lucky to have Myspace as soon as I moved to the college. And then a few years later, Grant decided to stay in London.
00:20:07
Speaker
for his work. Now I'm taking over his space as my studio. That's how I set it in Edinburgh as a journal. I remember one time, I don't remember the name, but because Dorsey has a lot of connection with other galleries or educational profession, things like that. So I remember
00:20:30
Speaker
There's one lady came to BCA to introduce about the program in Inorganic, so they have a new space for new grades because taking part in Inorganic is quite expensive to do it.
00:20:44
Speaker
There's a small fee you can apply and they gave me the nice showcase for the new graduate students. So that was my first abroad show and it was really good opportunity to show my work abroad in the audience. And then after that, I get lots of information from like Dorsey or Sue or other former graduate students.
00:21:10
Speaker
by finding lots of opportunity like a Christmas fair and always seeing things like that so I applied so trying to do as many as show I can because it's kind of new experience for me because when I came here to Edinburgh I didn't think about I'm gonna stay here as a like a artist because back in Korea it's quite difficult to survive as an artist
00:21:37
Speaker
After studying here, I can feel that there is a lot of opportunity to survive as an artist in the UK. So because there are a lot of shows, there is a lot of service with Scottish culture, or like a craft school to learn. There's a lot of organization to support the artists, to encourage them to keep their working. That kind of opportunity gave me to stay here for longer. That's how I ended up living and working here.
00:22:08
Speaker
I just suddenly remembered, Misson, I think, was it the first time we properly spoke? Was it at your open studios? I think I remember, it must have been shortly after you graduated, I think I was still in London. I just remembered coming to your studio and you had all your work on the wall and it must have been that studio you shared with Grant. Yeah, at the time, all the equipment belonged to Grant.
00:22:30
Speaker
Yes, I think you just had a late, I'd forgotten about that, but I remember, I think I'd seen your work before at your degree show or new designers, but then it was really great to see your studio and your work there. So are you still in the same studio?
00:22:43
Speaker
Yeah, same video. Well, it looks totally different because at the time it's like a silver smith video is like a dark and everything is very high even the bench because ground is tall but now it's clean. And yeah, so I feel I feel quite lucky that
00:23:02
Speaker
I don't know, I didn't worry too much about what I'm going to do next because everything coming next after graduate, there is opportunity to do the artist residency. Then when the program finishes, there is a chance to move to the new space. And it gave me to keep working as an artist. I feel quite lucky. That's why I say it's like it was a very brave decision to come into the UK.
00:23:32
Speaker
I felt that it was a right decision to come over here. Lovely to hear your memory there, Andrew, of meeting Mison. It feels like there's a real sense of community or kinship between alumni. In the jury department, there is a little staff room alongside of the Dorsey room.
00:23:52
Speaker
There's a small room, you can have a tea together after lunch or something like that. Always have a packed lunch and eating in the staff room with other technicians or teachers or some of the students. We're having a tea. The room is surrounded by postcards from former graduate students. You can see all the different works. That's how I recognize Andrew's work.
00:24:21
Speaker
Also, in Do Si Loong, she has lots of catalogues, jewelry books as well, so I saw lots of catalogues. And I remember I saw the 100% exhibition catalogues, and there are lots of former ECA, grade A work. I can keep seeing this. That's how I know all the jewelry from ECA. Mason, I'd love to hear more about the work that you make and the inspiration behind it.
00:24:48
Speaker
My initial inspiration about buying work is from the Korean patchwork. It's composed with a lot of different shapes of scale form, becoming one big object. So I had the initial idea to bring small elements put together, become a big object. And also I found out the fractal geometry, which explains the complexity form of the nature.
00:25:16
Speaker
So I combined two ideas, so I used like a sock or oval to put all together to make a complex form. So I mainly used silver and gold at the moment to create a jewelry, pretty made by one single sheet of metal like silver and gold.
00:25:35
Speaker
and hand-pierced and then folded them to make a three-dimensional form. So I do make a lot of paper sample like origami to make a lot of different form and making silver and gold. Before you mentioned the paper, I love the paper maquettes and the models. I think they're beautiful as well as the finished outcomes. Yeah, I quite enjoy making samples, but it takes a lot of time to do it because my making process is very simple.
00:26:04
Speaker
I don't like lots of process making the jewelry, so I like with the simple process. I think the making paper sample is somehow very similar to make jewelry when I make my jewelry. Cutting the paper is more like a piercing with a sole and then like a folded and the metal folding is quite similar process. So I can't enjoy that kind of process.
00:26:30
Speaker
I was going to ask more about my son's process and if that was something you did during your master's. Did Dorothy encourage you to make models and develop the work that way or is that something that you brought from previous experience? Yeah, she increased because back in Korea when I did my jewelry it's more like we do what we want to make things like that but here in at the ECA, Dorsey and Sue they
00:26:56
Speaker
they encouraged the students to do more like life drawing or things like that to increase their more creative process, not just making jewelry. I was really amazed by when I look at the student sketchbook, because it's full of like a drawing and notes and some paper, they attach lots of pictures. So some of the sketches are very wide, because there are so many things, so that kind of thing gave me
00:27:23
Speaker
Like a new way of thinking, not just making actual jewelry. I think about the process is more important. Is that the same for you,
Creative Encouragement and Technical Skills at ECA
00:27:33
Speaker
Andrew? Do you work directly with the wire or in other materials making maquettes first?
00:27:39
Speaker
A huge part of the course was developing your own portfolio and the sketchbook work through drawing. We spent a lot of time in the museums. We'd go and draw the National Museum of Scotland. I would go to Edinburgh Zoo and draw. Constantly be researching visually through experimental drawing, printing. Life drawing was really, really key. John Brown taught us life drawing once a week.
00:28:00
Speaker
into my final year again Dorothy recognised what would be best for my practice and I think she dissuaded me from continuing life drawing because I'd kind of reached a level that she thought was suitable and I could channel my focus into other areas and she really encouraged again it was sketchbook work but also the reason I was talking about the paperwork Dorothy encouraged me to do collage and cut paper I was cutting very thinly to find strips almost in a wire like way
00:28:23
Speaker
My portfolio became quite a three-dimensional exploration of paper, cutting, folding and experimenting, which definitely enhanced the creative side of things because designing for me often happened at the bench. Dorothy recognised that as well, but it was important to be expressive.
00:28:38
Speaker
in different scales as well because otherwise you can get you're far too focused on maybe the minute scale of things so yeah I've got I've still got dozens of sketchbooks that I often dip back into still find it inspiring to look back I wish I had more time you can appreciate more when you look back on your time as a student how you could spend days sketching
00:28:56
Speaker
And it's certainly something I encourage when I'm teaching that it's about the whole process, not just about drawing exactly what you want to make. It's about finding something that interests you. And again, Dorothy had that skill in kind of directing you towards an artist or something that would maybe inspire your sketchbook drawing or photography that would feed your work.
00:29:15
Speaker
Thinking about both of your work, you're both renowned for the high quality finish of your work and how it's beautifully made. Your time at ECA, what emphasis was put on the quality of the finished work that you were making? I remember Dorothy, she used to print out tech notes. So I think she would do lots of research, recommend books and things. I still got Dorothy's handwritten technical notes that she would photocopy and have doodles and sketches that she would pass on to us, you know, about how to make a brooch clasp or
00:29:44
Speaker
how to even just simple things like proper way to get a ring sizing perfect. She would painstakingly write down step by step instructions of how to do things. And again, it was Bill Kirk and Sue would bring in examples of the work, you'd see what they were doing as a good example of how things should be finished, how it should work with the body or how it should function.
00:30:06
Speaker
Yeah, I remember that. Yeah, I think I still have to print out the technical notes. How do you make all the like all different type of cage or brought to pin back, things like that. So she showed that kind of thing. When you go to like Munich trip to visiting gallery, she trying to show all the method like she trying to show how people make all the different brought back, things like that.
00:30:31
Speaker
and also even the catch and me making things and then when she couldn't have the idea right at the moment she came back later and oh she has the idea like or she even make the notes about maybe this kind of thing maybe you can try and she thought that kind of thing is really helpful I think
00:30:52
Speaker
Do you ever use those notes yourself now, Andrew? I mean, obviously Anna and you both are ECA graduates. Does the way Dorothy taught you both inspire how you teach a Glasgow note? Absolutely. There's lots of things. Just from going, we've talked about the Munich study trips. I take students with other colleagues to Munich every year and
00:31:12
Speaker
There's lots of things that influence the way I teach and how I recognize things. Although things are very different from when I was a student, there's different technologies and different ways of gathering research that help students immensely. I think what is key that we encourage students to find things that they're interested in and development in multiple ways before going to the workbench and making the final object and encourage that whole rounded process.
00:31:35
Speaker
I've got one of Dorothy's postcards on my pinboard above me. It's a series of three spirit-level brooches and then two quotes which Dorothy printed out and gave to me, I think, in my final year. One of the quotes is, you can find inspiration in everything. If you can't find it, then you're not looking properly, by Paul Smith. And there's another one, thinking is questioning
00:31:53
Speaker
Otherwise, you're just doing what everybody else is doing, and that is not thinking at all, and that's Vivian West. Those are my pin board. I've definitely used them when I've been speaking to students before, so there's lots of things there that through Dorothy's and Sue's and the way I've learned, it's leading into the way I still reflect on how I teach.
00:32:15
Speaker
Mison, you mentioned earlier about Goldsmith's Fair, and I know Andrew that you've also exhibited there. Could you speak a little bit about participating in shows and fairs?
Professional Experiences and Dorothy's Influence
00:32:25
Speaker
I remember one year when I did elements, Dorothy Kane, to look around.
00:32:32
Speaker
And she looked at all my pieces and then she still wanted to give some nice suggestions all the time. Whenever I met her, she always wanted to give nice suggestions and talk about my jewelry. It was kind of lovely. I think the Goldsmith's Fair is the biggest selling event in the year for me. The Goldsmith's Fair is a big market, so a lot of people are coming to see the Goldsmith's Fair from around the world.
00:33:00
Speaker
I went on to exhibit at Goldsmith's Fair after the Royal College of Art, their first time in 2004. I had a couple of years where I haven't done it, but yeah, most years I've exhibited. Yeah, I did my first Goldsmith's Fair in 2009. Did you say you did origin as well? I did origin twice.
00:33:20
Speaker
I did at Somerset House a couple of times as well, which was great. I remember Dorothy coming down one year and she borrowed a necklace of mine so she could do a bit of promotion from her work, which was very kind of her. And she even let me, she covered my stand briefly so I could go away and get a coffee and things. So that was very kind of her.
00:33:39
Speaker
She always trying to support and help, like just even the little things like bring like tea or coffee, things like that. And then just asking how you are doing. I mean, not just for work. She always want to know how I live in Edinburgh because maybe she know about that because I'm not from here. So she worried about just life, just generally here, how I like this. And I remember that.
00:34:08
Speaker
And I had an interview at the time before I came to here because my English was really great. It still isn't really great now, but at the time was so poor. She wanted to make a promise, practice English more before coming over. There were two Korean students, one Korean student and one artist in residency. Whenever she saw me,
00:34:32
Speaker
with them together. She said, don't stay together too long because Misan need to practice English. She worried about my English. How did you find the Scottish accent? It's quite tricky. For me now it's more easy to understand and listen. Misan, do you think others have been inspired to come across to Edinburgh and study since they've seen you do that?
Inspiring Future Generations in Jewellery Artistry
00:35:01
Speaker
But I got some email about the student. Good day looking for a working experience. So one student from ECA is looking for a work placement. So she came to my studio and spent a week together and then she helped me produce my work as well as I can teach her what she can do after graduate. And Andrew, how do you find managing the time teaching and also making your work?
00:35:30
Speaker
When I first got the teaching role at Glasgow School of Art, I was just teaching two and a half days a week. And more recently, I'm teaching four and a half days a week.
00:35:39
Speaker
Finding a balance is trickier. I think it's important to keep my own practice going. And yeah, I do work in the evenings. I work weekends. I have to sort of find time. And again, I think back to if Dorothy can run a successful jewellery department, if she can be a curator, run multiple committees. I do think Dorothy found that balance at a high level of exhibiting her own work in parallel with her teaching and other commitments.
00:36:05
Speaker
it makes me think this is possible. So I try my best to find the balance between obviously family and the teaching commitments. I have a studio at home now. I find it easier that I can do an hour here and there, keep that going. What are you working on at the moment? I'm working towards an exhibition at the Scottish Gallery. I have a solo show in November. At the moment I've just finished a series of three broaches.
00:36:29
Speaker
Yeah, as you said, keep the right balance is really difficult. Like even you are teaching, but I'm a full-time juror. Because most of my life is maybe more focused on making jewelry. Also, you have to do everything yourself. For me, for example, learn all the aspects of the business like photography, websites, social media, marketing things. So it takes quite a lot of time.
00:36:59
Speaker
Also, you have your own life to keep going with family, things like that. So I think the biggest challenge is the time to think. It's quite hard to make new work every year because the year is coming quite fast. Yeah, so it's that balance as well.
00:37:21
Speaker
not just the balance of teaching and making it, I suppose, finding that balance between making and developing new things and new experimenting, you know, again, things that were really key, you know, thinking about as a student, how you develop new work, finding the space, as Maison said, that thinking time is really quite key.
00:37:37
Speaker
I find I was really hard to follow someone just thinking about the work because I'm always busy making things and there are lots of things on the process. I feel like I need more time to do some sketch or maybe make an example. I was going to say congratulations on the acquisition for the Goldsmiths Company collection recently. Fantastic approach.
00:38:02
Speaker
Oh, thank you so much. It was really big news for me. Yeah, it's my first collection. Can you tell us about that piece a little bit? I make a series of protein composed with lots of over and then with a different structure. So I make them five, six pieces in total in the big size. And recently one of them has become one of Christmas collection.
00:38:29
Speaker
but this year I'm trying to make a smaller version. I make one small version once before because go to the gallery, they want to show mini-sized brooch with lots of different artists. So I make one small one. And then it was quite fun to make a scale down on the big ones. So this year I'm planning to make a series of small brooch with the concept.
00:38:57
Speaker
The broach in the collection, is that in the, I think it's in the Dorothy Hogg showcase? Yeah, actually I got the email from Dora, the curator. She mentioned that you said to her, I make a really nice paper, paper models. So actually she asked me if I can give some kind of sketch or sample to the, to the companies.
Conclusion and Further Resources
00:39:21
Speaker
Yeah, really wonderful and inspiring to see all those paper samples alongside finished pieces and sketches as part of that life and legacy exhibition by the Goldsmiths Company. We'll put a link on our website to the Goldsmiths Company collection pages and the information about that exhibition. Thank you, Mison and Andrew, for joining us for this interview. Listeners, all the links and further information can be found on the Scottish Goldsmiths Trust website.