Nick Garrett

Author: nickgarrett

  • Power of Making @ V+A London

    Power of Making

    POM_Crochetdermy-bear_Shauna-Richardson.jpgCrochetdermy bear, Shauna Richardson

    6 September 2011 – 2 January 2012

    A V&A and Crafts Council exhibition

     

    The Porter Gallery
    Room 48
    Free admission

    This autumn, the V&A and Crafts Council will celebrate the role of making in our lives by presenting an eclectic selection of over 100 exquisitely crafted objects, ranging from a life-size crochet bear to a ceramic eye patch, a fine metal flute to dry stone walling. Power of Making will be a cabinet of curiosities showing works by both amateurs and leading makers from around the world to present a snapshot of making in our time.

    The exhibition will showcase works made using a diverse range of skills and explore how materials can be used in imaginative and spectacular ways, whether for medical innovation, entertainment, social networking or artistic endeavour. Works on display will include moulded shoes by Marloes ten Bhömer, new Saville Row tailoring by Social Suicide, furniture such as a spun metal rotating chair by Thomas Heatherwick to individual handcrafted puppets from the 2009 film Fantastic Mr Fox, a six-necked guitar, bio-implant embroidering to aid surgical implants, a lion-shaped Ghanaian coffin, extreme cake decorations and new technologies such as 3D printing. There will be a recently completed work by David Mach, a giant gorilla created of metal coat hangers, which will stand in the V&A’s Grand Entrance, outside the Porter Gallery.

    Crafts Council Logo

    The exhibition will encourage visitors to consider the process of making, not just the results. There will be commissioned documentary footage filmed at individual maker’s studios and factories, to provide an insight into how the knowledge of making is preserved. People from around the world will be invited to upload short films about making to a dedicated open submission website and a selection of the best entries will be continually screened in the exhibitions making area.

    Power of Making comes at a time when the loss of skill is threatening cultural practice and impacting on commercial industries. However, there is also a resurgence of making currently taking place as a means of self expression, social participation and cultural definition. The exhibition will examine and celebrate the expertise, knowledge and innovation demonstrated in objects, supporting the importance of traditional making skills and the drive towards new ways of working.

    Related articles

  • Microsoft Windows 8 preview – TILES for FILES?

    While on tour on early September 2011 my client a key exec at Microsoft said here take a look at Microsoft 8 preview.

    ‘What’s the new feature?”  I watched her clutch at her cute HTC and to my surprise Window 8 loaded up nice and quick… whoa revolution!

    “Tiles… it allows you to have a bookmark type of desk top which brings up yr latest areas or files…”

    “Neat- simple and neat…”

    “Yep but they keep changing stuff around so next week it may be something else…”

    Yeah right!  So Tiles is as far as MS have gone on the creative curve guys… Apple should feel fairly safe on news of this clunky innovation waddle!

    For those of us still recovering from Vista and 7 it had better be good.

    Nick Garrett

    Related articles

    Microsoft unveils its new Windows 8 operating system

    Click to play

    Microsoft’s Steven Sinofsky discusses new features in Windows 8

    Microsoft has taken the wraps off the next generation of its Windows operating system.

    Windows 8 is designed to run on tablet computers, as well as desktop and laptop PCs.

    The software, which is due to be released in 2012 will work on the popular ARM-designed low power processors for the first time.

    Microsoft has been under pressure to come up with an answer to Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platforms.

    Unveiling Windows 8 at the Build developers’ conference in California, Windows division president Steven Sinofsky declared: “We re-imagined Windows. From the chipset to the user experience.”

    The system will function through one of two interfaces; a traditional desktop, similar to that seen in previous editions of Windows, and a tablet version, known as Metro.

    Metro features larger, chunky controls of the sort that best suit touchscreen use. The current lack of such an input method is widely seen as the reason why few Windows 7 tablets exist.

    Microsoft said that it would also be launching its own online marketplace – the Windows Store – to sell downloadable applications.

    Chip changesOne of the biggest innovations for Windows 8 will be its compatibility with processors designed by ARM holdings.

    Windows 8Windows 8 has been designed to be used on touchscreen devices

    Chips based around the ARM architecture typically use very little power, and as a result are found in the vast majority of smartphones and tablets currently available.

    To date, Windows devices have required Intel or Intel-compatible processors, with the exception of Microsoft’s Windows Phone range.

    ARM chips are likely to be predominantly used on Windows 8 Metro devices, and will require ARM-specific versions of applications.

    The company has not given details on the chips that will be integrated into desktop and laptop machines.

    Tapping into any section of the Windows market will be seen as a huge boost for Cambridge-based ARM Holdings.

    The company faces growing competition in the mobile device sector since Intel launched its tablet and smartphone-focused Oak Trail chipset in April 2011.

    Tapping into that particular market is seen as vital for hardware manufacturers, and software-makers, such as Microsoft, as the market for traditional computers continues to be eroded.

    Industry analysts Gartner predicted in April that the global market for tablets would reach 70 million this year, and grow to 300 million in 2015.

    Sales of desktops and laptops are expected to continue growing, but at a much slower rate than in the past.