Environment and Function...Part 2 of my MAKING SPACE conference notes.

There were some really interesting discussions going on at the conference about whether art spaces need an integral function. It occured to me that for some people this is about what the room has and for others about what it does. I think I'm leaning towards the latter, but this is rather more problematic than the former. A clay room is a room for clay. It has special kit.
An art studio is a studio for making art - but it shouldn't have to demonstrate this beyond its designation as a 'making' space. And by 'making' I mean thinking, chatting, reading, drawing, playing, eating, sleeping- whatever it takes! And this is really tricky to explain to someone who is trying to timetable that room in the same way they might timetable a standard classroom.
Art spaces must be accessible 24/7 - these spaces provide a service - they have to be offered even if not always used. It's not about allocation of space, it's about access to space...and I think this should be an entitlement for all art students. Not very likely to happen though, is it?

Some other observations I made that day in brief:

• 'Hanging out' is a critical element of study in art and design - the time to share in experiences, stories and a creative 'narrative' is crucial in the r&d phase of art making.
• Why do we let our environments dictate their function to us? We do! Think about it...
• Technology isn't integrated enough in our department - I have an idea....

Things I need to do next:

• Look out for 'In Praise of Shadows' at the V&A...it's going to involve dark spaces and torches and art.
• Find a research paper and add a link - NESTA/University of the Arts 'The Art of Innovation' - this explores the destinations of Fine Art graduates...should be interesting!