Creative Arts Archives | The Open College of the Arts

Art and soil: Part 3

“I found it interesting that Alistair related Grizedale’s approach to art and everyday life to ideas of curating as, ‘making things with care – be it food, craft, art, writing, social projects, enterprises…’

Art & soil: Part 2

We discussed how different cultures and histories understanding of ‘good and bad soil’, before glass and microscopy developed scientific understanding of microorganisms, about mythologies of ghosts, culture and knowledge attached to the land, and more specifically compost, earth, clay, loam, silt and sand.

Speaking Soil

Over three blog posts. Dan reports on his recent involvement in Grizedale Arts anniversary weekend, and a current opportunity to get involved with them. The themes of this relate to current Arts & Environment learning resources, visits and e-meets developed by Dan and Melissa for OCA.

edge-zine issue 7: The re-launch

We are pleased to announce the relaunch of edge-zine, the student led zine. It is available to read & download now. The zine is a space for you to showcase the projects you have completed and are working on. It will allow us to discuss and show the techniques, thoughts and practices we are using to create our art therefore it is vital that you share your thoughts and processes to help us all learn and develop. We are proud to publish the seventh edition of the edge-zine.

What is your tutor up to? Garry MacKenzie

I’m really interested in what nets mean to you. Do you come from a fishing background? Can you wax lyrical about the moment when a football hits the back of the net? Are you a knitter?

In conversation with: Áine Byrne

Áine Katrina Byrne is a Textile Artist and Designer originally from Ireland and now based in London. After Completing her MA at the RCA, Áine spent time working as a designer in India, before returning to London to continue her work within the field of textile design. Áine woven designs both digitally and by hand for the fashion industry, supplying high end clients and the high street. Áine is based in Hackney Wick Space studio and works as a lecturer at CSVPA.

What I learned on a writing retreat

With all that time to do nothing but write, you have to deliver, don’t you? Nope. This mindset is guaranteed to make you freeze.

Study event review: OCA Photography Midlands

10 of us Midlands OCA photography students spent a highly enjoyable afternoon with Birmingham based artist Stephen Burke at the Blast! Festival of Photography Sandwell, West Midlands.

Ask the librarian

What is plagiarism? Plagiarism means deliberately or accidentally using someone else’s work or ideas as if they were your own. Work means any intellectual output, and typically includes text, data, images, sound or performance and includes material downloaded from electronic sources. Deliberately plagiarising work whilst you are at OCA can have very serious consequences, which is why it’s important to follow good academic practices and to reference your work properly.

Breaking into the boys’ club

For centuries, women have fought against adversity to pursue artistic careers in what was (and arguably still is) a man’s world. They have suffered the humiliation of having their works passed off under someone else’s name, of being barred access to training, of struggling to do what men have taken for granted (simply represent themselves on canvas or celluloid) and of having their pieces relegated to dark corners of museum and gallery storerooms.