Latest on the long and lovely list of events that I’ve spoken on touch screen art at was the very cool and dynamic Digital Shoreditch festival.
I’ve done a few things in the area (Adobe Create Now, HTC Elevate, Modern Jago and so on) but never had the time to sit and explore and play there. This time registration was in Hoxton Square, which I knew, with the main seminars taking place in the Shoreditch Town Hall, which I’d never had the pleasure of being in.
And I mean it. It was absolutely beautiful place to speak in... but let’s start from the beginning.
For the most part this week has been lovely and sunny. Not that I’ve seen much of it, I’ve had a stinking cold for 10 days by this point and some very painful, delibitating headaches. The only rainy day? My day in London. Boo.
Picked up my speaker card and pack in a fabulously geometric tent. So you know what that means don’t you.
For the most part this week has been lovely and sunny. Not that I’ve seen much of it, I’ve had a stinking cold for 10 days by this point and some very painful, delibitating headaches. The only rainy day? My day in London. Boo.
Picked up my speaker card and pack in a fabulously geometric tent. So you know what that means don’t you.
Then walked to the Town Hall, via the corner of Rufus and Byron:
Then into the town hall itself. Didn’t take a photo, raining too hard by this point and I just wanted to be inside. I did take this picture inside the press room though, as it was warm and I loved the green of the glass.
From there to the main auditorium to catch a couple of talks could have sat there all day but, to be honest, I didn’t think that would have gone down too well.
From there to my room, the medium conference room (sadly not the big hall as pictured above, although the students and I would have rocked that room... just sayin'). I enjoyed the talk before mine (Code Club and finding mentors for the wealth of new coders that the education system should be creating). Then onto my hour: Dancing with the Glass Gorilla: touch screen art, apps, styli and happenings.
(I drew this, a mix of the Shoreditch cat and the Glass Gorilla, to chill out... I did the outlines on the Tues and the colours on the weds :) on my trusty Surface Pro 3 using OneNote).
And it was a lovely crowd who joined me. All seemed very happy and engaged and wrote lovely things on Twitter afterwards. It was interactive and everyone in the room took part, which was also fab. Nice to have a class all giving something new a go...
And now to the low part. I could do so much more with the talk, and with the events I do. I need a coder! There’s an app which could be made which would take all of the artwork created and I’d love to see it happen!? It’s so fully formed in my mind it hurts that it just sticks there. Shoreditch was, in part, about encouraging people to take their dreams and projects and turn them into reality, and it was a message I need so much educating in… it’s just ironic that I was teaching at the time, passing on my speciality. I’m utterly convinced I could get the world to draw on touch screen to create the largest interactive piece of work ever made. In ways I have already (I’ve probably demoed tablet art + tech to a good million people over the past two years) and yet I’m good at what I’m good at. I wish I could have been at Shoreditch as a punter… learning and taking in as much knowledge as I could in the areas I don’t manage or communicate so well.
And then to, possibly. The highlight of the day for me: the exhibition in the cellars.
And now to the low part. I could do so much more with the talk, and with the events I do. I need a coder! There’s an app which could be made which would take all of the artwork created and I’d love to see it happen!? It’s so fully formed in my mind it hurts that it just sticks there. Shoreditch was, in part, about encouraging people to take their dreams and projects and turn them into reality, and it was a message I need so much educating in… it’s just ironic that I was teaching at the time, passing on my speciality. I’m utterly convinced I could get the world to draw on touch screen to create the largest interactive piece of work ever made. In ways I have already (I’ve probably demoed tablet art + tech to a good million people over the past two years) and yet I’m good at what I’m good at. I wish I could have been at Shoreditch as a punter… learning and taking in as much knowledge as I could in the areas I don’t manage or communicate so well.
And then to, possibly. The highlight of the day for me: the exhibition in the cellars.
If I’m honest it wasn’t my type of art. Interesting and experimental, but not what I enjoy as a creative exploration (once I’d finished at DS15 I popped to the House of Illustration to catch up with some extraordinary pieces of art which was much more to my personal taste: Matt Connor and the Post Secret exhibition).
But the venue. Oh. My. Goodness. Tranquil, dim, so full of texture it hurt. It was a haphazard collection of peeling paint, paperwork, stone, broken or exposed brick and abandoned metal works. The cellar was the star of the show for me, one of the most wonderful places I’ve walked through.
But the venue. Oh. My. Goodness. Tranquil, dim, so full of texture it hurt. It was a haphazard collection of peeling paint, paperwork, stone, broken or exposed brick and abandoned metal works. The cellar was the star of the show for me, one of the most wonderful places I’ve walked through.
I took a good few photos and hope to paint and draw on the pictures as time allows (hahahaha/time/sigh) I did this one on the train home and thoroughly enjoyed the process.
And now? Back to college paperwork before a very full week of shepherding the students through the last couple of weeks of exam sessions. Before final marking. Before final exhibition. Last few weeks, all go. Digital Shoreditch was right at the heart of the busyness, which at times was a little bit of a struggle, but it was excellent fun.
Here’s to next year. Hope they’ll have me back….
Here’s to next year. Hope they’ll have me back….