'A moment to come'

'A moment too late'

'A treasured moment on Hope Street'

Bronze, copper, silver, steel, plastic, acrylic paint, latex.

9x4x2 cms

From series of 16 medals about

moments in everyday life

entitled

     'Sensing every moment: a celebration of the ordinary'

Ailsa Morrant, 2018.

All text and images are the intellectual property of the website author, Ailsa Morrant.

Photo by Shannon Toft

About

My creative aim is to help enhance the way we live our lives through using and appreciating the materiality of the everyday as a tool to assist happiness and contentment.

I use jewellery expressively as it is a potent medium to explore and discuss the relationship and tension between materiality, materialism and fulfilment.

My work is gently activist, trying to prompt us to consider and discuss what we wear as jewellery, who makes it and how and why we wear it.

It is about what I can do to enable others to routinely reflect, express and celebrate their mindful, ordinary moments.

I like catching everyday moments: the fleeting, instinctive, subconscious ones that are connections with ourselves and with others.

They are the gap between us being and becoming.

The bit that is so difficult to grasp because we often rush past it.

Over before we are even aware it was happening.

Vital moments.

Both good and bad moments.

The ones that make us think, muse and connect.

Work

Tideline
#tekhne_logy#tekhne_logy

Just Wear It - The value is in the connection

Flourish (Glasgow),

Welcome Home, Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow

(2019)

Matchbox Findings: a spontaneous adornment kit

Matchbox Locket: Findings

The Bluebell is a national flower of Scotland 

Transient social objects create moments

Sensing Every Moment 

A celebration of the ordinary.

A portrait series of medals to everyday moments in life.

Handshake (dexiosis): organs of society

Society is vital and created by continuous, instantaneous, subconscious and instinctive connections with ourselves and others.....mostly occuring  without direct physical contact.

 

When we do physically touch, as when we shake hands, our senses process the moment before we are even aware it has occurred.

 

We reveal ourselves for a split second.

 

You can not unshake a hand once shaken and the potential of what has been created is unknown.

 

I recorded and cast the palm to palm space of a handshakes.

 

Laid out in a sequence each forms was unique and they resembled small internal organs or the organs of society - forms made by a social ritualistic action of connection. 

Handshake locket and brooch

A Good Life

a series of 4 photos

 

The language of jewellery is powerful even when the image of a piece is printed on paper and worn as in these photos. Initially a civic chain of office styled neckpiece was constructed from cast bone china clay handshake and medallions casts from hereditarty objects. The neckpiece was then photographed, printed and cut out. The paper representation of the piece was what was eventually worn like a celebratory, transient, paper garland.  

Celebrating the moment

For spontaneousy expressing a momento vivere through adornment

Balloon  ring

'In the moment and celebrate' kit brooches.

 

Portable pods to carry around the transient materials and objects that enable you to celebrate an everyday moment whenever it happens.

Or  to collect  and wear or display transient materiality from the moment while you are it.

Anticipate the moment

balloon ring brooches and kits

'POP' goes the moment rings 

#Tekhne_logy: Mamoth Task

Working the land and masculinity are entwinned together but industrialisation and technology have disrupted this ancient connection and relationship, forcing new sociological patterns  and perceptions. 

Make a wish, hold a wish

 

Made from the detrius left on a celebratory dinner table this piece considers the fragility and transience of social and material status. 

Tideline

The form, shape and objects  of  tideline  reflect  the cyclical interaction of natural forces and detrius.

Exhibitions

Exhibited work:

 

2021 #the_goldilocks_collection, Radiant Pavilion, Melbourne

2021 DLUG DLOG, Udstillingssted for Tekstil, Copenhagen

2020 Beige, Mette Saabye Gallery, Copenhagen

2019 OPEN, Royals Scottish Academy, Edinburgh

2019 Connections | Connessioni, Goldsmiths Centre,London; Lighthouse, Glasgow

2019 Flourish (Melbourne), Members Vitrine, Craft Victoria, Melbourne

2019 In the Drawer, Small Spaces Gallery, Melbourne

2019 Worn Debris Collective, Testing Grounds, Melbourne

2019 Getting Started Showcase Exhibition, Goldsmiths Centre, London

2019 Marzee For Starters - Collect, Saatchi Gallery, London; Frame/Schmuck,                      International Handwerksmesse; CODA Museum, Apeldoorn

2019 New Designers Exhibition, Diane Porter Gallery, Bristol

2019 Alight, Visual Arts Scotland, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh

2019 Flourish (Glasgow), Welcome Home, Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow

2018 Goldsmiths Craft & Design Council Awards Exhibition, Goldsmiths Hall, London,

2018 Degree Show, Reid Building, GSA

2018 New Designers, Islington Business Centre, London

2018 New Designers, Mission Gallery, Swansea

2018 International Graduate Showcase Exhibition, Galerie Marzee, Netherlands

2018 Playground, Kath Libbert Gallery, Saltsmills, Bradford

2017 #Tekhne_logy Exhibition, Project Space 1, GSA

2016 Mackintosh Reimagined Exhibition, Mackintosh Gallery, GSA

2016 Thinking Through Making Exhibition, Reid Building, GSA.

2016 New Dreams Exhibition, Clarke &Fyfe Gallery, Bourdon Building, GSA

2016 Buzzcuts Performance Arts Festival, Pierce Institute, Glasgow

2015 Portfolio Exhibition, Tramway, Glasgow

2015 Glasgow Goes Green Festival Exhibition, SWG3, Glasgow

2011 ‘Fire and Fibre’ Exhibition, Collins Gallery, Glasgow

#the_goldilocks_collection,

Nord Modern,

Radiant Pavilion,

Melbourne

(2021)

Flourish Glasgow

Welcome Home, Centre for Contemporary Arts, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow

Exhibition by the GSA Artists in Residence 2018-19 who worked together collectively in the School for the year after a second, devastating fire destroyed the historic and much loved Mackintosh Building in the heart of the campus.

 

An exhibition of 2 parts, it is about our cultural and heritage connection with the city of Glasgow. It showed firstly in Glasgow (May 2019) and then, to connect with those in Australia who have a common ancestry, showed in Melbourne (Sept 2019) as part of Radiant Pavilion. 

 

The bluebell is a national flower of Scotland and I wanted to send a bunch of bluebells as a greeting to Scottish descendants in Australia, metaphorically using my love of everyday social objects that facilitate and promote brief, valuable moments of contact between us.

 

The interviews with each Artist involved can be viewed on here.

My body of work is called 'The Value is in the Connection'

Flourish Melbourne

Exhibition by the GSA Artists in Residence 2018-19 who worked together collectively in the School for the year after a second, devastating fire destroyed the historic and much loved Mackintosh Building in the heart of the campus.

 

An exhibition of 2 parts, it is about our cultural and heritage connection with the city of Glasgow. It showed firstly in Glasgow (May 2019) and then, to connect with those in Australia who have a common ancestry, showed in Melbourne (Sept 2019) as part of Radiant Pavilion.  

 

The bluebell is a national flower of Scotland and I wanted to send a bunch of bluebells as a greeting to Scottish descendants in Australia, metaphorically using my love of everyday social objects that facilitate and promote brief, valuable moments of contact between us.

 

The interviews with each Artist involved can be viewed on here.

My body of work is called 'The Value is in the Connection'

Members Vitrine, Craft Victoria, Watson Place, Melbourne, 

Alight

Visual Arts Scotland, The Royal Scottish Academy, The Mound, Edinburgh 

Getting Started

Goldsmiths Centre, London 2019

Gallerie Marzee

Nijmegen, Netherlands

2018 Degree Show

Reid Building, Glasgow School of Art, Renfrew Street, Glasgow 

#Tekhne_logy

Project Space, Glasgow School of Art Student Union, Scott Street, Glasgow.

I was a member of a small group permitted to work with retrieved, charred materials from the 2014 Mackintosh building fire - some constructed installations and others focused on paper works. The project culminated in a restricted access, escorted viewing, 24 hour pop up exhibition in the Mack gallery as the building was under restored. This was the last exhibition to be held  in the gallery before the whole building was devastated by fire in 2018.

Mack Reimagined

The Mack Gallery, The Mackintosh Building, Glasgow School of Art, Renfrew Street, Glasgow

Go Green Glasgow

SWG3, Eastvale Place, Glasgow

Profile

Current Status:

 

2023-Ongoing PhD, School of Design, Glasgow School of Art

 

 

Previous:

 

2020-2023 Master of Research, Innovation School, Glasgow School of Art

 

To view my master of research thesis please click here

 

2021-Ongoing Visiting Tutor, Silversmithing and Jewellery, Glasgow School           of Art

 

2018-2020 Artist in Residency, Glasgow School of Art

 

2018 Oct/Nov, Hallmark Creative Studios Placement 

To read my interview with Glasgow School of Art Archive during my Artist in Residency please click here.

 

Funding and Scholarships:

 

2023 School of Design, Glasgow School of Art Scholarship             awarded on merit for PhD thesis proposal

2020 Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre Scholarship           awarded on merit for Master of Reasearch thesis                   proposal

 

Education:

 

2023 Master of Research, Innovation School, Glasgow                    School of Art

2018 First Class BA (Hons) Silversmithing and Jewellry                  Design, Glasgow School   of Art 

2015 Portfolio Year, Tramway Visual Arts Studio, Glasgow

2001 Higher Art, Cardonald College, Glasgow

1992 MSc Public Health, Manchester Turner University

1983 Bachelor of Dentistry, Glasgow University

       

Awards, shortlists and nominations:

 

2023 Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre, Master's              Alumini Annual Research Prize

2018 Peter Wylie Davidson Memorial Prize, The Glasgow                School of Art

2018 Glasgow School of Art Chairman’s Medal for Design

2018 New Designers Hallmark Studio Award

2018 Mark Fenn Award, Association for Contemporary                    Jewellery

2018 Finalist for New Designers Business Design Centre                Award

2018 Shortlisted for Jane Phillips Graduate Artist Award,              Mission Gallery, Swansea

2018 Shortlisted for Visual Arts Scotland Graduate Artists            Showcase

2018 Shortlisted for Galerie Marzee, Netherlands for                    International Graduate Showcase.

 

Institutional commissions, purchases & acquisitions:

 

2019 Glasgow School of Art Directorate purchased, ‘Sensing          every moment: a celebration of the ordinary’ a                      portrait series of 16 medals to everyday moments

2018 Peter Wylie Davidson Collection commissioned, for              the Glasgow School of Art archive collection, ‘A                    treasured moment on Hope Street'

2018 Glasgow School of Art commissioned, for the                        Chairman's Medal archive collection, A moment in                Munich’, ‘A historic moment’ & 'A bittersweet Advent            moment'

2018 Galerie Marzee acquired, ‘A moment in Munich’

2018-2020 Artist in Residency, Glasgow School of Art

2018, Oct/Nov, Hallmark Creative Studios Placement 

2020-2023 Master of Research,

Innovation School,

Glasgow School of Art

2021-Ongoing Visiting Tutor, Silversmithing and Jewellery, Glasgow School of Art

Hallmark Residency

GSA Artist in Residency

Contact

ailsamorrant.artdesignmake@gmail.com

All text and images are the intellectual property of the website author, Ailsa Morrant.

Photo - Callum Downs