Artist, jeweller and designer Simon Swale is travelling from Ōtepoti Dunedin for two special events at Objectspace — this critical walking and making workshop and a lecture on how adornment facilitates our relationship to the world. 

For this workshop, participants will take a 'critical' walk around the Objectspace neighbourhood, with a focus on three themes: Feeling (experiences), Touching (materials), and Seeing (forms), before returning to our Level 1 space for a hands-on workshop.

In Simons words, this workshop is “for anyone who is interested in new ways of thinking about art, making methods and/or generally becoming in greater tune with their urban environment.” We will focus on walking, drawing, thinking, and writing without any complex making. 

Ideas will be developed through drawing and writing exercises and some simple collaborative making with any materials found.

 Outcomes for participants include:
•    An insight into the concept of critical walking
•    To apply this process to their own creative practice in some way
•    To make or generate something (be it ideas, drawings or objects)

Simon will also be hosting a lecture on his making practice later in the evening that is open to the public. Find out more here. 

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Simon Marcus Swale is an artist, designer and educator based in Ōtepoti Dunedin whose interests in body adornment extend across fashion, jewellery, and the wider fields of art practice. Simon completed an MFA in contemporary jewellery at the Dunedin School of Art in 2020, winning a Marzee prize at the International Graduate Show hosted by Galerie Marzee, and the jewellery section of the ECC New Zealand Craft Design Awards that same year. Simon was a participant of the Handshake6 mentorship program from 2020-2022, has exhibited both nationally and internationally, and his article ‘CRITICAL WALKING AS POST-STUDIO METHODOLOGY: A Jewellery Practice of the Streets was recently published by Art Jewellery Forum. Simon currently works as Senior Lecturer in the School of Design, Te Pukenga.