Hanging work

For final year students up and down the country now is a stressful time as they hang their work for degree shows. For lecturers it is easy to become complacent when this becomes an annual round of white paint and plinths. This year because I have been busy making and hanging work this has given me a healthy perspective.

'Putting on a show twice a year is like going for a thorough check-up at the doctor's. I think it does me a lot of good... Sometimes it goes well, sometimes it doesn't, and in that case you have to tear everything down and begin again. But in any case we have to carry on moving forward, continuing our research, doing new experiments. That's how innovation happens, with us confronting real life...' Issey Miyake: Making Things by Kazuko Sato and Herve Chandes (1999) 

So I try to keep in mind that hanging an exhibition, however big or small is not the end of something, it is merely a place to pause, step back and reflect on the journey ahead. So be brave, put the work on the wall (window, floor...) admire your achievements and invite criticism.

... and good luck to my lovely third year students; you're nearly there!