Oxford Trip
As a part of induction week for Graphic Design, we were taken on a trip to Oxford. While we were there, we visited the Ashmolean Museum, Pitt Rivers Museum, and the Oxford Museum of Natural History.
To make the day both fun and challenging, our lecturers set us 14 tasks to be completed whilst in Oxford. They were to do with the museums themselves, engaging with classmates and also, just some random tasks to enjoy whilst in a new city for the day. This blog post will go through each of the tasks and document the proof required to show that I completed the them.
Task 1 was to take photographs of windows we looked through. This is to make us be curious, and to look 'outside the box' (or in this case, outside the building).
I managed to take some photographs of windows I looked through. These are attached below.
There was a lot of glass in the Ashmolean Museum, which was very futeristic, and gave me more chance to see things through 'windows'. The first 5 images are from the Ashmolean Museum, the 6th is the ceiling of the Museum of Natural History and the final window is in the Pitt Rivers Museum. This window was my favourite, because it shows all the bees outside, with the tube allowing them to come inside, where there is a honey nest that the bees can work in. The fact that the bees can go inside and out is really lovely.
The next task involved drawing and sketching things we liked or could relate to in the museums.
I chose to draw a pumpkin sculpture I saw in the Ashmolean Museum. This didn't catch my eye until I was walking up some stairs to explore more artefacts. Then I saw the pumpkin sculpture, which was 3D and painted gold. This caught my eye because of how abstract it was. I chose to sketch it using a fine-liner, with a crosshatching technique for the shading elements.
I have also sketched an ammenoid. This is because it attracted me when in the Museum of Natural History. I liked it because it is a fossil, and they are interesting because they have been preserved for so long and then found. I was also drawn to the patterns and the texture of the piece, which I have tried to replicate in the sketch. I will attach the photographs below so that the original pieces can be seen.
The third task also involved sketching, but this time something we disliked in one of the museums. For me, this was the crockery cabinets, because there was so much and it it looked the same, which was almost daunting. I understand that each piece is historic and amazing on its own, however, so many cabinets of crockery in one place was a bit boring, compared to some of the other artefacts in the museum. Below, is my sketch of the cabinets and the original room in a photograph.
The fourth task was to follow a fellow classmate around the museum for around 27 steps. In the Ashmoleon Museum, I managed to follow Mark, one of our lecturers for about 35 steps without being noticed. However, I soon figured that Mark was a lecturer and not a classmate, and this might not count as completing the task. So instead, I chose to follow Mohit in the Museum of Natural History.
Task number 5 was to create a word. I came up with the word "crilled" because I found myself describing most of the artists and designers of the artefacts as both "creative" and "skilled". This is because they were all amazing and required so much talent for them to create their pieces. Whilst this word is relevant to people viewing the museums, I doubt it would be used very much in the everyday world by the general public.
Task 6 was to trace the movements of pigeon. I thought this task would be easy, considering the sheer amount of pigeons in Coventry, however, there seemed to be not even a single pigeon for the majority of the day around London. I managed to find some pigeons when out for lunch, however, when I tried to follow them, I found that they were just pecking at some dropped food and didn't want to walk anywhere.
Later on in the day, just as I thought I would never be able to complete the task whilst in Oxford, I managed to find a pigeon. The pigeon was on the move by foot, outside the Museum of Natural History. I followed the pigeon on its short voyage until it decided to fly away, probably realising it was a quicker, and safer method (it was being followed by a massive human) of transportation. Attached, is a photo of the pigeon, and my shoes to prove that I followed the pigeon for a short while.
Whilst in Oxford, we were also asked to draw a map. I found it hard to find a map to copy that wasn't either too simple, or way to complicated. However, outside the Ashmolean Museum was a group of people who were advertising their "Get Curious!" scheme. I managed to do a quick sketch of their map, which was about where there were other information points for their group. I also managed to get some leaflets from the people for another task where I needed to collect things.
Task 8 said "Collect 5 things". When going about the trip I managed to collect more than 5 things. These things were information leaflets for the museums I had visited, a sketchbook from the Ashmolean Museum, a "passport" of stickers from the Natural History Museum, some stickers from the "Get Curious!" people, a postcard from a local souvenir shop, a souvenir from the Ashmolean gift shop, and a promotional card from Byron, the place we went for lunch. Below are some closer pictures of some of the items that can't be seen. I liked the business card for the restaurant as from the front it looked like a playing card. This made you want to pick it up. On the back was the information for the restaurant. This was a clever design, and I liked the simplicity of it, which made it so affective.
The next task was to eat something I had never eaten before. Being the world's pickiest eater, I struggle to try new things. I also only eat chicken (meat wise). This made lunching with a group of friends difficult, as we all had to firstly agree on somewhere, and secondly, make sure we could all try something new there. In the end we went to Byron, where I ordered buttermilk chicken nuggets and fries. Whilst I have tried chicken nuggets, I have never tried these "buttermilk" nuggets, so am definitely saying that I completed the task successfully.
Below are my friends and I, and a picture of the buttermilk marinated chicken nuggets.
We were also asked to observe a piece in the museum, silently, for 10 minutes. I managed to do this with 2 pieces in the Ashmolean museum. The first was a model of Athenian Acropolis. The time period the piece is set in is 450-400 BC. I found this interesting as it is so intricate and intriguing. It was also a 360 piece, so I was engaged when walking all the way round. There was so much to look at because the piece was so detailed, and I admired the skill that the piece took. This is because it would have been calved by hand, which requires such precision and talent.
The second piece that I found myself observing for a long time was a painting. At a first glance, the painting just looks like any other. However, the longer I looked at it, the more interesting it became. This is because at first, you just notice the posh looking male figure in the centre. But after a while, you notice the medal he is polishing, the unusual dress he is wearing, and the naked man in the background. This prompted me to read the information about the painting. The portrait was by an artist called Alessandro Allori. It shows " a young man who pauses while polishing a medal". However, behind him, is an imaginary view of a semi-naked man in classical dress. There is also a statue in the background, which is a replica of Apollo Cintharoedos; the original was then in the Della Valle collection in Rome. The aim of the portrait was to demonstrate the ideal refinement in portraiture, as Allori was a pupil of Bronzio.
Task 11 asked that we had a 10 minute conversation with a classmate we had never spoken to before. I spoke to Amz, who was in my group for the trip. We spoke about where we came from, things about our home towns and collage/sixth form. We then discussed the course at Coventry for a short while. This task was another icebreaker to stop things from being awkward when meeting new people.
Task 12 was to find something we didn't understand in the museum. I chose to photograph this abstract piece. I didn't understand the meaning of the piece, as the woman in the sculpture has (what appear to be) children all around her. She is also wearing some sort of headwear that I have never seen. The combination of different elements is both abstract and confusing, however, it is appealing to the eye, especially against the vibrant red background. Although I don't understand the piece, it is eye catching and appealing to look at, because it is almost symmetrical.
The penultimate task asked us to document 3 architectural elements of the museums. The buildings were all old and so pretty and unique. I managed to get some photos of the buildings and some of their architectural elements.
The first images are from the front of the Ashmolean Museum. The third is a set of stairs in the Ashmolean Museum. The fourth is the underside of a set of stairs, which have been cleverly designed to give the illusion the stairs go straight through the set. The fifth image is the ceiling and beams for the Museum of Natural History, which is a breathtaking view. The final two images are from the Pitt Rivers Museum, the totem pole, and then a view from the top floor, looking down on all the pieces in the museum.
The final task read "Ask a stranger for the time. Thank them politely. Reflect on their reaction." This was arguably the hardest task of the day, as the people seemed very busy going about their day. Some people also may not appreciate being stopped to ask for the time by someone who is (quite clearly) with a group of friends all taking photos of you asking, on their phones... However I managed to ask a man who was very happy to help, and the conversation made me feel quite uplifted, as he was so polite and friendly.
Anyway! I managed to complete all the tasks whist in Oxford, and enjoyed the day out. It was a fun trip, and I didn't expect it to be involved in induction week (I thought the week would be quite boring, but was absolutely proven wrong). The Graphic Design Tutors at Coventry Uni are amazing and definitely go above and beyond to give us the best experience possible.
Thank you once again for reading my blog, and I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the museums and artefacts in the post! I will leave some more photos below of the museums that were interesting but didn't fit in with any of the tasks.
Katie Xx
Ashmolean Museum:
Museum of Natural History :
Pitt Rivers Museum:
