THE GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART
DESIGN RESEARCH CLUSTERS

DRAWING THREADS


Together we pull on shared threads of interest running across the specialist practice and theory Silversmithing & Jewellery, Enamel, Printed Textiles, Embroidery, Knit and Weave.  

Our group aims to provide an open critical space to interrogate practice-based and led approaches to making and material innovation.

We meet to discuss our methodological approaches to studio and technical enquiry, be they through drawing, making and reflection. 

Our group explores the boundaries of existing studio-based practices and asks how overlapping, yet distinct, disciplines can bring new understanding of a subject’s shared material craft heritage.  

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Marianne Anderson, Silversmithing & Jewellery Lecturer
Leigh Bagley, Textiles Lecturer
Stephen Bottomley, Professor of Jewellery Cultures and Innovation
Elaine Bremner, Textiles Lecturer
Anna Gordon, Head of Silversmithing and Jewellery
Andrew Lamb, Reader in Jewellery
Kim McNeil, Technical Manager (Design)
Michael Pell, Silversmithing & Jewellery Lecturer
Anita Sarkezi, Textile Designer and GSA Alumni
Alan Shaw, Centre for Advanced Textiles Manager
Susan Telford, Textiles Lecturer
Jane Milosch, Glasgow Uni. Visiting Fellow in Provenance and Curatorial Studies
Yitong Zhang, PhD student
Sheng Zhang, PhD student





Postcard design & font: Kim McNeil

Upcoming Exhibitions



Munich International Jewellery week 13-16th March
Special Viewing Friday 14th March 5.30-7pm
Museum Mineralogia München

St Michael’s Parish Church, Linlithgow
Private View Friday 28th March 7-9pm
Exhibition Saturday 29th March – Sunday 13th April
10.30am-4pm weekdays, Sunday 12-4pm

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March 2025







© Yitong Zhang

New Cluster Members



Two PhD students have joined the DT cluster, Yitong Zhang and Sheng Zhang.

Yitong Zhang has been selected to speak at an international PhD symposium day at the Handwerkskammer für München und Oberbayern during International Jewellery Week 2025 in March. C.15 PGR students have been invited to present their research over a full day to an invited academic and public audience.

Yitong and Sheng both successfully presented at the end of year 1 GSA doctoral college students’ presentations in December at Blythswood House.

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January 2025







Neo-gemstones® Lecture



Join our Drawing Threads Research cluster for a lecture 05.02.25 in the Reid Auditorium by Sophie Boon on her recent Doctoral research project at the University of the West of England.

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February 2025






Re-inSpired

 
Our current 2024/25 project involves working with the donated previous sheet metal cladding from the Crown of Thorns sculpture (1964, Clarke) that was previously situated on the spire of St Michael’s Parish Church at Linlithgow Palace. 

These original gold-coloured anodised aluminium panels were removed and replaced with a new alloy as part of the £400K restoration project of the Crowns woodwork.    

Cluster members have been afforded the opportunity to work with the original metal that spent 60 years above the church and interrogate their practice-based and led approaches to making and material innovation though personal or collaborative work. 

Work is planned to be exhibited at:
Munich International Jewellery Week, 12-16th March 2025
Mineralogischen Staatssammlung München

St Michael’s, Linlithgow,  April/May 2025
Coinciding with Earth Month 2025 and a proposed Glasgow/Edinburgh Sustainable Cities Public Programme of cultural events and project co-operation with Goethe-Institute, Institute Français d’Écosse, Climate Culture, and the Alliance Française Glasgow

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July 2024






Kunning Ding - From Trash to Treasure  



Recent DJCAD Doctoral Student Kunning Ding will give a talk about their research “From E-Waste to Jewellery: practice-based research on exploring emotionally durable jewellery with the metal recovered from electronic waste”
 

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December 2024






European Academy of Design
15th International Conference



The European Academy of Design’s International Conference, Day 5  jointly run by Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow School of Design and Edinburgh College of Art's School of Design. 

Clusters exhibition the Reid Corridor Gallery.

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October 2023






'Κίων (Kion)', Militsa Milenkova, Pin Brooch 5 x 1.5 x 2cm, 18ct gold, 2023

Treasures of Gold and Silver Wire 



Worshipful Company of Wyre Drawers 400th anniversary exhibition at the Guildhall, London, tutors Anna Gordon and Andrew Lamb with GSA students Quinn Erickson, Alejandro Ruiz, Olivia Forrest, Militsa Milenkova, Imogen Hales, Torquil Gordon, Lindsay Mahood.

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September 2023






Presentation by Dr Jayne Wallace 


Dr Jayne Wallace, Professor of Craft, Digital Creativity and Wellbeing in the School of Design Northumbria University gave a fascinating talk about her research and practice.

The presentation was followed by  a group handling session and discussion of examples of current cluster members work.

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April 2023






IRN BRUooch, Andrew Lamb, Platinum & recycled aluminium
image: Graham Clark

THE IRN BRUooch



The IRN BRUooch is made using a repurposed can of IRN-BRU together with platinum.

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March 2023






Enamel Art and Industry Symposium



Organised by Stephen Bottomley, Head of Design School GSA, the symposium was held at The Glasgow School of Art, Bourdon Theatre.

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November 2022

Speakers
Elizabeth Turrell, Enamel artist and curator
David Gatrell, Senior Commercial Manager, A J Wells & Sons 
Yinglong Li,  Doctoral Researcher, Birmingham City University, School of Jewellery (SoJ)
Catia Wesolowska, PhD researcher BCU SoJ, Head of Conservation National Museum of Gdansk, Poland  
Nicholas Oddy , Head of Design History and Theory, The Glasgow School of Art





Drawn And Formed 



Worshipful Company of Wyre Drawers events featuring the work of Anna Gordon and Andrew Lamb at the Goldsmith’s Centre London.
June 2022