Smart technology: the new crafts

Goldsmiths' Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Computational Studio Arts can be described as 'smart crafting'. Four students talk about their work in this exciting new field of study.

What is smart crafting?

Janis Jeffries, Professor of Visual Arts in the Department of Computing, Goldsmiths Janis Jeffries is Professor of Visual Arts in the Department of Computing, Goldsmiths.

"This is the first year of graduating students in the MFA in Computational Studio Arts. It's the first programme within the University of London which is very much about hands-on programming skills as what you might call 'the new crafts'.

"New crafts is very much smart crafting. It's being smart with technology and being smart with DIY crafts. That's where they converge in an activism. You don't get that in visual arts.

"Because of the dynamic relationship between art, science and technology, probably some of the most interesting shows are now at the Science Museum and the Wellcome Foundation. They're really pressurising the conventions of the art world because people are much more engaged."

The students of smart crafting

Artemis Papageourgiou, Myrto Karanika, Jee Hee Lee and Nanda Khaorapapong are all MFA students in Computational Studio Arts.

Artemis Papageourgiou

"It's really crafty and I was interested in building things with my own hands.

"From thinking about the form and function and fuctionality and how something is set up in space.

"This was a totally different way of thinking about building something with your own hands. It was really crafty, actually."

Myrto Karanika

Myrto Karanika and Jeremy Keenan explore their audio-reactive textile project. "I feel like I am combining things from many different fields.

"I was very interested in exploring the ways in which the combination of traditional arts practices and soft new technologies can enhance our perception of the relationship we share with the space around us."

"The canvas, which is what you see behind this organza, is a combination of conductive and nonconductive materials. The way these materials interact to your touch can generate many different outputs.

"This outer layer is digitally printed and embroidered. It's just used as a haptic interface to engage people to actually engage with it in a physical manner."

Jee Hee Lee

"While I studied computer science in my BA, I was thinking about why are we using technology? I wanted to integrate theatre and installations.

"I assumed that the spectator is a performer, so I would like to make a cross-art form so they can actually record their performance in this space."

Nanda Khaorapapong

Nanda Khaorapapong and her 'Stethaphone'."The 'Stethaphone' system inside is too complicated for me to develop, so I took it all out and replaced it with my own system.

"When people walk past or get into its range, it rings because it has a sensor. It can read your pulse, and also you can adjust the volume. You have to type in your information which is biometric, for example your age, your name, weight and height.

"And then after 15-20 seconds, it starts to sync with your pulse, it starts to form the pattern characteristics and also the sound ambience.

"I'm interested in patterns in our body. It could be brain, muscle or breath."

Career prospects for smart crafting

Artemis Papageourgiou: "You can get commissions to build installations for maybe the borough or private clients."

Janis Jeffries: "The Royal Opera House are thinking about wearables and garments and projections, so that would be a whole other trajectory of output."

Jeremy Keenan: "There's more cross-pollination now between technical and artistic cultures, you might say."