BFA (Hons) Research Proposal
Mark Brokenshire
Title
Globalisation of the Middle Class. Steel and our environment
Introduction
Mankind’s inventiveness, greed and aggression were propelled forward during the Industrial Revolution by innovations such as the use of coke (produced from coal) to smelt iron and the subsequent production of steel. Steel now plays a part in the manufacture of almost everything we touch today.
Yet steel seems to be undervalued for a material that has become interwoven with human endeavour.
My interest lies in the societal changes that began as a result of the Industrial Revolution and the interrelationships between societies and their need for and consumption of steel. I am also interested in the material itself, its ingredients and production – and its uses in almost all of mankind’s greatest physical achievements. And finally, I am interested and concerned about the environmental impact of steel production.
I see that this project has the potential to question/comment at material, environmental, and societal levels.
Relationship to Previous Work
There is a tenuous connection between this research proposal and previous work.
In previous work I have considered the history of a piece of ground – specifically the ground beneath the building site beside Elam. I was interested in the drill cores that were removed from deep beneath the ground which demonstrated the age and nature of it. This land is now being built over so the ground will become removed – unavailable – until perhaps the new building is demolished. This project therefore had some environmental interest to me.
I have used steel as a sculptural material in other work. It has qualities and properties that appeal strongly to me. I also took the opportunity to study the chemistry of materials, including steel, from the atomic level to structural properties. I can say I am fascinated by this material, its raw ingredients and manufacture, its enormous and complex significance in our history and the impact it is having on our societies and our environments. This deepens its appeal to me at a creative level.
Methodology
My research will operate within five areas to begin with:
· Materials and processes involved in the production of steel – coal, iron ore, limestone, carbon dioxide
· History – Industrial Revolution and forward to present day – inventions, use – including industry, architecture, infrastructure, warfare
· Society – history of society as affected by uses of steel - aspects through the eyes of Weber, Marx, et al
· Environment – bi-product of carbon dioxide during production, mining of iron ore, coal for coking, limestone – other?
· Artists –Steel sculpture - John Panting, Sir Richard Caro Societal - Jannis Kounellis – and on from there
Intended outcomes/research – drawings, sketches, models – sculptural work, installations in response to research above
