Tracings, blue prints and cyanotypes

During her residency at the Long Shop Museum, public artist Jo Chapman (jochapmanart.co.uk) was fascinated by the detailed drawings, tracings and resulting blue prints of the multitude of tiny pieces manufactured at Garretts Engineering Works; she was also intrigued by the strange ‘fantasy’ machines that emerged through the piles of drawings.

In her session on Monday morning, Jo and the Extra Time team explored those drawings (delighting in the fact that they were in inches, and recalling their own careers as draughtsmen) and then created their own ‘blue prints’ by layering objects, shapes and drawings to create individual cyanotype pictures.

One participant created a machine for taking penalty kicks, complete with cogs, football net and an automated way of retrieving the ball.

Another participant used an assortment of nails, washers and other items to pay homage to her family. As she later wrote: –

“My inspiration for my imaginary machine was taken from the many designs held in the archives at the Long Shop. And also influenced by memories of past generations of my family, who worked in carpentry, agricultural and as steam roller drivers. Maybe they might have found my machine useful?”

When the children arrived in the afternoon, they set to, tracing directly on to acetate sheets before layering them onto light sensitive paper to produce pictures of people, as well as objects and labels, associated with the Long Shop.

They also got to have a look at the well – the deepest in Suffolk – as they waited for the sun to come out and expose their pictures.