In her 50's she found out she has no minds eye so she makes things real

About Lisa Cole

Artists Statement

Lisa Cole’s work revolves around turning the intangible into something substantial and functional.

Lisa uses ancient methods of making and drawing combined with new technology to capture sound as movement, movement as pattern and pattern as form. Using nature, songs and poems as data she creates analogue generative artwork and solid forms. Her work is generally small enough to be held in the hand to give a different experience and perspective of the original sensory source.

24 whole hours to draw in the day and night powered by nature
Ceramics in response to the shape of poetry
prototype machine that will make patterns from sound when it is working

She works in many medias but favours clay as a reference to Greek mythology when Prometheus formed us from clay and gave us the ability to create.

Her interest in philosophy leans towards the metaphysical in an attempt to make sense of the world. Heidegger wrote about a broken hammer allowing us access to it’s “thinginess”. Plato’s cave puts humans in a space of shadows, where the real things are too bright for us to comprehend. Object Oriented Ontology has thoughts, memories, moments in time and things act individually and under tension and string theory references multiple unseen dimensions.

This intangible element is something that Lisa is fascinated with and her work attempts to bridge the gap between our reality and that which we cannot normally sense. Lisa is Aphantasic, with no visual minds eye which may be why she is obsessed with making solid things. She does not feel restricted by Aphantasia and feels it is a gorgeous limitless void in which to create.

Lisa’s inspirations tend to include an oblique reference to hell (Dante, Blake. Milton) and contemporary philosophy, in particular Object Oriented Ontology. She is fascinated by Mobius strips and the hyperbolic plane. As a collaborative designer, Lisa is interested in interdisciplinary  projects that include philosophy, literature, science, maths and working with senses of sound, touch and sight. Taste and smell might come later. She makes a mean sourdough.

Patterns in glaze generated by the song ‘We are Family’
3D representation of the song “Teenage Kicks”
Sourdough pot. Using yeast to create patterns in glaze.

Bio

Lisa Cole started her masters in Design at UWE in Bristol. As Lead Department Student Representative she took an active interest in the running of her faculty and she represented fellow students at Academic Board level. She gained a Post Graduate Certificate with a distinction at UWE.

She continued her studies at Bath Spa University graduating with a Masters in Fine Art (Ceramics).

Her research interests revolve around experimental ceramics and she has given talks about her practice at the UWE Student Led Colloquium and as part of a feasibility study into a materials library with Knowle West Media Centre. Her abstract for Tactile and Visible Sound was accepted for the Engaged Surface Symposium run by the Centre for Fine Print Research.

Lisa is an accomplished and multi skilled designer/maker who prefers to work in collaboration with other artists and agencies. Recent collabs include a dementia engagement ArtBox with Bristol City Museums, a campaign to reduce litter on a major Bristol street and workshops for IKEA based around sustainability.

Lisa was awarded a Summer Scholarship with UWE which she used to futher her career teaching Design Thinking.

She is a prolific blogger and author who writes about ethical and sustainable living.

Lisa Cole graduated from UWE Bristol with a BA in Fashion and Textiles. She specialised in costume history and pattern cutting. She won awards for knit design and was sponsored by the British Wool Board.

Human Centered Teacher

Design Thinking creative workshops designed to encourage sustainable practice.

Sustainable Expert

Eco blogger, influencer and author specialising in promoting sustainability

Researcher, Maker and Collaborator

Multi media maker, fabricator and experience designer. Experimental ceramicist.

Online talks

Teacher/Facilitator:

2018 – PRESENT
I run Design Thinking workshops that focus on reusing waste materials. Recent work has included sessions in Waitrose to celebrate their Unpacked zero waste initiative and in Greenwich IKEA’s learning lab as well as in the Incubator space at UWE and online for KWMC.

Jan 2020 –  June 2020
Associate Lecturer University of the West of England.
Enterprise and Entrepreneurship module, Faculty of Business and Law.

I taught Design Thinking on the largest core module at UWE. My students are first year undergraduates from Accountancy, Marketing, Events Management and International Business degree courses. I facilitate the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Method to encourage and nurture innovative problem solving.

Research:

I am fascinated by the possibilities of using materials and concepts in unconventional ways. I combine my love of philosophy and making to create tangible objects that encourage interaction. My abstract for Tactile Sound was accepted for the Engaged Surface Symposium.

Human centered designer: www.thinking-green.co.uk

May 2021 – PRESENT

Website design, branding, social media campaigns, graphic design, layout for print. Using years of experience running my own businesses, I share my expertise, teaching my clients all the skills they need to be self sufficient with their website and brand identity.

Author/Influencer: www.less-stuff.co.uk

2016 – 2021
Ethical influence for IKEA’s Live Lagom project. I write about sustainability and how little actions can help people live more easily. I am often interviewed on BBC Radio Bristol about productivity and green living.

Designer/Maker: www.nakedwebsite.co.uk

2004 – 2021
Website designer: specialising in building WordPress sites for small businesses and creatives. Teaching and skill sharing forms a large part of my website design work as my aim is to empower my clients so they are more self-sufficient.

Graphic designer: for web and print including branding, advertising, flyers and posters.

Experience designer: designing and making interactive materials for use in a museum setting.

Education

MA Fine Art/CeramicsBath Spa University 

2022

I moved my masters to Bath Spa University to focus on ceramics.

PGD Diploma with Distinction, MA Design. University of the West of England

2018 – 2020
I worked mostly in ceramics I enjoyed including new technologies such as 3D printing and Arduino.

I was awarded a Summer Scholarship by UWE Enterprise and used the time and resources to explore how teaching Design Thinking can be used as a transferable problem solving skill in all disciplines.

I secured funding to run skill sharing sessions with fellow MA Design students and I was part of the Post Graduate Colloquium group who organised talks and events for Professional Practice Week.

I was a Lead Department Student Representative for Arts and Creative Industries at UWE, representing students at Academic Board meetings.

City and Guilds, NVQ Assessor Award D32/33
2002

Workers Education Authority, City and Guilds 7307 Certificate in Adult Education
1997

UWE, Bower Ashton — Design – Fashion and Textiles BA 2.1
1993 – 1996

I specialised in costume history and worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Cosprop and Plymouth Theatre Royal in the summer breaks. My final year project was based on Milton’s Paradise Lost and used the symbolism of triangles in complex and innovative pattern cutting. I won awards for knit design and my final year project was entirely sponsored by the British Wool Board.

College of Art and Design, Plymouth

1983 – 1986
A’ Level photography and Foundation course in Art and Design

Other qualifications

  • Design Thinking for Innovation – University of Virginia School of Business
  • Enterprise Design Thinking Practitioner – IBM
  • Search Engine Optimization Fundamentals – University of California, Davis
  • Introduction to Search Engine Optimization – University of California, Davis
  • Strategy of Content Marketing – University of California, Davis
  • Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content – Coursera
  • Advertising and Society – Coursera
  • Permaculture Design Course – Bristol Permaculture Group