I had the chance to meet with a practitioner who is really passionate about making small craft items, from hand-woven cozies to clay sculpting and miniature figure making. As such, the tools used were wide and varying. Some of the tools I captured were as follows —
Tools:
Clay
Sculpting tools
Brushes
Moulds
Different coloured thread
Weaving patterns
Tape
Scissors
Penknife
Glue
Since I had no experience with these crafts, we decided to start with a more simple craft — cozies for customising pens. Because of the small size of these crafts, a simple table would function as worksite.
Worksite — Crafts table
She began by demonstrating to me one personalised pen cozy she was already working on, with her friend’s name on it. First, she cut out sections of coloured thread to be interwoven with black thread.
By looping black thread around a section of a pen covered in double sided tape, she was then able interweaving pieces of differently coloured thread together. The pattern within which they would be interwoven would be based on the existing weaving pattern samples provided on a piece of paper.
Once she was done with one iteration, she let me try completing the rest of the letters. While I fumbled at first and had to refer to the samples provided a lot, I was able to get the hang of it in the end.
The final step to sealing the cozy up was to apply some glue and wind the sticky thread around the pen and leave it to dry. Unfortunately, my handling of the glue was rather poor and it left some marks on the final product.
Some of the difficulties faced were as follows —
Many implements and tools needed, such as scissors, penknife, glue, string, tape, pens.
Processdocumentation: First, the candy is made by boiling sugar and other ingredients in. Then, coloring is added and folded into the candy. Depending on how much of each color is required, different sizes of candy are used. The candy also needs to be stretched. For this order, the background is white with three letters in the center. The candy artists first create the letters by combining long strips of different colored candies then wraps it in a layer of white candy, followed by colors of the surrounding border. It is cooled using a fan and then cut using a metal spatula quickly and with force.
Rolling out the candy blockStretching the candyHow letters are madeEnd product
Worksite documentation:
Different colored and flavour dyesLeft side (dark surface) is the heated surface while the right side (metal surface) is the cooling surface
Pain points: The candy artists have expressed that putting intricate logos are art is the toughest part.
Various skincare products:
powder, baby oil, eyebrow spoolies
Hand mirror
Standing light
Process documentation: The to-be-waxed area is first cleaned and powdered to ensure the wax sticks onto the skin. The wax was pre-melted in the wax warmer. Using a flat wooden applicator, she coats with a thin even layer of wax and applies it onto the skin. Then cloth strips are placed on the waxed areas and ripped in a swift motion. After all necessary areas are covered, a tweezer is used to remove hairs that were not waxed off. Residue left is removed using a cotton pad with baby oil.
Worksite documentation:
Pain points: Since it is a home beauty parlor at an estate neighborhood, the location is inconvenient for customers. It might even deter potential customers from enlisting her services. She also relies mainly on recommendations by friends or social media to market her business.
Practitioner 3 – Leisure Film Photographer
Tools:
Film camera
Lenses
Film roll
Process documentation: It starts with loading in the film roll. Usually a film roll has around 30 exposures (exposures in this context means number of photos). Depending on the subject shot, different lenses are used. Most portrait film photographers use 35mm prime lenses. By looking at the light sensor in the viewfinder, the exposure can be adjusting using aperture (usually found on the lens) and shutter speed knobs. The film advance lever is then pulled to “load” the film and the shutter is pressed. Due to how tedious the developing process is, my friend sends them to a local photo shop to get them developed and burned into a CD, instead of printing the photos out directly because this method saves money.
Worksite documentation: Film cameras, as with other cameras, are kept in a dry box. My friend has yet to think about investing in a proper dry box since they are pricey so she uses silica gel bags in a box to improvise for now.
Pain points: Loading the film roll is the hardest part since it is the most important part about film photography: loading the film roll the wrong way will result in pictures with wrong exposures and weird coloring. Despite having loaded film rolls plenty of times, she still chooses to follow YouTube tutorials step-by-step for the fear of loading it the wrong way.
I recently had the chance to meet with the curator of an independent arts space to talk about curation and the technical details of exhibition making. The exhibition being shown when we met dealt with the notion of conservation – about Singapore’s ceaseless march towards upgrading, redevelopment, progress, and its subsequent failure to preserve spaces; how such losses are woven into wider sociocultural discourses on the production/instrumentalisation of heritage, national identity, and nostalgia. The show had a heavy emphasis on new media works, involving 3 video works and a VR installation.
Our interactions took the form of a curatorial workshop – he posed me the question of how I would curate the show myself, with a particular focus on reformulating the existing elements of the show to improve the exhibition experience. The main tools in exhibition making are as follows –
Tools:
Wall text
Labels
Lighting
Media equipment (projectors, screens, speakers)
Wiring
Design
Worksite — Gallery:
First, I went through the exhibition myself, examining the worksite of the gallery space and taking note of these elements.
Visitors would enter the glass doors of the gallery to be confronted by a darkened gallery filled with soil brought over from Bukit Brown cemetery, talismans and gravestones from Bukit Brown peeking out from the dirt. Positioned over these piles of dirt were the video works – an erected screen with projection would greet the visitor on the right, and inscribed on a lit-up section of the wall was an essay – the curator’s notes for the show.
He explained that the essay would frame the entire show from the beginning and reduce the need to light up other sections in the gallery for additional labels, contributing to the atmosphere of the gallery. Text, he said, often served as anchor points for visitors in exhibitions. Having the main text at the beginning encouraged the viewer to circulate the space and revisit works and the text to make full sense of the exhibition.
The next work was a triptych of screens lined against the wall. He pointed out the wiring of the screens, which is an important consideration in exhibitions — how the wiring of components can be tucked away or made as unobtrusive as possible. He also expressed his wish for better installation of sound equipment for this video work, explaining the choice of screens instead of projections (the other two works in the room were already large projections, thus the need to scale down this work).
He also pointed out the horizontality of the work with its tracking camera movements, which encouraged the flow of visitors through the space and gave the exhibition a sense of directional quality.
Objects such as tombstones and talismans were on display with labels. He explained the use of objects being interspersed with artworks as just an interesting point of contrast/interaction, whether materially or conceptually. He talked about the use of spotlights instead of profile-cut, shaped lights, and how distance and position of lights can be played with to light an object well.
The final video work sat above another mound of dirt. Here, a chair was placed for viewers to sit. The curator talked about the chair as a means of allowing the viewer to linger for a longer period of time to appreciate a work, also talking about the silhouette it produces when a visitor sits in front of the large projection. Other considerations, such as painting the wall or fabricating a scrim to the specific aspect ratio of the video work were talked about when installing a projection.
Workshopping
We then sat down to talk about how I would have curated the show instead, given the earlier tools described. After considering everything, I sketched out a new layout within my notes:
The exhibition layout I planned didn’t change so much — I did think of, however, the following changes:
Sectioning the wall text better so it spatially corroborated with the works on display
Bringing out artefacts towards the centre of the room and scattering them out more so that not all works are wall-based
Switching the wall on which the triptych work was presented, such that there was a more immediate visual flow for the audience, bringing the screens down from the wall and placing them with the dirt for a more affective quality. Also, providing chairs such that people could linger with this work more as well.
Bringing the dirt more towards the centre of the gallery such that visitors would have a more visceral experience of walking through dirt to sit down and view the final video work.
Overall, some of the challenges one faces are:
Poor sound quality/acoustics in galleries
Technical limitations — what lights, equipment do you have available?
Working with artists produces a different outcome each time, must be able to build relationships and adapt
Ceramics and pottery have been around since the Neolithic period. Moving into the 21st century, it has definitely evolved into a much more refined form of art. The techniques, process and tools alike have also evolved to become more sophisticated. Additionally, the uses of ceramics/pottery pieces have also progressed from solely practical uses to artisan pieces.
Process Documentation
The practitioner I followed was giving a lesson that involves making wheel thrown ceramics.
Steps:
Wheelthrowing – this first step is using clay to create the shape that is desired.
Trimming is the second stage that Alvin (the practitioner) went in depth into explaining. This process is to transform the piece into different shapes and sizes and can also alter the texture.
When the trimming is complete, the third step would be allowing the piece to dry before it goes forbisque firing. Letting it set would allow the moisture in the clay to evaporate. At this stage, it would be bone dry.
The next step would be bisque firing. Here, the clay piece is put into the the film and the clay is dehydrated to prepare it for glazing.
Glazing (to add colour/texture to the piece)
Following this, it goes into the kiln again for a second fire before completion.
trimming
Tools Used
At Alvin’s workshop, he went into detail on step 2 which is trimming and here are the tools that are used at this step.
Ribbon Trimming tools
Hook Trimming tools
Scraper
Worksite Documentation
A ceramic artists’ workplace is definitely not portable. This is due to the high amount of heavy equipment that is used such as the pottery wheel and also the kiln. Additionally, to carry smaller yet bulky items like the glazes would be a hassle. The worksite also houses a large number of artwork both finished, in process and also the actual clay itself. The worksite also requires a water outlet and many power sockets to power the kiln and potter’s wheel.
Pain Points
At the worksite, there were other ceramic practitioners. They said that the difficulties of practicing ceramics in Singapore is that it is not a super affordable or accessible practice. Also, the transition from a newbie to a master takes many years and also a lot of patience. In the technical aspect, creating “successful” clay works also involves plenty of trial and error – what you expect may not always be what you get. For example, in the process of throwing, you may end up with another shape that you have not anticipated. Or when you glaze, the colour and texture might be different after coming out from the kiln. Also, precision and steady hands are needed while doing refinement works like trimming. This is difficult and only comes with hours of practice.
Step 1. Find desired hub and rim, and count the number of spokes required
Step 2. Measure the rim and hub for the spoke length needed
Step 3. Cut the spokes to the correct length using the spoke cutter
Step 4. Count the number of nipples required and oil them
Step 5. Lace the spokes through the rim and the hub using the screwdriver
Step 6. Put the wheel on the truing stand and further tighten the spokes using the spoke wrench
Step 7. Check the tension of the spokes using the spoke tension meter, and ensure that the spokes have the correct and same tension. Adjust along the way.
Step 8. Use the dishing tool to ensure that the hub is in the center of the rim
Pain Points:
Precision is extremely important in building a wheel, especially when safety is of concern.
The back and forth process of checking then adjusting is also extremely tedious.
Step 1. Grind the coffee beans and place them in the portafilter
Step 2. Use the distributor to evenly distribute the coffee grinds
Step 3. Use the automatic tamper machine to densely pack the coffee grinds together
Step 4. Put the portafilter in the espresso machine and make coffee
Step 5. Pour some milk in the milk jug and use the steam wand to froth it
Step 6. Pour frothed milk into cup of coffee and make designs if desired
Latte Art
Pain Point:
Most of the process is automated, like with the espresso machine. However, there was one main difficulty, which was to froth the milk correctly – which will be to ensure that the bubbles formed are small bubbles to ensure better integration with the coffee. Furthermore, the steam wand is extremely hot, so one has to practice caution.
Step 2. Use the scratch awl to lightly indent guide lines for cutting
Step 3. Cut the leather into desired shape and size
Step 4. Use the creaser to indent guide lines for sewing
Step 5. Use the fork to lightly indent where the holes are going to be
Step 6. Using the hammer and fork, punch holes into the leather
Step 7. Choose desired thread and thread it through the needle
Step 8. Clamp the leather pieces together and start sewing
Step 9. If desired, deboss letters into the final product
Debossing my initials using the heat machine – temperature is at 150 degrees celsius!
Pain Points:
Depending on the hardness and thickness of the leather, it can actually be quite delicate. For example, when cutting a thin piece of leather, one has to be very careful not to stretch it out.
Precision is also very important, especially when the product is meant to be sold.
Finally, lots of strength is actually needed, especially during the process of punching holes into the leather.
One of my friends is an engineering undergraduate in NUS and has been involved in tons of projects, where he acted as a product design engineer role. He has ongoing projects with companies ongoing, I paid him a visit in school, he brought me around the FabLab in NUS and walked me through the basics of his work.
Tools Used
Wire stripper
Wire cutter
Crimper
Multimeter
Multi-screwdriver
Digital calipers
Wires
Soldering iron
Process
Because he wasn’t working on his project at that point of time and that we agreed to only go through the very basics of his tools are used, he drew up very simple scenarios of when the tools are needed and how it can come in handy. He started off with something very familiar, yet different. The multi-screwdriver: a screwdriver with interchangeable tips. The tip and the driver itself is connected via magnets. I can totally see how this tool can come in handy, and why he said it’s his favourite tool out of all.
Next was the wire stripper, wire cutter, and the crimper. The first two are fairly familiar and simple in its functionality – I mean what it does is literally in its name. But the crimper boggled me at the start. It looked unfamiliar and has a unconventional name. He then showed me how it’s used. The crimper is used to “pinch” and “tighten” specific parts of the wire connectors, such that it will form a snug fit of the wires.
Wire cutter, wire stripper, crimper
Digital calipers, basically measures the width of any object that you want to measure down to the nearest 0.1 decimal point.
And lastly, the Multimeter, which can measure the voltage, current or resistance of any two points of a circuit. He told me that this is very useful when he wants to check whether there is any drop in current anywhere along the circuit, because that could lead to inefficiency in the device or even the device not working properly.
Multimeter A close up of the multimeter
Workspace
His workspace is basically a small table with tools lying around. He tries his best to keep the workspace as tidy as possible, especially when he works with the larger, electronic tools. And when he’s done using the tools, he will return it to where it belongs, in order to keep his workspace as tidy as possible.
Pain points
I was told that one of the constant issues that he face is that he tends to misplace the different tips of the multi-screwdriver whenever he uses it. The fact that he uses it most often, and that the tips are really small in comparison to other tools, really doesn’t help his cause. It’d be good if the tips that aren’t in use can be easily kept safe, at somewhere that’s easily accessible.
@browsbyrach.sg is a home-based wax beautician. The main service she provides is brow shaping and waxing accompanied by the filling in of the waxed brow. Her other services includes upper and lower lip waxing.
Brow Waxing Process Documentation
First, the area to-be-waxed is cleaned, any makeup and facial oils are removed with a cotton pad and a makeup remover and/or pre-treatment cleanser. Next, an “inked” string is used to carefully map out the shape and areas of the brows to be waxed off. Then a wooden applicator is dipped into the heated soft wax, and a thin layer of the wax is applied to the marked area for hair removal. Following, special waxing strips are used to secure onto the wax areas, and is ripped off swiftly in one motion, removing the unwanted hair in the process. After the general to-be-waxed areas are waxed, a pair of tweezers are used to pluck away any stray hairs that were not able to be waxed off in the process. Any wax residue is then removed by another cotton pad, soaked with post-treatment oil.
Workplace Documentation
The worksite is really small, not much space is needed as the equipment needed is compacted onto a small trolley, and the practice is generally stationary, except of the movement of the practitioner’s hands. The worksite consists of two chairs (one for her client, and another for her), a trolley of her tools, and a light source.
Tools
Chair
Hair removal wax
Wax heater
Wax applicator sticks
Waxing paper strips
Cotton pads
Powder
Make-up remover
Cleanser oil (pre treatment)
Wax remover oil (post treatment)
Hair clips and a hair band
Tweezers
Spoolie
Mirror
Light
Pain Points
The main difficulty was getting there, as her home was far off from the MRT station, and even required a walk from the bus stop. But she is unable to practice her work any where else but her home as she does not have any “shop space”, nor is there another appropriate space for her.
I observed my friend, Rickie, who works at Naked Skin Tattoo (@rickiestattoo). She has been a practicing tattoo artist for 2 years now. She first started by doing hand poke tattoos!
Tools used
Transfer paper (with the design on it)
Tattoo machines (consists of the tip, the grip and the main body)
Needle (disposable & varies in size)
Ink
Scissors
Tissue
Gloves
The tattoo machine body (pink), grip (blue), needle and scissors
Process
The design is first printed out on some sort of transfer paper, which will then be transferred onto the skin, acting as a stencil for the tattoo artist.
The artist will then check with you if you are pleased with the placement of the design before getting you to lie down while she steralises the needle and prepares the tools that she needs.
The tatto artist can be seen making some adjustments on the tattoo machine.
She then cleans the area that the tattoo is supposed to be on and begins tattooing the person, using tissue to wipe off any blood or excess ink that comes off during the process. At the end, she cleans the area once again with some sort of gel.
Worksite
Her worksite is a small space within the tattoo parlour itself and is cordoned off through the use of curtains, kind of like those in hospital wards. Her total work area is about 2x4m, with enough space for a tattoo bench, a small trolley desk (where she keeps her tools and needles) and about two stools. The whole tattoo parlour was quite dark (maybe to add to the scary vibes of it) so she had a super bright ring lamp in her work area as well.
Pain points
I think some problems that she might face would be the ink from the image transfer smudging, especially if the area where the person wants to get inked on is under your clothes, so after she transfers the image on, you’ll have to make sure that nothing touches that area for a bit.
Another pain point could also be that some clients may move around while being tattooed (for example if they are very animated people and move unconsciously) or if they are ticklish, or shiver out of pain. This can make it difficult for the artist as it affects the lines that they draw, and could cause them to make a mistake.
Additional notes
While researching about tattoo artists, I came across another artist who specialises in fine line tattoos (@eatdiamonddust on Instagram). Besides her work being very nice, she really takes pride in her work and doesn’t tattoo designs that she doesn’t think are nice nor does she do cover up work because she respects other artists work. I think she’s really cool.
