Somehow Related hello| The work of Alison Thomson

About

Somehow Related is the work of Alison Thomson.  This young Scot (see Scotland) strives to experiment with life, flirts with temptation and is compelled by change.

Ever inspired by my experiences, I have a tendency to skip the obvious, revealing unexpected, thoughtful and somewhat playful solutions.

I would much rather put on a show than tell a story…

Currently performing such shows in London, I continue to experiment with life and design in order to achieve something very special.

Spending my time studying Design Interactions at the Royal College of Art and freelance film making.

Read about The Chronic Facility

Two articles have been written about The Chronic Facility.  Elena Kinchington has written a lovely article about the project in The Nursing Times.  It also design blog It’s Nice That.

The Chronic Facility

Photography by Dan Medhurst

One day there will be a health care service which caters for life with disease. Until then we have to imagine what it might feel like.

The Chronic Facility is alternative system for treating people with chronic disease, taking the service rituals and system of a restaurant and redesigning it to cater for this need.

The project suggests a future outpatient department of the NHS, with a holistic approach to health care.  Providing a language to discuss issues of living with disease, treatments and diagnosis.

The show at the Royal College of Art will consist of performances of this service where the public has the opportunity to have these sculptures explained by the experts.

Come along on Saturday 26th June between 1 – 3 PM and speak to experts like Prof. Gavin Giovanonni, Prof. David Baker, Freddie Yauner (Shift.MS) and Marlo Donato (Author of Awkward Bitch).

Geek C’est Chic – Redesigning the lab coat

As part of the National Science and Engineering Week (12-21st March) Science London is Redesigning the Lab Coat.  I have been invited to talk about Chronic Couture and the Scientific Creative Modelling workshops and how my work challenges peoples preconceptions of scientists.

Blood, Sweat & Fears

Blood Sweat & Fears exhibitions opens on Tuesday 16th March in Central London.  The event will be a live magazine, held over 5 days in the centre of London and showcasing emerging British talent. Bringing to life fashion, music, film and design this new form of communication is borne out of a boredom with contemporary journalism.  The Chronic Counter will be in full swing for 5 days . . .

Those people who came to The Chronic Counter and imagined what disease looks like.  Ugly.

Work In Progress Show 2010

The Work In Progress Show 2010 for Design Interactions opens Tuesday 2nd Feburary!  We are showing along side Architecture, Animation, IDE, Printmaking and Vehicle Design.  Open 3rd – 9th Feburary 2010, 11am – 8pm daily.

Treat Yourself

What does it mean to have a disease?

Are there alternative ways to be diagnosed?

Why are we treated by this way by the NHS?

Through this project, I am using my role as a designer to infiltrate part of the health institution in order to express alternative approaches to treatment.  I was able to have an MRI scan so I could understand the experince that patients go through.  In anticipation, I created a brain lesion costume to wear for the scan, in order to distract the machine.

Launch Tonight!

Stop.Swap

Stop.Swap

Chloe McCormick and I talked about our collaboration and screened our film “Colour”.  Stop.Swap is a week of cross-departmental workshops and talks in the Hockney Gallery at the RCA.  Created and run by Ana Viegas & Brave New Alps, from the 5th to the 9th of October 2009.
“stop. swap aims at bringing together students from different fields of practice in order to encourage them to share their methods and approaches to a certain subject. It provides a fertile ground for exchange and, like this, facilitates possible future collaborations between students operating in different though neighbouring fields.”

Westwood

As part of Catch Black Productions, we were asked to document the decoration of the frog that is the central icon for Dame Vivienne Westwoods involvement in the Princes Rainforest Trust Project.

“The PRP’s work is focused on two very specific aims. The first is to raise awareness of the damaging effects of deforestation for everyone. The second is to identify appropriate incentives that will encourage rainforest nations to stop burning down vast areas of valuable forests.”