THE SPRING GROUP

MAARTEN AMBAUM - JANET BARLOW - JON BIRD - SHIRLEY CHUBB - GILES HARRISON CHARLIE HOOKER - CHRIS ROSE - SOL SNELTVEDT - DAVID STEPHENSON HOLGER ZSCHENDERLEIN - WAYNE ADAMS - CAROLYN ARNOLD

The SPRING Group: Creative collaboration, innovative production and public exhibition, set at the interface of art and science. Professor Charlie Hooker, University of Brighton

Four years ago, with an FRSF award, I began making regular visits to the University of Reading with the main aim of developing the ‘hard science’ behind the art/science sculptures and installations that I had been producing.

I was fascinated by the instruments and structures situated in the on-campus meteorological field site and began making contact with the scientists responsible for this intriguing installation.

Maarten Ambaum was given the responsibility of introducing me to the Department of Meteorology laboratories and the wide range of specialists working there.

It became apparent that the potential for collaborative projects was immense, so I began to seek other artists and designers to join me.

In January 2005, I wrote to a collection of people from Brighton and Reading who I thought might be interested in this type of activity. I invited them to an all-day meeting in my studio to discuss possibilities, and the Spring Group was born.

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