Client
Inside the Mudlark Studio:
Secrets of the Thames exhibitionUsing long exposure photography and a turntable, Mudlark Mark Sowden reconstructs how a pottery sherd might have looked as a complete object. We created an interactive installation to help visitors understand how Mark interprets his finds. By turning the handle visitors rotate the turntable which in turn animates the image on screen revealing the full plate as it once may have looked.
Early in the project, the museum introduced us to Mark Sowden, a mudlark and potter who has developed inventive ways of documenting his finds. We were especially intrigued by his project Turnings, where he uses a potter’s wheel and long-exposure photography to rotate a pottery fragment through 360º, revealing its full form.
We proposed an interactive experience that recreates Mark’s process in a museum context, allowing visitors to experience firsthand how a mudlark thinks. Early prototypes explored different ways of using hand cranks to let visitors turn a sherd on a turntable.
The final experience combines custom code, a small-form computer, an aluminium frame, 3D-printed parts, and several sensors and motors (fabricated by Tom Cecil), all working together behind the scenes to create a simple and intuitive experience for the visitor.
Special thanks to Mark Sowden who’s amazing long exposure photography inspired this project. Mark was incredibly generous with his time and supportive of the project through every stage of it’s development. This is Mark at the exhibition playing with the final experience.
Storyboarding
Prototyping
Design Detailing
Code development
Installation
Turntable FabricationTom Cecil
CuratorKate Sumnall