Pick 'n' Mix: Digital Artist in Residence

Digital designs created by Aileen Collis for the Archives Hub: transformations of digital images of archival documents. Images courtesy of Aileen Collis and left to right The University of Manchester, The John Rylands University Library, and of Heriot-Watt University Archive, Records Management and Museum Service, University of Exeter Library (Special Collections). and University of Dundee Archive Services. These images are links to larger versions.

Aileen Collis was Digital Artist in Residence at the Archives Hub during June 2007, creating a new image each week.

Aileen has recently completed two years as Artist in Residence in Textiles and Paper, part of the School of Materials at The University of Manchester. The residency was part of the Setting Up Scheme supported by the Arts Council England, North West. Aileen has previously exhibited some of her digital designs for textiles at the Archives Hub's event To Boldly Go!, which took place at The University of Manchester in July 2005.

Having graduated from Liverpool John Moores University with a degree in Fine Art in 1992, Aileen then went on to work as an Assistant Conservator in the Paper Conservation Department at National Museums Liverpool, from 1992 - 2003. Her work in conservation included re-mounting botanical specimens from an historic herbarium, conserving and re-housing an archive of large format photographic negatives, and repairing water-damaged historical documents. In 2003, Aileen left NML to return to full-time education, completing an MA course in Surface Pattern Design at the University of Central Lancashire in 2005. Aileen's design process begins with photography, which is then manipulated using computer software to create multi-faceted, decorative patterns.

Aileen describes her experience as the Archives Hub's Digital Artist in Residence: "Having worked as an Assistant Conservator in the Paper Conservation Department at National Museums Liverpool, I have first-hand experience of the wealth and diversity of material in NML's collections.

"The Pick 'N' Mix project has given me the opportunity to delve through the vast range of collections brought together in the Archives Hub, to browse through the curiosities, surprises and delights that can be found within. All the images I have picked have some personal significance; they have been found by either browsing through the listings for past features or by using the Hub's search facility."

Archives Hub Blog: Reading Room and Have another slice. Plus Syllabub extraordinary, Pink 'n' Mix, Beside the seaside and Flora.
Link: Indexing and cataloging visual resources.

Link: Creative connections: Art meets science: Aileen's latest exhibition, at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), Manchester, October 24th - November 1st, 2009.

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