Martin Conreen | Goldsmiths, University of London (original) (raw)
Papers by Martin Conreen
In 2005, Conreen, Miodownik and Laughlin received funding from the EPSRC to establish the '��... more In 2005, Conreen, Miodownik and Laughlin received funding from the EPSRC to establish the '��Art and Science of Materials' network that linked materials scientists with practitioners in art and design. The network was launched at the Tate Modern on 15 April. After the launch Conreen et al were approached by the Tate Modern and asked to create various exhibits and installations to enable the public to engage better with contemporary art by understanding the materiality of the art itself. This entry is a series of curated exhibits and performances staged by Conreen et al (Materials Library Group at the Tate Modern. Different gallery spaces in the museum were the focus of investigation and ultimately for the elucidation of the significance of the materials of art production. They were designed to complement the re-hang of the museum and curated using four titles - '��Material Gestures', 'Poetry and Dream', '��States of Flux' and 'Idea & Object'. ...
The Wellcome Trust sponsored Conreen et al to produce a series of exhibits, installations and liv... more The Wellcome Trust sponsored Conreen et al to produce a series of exhibits, installations and live events in their gallery space to provide an insight into the materiality of flesh, and its connection with the Wellcome Collection; to human health and medicine. The approach was largely aimed at an affective visitor experience. The audience (approx. 300) were offered the opportunity to touch, feel, smell, cut, drill and even taste flesh. The ultimate aim of the exhibition was to provide a complement to the Wellcome Trust collection, enhancing visitor experience and extending their understanding of health and medicine through appreciating the material connections that work in these areas. Flesh, in its numerous guises and forms, was presented using the conceit of tables (referring to the dissecting table of medical research). The event was curated around the following titles: The Organ Table; The Dissection Table; Preserving Table; Eating Flesh; Flesh Eating; DNA Table; Skin Table; Cut...
Materials & Design, 2015
Designers increasingly have the opportunity to influence the development of materials as they eme... more Designers increasingly have the opportunity to influence the development of materials as they emerge from the laboratory. In order for this to be successful, designers need to be able to communicate effectively with materials scientists so that materials can be developed with desired functionalities and properties. This paper reviews evidence in favour of using isomorphic sets of material stimuli as tools to bridge the disciplinary gap between designers and materials scientists. We show how these isomorphic sets and their accompanying experiments can be used to translate between the two communities, and to systematically explore the relationship between the technical attributes of materials and subjective experiences of their sound, taste and feel. This paper also explores the limitations of psychophysical approaches and other quantitative techniques for elucidating material experience, and suggests new possibilities for interdisciplinary collaborations that draw on ethnographic approaches.
This paper examines whether the physical properties of materials can be useful predictors of psyc... more This paper examines whether the physical properties of materials can be useful predictors of psychophysical properties of materials. In this study psychophysical methods were employed to study the link between the measured surface roughness, elastic modulus and thermal effusivity and the perceptual qualities of roughness, hardness and coldness, for a diverse set of materials (woods, polymers and metals). A strong positive correlation was found between the physical and the psychophysical properties of materials that determine touch perception. Furthermore, by analysing the data in which vision of the sample was controlled, it was found that in some cases there is a shift in touch perception between the sighted and unsighted condition that affects polymer samples most strongly.
Food Quality and Preference, 2011
Mark (2011) The use of standard electrode potentials to predict the taste of solid metals. Food Q... more Mark (2011) The use of standard electrode potentials to predict the taste of solid metals. Food Quality and Preference, 22 Please cite this article as: Laughlin, Z., Conreen, M., Witchel, H.J., Miodownik, M., The use of standard electrode potentials to predict the taste of solid metals, Food Quality and Preference (2011), Abstract 21 22 Not all metals taste equally metallic when placed in the mouth. While much work has been 23 done to examine the metallic taste sensations arising from metal ions in solutions, there is 24
Food Quality and Preference, 2011
Not all metals taste equally metallic when placed in the mouth. While much work has been done to ... more Not all metals taste equally metallic when placed in the mouth. While much work has been done to examine the metallic taste sensations arising from metal ions in solutions, there is comparatively less known about the taste of solid metals. In this study seven metals in the form of spoons were used to compare the perception of taste arising from solid utensils placed inside the mouth. Thirty-two participants tasted seven spoons of identical dimensions plated with each of the following metals: gold, silver, zinc, copper, tin, chrome and stainless steel. More negative standard electrode potentials were found to be good predictors of solid metals that had tastes scoring highest for the taste descriptors strong, bitter and metallic. Thus, it was found that both gold and chrome (having the most positive standard electrode potentials) were considered the least metallic, least bitter and least strong tasting of the spoons. Zinc and copper (having the most negative standard electrode potentials) were the strongest, most metallic, most bitter, and least sweet tasting of the spoons. We conclude that gold and chrome have tastes that are less strong than metals with lower standard electrode potentials.► Standard electrode potentials found to be good predictors of the taste of metals. ► Gold and chrome were the least metallic and least bitter metals in our tests. ► Zinc and copper were the most metallic, most bitter tasting metals in our tests.
In 2005, Conreen, Miodownik and Laughlin received funding from the EPSRC to establish the '��... more In 2005, Conreen, Miodownik and Laughlin received funding from the EPSRC to establish the '��Art and Science of Materials' network that linked materials scientists with practitioners in art and design. The network was launched at the Tate Modern on 15 April. After the launch Conreen et al were approached by the Tate Modern and asked to create various exhibits and installations to enable the public to engage better with contemporary art by understanding the materiality of the art itself. This entry is a series of curated exhibits and performances staged by Conreen et al (Materials Library Group at the Tate Modern. Different gallery spaces in the museum were the focus of investigation and ultimately for the elucidation of the significance of the materials of art production. They were designed to complement the re-hang of the museum and curated using four titles - '��Material Gestures', 'Poetry and Dream', '��States of Flux' and 'Idea & Object'. ...
The Wellcome Trust sponsored Conreen et al to produce a series of exhibits, installations and liv... more The Wellcome Trust sponsored Conreen et al to produce a series of exhibits, installations and live events in their gallery space to provide an insight into the materiality of flesh, and its connection with the Wellcome Collection; to human health and medicine. The approach was largely aimed at an affective visitor experience. The audience (approx. 300) were offered the opportunity to touch, feel, smell, cut, drill and even taste flesh. The ultimate aim of the exhibition was to provide a complement to the Wellcome Trust collection, enhancing visitor experience and extending their understanding of health and medicine through appreciating the material connections that work in these areas. Flesh, in its numerous guises and forms, was presented using the conceit of tables (referring to the dissecting table of medical research). The event was curated around the following titles: The Organ Table; The Dissection Table; Preserving Table; Eating Flesh; Flesh Eating; DNA Table; Skin Table; Cut...
Materials & Design, 2015
Designers increasingly have the opportunity to influence the development of materials as they eme... more Designers increasingly have the opportunity to influence the development of materials as they emerge from the laboratory. In order for this to be successful, designers need to be able to communicate effectively with materials scientists so that materials can be developed with desired functionalities and properties. This paper reviews evidence in favour of using isomorphic sets of material stimuli as tools to bridge the disciplinary gap between designers and materials scientists. We show how these isomorphic sets and their accompanying experiments can be used to translate between the two communities, and to systematically explore the relationship between the technical attributes of materials and subjective experiences of their sound, taste and feel. This paper also explores the limitations of psychophysical approaches and other quantitative techniques for elucidating material experience, and suggests new possibilities for interdisciplinary collaborations that draw on ethnographic approaches.
This paper examines whether the physical properties of materials can be useful predictors of psyc... more This paper examines whether the physical properties of materials can be useful predictors of psychophysical properties of materials. In this study psychophysical methods were employed to study the link between the measured surface roughness, elastic modulus and thermal effusivity and the perceptual qualities of roughness, hardness and coldness, for a diverse set of materials (woods, polymers and metals). A strong positive correlation was found between the physical and the psychophysical properties of materials that determine touch perception. Furthermore, by analysing the data in which vision of the sample was controlled, it was found that in some cases there is a shift in touch perception between the sighted and unsighted condition that affects polymer samples most strongly.
Food Quality and Preference, 2011
Mark (2011) The use of standard electrode potentials to predict the taste of solid metals. Food Q... more Mark (2011) The use of standard electrode potentials to predict the taste of solid metals. Food Quality and Preference, 22 Please cite this article as: Laughlin, Z., Conreen, M., Witchel, H.J., Miodownik, M., The use of standard electrode potentials to predict the taste of solid metals, Food Quality and Preference (2011), Abstract 21 22 Not all metals taste equally metallic when placed in the mouth. While much work has been 23 done to examine the metallic taste sensations arising from metal ions in solutions, there is 24
Food Quality and Preference, 2011
Not all metals taste equally metallic when placed in the mouth. While much work has been done to ... more Not all metals taste equally metallic when placed in the mouth. While much work has been done to examine the metallic taste sensations arising from metal ions in solutions, there is comparatively less known about the taste of solid metals. In this study seven metals in the form of spoons were used to compare the perception of taste arising from solid utensils placed inside the mouth. Thirty-two participants tasted seven spoons of identical dimensions plated with each of the following metals: gold, silver, zinc, copper, tin, chrome and stainless steel. More negative standard electrode potentials were found to be good predictors of solid metals that had tastes scoring highest for the taste descriptors strong, bitter and metallic. Thus, it was found that both gold and chrome (having the most positive standard electrode potentials) were considered the least metallic, least bitter and least strong tasting of the spoons. Zinc and copper (having the most negative standard electrode potentials) were the strongest, most metallic, most bitter, and least sweet tasting of the spoons. We conclude that gold and chrome have tastes that are less strong than metals with lower standard electrode potentials.► Standard electrode potentials found to be good predictors of the taste of metals. ► Gold and chrome were the least metallic and least bitter metals in our tests. ► Zinc and copper were the most metallic, most bitter tasting metals in our tests.