Controlled Rummage Approaches for Bummock: Tennyson Research Centre

Andrew Bracey

'Bummock: Tennyson Research Centre' is an artistic research project involving three artistic researchers: Andrew Bracey, Danica Maier and Sarah Bennett. A bummock is the unseen — submerged — part of an iceberg, and comprises the largest volume of ice, compared with the tip — which is visible above the surface of the water. Likewise, archives hold more items than are commonly viewed or accessed. In Bummock, we choose to bypass the catalogue to engage with materials directly, establishing a 'controlled rummage' method as an alternative approach to standard archive access practice. This iteration of the Bummock project explores, examines, and creates new artistic research from five years of working with the Tennyson Research Centre (TRC), Lincoln, UK. This exposition has been collaboratively authored by the three artistic researchers and is structured into two sections. The first, labelled the 'controlled section', serves to introduce the project and its core concerns. The second, referred to as the 'rummage section', provides visitors with the opportunity to navigate their own path through the archival objects from the TRC and the artworks created. Within this section, individual reflections and critical discussions on three themes are presented: our past experiences working with archives, the research journey of the project, and potential future directions stemming from our research. The exposition concludes with a collective summary of findings and a film documenting the project. The contribution of this exposition is twofold: first, to unveil and disseminate the artistic research associated with the project, and second, to identify the key benefits that artists can bring to the archive by employing the 'controlled rummage' approach. The intention is to establish a framework that facilitates future use by other archive users. Download Accessible PDF

Controlled Rummage Approaches for Bummock: Tennyson Research Centre

Sarah Bennett, Andrew Bracey, and Danica Maier

The tip of the iceberg represents just a fraction of the whole; it is the visible and clear part of an idea, problem, or this artistic research exposition.

The largest part of the iceberg found underneath the water's surface; similarly, archives and this artistic research exposition contain more material than is regularly seen or accessed.

Tip of the Iceberg (noun)

Bummock (noun)

Controlled

Rummage

Exploring an archive or collection through a 'controlled rummage' means diving straight into the materials instead of relying on catalogues. It's most effective when you skip the catalogue and interact directly with the archive's space and the actual items.

In this exposition, you can enter through a controlled route to encounter an introduction, core concerns, and established knowledge of the Bummock: Tennyson Research Centre project by clicking on the 'tip' of the iceberg icon, or you can delve straight into a rummage of the artistic research project by clicking on the 'bummock' of the iceberg icon. Within the exposition, you can navigate back-and-forth between the two parts.

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