Colleague coversation

Following on from my critique with Charlotte I took the opportunity today at work to discuss my current plans with two of my close colleagues Maria and Sioni. Both have been exceptionally supportive through my MA process and both have a vested interest in the work I have been doing. it was a session that wasn't dissimilar to the 'thinking through drawing' workshop I attended as my marker pen at the ready and white board in front of me. As I mapped out each feature I was able to draw it live whilst both discussed and gave their own personal view on they would perceive the work.

 

As both have read the narrative, they knew what I was attempting to communicate and we started to speak in real detail about particular characteristics and features. use of materials and how the text could be integrated, colour and how this could not be approached in a confirmed way but had to hold a relationship to the work, the way the audience would be and approach the work within the exhibition space and so on.

 

This has really firmed up some of my creative choices and with these two agreeing on not all but a majority of the reasons and aesthetics to the work, that I can really start to push this forwards with production. I have been in-between studio days having a lot of evening conversations with my father about fabrication and in particular the process of installing and suspending the work which play an important role in its success. 

Peer critique

So today was one of those days in the studio where it was all about questioning. For a number of weeks since discussing my initial installation plans I have spent far too much time procrastinating. I have been looking over each of the features and element's within the design and although I have this vivid image in my head I have just been on a bit of a back foot with production. Whilst looking over my plans and ideas my peer charlotte aka Crocs joint me in trying to really thrash out what it all meant. Not being in the same tutorial group nor scheduled on the same day, it is rare for me and crocs to find the time to discuss our work and create our own mini critique. Well . . . you suddenly start to identify weaknesses when you can't fully explain your work and reasons as to why. It was fair to say the crocs was able to pull apart the work very quickly and this led to a rather long and intense discussion about the relevance, how the audience may perceive the work and an overall simplification of the whole installation.

 

It was outlined that the strongest feature of the work to date is the spatial narrative and that this wasn't being executed to its full potential being proposed as wall mounted text. This was considered as a disconnection between text and installation and that the text needed to become further integrated within the installation so that it advertised to the audience the purpose of walking around.

 

The eye lines were considered confusing and irrelevant in that it would be near on impossible to situate the audience within the space correctly as to create a relationship between them and this feature. This was a real big relief in my opinion to hear this, as this was the one aspect that I was really struggling to draw and consider how to go about making.

 

Overall it felt great and really refreshing to have a real in-depth critique that wasn't just accepted but was challenged. The tutorials and critiques this year [despite me having some tough criticism at times] have generally been catch ups and have lacked those fleshing out intellectual conversations. Although I am taking a step back and going to re-draw out the installation plans, I feel much more confident in why it is what it is and how this will work as a complete body of work that will make sense to the audience.

Unit 02 Portfolio

Unit 02 has been a unit of ups and downs, success and failures. I have had some tough tutorials at time and with the critique identifying a lot of issues in my project direction I have had to take some steps back. I do feel though on reflection very happy about where the project will end up. I think the tutors could see that project and myself had a lot more to give and that it could be a very successful project.  Despite my unit 02 portfolio not being as advanced as I would have perhaps wanted, I have produced a lot of work this term and this has really helped me break down each element.  

For unit 01 I was praised by my peers and tutors for the presentation of my work and this is something that I again wanted to ensure was high end. Learning from the previous unit feedback, I have made sure that their is more context within my books that supports the visual imagery. My QR scan actually works this time, so my reflective blog will be seen and assessed. The portfolio very much reflects the term with me having to discuss why particular parts of the project will not be taken forwards. I have spent a lot of time laying out my work and building my visual communication skills. I have used a similar format in the idea of an archive box that will hold all my components.

Although this units marks will not impact on my final grade it would be great that despite how the term has gone that I can match or build upon my B+. This portfolio also includes an updated study plan and a printed copy of my critical research paper.

 

Proposal drawing

I have been thinking about how this drawing is going to come together and work in the form of communicating the spatial narrative. For the final show I know that the text will be presented alongside this [although I need to consider how this will also be presented]. I have started to think about each element as its own drawing and then place these together to produce the final installation.

I need to work at a reasonable scale, but also a scale that depends on the space I am given for the final show [to be discussed in my unit 02 feedback]. The installation will consist of four layers of information presented at heights that deals with their relationship to the body.

1. A concrete cast of the Gagosian floor plan giving an indication of the space that I am walking around. This will be presented on the floor of the gallery space

2. The drawing of weight. this is one of the more difficult elements to explain as I am working on how I can produce marks that start to communicate weight distribution [matching the descriptions in the text]. This will be suspended just above the concrete cast in line with my ankle height. I am looking into Japanese printmaking papers that are light weight in GSM but incredibly strong

3. steel box section that will show a linear route of where I moved. According to Frank [technician] this is easy to work work and I have already started to look at the various junctions I can purchase to help with the angles of my direction. This will be suspended at the height of my waist. A fixed center point of my body.

4. Wire that will be a series of lines welded together showing line of sight. This is complex and will take a lot of time to draw up ensuring that I work with angles and duration lines. This will be suspended in line with own eye line.

To support the potential installation process I have considered the idea of a timber framed reflective mount that would act as a perimeter line of the space. This will enable me to suspend the work form this frame and not into the ceiling. The issue I have is that the final MA show is in studios that will not be clear until mid-august. It is really important that I get an allocated space asap and can start to measure up. The concrete floor is going to have to be made on site and in location as once it is set it is very unlikely that I will be able to move it without it breaking.

MA ISD Interim Show

MA ISD Interim Show

Interim show H&S briefing

This morning we all met in the colleges Triangle space [gallery 1] for an interim show briefing. The show is a collaboration between MA Textile design and ISD students. Although the curatorial team was mixed the rest of us had never met each other. We are still unsure as to why we are having a joint show? there is an awful lot of us and I think everyone is slightly nervous about how the show will come together.  We have just two days to prep and install ahead of Tuesdays 17:00 private view. Having done shows every year with students I know the stress, stupidity and chaos of these situations . . this could be interesting.

Personally  however, I feel OK about the interim show. I will be purely presenting my narrative on my plinth and have decided that for distribution issues and costs I will be printing my narrative on sheets of paper and not in a book format. I have a simple installation set-up and just need to focus on getting a space that works for the project.

The original proposed location of my work is situated close to the bar and it doesn't work for me. I want my work to be placed within the entrance space due to the nature of the work [the audience picking up my narrative] too far into the space and it could feel like a sculpture that people may not engage with.