Category: response to feedback

Refinement and further developments following final feedback ex 3.3 – bicycle chain

In ex 3.3 I came up the the idea of using crochet which is essentially a chain stitch into a bicycle chain. I’ve used the chain here with tea, to rust stain the shape of the hills I see from my garden. While reviewing my work for assessment, I felt that I would like to take this further as I hadn’t time to develop it while refining work at exercise 5.

This found object has layers of meaning for me. The impact of bicycle tracks eroding the landscape (a bike path runs across this hill), the chains of the industrial past in the area, many metaphors like chained down, chained to the past etc.

I used the rust drawing as a rough guide and crochet chains of varying lengths to make the bike chain drape in a hill top route. The wire it hangs off is a little soft but the flexibility aided the process. I’m really excited by the form of this, it’s as if the sky is holding up the hills! Many of my photos for the gathered drawing exercise focussed on edges and this fractal is patern can be found from skyline and cloud shapes to the edges of lichen or water fall ripples.

Refinement and further developments following final feedback – ex 5.1

This piece didn’t stand the test of time, the fabric pods had held really sharp forms that got a bit bashed in the post and gently relaxed over time. I cut them away from the base form , you can see that the sub frame for the pods is quite corset like and it hadn’t given a strong enough support. I replaced it with covered wire that actually gives more of a rib cage. The pods didn’t hang well so I experimented with little strips of weathered cloth, like you see hanging on trees near natural springs, representative of lost souls , t

I quite like this effect but experimented further by stitching some of the pods in different ways to make them hold the shape more, I felt that the seed pod / fortune cookie held more of the idea of the lyrics from crow on the cradle of ‘somebody’s baby is not coming back’ . Tying one of the pods inside the cage like rib structure felt intrinsically right. I think that a little pool of the dishevelled pods in a pool underneath the hanging form like dropped leaves could be quite powerful.

Refinement and further developments following final feedback – ex 1.2

It’s obvious that having to work so quickly through the assignments that some areas would be rushed so I knew that I would be wanting to revisit some projects when preparing for final assessment.

I started by reviewing the complete course and rereading all my assignment feedbacks.

I had considered that I would go back and ‘patch things up’ however looking at my work as a whole I realised that this seemed like hoop jumping, so what I chose to develop some of my pieces further, to build on my learning rather than going backwards.

This exercise from assignment one based on place. I mapped a journey walking from my home up into the hills. The twig that I found mirrored the shape of the route and is wrapped with the colours of my observations from the brown brick houses, Tudor black and white buildings then past the green valley through the rocks following a narrowing path to the waterfall. The journey from modern society , moving back in time.

My thoughts on the organdie fabric was to portrait the growing feeling of lightness as I rose in elevation and left the depression of the modern world behind. I saw the square sections as a disassembled map – moving from ordered grid to volcanically up heaved hills. From feedback at the textiles Meetup in Bristol and from my tutor this was quite tenuous and difficult to read.

The map under the twig shows my route with a cross at the start and end.

The fabric has a black cross at the starting point in the moody dark fabric and a white cross to represent the lighter, relaxed joy of being in the wildness on the white top square, this has been distressed to represent the dissolving of my worries. The map squares are stitched with ordinance survey orange and have been cut and stitched just off square to emulate the uneven ground. It’s convenient but very non representative to draw a rigid grid over a rolling landscape.

Assessment 5 feedback

Summary of tutorial discussion

Demonstration of technical and visual skills, quality of outcome, demonstration of creativity –

You have a very interesting body if work here Linda. Well done for this, you have been focused in your approach and yet produced some exciting experimental pieces. 

You have analysed your previous assignments and considered a new idea to move your sampling forward. The ideas are held together by music ( something you found hard to respond to in an earlier assignment) and some of your samples reflect your responses to the track. 

Your large fabric rust piece is very interesting, the scale is exciting and the way you have drawn with found objects , leaving a ghost of an image.

Please consider how you show your samples for assessment. We discussed labels or small tags to identify the sample or to explain how the sample should be viewed. 

Consider why you have left some sample with threads, ribbon, cord unfinished and hanging. Please explain your reasons or rectify this. 

You have documented your sampling well with drawings, rubbing, collages. Make sure that these observations are helpful for you. Please consider how you can use them to move your ideas forward rather than them being a “tick box” exercise. Are they helping you to understand the scale/ composition/ texture of the sample …… Can you do more to trail out your ideas before going into 3d.

I feel there is a part of the assignment missing where you are developing your trials working towards your final piece/ trial. We discussed doing more work on the fabric pieces on the iron work. Can you try different shapes, colours, materials….. Could they be attached in different ways. Should they be white against the hard metal? Could you use a distressed fabric or do you prefer the sharp clean white ?  If so why……. They feel a little too decorative for me , maybe a little too unconsidered and controlled in application? What if each link of the chain had a module/ shape how could each one be attached thoughtfully? These are just ideas and questions it is for you to really work this out, you have time for this and you might come up with a better result, or maybe not …. But it would be interesting to see your journey.

Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis – 

You are reflecting on your work much better well done. Do still keep asking questions though (I have suggest some above)

Please add a link to the music track if you have not already done.

Add an image of the crochet chain.

Decide how we should view the orange ties on the wire, maybe suggest this in a photograph with the piece.

You have explained your work well in 5.2

Rejig the part where you are responding to the criteria, things could be placed under better headings. 

I have really enjoyed working with you. All the best for your assessment.

 

Tutor name

Jenny Udale

Date

24 august 2019

Next assignment due

 

Assignment 4 feedback

Summary of tutorial discussion

Demonstration of technical and visual skills, quality of outcome, demonstration of creativity –

This assignment is not complete but you have some lovely ideas within it. You are demonstrating technical skills in the development of your samples and visual skills placing them in different environments. However both of these could be developed further, see below:

Your altered sample is very well constructed, using the weave to hold the two pieces together. Please think about this idea when you decide on how the 2 arcs should finally be fixed in the second sample ( don’t use the rubber bands) . You could also consider different weave patterns.

Your photos show some interesting locations but now think more about the lighting and interesting shadows that this piece casts. Think also about a crisper image of the “perfect “ gallery shot. 

Consider the decisions you made when you created the arc on the small curve, what were you trying to achieve? You said you didn’t want it to be symmetrical you felt it balanced too well, so you chose an asymmetric un-balance composition. We wonder if it will tip over ? There is tension in this piece which relates to the tension in the spring itself. Think about this with the development of your other spring sample. Also consider this when you are displaying the sample. We discussed placing it on a plinth so it overhangs it, which will add to the idea of tipping and tension.

Please document your ideas and the development of your samples, include drawings, collages etc to show your thought processes. 

Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis – 

You are creating innovative work here, but please make sure you include the rest of the work that supports your ideas. Also go through the assignment and make sure you have answered what is asked of you fully. 

Add links to the summer exhibition and Tracy Emin in relation to displaying work in a gallery space. 

Add image of the Caro sculpture you were talking about.

You need more reflection on the Grayson Perry tapestry, looking at the use of colour, how the artwork makes us feel etc ( refer to the course work )  

Your reflections on the Van Gogh and your own artwork could be better presented and you could include more information on the composition. Especially how you changed your work, explain this in more detail please. If you had other ideas of how you were going to change it then also include this. 

Please reorganise your blog so that you have your initial sample in a “perfect place” first then you need to show the altered sample and other places that you have put it.

Well done for producing what you have in the short time frame, I look forward to your next assignment.

Feedback assignment 2

Summary of tutorial discussion

Demonstration of technical and visual skills, quality of outcome, demonstration of creativity –

You did well to produce this body of work in a short time. You have approached each exercise with thought and tried iterations of ideas. There could however be further investigation in the exercises , the body of work feels a little bit light but i am sure this is due to a lack of time and not a lack of ideas.

It might be that you should separate out some of your more resolved or successful pieces and mount simply on cartridge for assessment. For example your self portrait, the rubbing of your letter, the rubbing of the leaves in your environment. I shall confirm from Sandra if this is a good idea.

You experimented well with a variety of materials and processes. You handled line well in the initial drawing exercise. You produced a strong graphic composition.

The photos of the found marks were very successful. You observed very interesting textures, colours and compositions in these images. Think about how you instinctively did this with the camera frame and how this could be applied to samples you are creating.

The end of the sketchbook felt a bit rushed and scrappy. Please make sure papers are either in the book attached, out in a separate book or just placed in a simple fold of clean white paper acting as a sleeve. For assessment put details of the exercise neatly on the corner of the sleeve.

Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis –

You presented your work well on your blog. It would however be helpful to have a paragraph of reflection after each exercise. ( you started to do this in the last couple of exercises)

Please give more detail in your reflection for example you say that you were underwhelmed by a certain assignment, explain why you think this is.

You mentioned Tracy Emin and Elise Englar were important artists for you in this assignment, please explain why. What did you connect with in their work? Do you feel that your work was a response to this, if yes why, if not then why not ?

Please include the rest of the research artist analysis in the final assessment.

Well done, I look forward to your next assignment.

Feedback assignment 1

 

Summary of tutorial discussion

 

Demonstration of technical and visual skills, quality of outcome, demonstration of creativity –

 

Techniques to help you complete on time:

I understand that parts of this assignment were difficult for you to start. You need to have a way to make decisions and just get on with it . We discussed using the decision making as an interesting maybe conceptual way of working rather seeing it as a problem. So choosing things blind, tossing a die. As you are pushed for time it is important that you can crack on with your work. Obviously there still needs to be time for reflection but not procrastination!

It’s interesting, this feeling of being frozen by a looming deadline is a state that I feel could be a really interesting line of inquiry – if I had the time ……. my procrastination is partly full on procrastination but a large amount is brain chemicals, shifting hormones and sadness, my brain processing internal and external change, it’s been a s**t year all in all.

However the wrk needs doing and I’m determined -just need to get the momentum going…

 

It is important that you answer what is being asked of you, make sure that you complete all the tasks. It felt a little thin in parts and there was one part missing 1.4.

1.4 was a sticking point, I’m now waiting for the release of The Lost Words: Spell Songs

Macfarlane, Robert . This is a cd of songs inspired by Macfarlanes investigation into 50 nature words that are removed from the children’s Oxford English Dictionary.
I think that I took the tasks too literally and will try to achieve more depth in future exercises. My recording of ideas needs to be clearer, a balance between analysing all my sketch book notes whilst avoiding repetition on the blog and not getting too sidetracked.

 

Really consider your research and what it can provide for each assignment. If you get stuck within an assignment you might need to revise the research and expand on ideas or go deeper.

This idea of back tracking to provide more inspiring research to use in the project tasks is really important – it will stop me wasting time agonising about how to make thing fit, and will save time in the long run.

 

Your work could be more conceptual? You enjoyed the method of working in mixed media which is not theme based. Working with materials and developing processes. You could push this method of working more, maybe developing a narrative more than a theme. For example on the journey you could be walking and recording materials, picking up materials as you go. Looking at what materials lay with each other, can they be broken as you walk on them, do they change form. Do they change from morning to evening, do other people interact with them …….( I just looked at 1.1 it is clear to me that you really enjoy materials, the work you have analysed from mixed media is stronger than your new sample for this assignment. This is because you are not trying to create a “picture” but you are simply working with materials and forms and then documenting them. In this new piece you are trying to make the materials represent a landscape / picture which is not so honest or exciting.  We can discuss this next time we talk but please reflect on this point for your next assignment. )

This is excellent – really clarifying. I loved MMT and found the materials led approach really suited my inquisitive nature. Project one of I&P felt quite forced but thanks to this feedback I think that I’m understanding how to move forward and approach it in a way that is more natural to me. Narrative and context are important to me.

 

Your bird sample was very interesting ( and works as a narrative / conceptual idea) but how could this have been developed further?

I also felt that mapping the bird flight paths in my garden was more exciting, when I get my sketch book back I will see if I can implement some of the ideas that I noted. I’m particularly interested in exploring how I can invoke my crow friends in a ark making exercise using a back drawing process and peanuts. If it works it would be interesting to produce a series with some consistent approach combined with random elements, time of day, number of peanuts etc

 

Experimentation and developing your own personal voice:

You work could be more experimental. You could be using a larger variety of materials. All your work is a similar shape and size. Go bigger or much smaller.

This excites me, I felt constricted by size for example on the interpretation of music Woking on A3 but felt compelled to follow the instructions! This will be part o f my rewinding process. I will refine my inner grrr and run free!!!

 

We discussed  that you could be thinking about how you bring your own interests and skills into each assignment. I think you would then enjoy the assignments more? For example you really enjoyed mixed media, you enjoy working with materials so when you completed the last task you could have drawn or printed on wooden veneers to see what effect that gave.

 

Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis –

 

I found your Blog difficult to navigate i didn’t realise i had to start at the bottom of page 2 and work my way up. Is it possible to have it so the first page opening up is the first part of the assignment etc…..

I’m not sure what happened there! I have worked out how to put more posts on each page so that issue should be dealt with. I have set up draft posts for the entire course so they should appear in order I think. I’ve also worked out the categories so hopefully my blog will read more clearly. Currently I’m not sure if I need to (or how to)change theme to improve clarity. WordPress still keeps its secrets well

 

There needs to be more reflection on what you are doing and also what you have chosen not to do and why.

I suggest once you have finished the piece you are working on stand back from it and critique it. What is working and what could you improve on. What were you trying to achieve and have you succeeded. Note down your comments.

 You could record your reflections verbally and then write down the key points.

 I’m going to try using voice memos to help me . My typing is getting quicker slowly. I’ve made a prompt card to refer to when self evaluating based on critical thinking skills workshop.

You need to present your work more clearly for assessment. Labels with assignment points on each.

This was lazy of me as I literally threw assignment one in the post and then found the how to send work to your tutor for assessment. I can see how feedback will be helped by clearer labelling of work.

 

Well done, I look forward to your next assignment.