Last assessment for Semester 2 completed

Yesterday I had my 4th assessment of the semester.  It went quite well and I was relieved when it was over.  I had submitted two images of Dad, and a portfolio of samples.  The assessors were less impressed with the images of Dad, than the portfolio, which they liked.  I agreed with them. 

The assessors were surprised that I had mounted the images, but from my perspective, I had borrowed the frames from Tracy, and they were quick and easy to mount, and looked a lot more professional when on a frame.  I've done quite a lot of mounting of printed textile on a frame so this was easy. 

The assessors queried why I had set up the assessment the way I had.  We were told to distinguish material that had been assessed in first semester (but to display it), and make it easy for the assessors to identify and assess the second semester's work.  I had the 1st semester work on the wall at the corner of the room, then the development printing in the middle, then Dad's images to the left.  The folders of work were on a table under the middle section, with the portfolio in the middle at the front.

First semester homework exercises

Second semester - developing layered pattern

Me with Dad's images as he disappeared into Alzheimer's Disease

The portfolio was a lot more work and I've never tried to create a professional looking folio like this.  I did not have the relevant mounting materials to hand, so the cardboard backing, and plastic cover sheet were recycled from other students' redundant materials from other assessments.  The assessors thought this was my prime work (I agreed) and that it should have been privileged, not set on a table with the rest of my work.  I find the privileging of work really difficult.  I thought the portfolio would look odd on a table by itself, which was what the assessors said would have been best.  And I've been pulled up for photographing exercises on a bare table, when I should have covered it with paper.  Some people use a tablecloth, but I think this looks really scruffy when the cloth has not been ironed and still has prominent fold marks in it.  I suppose I should have had an ironed tablecloth on the table, with just the portfolio on it, set underneath Dad's images.  Alternatively maybe I should have found a white pillar - maybe 1.5m tall by 50x50cm and set the portfolio on that.  That would have looked considerably better, particularly if set in front of Dad's images.

Still, for all the criticism, they seemed quite impressed with the portfolio, which I thought was a thing of joy - by far the best work I've done.