First half of semester 2 completed.

The last couple of days have been a bit of a whirl.  On Wednesday evening, after my Historical Issues in Art lecture, I staged my work for the Pattern and Meaning assessment on Wednesday.  Lauren, one of the students, kindly gave me a lift home, so I was back by 7.30, otherwise I would not have been home until after 8pm. 

Work ready for Pattern & Meaning assessment

The P&M assessment did not go the way I had expected.  I had displayed my best work - the large 3 colour samples, the colour experiments, my sample folder, my experimentation with repeat patterns, my visual diary and my mini thesis which articulated my reasoning for my project. I thought it looked good.  I had ironed all the samples and it was as professional as I could get it.  But when I spoke about my work and where I wanted it to go, my tutors and peers all thought the black sample with the overprinted outlines was the strongest piece.  And I hate it.  I only put it up because it showed a different technique, and filled a gap on the wall!  The audience thought the overprinting symbolised the confusion of Alzheimers.  So I've been advised to explore this aspect of my work, rather than the colour work that interests me.  I think the sample they like is truly hideous.  What matters to me about the concept is that Dad and I had common interests in beautiful plants, and his Alzheimers, for a period, obstructed our mutual vision and enjoyment.  I don't want to produce work that represents confusion.  So I need to work out where to take it next.. 

The half metre sample of overprinted honkey nut outlines, and silver half drop repeats

Close-up of overprinting - you can see why people thought it represented "confusion".
I still think it is hideous.

After the assessment, I used one of the metre samples to work up my initial idea for the print.  I used the outline screen, and one of the colour screens to apply printed glue to create lines then an obstructing pattern over a section of the fabric.  This is intended to represent the deterioration of thought patterns of Alzheimers, then the return to normal life (and the beautiful fabric) after the individual has died.  Once is has dried, I will add foil and see if my idea works in reality, as well as it works in my mind's eye.

When I got home, I completed a piece of homework where we had to attend a 3rd year student's review and apply feedback given, to our own work and working methods.  This turned out a very useful exercise, because it made me identify why my review had gone in a different direction to what I had intended.  I need to be more careful with the use of words that I use in my assessment review, and very clearly direct where I want the conversation to go.  Had I said my work was about celebrating our common interests and how Dad's Alzheimer's obstructed part of this view, they would not have started thinking about "confusion" and going in that direction.  The words I used focussed on how I had met all the assessment criteria and the breadth of what I had completed.

Today I went to class early.  I spent a happy hour drawing various plants in the university grounds, then went on to Historical Issues in Art tutorial.  I had expected lots of students to be missing, as it is the last day before tuition-free week, but I was wrong.  Most of the class turned up, and we had a couple of student presentations.  We got our results from the written test, and presentation in this subject.  I was pleased - I managed 90% in the short answer written test, and 78% in my presentation on Lucienne Day.  I think the marking in the presentation is a bit generous.  I know my analysis is not particularly hot, and I did not have enough referenced quotes.  But I also know you are marked more leniently if you go first (which I did) because later presenters have had the chance to amend their style by learning from others mistakes.  This is why I prefer to be amongst the first to present.  Then I can relax and pay attention to others' work.

Tonight when I got in, I found my essay result for Private Lives, Public Issues on e-mail.  I got 60% which was a massive relief. I would have been happy with anything over 50%.  I find this subject really difficult because it requires a style of essay writing that is completely different to anything I have done before, and I have never studied sociology or anthropology.  It is enlightening and interesting as an input to my thought process, but academic musing as an output is not going to be my forte.  I will complete the module and be satisfied to simply pass (I have to do a major essay in the next 6 weeks).  I know I will benefit from the writing experience but the subject is really not for me. At the end of this semester I will change the planned module in this series for another art based subject.