GATHER - ASSEMBLE - CONNECT - WEEK ONE REVIEW AND REFLECTION

REVIEW

throughout this week i have definitely been challenged to create high volumes of work - 30 pieces in 3 days. however i decided to give my all to the project in order to create good fast work.

i feel that in this first week of pathways i have already improved from the initial stage 1 as i have learnt a lot from mistakes i made and can now see on reflection how i work best and produce the most effective work in my own style, this has allowed me to therefore refine my ideas in the most successful way, suited to my task. Consequently, due to my theme ‘gather, assemble, connect’ i have decided to take a simpler subject matter which will allow me to create good pieces of work and use my time most effectively. this has meant i have been able to explore a wider range of materials and ideas in a short amount of time, meaning, hopefully, that the next stages of the project will be easier and i will inevitably create positive pieces whilst carrying in with further development as a result of my early refinement. i feel these past two months have really helped me to develop as an artist and understand the foundation course.

artist research throughout this week has been imperative to the sparking and development of my ideas as i have been able to infer from aspects of their work. key artist within my studies are agnes martin and roger ackling. their influence is clearly seen in my work, however i do still feel that the work i have produced is unique and fresh as opposed to clearly copied from the artists. another key element that has really helped me develop my work successfully this week is my focus on lateral thinking in terms of materials. for example, i have used a range of mediums, such as photography, textiles, and matchsticks, this again will make the next stages of my project even more successful.

in the next stage of my project will be focusing on assembling my work in order to create more complete and refined pieces instead of many different aspects. i am interested in looking into methods such as triptychs and dietrichs. i feel that this would be appropriate as a lot of my work could come together to complement each other, for example structural pieces could be combined with other more delicate pieces to create contrasting emotions. my aim for this next week is to explore the power of more abstract and minimalist art whilst creating emotion and emphasis in my work, similar to agnes martin. this should help me to further my work in a more mature and visually pleasing way.

REFLECTION

i feel through this first week i have done some artists research which has really helped me to inspire my work and focused my direction, due to looking at a wide range of artists who take different approaches. however, primary and other secondary research is lacking and something that i must improve in next week.

in terms of idea development i feel i have been successful in developing my project through the first stage as when reflection on my work i can see that there is clear progression and informed change. I do feel that the initial section of the week i could have gathered more materials land primary research to work with, which could have potentially helped to inform my ideas more effectively as i would have had more to work with. However despite this i feel that in terms of ideas i do have a solid base with clear room for further progression. Also with idea development i am confident with the quality of mine as throughout i have had new ideas about the assemble section next week which is a result of my original ideas, and consequently believe that this could be a successful part of my project.

My use of materials and mediums this first week has also been a successful part of my first stage as i have chosen what to use according to what would fit my theme and style best. For example, i have used both pencil and thread within my work to achieve a subtle and peaceful atmosphere. I feel this has been successful and as i have chosen my materials so carefully my time has been spent more productively than in prior projects, allowing my work to be effective and of a higher standard. This is also reflected in my choice of colour pallet. Although i do wish to explore a wider range of tones within my work, i feel that for initial stages i have used a careful and refined set of colours which has meant that i am more content with my work and as a result making me more enthusiastic about working. However i do feel that in the first section of my project i could have collected new materials to work with as i only have photos and drawings. I may go back to this section and build more collections in order to gain a wider range for the next stage of my project.

Some of the feedback i have received is that my work has a ‘subtle’ and ‘calm’ feeling’, while also giving an atmousphere of ‘sexyness’ to it, which is positive to me as i have been hoping to achieve this. As a result of this i would like to develop my work by creating movement and contrast by connecting and assembling my pieces. Furthermore after seeing pieces in birmingham art gallery by naum gabo i can see many different pathways my work could go down in order to expand upon the feedback i have received.