Final
Evaluation
With the mid project evaluation
only being written two months ago in March I feel, looking back now, that it
was something written much further into the past than it was. In fact the
project has progressed in such a way that the mid project evaluation doesn’t
make much sense any more. I think that’s a good thing, the last thing I would
want to do is look back 2 months and to see the same evaluation that I am
writing now, where would be the sense in that?
It seems important to start the
evaluation process with a look back at the transition between the productions
of a book to a full blown exhibition. Several discussions about the work and
how it was progressing and questions such as key aspects such as whether or not
manipulations should be used, or if should continue to use street photography,
or if I should stick with the housing theme - were continually brought up. And
as these discussions progressed, so did the importance of how my work was
changing. I started to discard the original theme of housing and manipulations
in order to ‘fill the book out’. It felt as if I were only using the street
photography to literally fill the book up, since the manipulations I was using
were both time consuming and 30-40 of these would not have worked in the book
context. I was changing the work to fit the medium and it was evident that this
was a problem and my project was on the line if something did not happen to
curve me back into position. Now, working towards an exhibition I feel happy in
the thoughts that this will be an event to remember, an important moment in my
life in which I have been able to express myself and my project in a way that
merits the theme rather than the medium.
One
of the main aspects in working towards this exhibition has been the fact that hasn’t
just been me in the process; I had joined 3 students in the exhibition team,
which was an insightful and new experience to me. We really have had to work as
a team to create an event that hopefully will be successful, open up new
possibilities and inspire the viewers. I’d like to say that as a group we have
been successful and have worked well together, I also feel that as a group we
have asserted ourselves into different roles within the exhibition process.
Obviously the Gallery contact happened mainly at the beginning of the process
so I couldn’t be there to help, but things like gallery diagrams, organising
meetings, student contact and flyer design all became part of the role that I
played within the group. I feel even though I joined the team quite late on in
the process that I have been of some value and will hopefully have contributed
enough in both the process and in the exhibition.
Along
with the process of working within a team comes the professionalism associated
with organising an event such as this. I feel the development of my
professionalism has been evident through this project, both in the exhibition
and through my photographic practice. My attitude towards this project has
helped me greatly, I know that I have had many doubts and anxieties throughout,
and I feel that without the enjoyment and enthusiasm I have for what I am doing
I would not be successful in my attempts.
The
development of my photographic technical skills has also been evident, along
with the stages of workflow, final edit and printing. I feel this method of
experimentation and development has been useful within the project and has been
a good system to work with. The voyeuristic nature of my shootings has been
difficult and it is something that needs work in the future, taking myself out
of my comfort zone should not inhibit my work and such is an aspect in which
needs attention. My workflow, however, has been an efficient journey and I feel
experimentation has been the key to this project. The same goes with the
manipulations, which again have developed since the start of the journey and has
been an aspect of which I have enjoyed as part of the experience. The printing
stages were relatively simple, although there were a few issues with banding
across the first set of images which turned out to be file corruption from the
USB. The printing sessions from last semester were a great help in achieving
exhibition quality prints. I feel that although my professionalism in both
photographic and workflow context have been developed through this project, I
have found it increasingly difficult to find relating research and/or artists
and photographers that tackle similar aspects of topic to mine. This can both
be good and bad, meaning I can be tackling subjects that have not been delved
into much before, but I do feel that my researching technique will need work
and development for future projects to search deeper and find better resources
for myself.
Through
each of the stages of the project there have been various issues that have had
to be either resolved or changed, and I feel that this whole process has been such
a valuable learning curve. I have never organised an event of this scale
before, and there have been difficulties with the display that I was proposing,
there were some issues with other students regarding space and fundraising has
been a large factor in the process. I feel that as I have joined the exhibition
team quite late, I have somewhat missed some of the fundraising opportunities
and would have liked to have been more involved with the money side of things.
Even
though I have been working towards an exhibition, the first half of the
semester was spent working towards a book, and the time invested in the book I
feel has not gone to waste at all. Aspects such as text formatting, image
selection, spacing, position and layout are valuable tools in photography and
are skills in which I have learnt a lot about with the tutorials that have been
given. I would say that the main thing that I have learnt through this project
is that I shouldn’t necessarily find a medium to suit the topics, rather I
should work with the experimentation towards the subject to find a suitable way
of communicating my intentions.
Tutorials,
peer group sessions and tutor contact have been very useful in the process, and
although I understand that as a second year student there is a lot riding on
myself in the project, it has been an effective contribution to my work,
especially the group sessions. I feel these are valuable and it is always good
to have further input into the projects, as well as contributing to other
students discussions. It has been evident in the tutorials that I have found it
difficult to explain the concept, to which I am working towards, and I feel the
language and discussion about my subject needs attention and development. I
believe that through further projects such as this and in depth research will
contribute greatly to achieve a level of understanding and discussion skills
worthy of the subjects I am involving myself with.
Finally,
it seems I should look at how successful I feel the project has been. When I
think about successfulness there are many aspects of which I can consider. Of
course the main aspect to consider would be the final exhibition, however since
this will not be determined until after the deadline, things such as themes,
images, display and group work will have to be considered. When I look back to
the beginning and read the intentions of my main theme, I find that there has
been a progressive development that has both risen and fallen during the
process. Working with subjects such as status, wealth, power and success has
been both on a personal level to me, and something which I intended to be
related to by the general public. It seems important to use my medium to talk
about issues that relate to myself but that raise points and questions on a
much wider context. This has been the intention of this work and I hope with
the images and contributing display will be successful in this way. Looking
back at the project now I feel that it isn’t finished, there were aspects such
as house walk-ins and interviews which would continue this project forward,
bringing new concepts and ideas into it.
As
the project has progressed I feel my intentions as an artist have too. I have
had various discussions during the process, about where I would really like to
continue in the future. One particular aspect became apparent in these
discussions. I feel like through the project I have been looking for something
else, I have wanted to become part of the process and be connected to it
somehow. For example I had plans to start the process with a fictional
narrative and be a key aspect in the project. It is difficult to pin down this
feeling of a search, but it all seems to connect to the wanting of being part
of a narrative, to be inside the project rather than to take the images and
manipulate from afar. I feel that although this concept has been successful in
communicating both my anxieties as an individual and raising questions about
society today – there is a void in the project that would benefit so greatly if
I were to tackle it. As a second year student I feel this point is something that
should be taken into third year as a valuable learning experience, and that in
future projects I can use this search for a connection and create new, better
and deeper projects for me to handle.
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