1. What skills have you developed through this module and how effectively do you think you have applied them?
I have learnt how to produce work from an academic body of writing, how to pick imagery from a text and turn it into a visual piece of work.
In addition, I have learnt how to use Harvard referencing and how to research academic paper and how to analyse passages from texts. I'm not sure if I applied them that effectively but it's definitely something to build on into level 5.
2. What approaches to/methods of research have you developed and how have they informed your practical outcomes?
I have enjoyed looking at data that has been informed by human experience and the feelings of other people. It's helped my practical outcomes be very honest and close to the heart - but with humour.
This module has been my first chance at creating a piece of work with a matter that I am serious about, so being able to research artists that feel the same way as me has helped me gather a better understanding of what I am serious about and made my practical outcomes stronger.
3. What strengths can you identify in your work and how have/will you capitalise on these?
My visual outcomes were a lot stronger than I was expecting them to be, I was really confused by what we had to do for this module at the start of the year but when I started to visual investigate it became a lot easier for me to decide which route I want to take, the crits we had later on in the year also helped me decide. There's a playfulness in my work which helped me be loose which sprung from not really knowing what to do so I just sorted messed about and I had no boundaries so it helped create something I wasn't expecting this module to take me.
4. What weaknesses can you identify in your work and how will you address these in the future?
I've been really bad at blogging this module and collecting all my research into one place - I researched certain things but I forgot to note it, or blog it or reference it in anyway so there appears to be gaps in my research which I'm really worried about.
I think I could have been more profilic with my sketchbook, created more things to play with and investigate further.
5. Identify five things that you feel will benefit you during next years Context of Practice module?
- Taking the module a bit more seriously. I think because it lasted throughout the whole year and it's quite a slow module, I just put the work to the back of my mind and didn't really think about it until the last year months.
- Attending all the crit and peer tutorial sessions. I shy away from these things because I get insecure about my work but when I attend them no-one is judgemental and people give me some good idea. I think if I'd attended all the sessions my work would be in a better position than it is
- I found out at the start of the year that I could possibly be dyslexic and I had a test to see if I'm at risk and if I should take the proper test which lasts 3 hours. I was at high risk but I kept putting it off taking the test which would lead to extra help and I think my essay was the result of not asking for help. There are well written parts of my essay but I had to go over with friends in order for it to sound right but it wasn't enough help for me. So next year I'm definitely going to take the test.
- More thorough research, maybe instead of reading a bit of the journal or skimming the book, perhaps I should read the whole of the journal and the book - then I will come across more interesting information to add to my argument and could develop my practical work further.
- Think more about artists, during my studio practice modules I always have an illustrator in my mind. Why should COP be any different.
