EvaluationMy project is a journey through experiments and materials, a gathering of mini explorations that link together like branches of a tree. Without the need for a defined outcome, the Exploratory project was the perfect opportunity to 'play' and work inside different disciplines without judgement or expectation. The ideal space to dip into techniques to expand my horizons. Next, I would like to hone into one thing and exhaust it, explore it as far as I can.Takeaways: okay to be multidisciplinary, try things out, use the opportunity to experiment.What pushed me? fear of failure, excitement in techniques.Alongside wanting to do well and push my practice I was urged on by my own excitement in the processes and outcomes of each of the experiments. When something became stuck or didn't offer an immediate resoltion I was able too to put it down and move on to another area of the project.Sculpture: not yet comfortable & resisted so didn't see it through. The use of the laser cutter and unfamiliar materials seemed to be a step too far for me, I wasn't able to progress in this area as much as I would have liked.Books: materiality - only just touched on material exploration. In Tutor and Peer critiques, the books were received relatively well, there was interest in them as books and as art objects once sealed with paint, however, the materiality was questioned. I began to experiment with paper making but was not able to explore bookmaking with my own paper on the timescale.Scale: I resisted large scale for fear of not completing & challenging timescale - wanted to get the most out of the project. Again the personal issue of fear of failure held me back here, I did not want to start a large piece that showed slow progress for a project that was about exploring. I wanted to use the time as effectively as possible, so maintained smaller works to allow for more outcomes, I wanted quantity in this instance.Could push materials further - explore the stitched paper & its delicacy. The use of handmade paper and how the stitch interacts with it.Digital: needing to acquire new skills, self-taught studio set up, lighting, stop-go, adobe premier - I taught myself basic video creation and editing skills during this project which was fun and quite fulfilling. I am happy with the test videos I have created, I think there is more scope for using video as a medium to record performance.My expectations of making and the resistance to outsource - laser cutter or manufacturing - I am a traditionalist at heart and find it difficult to put value into concepts rather than material so if the work is created by other on my behalf I am challenged by this. I would like to place this directly into the work, consider if I can create work that requires the audience to do the 'making'.Destruction of work: - removal of 'precious' feelings towards work and seeing it all for what it is. Unpicking work became a piece in itself and the outcome was aesthetically pleasing. I absolutely loved this aspect of the work, both the dipping of the books and the unpicking of the textiles that was filmed. It was liberating to not feel chained to a final piece, to allow them to evolve into something more and something else.Overall the risk-taking aspect was the most profound takeaway from this project. I wish to make work and to destroy it, or evolve it with another process.The submission:It feels so small. It's tough to really pull your work into a small sendable package for assessment. To work out how you might be able to tell you story/express your thoughts in a succinct manner in a few pieces.It was however also quite cathartic and liberating to find that I could express my work in a minimal way.
