Tutorial Report 17

Date:     28^th May 2012                 Tutor:  Emma Bulley

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Reflection on outcomes since last tutorial

This tutorial was partly to look back over recent assessment. I asked about the theory comment Emma had made, “You are clearly very articulate in terms of art theory; I think this might hinder your working process.” I had really thought that integrating theory had been a weakness in my MA work, but I think it really depends on how you define theory – I think Emma was referring to comment and reflectiveness.

Looking at and questioning habitual ways of working – other approaches – materials. My rigor is ideas – ideas are intrinsic to material. Look at ways to incorporate material into thinking.

The risk question – for me risk is going too far and ruining a piece – not moving on.

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Current projected aims and outcomes

I have plenty of material from the Exploratory Project to bring to the current Studio Practice. I found that I have much more techniques, ideas, media, etc, current and available to me, rather than past phases I’ve done already. Suddenly resistances to using sound have melted. Happy to concentrate a bit more on Moving Image. Told Emma that Angela’s comment about the submitted assessment piece, the blurred rolling credits – that it was not finished, was actually incorrect. Although I still plan to make sound for that piece, I actually do consider that a finished piece of work that I would show. It is a moment in time that actually captures my intent. I cared less that I normally do about making it more palatable for audiences – I know it is more difficult, that the viewer must already agree with it in order to watch it, but still, It is as I want, difficult relentless blurring, fading into the past, almost unreadable.

Now, the Studio Practice project is to deepen work.

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Discussion and recommendations

Reflection

I think I’m beginning to understand and appreciate Emma’s style of teaching. She offers alternatives, other approaches, sometimes coming in at a completely different angle from where one is as an artist, not as suggestions as to where one might go or how a thing should be approached, but really, to see how you respond to that. I think initially, I, and other in the group, were a little defensive about that, concluding that at times Emma had misunderstood or misconstrued us, or that a conversation was straying into different territory than what we wanted to talk about.

Now I really see how useful it is to talk about work not always in your own language, or deep within own intent. Partly, that’s good practice for outside the MA, where people come at art from all different angles and agendas, and also, it makes on really consider things outside habitual thinking. When Emma asked me about working in a more material-led way, it made me realise how idea-led I am, and that materials serve that for me. Of course, materials suggest, and inspire, and create the limitations and conditions of work, but being asked about my practice, through the paradigm of materials, allows me to consider the centrality of ideas rather than materials to my work.

7th June 2012