Despite, as always, experiencing periods of struggle and doubt, this module has probably been one of my favourite in regard to my responses and the work I have produced throughout. I feel like I started to push myself with my GIFs, experimenting with a long and time consuming process, and then really picked up the momentum with the sticker brief. I tried some new approaches with the simplification and shape work, and was then able to carry this development on for the Persons of Note to finish off with a very different outcome to anything I have previously made. I have really enjoyed the individual briefs and felt I have had enough space within them to take risks and branch out to new things. They have felt somewhat more informal almost than any other briefs we have previously been set, and that has been really pleasant to have that opportunity for more self directed and initiated work. It felt as if I could explore more of my interests and be looser with my responses and outcomes as a result, instead of feeling like I have to adhere to a certain set formula of image making or work process.
I am really pleased with the work where I have surprised myself with my outcomes after employing previously unexplored processes and media, such as mono printing. Wrestling with new processes is always fun especially when they are so hands on and engaging; getting it wrong, trial and error, making mistakes and ruining prints is all part of the journey to arriving at an outcome that I can be satisfied with. Naturally I could have pushed this further and maybe been more intentional and exhaustive, perhaps in regard to my roughing, but the techniques and approaches I have engaged in have been immensely rewarding and exciting nonetheless. I feel like with new processes the actual process becomes maybe more important than the images, as you are learning and discovering what works and what doesn’t, however I do believe I was very conscious of the work I was producing and was very intentional with it, especially in my Persons of Note responses.
In terms of visual communication, I have found it very interesting to be more ambiguous and evocative with my work. Trying to weave a meaning and story and personality into abstract work is challenging but exciting and fun to struggle with. I have a lot more to develop with this, but I have made a definite start.
I definitely could have researched more contextually and looked to other practitioners more during this module, but I also really like the fact that I have produced this work out of my reactions to the problems set, uninfluenced or untainted by the practices of others. Obviously other’s practices are immensely important and valuable to research and learn from, but in this work I have not felt the need to invest much into them, for better or for worse.
I want to continue pushing new approaches to working and making images. I feel like I would also love to start incorporating this with my older working processes too, such as the woodcut I printed for Persons of Note and perhaps more figurative work. The combination between shape, texture and more refined image making really appeals to me, especially with narratives, meanings and intentions worked into them.
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