Evaluative Statement - Unit 2
Overall I am really happy with the work I did over unit 2. I feel like I’ve built a good base of research for my final term, and discovered new techniques by opening up my practice to participation and collaboration.
One big takeaway from Unit 2 came from the Fan project, where I identified the emergence of the methodology I used. This gave me a better understanding of how I naturally work and how I can hopefully move from a divergent investigative part of my main project to a convergent more refined part in Unit 3.
I see it that my practice break into parts – research, experimentation and then refinement. Each part of the process make up an arm of my practice and are equally important and it was enlightening beginning to identify this and lean into it. From where I am at now I see it that I cast a wide net of research initially which is led by my own personal reaction and the human connection to the brief. This includes analysis of objects, visual abstraction, and material understanding. I then use a preliminary round of making to begin to synthesise ideas and create fast, unique unrefined objects that begin to offer creative solutions, but don’t need to be restrained by practicality. This was something I realised was necessary for me creatively, to offer a parameter for ideation and to help me over come anxiety and creative block. Finally I would use these ‘over the top’ objects to inspire a more refined functional phase of design. When working intuitively with my hands I can test ideas and get things out of my system, which otherwise might get in the way of the design process. As a visual and tactile person these ‘over the top’ objects help me understand what I like and don’t like very quickly. Sometimes my reaction can feel quite strong. At times I mistook my dislike for some of the outcomes in both the fan and sensory object project as a failure in the project, however I came to realise that disliking what I’d made actually became really helpful in helping me cut down, process and refine ideas Hating my work along the way helped me discern the direction I do want to move in and also add in some healthy fear about what I don’t want to achieve by the end of the project - which has been enlightening.
Although putting my portfolio together was helpful in helping me understand what I have developed and learned this term, and this discovery of embracing the imperfect as part of my methodology has been really insightful, I still feel like there is a huge gap between where I am now in terms of refinement and quality of making and where I want to be by the end of unit 3. So I can’t help but feel disappointed in myself that I’m entering the final term with a worry that I don’t have the time to get my material investigations and making practice to the level I had hoped by the end of the course. Next term I need to balance my desire to further developing my design and material research, with the need for refinement and final outcomes to the quality that I want.
Something I learnt this term from having to start sharing my practice with a wider audience was the importance of refining and distilling ideas. Someone said the phrase ‘Kill your darlings’ and it stuck with me - this is something I want to spent the first week or so of unit 3 focusing on. Thinking what is achievable, and what I want to prioritise, and work back from there so that this term doesn’t end with a panic that my exploratory inclinations haven’t been resolved into anything more final. I need to prioritise moving past the maquette phase that I’ve felt a bit trapped in.
I experienced a lot of overwhelm in the last term in part because of lockdown, but also I often feel like I want to do too much for the amount of time we have. I find it hard to let go of ideas, and this meant ironically I suffered with creative block and couldn’t do as much as I would have liked in terms of more refined quality making. It felt frustrating and counterproductive that although my aims for my project included developing a practice that is soothing for me, the stress and circumstance was beginning to generate the opposite effect.
Revisiting moments such as my Monday blues, exhibition visits, softened my view on what I achieved this term because it reminded me that we were working in a difficult and unusual situation, and like my seminar it was an exercise in being optimistic in the face of restriction.
Human connection - to ourselves and to one another feels like an important aspect of my work, and through my work this term I hoped to try to find connection wherever possible ( when it was nearly impossible) in the hopes that there too I’d find inspiration. I was pleased that through my seminar I was able to foster and utilise online connection into collaboration and develop this into a mini project concept ‘Hello I miss you’ face sculptures. Next term I would like to develop this a little further and perhaps install a few smiles in the wild, but want to stay as focused on my final designs as possible.
In the final unit I’m hoping to focus mainly on developing the project at domestic scale and creating multi - functioning soothing objects for the home. I would like to create an installation of these in my own home combining existing materials, my circular material palette and inspiration from my body of research. I’m excited to use 3D modelling, 3D printing and CNC aswell as my hand making techniques to begin to refine and develop designs I’m really excited, soothed and proud of.