MA Week 16 - Crits

The taught session this week took the form of two crits. You had to take in some work, so I took the decomposed gasometer pictures (explained in this post) and some of the laser cuts of my face. I was nervous about sharing the work as I felt it was still at a very early stage. Each of us displayed our work as you might see it in a gallery.

 

Ready for critiquing!

 

 

Silent crit

We worked in a group of 4. Three participants observed and commented on the work of the other participant, who had to remain silent for about 10 minutes and then was able to respond and discuss for 5 minutes. I had expected it would be very difficult to keep quiet, but it was totally absorbing listening to the others’ comments.  I really enjoyed this exercise and I got lots out of it (and I hope the others in my group did, too).

Comments received:

Images form a series of 4, linked

(Three colour laser cut)

eyes lose detail as overlaid

Carry on with more of the same cut images

Make a circle with more of the same cut images

Carry out a journey in colour by using more of the same cut images in a rainbow of colours

(laser cut with gasometer image)

Selection of words on image appears deliberate

Depicts hidden or contained memory which now exists only inside your head

Self is natural ; gasometer is man-made

Image is very delicate. Try more layers to get depth.

Link between me and gasometer

(Decomposed gasometers)

Japanese sunburst above my image

Curiosity re how the images were produced

Relief; positive and negative

 

Fellow MA students, Sally and Ali, seeing the lighter side!

Socratic crit

 

Again we worked in a group of 4. In this style of crit, the artist can introduce their work and the group can discuss freely. I found this less useful because I was priming the other participants with my viewpoint, rather than letting them form their own opinions. 

Comments received

Try a monoprint of my face to lose some of the crispness and control

The laser cut lines look like wires or a circuit board

Use parts of face rather than whole face - make it more universal.

 

Reflection

Although my classmates are aware of my subject matter, so are hardly neutral judges, I was pleased with the way they picked up on what I was trying to depict, particularly in the silent crit.  It was interesting that there was a thought that the words on the gasometer image were deliberately chosen, as this wasn’t the case. But as they were from my own notebook, they were bound to relate to my interests, so they were not random either.  

The idea of carrying on with different colours for my laser cut image is an interesting one. It could produce an interesting extended effect. However, given the problems I’ve had with sticking down these cutouts, I would have to do this from card. One to consider, definitely.

Monoprinting is another technique to consider. I was actually watching a group doing it in the print room the other day and I liked the “sooty” effect they got around their lines. I’ll try this if I can make time. 

The most striking comment was about the gasometer laser cut depicting hidden or contained memory which now exists only inside my head. This really ties in with my current thinking about repurposing and re-imagining our memories, but it articulated it in very different words. It also resonates with the work I’ve done on the many views of ourselves that we present to the world.