Exhibition reflective JOURNAL
Exhibition reflective JOURNAL by ryan waddon
UNIT
I N T R O -
D U C T I O N FOR THIS PROJECT WE HAD TO LOOK BACK OVER ALL OF OUR PREVIOUS WORK AND DECIDE ON ONE THAT WE WANT TO REWORK TO CREATE A NEW FINAL PIECE LINKED TO AN ORIGINAL IDEA OR CONCEPT. I DECIDED TO LOOK BACK OVER MY DOCUMENTARY UNIT FROM THE BEGINNING OF YEAR TWO. THIS UNIT PRESENTED A LOT MORE CHALLENGE THAN JUST THE ACTUAL PROJECT, THIS TIME WE HAD TO PUT TOGETHER OUR FIRST EXHIBITION WANDERFEST.
25th
M O N D AY febF E S T
THIS WEEK WE HAVE STARTED TO LOOK INTO OUR NEW EXHIBITION PROJECT. WE DID THIS BY PUTTING TOGETHER OUR OWN MONDAY FEST IN THE ILLUSTRATION STUDIO. WE WERE SPLIT INTO GROUPS AND EACH GROUP HAD TO BRING SOMETHING TOGETHER FOR THE CLASS EFFORT. THIS WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE TO SEE HOW THINGS WOULD WORK WHEN PLANNING OUR REAL EXHIBITION AND WHAT WAS ACHIEVED IN THE SINGLE DAY WITHOUT ANY REAL PREP TIME WAS INCREDIBLE TO SEE AND I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH HOW IT ALL CAME TOGETHER. WE CREATED A LIST OF IDEAS AND CONCEPTS THAT WE COULD INCLUDE FOR OUR EXHIBITION AND SOME OF THE IDEAS WERE GREAT TO SEE AND WE HAVE BEEN THINKING OF WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO INTERACT WITH IT SO THAT IT ISN’T JUST A PASSIVE VIEWING EXPERIENCE. I THINK WE WANT IT TO BE MORE OF A FESTIVAL THAN EXHIBITION AS EVEN THE WORD EXHIBITION EVOKES IMAGES OF PEOPLE JUST STOOD AROUND LOOKING AT A PAINTING AND MOVING ON. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THESE DEVELOP OVER TIME.
DEAD ROSE 26th F E B
ON TUESDAY WE STARTED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT KIND OF PROJECT WE WANT TO USE AS THE BASIS FOR THE SHOW. I AM LEANING TOWARDS THE FIRST YEAR TWO PROJECT, DOCUMENTARY AS IT WAS THE FIRST PROJECT THAT I WASN’T 100% HAPPY WITH MY FINAL PIECES, BUT ALSO DUE TO TIME RESTRICTIONS I DIDN’T REALLY GET TO DEVELOP MY IDEAS AS MUCH AS I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO. I AM GOING TO GO BACK OVER ALL OF MY WORK AND SEE IF THERE ARE ANY DIRECTIONS THAT STAND OUT TO ME.
ZINE
TOM SAID SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME ABOUT A LOT OF STUDENTS REMARKING RECENTLY THAT THEIR STUDIO WORK STYLE IS VERY SEPARATE TO THE WAY THEY WORK IN THE STUDIO AND THAT WE SHOULD TRY AND BRING THOSE INTERESTS AND PASSION INTO THIS PROJECT. THE RESPONSE FOR THE ZINE I CREATED FOR THE LEEDS FESTIVAL HAS BEEN GREAT AND ROBIN SUGGESTED TRYING TO BRING IN ELEMENTS FROM THIS INTO THE PROJECT IN SOME WAY.
TODAY WE HAD GUEST RACHEL SALE COME IN TO TALK TO US ABOUT RUNNING OUR OWN WORKSHOPS AND HOW SIMPLE IDEAS CAN HAVE AN EFFECTIVE IMPACT WHEN EXECUTED WELL. WE WERE SPLIT INTO GROUPS AND GIVEN A DIFFERENT AREA TO FOCUS ON. OUR TABLE WAS GIVEN START A CONVERSATION, THE IDEA BEING THAT THE WORKSHOP SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT GETS PEOPLE TALKING, DISCUSSING AND DEBATING. WE DECIDED WE WANTED TO USE TABOO TOPICS AND THINGS THAT AREN’T OFTEN OPENLY TALKED ABOUT AS THE BASE FOR THIS WORKSHOP. WE HAD THE IDEA TO DISCUSS IDEAS BUT ONLY VISUALLY, USING MATERIALS, COLLAGE, PENS AND PENCILS TO EXPRESS YOUR REACTION AND OPINIONS OF THOSE TOPICS BUT WITHOUT WRITING OR SPEAKING.
THE IDEA WAS THAT IN GROUPS OF 4 YOU COULD WORK ON A SINGLE LARGE SHEET OF PAPER AND EACH INDIVIDUALLY CREATE YOUR OWN DRAWING WHILST LISTENING TO INTERVIEWS AND THOUGHTS ON THE CHOSEN TOPIC, BUT THAT AFTER A SET TIME YOU WOULD STOP AND DISCUSS YOUR WORK WITH THE GROUP AND YOU WOULD THEN ALL DISCUSS HOW TO COMBINE ALL 4 OF THE PIECES INTO ONE SINGLE IMAGE INCORPORATING ELEMENTS FROM EACH PERSONS PIECE. THAT WOULD BE THE COLLABORATIVE ELEMENT AND THE IDEA CAME FROM WHEN WE DID SOMETHING SIMILAR IN GROUPS FOR OUR LAST UNIT. WHEN WE TESTED IT OUT WE DIDN’T HAVE AS LONG AS WE WOULD HAVE LIKED AND WHILST EXPLAINING I AM UNSURE IF WE MADE CERTAIN ELEMENTS AS CLEAR AS IT NEEDED TO BE SO THE GROUP WAS TALKING FOR THE FIRST PART AND ALSO ENDED UP WRITING DOWN WORDS. IN FUTURE WE WOULD HAVE TAKEN MORE TIME AND GIVEN EXAMPLES BUT AS IT WAS A SMALL TEST IT WAS HARD TO KEEP IT CONTAINED AND CONTROLLED (ESPECIALLY AFTER PREVIOUSLY SMASHING AND BREAKING OBJECTS IN THE HIGH ENERGY BANGERS AND SMASH WORKSHOP, WHICH MADE OURS SEEM VERY DULLED AND MUTED AFTER THAT). TODAY GAVE ME IDEAS FOR THE EXHIBITION AND WAYS THAT WE COULD TAKE AN IDEA AND BUILD AROUND IT BUT IT ALSO MADE ME AWARE THAT NOT ALL IDEAS WORK OUT PERFECTLY SO WE MAY NEED TO TEST OUR IDEAS BEFORE BRINGING THEM TO THE FINAL EXHIBITION.
WORKSHOP t h e
-
4 t h
m a r c h
WE HEADED OUT TO LONDON TODAY FOR AN ILLUSTRATION TRIP TO LOOK AT SOME EXHIBITIONS TO START TO SEE HOW WE COULD DISPLAY OUR WORK AND START TO SEE REAL EXAMPLES. WE WENT TO THE DRAWING ROOM AND WHILST THE MAJORITY OF IT WAS WORK ON A WALL THERE WAS ONE PART THAT REALLY STOOD OUT TO ME. THROUGH A DOOR TO THE STUDY THERE WERE TONS OF BOOKS BUT BEHIND THE WALL AS YOU ENTERED WAS LOADS OF BRIGHT
AND VIBRANT WORK ALMOST HIDDEN AWAY. THE PAINTINGS WEREN’T IN AN ORDERLY FASHION THEY WERE POSITIONED IN DIFFERENT WAYS ACROSS THE WALL, BUT IN FRONT OF THAT WAS A HUGE HANGING PIECE OF ACETATE WITH SINGLE BLACK PAINTING ON IT. THIS GAVE ME AN IDEA FOR WAYS THAT I COULD SHOW MY TATTOO IDEA AS I’VE BEEN THINKING OF WAYS THAT YOU CAN HAVE PEOPLE INTERACT WITH AND BRING DIMENSION TO A PIECE.
L L L L L L L L L L L L L
O O O O O O O O O O O O O
N D O N D R N D O N D R N D O N D R N D O N D R N D O N D R N D O N D R N D O N D R N D O N D R N D O N D R N D O N D R N 5TH D O MARCH N D R N LD OO NN DD OR N RD O ON O D R
AW I AW I AW I AW I AW I AW I AW I AW I AW I AW I AW I NA W DI AW I M
N G N G N G N G N G N G N G N G N G N G N G NR GA NTG
R R R R R R R R R R R WR RR
O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O OI NO OI O
M M M M M M M M M M M M G M P
11th MARCH TODAY WE MANAGED TO GET INTO A GROUP TUTORIAL WITH FLO AND A FEW OTHERS FROM CLASS. THE MAIN THING THAT I GOT FROM THIS SESSION WAS A FEW POSSIBLE ROUTES FOR RESEARCH. THEY WERE PLEASED BY THE IDEAS THAT I HAD BUT I JUST NEED TO START MOVING TOWARDS A PARTICULAR DIRECTION WITH IT. IF ANYTHING IT JUST GAVE ME CONFIDENCE THAT THE IDEA IS STRONG ENOUGH AND INTERESTING ENOUGH. ALSO HEARING THE WAY THAT OTHERS ARE APPROACHING THEIR PROJECT FOR THE EXHIBITION LED TO ME HAVING TO THINK ABOUT THE SCALE ETC. SOME OF THE MAIN IDEAS THAT CAME FROM THAT SESSIONS WAS LOOKING INTO THE PRESERVATION OF TATTOOS, LOOKING AT THE WAY TATTOOS ARE USED TO HONOUR THE MEMORIES OF LOST LOVED ONES, GENERIC OVERUSE OF TATTOO DESIGNS, BUTCHERS DISPLAY, MOCK LAYOUT, DECIDE ON THE TONE OF THE PROJECT, POSSIBLE RUBBER GLOVE INTERACTION IDEA, POSSIBILITY OF CREATING A WORKSHOP BASED AROUND MAKING TATTOOS FOR PEOPLE, STITCHING ONTO CLOTHING, PRODUCT DISPLAYS, WINDOW DISPLAYS AND MORE.
ONE YEAR AGO TODAY I TOOK PART IN THE CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP THAT WAS RUN BY CURTIS TAPPENDEN DURING YEAR ONE. THAT SESSION HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON ME AND LED TO ME USING CREATIVE WRITING AS PART OF MY IDEAS DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND IT IS SOMETHING I HAVE KEPT USING SINCE THEN. IT ALSO SHOWED ME HOW I TEND TO DOUBT MYSELF AND MY ABILITIES BEFORE EVER REALLY GIVING THEM A CHANCE. I WASN’T EXPECTING TO GET ANYTHING FROM THIS SESSION BUT I HAD A GO AND THEN CURTIS ASKED FOR VOLUNTEERS TO READ OUT WHAT THEY HAD WRITTEN. LIKE MOST PEOPLE I FELT LIKE PUTTING MYSELF FORWARD BUT HAVE NEVER REALLY BEEN THAT CONFIDENT TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT BUT ON THIS OCCASION I DID AND WAS SURPRISED BY EVERYONE’S REACTION TO IT. CURTIS WAS SURPRISED THAT I HADN’T TRIED ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE AND A BUNCH OF CLASS-
MATES REACHED OUT TO ME AFTER THE SESSION TO SAY HOW MUCH THEY LIKED WHAT I DID WHICH WAS REALLY AMAZING TO HEAR. WHEN FIONA HAD MENTIONED THAT HE WOULD BE RETURNING AND RUNNING A SESSION AGAIN WITH THE YEAR ONES I JUMPED AT THE CHANCE SO IT WAS GREAT TO RETURN TO THAT PLACE AND PICK UP A FEW
MORE THINGS TO IMPROVE AND DEVELOP.
C R E A T I V W R I T I N W O R K S H O W I T C U R T I TA P P E N D E 1 4 T M A R C
E G P H S N H H
IN THE STUDIO WE STARTED TO EXPERIMENT WITH SCALE AND ACTUALLY START TO MAKE PHYSICAL VERSIONS OF WHAT WE WANT TO MAKE FOR THE FINAL EXHIBITION, I WAS REALLY STUCK FOR THIS, AS I DIDN’T HAVE THE MATERIAL I NEEDED OR THE IDEA OF WHAT TO DO. AFTER A FEW DISCUSSIONS WITH TOM I DECIDED TO MAKE A MOCK UP OF THE HANGING LIMBS ON THE RAIL. I FOUND SOME FOAM BOARD IN THE STUDIO ALTHOUGH I INITIALLY HAD INTENDED TO USE CARDBOARD, BUT DOING THIS EXPERIMENT MADE ME REALISE THAT CARDBOARD WOULD BE TOO FLIMSY FOR WHAT I WANTED TO DO SO IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIMENT TO ACTUALLY HOLD IT AND SEE IT TO KNOW IT WOULD WORK PRACTICALLY. DURING THIS TIME I ALSO DECIDED TO PAINT THE LIMBS WITH ACRYLIC PAINT THAT I HAD ALSO FOUND IN THE STUDIO. I HAD INITIALLY PLANNED TO HAVE THESE ALL BRIGHTLY COLOURED TO TAKE THE EDGE OFF OF THEM BEING BODY PARTS BUT AFTER A WHILE I NOTICED THAT THE FOAM BOARD HAD STARTED
TO CURVE FROM THE PAINT SO I DECIDED TO STICK WITH JUST PERMANENT MARKER ON THE WHITE FOAM BOARD. TOWARDS THE END OF TUESDAY WE THEN HAD TO TAKE WHAT WE HAD MADE AND EXHIBIT THEM AROUND THE UNI AND PHOTOGRAPH THEM. I TOOK MINE TO THE LIBRARY, QUAD AND THE CANTEEN. THE CANTEEN WAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE AS IT WORKED WELL WITH THE DISPLAYED LIMBS AS MEAT ON THE COUNTER FOR THE OTHER FOOD. THIS SHOWED THE POTENTIAL FOR PLACING THAT KIND OF WORK WITHIN THAT SPACE AND FROM THE REACTION IT GOT FROM THE CLASS IT ASSURED ME IT WAS A GOOD DIRECTION.
1 8 T H & 1 9 T H MARCH
26TH MARCH TODAY WE DID A WORKSHOP ON CREATING A PROPAGANDA POSTER USING TYPE AND DESIGN. WE HAD TO CHOOSE SOMETHING THAT WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT TO PROMOTE AND SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN A TOPIC IN THE CLASS LATELY IS ORIGINALITY AND HOW IT SEEMS THAT SOME PEOPLE JUST COPY IDEAS FROM OTHERS. PART OF MY PROJECT IS ABOUT TATTOOS AND SEEING THEM, AS MASS-PRODUCED PRODUCTS SO THE TWO SEEMED PRETTY CLOSELY LINKED BY THAT. I DECIDED TO GO WITH THE IDEA OF A POSTER THAT IS MOCKING THE IDEA OF CMD C CMD V WHICH IN MOST DIGITAL SOFTWARE IS FOR COPY AND PASTE. IT WAS ANOTHER PROJECT THAT ALLOWED ME TO EXPERIMENT WITH WORKING AT LARGE SCALE. I AM PLEASED WITH HOW THE POSTER CAME OUT AND GLAD I COULD KEEP IT SIMPLE.
2 8 T H MARCH WE HAD OUR FIRST FUNDRAISING EVENT FOR THE EXHIBITION. I WAS ASKED BY THE FUNDRAISING TEAM TO CREATE A POSTER FOR THEM AT SHORT NOTICE THE DAY BEFORE. I USED THE TEMPORARY LOGO AND ILLUSTRATED A CUPCAKE FROM A PHOTO OF THE ONES THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE ON THE DAY. THIS WAS THEN PRINTED AND POSTED ALL AROUND THE UNIVERSITY TO PROMOTE THE EVENT, BUT ALSO USED ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS LIKE FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM TO BE SHARED IN EVERYONES FEED SO THAT IT WOULD BE SEEN BY AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, AND TO ALSO GETTING PEOPLE FAMILIAR WITH THE WANDERFEST NAME AND BRANDING.
2 N D APRIL
TODAY WE TOOK A VOTE ON THE LOGO FOR OUR WANDERFEST EXHIBITION. I SUBMITTED AROUND 11 DESIGNS BUT UNFORTUNATELY MY DESIGN WASN’T CHOSEN. WHILST I AM DISAPPOINTED AS I SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT IN CREATING AND DEVELOPING THEM SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT I WAS MORE DISAPPOINTED AS I FELT THAT THE CLASS DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THAT WE WERE CHOOSING A LOGO AND NOT A POSTER AS THE DESIGN THAT WAS CHOSEN WAS A FULL A4 POSTER DESIGN THAT FILLED EDGE TO EDGE.
M T W
O H
A
R I
E S Y
8 TH
THIS WAS THE DAY OF THE EASTER FAIR. THE TEAM PUT IN A LOT OF EFFORT TO MAKE THIS A STRONG EVENT, UNFORTUNATELY THE TIMING AND WEATHER WASN’T ON OUR SIDE SO WE WERE LEFT ON A COLD DAY REALLY CLOSE TO DEADLINES SO THE QUAD WASN’T BUZZING WITH STUDENTS WHICH WAS A SHAME AS WITH THE RIGHT CONDITIONS THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY MEMORABLE EVENT FOR US. WE HAD ANOTHER BAKE SALE WHICH WORKED OUT REALLY WELL FOR US BEFORE, AS WELL AS A EASTER CARD SALE, GAMES LIKE HOOK-A-DUCK, FACE PAINTING AND TEMPORARY TATTOOS. I OFFERED TO HELP WITH THE TEMPORARY TATTOO STAND AS IT WAS LINKED TO MY PROJECT. DUE TO THE SLOW TRAFFIC I DECIDED TO USE THE TIME TO EXPERIMENT AND CREATE SOME HAND TATTOOS ON OTHER STALL HELPERS TO USE IN MY PORTFOLIO AND ALSO EXPERIMENT WITH USING BODY PAINT AND THE WAY IT LOOKS ON THE SKIN. IT ENDED UP LOOKING REALLY UNIQUE SO I DECIDED TO LATER USE IT ON A LARGER SCALE.
APRI L
EASTER
FA I R
T E M P O R A RY T A T T O O EXPER I M ENT
10 TH
APRIL
AFTER THE TEST USING BLACK BODY PAINT TO CREATE HAND TATTOOS DURING THE EASTER FAIR I ASKED MY FRIEND AND FELLOW STUDENT VERONIKA PAZICKA IF SHE WOULD ALLOW ME TO CREATE A WHOLE SLEEVE OF DESIGNS ALONG HER ARMS WHICH SHE AGREED TO. WE ARE BOTH FANS OF TATTOOS SO IT BECAME AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CREATE SOME DESIGNS SPECIFICALLY FOR HER AND TEST SOME DESIGNS THAT SHE WAS MAYBE CONSIDERING TO GET IN THE FUTURE. ONE THING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME DURING THESE EXPERIEMNTS WAS HOW IT FELT TO BE PUTTING SOMETHING DIRECTLY ONTO THE
SKIN, OBVIOUSLY NOT AS PERMANENT AS THE REAL THING BUT IT GAVE ME A SENSE OF THE ACTION OF TATTOOING WHICH WAS AN INTERESTING FEELING THAT I OBVIOUSLY HADN’T EXPERIENCED BEFORE. THE BLACK AND BOLD TRADITIONAL STYLE OF TATTOOS FIT SO WELL TO MY STYLE AND I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE WAY THEY LOOKED ON THE SKIN. ONCE WE HAD FILLED MOST OF THE SPACE ON HER ARMS WE TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS AND FOUND THAT THE WAY THAT THE BODY PAINT DRIED MADE THEM LOOK QUITE REALISTIC COMPARED TO THE REAL TATTOO THAT WAS ALREADY ON HER ARM.
E A S T E R E A S T E R B R E A K B R E A K I HAD CAREFULLY PLANNED MY TIME AND ARRANGED MY SCHEDULE TO COMPLETE MY FINAL PIECES DURING THE EASTER BREAK. I HAD ALLOWED MYSELF PLENTY OF TIME TO GET EVERYTHING DONE THAT I NEEDED TO DO. UNFORTUNATELY ON THE WEDNESDAY EVENING BEFORE WE FINISHED FOR EASTER I TRIPPED DOWN A STEP AS I WAS LEAVING A FRIENDS HOUSE IN THE DARK AND LANDED DIRECTLY ON MY KNEE. AFTER 6 HOURS IN HOSIPTAL I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TORN LIGAMENTS EITHER SIDE OF THE KNEE AND THAT I WOULDNT BE ABLE TO FULLY WALK ON IT FOR 6-8 WEEKS. I WAS GIVEN CRUTCHES AND THAT BECAME A PROBLEM AS MY FLAT IN FARNHAM IS ABOVE 5 SETS OF STAIRS SO I HAD TO BE TAKEN HOME. WITH THE HELP OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS I WAS ABLE TO GET THE MAJORITY OF WHAT I NEEDED TO DO DONE IN TIME FOR THE HAND IN, ALTHOUGH AT TIMES I FELT LIKE ALL MY PREVIOUS HARD WORK WOULD HAVE BEEN WASTED AS I THOUGHT I WOULDNT FINISH IN TIME. LUCKILY I WAS MORE MOBILE TOWARDS THE END OF THE SECOND WEEK WHICH ALLOWED ME TO GET THE MAJORITY OF WORK DONE THEN.
IT BECAME VERY IRONIC DURING THE BREAK THAT WHILST I WAS HAVING TO STAY OFF MY LEG AND WAS UNABLE TO PUT PRESSURE ONTO IT AND IN PAIN FOR A KNEE INJURY I WAS AT HOME CUTTING OUT LEGS AND KNEES FOR MY FINAL PIECES.
E X A M P L E S OF F
MY I
N
A
L
F O A M B O A R D T A T T O O E D L
I
M
B
S
POTENTIAL T A T T O O D E S I G N S IN MY SKETCHBOOK
A L L of this H A R D W O R K TURNED INTO...
THE
F R E S H M E A T COLLECTION
THIS IS MY DISPLAY TO REPLICATE A BUTCHERS SHOP FRONT WITH HANGING MEAT
EXHIBITION R
E
V
R
E
THIS ELEMENT OF THE UNIT WAS VERY NEW TO MANY OF US, ME INCLUDED AND WHILST IT WAS CHALLENGING TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER THE PAY OFF HAS BEEN GREAT AND SEEING PEOPLE INTERAT AND RESPOND TO YOUR WORK IN AN OPEN ENVIRONMENT AND HOVER HEARING COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF OUR CLASS WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE. THIS IS POSSIBLY THE FIRST UNIT WHERE MY FINAL PIECE AND FINAL DIS-
F M F M F M F
I
E
W
PLAY TURNED OUT ALMOST EXACTLY HOW I HAD ORIGINALLY INTENDED, LOOKING BACK OVER MY SKETCHED IDEAS I GOT VERY CLOSE AND I AM SO HAPPY ABOUT THAT. WHILST CREATING THE PIECES WAS A LOT OF HARD WORK IT NEVER SEEMED TOO CHALLENGING FOR ME ASIDE FROM TIME MANAGAEMENT, BUT THE REAL CHALLENGE WITH THIS UNIT WAS WORKING WITHING GROUPS AND THE ACTUAL PLANNING OF WANDERFEST.
S E A R E S E A R E S E A R E S
H T H T H T H
WITHIN THE PROMOTION TEAM THAT I WAS A PART OF IT OFTEN FELT LIKE ONLY A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE WERE REALLY TRULY CONTRIBUTING AND AT TIMES IT REALLY DELAYED OUR PROGRESS AND THIS LED TO ME STARTING TO GET ON WITH THINGS WITHOUT OPENING IT UP TO THE ENTIRE GROUP, FOR EXAMPLE THE BAKE SALE POSTER. I KNEW THAT IF I TOLD THE GROUP I HAD BEEN ASKED TO DO IT THEY WOULD DISCUSS COLOUR SCHEMES AND THROW IDEAS AROUND WITHOUT ANYONE ACTUALLY GETTING ON AND DOING IT AND WITH SUCH A SHORT DEADLINE I DECIDED TO JUST DO IT MYSELF. LOOKING BACK I SEE THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN SEEN LIKE I WAS BEING CONTROLLING BUT IT WAS PURELY THAT SOMEONE NEEDED TO ACTUALLY SAY OKTHIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND THEN DO IT. THIS GOT BETTER AS TIME WENT ON BUT IT LEADS ME TO THINK OF HOW MUCH WE COULD HAVE ACCOMPLISHED HAD EVERYONE BEEN FULLY ONBOARD FROM THE START. OVERALL I AM PLEASED WITH HOW EVERYTHING TURNED
OUT BUT I KNOW NOW THAT BY SPEAKING TO MY OTHER CLASS MATES THAT THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT CLEARLY DID THE BARE MINIMUM AND BARELY CONTRIBUTED ANY OF THEIR TIME FOR EVENTS SUCH AS THE BAKE SALE OR EASTER FAIR, AND WHILST I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE ARE BUSY BUT IT IS FRUSTRATING WHEN YOU SEE THE SAME FACES CONSTANTLY VOLUNTEERING TO HELP WHILST OTHERS SIT BACK. FROM THE COMMENTS THAT I HAVE RECIEVED FROM MY WORK FOR THIS UNIT I AM SO CLEASED AND CONFIDENT GOING INTO NEXT YEAR AS I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO RECOGNISE MY WORK EVEN WHEN I PUSH MYSELF TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND WORK WITHIN 3D PIECES. THE PRIVATE VIEW WAS A GREAT FEELING AS IT TRULY HAD THE FEELING OF A PROFESSIONAL LAUNCH AND SEEING EVERYONE PROUDLY SHOWING THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS THE WORK WE HAVE BEEN CRAFTING OVER THE PAST UNIT REALLY STOOD OUT TO ME AS A REALLY MEMORABLE MOMENT WITHIN MY TIME AT UNIVERSITY.
R E F L E S U M M THIS IS A UNIT THAT AT THE START OF THE YEAR DIDN’T REALLY STAND OUT TO ME AS ONE THAT I WAS MOST EXCITED FOR, BUT LOOKING BACK I FEEL THAT THIS HAS BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING, STRESSFUL BUT ALSO REWARDING PROJECTS FROM MY TIME AT UNIVERSITY. THIS PROJECT STARTED WITH US LOOKING BACK OVER OUR WORK FROM ALL UNITS SINCE YEAR ONE TO USE AS A STARTING POINT TO BUILD UPON. FOR THE MOST PART I AM PROUD OF THE FINAL PIECES I HAVE PRODUCED EXCEPT FOR ONE. DUE TO TIME RESTRICTIONS WITHIN THE DOCUMENTARY UNIT AT THE BEGINNING OF YEAR TWO I WAS UNABLE TO PRODUCE A FINAL PIECE THAT I WAS TRULY PROUD OF. THIS ALSO ENDED UP BEING MY LOWEST MARKED UNIT AND THE FIRST UNIT THAT I RECEIVED LOWER THAN A 2.1 FOR THE GRADE.
WE WERE TOLD THAT WE SHOULDN’T CHOOSE A UNIT TO BUILD ON JUST BECAUSE IT WAS THE WORST GRADE BUT I FELT THAT MY DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH WASN’T PUT TO ITS FULL USE SO WHILST THAT WAS AN ELEMENT IN MY DECISION IT WASN’T THE ONLY FACTOR. LOOKING BACK OVER MY SKETCHBOOK NOTES, DRAWINGS AND RESEARCH I CAME ACROSS SOMETHING THAT STOOD OUT TO ME. IT WAS AN IDEA I HAD WHILST OBSERVING WITHIN A TATTOO STUDIO. I SAW A LADY COME IN FOR HER FIRST TATTOO AND ONCE IT WAS DONE AND SHE HAD PAID I COULD SENSE THAT SHE EXPECTED SOMETHING MORE, IT WAS A HUGE DEAL TO HER BUT TO THE ARTIST IT JUST SEEMED LIKE AN ORDINARY EVERYDAY TRANSACTION AND I MADE A NOTE IN MY SKETCHBOOK TAT THE TIME THAT IT FELT
C T I V E M A R Y LIKE BUYING A PRODUCT INSTEAD OF GETTING A PIECE OF ART PUT ONTO YOU. THIS IDEA WAS DEVELOPED OVER TIME AND TURNED INTO WHAT I FEEL IS THE STRONGEST CONCEPT FOR A PROJECT SO FAR AND FROM THE FEEDBACK I GOT FROM IT AT THE TIME IT HAS BEEN RECEIVED WELL BY OTHERS. ONE THING THAT I STRUGGLED WITH SINCE STARTING YEAR ONE WAS THAT I WOULD HAVE A FINAL PIECE IN MIND FROM THAT START OF THE PROJECT AND END UP HAVING TO CREATE THE DEVELOPMENT AFTER BUT I FEEL THAT THE LESSONS I HAVE LEARNT SO FAR AND MY PROGRESSION HAS ALLOWED ME TO FULLY DEVELOP THIS IDEA FROM THE GROUND UP AND I FEEL THAT IT HAS HAD THE MOST NATURAL PROGRESSION FROM CONCEPT TO FINAL PIECES. I AM NOTICING SUBTLE CHANGES WITH-
IN MYSELF AND MY ABILITIES AS EACH UNIT GOES BY AND I CAN TELL HOW FOR EACH NEW PROJECT ALL OF THOSE NEW ELEMENTS ARE COMING TOGETHER MAKING ME FEEL MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND COMFORTABLE AS AN ILLUSTRATOR. EXHIBITING OUR WORK FOR OUR FIRST SHOW WAS AN ENTIRELY NEW ELEMENT FOR MOST OF US AND REQUIRED A LOT OF PATIENCE AND NEW WAYS OF WORKING. THIS WAS PROBABLY THE MOST STRESSFUL PART OF THIS UNIT AS I FEEL WITH ANY GROUP WORK I CAN FIND IT HARD TO GIVE UP FULL CONTROL ON CERTAIN THINGS. I ALSO FEEL LIKE THERE WAS UNFORTUNATELY MANY PEOPLE WHO HAD NO INTEREST IN TRULY CONTRIBUTING TO THE TASKS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE IN ORDER FOR THINGS TO PROGRESS ON THE EXHIBITION AND I FOUND MY-
SELF BECOMING EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED WITH FEELING LIKE THE ONLY PERSON WHO WAS CONSTANTLY CHASING UP PEOPLE FOR THE THINGS THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO DO. I HAD ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO BE IN THE PROMOTION AND EVENTS TEAMS BUT I ENDED UP WORKING PURELY ON PROMOTION AS FOR THE MOST PART WITHIN THE FIRST FEW WEEKS I FELT THAT I WAS THE ONLY PERSON WORKING ON LOGO DEVELOPMENT AND POSTER DESIGNS. EVENTUALLY IT PICKED UP AND PEOPLE STARTED TO GET ON BOARD BUT I KNOW THAT WE COULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH MORE PRODUCTIVE HAD EVERYONE BEEN WORKING AT 100% FROM THE BEGINNING. THIS UNIT HAS TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT MYSELF AND THE WAY THAT I WORK BUT ALSO THE WAY THAT THINGS SEEM TO WORK WITHIN GROUP PROJECTS AND THIS IS POTENTIALLY MORE IMPORTANT AS GOING INTO THE FINAL YEAR I KNOW THAT KNOWING THESE THINGS FROM THE START WILL HOPEFULLY ALLOW ME TO PLAN FOR THESE KIND OF DELAYS AND PARTICIPATION
PROBLEMS IN ADVANCE. THE FINAL OUTCOMES FOR THIS PROJECT ARE BY FAR MY FAVOURITE THAT I HAVE CREATED. I OFTEN FEEL THAT MY WORK IS SOMETIMES NOT ON UNIVERSITY LEVEL, OR A LEVEL THAT I SEE AS SOMETHING I AM USED TO SEEING FROM STUDENTS, BUT WITH THE FRESH MEAT COLLECTION I HAVE CRAFTED AND PUT TOGETHER I AM REALLY PROUD OF WHAT I HAVE MADE AND THE RESPONSE TO IT HAS BEEN AMAZING AND MORE THAN I COULD HAVE HOPED FOR. I AM GOING TO CONTINUE TO PUSH MYSELF AND THE WAY I WORK THROUGH TO OUR FINAL YEAR ON THIS COURSE AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT PROGRESS I WILL MAKE NEXT.
RYAN WADDON YEAR TWO ILLUSTRATION reflective JOURNAL