Project 2......

The crit went okay on Friday. Unfortunately, my group was quite big and so we didn't get much time on each person.
I definitely feel that the previous crit was more successful and informative, whether or not this was down to the time element I am not so sure. The previous group provided me with much more critism and ideas, whereas I felt that this week I didn't get as much feedback.
One lady did come up with a couple of useful suggestions, which I have definitely taken on board.
I think that overall I have not connected with this project as much as the previous one and therefore feel quite negative about the outcome and the crit.
We have been given a mini xmas project which I am eager to put a lot of time into.
I am hoping to create my own work over Christmas as well, so that I keep my mind in the right frame and also create potential portfolio pieces?

Bring on the lassssst week before Christmassss!

Project 2- week 2.

Visited Bath and Bristol yesturday. Loved bath. Hated Bristol.
So the verdict is, I want to go to Bath Spa uni ifff possible.
I love the city- had never been before and was surprised at how genuinely beautiful it is. The university itself is fairly small, however has fantastic facilities. I like the idea of living a more laid back life as opposed to being in a large, built up city. The course at Bath Spa appeals to me as it allows students to pick a speciality, but does by no means constrain them to that single medium for the next three years. They encourage students to experiment throughout the degree.
Bristol looked shabby to me. Not the sort of place I want to live I don't think. In comparison to Bath, which is very close by, the aesthetics of Bristol are no where near as inviting.
And more importantly.. the uni is very odd. With the workshops 25 minutes away from the studio??

This week, I have worked from home a fair amount, as I have been using photoshop to contruct my ideas. I have struggled more with this topic than the previous one but it has not turned out to be a complete disaster!
I have been busy writing personal statements and looking at uni's, ontop of the fact it is only a 2 week project, I don't feel I have been able to put as much time into it as I perhaps should of.
Our crit is tomorrow, so will note down how that goes in my next post.

Project 2.

This week has already gone horribly wrong. I think my brain has given up and is ready for Christmas, ultimately due to consuming more wine than usual and the snow preventing me from doing anything other than sleep.
Firstly, I will say that the last project went very well and I was happy with the end result.
I presented my clear acrylic sculptures in a black box, and lit using UV light. This mysterious set up seemed to intrigue people and I think I might even be able to go as far to say I created "relationalist art"??!?

This week, on the other hand, hasn't gone so smoothly. I am struggling with the breif and am frustrated as I feel so close to coming up with a really good idea.. but it just aint happeninggg.
I don't enjoy the two week projects as much, as I don't think that there is enough time to get stuck in. My previous project was much more carefully thought out as I had an increased amount of time to plan my ideas before executing them.

I have booked an open day at Bath uni next Wednesday.... praying the snow doesn't prevent me from going. Also that day, I am popping into Bristol UWE for a sneeky peek of their Fine Art dept. as I very cleverly missed the open day.

Tomorrow we are going on a School Trip to Bethnal Green. Might wear my stab vest.

Fine Art- Project One.

Wow. Last week was a busy one. So busy in fact that I didn't manage to write my usual Wednesday night blog. This week, it is a Sunday night blog. Not that it even matters?
Soooo, I spent my reading week with a bunch of organs, nails, screws and a camera. Fabulous it was.
I can't possibly explain the happenings through text so will post some of the images below:

I have not killed anyone or anything personally, I promise.
The butcher very kindly sold them to me for a fair price of £7.50.

David seems pleased with what my apparently disturbed brain has come up with so, I'm a happy bunny.
I am now using these images to push my ideas further.
Last week I spent a lot of time in the workshop using what looked like a very hot hairdryer to melt plastic.
I came up with lots of very organ like sculptures. Now I am surrounded by hundreds of deformed plastic lumps and trying very hard to think of what I can actually do with them.
A few ideas have popped into mind, but it all depends whether I can get my hands onto a UV light and an enormous cardboard box. Tomorrow could be a challenge.

Oh and to add to my excitement.... I visited Chichester university on Saturday. SO INSPIRED.
Not that I don't like Chelsea, because I do, I love it. But rapidly going off the idea of living in London for the next three years. So expensive, hostile and miserable... I need a happy town. (This might well be something to do with the depressing weather so will keep my options very open for the time being!)
I thought I needed the big City to enthuse me, but, I was wrong. I need grass and trees and farm animals.

Reading Week.

This week I have begun to think about my first project "OUT OF ORDER".
I have drawn out initial ideas, begun making models and thought about the locations around me.
An idea immediately sprung to mind after being given the brief and I have experimented with this idea in many ways during this week, photographing each stage and my progress over time.
Although this idea of mine does combine organic and biomorphic forms with elements of mechanical process I am worried that perhaps it is a bit cheesy/ too much of a cliche?
I have focussed strongly on juxtaposing objects as asked and aimed to gain 'disturbed' results, as for me any controversial/ horrifying images are always an eye catcher. I want to draw the audience into my artwork.

After having my assessment, I went away and thought about what Wendy had said to me. She noticed a hidden talent within my work and seems to think I should experiment further with photography and sculpture. This idea initially terrified me as I have never been overly enthusiastic about either field of Fine Art. However, I am here to give everything a try: Hence why I have selected the more 3D based brief.
Going outside of my comfort zone has been a real challenge so far. I am still nervous when it comes to designing my structures, but I feel that over time, confidence will develop.

I am really going to push myself during this project as I want to prove to myself that I made the right decision choosing Fine Art.
So far I think I have, but. It is still early days.

Crossroads II

Over the past 8 weeks, I have been given the chance to experience four main areas within ‘art and design’. I have spent two weeks on each rotation, working in Fashion/Textiles, Fine Art, Visual Communications and 3D Spatial Design.

I feel that my least successful project was 3D spatial design. I think the reasoning behind this stems on the fact that I have never worked well in 3D before and have never felt passionate about it. Because of this I feel that I have failed to produce such exciting and spontaneous work when compared to some of the other subject areas.

In contrast, I really enjoyed the Fine Art rotation. From the very beginning of the two weeks I was excited and intrigued by the subject itself. As soon as I walked into the Fine Art studio, I faced a completely different atmosphere to what I had previously experienced in Fashion/Textiles. It was busy and fast-paced- this made me feel driven from day one.
The projects that we were set sent my mind into overdrive. I was thinking about the subject both consciously and subconsciously- pushing my thoughts further each day and letting my ideas flow from one into the next.

However, over my two week period in the fine art studio I became frustrated and angry with myself, as I knew deep down that the work I was producing was not reaching the standard I know I am capable of. I believe that this was due to not being brave enough to execute my thoughts and ideas fully in the studio.
One of the teachers in Fashion/Textiles did warn us that sometimes students do least well in the subject they want to achieve highest in, because we are prone to over thinking things and not having the courage to let go and be experimental in case we go wrong.
Looking back at my work, the material I produced in Fine Art seems fairly rigid and uncomfortable. It lacks looseness and spontaneity that the work from other areas which I was not so interested in portrays.

Regardless of this, I am still very keen to proceed forwards with Fine Art. I see it as a challenge and one that I am very eager to succeed in.
Although I was frustrated with myself at times, I feel that this was only down to my own performance. Never once was I disappointed with the actual subject itself.

I bonded well with the Fine Art teachers and after talking to David felt much more confident that this is the area in which I want to study. He has encouraged me to push my painting skills to a new level and I want to be able to take the opportunity to prove to both him and myself that this is the right decision.

As each rotation passed I began to feel more and more confident within myself. Although, at times I struggled, I never once gave up on my ideas. I have gained a much broader concept of Art and Design since being at Chelsea, as I now understand how vast the subject area is. I have never been given the opportunity to take part in subjects such as Vis Com before and have really felt that these rotations have offered me a very important experience.

Although I have always enjoyed Fine Art, I did not come to Chelsea with the preconceived idea that I would continue within that particular subject area. I have always been very open minded and given every subject the same amount of energy and interest as I have wanted to give myself the best possible chance and opportunity.

Both my work and approach have changed quite dramatically over the past 8 weeks. I have developed a much more curious and experimental mindset towards the subject and have learned that the more confident and open I am to new ideas, the better.
After listening to Dominic Wilcox’s lecture recently, I have been thoroughly influenced by him to be as creative as possible. Although most of his work falls under the Vis Com/ Illustration area, the way in which he sees the world around him is fascinating on every level and I admire his perception and views greatly.

I think the feedback given to me in crits has been very important and highly valid. Most importantly, I find the negative comments are a great help and make me think about things that hadn’t even crossed my mind until discussed. For example, in Vis Com, it was said that my layout was confusing. To me, it was clear and it was only when I thought about it from a fresh perspective that I realised it made no sense to any viewer other than myself. I learned from this, that the way in which I present my work has a substantial impact on the message I portray to others.   

I would appreciate the chance to be able to continue my foundation year specialising in Fine Art. It is something that I am extremely passionate about and will push myself as hard as I can to excel in all areas.

Blog. Pt.6.

Missed a week. Woops.
I am now on my second week in 3D spatial.
So far, it has gone well and I have enjoyed it. Last week we created an installation and drew manyyy drawings from all of the different ones.
I really enjoyed the drawing aspect of it. I think a little more than the making?
Today we got given the brief for our final project and well, although my ideas are only at a basic stage so far, I think/am hoping that it will all work out quite nicely.
Will discuss the outcome of my week later on...