If my analogy with driving a car in my last post bears any strength then I would have to say that I’m now pulled up in a lay-by half way down the slope with a flask of coffee and a sandwich. (The brakes didn’t repair themselves but I managed to swerve into this lay-by and came to a miraculous standstill!)
My hunch to keep on working right up to the bitter end is proving fruitful. In part because I’ve been working closely with others. My practice has shifted from working in a solitary way to working closely with one of the college technicians and with a first year photography student. In each case I have taken that leap of faith involved in sharing your ideas with someone in the hope that not only will they get what you are trying to do, but they will also support you. (In both instances with technical help).
I’m working with the 3D printer and have had just the right level of help from the technician – not too much, just nudges in the right direction. Rich in the 3D workshop is very knowledgeable in a range of processes and happy to help students experiment. He is making sure I get plenty of time in the workshop and has the ability to let his imagination wonder all over the place when we are discussing the potential applications of the technology. It feels supportive and validating and eggs me on in developing new processes. This time is after all a beginning as well as an end. My work with the 3D printer is very experimental and I’m incorporating support structures in the work to allow for the printing processes to be more apparent.
In the photographic studio I have needed lots of technical back up and fellow student Bob has been fantastically helpful. Bob is a first year photography student and is happy to work in a really spontaneous and experimental way. I feel as if I have got some really interesting results and have grown in confidence in expressing ideas and making changes. Asking for help has opened up lots more options and I feel far more confident in the creative choices I make. So thanks Rich and Bob – you are stars!
I’m not the only third year student to still be experimenting – most of us are trying new ideas in some way – so there is a great buzz in the studio right now.
