The Re:view Bursary and my plan:
I am delighted to be a recipient to the Re:view bursary, I am very interested in DIY education and how, outside the university system, we can keep learning and developing throughout our lives. I have given a little context below as to why I applied, and how I hope it will help me in bringing my practice to new places and understandings, as well as how I intend to use this experience as a facilitator of the peer crit, Engine ChatChat.
It has been 6 years since I left Goldsmiths and I feel particularly focused in reviewing my practice; bringing together my thoughts, experiences and ideas to date to push my work forward. In this time I have had many opportunities to develop my work and myself as an artist, but not necessarily call on others I respect to help me reflect and review. Now with the help of the Re:view Bursary, and crucially the individual tutorials, I am in a strong position to bring this experience together.
Since graduating, exhibitions have included commission for Origin at Somerset House, Deptford X and being a lead artists and curator for A Theory of Everything, a cross disciplinary exhibition at Core Gallery, Deptford. This inspired two works developed in conversations with scientists Not to Scale and Quantum Communication through a Spin Chain. I continued to develop an understanding of cross-disciplinary ideas through co-hosting a series of talks in 2012 with ideas-matter-sphere and I run the peer critique, Engine ChatChat.
Having studied Textiles in a contemporary visual art department, and having an ongoing interest in sculpture, drawing and cross-disciplinary practice, this bursary allows me to tailor professional development support that is specific to these interests. I feel being able to select individuals and take ownership of developing my own period of review is a crucial and powerful tool for an artist, especially as I work across media, subject matter and materials. Many courses, as well as being expensive, can’t offer that individual development that this Re:view offers. It couldn’t have come at a better time for my practice as I am in a position to continue to develop new work and build on what I have learnt to date.
Overall through this period of supported focus on my practice, I aim to push my practice to be the best it can be by continuing to make work through the comments and challenges. As Chuck Close says,
‘…for me, the most interesting thing is to back yourself into your own corner where no one else’s answers will fit. You will somehow have to come up with your own personal solutions to this problem…’*
How I hope to use the experience with Engine ChatChat:
I have facilitated peer crit Engine ChatChat since 2007, with the original event happening in my kitchen with musicians and artists sharing their work. It is an informal peer feedback session open to all artists at any stage of their career.
As a facilitator, I think it is important to have experiences and awareness of being on the receiving end of feedback and professional development, as well as the facilitating role. Therefore, through the Re:view period of professional development, I will keep a diary of my response and experience to the feedback I receive. I hope to record what resonates, how I can identify feedback to take on board, how I process what is relevant, and how I can prepare and assess the situation to get the most from it. I plan to feed this analysis into a wider understanding of how I facilitate peer feedback.
I will feed this learning experience, and my developments, where appropriate, into this blog. Enjoy!
*http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/12/27/chuck-close-on-creativity/
