Arriving at the beginning of the last day before the project deadline, I am eager to finish up all those last small details. Sometimes these are the things which take up so much time! In the end, it is sensible to remember things do not always turn out as expected and a bit of flexibility needs to be had. That being said, most things have gone to plan in installing/creating my work for the final show.
Today is just about tidying up, making sure I have all the relevant documentation/coursework required and documenting the installation. I should have enough time today to spend a bit looking at object placement, trying different combinations – this is really helpful to do to make the best use of the space relative to what I have on the walls.
I also did a bit of object placement away from the exhibition space yesterday – I have been planning to get one of the objects I have made for the installation out onto the street, to see how it related to that context. It is maybe not quite as I expected, as the object has turned out so similar to the original source image. However, it was useful to take it out of its studio context – something to think about for the next project maybe….
Less than a week until the end of this project and it has been a very productive time. I have been extremely lucky to have had a lot of help from some students from the year below – they can gain an insight to what goes on in the lead up to the final degree shows so are asked to help out in our preparations. It has been brilliant in that the work on the installation has gone a lot quicker than expected. Sometimes though, it can be hard to be able to let go and let people help you. I am very used to doing everything for myself, so it has been a bit strange directing things. This then makes you think a bit about who creates the work – the planning and the majority of it has been completed by me, but now with my “assistants” it has become a semi-collaborative effort. I like this however and has definitely aided the process.
I have made a lot of progress and as the deadline nears, I am confident in finishing everything as I would like. Of course, the more time you have, the longer something takes, but there is a point where you must finish and that will be soon.
Today I took some time out to visit friends and step back from all the hard work last week. I spent time making sure the other work for my submission is ready too, as this is every bit as important as the final show.
I am looking forward to finishing but with a bit of sadness as that will mark the end of my university degree and for now, a place to work in.
This week has been quite exciting as we have been able to move into our spaces that we have been assigned for our degree show. Packing everything up and making decisions about what is needed and what is not, cleaning, lifting and moving. It is physically demanding and as everyone was doing it at the same time, it felt a bit manic. However, once the moving was finished and the fuss died down a little, it was time to look at the space and plan for the next two weeks.
Two weeks is an extremely long time to set up a show, so there is also plenty of time to finish up other jobs long the way. Setting up a working table in the new space and continuing to work on other things seemed like the best thing to do before beginning installing.
I find you become accustomed to doing most things for yourself, as is the nature of higher education – you are in charge of your own learning and development. Also in life after college, there will not be the support network that is usually readily available, so it seems right to be able to solve problems and work things out yourself. That being said, accepting help is a good thing. Just in the past few days the assistance offered from tutors and fellow students (especially from the lower year) has been great – its an exciting time for them too, and I suppose being able to be involved doing stuff is fun. I think its a case of remembering the show is not just about us final year students as individuals but the whole thing as a bigger picture, with all that comes with that.
Working through my to do list and enjoying the last days in my current studio. Next week work begins to clear out the spaces where our final shows will take place. The college is quiet, you can walk through the corridors without seeing anyone, which gives the place a different feel to before, as all the other undergraduate students have moved out in preparation for the final show.
I am fairly happy with how things are progressing in terms of planning and preparing for the final show. I feel that once I am in the space, things will become even clearer as it will be easier to imagine how things will work.
I have also been deciding on things like documentation of work, drawn research and how I want these things presented at the final review. I enjoy these parts as when you have a clear body of work, it is so satisfying to see it come together in a tangible way and as a complete project.
It has been a good week as I also received notification that I have been short-listed for a national prize that I applied for in January. It is really satisfying to have my work validated in this way, and the bonus of having an exhibition soon after graduation is a great challenge.
After a week away, the real countdown has begun. With just under 4 weeks left until the end of this project, I did what usually works best in these circumstances: make a to do list.(!)
Really, it the best way to time manage and prioritise which works for me. As much as with any large project, there will always be the feeling that you could have done more, but at least if you are organised, the things that really need to be done will get done.
Alongside planning for how the show will look, I have been spending time on documentation, editing and preparation of this for final hand-in. This side is a large part of the final grade on my course. It is good professional practice to do this stuff anyway, but can be quite time consuming.
