The tutorial with Anne-Marie was really helpful. As she didn’t know my work or practice at all, she was able to give an objective and outside opinion and view of my work, which I haven’t gained so far, as I haven’t really shared my illustrations outside my blog of course group. I had to explain my work and practice to her, and I found I was able to do this much more concisely than before, as I now have a bit of a clearer idea of the overall form and outcome of the project, and the fact that it will probably outlive my degree.
Most helpful, for me, in the tutorial, was the artists that she mentioned: the most mentioned of which was Susan Hiller and two more of her works (From the Freud Museum and The Silent Movie) – both of which focus on the archive and endangerment – so are more contextual references than the botanical illustration artists, but will certainly be extremely interesting and valuable to study and learn from. Additionally, she also mentioned Michael Landy’s Weed Drawings, which are undoubtedly focused in a more botanical illustration theme, but in a very different way from my own work – but still uses illustration as a record for the weeds that he found around London. Finally she also mentioned Anya Gallacuio and the installations that she made of live flowers and their process of decay. This is again, of great interest to me, as it brings the natural processes back to the forefront of public consciousness and refocuses people on the importance and life of plants.
