Yesterday, we had our first crit since [starting] installing our work for assessment and degree show. I found this really useful, with a lot of suggestions and thoughts for improvements – and some very useful feedback on some bits that I wasn’t so sure about.
The image below shows my notes from the crit:
Although I found the whole crit very useful, the elements that I felt were most useful and which I will be acting on are:
- Where and how I display information about both the drawings and the rewilding project: having the information on the rewilding project in the photo frame on the desk didn’t work for those who viewed it (although I liked it), and instead they felt that it would be more effective and useful if I put it on the wall next to the space.
- Have a photograph of the area that is being rewilded.
- Have the proposals available for viewers to take away and read at their leisure, rather than looking through the one on the desk. (or a condensed version of the same information)
- Think about what information is key for the viewer’s understanding of the work, and tell them that before they look at the work, so that they understand it in the right way and the correct message and meaning is conveyed.
- Possibly trying having a blank piece of paper in the gaps where there is no drawing on the wall, in order to show the missing plants.
These are the most important points for me, and the ones that I will be working on over the next few days. I am unsure whether having blank pieces of paper in the gaps where there currently is no drawing will convey the correct message about the depletion of the plants and the fact that these are critically endangered species which are vanishing from the world. However, I will try it on Monday and see how it looks. I am also hopeful that the addition of all of the labels will make the layout and message make more sense to the viewer, as it will highlight the fact that there should be plants in those gaps, and make them question the reason why there aren’t any drawings there.
I am also going to think very carefully about the information that I need to provide in order for the audience to understand what they are looking at. I wasn’t sure what information I really needed to convey here, so this was very helpful in showing me what people need to know about the two works.
There were also a few suggestions which I have already got in progress, but hadn’t managed to install in time for the crit, such as the finished labels, and images of the space that will be rewilded in the rewilding space.
Overall however, it was a really helpful crit, and has showed me which parts of the works are working and where I need to change elements, in order for it to have the effect that I want and need it to.
