Part 4 Review

Part 4 review

I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about artists I already knew and some that were completely new to me.  I have liked the mix of some directed learning and the element of freedom encouraged once the process is established.  I was surprised that I was so familiar with Lucienne Day’s work but without any appreciation of the designer.  Her work is so modern. I love it.

When I have been able to choose artists myself I have tried by and large to select people whose work I have seen and enjoyed.  I find I relate better to work I have really looked closely at. 

Leon Bakst, Ethel Mairet, Magdalena Abakanowicz were new to me.  I like the exuberance of Bakst’s work very much and I appreciate the sheer hard work of Ethel Mairet.  Before I can really feel confident about an opinion I need to understand more about Abakanowicz – it leaves me a bit cold right now.  I have found that as I gain more understanding, particularly of the context an artist works in, so my opinions change.  A case in point is my initial response to Ptolemy Mann.

The questions given as a framework were useful as a way to approach the tasks.  I felt able to wander a little if the fancy took me. 

I think it’s quite hard to know what the historical context you’re working in is. Being retired I have no need to think about a career and making my mark; I can simply follow my inclination.  If I had been Lucienne Day I may well have looked for a niche for my talents to fill.  I can well understand why Judy Chicago chose to use her skills to make important feminist points.  The artist needs to have some resilience to be so controversial. 

I spend quite some time researching because I enjoy the excitement of finding new things.  Looking at the work of all sorts of artists maintains my enthusiasm and is sometimes the starting point for my own work.

I have used the citation tool on Word for the first time in this piece of work and it makes a chore very much easier.  When I was doing lots of research it either wasn’t available or I completely missed it!  Citing items from the web just wasn’t around 25 years ago so I’ve had to pay special attention to that.  The web is a wonderful tool but it is easy to be led astray and perpetuate inaccurate information.  I try very hard to use only reliable sources and therefore enable anyone looking at my work to feel secure about its validity.

My sketchbook has taken something of a back seat but I've made use of it to experiment with ideas if I've felt inclined.