Here is a link to my first assignment:
I had my feedback tutorial today with my tutor by phone following my submission of assignment one. We talked about my ideas and background for my project and how I am thinking to develop it at the moment. I have thought of making a collage somehow, I have also thought about including text. My tutor believes it is a good direction but maybe a bit too early to think about text. She advised that ideas might come when least expected, and actually thinking about it a lot of my idea have come like that, I usually end up scrambling around for a scrap of paper to write them down before I forget.
We talked about mapping the route and bring this into my work in someway. I have the route written out, but haven’t mapped it per se. This is something I will do, and I will also look at artists who have use a psychogeorgraphic approach and see how they have incorporate mapping into their work. I am going to research some land artists, so I can see how they have shown their work.
My tutor suggested creating a mind map or flow chart to document my ideas, this way I can go back to it and develop it and write down more ideas as they come to me. This is something I will do, as I think it will help me to get everything down in one place and work from there. Using it like a date dump.
We discussed several images that we both feel worked and could be used to develop further.
For my learning log, my tutor thinks the layout is good. She liked the slideshows I have used for my research on pilgrimages. I need to add a section with my journal on. I also need to add how much research has influenced my decisions. I will do this in future.
My tutor said my approach was good and should provide a strong foundation to move forward on. We discussed whether the pilgrimage was landscape photography. I would at the moment, yes I would like to think of my images as landscapes. This may change as I develop my project. But this is how I see it at the moment.
My tutor asked, ‘How do I want to express this journey in contemporary terms’. I think by looking at this historic pilgrimage which was for men, shows that the issue of inequality isn’t a new thing, it brings a historic issue together with how it still exists today. It also shows a global issue of a patriarchal society. Religion itself has influenced cultures and society worldwide, even if we aren’t religious a lot of things in our lives stem from religion. I believe that religion has actually contributed to the issue of inequality, as in many religions there is a definite distinction between men and women, and what is expected of them and how they are treated. I believe the journey is important as, men would travel this pilgrimage to strength their faith, to get closer to their God. I am travelling it as a woman, I think it is more of a spiritual journey for me, I am completing it as a woman, through my own gaze. I hope eventually it will all come together. I will probably refer back to this question as I progress because my answer may change as I develop my work.
She advised printing the images out at size 6×4”, just to play around with them and see what comes of it. I will definitely try this as it might bring other ideas forward and provoke another idea.
My tutor told me that I write the feedback and then sent it to her, so she can add her own comments. I have never had to write my own feedback before, only a reflection on it. So I have treated it as a reflection of our conversation. I will upload the feedback when I receive it back from my tutor.
I am aiming for my next assignment to be in around the start of November. This gives me time to visit some sites and do some research.
Here is my feedback report that I and my tutor filled in:
Responding to the Feedback
Following my feedback for assignment one, I am going to put the text aspect on hold for now and concentrate on my images. I will revisit it but I agree with my tutor it is too early to be thinking in-depth about it. We discussed mapping my work, this is something I am thinking about, but I believe it is a bit too early to be thinking about it in depth as I believe I need to get my core images first. I spoke with my tutor about this and put forward my reasoning behind this. Similar to the text aspect I have put mapping on hold but as a compromise I am starting to research it and take notes, this means I will have a solid foundation for when I introduce it to my work.
My tutor and I had a debate as to whether the pilgrimage counts as landscape photography. I believe it does. Landscape photography can cover a wide range of topic, other than the most obvious of landscapes. I believe my images are showing the landscape, because each image varies. They feature different terrains, from buildings, to graveyards, to the more traditional landscape views. Even with buildings, it still becomes a sub section in landscape photography, such as urban landscapes. Even Ansel Adams photographed some buildings in his landscapes (Naylor). I have looked at other artists like Kaupo Kikkas and Jess Kohl, who use similar terrain to my images, and I would argue their images are landscapes too. I do believe my images would count as landscapes, maybe not in the traditional sense but definitely in a sub-section of the landscape genre.
Going forward I will print out some images and play around with them. I will also visit more sites and photograph them.
Naylor, B (2010) Forgotten Ansel Adams Murals Brought Back to Light. At: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125228486&t=1611145986628 (Accessed 30th of August 2019).
Georgina's Body of Work 
5 thoughts on “Assignment One”