Self
Evaluation
Context of
Practice has allowed me to do in-depth research into a topic I would never have
looked at so closely without the module to motivate me to do so. My research
was as in-depth as the resources I could access allowed. However, I think I
could have reached out further and accessed further resources, such as
requesting that the college library supply more up-to-date books. Next time, I
will take that extra step and communicate more directly with sources that can
help me gain further knowledge on the topic.
I chose the
topic due to my interest in 90s culture and aesthetics. I struggled at first to
break away from ideas of the digital in relation to fine art, which limited my
research and the work in my sketchbook. However, I was able to branch out and
look at the subject on a broader scale, which allowed me to focus on different
elements such as nature and social media.
I attended
the lecture programme consistently, only missing one or two due to illness. The
lectures really helped open up my appreciation for my place as a practitioner
in the art world, and it also assisted my essay by highlighting certain art
movements that are relevant to my research. One of my downfalls when it came to
the lectures was not always putting the notes I took on my research journal,
which would have made them easier to reference while writing my essay.
I think my
biggest strength during the module was my ability to create visually striking
pieces in my sketchbook, which drove the rest of my work. From very early on, I
established that my sketchbook would be mostly visual, with minimal writing.
This style forced me to convey ideas in a more efficient visual narrative,
which then helped ideas flow into one another. The second half of my sketchbook
is stronger, I feel, as by that point I had established the style and ideas
most strongly. I also feel that because I worked on the second half in a
shorter time span, I was not losing my train of thought when working, and the
ideas were more closely connected.
My time
management during this module was successful enough that I didn’t feel too
pressed for time nearer the end, but I still think I could have afforded to do
more in my sketchbook more consistently, rather than half of it over a few
months and the other half within the span of a few weeks. This was due to me
trying to manage other modules and juggle my time effectively, but it wouldn’t
have hurt to work on CoP1 when the rest of my workload wasn’t as heavy.
I also feel
like my essay was very strong, with the feedback I got midway through helping
me further. I have gained strong essay-writing skills from doing mostly
essay-based subjects at A-Level, which meant that writing in an academic style
came naturally. I struggled with collecting many sources initially, but then
used Google Books to help me find more sources to back up my points. My only
struggle with this was that Google Books often doesn’t have the full copies of
the books, meaning I was limited in my reading of them.
