Self Evaluation

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.