DEGREES UNEDITED

# 41 [20 April 2010]

I enjoyed a good tutorial today where my plans for the exhibition were finalised and agreed.

There was also the opportunity to hange the TRIARCLE and SQUANGLE components for the first time (pictures attached).

# 42 [20 April 2010]

The first model of the installation is finished and photographed (shots taken in my studio space). You should be able to upscale the model by referring to the test installation photographs in earlier shots. Keep in-mind that each panel is 2.4 x 1.2 metres.

Making the model has allowed some ideas to be confirmed and others to be modified. It has been a very useful exercise and there may be a second model to try out other ideas. These may not be used, but even so, they will provide extra backup material for the assessment.

# 43 [21 April 2010]

I had a brief abortive visit to college today, the planned contextual studies session was cancelled, so I returned home to spend time on updating my journal (following yesterday's tutorial) and beginning to plan the kinetic screen based components. I have had these in my head for some while now and it is about time I did some work on them and made them real - in a virtual sense of course.

A combination of still not being 100% well, an unnecessary journey and the increasing pressure (as we move into the final critical stages) turned me into a ratty a**e today. Hopefully my e-mailed apology to the group will be accepted. I hate being Mr. negative (I really do), but sometimes, when your head is not 100% clear, it is very hard to express a problem (seen) in wholly constructive terms.

The good news from the model making is that it has given me confidence that everything will hang together and work as one. So much so, I have decided not to make a full-size test installation in the studio. Instead, I will spend more time on getting the components just right and ready for the exhibition installation process.

# 44 [23 April 2010]

In my last post I used the word 'confidence', this was a bad idea as ever since I have been mulling through all the concepts and outcomes I could of, or (maybe) should have pursued. Thirty six hours later and I am having trouble refocusing on the intended outcome. Today I will have to do something to clear my head and rid myself of (what must be) last-minute nerves.

There is just too much work left to allow this confusion to continue for very long!

# 45 [23 April 2010]

It's wonderful how public confession can clear the mind. Since writing my previous post I have managed to regain focus by working on alternative installation layouts on the scale model.

A little encouragement from a friendly fellow blogger is also worthy of mention. A timely few words can be oh so helpful - thank you Carolyn!

As you can see here, I now have four more sets of photographs to ponder and help me decide on what to do next. I'll probably pick two layouts and work on the graphite hand drawn components alongside editing the digital computer aided kinetic movies.

I still have one or two mad ideas brewing in the background, these may influence the final outcome, but I won't let them destroy what I already have.

# 46 [24 April 2010]

After sleeping on it, this is the current favoured layout.

I now need to go buy the boards for the graphite drawings and model the power feed requirements for the three screens.

# 47 [26 April 2010]

Picking up on the comment discussion from an earlier post (#44).

The really mad idea was to replace my entire installation with one poster connecting to ('advertising') my web installations. I have analysed the artistic truth of this approach and, on balance, rejected the thought - for now!

I have no real concerns about what comes after (post graduation), as my situation will allow me to continue following my own agenda.

When I have all the components for the installation ready, I will be able to relax a little and focus on the logistics and exhibition site installation issues. Of course, it doesn't help the nerves knowing that - when it comes to degree exhibitions - my college has a nomadic existence, so as yet the venue remains unconfirmed. But, we have a week to install, which should be sufficient.

For now it is back to video editing this week.

# 48 [28 April 2010]

Yesterday we had a session designed to allow us (third years) to give the second years the benefit of our experience - as they start out on the task of writing their dissertation. We spent a full ninety minutes recalling how we felt a year ago and what, why and how we approached the task. It wasn't all one way traffic, I found the session a really useful way of crystallising my own thoughts about how my practice has developed and the relationship that practice has with the formal writing of the dissertation.

This week has been about making the hand-drawn hand-made components for the internal skin of my installation pod. The first of three such components is 90% complete and has confirmed the approach. I will now commence construction of the other two.

The kinetic components have also been progressed, although somewhat less so than planned. Now I have everything under control, progress should be swift (famous last words maybe).

Today, we have a workshop designed to help us finish our personal statements. This seems to be considered important, despite there being absolutely no mention of personal statements in the unit or course assessment briefs. Given all the practice I have had in describing my practice and work through this blog and other web sites, I guess this shouldn't be too difficult a task.

There is also a lunch time meeting to finalise the show catalogue, making for a full and very busy day ahead.

# 49 [30 April 2010]

One of my added contributions to the wider degree show project is to sponsor, design and curate an artist led independent virtual record of the physical exhibition. Today I have started to build this site. Rather as I would build a blog, this site will be constructed in public over the next month. Each artist in the group will have a page where they can display an image and associated text about their degree exhibition art. Then, once the exhibition is ready for public viewing, I will take photographs and add these to the site to act as a virtual record of the show.

You can view the site at http://11degrees.co.uk.

On Wednesday we had a very interesting group session designed to help us create our artist statements. Despite early misgivings - I enjoyed this very much and found it a very useful and helpful exercise. Thanks to Sarah (our contextual studies tutor) for her considerable efforts to make this an interesting as opposed to stressful task.

I have now completed two out of three hand-made hand-drawn components for the internal skin of my installation. I am thoroughly enjoying the physical aspect of making these important components and take great pleasure from how this enjoyment manifests in the outcome.

The kinetic video based screen components are very close to completion and I hope to be in position to do a rough test install of everything next week.

# 50 [1 May 2010]

Today, I woke up and decided to write (in this blog) about the kinetic video components of my degree show installation, but then the mail dropped through the letter box.

There, on the hall floor, I found the May 2010 an magazine and the 2010 Degrees supplement and on page six a half page spread with an extract from my blogger profile and a quarter page image of my de : co-od-de work.

FANTASTIC!

So, today, all thought of kinetic video components will have to wait while I enjoy my moment in the spotlight.

Thank you so much an and Richard Taylor in particular.

And congratulations to my fellow featured bloggers too.

PS. What a great way to celebrate my 50th blog post - and what a coincidence too!