Unit 1 Assessment

Evidence of Learning Outcomes


1. Develop your Project Proposal to plan a challenging and self-directed programme of study.

My written project proposal has gradually transformed since the beginning of the course, see latest Project Proposal  I have revised this periodically, and have also kept a section titled Preliminary Project Proposals  under categories on my Blog. While the concept of my project has stayed the same which is: To conceptualize and explore the natural world, whilst questioning the existence of individuality within a system. There has also been major developments which have occurred due to a combination of the areas below:

a, While collecting information and writing my Research Paper.
 Due to my Research Paper I had begun thinking more about life, linking aspects of metaphysical/ontological inquiry, nature and chaotic systems together. See links:
The Beauty of Chaos   Tutorials Group   Random Thoughts    Interview with Philip Galanter   Interview with Shardcore   Interview with Joseph Nechvatal 

b, Studio Practise, Visual Research and Subject Research.
I started filming natural Generative Elements such as Fire, Wave Transformations and Clouds I experimented colourising videos and playing with various effects and sounds too, but one of my favourite videos that I filmed and left untouched is of Drift Line Sand Patterns  It is very calming and the pattern transformations appear more vein like towards the end.  This also coincided with an earlier post about a documentary called The Beauty of Chaos In this post there is a video excerpt of a documentary which explores ideas of a mathematician called Benoit Mandelbrot, looking at how natural fractals in the world form the shapes of mountains, coastlines and river basins; the structures of plants, blood vessels and lungs.  I found this all so fascinating and it led me thinking more about our lungs and breathing, and the connection between our bodies and the natural world, which took me in the direction to experiment with breathing sounds, while combining a video on similar lines to my Drift Line Sand Pattern video. This video is an attempt at a rough simulation, see Breathing Experiment

c, Life around me at the time:
Three couples that I know were having babies, approximately within a month of each other! One friend would often compare herself to a balloon which gave me the idea of using clear balloons to project video through, which would also contain small quantities of air from people that I had recorded their breathing sounds. See  links:
Studio Practise: Reflections and Ideas   New Ideas   Placenta    Breathing Experiment   Breathing (Asthma)    Random Thoughts

d, Exhibition visit: 
I visited an Exhibition at the V&A on Postmodernism. I watched clips from the documentary Koyannasiquati. This was projected onto a large screen, and at one point one of the assistants walked through a nearby door which made the screen move accidentally which appeared like the screen was breathing. This made me think of other ways that I could incorporate breathing into my work.
Exhibition: Postmodernism

Since I felt that the combining and development within these areas had become a major turning point in acknowledging more details to my proposal, I recently updated my Project Proposal  incorporating them.

2. Demonstrate a critical engagement with practice-based research and contribute actively to debate and discussion.

At the beginning of the course after my Symposium I made an experimental video to create Generated Characters both as part of my studio practise and to use these characters to make another video of the feedback from my Symposium. The characters were purely fictional and it was merely a coincidence if they happened to bear any resemblance to the tutors and students on my course :-) I wanted to do this so I could make a video of my Critique and then use these toy characters as avatars for the people involved in this critique. In addition I got some feedback about my Generative Characters and Critique video from the group, see here In the critique Andy suggested that I learn Processing. Later on I found a series of really helpful Processing videos on youtube which were brilliant for me to learn the basics.

The next point of call was the Mid Point Review Here I talked about my studio practise and methodology, and got some excellent Feedback I have also talked about my work both in Tutorials and Group Tutorials

A list of my Gallery/Museum visits and reflections on these events can found in categories under Exhibitions Visited  and I have also reflected on areas in Studio Practise  Contextual Research   Subject Research which has been aided by my Visual Research

I have contributed in both Critiques and Studio Practise of other group members via the weekly chats, personal messages, mainly by email and have made comments in Group Tutorials (suggestions that I made) Here are also a few links to some questions that I asked Eva  Mariana and Olivia  from chat sessions that they have posted on their blogs.

Whilst I have contributed to discussions in the weekly chats. I have also reflected on these chats which can be found in the categories section titled  Reflective Chat  One of my favourite chats was about Copyrighting and Remixing. Jonathan suggested that we watch RIP: A Remix Manifesto. I learnt so much from this chat and enjoyed watching the video and remixing it too. Here's my attempt at remixing: RIP: A Remix Manifesto (Remixed)  :-)


I have also communicated with other practitioners to arrange interviews for my research paper.The interviews can be found in the section called Categories under Research Paper Related This section also contains my research paper, including previous abstracts and ideas, along with research paper tutorials.

3. Articulate a clear understanding of the methodology and context of your creative practice in both written and verbal forms.

I have expressed the methodology and context of my practise within a combination of  areas:

a, A written methodology can be found within my Project Proposal  and examples of  this development can also be viewed in sections on my blog under: Studio Practise   Subject Research  Contextual Research    Exhibitions Visited along with an explanation of the development to my proposal in question one of this post.

b, My Research Paper has also been vital to my Studio Practise which has aided in both contextual, and subject research areas.

c, I have also talked about the methodology and context of my work in verbal forms during both the Symposium and Mid Point Review

I have learnt so much within the time frame of  Unit One, and feel confident that I have met the required learning outcomes.