PLEASE NOTE MY RESPONSES TO THIS FEEDBACK ARE IN ITALIC BOLD

Feedback on assignment
Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Quality of Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity

Project 1 : The sampling is attractive, with a strong colour palette and an exciting concept. You’ve used drawing well to propose textile samples. Use it more extensively to test alternative ideas.

My sketching of sampling needs improving and I do struggle with this particularly as I am more naturally process than design led.

Whilst you’ve varied the stitched patterns on the fabrics and the placement of the patches, there is so much more
that could have been explored in early sampling to create a more varied body of work. E.g. you could have varied
the:
– Size of thread: lots of fine thread to create more frenetic surfaces for example, versus heavier wool or
multiple threads stitched together to create heavier lines.
– Stitch type: Long looping, loose stitches versus tiny, tight ones.
– Edges: Some folded or heavily frayed as well as simple cut edge.

This feedback is particularly useful as I felt completely stumped on how to progress the samples and create the overall aesthetic I desired and now understand how it could be achieved more effectively.

The idea of dilapidation could have been communicated much more through the material and technique through the very fibre, thread, stitching, and the composition overall. You’ve thought a lot about how the colour communicates these qualities but less on the texture, surface and other visual qualities.

The drawings and samples are all quite similar in aesthetic. A wider range of early exploration would result in a
more varied body of work and stronger outcomes, as you’d have more to reflect upon and select from.

I do understand the point made – more samples are needed at a much earlier stage in order to create stronger outcomes.

You abstracted the photographic images well, which was a key aim for you. Now challenge your creative thinking
to think about ways to communicate through materials and textures as much as through colour.

Due to being naturally process led I can now understand how playing with the materials themselves and noting down comments could be used to communicate through the materials themselves including their textural qualities.

Project 2: You’ve experimented more playfully in this project. It feels that you took a more investigatory approach
to the materials and techniques, whereas project 1 felt like you’d already decided on the aesthetic because it was
all very similar.

The work with the tyvek and lutradur through being new materials felt immediately more exploratory as I had no real idea of what would work or not and this consequently resulted in the more exploratory samples.

Your ongoing reflection is thoughtful. I find myself left with similar questions to those I had in project 1: Why are
the edges cut straight? How could they have been manipulated? Why is the thread black, and why is the machine
stitching always the same? Could different stitches been used to connect the patches in a more freeform manner?
These are the sorts of variations that could be tested earlier on to help you communicate your narrative.

I understand my tutors thoughts on the resulting samples – my Asperger’s mind naturally leads to a sense of order even when abstracting imagery and to an extent I am limited on what threads I have in my stash but do now see how I could have developed these samples further and more effectively.

When critiquing your work, try to be more explicit about what you think the aesthetic / material is communicating
to help you address the issues discussed above. Also be more specific about your evaluations. For example, “This
feels far too literal.” What about the composition or aesthetic is literal? Try to be specific about why it looks literal
and what needs to be changed.

Again I understand the points made and need to make notes on my thought processes in my sketchbook in order to help with the critiquing and evaluation.

Learning Logs
Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis

In general, your responses to research points and written exercises are thorough with a good level of analysis and
thoughtful responses.

You do sometimes stray away from the key subject but this was often due to a volume of tangential information,
rather than you not answering the questions posed. To focus the writing, construct a list of questions to answer to
provide structure. Afterwards, proofread your writing with these questions in mind to edit out information that is
less relevant or is diluting your narrative.

I do feel my Asperger’s has a bearing on this point and I need to work further on focusing on what is required or what I wish to communicate in my research points and written exercises – the suggestions of questions is a useful tip.

To improve the academic level of your writing, continue to work on being more succinct. I’m aware this is an
ongoing development point for you. For example, in research point 1.1, in a paragraph about James Long, there is
quite a lot of narrative about how you found his work, rather than focusing on the nature of the materials used in
his work.

I think to understand some artist’s work I have a need to understand the work as a whole in order to be able to focus on the finer details but understand now what is required i.e. the succinctness and the focus on the materials – a note to self is to check the brief and make notes if necessary.

Use the reflection points to state how to improve, as well as on highlighting issues. For example, “my sketches
feel very diagrammatic and lacking evidence of textures and even the atmosphere I have wanted to create.”
This is a good evaluation. What would you do differently to improve these drawings? Would an alternative tool or
media help? Or did you need to test more options to develop a textural palette to use (e.g. the mark making
exploration). Stating ways to improve the work helps feeds the development of your work at the next phase.

I usually do make notes on what I would do differently in future work and realise this was something I missed out for this assignment.

Feedback on Essay proposal

Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis

I am happy for you continue with your proposed essay title. The way materials are used as metaphors or analogies
is a good focus, with recycled / upcycled materials further constraining your focus. Artists tell stories with
materials, and the materials provide a visual language for those narratives. What does the material provide on its
own without manipulation? Then how is it adapted by the artist to tell the story? (i.e. What do these materials say
to us on their own? How does what the artist has done to them change what they’re saying?) Ensure you find
writing by the artist or critics about how materials are the vehicles for the metaphor- both in relation to the
specific work you look at and also broader commentary about the communicative power of materials.

This topic also relates well to the development points discussed above – about how you could use your materials
to explore and communicate your theme more powerfully.

I am happy my ideas for my essay have been approved and the points and suggestions made create an  initial line of research that I can start to build my essay upon.

Pointers for the next assignment

• Reflect on this feedback in your learning log.
• Invest time in a truly exploratory first phase of sampling before reflecting on and selecting key samples to
refine.
• Continue to reflect on ways to be more succinct in written work.