5-5 Assignment 5

There are several elements to this assignment, each of the sub-sections is noted and linked below:

5-5-1 Links to Part 5 Sections Index & links -ALL sections Part 5 of course

Links to other relevant sections of work on Part 5 of course

Peer Interaction	Critiques, on-line events, meetings, study events [on-line blog] [Currently updating]
Portfolio Assessment	Gallery of images which are the Long-List selection for Assessment
Gallery – Completed Works	Images of all completed works made during Major Project
Portfolio – Painting	Images of all works done during MP course including works in progress images, revealing under-painting and stages through to completion of works for most.

5-5-2 Summary Part 5 AND all of MP Course

MP Course Review

I began the Major Project and Contextual Studies courses in the summer of last year, when the restrictions caused by the pandemic presented the opportunity to work uninterrupted on the course without many of the distractions of life to intervene and cause a loss of momentum. Setting a schedule that allowed me two months or so to complete each section, this allowed ample time to combine research in Contextual Studies as well as the research necessary to delve into the artists, methods, skills and topics of interest etc in the Major Project course.

Beginning the course with a look back to where I left off with my practice in Studio Practice, I conclude this course looking forward to the painting and elements required to conclude everything I’ve worked for over the last near decade. With Studio Practice I finished with a series of autographical pieces exploring my own pain and trauma – the result of a hospital acquired infection. The premise of both practice and interest in CS and MP was how to represent pain and trauma in painting and how artists have painted so in their practice.

As the course progress I seemed to be juggling several disparate ideas and subjects in my practice and research. However, in the middle of both courses I began to set these lines converge into a single joint or twin line offering me clarity of where I was going and how all of the pieces now fitted together. At this stage the course became even more enjoyable and was able to fine-tune the various aspects more closely to what I require with additional invaluable advice from tutors presenting additional strands which would not introduce discord but present additional support and reinforce what I was doing and where I was going.

In earlier sections of the course, I painted meat, then skin and flesh before moving onto damaged skin and flesh. All these were presenting opportunities to develop, refine and hone my painting skills through the twin strands of painting as well visual and artist methodology research etc. Over the last couple of months in this section of the course I have painted man injured or mental wounded. This series of paintings allowed me to return to one of the strands of painted investigations I did – namely, painting in pairs or as I earlier termed them – ‘binary-paintings’.

When a tutorial in the middle of MP revealed the work of Colin Crumplin, whose paintings are usually a merge of two quite disparate but linked paintings. Crumplin makes an unconscious abstract painting, this provides visual clues usually through a hint of a resemble to an image in Crumplin’s head. He then paints a realist painting to join onto, and to be display with the abstract work. This concept provided me with the mechanism to develop and drive the narrative through a ‘collocation’ of paired paintings.

So, through the various aspects of research but through written information and also through visual research I arrived at the point where I am now. In my ‘Artists Statement’ I describe my work thus:

[…] my work is an exploration of how pain, injury and trauma can be depicted through painting. I do this through the use of collocations -a combination of two paintings – a figure with injuries and an associated image such as a damaged object. (Tucker, 5-2-2 – Artist’s Statement. 2021)

In this latter part of the course, I have looked closely at how other artists both historic and contemporary have depicted emotion in their painting. Through this visual survey of painting, I have been able to move from the graphic injuries being depicting in my earlier works on hurt and pain that is more subtle but no less painful for the subject.

With regard to my painting practice in this last part of the course I have had it develop through three phases. Firstly, paintings that depict pain and trauma, physical and mental experienced by a male subject. Secondly, I have painted associated paintings to be ‘other’ part of a pair of paintings. Thirdly, I have ‘married’ these first and second works together into a new work.

This series of works to be presented for Assessment, I am calling – Collocations.

MP Course Reflection

Laying out before the paintings completed during the last year in the Major Project course, I realise it has been quite a journey. I have greatly improved my visual skills and the ability to distil an idea into two-dimensions on a canvas using the medium of paint. Ove the last few months I have managed to build a collection of paintings of which I’m proud to have painted. Breaking off from painting to write my notes, reflection, blog etc. was quite a wrench. However, it is always wise to stop, take stock and reflect; more so when writing about your studies.

Over the duration of MP and CS courses I have interacted so much more than during previous courses. The reasons for this are probably two-fold – once I started on the course I quickly joined in with the monthly critiques and other meetings of OCA students and other groups (Kent Creative), additionally the OCA itself has initiated many more courses, meetings and teaching sessions. Since the start of this year, I have been the organiser and host of the monthly MP critique meetings as well as a founding member and organiser of an online OCA groups of level 5 and 6 students looking at colour.

The monthly critique meetings have been a anchor point around which I was able to try-out ideas, discuss options on my painting and on the course as a whole. It has also enabled great interaction between students as we discussed each other’s work and our own works. Where progress has stalled the group has been supportive and where resources were missing some-one in the group inevitably had a copy of link to what was being sought. During the monthly discussions fellow students also provide insightful remarks and additional threads of research ideas to follow.

For the first section or two in both the MP and CS course, my ideas were jumping around, but as the research and painting continued these coalesced into a meaningful and coherent concept – in effect – this was like joining the dots, and seeing and understanding the whole picture. This revelation allowed me to see my research (both Major Project and Contextual Studies) and my painting investigation as a single intermingled strand each intertwined and supporting the other. Reflecting upon this I was able to see things in a new light and return to earlier threads that had stalled, namely, my so called ‘binary-paintings’.

The research into emotions and how they have been and might be depicted in painting allowed me to find a new subtlety in my work. This enabled me to provoke empathy in a viewer without recourse to graphic injury and its associated blood and gore, though these are no fully abandoned.

A few weeks ago, I had completed a series of works depicting emotion and injury, to enable a more comprehensive narrative to be developed I needed to team them with supporting works and this make a series of binary [paintings in a group of collocation works. I then set to thinking about a narrative and how to support the figurative painting.

I had a great deal of pleasure in developing other works to be companion pieces to develop and create a new narrative. This group of ‘binary-paintings’ will be the core of my assessment submission. Over the last couple of weeks, I have painted a series of these and married them with paintings into a grouping called Collocations.

In the first paintings the narrative may be subtle with not obvious back story, I have used the second works as a means to develop the narrative in a particular direction, though still leaving it open for the viewer to have the space to develop their own empathy and narrative around the collocated paintings.

While completing both the Major Project and Contextual Studies courses provides a sense of achievement, it also gives a sense of disappointment as I had everything in tune and working (painting and research) but now the momentum will stall slightly as I prepare for assessment.

I am now eager to commence SYP, which I will sign onto in due course.

5-5-3 Reflect & Review – Part 5

(Against the course criteria)

Review against Assessment criteria

Demonstration of subject
- based knowledge and understanding – Broad and comparative understanding of subject content, knowledge of the appropriate historical, intellectual, cultural or institutional contexts (25%).

Over the last few months, I have coalesced the various threads of painting practice, research, writing and reflection into a cohesive knowledge and understanding on both historical and contemporary painting practice. Though a combination of reading, research of artists, techniques, in articles, videos, books and online I have distilled the knowledge and skills into my practice in writing, reflection and painting on this subject. This research and the other elements have enabled me to conceptualise the various aspects and facets of the subject matter. I will now be able to take these skills, understanding into the final stage of this degree in painting journey.

Demonstration of research skills
- Information retrieval and organisation, use of IT to assist research, ability to evaluate IT sources, the ability to design and carry out a research project, locate and evaluate evidence from a wide range of primary and secondary sources (visual, oral, aural or textual) (25%).

The research I have undertaken has been feed my skills and understanding of online access to it in particular. The MP and CS courses have been undertaken fully within the period of the Covid pandemic restriction with access to libraries virtually nil. However, I have been able to source many e-books both useful and insightful to my research and investigations in painting and the surrounding subject of artists, contemporary practice as well the historical artist methods, practice and body of work from the many masters of the art of painting through the ages.

The range of research using online libraries, websites, galleries as well as artists own websites etc. is endless but I have been able to discern the most useful for my research and investigating. The sources used have been selected for both the information and material available as well as the quality of the information – I ensured it was peer reviewed etc when appropriate. I have collected the whole of the bibliography from the various sections of the course, in the blogs etc into a single combined bibliography for both MP and CS courses.

Demonstration of critical and evaluation skills
- Engagement with concepts, values and debates; evidence of analysis, reflection, critical thinking, synthesis, interpretation in relation to relevant issues and enquiries (25%).

The monthly critique sessions with fellow course-mates in OCA has developed my discernment in reviewing both my own and other’s work. These sessions have allowed me to reflect on my work from outside myself, through the eyes of others and to adjust any mixed messages which may have been relayed through my work; the critique sessions have been invaluable in this regard.

The synthesising of my research, analysis critical thinking etc is demonstrated in my CS essay and the various written reviews, responses and reflections through both the MP and CS courses.

I take part in various student and OCA online activities (and previously physically attended these before Covid); these sessions and events present an opportunity to reflect on my work and synthesis it technically and contextually. The enforced ‘stay at home‘ message in the last year plus has allowed me the opportunity to review earlier texts and analysis where I might not have fully understood at the time but now with a greater grasp of the subject have the ability to evaluate them with a renewed understanding. The on-line sessions also expose me to the opinions and views of others on the subject and how they view the subject. This has allowed greater understanding and wider opinions through either adoption or rejection of these ideas.

Communication

- The ability to communicate

Over the last half year, I have been the organiser and host of the MP Monthly Critique online sessions which have provided opportunities to engage with other students on the MP course. Other online events such as student meetings, OCA led events I have also attended additional short OCA courses such as Keeping up Momentum, Go-Large, student organised studio days and on-line lectures. Recently I have linked up with Kent Creative for their online sessions and in time with the lifting of restrictions etc. will participate in their events etc. such as exhibitions and visits. To synthesis my ideas and work and to be able to communicate these verbal as well as through writing I have volunteering to give a half-hour talk on my work etc to the OCA -South East Regional Group at their next session.

These events and interactions are detailed in my blog (see Peer Interaction)

Communication is not just interacting with other students on the internet but the ability to express ideas, thoughts and concepts verbally, written and artistically; my writing is of a level to ensure I fully and coherently articulate these and my blog details these in an easily navigable and logical manner. The various research and writing sessions provided by OCA have also developed my ability to verbally articulate them.

In addition to communicating through writing I have also used the medium of painting to communicate my ideas and concepts. Visual communication is fundamental to a painter and through the improvement in my skills and develop of my abilities with a brush, paint and canvas I am able to communicate ideas and emotions eliciting responses from them through the use of this visual medium.

5-5-4 Assignments – Provisional Timeframes

Over the course of the last year, I have worked simultaneously on both the MP and CS courses. I have now completed both courses and am at the point where I will now start to prepare for assessment. This will be to ensure that there are ‘sign-posts’ for the Assessors to find the most relevant parts of my work etc. as well as ensuring they have the more important aspects highlighted to them.

I set a schedule at the beginning of both courses and have been able to stay on this schedule, primarily as the Covid restrictions have curtailed most other activities.

This timetable is noted below. These timescales are a period of 8-10 weeks between assignments. Both MP and CS submitted for assessment in mid-September for the November 2021 event.

/ / / /	Assgmt 1	Assgmt 2	Assgmt 3	Assgmt 4	Assgmt 5	Ass’ment
Major Proj.	23 Oct ‘20	6 Jn‘21	8 Mar ‘21	17 May ‘21	19 July ‘21	Submit mid-Sept for Nov’21
Cont. Studies	23 Oct ‘20	6 Jn ‘21	8 Mar ‘21	17 May ‘21	25 Jun’ ‘21	Submit mid-Sept for Nov’21
Year Week #	42	1	10	20	29	37
/ / / /	Y	Y	Y	Y	– – – –	pending