At the start of 603 I was vastly under-confident in my style and capabilities as a professional. In Level 4 and 5 I'd just been able to bulldoze through brief stress with sheer force, but they were singular, streamlined briefs. Being completely free to plan out my own projects blindsided me. I had ideas of what work I wanted to make, but no idea how to effectively test and stretch my style to make it work for me.
COP really aided the development of 603 because it taught me to artistically triangulate between outcomes- working from plans to make objects then working from objects to make plans. The most important breakthroughs of this module were heavily achieved via ideology I found in COP in the bauhaus, de stijl & constructivism. My 2D & 3D work is simplified, functional, and testing itself & shifting constantly to become a little more abstract then a little more visually communicative.
I completed 4 live briefs this year. I am a competent Illustrator but at the start of this year I was very unsure in my style. Doing live briefs structured me with deadlines and succinct briefs to work to. In a year where I did a lot of flitting between small projects, these really helped my portfolio work and gave me a solid base to work off of for an traditional Illustration employment in the future.
I also focused on my personal practice a lot this year. I was away on Erasmus when everyone else was crafting their own projects at level 5, so this was new for me. Doing lots of life drawing and just making in clay- doing small, non-pressured projects- helped me to find my way and what I enjoyed doing the most. I made two zines, which made me start to consider how to present 3D work and get it out into the world- making sculptures is fine, but there's little point unless you can showcase it in a way that gets it noticed or in a portfolio. I even turned my hand to trying to make a 3D business card/CV to stand out. This was for PP, but it started with laser-cutting and exploring paper forms in 603, especially the zine I made (See my "Synthesis"/Batsford Prize post).
I have a complex about 3D work not being real illustration, and that as a designer, I'm not a real Illustrator. This year, I rejected that concept and made 3D work anyway. I've always used processes & materials in my practice outside of submission, but this year I fully got over the rut I was in and committed to making my practice undeniably sculptural. It's been very positive because I work well when my projects compliment and bounce off of each other, plus it's allowed me to roll my professional (laser cut earrings/materials) conceptual (ideology of bauhaus/reductive art/inspiration by designers & architects) and personal practice into one morphing, interesting thing.
However, I struggle to juggle multiple briefs. I think uncertainty was necessary in this module to finally develop and have faith in a style that is my own as a maker. As I continue in my professional life, I think I would really benefit from some stringent time management. I likely work best at one project at a time, but part of growing into a professional is learning how to balance multiple projects simultaneously. If I want to grow & network in the industry, I'll likely not have the luxury of focusing on one thing at a time. Besides, I have too many things I want to do at once.
In the future I really want to return to reading some more theory and using it to inspire my work and projects. I'd like to design a sculptural series of work and work towards getting it exhibited somewhere independently. I'd love to try making or mastering physical objects like lights or furniture. I need to apply for jobs relevant to the creative sphere in the hope I can keep my artistic spirit alive post-university. I want to keep developing my style towards a point where it becomes functional and beautiful, a true synthesis of material and design.
Overall, 603 has acted primarily as a way to build a portfolio and explore my personal practice in it's entirety. I've made it a jam-packed and successful module, if a little scatter-brained.
I completed 4 live briefs this year. I am a competent Illustrator but at the start of this year I was very unsure in my style. Doing live briefs structured me with deadlines and succinct briefs to work to. In a year where I did a lot of flitting between small projects, these really helped my portfolio work and gave me a solid base to work off of for an traditional Illustration employment in the future.
I also focused on my personal practice a lot this year. I was away on Erasmus when everyone else was crafting their own projects at level 5, so this was new for me. Doing lots of life drawing and just making in clay- doing small, non-pressured projects- helped me to find my way and what I enjoyed doing the most. I made two zines, which made me start to consider how to present 3D work and get it out into the world- making sculptures is fine, but there's little point unless you can showcase it in a way that gets it noticed or in a portfolio. I even turned my hand to trying to make a 3D business card/CV to stand out. This was for PP, but it started with laser-cutting and exploring paper forms in 603, especially the zine I made (See my "Synthesis"/Batsford Prize post).
I have a complex about 3D work not being real illustration, and that as a designer, I'm not a real Illustrator. This year, I rejected that concept and made 3D work anyway. I've always used processes & materials in my practice outside of submission, but this year I fully got over the rut I was in and committed to making my practice undeniably sculptural. It's been very positive because I work well when my projects compliment and bounce off of each other, plus it's allowed me to roll my professional (laser cut earrings/materials) conceptual (ideology of bauhaus/reductive art/inspiration by designers & architects) and personal practice into one morphing, interesting thing.
However, I struggle to juggle multiple briefs. I think uncertainty was necessary in this module to finally develop and have faith in a style that is my own as a maker. As I continue in my professional life, I think I would really benefit from some stringent time management. I likely work best at one project at a time, but part of growing into a professional is learning how to balance multiple projects simultaneously. If I want to grow & network in the industry, I'll likely not have the luxury of focusing on one thing at a time. Besides, I have too many things I want to do at once.
In the future I really want to return to reading some more theory and using it to inspire my work and projects. I'd like to design a sculptural series of work and work towards getting it exhibited somewhere independently. I'd love to try making or mastering physical objects like lights or furniture. I need to apply for jobs relevant to the creative sphere in the hope I can keep my artistic spirit alive post-university. I want to keep developing my style towards a point where it becomes functional and beautiful, a true synthesis of material and design.
Overall, 603 has acted primarily as a way to build a portfolio and explore my personal practice in it's entirety. I've made it a jam-packed and successful module, if a little scatter-brained.
