MOTIVATION, EXECUTION and EVALUATION

(Evaluation details below in Part 3)

Part 1: MOTIVATION

At the outset of the project (Project Proposal draft Assignment 2) I was adamant that wanted to attract limited local attention, due to local sensitivities. My Tutor challenged this as did my peers as my work began to take shape. I revised my intention a few months later as feedback told that the narrative was common to many localities, and decided to offer artist talks to a range of local people, to engage with an audience and offer the opportunity for them to reflect on the nature of community

I chose initially to do these 1:1 as I thought this would be more likely to give frank responses. I invited people via promotional postcards and offered another of their choice to takeaway and as potential promotional material:

As I gave publicity postcards away, word got around and I had locals ask me if they could see my book

Part 2. EXECUTION

Artist talks in the woodland where the images were photographed

21.10.24 with Kathryn

She said that the preface prepared her for the upcoming content well – the what and the why.

As she viewed the main images and couplets, she said “it made me reflect on my previous experience of human relationships, in fact ones away from this locality”. She spoke of her experience of others often not being generous, and how a lot of social etiquette is in fact ‘bollocks’. She liked many of the word choices such as ’festering’ which she called evocative. Kathryn said that the images and words relating to the woodlands conveyed a softness and peacefulness which is what she experienced in the woods at that moment, and of a sadness that is evident in the work. She particularly like the ‘residents’ images and definitions, saying it brought it home that diversity in a community can be quite simple.

She offered an interesting suggestion that the ‘residents’ images would be good behind ’flaps’ as readers may expect to see human portraits next to the definitions, and then be surprised.

My learning from this first artist talk was that the 1:1 talks are an effective method for sharing and gaining personal feedback on the work. It seems to create a mirror for a reader to reflect on human relationships in a fruitful way as well as offering an opportunity to enjoy the woodland community featured in it.

A big learning point was that the work is not obviously about one particular place (e.g. This local community) as the experience described in the work is very generic and applicable to most locations and networks; she believes I am reading too much into it with my fear of discovery.

Kathryn also said that the work doesn’t come across as harmful in any way, as it is sensitive, and not at all negative; it just has a feeling that it was made by someone who has experienced sadness and wishes for better relationships. She actually said I had “boiled the pettiness out of it”. I was able to explain about ethics in photography and how this project meets my aims.

She said she was very ‘affected’ by the photography, and enjoyed the self-reflection it provoked.

23.10.23 with Marianne

Beginning with the preface she immediately recalled a conversation with some tourists she bumped into recently and a conversation shared about locals an incomers. They related that where they have lived for 30 years they will never be considered local. Marianne referred to herself a ‘blown in’ though she’s lived here for years. She concurred with a line in the preface that incomers contribution to communities are rarely acknowledged.

Viewing the 1^st image, and looking around herself at the woodland, she reflected how diverse the woodland is and it yet adapts over time; conversely that humans seem resistant to change. Reading on she commented on the layering there is in the words and how it draws her into the images.

When musing on the ‘residents’ section of the book, she reflected on how in small human communities there can be a lack of perspective as they lack context, and the feeling that you can’t sneeze without someone knowing. This led her on the recount an experience she’d had with a local neighbour.

Marianne said that she found the book very honest and that I had done well to share my thoughts in a way that isn’t harmful to others but causes you to reflect and respond.

We discussed how I could share with a broader audience locally as she thought it could be shared more widely and that it could be beneficial for others. I said I should be conscious not to restrict my sharing to certain sectors. She commented that we have a very eclectic mix of people living here and that actually to tick all bases would be impossible.

29.1.24 with Jane

She remarked straight away on the quality of the book and paper. Then the strength of the images.

She pointed out that you could construct the same work and point to a different view of human community. Also, that those with less friendly behaviours are just an element of the community and that it is possible that thier expressions are simply their way of functioning in a community – you get gossipers in every community.

She went on to say “the work is very thought provoking as I don’t normally dwell on community behaviours”. She has lived here for 30 years and said she is aware of conflict in the community, but tries to insulated herself from it, by not dwelling on it.

We talked at the end about how the woodland might respond if it had ‘incomers’, aka invasive species; this was a reflection point for myself.

2.11.24 with Rachel

As sat in the woodland the leaves fell around us. Rachel read the book to the end of the ‘community’ section before asking me the background. She then commented that the poetry made her feel sad.

She queried that all is harmonious in the woodland if you widen out from the flora I focused on, for instance the elements and the fauna (food chain) but agreed that for such a diverse community it is relatively harmonious.

She then focused on the images and said the 1^st image conjured up a feeling of protection. and spotted that main images 2 & 5 appear chaotic on the surface, though they were ordered underneath. She also commented that image 6 seemed hopeful and spring like. I shared that she was perceptive as images 2 & 5 were taken when I photographed elements that appear chaotic and image 6 for a subset I called rebirth.

She noted how the top and bottom couplet lines are the extremes of positive and negative, and the language used evocative, e.g. Contentedly and festering. She shared her own always positive attitude to human community, saying it made her consider that all may not be as it appears on the surface and there be other that have different views.

She continued with the ‘resident’ section of the book and enjoyed the close-up images. Her observation was that they could just carry a headline title each, like nourish, and not have the definition as well, leaving more to the viewers imagination.

Overall, apart from loving the images, she commented “the book has made me reflect on the nature of community and consider how others might feel about it”. She read the book quietly several times and said she would like to reread again, saying she enjoyed the layers in it and the reflection it was provoking.

6.11.24 with Sharon

She initially commented that the woodland ‘just is’, whereas words like prejudice and ….are labels that we have in human communities, as humans seem to need to put limits/labels on things. She said that the images made her realise how nature coexists naturally whilst humans need to work hard to come together/ be together.

She said the images showed the diversity and richness of the woodland community.

I asked if she thought my signposting text was harsh on humans, and she replied that no she thinks it’s a reality in communities generally, and agreed that the contrasting words chosen for the poetry was completely appropriate.

PART 3 EVALUATION -Learning from my initial artist talks

I am realising that the book can have a wide appeal and could be recognised as fitting many neighborhoods, readers relate the theme is common in many neighbourhoods; my fear of upsetting locals who may think I’m shining a light on them seem unfounded. Viewing in the woodland seems to encourage ‘slow reading’ and revisiting of the book. I am surprised at the impact the work has on viewers and how it prompts them to reflect verbally on their own experiences of community; I suspect that this is only the tip of their reflection.

It has given me further ideas on how I could develop my work through artist talks:

• I will continue with and expand my artist talks to local audiences
• Experiment with Artist talks outside of the woodland, where and will be open to holding group sessions
• Capture feedback.
• I have been asked to present my work to a group audience, at a County organisation, and will look for similar opportunities.

Had I not disseminated my work through Artist talks I would not know that I’d met my project intentions, nor would have evidence of this:

” The book has made me reflect on the nature of community and consider how others might feel about it” (Rachel at artist talk)

”

LO5 confidently engage a public audience with your practice and analyse, review and evaluate information relevant to your practice, identifying opportunities for professional development