Tutorial: feedback on the first draft of Critical Review as of Wednesday, 27/09/2023
My tutor suggested I look at my research question and share a clear sense of this from the title to the artist and theories I discuss. At this stage, the essay needs rootedness and ownership. Structure and clarity are essential to consider.
I realise it is about ownership and me being more specific. The tricky point is to discern what I use, and who I use or mention as theorists/artists. I need to look and think about this in more depth, come back, and get a thread throughout the essay. Not just introduce the themes as it happened in this draft.
Critical evidence from my research needs to be given more attention. A practical solution would be to use the most robust ideas to back up my question. Currently, I need to show a clear connection between my argument and the question. I should consider how I use key terms and focus in-depth on these.
In terms of artists, it is essential to work with known artists who have documented proof of work and work processes. My tutor suggested more established artists to consider and that I write how this resonates with my practice within the theoretical and contextual framework. I need to bring my argument into this conversation. In this way, I write about theories and show an attempt to use the theories as a type of assemblage to guide the reader to my work and that of other artists.
I am reminded of earlier tutorials (Formative feedback from Part 3 and Part 2) where we discussed how I use artist in my application – the importance of learning from them, how this connects to my own studio practice. Even better would be to connect the ways of working to the theories I have been exploring. To show connection ot Haraway or Puig de la Bellacasa’s work. The effect will be that it would help to develop my own critical thinking and analysis further. In this way there will be connections which comes across my research and studio work.
Reflecting more on this, in my reading of Kimmerer and Le Guin, I would argue that just as one collects stories, my research method is to collect, artists, ideas, then sift through them, link them to what I can learn from them and apply in my own development. My research became a basket for ideas. In the research is see care, feminism and post humanist ideas coming from their writings. (my practical work and learning from mushrooms:wise teachers in times of climate crisis, decay – in my making consider restoration, looking at the other – show the need for each other to survive – let nature become my teacher.
I want to consider how I use visual work in the essay – the way I present my own or that of other artists – share it in the essay – think about the flow of writing, keep it relevant and show
the connections with the theory. I will have to do this as a PDF document.
Action points
Consider the Learning Outcomes as used in tutorial feedback
The aims of this unit are to:
- Undertake an extended written project that provides a theoretical and contextual framework for your practice.
- Undertake focused and sustained research into an individually negotiated subject area (subject to approval by your tutor).
- Develop a comprehensive knowledge and critical and contextual understanding of your subject area.
- Produce a clear and sustained written argument, supported by appropriate evidence that conforms to academic conventions.
On satisfactory completion of the unit you will be able to:
- Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of your subject area and build a theoretical framework for your practice.
- Demonstrate the application of appropriate research methods in the identification and understanding of broad contexts and specific practices.
- Synthesise, articulate and evaluate critical, contextual and conceptual knowledge and understanding of your subject area.
- Provide a clear and sustained written argument presented according to academic conventions.
MY ACTIONS
To start developing a draft, follow the current working research question: ‘How can theories around interconnectedness open new ideas for making in contemporary art practice?’
Then decide the theories and artists relating to interconnectedness.
Define key terms in glossary.
Then look at a structure – will it be themes or different artists / writers? Are the theorists a lens through which to look at the artists and your work?
Next tutorial : 8 November 2023