On Tuesday, some of the MA class are running exercises to contribute to their research. So I have worked up my idea:
Values Exercise
Purpose: To identify and understand the personal characteristics valued by other people (in this case, thinking people, MA By Project class).
1. Think of a person that you know personally, who you value.
- Write down that person's name.
- List 4 reasons why you value them.
2. Think of someone else you know personally, of the other gender, who you value.
- Write down that person's name.
- List 4 reasons why you value them.
3. Think of a woman in the public domain, who you value.
- Name her.
- List 4 reasons why you value her.
4. Think of a man in the public domain, who you value.
- Name him.
- List 4 reasons why you value him.
5. Can you think of an object or an art media that you associate with any of the values listed?
- List them.
- Are any of them gendered?
6. Show Cryptic Cross Wood.
- Explain my personal view of values depicted and own gender association with materials used.
Exercise ends.
Consequential Analysis:
Is the data gathered valid? To MA students? To general public?
Is there a difference in values perceived between people we know, and people in the public domain? If so, what are these differences and why do we perceive them? Are there similarities?
Is the representation of people in art galleries and museums linked to values of the public domain? If so, how? Status, power, money, beauty …?. Why?
Is the representation of people in art galleries and museums linked to values of the private domain? If so, how and why?
What are the reasons why women are represented in galleries? Status, power, money - of the women, or an associated man? Other domestic/mundane values?
How does the artwork description describe the women represented? What words are used? Are they gendered or possessive? Wife of? Daughter of? Fiancee of?
How does the artwork description describe the men represented? What words are used? Are they gendered or possessive?
Idea for Exhibition Title about domestic/mundane women:
"Anonymous was a Woman … Not Any More!"
Saturday, 27 February 2016
Friday, 26 February 2016
Lost and Found Ideas
More thoughts from the swimming pool.
I have been thinking about similarities and differences in how people view values. What they value and what they don't. Yesterday's exercise where I produced the Cryptic Cross Wood made me think about juxtaposing different values - manual and intellectual. Then I was being thankful that there were found materials available to inspire me. I would not have created such satisfying pieces had they not been there. I think I have found the germ of the idea for my second collection! I could make this run for some time.
But equally, you need ideas to work with. So what about Found Ideas? What values do other people have? How would you represent them? So what about a group exercise where the reason why we value other people are listed, then pick and mix two diverse ideas and represent in art media.
I really need to take a brave pill and work up yesterday's idea. I think one of my outcomes from my MA this year, needs to be a submission of my thinking to the Gender Symposium at Loughborough Uni, and another outcome needs to be a submission to the Jerwood Prize.
While I was swimming and thinking about how to use a cross stitch on a wood artwork, I was thinking about the symbolism of the cross for a signature, when dyslexic people were often labelled as illiterate. Could a work representing a skill, also have a cross somewhere (not obvious) to symbolise the unimportance of the ability to write well, in contrast to high skill levels in some other field?
I have been thinking about similarities and differences in how people view values. What they value and what they don't. Yesterday's exercise where I produced the Cryptic Cross Wood made me think about juxtaposing different values - manual and intellectual. Then I was being thankful that there were found materials available to inspire me. I would not have created such satisfying pieces had they not been there. I think I have found the germ of the idea for my second collection! I could make this run for some time.
But equally, you need ideas to work with. So what about Found Ideas? What values do other people have? How would you represent them? So what about a group exercise where the reason why we value other people are listed, then pick and mix two diverse ideas and represent in art media.
I really need to take a brave pill and work up yesterday's idea. I think one of my outcomes from my MA this year, needs to be a submission of my thinking to the Gender Symposium at Loughborough Uni, and another outcome needs to be a submission to the Jerwood Prize.
While I was swimming and thinking about how to use a cross stitch on a wood artwork, I was thinking about the symbolism of the cross for a signature, when dyslexic people were often labelled as illiterate. Could a work representing a skill, also have a cross somewhere (not obvious) to symbolise the unimportance of the ability to write well, in contrast to high skill levels in some other field?
Thursday, 25 February 2016
Great day in Vanda's Class
Today we were working with found materials, using some of the work by artists selected in the Jerwood Drawing exhibition as inspiration. I was also thinking about values, as this is my most recent reading.
My first drawing started life as an old charity shop framed picture of St Paul's Cathedral. I took the image out of the frame, and used a palette knife to quickly draw my memory of The Gherkin on the reverse of the glass. Then the glass was reinstated to the frame.
Next I was inspired by Craig Fisher who juxtaposed message and medium. I cut a stencil of an mirror image spoon and placed it over an Artist Statement and image, so it could not be read as a literary piece.
Then I was inspired by a Jerwood drawing on a wooden batten, by Pennie Elfick. I have created a cryptic crossword for Mrs Konieczny so I drew a section of the crossword on a dovetail section, and another on a wooden batten. I was quite pleased with these - they were good first pieces, although I could see how they could be refined. The batten needs to be splintered and broken down one side. Later in the afternoon, I found other wood offcuts lying around outside the Shedio, which would be good raw materials in case I pluck up the courage to do a drawing and submit it to the Jerwood Drawing Prize.
Daniel Crawshaw's drawing inspired by the sublime linked a longing for remote landscape with the mundane material world. I took a mundane piece of sandpaper with holes to fit on a sander, cut it to form a mask (with eye holes to view the sublime landscape), and added a handle to make it into lorgnettes.
On the way home I thought about an artist statement to fit the crossword batten. To me this artwork is about Values. The juxtaposition of different values. The rough nature of the wood symbolises manual work, the cryptic crossword symbolises the skills of the intellectual. Both are essential. But often one is valued less than the other. The title should be "Cryptic Cross Wood". I need to think about scale. Do I scale up the size of the crossword grid to fit the cutout section? Do I draw or burn the lettering? Or do use a pedestal drill to finely pierce holes to 'cross-stitch' the pattern for lettering? Also rather than drilling right the way through the wood, I would just make small holes and push the yarn in, using the tool I used when I did Touch Tapestry kits as a child. Hmmm. Food for Thought.
And just by-the-by, Vanda suggested I needed to set up a website (as it would be expected if I entered the Jerwood Prize and Loughborough University seminar).
Not a lot to do then!
My first drawing started life as an old charity shop framed picture of St Paul's Cathedral. I took the image out of the frame, and used a palette knife to quickly draw my memory of The Gherkin on the reverse of the glass. Then the glass was reinstated to the frame.
 |
| Modern view of Old St Paul's |
Next I was inspired by Craig Fisher who juxtaposed message and medium. I cut a stencil of an mirror image spoon and placed it over an Artist Statement and image, so it could not be read as a literary piece.
 |
| Obscuring the message |
 |
| When drawing a section of a crossword, look at what the letters spell out. I did not mean it to spell out SNOT! Which is how it reads to me! |
 |
| This would be better if there were a splinter missing from the top word, so it is slightly broken up with a wood coloured section |
Daniel Crawshaw's drawing inspired by the sublime linked a longing for remote landscape with the mundane material world. I took a mundane piece of sandpaper with holes to fit on a sander, cut it to form a mask (with eye holes to view the sublime landscape), and added a handle to make it into lorgnettes.
On the way home I thought about an artist statement to fit the crossword batten. To me this artwork is about Values. The juxtaposition of different values. The rough nature of the wood symbolises manual work, the cryptic crossword symbolises the skills of the intellectual. Both are essential. But often one is valued less than the other. The title should be "Cryptic Cross Wood". I need to think about scale. Do I scale up the size of the crossword grid to fit the cutout section? Do I draw or burn the lettering? Or do use a pedestal drill to finely pierce holes to 'cross-stitch' the pattern for lettering? Also rather than drilling right the way through the wood, I would just make small holes and push the yarn in, using the tool I used when I did Touch Tapestry kits as a child. Hmmm. Food for Thought.
And just by-the-by, Vanda suggested I needed to set up a website (as it would be expected if I entered the Jerwood Prize and Loughborough University seminar).
Not a lot to do then!
Wednesday, 24 February 2016
More reading about Value
Modernisation and Post Modernisation: Cultural, Economic &Political Change in 42 societies. R Inglehart. Princeton: Princeton University Press 1997.
Modernisation typically industrialises and urbanises, educates the populace, leads to occupational specialisation and leads to traditional societies operating to commercial norms. Capitalism demands perpetual growth but when growth diminishes in material wealth, subjective wellbeing also decreases.
Post materialist values become apparent via secularisation and individualisation. Survival values change to the need for well being values. Achievement motivation changes to post materialist motivation. Bureaucratic management changes to participatory. This can be measured by changes in society - equal rights are given to minority groups; democratic political organisations flourish; and state socialist regimes decline.
Satz Review. Independent Review of Barclays Business Practices April 2013 www.barclays.com/content/dern/barclayspublic/documents/news
Modern businesses have "organisational values" stated to drive business performance. A mismatch of performance drivers and values driven culture was found to be the basis of business crisis in 2008. In 2007/8 the financial crisis was symptomatic of management practice in many companies Cultural challenges of short term financial performance; bonus and pay culture rewarding achievement of escalating targets in preference to serving customer and client needs; along with managerial disinclination to listen to bad nows. Employees were pressured to deliver, irrespective of compliance with Company Values or customer best interest. This led to falsification of stats leading to catastrophic business collapse.
Feminine Sentences, Janet Wolff, 1990 Polity Press, Cambridge.
Gender Values. Culture is central to gender formation. Gender identity is displayed via art literature and film, but these identities are typically created from a patriarchal perspective Culture is a critical area by which to challenge social arrangements of gender - culture portrays sexual divisions in society. This leads to the experiences of women being the subject of their writing/paint/portrayal. Culture gives space for different voices to speak - and for hitherto silenced subjects to articulate their experiences - provided there is an audience for them.
Handbook of Communication Ethics, Cheney, May, Munshi, 2011, Routledge, NY
Feminism Values. Key themes and values of third wave feminisms - co-operation, community; emotional and personal knowledge and integrated thinking. These may appear idealistic and may be in opposition to traditional terms. Patrice M Buzzanell Ch 5 p67
Voice is a political issue - it is about power and about who gets heard. There is a need to focus on who can speak When, Where and How. (Puttnam & Boys 2006). Voice gives movement between private and public realms by those who typically cannot speak or be heard, (particularly if they are not a member of an in-crowd). Gaining voice gives partial movement to transform power dynamics. p69. Portraying unrecognised achievements gives face and form to injustice (or the unknown).
Need to use theory to explain findings or make theory from findings. Use qualitative data (rather than quantitative). p260 There is a need to theorise representation in its contextualised and multi-layered landscapes of meaning and experience. To create alternatives to how we represent people now: by demeaning, devaluing and excluding some, while privileging others. What other models of representation might we find or imagine? Inclusive and pluralistic? Of and from diverse groups? Just or unjust world? Benefit certain groups at the expense of others?
Does the theory explain the research more than the subject? Howe might we represent differently? What is not represented and why not?
Narrative Theory, Herman Phelan, 2012, Ohio State University
Post structuralism values Representation of gender and sexuality - identify contradictions and avoid reconciling and resolving them. This is because deviations from the norm make deviations from the dominant ideology visible. Pay attention to what is not represented.
Modernisation typically industrialises and urbanises, educates the populace, leads to occupational specialisation and leads to traditional societies operating to commercial norms. Capitalism demands perpetual growth but when growth diminishes in material wealth, subjective wellbeing also decreases.
Post materialist values become apparent via secularisation and individualisation. Survival values change to the need for well being values. Achievement motivation changes to post materialist motivation. Bureaucratic management changes to participatory. This can be measured by changes in society - equal rights are given to minority groups; democratic political organisations flourish; and state socialist regimes decline.
Satz Review. Independent Review of Barclays Business Practices April 2013 www.barclays.com/content/dern/barclayspublic/documents/news
Modern businesses have "organisational values" stated to drive business performance. A mismatch of performance drivers and values driven culture was found to be the basis of business crisis in 2008. In 2007/8 the financial crisis was symptomatic of management practice in many companies Cultural challenges of short term financial performance; bonus and pay culture rewarding achievement of escalating targets in preference to serving customer and client needs; along with managerial disinclination to listen to bad nows. Employees were pressured to deliver, irrespective of compliance with Company Values or customer best interest. This led to falsification of stats leading to catastrophic business collapse.
Feminine Sentences, Janet Wolff, 1990 Polity Press, Cambridge.
Gender Values. Culture is central to gender formation. Gender identity is displayed via art literature and film, but these identities are typically created from a patriarchal perspective Culture is a critical area by which to challenge social arrangements of gender - culture portrays sexual divisions in society. This leads to the experiences of women being the subject of their writing/paint/portrayal. Culture gives space for different voices to speak - and for hitherto silenced subjects to articulate their experiences - provided there is an audience for them.
Handbook of Communication Ethics, Cheney, May, Munshi, 2011, Routledge, NY
Feminism Values. Key themes and values of third wave feminisms - co-operation, community; emotional and personal knowledge and integrated thinking. These may appear idealistic and may be in opposition to traditional terms. Patrice M Buzzanell Ch 5 p67
Voice is a political issue - it is about power and about who gets heard. There is a need to focus on who can speak When, Where and How. (Puttnam & Boys 2006). Voice gives movement between private and public realms by those who typically cannot speak or be heard, (particularly if they are not a member of an in-crowd). Gaining voice gives partial movement to transform power dynamics. p69. Portraying unrecognised achievements gives face and form to injustice (or the unknown).
Need to use theory to explain findings or make theory from findings. Use qualitative data (rather than quantitative). p260 There is a need to theorise representation in its contextualised and multi-layered landscapes of meaning and experience. To create alternatives to how we represent people now: by demeaning, devaluing and excluding some, while privileging others. What other models of representation might we find or imagine? Inclusive and pluralistic? Of and from diverse groups? Just or unjust world? Benefit certain groups at the expense of others?
Does the theory explain the research more than the subject? Howe might we represent differently? What is not represented and why not?
Narrative Theory, Herman Phelan, 2012, Ohio State University
Post structuralism values Representation of gender and sexuality - identify contradictions and avoid reconciling and resolving them. This is because deviations from the norm make deviations from the dominant ideology visible. Pay attention to what is not represented.
Tuesday, 23 February 2016
A helpful tutorial with Lewis
Lewis asked what I made of his suggestion with the Gender symposium at Loughborough University. I said I was thinking about putting in a proposal, but needed to rework it as my proposal was likely to change. He was pleased I was prepared to put myself forward, as he felt I could talk and present well. He is an experienced conference organiser and has shortlisted applications in response to Calls for Papers. He is happy to proof read my abstract. It was quite comforting to have him confirm my potential to put in an abstract - as I had been having a major wobble about it. Lewis also suggested I spoke to Linden about it. Date for submission - 23 March - so time to think about it.
Lewis said he and Linden had been puzzled by my two submissions - Literature Review and Contextual Review. I had only intended to submit one - the first, the literature review, was submitted before I realised I should have included the whole context rather than just the literature. So I confused them!. I said I had gone a bit astray in the Proposal because I followed Linden's reading recommendations, then stopped when I had enough data, rather than keep referring back to what actually motivated and interested me. So I did not write about Values, and did not make sure my research into values was derived from the opinion of individuals - therefore did not include Oral History research technique in my proposal. This was a mistake. I think he agreed that I should use this method.
I have arranged to do my first Oral History research with Miriam Pender, daughter of Mrs Konieczny on 11 March - a bit later than I would like, but she is away for 10 days, then I am away for a week. But at least it is booked.
We did a group exercise in class today, related to Marie's research. Great fun. Linden asked for other group exercises. I floated my idea about Values.
Identify a woman who you know/knew personally and identify 4 values that make you like/respect/admire her.
Identify a man who you know/knew personally and identify 4 values that make you like/respect/admire him.
Identify a female public figure and identify 4 values that make you like/respect/admire her
Identify a male public figure and identify 4 values that make you like/respect admire him.
Linden was keen to run with this one, and to do the analysis in class for what drives our values and whether there is a gender bias to it.
Lewis said he and Linden had been puzzled by my two submissions - Literature Review and Contextual Review. I had only intended to submit one - the first, the literature review, was submitted before I realised I should have included the whole context rather than just the literature. So I confused them!. I said I had gone a bit astray in the Proposal because I followed Linden's reading recommendations, then stopped when I had enough data, rather than keep referring back to what actually motivated and interested me. So I did not write about Values, and did not make sure my research into values was derived from the opinion of individuals - therefore did not include Oral History research technique in my proposal. This was a mistake. I think he agreed that I should use this method.
I have arranged to do my first Oral History research with Miriam Pender, daughter of Mrs Konieczny on 11 March - a bit later than I would like, but she is away for 10 days, then I am away for a week. But at least it is booked.
We did a group exercise in class today, related to Marie's research. Great fun. Linden asked for other group exercises. I floated my idea about Values.
Identify a woman who you know/knew personally and identify 4 values that make you like/respect/admire her.
Identify a man who you know/knew personally and identify 4 values that make you like/respect/admire him.
Identify a female public figure and identify 4 values that make you like/respect/admire her
Identify a male public figure and identify 4 values that make you like/respect admire him.
Linden was keen to run with this one, and to do the analysis in class for what drives our values and whether there is a gender bias to it.
Saturday, 20 February 2016
Starting to read about Value
Counting for Nothing: What Men Value and What Women are Worth - Marilyn Waring
"The invisibility of unpaid work and the uni-dimensional growth paradigm. … Economics is all powerful and measures by a monetary (or numerical) value. … The pathology of the economic model - do you fight it; use it or create a new value system? Wrong tools lead to the adoption of the wrong policies and incorrect assessments of outcome."
Cash generation -v- productive capacity. The system does not respond to values it refuses to recognise - e.g. peace, kindness, caring, time. The Patriarchal nature of Economics denies the value of women.
I often find numerical values unhelpful. I am acutely aware how much the mark for my last work upset me - and I am upset, that I am upset about it! The feedback was all fair comment, but putting a lower numerical value on it than I am used to, has given me a knock. And it shouldn't - because it was fair! But this article does make the point that the patriarchal nature of economics expects continual growth (which is unrealistic) and only values a measurement system that constantly increases numerically. Whereas when value is measured in other ways, it reveals other worthy attributes.
No Measure for Culture? Value in the New Economy. S Bohm & C Land. Capital & Class, April 2008 University of Essex
"The field of artistic cultural production is 'the economic world reversed'. "
"The value of such artwork is autonomously determined by informal peer evaluation and pays off in terms of prestige rather than monetary economic terms. (Rehn)."
"Artistic labour is inherently linked to autonomy and self determination if it is to be a real and genuine expression of creative labour force. It makes a substantial contribution to general welfare of society, independent from formal market exchange where monetary price indicates commercial value." Shorthose & Strange (2004:17) Therefore, in my opinion operates on personally determined social values rather than capitalism's mainstream, monetaristic values.
Popular Culture and High Culture. An analysis of evaluation of taste. H Gans 2008
Two parts to Value Judgements. 1. Popular culture expresses the aesthetic and other wants of many (i.e. culture not commercial value), and, 2. All people have the right to the culture they prefer (i.e. not imposed top down). Cultural pluralism is ok.
Does art culture form an indicator of change in the lives and attitudes of the population? Shaped by imposition from above by profit-seeking organisations but also shaped by audience. Mass media/audience guessing game.
Can popular culture (practices, goods, and ideas of arts and leisure) be an aberration of commercial greed and public ignorance? Not necessarily. There are fewer differences and more similarities between high and low culture. Both are taste cultures: popular culture is chosen by people who lack economic and educational opportunities than those with high culture tastes.
There is a debate about the nature of "the good life". Culture/uncultured. Educated/uneducated. Experts/laity. Affluent/poor. Cultured elite/the market. Public/private.
Popular/high or low/high culture is not about high/low value but indicators in the socioeconomic hierarchy. High indicates cultured professionals in the upper middle class.
Linden said I should keep a running bibliography on all stuff I read and append it to my essays. This could end up longer than the essay! But she gave me the advice so I need to take it on board!
Look up Mark Johnson and Ethical Codes and negotiation next.
"The invisibility of unpaid work and the uni-dimensional growth paradigm. … Economics is all powerful and measures by a monetary (or numerical) value. … The pathology of the economic model - do you fight it; use it or create a new value system? Wrong tools lead to the adoption of the wrong policies and incorrect assessments of outcome."
Cash generation -v- productive capacity. The system does not respond to values it refuses to recognise - e.g. peace, kindness, caring, time. The Patriarchal nature of Economics denies the value of women.
I often find numerical values unhelpful. I am acutely aware how much the mark for my last work upset me - and I am upset, that I am upset about it! The feedback was all fair comment, but putting a lower numerical value on it than I am used to, has given me a knock. And it shouldn't - because it was fair! But this article does make the point that the patriarchal nature of economics expects continual growth (which is unrealistic) and only values a measurement system that constantly increases numerically. Whereas when value is measured in other ways, it reveals other worthy attributes.
No Measure for Culture? Value in the New Economy. S Bohm & C Land. Capital & Class, April 2008 University of Essex
"The field of artistic cultural production is 'the economic world reversed'. "
"The value of such artwork is autonomously determined by informal peer evaluation and pays off in terms of prestige rather than monetary economic terms. (Rehn)."
"Artistic labour is inherently linked to autonomy and self determination if it is to be a real and genuine expression of creative labour force. It makes a substantial contribution to general welfare of society, independent from formal market exchange where monetary price indicates commercial value." Shorthose & Strange (2004:17) Therefore, in my opinion operates on personally determined social values rather than capitalism's mainstream, monetaristic values.
Popular Culture and High Culture. An analysis of evaluation of taste. H Gans 2008
Two parts to Value Judgements. 1. Popular culture expresses the aesthetic and other wants of many (i.e. culture not commercial value), and, 2. All people have the right to the culture they prefer (i.e. not imposed top down). Cultural pluralism is ok.
Does art culture form an indicator of change in the lives and attitudes of the population? Shaped by imposition from above by profit-seeking organisations but also shaped by audience. Mass media/audience guessing game.
Can popular culture (practices, goods, and ideas of arts and leisure) be an aberration of commercial greed and public ignorance? Not necessarily. There are fewer differences and more similarities between high and low culture. Both are taste cultures: popular culture is chosen by people who lack economic and educational opportunities than those with high culture tastes.
There is a debate about the nature of "the good life". Culture/uncultured. Educated/uneducated. Experts/laity. Affluent/poor. Cultured elite/the market. Public/private.
Popular/high or low/high culture is not about high/low value but indicators in the socioeconomic hierarchy. High indicates cultured professionals in the upper middle class.
Linden said I should keep a running bibliography on all stuff I read and append it to my essays. This could end up longer than the essay! But she gave me the advice so I need to take it on board!
Look up Mark Johnson and Ethical Codes and negotiation next.
Wednesday, 17 February 2016
Analysis of the feedback for my Proposal and Contextual Review.
I was a bit disappointed by my 60 and 64% for my project homework. I did not grasp what was wanted or how the writing style for every submission has to be tailored to the requirement for that specific piece of script. The feedback was completely fair but did show that I had needed more tutorial input to understand the requirements.
Proposal feedback
Contextual Review feedback:
Proposal feedback
"An interesting and project with
considerable potential.
A number of your questions focus on ‘value’
— are you really interested in this? If so, how are you going to tackle it?
What does ‘value’ mean to you? Is this about the role of representation in
ascribing, defining, and affirming what is and is not of value? How are you
going to investigate ‘value’?
When I had my tutorial, Linden gave me quite a lot of suggested reading around culture, which I followed up. I found it useful and it informed my thinking in ways I would not otherwise have found. However, my style of research is to stop reading when I have enough material for what I am to write. Otherwise I get bogged down with data. Value is definitely what I am interested in, but I was diverted by following up the suggested reading. So I have not read around the subject of value, although it was in the very first drafts that I gave to the tutors. So rather than gather lots more data, I wrote the Proposal at that stage, rather than keep data gathering. My understanding of writing a Proposal at that stage, was influenced by my BA experience that the proposal should be very loosely written where the expectation is the research will go way beyond the proposal.
When I had my tutorial, Linden gave me quite a lot of suggested reading around culture, which I followed up. I found it useful and it informed my thinking in ways I would not otherwise have found. However, my style of research is to stop reading when I have enough material for what I am to write. Otherwise I get bogged down with data. Value is definitely what I am interested in, but I was diverted by following up the suggested reading. So I have not read around the subject of value, although it was in the very first drafts that I gave to the tutors. So rather than gather lots more data, I wrote the Proposal at that stage, rather than keep data gathering. My understanding of writing a Proposal at that stage, was influenced by my BA experience that the proposal should be very loosely written where the expectation is the research will go way beyond the proposal.
While your methods and questions do relate
to each other, the do not fit together tightly, but expose interesting gaps in
the spaces between, implicit pieces of the jigsaw puzzle?
Linden said the Proposal should be tightly defined - and mine definitely was not. But in previous education, I have been very clearly instructed "go where the research takes you" and if you have tightly defined the proposal, surely this precludes the happy accident?
If you took your methods and questions separately, other methods could be developed for your questions, and other questions for your methods. But perhaps these other methods and questions are already implied; not stated but somehow encompassed within the project?
Now I have re-read the questions, I think I have the questions in the right field, and I have done quite a lot of data collection, but I don't know how to use it. I think we have spent too long in class chewing over theory of what research is and means, but not how to do it. I know this term is about practical research. But how can I tightly define what I want to research, before knowing how to do it?
What role do images play in defining ‘value’ in ‘culture’ for instance? What is ‘culture’? Your icons are not ‘celebrities’ in the cultural industry sense, but icons of your lived experience. This in and of itself is a significant theoretical strategy. That which is emerging appears multi-faceted and complex.
Images play a huge role in defining value in culture - but I am rejecting the value system behind most media publicity of women. So in my writing to I need to identify this? Or do I focus on what I think is valuable and why? Is this why I am interested in places that seem to take people seriously e.g. (NPG) rather than trivially (Hello magazine, cinema). Am I saying I want high status organisations to take low status people seriously? I think I am. And probably because high status organisations are more likely to publicise their strategy documents on line, and I can see they are making efforts to represent the population more consistently, probably because Govt funding requires it.
I am absolutely not interested in celebrity. "Icons of your lived experience" is a brilliant summation of what I am interested in. I am flattered that it is a "significant theoretical strategy" but feel a bit of a dimwit in that I have no idea what it is!! So is Iconography of Lived Experience something I can look up, or am I defining it myself? Multi-faced and complex sounds like hard work and I feel stuck in the mire.
Linden said the Proposal should be tightly defined - and mine definitely was not. But in previous education, I have been very clearly instructed "go where the research takes you" and if you have tightly defined the proposal, surely this precludes the happy accident?
If you took your methods and questions separately, other methods could be developed for your questions, and other questions for your methods. But perhaps these other methods and questions are already implied; not stated but somehow encompassed within the project?
Now I have re-read the questions, I think I have the questions in the right field, and I have done quite a lot of data collection, but I don't know how to use it. I think we have spent too long in class chewing over theory of what research is and means, but not how to do it. I know this term is about practical research. But how can I tightly define what I want to research, before knowing how to do it?
What role do images play in defining ‘value’ in ‘culture’ for instance? What is ‘culture’? Your icons are not ‘celebrities’ in the cultural industry sense, but icons of your lived experience. This in and of itself is a significant theoretical strategy. That which is emerging appears multi-faceted and complex.
Images play a huge role in defining value in culture - but I am rejecting the value system behind most media publicity of women. So in my writing to I need to identify this? Or do I focus on what I think is valuable and why? Is this why I am interested in places that seem to take people seriously e.g. (NPG) rather than trivially (Hello magazine, cinema). Am I saying I want high status organisations to take low status people seriously? I think I am. And probably because high status organisations are more likely to publicise their strategy documents on line, and I can see they are making efforts to represent the population more consistently, probably because Govt funding requires it.
I am absolutely not interested in celebrity. "Icons of your lived experience" is a brilliant summation of what I am interested in. I am flattered that it is a "significant theoretical strategy" but feel a bit of a dimwit in that I have no idea what it is!! So is Iconography of Lived Experience something I can look up, or am I defining it myself? Multi-faced and complex sounds like hard work and I feel stuck in the mire.
What methods would you use to address the
questions you pose? How would you explore you question: Does UK
society value similarities or differences when comparing women to self?
Not sure.
Not sure.
What questions are raised by the work you are proposing to do?
Why cross-stitch?
I don't expect my work to raise questions in people's minds. I expect people to look at it, identify someone they know who has demonstrated similar skills, and for it to raise a smile of recognition. And for the viewer to acknowledge that is it as relevant for people with insignificant lives to be displayed in public spaces, as it is for the publicly significant people.
I don't expect my work to raise questions in people's minds. I expect people to look at it, identify someone they know who has demonstrated similar skills, and for it to raise a smile of recognition. And for the viewer to acknowledge that is it as relevant for people with insignificant lives to be displayed in public spaces, as it is for the publicly significant people.
There is huge scope for enquiry, and your
project could be developed in numerous ways, all with the potential to develop
into interesting work.
The scope for enquiry was expanded by me listening and taking advice from my tutor, and it distracted me from what I wanted to explore. I need to follow my own path.
The scope for enquiry was expanded by me listening and taking advice from my tutor, and it distracted me from what I wanted to explore. I need to follow my own path.
Contextual Review feedback:
Submitted in two parts, your review related
works and literature demonstrate an ambitious breadth of research.
I am not sure which two parts they refer to. I botched the first submission of the Contextual Review, as I wrote a literature review, before realising the requirement was for the writing to cover the Context, so needed more than literature. I also used the wrong referencing system. So the final Contextual Review was a complete rewrite. There was a diversity of objects which I had used for analysis, which could be the other part they refer to.
I am not sure which two parts they refer to. I botched the first submission of the Contextual Review, as I wrote a literature review, before realising the requirement was for the writing to cover the Context, so needed more than literature. I also used the wrong referencing system. So the final Contextual Review was a complete rewrite. There was a diversity of objects which I had used for analysis, which could be the other part they refer to.
You engage in a wide range of relevant
debates, and demonstrate a good grasp of hegemony and representation. Including
more quotations and more analysis of images and quotations would enable you to
use act of writing to articulate your thoughts, to bring out your thoughts
through and in writing. This is not merely a matter of writing style, but a
strategy by which clarity develops simultaneously in your mind and on the page.
I am not at all sure what they mean by use of quotes. I was taught during my BA specifically not to use quotes, but to paraphrase and reference the source. I thought the paraphrasing was meant to show your analysis, without using the quote. And I did analyse some images, restricting them to 3 pertinent ones, but was limited by word count from doing more, or more detail. Linden has said she will conduct an academic writing seminar, once a class member is back from sick leave. Every time I think I have mastered a writing style, the rules seem to change and I don't grasp it.
Your bibliography could be longer and represent more fully the breadth of research you have evidently done.
In my BA, I was taught to only reference what I had actually used, not everything I had considered. And the style guide we have been given, quite simply, is badly written. So I am unclear what can be included in the bibliography and the style of presentation. And I find fiddling with these details so hard!
I am not at all sure what they mean by use of quotes. I was taught during my BA specifically not to use quotes, but to paraphrase and reference the source. I thought the paraphrasing was meant to show your analysis, without using the quote. And I did analyse some images, restricting them to 3 pertinent ones, but was limited by word count from doing more, or more detail. Linden has said she will conduct an academic writing seminar, once a class member is back from sick leave. Every time I think I have mastered a writing style, the rules seem to change and I don't grasp it.
Your bibliography could be longer and represent more fully the breadth of research you have evidently done.
In my BA, I was taught to only reference what I had actually used, not everything I had considered. And the style guide we have been given, quite simply, is badly written. So I am unclear what can be included in the bibliography and the style of presentation. And I find fiddling with these details so hard!
There are questions in these pieces of
writing that do not appear in the project proposal.
This is because it was completed after the Proposal. And the word count on the proposal was already over-count. Better use of wording would have meant a complete rewrite … again!
This is because it was completed after the Proposal. And the word count on the proposal was already over-count. Better use of wording would have meant a complete rewrite … again!
On page five you write ‘representation is
the key to changing the status quo’. You are referring to Stuart Hall’s reader,
and this insight seems to be at the crux of the project, but it is not clear
what your argument is, why is representation the key to changing the status
quo?
True. I don't have the answers yet.
True. I don't have the answers yet.
Icons, celebrities, portraits — are you
proposing that portrait are a site for engagement in debate about icons and
celebrities?
I am proposing the portrait is a site for engagement. I had not thought about the subject of my artwork being an icon, although I think my interest in the domestic and mundane representation could elevate it to icon. I have never used the term 'celebrity' and am not interested in celebrities. I can't even say I am reacting against celebrity by focussing on the mundane. Celebrity completely passes me by. My work may inspire a debate about the comparative importance of mundane icon and celebrity but my interest is focusses upon the value of small acts, usually of kindness.
I am proposing the portrait is a site for engagement. I had not thought about the subject of my artwork being an icon, although I think my interest in the domestic and mundane representation could elevate it to icon. I have never used the term 'celebrity' and am not interested in celebrities. I can't even say I am reacting against celebrity by focussing on the mundane. Celebrity completely passes me by. My work may inspire a debate about the comparative importance of mundane icon and celebrity but my interest is focusses upon the value of small acts, usually of kindness.
Points that came up in the tutorial conversation:
Lived life - v - representation. Complex political and theoretical position.
Spectacle defines us.
Icons of own lived experience.
Freedom to decide own values.
Centre for Cultural Studies, Birmingham.
High culture/low culture. Reader required.
Why textiles? Low culture and strongly female oriented. Ditto cross stitch. Traditional. Simple.
Propaganda - from the same root as propagate. A multiplication from a single root. Identify a political desired (if unpalatable state), link to a something already believed to be true, and promote the two ideas together. This will link the two concepts to one positive idea. Examples from British Library exhibition that showed good and bad outcomes from this principle, were the Green Cross Code, and a Nazi schoolbook demonstrating the bad cost of supporting the mentally defective (their terminology).
Role of images in culture.
"What is Worthwhile".
Lived life - v - representation. Complex political and theoretical position.
Spectacle defines us.
Icons of own lived experience.
Freedom to decide own values.
Centre for Cultural Studies, Birmingham.
High culture/low culture. Reader required.
Why textiles? Low culture and strongly female oriented. Ditto cross stitch. Traditional. Simple.
Propaganda - from the same root as propagate. A multiplication from a single root. Identify a political desired (if unpalatable state), link to a something already believed to be true, and promote the two ideas together. This will link the two concepts to one positive idea. Examples from British Library exhibition that showed good and bad outcomes from this principle, were the Green Cross Code, and a Nazi schoolbook demonstrating the bad cost of supporting the mentally defective (their terminology).
Role of images in culture.
"What is Worthwhile".
Monday, 15 February 2016
Compiling my first proposal for a Call for Papers
Every time I write something for uni, I discover I need to learn about different styles of writing.
My first draft proposal was naff. Too much summarising of the content of my work. Then Vanda sent me a friend's successful proposal to consider. Analysis of this proposal broke down into scene setting (current popular practice, definition of product, reason for technique, current teaching style); theory of changing practice (what is the theory, why it is important/beneficial, and its purpose); followed by a project description what was created, how (technique) and why.
The successful proposal also had some lovely sentence openings: "The approach adopted; "This paper seeks to…; "We adopted…; "Our case study begins… "This paper will conclude by …".
It takes me back to classes at Curtin University, Perth, where we were taught to analyse documentation. And it is not about what the extract says. It is about how to use words effectively to get best use of a small word count. It is one thing to be taught how to do it. It is quite another to understand what it means, and to have the discipline to apply it.
Fortunately Vanda sent me the competent proposal for me to be able to do the analysis!
So, my new improved version, goes as follows:
My first draft proposal was naff. Too much summarising of the content of my work. Then Vanda sent me a friend's successful proposal to consider. Analysis of this proposal broke down into scene setting (current popular practice, definition of product, reason for technique, current teaching style); theory of changing practice (what is the theory, why it is important/beneficial, and its purpose); followed by a project description what was created, how (technique) and why.
The successful proposal also had some lovely sentence openings: "The approach adopted; "This paper seeks to…; "We adopted…; "Our case study begins… "This paper will conclude by …".
It takes me back to classes at Curtin University, Perth, where we were taught to analyse documentation. And it is not about what the extract says. It is about how to use words effectively to get best use of a small word count. It is one thing to be taught how to do it. It is quite another to understand what it means, and to have the discipline to apply it.
Fortunately Vanda sent me the competent proposal for me to be able to do the analysis!
So, my new improved version, goes as follows:
Valuing Ordinary Women:
Key
words: Abstract portraiture; women; textile; samplers; values
Author: Cathy MacTaggart
Conventional portraiture represents people
who are significant because of their status within their lifetime, usually
using conventional media such as oils on canvas or sculpture.
Political strategic thinking has identified
various minority group identities, such as ethnicity, sexual orientation,
disability and gender, which can be targeted.
Analysis of museum and art collections often indicates these groups are
under-represented in collections and forward thinking organisations aim to
address this by identifying interesting people as role models.
Feminism has promoted the political and
social rights of women as a group, and has publicized named women who have made
significant contributions in the fields of politics, science, arts and
education. However, there is an
under-representation of individual women who have made their contribution in
mundane or domestic roles.
This paper seeks to demonstrate how textile
media can be used to document the achievements of named women, celebrating
skills and talents which are often overlooked because of their mundane nature. Analysis
of culture by the use of metaphor will consider where and how ordinary women
should be represented. Named women have been selected and the reasons for which
they were valued (both significant and insignificant) identified. Abstract portraits of these women have been stitched
into samplers, to celebrate their contribution to the society in which they
lived, and the affection with which they were viewed.
Women have used textiles through history to
express their domestic and social views. The textile object is laden with
meaning and is worthy of academic consideration.
Cathy MacTaggart
Thursday, 4 February 2016
Another day at the Brooklyn Museum - Elizabeth Sackler Centre for Feminist Art
The artworks raised some interesting questions. Lots of photos to follow, (and some dodgy focussing when I had to bend to get the shot!) and mostly questions that they raised in my mind:
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| Lovely send-up of the Calvin Klein (hetrosexual) underwear ads! |
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| White affluent women in the USA offering Loyalty and Courage to the White House |
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| His banner says "Democracy for the World" and hers says "Democracy begins at home"! |
This makes me wonder about UK farmers who are forced by supermarket to over-produce food, which then gets ploughed in, when the demand falls off. Can't we work out how to use this fresh produce, in our food banks? I know food banks prefer tinned food because it is durable and does not get damaged. Soup kitchens would probably be deemed demeaning, but there must a way of using excess fresh produce. What about handing out fruit/vegetable gluts and teaching people to cook at the food bank?
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| I do love this one! |
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| And this! |
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| Interesting stats, although I don't know the date it was compiled |
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| The final quote rings true with me! |
So much food for thought!
New York Public Library and An American in Paris
Wednesday commenced with Anita and me walking to Times Square to get theatre tickets from the ticket booth. We got top seats at the front of the orchestra (in the UK we would call it the stalls) for half price to see An American in Paris (80 USD each!)
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| Me in front of the Palace Theatre (and a NY yellow cab) |
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| Chatting up the police in Times Square. They were seriously armed! |
The NY Public Library now has such a huge collection (second only to the Bodlean) that it is on 3 other sites too. Humanities and languages are kept at this site. We were taken into the map room, where they have maps from ancient to modern. They have maps showing the west coast of America, when geographers thought California was an island - apparently explorers had identified large rivers at the top and bottom, but being unable to sail far up the Delta just assumed they joined up, thereby isolating California from the mainland.
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| This corridor runs the whole length of the library - which is two blocks long from 40th street to 42nd street |
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| Ceiling in the map room |
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| Lions with swags of fruit and flowers in the map room |
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| More map room ceiling and cornice |
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| Upstairs in the barrel vaulted hall, there were 5 paintings of the stages of bookmaking. This is of a religious scribe hand writing a bible |
This library has a huge collection of English literature, and has an excellent representation of the English Romantic period. The stars of their collection include the first copy from the first print of Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland, with his inscription to Alice Liddell; and the hand written diaries of Virginia Woolf, and the walking stick she left on the bank when she drowned herself.
The murals in this hall were completed during the 1930s, during the depression. It was one way that the Government authorities supported artists during this time - by commissioning them to produce appropriate imagery for the public library.
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| Ornate plaster ceiling. If you can spot a pineapple, apparently it is a sign of welcome |
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| Reading room with portraits of the Astor Family |
The NYPL was originally set up with bequests from 3 collections, the Astor Family, the Shelley Family and the Lenox family. Andrew Carnegie provided the plot of land it is sited on - two blocks in central NY, that was formerly the city reservoir! They have sets of portraits from all 3 families in this room.
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| Mary Shelly is the top left portrait (she wrote Frankenstein, and was the daughter of Mary Woolstonecraft) |
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| Lenox family (I think) |
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| Buildings around Times Square in the 1930s. |
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| Another reading room. |
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| Inscription in a floor tile |
Then Anita and I went to see An American In Paris. Wonderful. It is a musical modern ballet. The ballet bit is a bit lost on me, but the story was wonderful, well played by actors representing different types of people. Frigid repressive parents, Jewish composer, French would-be night club star; American guy, American affluent debutante; and the young girl in love. Great characterisation. Lovely Gershwin music. And a happy ending. What more could you want!
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