Final Group Seminar before hand-in on 10 May.

We had a good group session, discussing our work prior to hand-in in 2 weeks' time.  Only 4 people present but we each had more detailed feedback because of it.

Gareth did a great presentation on how his report is coming together.  He has obviously been employed at a high strategic level, and did a great presentation that demonstrated how to compile a report in a cohesive structure.  He was also very astute in putting data into appendices that don't count for the word count.  This enables the body of the report to draw out the learning points in the research.  Clever guy.

I loved Emma's work on drawing, and how it informs her curiosity about the space inside people's heads.  She and Gareth had been out drawing together, which demonstrates the collaborative working in the group.  Gareth and I have also worked collaboratively - I made him some bespoke artists gloves, and he is helping me set up a website.

Lieta's presentation had me somewhat confused, and there was a debate about the difference between reflection and introspection.  Apparently reflection means to bend back, which implies there is an original state which turns in another direction or is seen from a different angle … which is what researchers are meant to do.  Introspection is looking inside, so presumably not having an original state which changes.

I was quite anxious about my presentation, as I had looked at my work so much (cross stitch samplers are VERY labour intensive).  I had decided to ask the group for feedback on how to structure the phrases about Mrs Konieczny - "My friend's Mum, Mrs Konieczny could …".  This played on the phrase on my Dr Johnson's House sampler where he lists 4 reasons why he values what Mrs Carter did.    I had clear feedback that the group thought I should expand on some of the words in the crossword, to explain their significance, rather than come up with different values.  This was most helpful.  It was also good to receive positive comments on how every part of the design had a link to Mrs Konieczny - the flowers in the border are the National Flowers of Poland (poppy) and England (rose), the words in the crossword are about her, the cryptic clues show her love of crosswords  etc.

Linden observed this artwork is coming out fully formed.  I think the other students are producing an experimental body of work.

The alphabets are try-outs for the script later on.
The small numbers are the size to be used on the crossword.

Cryptic crossword clues

Starting to add the border.  Still seeking a suitable cross stitch rose .

We also debated hand-in and Verifiers visit.  I have a lot of work yet to do, before the hand-in date.  I have also agreed to submit this work to University of Herts for the Alumni Show so I need to get it finished, but am not sure I can do it before 10 May.  The Verifier's visit is right at the end of May, and the UH Private View is Thursday 26 May.  Linden was adamant that I must submit the sampler at UH, and that we will work out some way of ensuring the verifier sees it.  I think Linden is ok with me submitting photos of work in progress for the 10 May hand-in, in order for me to have more time to stitch and finish the sampler.  This would be really helpful.  I will try my utmost to get it complete for 10 May, but not to the extent of botching it.

Thinking about Recommendations for my Interim Report

During my swim this morning, I thought quite a lot about what the outcomes of this year's work are, and how they identify actions for next year.

I am very interested in portraiture, particularly in the abstract, and I have reflected on my liking for social learning.  I like the class as a learning medium.  So next year I need to have a run around the London Met module website and see whether there are any art history modules about Portraiture.

I am interested in how value is attributed to women.  While doing the Bibliography for the report, I found one of the women I had paraphrased is actually a Professor!  So maybe I need to read her book properly (more slowly!).  I need to see whether London Met run any pertinent modules in Women's Studies/Feminism/Economics/Demographics.  I like listening to knowledgeable people speak.  I should also attend the Loughborough gender conference.

I am interested in materials and how they convey a  layer of meaning to an outcome.  I do not know how to explore this further.

I have also reflected on the importance of feedback - I have given and received a lot of feedback in my time, but reluctantly admit I often find receiving feedback difficult because I am a bit of an emotional wuss!  So I shared the following ideas with my tutor:

Giving, Receiving and Observing Feedback.

Giver

Criticise the behaviour, not the person  (Not "your work is rubbish"  but "your work appears chaotic because you chose a complicated leaf, and multiplied it, when you aimed to create a simple pattern."
Provide potential solutions   "A simple leaf shape might have been better.  How else could you have simplified?"
Identify the issues, facilitate options for resolution.
Speak 80%, listen 20%.
Use examples from the practical work/verbal contributions "You did ..., which does not support your aim of ..."   "I am not clear how ... leads to your intention to...".
Contribute examples to illustrate your point.  "Try looking at Picasso's work on The Bull to see how to simplify"

Receiver

Listen 80%, speak 20% for clarification/exploration
Switch off the negative voice in your head that goes into denial, argument, etc and stops you listening.
Switch off the positive voice in your head that says "Oh, wow, they like my work ...." and stops you listening.
Keep listening.
Probe for understanding.
Reflect afterwards about how to better achieve your intended outputs.

Observer
Take notes.
Share with receiver afterwards.
Apply observations to your own work.
Observe the rest of the group
Be ready with phrases "I'd like to hear what ... has to say"; 
"hold on, let … finish, I'd like to hear her point"(very useful when quiet speakers get interrupted or shouted down.
"Does (the quiet group member) have anything to contribute"

I have fallen into most of the pits listed above!  I think the thing that make feedback most difficult is when the recipient does not listen (yes, me!) as the giver may stop trying to be helpful!

New Hall, Cambridge, Feminist Art Collection 21 April 2016

A very interesting tour of the New Hall Art Collection, at Murray Edwards College by the new curator.  She has been in post 10 months and appears to be reinvigorating the programme.  New Hall has the largest collection of feminist and female artworks in Europe.  Many of the artworks were donated by the artists, after an appeal some years ago, and some top feminists are represented because of their collective giving.  As New Hall wants to expand its collection, and is seeking some funding for it, this gives a dilemma for the curator.  On the one hand, female artists should reasonably to expect to earn what a male artist does, and if New Hall is asking for donations, they are not supporting the financial rewards of women.  On the other hand, if New Hall is now paying for art, does it insult those artists who have donated previously?  My opinion is that women should be paid for their art, and funding should be sought to support it. Even in a recession, there is money about (especially at the top!) and New Hall, of all places, surely, should be able to access funds, possibly from alumni, to support women?

Highlights were Judy Chicago's Voices from the Song of Songs (2000) and the Guerrilla Girls.

There was an interesting debate about the Song of Songs - which are sexually ambiguous illustrations in a room used for interviewing candidates for New Hall.  This was around whether it was an appropriate venue for this work!  Apparently parents of unsuccessful candidates are likely to complain if their girls don't get selected. Spurious reasons for poor interview performance are given, one of which, it was feared, could be that the candidate was unsettled by the sexually explicit imagery in the framed artworks!  My instinct is to say "grow up a bit" to the offended parents.  But obviously it was an issue for the selection panel.

My Dove in the Cleft Song of Songs
Courtesy of JudyChicago.com

I failed to get any photos of the Song of Songs but found the above online.

The Guerrilla Girls.  

 I love the Guerrilla Girls work, and they might be coming to do a performance art session at New Hall later this year, on their UK tour.  6,000 GBP for an event.  Can New Hall raise the funds?  I'd LOVE to see it.  Watch this space.

Elisabeth Frink 2004 On The Way to Chartres.  Wool tapestry.

Feminism symbol.  I love it.

I also noted, but failed to photo, a piece by Miriam Shapiro, from her time as Feminist Art Tutor with Judy Chicago.  The image itself left me cold, but she was working with a technique she called femages - feminist collages.  I like the concept but the imagery was dire - a theatre stage scene made from glued fabric. I have disliked other work by Miriam Shapiro at the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester.  But I don't want to denigrate it, as in its time her work started a dialogue about feminism in art.

If there was another tour, I would probably do it, as I would start from a more informed position.

Aylesbury Embroiders Guild … and cutting my thumb on the grater!

I had a speaking engagement with the Aylesbury Vale Embroiders Guild yesterday.  They had invited me to speak about my Degree Work, My Mother's Work. They were a fantastic group to speak to, as they interacted and asked questions throughout.  It makes it so much easier when an audience want to know more, and you then tailor the talk to their interests.  One of the audience (on her first visit to the group) told me about a module she studied at London Met about Emotional Labour, where there was a case study about air hostesses and the value of the emotion they put in at work. How helpful is that!?  I will follow up at uni.

As my work is all about Valuing Women, I have reflected on what I will spend the speaker's fee.  I am not temperamentally suited to being a carer, but I value and respect people with these skills, and I try to support the carers.  So, I have decided to save it until Shirley's Mum is in next in respite care, and it will fund our next theatre trip.  Like I said, "Valuing Women"!

When I got back home I was tired, and decided not to get straight back to stitching Mrs Konieczny's sampler.  I made dinner …. and managed to catch my right thumb on the cheese grater.  I have taken a match head sized lump of skin off the tip of my thumb - and it is sore.  Too sore to stitch.  Hmmm.  This will slow up my progress!   Will I get the sampler finished for uni deadline for assessment of 10 May?  And then for the University of Herts Alumni show?

But on reflection, I could take the pressure off myself by saying it does not need to be finished.  It could be displayed as work in progress, along with the storyboard I have made, which shows the evolution of the work.  I think this might be quite interesting

Storyboard from conversation with Miranda Pender,
using oral history technique
Miriam's words gave me the phrases for the verse to be stitched at the bottom of the sampler.
Something along the lines of:
My Friend's Mum, Mrs Konieczny,
recognised loneliness and had a knack of saying the right thing;
and did not judge and provided solace for the vulnerable.

Storyboard from remembered conversation with Anita Konieczny,
who did not wish to be tape recorded.
Research has to be conducted in line with the wishes of the subject.
Anita's discussion gave me the words for the crossword

Coding the Values Exercise

I have analysed the database by coding the responses.  I clustered the responses into groups and counted them.

Creative (creative, imaginative, cultured) 13
Intellect (intelligence, wisdom, insight, inventive, measured, innovative, competent, educated, knowledgeable) 19
Communicating (communicating, thinking, analytical, thoughtful, understanding, direct, forthright, focussed, incisive) 8
Honesty (honesty, trust, hold to account, integrity, principled, stubborn, rightness, truthful) 13
Courage (courage, bravery, unafraid, determined, strong, self assured) 8
Caring (caring, friendly, considerate, good natured, human, light hearted, understanding, supportive, interested in me, generosity)  19
Open minded (open minded, forward thinking, sees possibilities, plays long game, risk taking, energetic) 9
Dependable (dependable, reliable, stoical, calm, earnest, quiet, unassuming, strong, hard working) 12
Collaborative (collaborative, humanity, shares knowledge)  7.

I have had difficulty sorting out intelligence from communication.  High quality communication requires good reasoning and ability to convey information, similar to intelligence.

Some responses did not fit into a neat category, so have not been included.  I may need to do this, but feel at present they do not add to the picture.

I will seek feedback to see where to take it next.

Trying to correlate positive and negative values

Gareth gave me an idea about 3D graphs.  I don't really understand it but will try to start by gathering some data on people who I disliked and identifying what I valued and did not value about them.

D..   Honest, supported the underdog; good with small children; safe driver.
        Lazy, rude, weak, dirty

F…. Well groomed; loves his sons; thanked people who were kind to his children
         Poor listener; liar; bully; dishonest

D…. Honest; good provider, hard worker, intelligent
         Laughs hysterically at others' misfortunes; self obsessed; intimidatory; vindictive

J…  Detail conscious; well groomed; cares for her son;
        Hypocrite; indiscreet; vain, dishonest.

I need assistance to create a 3D graph.  I will seek advice.

Class analysis of Values Exercise.

I was very fortunate that my Values exercise was analysed by the whole class as some points were made that would not have occurred to me otherwise.

The debate was not around whether values are gendered, but more about what the most common types of values were - Having and Being (according to our class).  There was some debate about interaction with others - ethical - soft skills.  There was a feeling that men were less creative, and witty but more outward facing, but gender was not the focus of the discussion

The Value of Having is part of western culture (as opposed to Being).  Western culture values:

Job - what you are
Status
Objects - discussion in culture - value of objects - my little pony.

There is little discussion of values in our society.  We turn humans into objects - attaining grades and house size.  So, if we turn humans into Ob-Jects, what meaning do we throw against them? If a human is an object, it cannot behave, it can only Be.  The meanings come about because of how we perceive and associate with the object, not about how it behaves.

Simple things (or free things) are not talked about - therefore are not appreciated.  Eduction is free - and we expect to move to the next goal - but at this stage, people are expected to set their own goals, but don't.  There is an expectation that the goal will be set for you, and that you will achieve it.  But most of us are not able to set our own goals.  Simple things like breathing are taken for granted … and so not valued?

Material things are set in context. Much discussed?

Values - immaterial - timeless.  Not discussed?

Our education system conditions us to think high marks are a value.  Children (and adults) are conditioned to work to the syllabus.  Not taught how to create our own measures.  Huge problem in modern education.  Affects how people think and how they think about themselves - self esteem.

Value of: always measurable, always material and attainment is contextual
Values:  personal

Knowledge - measurable, Wisdom - immeasurable?  Goes beyond.

Cecelia said for her, values are constant and consistent between men and women.
Gareth said for him, females often contributed soft skills, interpersonal skills.

It might be worth identifying how to work out values - seen in others, not in self.  (The opposite of the recruitment term "like me" … "not like me").

Historically, personal values were in vogue in 16-18th centuries - largely based on religious views.  Religious basis of value is problematic (in 20/21st century).
Then in 19th century, consumerism took over.  We noted the Government employs behavioural psychologists to manipulate the populace.  Once again, my interests turn out to be based in politics!
People in control - lobbyists - affecting the debate regarding value - turning it to acquisition.  Media influence to own end - money.

Crisis in philosophy - moral - ethical.

Environment affects values.  Freud and reality testing.

Values start at home.  Family.  Or is it outside influence? Absent parenting - out working so give offspring lots of things.

What do I want from the data?

Concepts
Values - how to work out values; media and Government manipulated.

What about what we dislike?  I will do the values exercise with what I value and intensely dislike about people.

Marie came up with a good question - what am I really interested in?  I am interested in diversity - in people who are different to me.   I know Gareth likes working with Germans because they do not rush difficult decisions - they don't botch a decision in 3 meetings - if it needs 30, to get the quality decision, this is what they do. This is leading me to bigger questions - maybe for future study!