Course evaluation

Through course exercises and additional reading, I developed an understanding in constructed images, archives and found images, questioning the validity and reliability of images and digital image and identity. Exercises and assignments provided the ideal situations to develop skills such as traditional cutting and pasting, creating montages in photoshop, producing something different from archived photographs, plenty of research into history and development of the digital age, exploring existing photographers’ execution of the subject and developing my critical writing to introduce context behind my photographs.

I struggled initially with cutting and pasting, deconstructing images which I had spent time making. I experimented with different techniques and followed this up with an OCA Student study visit (April 2018) to the Whitworth in Manchester to see Stezaker’s exhibition. Having completed my critical essay before the visit, I joined in with the discussion and added another point of view. Assignment 1 took me out of my comfort zone although highlighted that my research skills are strong. (Image 1,2) I was able to assess which of my assignment pieces worked and which didn’t. It helped having a virtual tutorial so that I could discuss and learn from my images and discuss my plans for the next assignment.

I particularly enjoyed researching an exercise on the family album because I found artists who used embroidery to change images. This resonated with me as I enjoy embroidery and could alter photographs without cutting. I banked this idea and used it towards a performative piece of work in Assignment 4 (Assignment 4, Images 20,21,22,23). During Assignment 2, I collected several online images of the local coalmine to make a book. However, it all looked a bit disjointed. I revisited this following tutor feedback and used a combination of fewer images and people’s memories to build up a picture. We had discussed this being possibly 3 assignments worth of work initially and that it happens when beginning to find a personal voice. I attended a camera club talk from Chris Upton who photographed Thoresby Colliery and visited a local mining heritage centre for further research. I experimented with Blurb’s book publishing in a soft cover to be in keeping with pamphlets in the libraries’ local history section. I compared the printed hard and soft copy and decided the soft copy worked. During my online tutorial, Wendy suggested visiting Matt Collishaw’s VR exhibition which complemented the course and came to the National Science and Media Museum (April 2018). I really enjoyed this and the accompanying exhibition with stereoscopic photographs built on work from Photography 2: Landscape.

For Assignment 3 (critical essay), I followed my interest in selfies, tourism and social media, keen to understand Snapchat and sending ephemeral images as modern communication as opposed to family album keepsakes. I found it easier to research and write critically as this is my second level 2 course and the UCA online library made access to journals and e-books easier, especially as it holds e-books on nursing. No corrections were advised so we had a useful discussion around my ideas for assignment 4.

I found inspiration for Assignment 4 and 5 in my role as a theatre nurse. Background research included looking at the representation of nurses in digital image and culture, including stereotypes and the shifting role of women in the health service. My starting point for self portraits was Thomas Ruff, with a visit to Whitechapel Gallery (December 2017) to view his large-scale portraits and develop a typology of theatre nurses (Assignment 4, Images 1-11) which I developed by altering the images; printing, cutting and pasting (Assignment 4, Images 12-14) A reference to Angelmaier at Grain prompted Assignment 4, Image 15. I learned a valuable lesson in turning off the colour management system and allowing photoshop to control the printing. I began to look at my identity building up an image from photographs of me as a theatre nurse and reflecting back someone else in a mirror and one became my blog title photo as it summed up the course (Assignment 4, Images 16-20)  I experimented widely with context, performance such as putting myself in the patient’s position by photographing my body, printing and suturing it then digitising it (Assignment 4, Images 20-23)

In Assignment 5, I developed a narrative based on the Code of Conduct which nurses must follow. This involved illustrating various points of the code using a mix of archived photographs and my own where nothing fitted / copyright issues. I experimented with printing on different paper, fabric and teabags and produced a collection of images printed on teabags because tea links nurses and patients together. Ironically theatre nurses insist on patients being without tea for 2 hours until after their operation. There is room for development here; a few images did not work with the text; a mix of landscape and portrait wasn’t brilliant for the slideshow and the finished product is not as neat as I would have liked due to the difficulties working with such a delicate material.

One of the support mechanisms I employed was linking up with a fellow student with whom I met for coffee to discuss our different assignments and attended exhibitions. Together we organised and led the OCA Student visit to the Turner Exhibition and HIP Festival (2017). I joined the OCA North after meeting fellow students at study visits and hope to participate in future visits and show and tell sessions. I attended the Grain Landscape Symposium run in conjunction with the University of Gloucester as I really enjoy Landscape and need to start thinking about level 3. In preparation, I attended Mike Pickwell’s OCA exhibition and OCA MA Fine Art Exhibition in Barnsley. I submitted 2 photos to Patchings Art Centre (November 2017) which both sold. I hope FORMAT Derby (2019) will hold sessions on working with archives as I am interested in experiencing photographic archives.