During unit three I learned a more about curating, both by curating the installation for the July show (The Museum of Human Violence), as well as by participating in the curation of the small group show in October. I have thought quite a lot about the implications of installation art for curation and the role of the artist in this: I understand that because everything in installation work is part of the installation, and needs to be planned in relation to everything else in the intallation, this shifts the curatorial role from curator to the artist, which has implications for installation work in a group show.
The group show in October also gave me the opportunity to be part of a planning group for a small show – together the group organised and planned this, including thinking about publicity, what we might show, and how this might reflect each artist’s focus on drawing as research (this work is being developed into a publication for the research festival – see below).
In unit three I have had the opportunity to think at some length about how to present my work, not only in the shows, but on the online platform, and in group seminars. I have also begun to think about how to share my work with a wider audience, for example, I have written an essay on fictioning and installation for social justice, that I will share in the online research publication at UAL. I have also written a longer essay on drawing as research that will be part of the group publication for the research festival. A slight longer version of this has also been submitted for consideration for the Handbook of Drawing Research being developed by the university of the West of England.
I also took an editorial role in developing the group publication, mentioned above, developed from the October show for the research festival. This role included liaising with peers to ensure their writing met the word limit and suggesting cuts where it was too long. I also made myself available as a ‘sounding board’ for anyone who would like to discuss their contribution – this opportunity was taken by two people.
I have been active in the steering committee for the research festival, and also attended workshops related to my three contributions to the festival: a performance, a ‘book box’ containing 5 different books, and the essay mentioned above.
These activities build on other professional development activities focused on research that I have taken part in over the year; including attending the research week at Konstfak university, Stockholm in January. the ‘Politics and art for social change’ conference at Camberwel in April, organised by Autograph, and the UAL research conference on 23rd June at St. Martin’s College, London. I will be attending the Symposium ‘What is Drawing Research’ at Birmingham School of Art on 3 November.
My reading relates to four main areas: 1. artistic research/practice as research, 2. post humanism and critical animals studies. 3. Visual activism/art and politics, and for my new work, 4. Biocapitalism.
During unit three I have also produced four self-published books as a way to summarise my thinking and learning over the year.
Drawing As Critique 