Kuch Bhogal
I presented a mixture of painting, digital prints and photographic based works.
It was a very interesting experience to share a new body of work at the same time as taking part in a structured facilitate conversation about the same work. It has helped me understand the impact of my work and how it might be received by others in the future. I feel more confident in talking about my work and my process and feel supported by local artists.
Generally I am making work alone and it’s very difficult to get a sense of how clearly I have articulated what I wanted to say in these works. Getting feedback has helped me get a sense of what ‘works’ in my works and what I might want or need to do differently in future works. It has also validated my works and I feel more confident about trusting my creative instincts.
Peter McGinnis
I presented a recently completed body of work made up of 6 sculptures born of natural materials, manipulated to bring a balanced sensory experience. The title of the sculptures has yet to be decided.
I deliberately gave no titles or descriptions of the sculptures and the audience were under strict instructions not to touch the work. I was looking to see how the audience interacted and thought about the sculptures only using their eyesight and knowledge.
I learned that my choice of presentation caused a good amount of frustration and questions from the audience. The body language from the audience was greater and more useful than I anticipated. The audience confirmed many of my already realised ideas and left me with a feeling that for this body of work, ï am on the right track. The audience pointed out that some of my method in making art reflects itself in my personality. It was fascinating to me that they were commenting about me and my work as one connected thing.
I found the audience’s reaction to my work along with their comments interesting and useful.
The process of Critical Exchange is an experience I would recommend for most artists to try. I enjoyed the revealing of myself to the facilitators at stage one of the process and was pleased to discover I had more to say than I originally thought. Stage two, where the works were curated, was a healthy opportunity to see the works out with the studio and in many ways completing their journey. I particularly enjoyed the interaction with the other artist presenter and seeing our works next to each other’s. The debrief with the facilitators was useful as it allowed me to vocalise my findings and compare them with what we had discussed at our first meeting.
Critical Response Process can be a slightly frustrating process with its rigid rules. As an artist who has now been through the process, I can confirm that the end of the tunnel view was worth all the hard work everyone put into it. I am grateful to Jilly and Celeste for their patience and support.