The MA Induction Project (which I should have posted several weeks ago).

Seems I'm playing catch-up with this online journal reflection thingy-ma-bob. I estimate that I am roughly a week behind given that I was encouraged to practically make two entries a day... Okay, so it might be two weeks. Or more? Well, I will describe the things I've done and mused upon over the weeks in the hopes that I will be more up to date. So, this will all come in parts.

1. There was the induction project. A collaborative effort that focused on various interpretations of Nottingham, which led to a disorientated art piece and a conclusive presentation at the Nottingham Contemporary. Lucky me, I thought! That kind of exposure may do some favours. I ended up using my old drawing style to contribute my little bits:

These parts ended up representing the old castle quarter of Nottingham. It was strange to be asked to explore the city as if I was somehow a newcomer. But I didn't really have to. All of these old monuments and folklore were a part of Nottingham. Having grown up in this region, it's fair to say that I am also a part of it as well, as explained to every other MA student at the Contemporary:

My pieces went on to form a bigger puzzle, which resembled the largely available map of Nottingham City. The others in my group had their own pieces to do what they pleased with them.

From an interaction design point of view, the fun obviously stemmed from slotting it altogether. Not only that, but others were invited to make their own artistic interpretations and make their own subsequent Nottingham art piece. The same templates we used were provided. 

Truth be told, I was not entirely engaged to the project. I was expecting more flashy computers and resources, and more consistency in terms of materials. The entire artpiece in its finality also felt too delicate to the point that I didn't want anyone to go near it. There's a problem right there, and it's one that I hope to address on this course! How sturdy do you make an artpiece before you want others to physically engage with it in order to influence another outcome?

In hindsight, I shouldn't have expected any of the above if I was working in collaboration with cross MA disciplines, and be told that I only have my own resources to work with. I honestly just wanted to get on with my own course. Perhaps it was a way of getting me to consider the idea of future collaborations, and how I would use my own creative thinking and knowledge to achieve whatever goal on the table. It's a useful insight, especially if I am to continue exhibiting artwork with other people and hope for some kind of consistency rather than justify fragmented visual viewpoints in the name of diversity.