On planning my object based micro-teaching session, I began reflecting on the conversations and ideas I’d had on the course so far and decided to highlight 2 things. Something I’d learnt from my MA – the conversations with peers throughout a course are always the most memorable part. Secondly, how can I best use my visual arts experience to teach when aesthetics are seemingly unimportant?

I have begun to read about Kant’s theory of aesthetics triggered by one of the reading materials ¹, this is definitely an area of research I’d like to pursue. Through the endless administrative and formulaic feedback, it’s difficult to locate where my experience as an illustrator has any use on an illustration course. However, if I were to go by Kant’s theory:

“In order to play the judge in matters of taste, we must not be in the least biased in favor of the thing’s existence but must be wholly indifferent about it” ²

…would he argue my experience would act as nothing more than irrelevant bias? Although I agree in terms of values of communication something has to be said for awareness of industry expectations? My approach to the PGCert so far is to remain Socratic to instigate useful conversation therefore querying this with my peers could be a useful start.

How could I instigate this conversation around an object though? My initial idea was using a DVD case. By listing its uses as an object, you could potentially list the use of its contents (film / entertainment / education / gaming etc etc) and eventually, potentially visual culture as a whole? However, I also ran the risk of it turning into a ‘101 Uses For A Dead Cat’ ³ territory, so the idea was abandoned.

I was recently very impressed by a student citing her body as a geographical site of study. Inspired by this non-linear approach I opted for simply ‘conversation’ as my object. Specifically, a conversation prompted by my previous enquiry: What is the value of my experience as a practitioner in visual culture if aesthetics are purely subjective?

Throughout all my teaching practice, even in schools, I believe the most useful opportunities for learning have come from more casual one-to-one conversations. The best ideas come in moments of ‘positive constructive daydreaming’ ⁴ i.e., times when you are most relaxed. So, it stands to reason relaxing the structure and hierarchy of an activity can sometimes instigate more creative outcomes. It’s easy to overlook how for some students the studio environment can sometimes be a place of stress that is actually detrimental to their creativity. 

In practice, the activity I believe was relatively successful. It was definitely more useful for members of the group with experience in assessment and from a visual practitioner’s background. As a starting activity for opening up this area of study overall it was an interesting start as I had no real expectations as to how it would go.

Bibliography

1: Callender, J.S. (2005). The Role of Aesthetic Judgments in Psychotherapy. Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology, 12(4), pp.283–295.

‌2: Kant, I. (2018). Critique Of Judgement. S.L.: A & D Publishing.

3: Bond, S. (1988). 101 Uses for a Dead Cat. Potter Style.

4: Singer, S.B.K. and J.L. (n.d.). The Origins of Positive-Constructive Daydreaming. [online] Scientific American Blog Network. Available at: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/the-origins-of-positive-constructive-daydreaming/.

I was invited by one of the GSAs from Illustration, Rory to co-teach an introductory mural workshop (as part of a series) for graduate diploma. It would be on a sign-up basis with the end goal of picking 2 students to create murals for the summer show. Rory has experience in the area so would talk about process and I would give the workshop context through further research and my own experience. The course leader specifically wanted us to discuss enlargement processes we’d used to create a murals from smaller images. The theme was ‘Be Here Now’ so images should be about togetherness, community and living in the moment.

We wanted to explain mural painting is different from simply, painting. Murals come from pre-approved designs and have to match the original. Also, with this enlargement comes interesting new shapes as the imperfections of the lines are magnified. For example, if you enlarge an a4 pencil drawing to the size of a billboard your outline gathers irregularities – it is not only enlarging where the pencil hits the page but also where it doesn’t.

Students would brainstorm a series of 10, 5cm drawings then choose one to enlarge to a4 by drawing a grid over it, then draw a scaled-up grid on an a4 sheet. They would then use the lines to measure and redraw the image a4 sized. We would return after lunch and create an a1 version using the same scaling up process. In addition, we would give a lecture, myself concentrating on theme and Rory on process.

The first task went well but some students definitely missed the theme. Onto the first enlargement and things clearly started to go array. I demonstrated how to grid the smaller image and then the a4 and Rory did the same to smaller groups. However, despite further individual demonstrations many students just drew an estimated version of the image with no grid and the accuracy was lost.

After lunch the next task was to paint an a1 image accurately enlarged from the a4. We demonstrated the process again with extra attention to detail. I asked if anyone had any questions to which everyone said no. Nonetheless as I went round the room people where again, starting to draw freehand. I intervened with those I could see and repeatedly but politely explained how they’d missed the point. We continued to point out inaccuracies when we saw them but overall, the students just continued to just make new, improvisational paintings. Although there was some great work the technical element of the workshop was completely lost as students continually ignored guidance.

In the plenary myself and Rory congratulated students on their great images but directly pointed out their inaccuracies. Again, pointing out in a professional context the discrepancies between their original design to their larger outcomes would be problematic.

On reflection we agreed more technical instructions was needed. We should either include clear step by step diagrammatic instructions or pre-gridded paper to ensure more accuracy. A difficulty in teaching this class is their understanding as an all-international group is hard to predict. Overall, the scaffolding of the lesson needed reinforcing. I definitely learnt never to assume a task no matter how simple is straight forward in practice. 

Yingsi is a BA Illustration tutee who has been a concern from the start. Her first project was particularly unexciting however ungraded, so she successfully passed by achieving a D standard. She focused on hackers as she related to them as outsiders, reportedly being an outsider herself. She made some interesting points on her padlet but did little research to back it up. However, the project illustrated her openness to talk about darker characters.

Unit 2 was more problematic, there was little work and a written account of her spiralling mental health. Her padlet became a countdown of distress, detailing her struggle to get anything done. The main task was a 1500 word essay about an editorial illustration. Students assessed an image’s communication using a framework based on Gillian Rose’s ‘Visual Methodologies’ ¹. Yingsi’s was about mental health and she deemed it strongly unsuccessful. Her point however was more about the over subscription of mental health in a wider context. Arguing mental health is being marketed in an unnuanced way wherein all levels are treated as equal. The concern myself and my year leader (Joh) had, is that this theme had made her clearly unhappy and unable to complete enough work to pass.

Joh and I then stepped in. Unit 3 had begun and she was focussing on Lam Kor-Wan (a serial killer who kept his victims’ sexual organs in Tupperware in his home). We met her and discussed the mental health support that is available as she is clearly struggling. Unfortunately, she made it clear she has had unsuccessful support in the past and no faith in the process. She mentioned she draws as a cathartic process so I suggested art therapy and surprisingly she sounded quite interested.

We weren’t able to tell her she hadn’t passed but were essentially preparing her for it. When she asked if she’d failed, I replied, ‘There are definitely some things missing’. Which in hindsight left too little to the imagination. Joh then voiced her concerns over her unit 3 being as distressing as unit 2. To which she replied, ‘Don’t worry I’m not going to go out and kill anyone’. Although said in jest I can imagine she probably thought that’s what we were worried about.

In a later group tutorial, she explained how she related to the murderer comparing how he kept body parts to her obsessive life drawing. She believes she is collecting in the same obsessive way, but through less gruesome means. Although definitely morbid, I did quite like this idea and most importantly, she was excited about doing the work.

So, in conclusion I learnt it’s not our place to decide what themes work best for students. What’s more important is showing support without imposing control. Just because a student’s project is morbid doesn’t necessarily mean its harmful to the student. Part of creating a ‘safe space’ means allowing students to express themselves however they like. And if there is any truth in post-traumatic growth ² even breakdowns have their value.

Bibliography:

1: Rose, G. (2016). Visual methodologies : an introduction to researching with visual materials. Los Angeles Etc.: Sage.

‌2: Kaufman, S.B. (2020). Post-Traumatic Growth: Finding Meaning and Creativity in Adversity. [online] Scientific American Blog Network. Available at: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/post-traumatic-growth-finding-meaning-and-creativity-in-adversity/.

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An assessment of a BA1 submission for case study.

The unit comprises of 3 elements that make up the hand in:

• Biography 1 – 4 workshop tasks with extensions themed around researching a notable individual of the student’s choice.
• Critical Practice Project – A visual (up to) 2000-word essay across 8 – 12 physical pages about their individual.
• Biography 2 – A proposal for their self-lead project for next term based on researching their individual.

My year leader specified we feedback with one positive comment and one area for improvement for each element:      

Biography 1:  

1 Strength: There are some interesting references on your padlet, it’s good that you are using film to research; its often a more entertaining and therefore effective way to gain knowledge. However, just planting links to sources doesn’t count, I need to know what you’ve observed from them.  

1 Area to Improve: You are missing evidence of studio workshops that is essential to pass this element of the unit. Where are your 3d experiments and work from the concertina book drawing from different perspectives?

CPP:

1 Strength:  Your imagery subtly and tastefully enhances the content of your thoughtful text and the simplistic layout reads like a stream of consciousness. You have skewed convention in a way that proficiently illustrates McGregor’s own unconventional approach.  

1 Area to Improve: The flow of the essay is stifled by the blank pages. Spreading the text across these pages with some relevant imagery could have maintained the energy you’ve created elsewhere in the publication.  

Biography 2 Proposal:

1 Strength: Unfortunately, I can’t give a strength if I don’t have access to the document.

1 Area to improve: You clearly haven’t checked through your PDF otherwise you would have spotted this. In addition, there is no evidence of your Linked in learning.”

We have to mark each assessment criteria encompassing the following:

• Critical Practice project – Knowledge 
• Biography 1 – Enquiry, Process, Realisation, Communication 
• Biography 2 – Enquiry, Process, Realisation, Communication
• LinkedIn training: – Knowledge and Process 

This student through a technical error (posting a password protected document) hasn’t provided ‘Biography 2’ in her submission. So combined with half of ‘Biography 1’ missing she can’t pass. But how do I equate that to grading if each element counts for different parts of the assessment criteria? So in order for it to make a fail I would have to mark all elements down to an F average. Furthermore, if her knowledge is solely the CPP which I would grade at a B would mean I’d have to pull the other elements down even further? So it would be graded:  

• Enquiry: F
• Knowledge: B
• Process: F
• Communication: F
• Realisation: F

…which doesn’t reflect my feeling at all.

This a great example of where these criteria just don’t work. The division of efforts is impossible to equate fairly and the limitation of our feedback means I can’t fully communicate the positives of the submission. In addition, I know this student is having doubts about the course and in seeing these grades will no doubt put her off even more. I could just reach out to get access to the documents but professionally know that’s not an option. Realistically all I can do is ask for parity and try and fight her corner somehow.  

On reading this article I was pleasantly surprised at Davies (not pictured) dissilution with the assessment process. Although it is of course a necessarry evil it is sometimes hard to overlook how much the college project context differs from the real world. I pulled out a few quotes I wanted to respond to:

“…art and design students’ ability to visualise. This cognitive ability is a cornerstone of creative thinking. It requires the use of imagination and judgment and we expect all art and design students to develop it as they progress in their study… “

This made me think of an email from a student I recieved today. He’d proposed a laser cut project outcome but he’d left it too late and the machine was fully booked. He asked if a plan was sufficient to which I instinctively responded, ‘No.’ In hindsight what difference does it actually make? A digital production process like laser cutting vs the artwork prepared and plans made are literally the difference between pressing a button or not pressing said button. Perhaps what I should be more concerned about is his design process and the creative nature of his visualisation? In the ‘real world’ you would rarely be expected to manufacture the things you design. Of course there is an element of bad time management that has to be considered but perhaps in future i’ll be more open.

“…the most accurate map of a region would have a one-to-one relationship with the terrain. That is, the map would be as big as the region and, hence, useless.”

I think I just love the poetic nature of this point however poignant it may be. In a way it arguably relates to the previous point. Perhaps the representation of an outcome through detailed annotations and iterations could in fact be more useful for the purpose of an assessment anyway?

“In art and design, outcomes are not achieved once and that is it. They are regularly returned to …Therefore, assuming that outcomes, once addressed, are completed does not reflect the ‘spiral’ nature of the pedagogy…”

I totally agree that often the pressure of creating ‘finished’ outcomes can impede on the creativity of student’s ideas and the conversations as educators we can have around them. I would also argue this is true of a professional context, artists and designers always re-use themes, inspirations and techniques. In developing ongoing relationships with more specific subject matter outcomes in whichever format will obviously become more efficiently realised.

“It is better to provide a structure for discussions with the students to enable them to begin to engage in the discourses of the community in which they are joining than to assume they understand how they will perform against ‘measurable’ outcomes.”

Again I totally agree with this point. In general I think the idea of community as a whole is undertaught. Not only in encouraging bonds within the cohort and prospective industry but within the communties identified within their projects. If a student where to create a project that made some kind of real, positive difference (outside the instituion) as mentors is that not the most success we can hope for?

Lastly I really enjoyed this ‘succinct’ definition of a 3rd unit of study for a visual communication learning outcome:

“Stage 3 – Work effectively as a graphic designer.“

Although this was drastically shortened for the purpose of the article it actually sums up so much. Its easy to lose sight of our purpose on particlar courses when navigating so many students differing ideas and intentions. However I believe keeping in mind the core of what the discipline is about is actually very healthy as students, from my experience still value industry knowledge.