Reflections

Luca Cosentino (Group 1)

As part of my communications module work, we were set the task of partaking in a group critique. This consisted of visiting each students studio space and analysing the various artworks that they had made, or were in the process of making for their personal project. It was interesting to be given some time to really engage with the other works that are being made by the other students around me and view them as a body of work. This gave me a great insight into the various approaches and methods being used by the other students in my class. Amongst the group we were asked to discuss the work of each student while asking questions that referred to their idea processes and decision making regarding their project. We were also asked to do this in such a way that the questions being asked would go unanswered by the student, not necessarily at all, but instead leave them with ideas to consider regarding how they could further develop their work and how they might begin to approach works in the future. In this process I found that I could instantly find many links with my own work, and in doing so sparked new ideas that I took with me.

When the group was discussing my work I was excited by the various links and other details that they found within it that I had either not valued as much previously, or had created purely by accident. It gave me a greater awareness and understanding how differently my work, as well as any one else's, can be perceived through the eyes of others. In contrast to that it was also comforting to see the others, who are currently in the same learning process as myself, try to make sense of each other's work as much as it was to see them struggle to understand what it was each one of us was attempting to achieve or convey. Being given the opportunity to hear my fellow students voice their opinions and question my work was something I greatly appreciated.

I believe this exercise was designed to help us question the different works going on around us as well as appreciate the many opinions and ideas expressed from our fellow learning artist and this in turn taught me something about myself. For all of us this was the first exercise of this nature that we have taken part in during our time in GSA and I believe it was a successful one. Having a group of five or six people gives everybody an opportunity to include their voice on whatever is being discussed rather than over a dozen people trying to get a word in which can result in very little actually getting discussed. If I could criticise anything about the exercise I would say I felt a sense that some people were in fear of insulting others which I could fully understand considering the direct approach we were asked to take. I believe that if we were to re do this exercise in the future that everyone would feel more comfortable and confident that their opinion was being appreciated.