Sustainable Prospects – Grades – Where To, Now?

I have just received the grades for Sustainable Prospects – 70% overall, Distinction level, I assume, which is pretty much in line with Surfaces & Strategies and Positions and Practice – though a nit picking statistician might say it is a downward trend 🙂

It was a totally flat set of grades – literally 70% each for the Oral Presentation, this CRJ and Work in Progress. This is the first module where my WIP actually hit that ‘magical’ 70% number, which is pleasing, as I do believe Prayer from Hell my strongest and most original work, yet.

Some highlights of feedback, taken in turn:

Oral Presentation:

Your references and personal interest is evident and explained clearly. You use contemporary photographic practice to critically inform and contextualise your practice. You also demonstrate knowledge and in depth understanding of your work from personal point of view.

Intelligent emphasis has been placed on numerous researched photographic influences such as Lyndsey Addario and Antony Cairns.

You talk about your audience both locally in Cambodia and internationally, in a considered and academic context, identifying research situations and events where you work might reach this audience. We think this work will do well in education, and another logical outcome for this project be in the form of installation to bring your message to a wider audience.

Against Learning Objectives, the marginally weakest result was on ‘Critical Analysis‘, the strongest on ‘Written and Oral Presentation Skills‘. I do not think there is much more to read from this, other than ‘keep going’.

Critical Research Journal:

You have produced an extremely well researched and comprehensive CRJ throughout the module. It’s clearly helped you reflect and explore your thoughts and process and also takes your readers on the journey with you. You take us through your development and reflection as the module progresses. The only point to make is once you click into the subheading, the latest module should be at the top, rather than scrolling all the way down to get to Sustainable Practice module.

Your article on “Beyond the Shadows” by Judy Glickman Lauder was very interesting, especially her use of B/W, negatives and infra red to show her work on Danish exception to the holocaust. We also found your research entries very interesting to read, in particular “Digital” dated 14th Oct.

There is a clear understanding of potential contexts for dissemination, and audience engagement, you’ve tackled this aspect well and will benefit in furthering you goals as an educator. 

Your passion and ability to make personal observations supported by an ability to communicate in well written articles shows you reflect well on your own practise through the module. It is clear that your journal has given you encouragement to explore these various aesthetic strategies and gain inspiration that the combination of history and modern-day story telling is possible. 

Against Learning Objectives, the weakest result was on ‘Professional Location of Practice‘, the strongest on ‘Written and Oral Presentation Skills‘. This makes sense, as I have no intention to become a full-time professional, so it is hard to make a determined effort to set up and market such a practice. I already fixed the navigation layout, so that the next module, Informing Contexts, is top of the appropriate sub-pages.

Work In Progress:

We really enjoyed this very moving captivating project “A Prayer From Hell” and it is obvious that your experimentations has led you to develop a strong visual style over the course of this module. Your use of digital negative and landscape methods shows thought, consideration and exploration. The technical approach you have used is accomplished and implies a level of personal engagement of your subject matter.

Your images here are a reflection on how your in-depth research within your journal has helped and influenced the making of this body of work. The technique you have used might not be to everyones’ liking but it gets people to stop, think and ask questions on the subject of Khmer Rouge Genocide, then that’s positive.

There is evidence of an accumulation of layers of depth and a sense of place in your work, with good editing and sequencing skills. We get a real sense of your personal take on your subject as well as your own body of work.

You present your work and your ideas in a professional clear and confident manner, your enthusiasm and energy has been such a positive influence on the rest of the group. You have engaged very well in tutorials and webinars and your constructive and encouraging feedback has been helpful both to your own development and to others in the group.  

Against Learning Objectives, the weakest result was on ‘Technical & Visual Skills‘, the strongest on ‘Visual Communication & Decision Making‘. In the 1-1 tutorial, Jesse had commented that whilst the negative idea is strong, the execution was a little ‘simplistic’. Point taken.

I need to reflect on what this all means for the next phases of the Cambodia project, though these bullets come to mind.

1. Persevere and develop the ‘negatives’ approach as both story telling and context – consider using both regular film and infrared.
2. Evaluate the feasibility of formal project collaboration with Cambodian photographers, not least to break the ‘western gaze’.
3. Rethink my portraiture, as I feel this is lagging behind my other creative work, not least as my focus was on the negatives last module.
4. Finish the video stories and subtitling. This is overdue.
5. Clarify the book audience, design and content, targeting for publication this year.
6. Solidify venue planning in Phnom Penh.

I would like to thank Krishna for both guiding and pushing me along this module. And I must once again mention Ashley, Danny & Gem as being both delightful, professional friends and challenging peers.