Final statement regarding my project — Dec 15th
I started this project believing that I needed a specific, clear idea of where I would be headed — what would it mean, how personal would it be, etc. However, during one of my first workshops, I was encouraged to let go and try and create something without expecting it to make sense right away. It was definitely a challenge at first because I approach art through intellect, as it enables me to get a better sense of where the project is headed.
It became increasingly clear to me that I’d have to approach the entire project differently, that it didn’t need to be meaningful in every way for it to be good & make sense. In hindsight, I believe it was a bit too radical — as a result, I abandoned the idea of making ‘disrupt’ more personal altogether and therefore stepped away from the way I usually work, which I think was eventually reflected in my work.
I would do it differently if I had more time. I could have done something more ambitious or creative before disposing of the shape, but by the end of the project, I found myself having too many ideas and it was difficult to sort out the relevant ones from sheer nonsense.
I did thoroughly enjoy making my main piece with cardboard and gum strip. It was simultaneously my favourite and most crucial part of my project since I subsequently used the piece in almost every other workshop I attended. I also really enjoyed animation — attributing an insect-like quality to an inanimate object was amusing.
I loved hearing other people’s feedback on my work. It was the first time I realised just how important the audience’s engagement can be, when in fact I hadn’t intended for the piece to be on display. Several classmates made valuable suggestions and it definitely inspired me.
I would say that I had a few shortcomings regarding this project. After making it and sticking with the shape and the idea of it, I became caged by that main idea. By picking this idea about triangular three-dimensional shapes, I felt like I couldn’t change my mind anymore and couldn’t seem to work my way around it. I lacked the initiative to actively seek out new ideas.
I also lacked confidence in my ideas at times. I had to adapt to a new environment — not only a new way of working, but in a new school, in a whole new country — and I think I tried my best to navigate it. I’m looking forward to working on other projects in the future knowing what I know now: that there’s no limit to what I can create, as long as it is meaningful to me :)