Four Weeks into the MA: does the framework make any difference to me?

As the title suggests this post is just about me considering the impact of the MA on my work. It seems to me that participating in the course has had an immediate impact in three distinct ways.

Firstly I am not working in isolation. There are nine of us in the weekly symposiums and this means nine levels of input. For example we had another symposium yesterday and this time is focussed on two areas: blogging and reviewing work. But working as art of a group isn’t just of practical  benefit – it makes me feel like part of a community. For example, Sarah just commented on a post I have made. I don’t think this would have happened otherwise.

Secondly there are the wider University resources. For example, I spent some time on Process Arts today (link) part of the University of the Arts Online resource.

You can browse by subject matter or latest posts and search specific terms. So, for example I have just began to read What is Contemporary Art and so wondered what the site would through up on the term.

The search took me to an article on the Art21 website and some of its current features.

This led to my discovering some new interesting artists.

For example, I found Mika Tajima’s (link) work that really resonated. It was her very strong abstract form and graphic approach along with bold colours and human scale that really got to me and suggested that she’s an artist focussed on purity of expression. The work looked carefully crafted though; not spontaneous – but rather well thought out.

In fact much of her work was timely for me as I am very focussed on the form of my expression just now.

Just think, if I had not blogged about this and used tags the points I make now will be lost in the ether and not available at some future point…. unless I have a truly miraculous memory.

Thirdly and lastly the MA provides a framework and context upon which to develop my direction. It doesn’t specify it but supports it.

So I know that I made a good choice and am enjoying myself already.

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