eLearning Portfolios for Creative Professional Practice: …mams.rmit.edu.au/m3tx2j0wn0zo.pdf · eLearning Portfolios for Creative Professional Practice: Capturing the Student Experience

Learning and Teaching Investment Fund final report

eLearning Portfolios for Creative Professional Practice: Capturing the Student Experience and Creating Clearer Pathways Associate Professor Peter Ellis

School of Art,

College of Design and Social Context

13 February 2015

Studio view Zarah McKenzie year 2 BA Fine Art

Strategic objectives addressed:

This project contributes to RMIT’s strategic objectives and goals particularly as they relate to the student experience of the Global, Urban and Connected objectives.

Global: The project will develop an eLearning portfolio process that can capture students’ prior skills and knowledge; their Work Integrated Learning experience; and their progress as creative professionals. The result will be a core element of their ‘global passport’. The increased ease and opportunities with which students can share work to selected audiences will result in collaborations between TAFE and HE and between the Melbourne and Hong Kong campuses.

eLearning Portfolios for Creative Professional Practice: Capturing the Student Experience and Creating Clearer Pathways

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Urban: Using mobile technologies to capture the work and the development of work will bring the idea of the ‘urban laboratory’ to life. Staff connected with the project have longstanding links to key sites, organisations and institutions in Melbourne and overseas. Issues of access and equity for students in the Art school will be a priority, as students will use the available tools of their own mobile phones and hired RMIT equipment and spaces.

Connected: With WIL as a focus (for the first time in TAFE students will be undertaking a formal WIL experience as part of the new Advanced Diploma) our students will learn by doing in context and with industry feedback. In both TAFE and HE, students will capture artefacts from their work and from feedback that demonstrate competencies and outcomes. These may be repurposed for, for instance, collaborative work with other students, graduate shows and exhibitions and their own websites and portfolios. It will be another way in which the School helps them to become high-impact graduates and prepares them for their careers. RMIT’s graduate attributes will be used as organising principles in the design of the ePortfolio.

The project addresses the LTIF 2014 priorities of:

• Improving student retention or the cohort experience: by fostering learning and teaching innovation and updating assessment, feedback and evaluation mechanisms used in a range of tertiary programs.

• designing or redesigning sustainable programs for onshore and offshore delivery, including flexible delivery: by bringing practitioners who work in Hong Kong and Melbourne together with TAFE and OUA educators in the School to formulate a best-practice model of ePortfolios.

Internal order number: 360431

Project leader contact details:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: mobile 041 304 5634 RMIT 99252838

Project team members:

• Project Manager, Jon Hurford, DSC SALT • Project Advisor, Angela Clarke DSC • Fleur Summers, BA Program • Jody Fenn DSC • Howard Errey, DSC • Fran Van Riemsdyk, BA Hong Kong & Melbourne Program • Deputy Head of School VE, Belinda Wilson • Fiona Hilary, VE Program • Gracia Haby, OUA • Project Advisor, Dr. Garry Allan • Project Advisor, Meaghan Botterill • RMIT Liaison Librarian, Grazyna Rosinska

Funding scheme

LTIF contestable X

Program Development Fund

RMIT Vietnam Program Development Fund


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1 Executive summary The LTIF project has provided the School of Art with a practical strategy for the collection of documents and images that will prepare students for entry through strategic Work Integrated Learning practices into the Arts Industry. The project has resulted in a set of on line documents developed for adaptation and rollout that will benefit a variety of programs within the school that will be ongoing. The Project focuses on the use of ePortfolios, seen as a collection, an archive or digital album of documents and images that can be edited for a variety of purposes and outcomes. The project has enabled staff and selected students within the School of Art to see the value and potential for ePortfolios to be a complete visual record of a students work as a Capstone achievement that is an ongoing editable resource. The ePortfolio enables the students to experience their work grow as an unfolding of practice over the duration of their enrollment. The ePortfiolio is an aid to documenting key breakthroughs in learning, locating patterns of success and acting as a resource for the experimental, individual and original in art practice. This project takes a structured, tertiary response to the need to increase the capture and sharing of key learning documents and visual material between Fine Art students, peers and staff from Certificate IV in VE to BA level. The School perceives a need to position our students in effective Professional Practice and enterprise formation in an ever changing arts industry, linked to WIL, Program Learning outcomes and Graduate attributes. Understanding the importance of the digital domain in capturing the student experience is central to this project. The project has engaged teaching teams in the implementation of ePortfolios in 4 distinct areas: VE Art, BP201, BP201OS, and the two OUA offerings in the School of Art.

CertIV, Diploma, Advanced Diploma A new system of seamless on line learning assessment tools has been developed in VE Visual Arts that allows for- Recognition of Prior Learning, enabling students to upload images and documents that stream line the RPL selection process for a more efficient and effective experience for students and academic staff.

BP201, BA Fine Art Students in year 2 Expanded Studio Practice, Painting, Drawing and Media Arts and year 3 students in Sculpture, Sound and Spatial Practice, trialed the use of ePortfolios. Students and staff in year 2 ESP in Hong Kong also used the ePortfolio system, assisting with improved moderation and assessment. The 73 ESP students used the ePortfolio to work collaboratively to document the major WIL project ‘Exhibition Practice’ & Sculpture, Sound and Spatial Practice students produced on going blog ePortfoilios and documents that support WIL projects.

OUA units, Making your Mark in Drawing and Introduction to Painting. The Scope of the project enabled a major change from a distance (paper-based) system to an online transfer of digitally captured files and documents and on line interaction between student peers and with RMIT tutors.

The LTIF project has resulted in the unification of a variety of learning activities within the BA Fine Art. The Program now has a consensus for all students in all studios and year levels to produce, Exhibition Journals, Studio Work Proposals, Work Integrated Learning Feedback Forms, and for students to begin a whole of qualification digital record of their work at RMIT. The ePortfolio will be an essential introduction for the SOA graduate to the Arts Industry.

The project has resulted in a broader understanding of ways to capture the student experience, to archive key developmental documents and images and provide a pattern for prospective student selection, articulation, progression, capstone experiences and WIL.


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2 Outcomes Project Outcomes VE – developed a set of on line learning tools used in the Recognition of Prior Learning, these tools and templates are ongoing and has created efficiency in time and complexity for staff to assess folios for entry and articulation, with all evidence of RPL in one location. This has also assisted students with a more accessible streamlined system of presentation. The on line assessment materials for RPL could be used as a model for other VE applications BA Fine Art – Trialling of ePortfolio in 2 of 4 studio areas, has strengthened the WIL courses with students using a digital system to document and capture individual and collaborative WIL ‘Exhibition Project’. This has resulted in greater communication and peer-to-peer sharing of concepts and collaborative practices, with over 73 students producing eportfolios based on their WIL projects. The use of the ePortfolios will enable staff to view works in-group WIL tutorials, on line and provide feedback. Selected BA students in Hong Kong used on line images for moderation and assessment with RMIT staff. There is potential for further use of ePortfolios between on shore and off shore students and staff for exhibitions, moderation and assessment and collaborative peer-to-peer projects. BA Studio coordinators are now using templates and documents refined during the LTIF project.

1. Work Integrated Learning Feedback Forms – for all BA students to complete after a WIL group tutorial

2. Studio Work Proposals – that outline a student’s aims, methods and outcomes, bibliography for individual projects.

3. On line Gallery/Exhibition Journals – for year 1 students, that introduces students to their industry with critique of local and on line international exhibitions.

4. ePortfolios, for students to capture and document their artwork including resolved and research material, images and ideas and documents.

OUA – Two OUA modules ‘Making Your Mark in Drawing’ and ‘Introduction to Painting’ have been updated from a postal and email system to an on line Blackboard system that now enables students to submit art work on line with on line feedback from tutors. It also enables students to interact on line with other distance OUA students and share images. The project was trialled in BA Fine Art, in ESP studio in second year = 73 students. In Sculpture Sound and Spatial Practice third year = 23 students. OUA = 30 students. Scholarly output Associate Professor Peter Ellis, Program Leader presented a paper on LTIF Project, at the 2014 ACUADS Conference hosted by Victorian college of the Arts and RMIT Melbourne University. The paper was included in the theme of Future ecologies and Heritage Models and was titled ‘ Capturing the Student Experience, Pathways to Industry Engagement’ Student Feedback CES Direct verbal student feedback on the use of WIL Feedback forms, Studio Work Proposals and WIL Group Tutorials was positive. However this is not reflected in the insufficient responses to general CES. Project team will instigate student feedback and evaluation in semester 1 2015 on the project. Studio Specialisation Course: VART 3440 Diversified Projects (Year 2 ESP) OSI - 66.7%. GTS - 83.3% Reliability Assessment – insufficient data. VART 3459 Production Strategies OSI – 100%, GTS, 100% insufficient data VART 3460 Presentation Strategies GTS – 88.9%, OSI – 83.3 % insufficient data OUA – Introduction to Painting, OSI - 80%


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3 Project outcomes and impacts

3.1 What the project was designed to achieve and out comes The project was very ambitious in its scope and has achieved a variety of outcomes that are now ongoing and will be adapted for use in a variety of School of Art Programs over time.

The Project has not achieved everything in the initial proposal. As the project team was breaking new ground with the use of ePortfolios within the context of the School of Art, it was difficult to predict what could be achievable with a reduced budget within the time frame. The resignation of the Project Manager half way through the project also had an effect on the achieved outcomes.

There have been a variety of technical problems with the operation of Google sites in relation to the new templates that are in need of refinement in 2015. The project team selected a sample area of 73 year 2 students in a core WIL project and 23 year 3 students in Production and Presentation Strategies to test the ePortfolio system.

RMIT’s graduate attributes were used as organising principles in the design of the ePortfolio. This was achieved as a trial in 2 studios and as a WIL only experience. Not holistically across several programs at this stage, however there is potential to do this in the future.

The sharing of visual material between Fine Art students from Certificate IV to Honours level was not achieved within the timeframe, however the staff in these areas aware of the potential for students who begin ePortfolios in VE, to carry these into articulated programs and culminating in a capstone ePortfolio.

It is envisioned to start year 1 students enrolled in BA Fine Art in 2015 with ePortfiolio strategy that will begin the 3-year UG process.

The project encouraged the innovation of students using mobile phone technologies to support location-independent learning, applications of direct relevance to the visual arts, and direct access to their ePortfolio. As many students are using mobile phone technology independently to document and create art works it was not considered a priority to develop a systematic approach to mobile phone use within the scope of the project.

The project proposal stated that the use of ePortfolios could improve the process for staff and students for ‘reasonable adjustment’, special consideration and DLU-registered students and provide evidence for appeals: As the e portfolios have only been trialed in 2 studios in a limited form their use in these areas has not been demonstrated. However the project team believes there is potential for this to eventuate within further projects in the future.

Following the introduction of ePortfolios in year 2 ESP studio, students have access to a more flexible assessment method to document their work. Staff and students have a clear sense of what has been assessed and what feedback they have received.

3.2 Project achievements and outcomes The project team has reviewed the RMIT document ‘Towards an eLearning Plan’ (Smit, 2013) and is targeting assessment and the capture of the diversity of student work as the most effective starting point for implementing an eLearning approach.

The achievements include :

• Researched, reviewed and scoped ePortfolios in national and international contexts, assessing their functionality for Visual and Fine Art.

• The project team has designed easy-to-use, web-based templates for staff and students that match the educational and compliance requirements of selected WIL projects and other learning and teaching documents across the BA Fine Art.

• Facilitated workshops and technical demonstrations with academic staff. Including the logistics of connectivity between Hong Kong and Melbourne based students and staff.


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• Increased technical expertise of staff and students using capturing and assessment tools.

• Identified and planned for the implementation for the 8 WIL courses in BA Fine Art and 1 in Visual Arts for development. Templates designed for use in these courses.

• Two OUA courses updated to on line use of digital submission of artwork, peer to peer interaction and on line tutor feedback, transforming what was a postal, hard copy system with staff emails.

• VE students and staff now have a system for on line assessment tools for RPL. The impact is evidenced by efficient streamlining of process and the development of assessment materials with all evidence of RPL in one location as an on line resource. More broadly it should be noted that these templates may have other applications. Our experience in devising the online RPL tools may be of benefit within a VE context and will build on the 2010 Business TAFE LTIF: ‘The development of an online tool for RPL self-assessment’ (Project Manager: Sheridan Maxwell) We will update the 2010 tool to expand its use with audio-visual materials and reflect the latest compliance changes in the sector.

• Selected BA students have experienced the capture of artefacts which align competencies and outcomes through the use of a Google site ePortfolio.

• Issues of access and equity for students in the School of Art have the potential to improve with the use of the available tools of their own mobile phones to create and document art works, enabling students to work and interact with peers and staff off campus as appropriate.

• The creation of ePortfolios, which can be repurposed for - collaborative work with other students, graduate, shows, individual exhibitions and student’s own websites and portfolios. It will be additional way in which the School assists students to become high-impact graduates, leading to stronger enterprise formation outcomes and professional practice opportunities.

• What this potentially means for a student who may enrol in one of the VE programs and graduate from the BA (Fine Art) is the assembly of a compelling electronic archive of their development and their work and a record of their assessment and feedback. Available to them as a set of high quality editable digital files. This concept has been developed and is planned to roll out in stages from 2015.

• Through the school’s LTIF project a workable ePortfolio strategy, templates and on line experience has been developed and trialled, systematic adjustment and refinement to suit a variety of studios, discipline areas and programs will be on going and linked to the Schools strategic workplan and future funding plans.

• Long term, the project has the potential to lift the performance in the GDS survey rates, especially in items which are often misinterpreted by graduates in terms of Enterprise Formation. Establishing a compelling record of themselves as practicing professional artists many of whom are self-employed has strong potential to improve this response.

• The project has improved the cohort experience by fostering learning and teaching innovation and updating assessment, feedback and evaluation mechanisms used in BA Program and in an essential aspect of VE Visual Art.

• Project team and Studio coordinators, agreed to utilize templates in the BA program and discussed staged rollout of templates. The use of the ePortfolio was limited to year 2 ESP in Melbourne and Hong Kong and Sculpture, Sound and spatial Practice year 3 to capture the WIL experience.

• The project team will continue to encourage the capture of student artifacts and ascertain peer-to-peer and academic connectivity and archiving of student experience.


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3.3 Disciplinary and interdisciplinary linkages The project has influenced the design and redesign of sustainable programs for on shore and offshore delivery, including flexible delivery: by bringing practitioners who teach in BA Fine Art Hong Kong and Melbourne together with VE and OUA educators in the school to formulate a best-practice model of ePortfolios and a strengthening of WIL practices.

The Project linked staff and students based in Melbourne and Hong Kong and extended the good work of the SoA GLBD project: ‘How We Live in the World’. Hong Kong based ESP year 2 students engaged in ePortfolio project for Work Integrated Learning in semester 2.

The four studio areas of the BA Fine Art have an accord to unify WIL documents, templates and process in 2014 and to commence or extend ePortfolios in 2015.

There is strong support from staff in Foundation studies, and VE to use ePortfolios to commence a holistic record of a student’s progress.

The project team strategically included representatives from VE, OUA and BA and provided a unique over view of ideas regarding capturing the creative student experience and extending the School’s on line presence, WIL and enterprise formation strategies.

3.4 Student feedback Feedback on VE: Results of Prior Learning on line tools, is positive.

Student feedback on the ePortfolios used as a documenting tool for collaborative WIL project Exhibition Practice has been positive. However there were technical difficulties in setting up the Google sites with the time frame, and problems for staff being able to access individual student files. More technical research is needed in this area.

Research on the necessity for clear instructions for students to understand the concept of the ePortfolio and the logistic of setting one up was essential for the success of the project.

The WIL Exhibition project enabled students to set up collaborative WIL exhibitions of their own work, design and produce a critical premise for the exhibition, curate this themselves, design publicity, catalogue and documentation of exhibitions in fact everything that a professional artist must do when installing an exhibition. Student WIL exhibitions were then critiqued in a peer-to-peer situation and with professional artist / academic input. Student groups then upload the full WIL documentation and feedback from the experience into the on line ePortfolio for assessment.

4 Dissemination strategies and outputs There have been a number of presentations on this LTIF project in 2014 -

1. Whole School of Art presentation on LTIF “Capturing the Student Experience- Creating Clearer Pathways’ that included panel members, and an external ePortfolio expert, Kathryn Coleman includes PowerPoint presentation, display of WIL documents, student responses to WIL forms, and examples of documented VE & BA student art works, questions and open forum.

2. Strategic meetings with OUA, VE and BA, Melbourne and Hong Kong academic staff outlining project & input into use of templates and ePortfolios and WIL.

3. Presentation to year 2 Expanded Studio Practice students BA Fine Art on ePortfioios for WIL Exhibition Project Semester 2.

4. Presentation on LTIF project & ePortfolios in the Visual Arts, at DSC Learning and Teaching Leadership Group.

5. Whole School Meeting presentation on WIL, enterprise formation, ePortfolios and WIL projects for 2015. Linked to School Workplan.

6. Presentation of paper and PowerPoint on ‘Capturing the student Experience, WIL and ePortfolios’ at the National Australian Council of University Art & Design Schools. ACUADS Conference at Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne University.


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Representatives attended this conference from National Australian Art Schools.

School of Art, Work Integrated Learning documents are available on SoA Blackboard for students and staff, ePortfolio document and instructions will be refined for a variety of cohorts for 2015.

It is planned to disseminate and share ePortfolio strategy with the wider DSC and RMIT University community as the project is on going within the school and linked to School Work plan, Program Development and potential GLBD initiatives.

Potential for articles to publicise and raise awareness of the available tools beyond the School of Art using internal avenues like the teaching tomtom and published journal articles in an appropriate SoTL publication may be forthcoming as the outcomes of the project are refined and expanded. A presentation on School of Art WIL and ePortfolios is planned for DSC Learning Teaching Expo in 2015.

5 Evaluation of project outcomes The impact and value of the project has been significant and substantial. The project does not have a one-year duration but is ongoing inbeddeded within the school’s work plan.

* Note - As the main student project was in the final weeks the assessment period, there will be further evaluation of the WIL component in semester 1 of 2015.

The LTIF project has impact in these core areas –

On line learning and teaching- use of ePortfolios with peer-to-peer, industry and academic feedback, development of new on line, WIL Feedback forms, Studio Work Proposal forms,

RPL in VE streamlined to new Google account system that holds assessment of RPL in one location.

OUA – improved system of on line submission of student artwork, peer-to-peer connections between distance education students, on line feedback from OUA tutors.

Enterprise formation - Development of ePortfolios as an overview of student experience, editable for a variety of professional outcomes. Students have experienced industry engagement WIL, augmented by the use of eLearning technologies.

Professional practice for all students – Development of ePortfolios as documentation and assessable evidence of real WIL experiences.

Heightened Capstone experience – Students will graduate with complete audiovisual record of learning documents & individual studio practice, resolved work and research material as introduction to Arts Industry. Providing a lasting digital record for students. Using RMIT graduate attributes, as an organising principle for the portfolio, for the first time students will be able to build a whole of qualification digital record of their work at RMIT.

Connecting students and staff globally – Hong Kong BA Fine Art students and staff share documents and images for moderation and assessment on line, & WIL.

Building sustainable solutions for the use of educational technologies that are innovative and practical – ePortfolios, use of RPL in VE Visual Art, OUA update, use of on line gallery journals.

Building capabilities and capacity within RMIT that responds to new developments in addition to utilising current technologies – Developing use of Google sites for ePortfolio in BA Fine Art and RPL in VE. Utilising on line moderation and assessment for off shore students.


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Appendix A Attached

1. Poster for whole school presentation.

2. Instructional Guide and Project Brief: E Learning Portfolios for Creative Professional Practice Capturing the Student Experience and Creating Clearer Pathways.

3. Images of Student works from WIL project.

4. WIL Feedback Form

5. Studio Work Proposal


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I N S T R U C T I O N A L G U I D E A N D P R O J E C T B R I E F

E Learning Portfolios for Creative Professional Practice Capturing the Student Experience and Creating Clearer Pathways


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What is an ePortfolio?

An ePortfolio is a collection, an archive, an album of documents and images that can be edited for a variety of purposes and outcomes.

You can use an ePortfolio to; - track your progress - see how your ideas have developed over time - share images and text with your peers and staff - prepare for online tutorials or assessments - present artist’s statements - for grants, exhibitions, and residencies - to apply for other Courses and Programs like Post Graduate study - and to develop your CV for professional development

More selection officers and Arts Industry personnel use students and Alumni ePortfolios to assist with selecting potential students and artists for a variety of purposes.

In 2014, you will use your eportfolio to demonstrate your learning with the Work

Integrated Learning project, ‘Exhibition Project’.

Staff in the School of Art see your ePortfolio as a complete visual record of your work as a capstone of achievement that is an editable resource and as your introduction to the Arts Industry. The ePortfolio enables you to see your work grow as an unfolding of your practice overtime, it is an aid to remembering breakthroughs in your learning, locating patterns of success and drawing on the experimental, esoteric or originality in your work. It enables you to visually, collect, discover, archive and reflect as a life long practitioner. Many of you already have hundreds of images of your work on your computer and on your mobile phone. You may have a great Blog site you are using. This is great, we would like you to share this with staff via the ePortfolio. Staff would like to see these works, as they are examples of you maximising your outputs in the studio. We like to see experiments, trials, and the documentation of your works in a variety of sites. You may have trialled a variety of exhibition outcomes. You may have experimented and tested a variety of colour saturations in your photography. You can use the ePortfolio for showing your work in progress and as finished resolved works.

Historically artists have always collected their artwork for a variety of purposes. Here are 3 interesting historical parallels of artists themselves collecting, archiving, editing and disseminating their life’s work.


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1 A pre cursor to an e portfolio may be the Liber Veritatis or Book of Truth by Claude Lorrain, from 1635 until the end of his life in 1682; Claude compiled a collection of his own drawings in the form of a book. The book was specially made for Claude with a scheme of alternating pages, four blue pages followed by four white. (About the size of a laptop) and at the time of his death it contained 195 drawings, all of which are now in the British Museum. Claude recorded each of his major paintings, to prevent forgery and imitation by other artists. Claude signed his name on the back of these drawings and included either the name of the patron who had commissioned the work or the city to which the painting was being sent. The Liber Veritatis was something that Claude could present to perspective patrons in order to give them an idea of his finished work. This sounds like a prescient eportfolio.

2 Duchamp’s Boîte-en-valise, or box in a suitcase, is a portable miniature monograph including sixty-nine reproductions of the artist’s own work. Between 1935 and 1940, he created a deluxe edition of twenty boxes, each in a brown leather carrying case but with slight variations in design and content. A later edition consisting of six different series was created during the 1950s and 1960s, he produced up to 300, most with an original artwork. The box is an archive of what he considered to be the highlights of his career.

3 Another good example is Christian Zervos’ extensive catalogue of over 16,000 works by Picasso spanning 1895 to 1973 prepared with his direct collaboration in 33 volumes published between 1932 and 1978.

Claude Lorrain - An Artist Sketching a Drawing, circa 1640, dark brown wash over black chalk on paper, British Museum, UK.

Marcel Duchamp, Boîte (The big box) 1966. (image from the museum - Universalmuseum Joanneum)

Christian Zervos, Pablo Picasso, 1881 - 1973 - Catalogue raisonne,

Christie’s


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What we would like you to do. Year 2 Exhibition Project

We would like you to collect the following documents and upload them into your eportfolio.

1 Curatorial premise or range of ideas 2 Exhibition press statement of 250 words 3 A critical review for an article in the press 4 A catalogue or list of artists and works 5 A poster or invitation advertising the exhibition 6 Documentation of the exhibition.

Please follow the instructions to firstly create your eportfolio site and then you can start to upload your files. It is very important that you follow the instructions to create your site before you start uploading.

What else can you do with your eportfolio?

This is your site and you will able to add images of resolved works, reserach, experiments, trials, sketchbooks, journal, visual diary, photography, video, sound etc.

However, first things first. Upload the requested documents into your site, then we can discuss in further detail how you will manage your eportfolio.


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Step 1

In your student Gmail click on the below

Step 2

Select Sites

s1234567 s1234567

Step 3 Select ‘Create’

Step 4

Select ‘Browse the Gallery’

Step 5

Search for ‘Art Eportfolio Template’ then select


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Step 6

Name your site (It is preferable that you use your first

and last names). Then hit ‘Create’

Step 7 Select the ‘My Studies’ area on your site, then select ‘Forms’.

Joanne Brown

Step 8

Select the ‘Add file’ and start uploading your digital files.


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3. HB2U – Catalogue cover view from WIL Project


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HB2U – Installation view from student WIL Exhibition Project.

RMIT UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ART, Expanded Studio Practice

WORK INTEGRATED LEARNING FEEDBACK FORM FOR STUDENTS

Project: Apple Flow Date:

(Tutorial with Peter Ellis)

Canvas, synthetic polymer paint, apple


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Brief Objective Description of work and Six keywords

Reference artists:

Billy Apple – Pop Artist

Yoko Ono

Mark Dion – Tar Dipping

Dale Frank

Claire Morgan

Frank Stella – Colour

Yves Klein - Blue

Reference exhibitions and/or texts:

Art Povero

Groovy Spill Paint – You Tube - www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8npnxDGpPI

Giovanni Anselmo - Where the stars are coming one span closer...01 February – 28 March 2005

Irreverent Poisonous Narrative Organic Matter Mix

Suberversive Ariel Landscape Gravity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8npnxDGpPI


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Giovanni Anselmo. Senza titolo, 1968

RMIT UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ART

FEEDBACK SESSION

WHAT were your intentions? HOW did you realize them? WHY were you investigating them?

• Experimentation. • Chance Outcome. • ‘Non-traditional’ approach i.e. working with three stacked canvases nailed together. • Mixing materials together that don’t normally mix or relate to one another. In the case of this work, non-

edible paint and a fresh apple. • Investigating how I will feel in regards to the ‘finished’ work. As the apple deteriorates, this will affect the

appearance of the ‘finished’ work. I have ceased with my mark on the work, but it lives on as it decays. Paradoxical concept.

I believe the chance outcome is evidenced in the obvious uncontrolled flow of the paint. It would be difficult to repeat or copy this exactly. The apple has survived thus far, and I believe it will stay for some time on the work, enough time to observe and document the changing appearance of the work.

I was making these investigations, as I like to experiment without any predetermined outcomes in mind. I believe the chance outcome to the work gives it a fresh and lose feeling, lending it to be re-worked or represented in another format such as photography, painting the work again by a different approach and medium.

What did the feedback reveal about your work?

Outline themes, motifs or ideas the feedback suggested for further development.

In addition to the six descriptive words above, other observations were many and varied, which I enjoyed. Once again, as in other tutorials, it is interesting to experience another person’s views, emotions and interpretations about my work.


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• Snowwhite’s poisonous apple storyline, • Spanish still life and conceptually painted apple, • colours of real apples used, • statement about what painting is, • aerial landscape, • making solid objects melt, • juxtaposition of fluidity and still form, • poking fun, • stop image, • what painting is?, • raw canvas

The above words and phrases were also used in discussion about the work. I would like to further experiment in giving this discussion to someone who has not seen the work and ask them to describe to me the work – in turn I would then paint their description.

I will continue with this type of work and see what evolves.

In addition, I am in the process of investigating the artists mentioned in the tutorial.


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Studio Work Proposal

Studio: Expanded Studio Practice ESP

Date: Course: VART3440, Diversified Projects

Title:

Course Outcomes: [Auto populates from Course Guide- lecturer deletes any not applicable]

• Initiate studio projects and a body of art work in a selected area of fine art practice to a professional

level

• Develop a studio method and research appropriate cultural reference points relevant to your formal

and conceptual aims

• Outline a studio proposal that is appropriately referenced and contextualised

• Critically reflect on your work and the work of others produced within this course

Brief Description of project: 250 words -About half a page each for description, aims/objectives, methods, resources, outcomes.

• • •

Aims/ Objectives:

Methods, resources and materials:

Outcomes:


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Bibliography:

See pages 2 and 3 for associated visual materials for this task. Visual Representation: ie. Lotus Diagram/


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Lotus Diagram instructions following in document


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Add more pages at this section to represent work.

Feedback:

Student reflection on feedback (peers/academic staff):

Student Instructions:

Studio Work Proposal

Text box shows indicative length of lecturer response (1/3 page?)

Text box shows indicative length of student response ( ½ - 1 page?)


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At the commencement of semester 2 you will be required to prepare an individual studio work proposal. This is a working document that must be typed in the format as outlined on the proposal form. This form can be downloaded from the ESP Blackboard. You can add diagrams or images if you wish. Remember that the proposal is flexible and can develop along with your work. You will be producing work in the studio from week 1 and the proposal should reflect you studio outcomes, aims, materials, research and resolution of your ideas.

A studio work proposal -

• Provides a framework within which to develop your artistic ideas and interests. • Defines your field of practical and theoretical inquiry by establishing your primary

objectives, your processes and methods of production and your intended outcomes. • Informs staff and peers of your ideas and aims so that appropriate comments and

constructive feedback can be provided. • Assists you in preparing written proposals that will contribute to your Professional

Practice as an artist and Work Integrated Learning.

The Structure of a Studio Work Proposal

1. Student Name 2. Semester/Date 3. Title (One sentence that gives an overview to your project).

A good title should be Concise and descriptive

4. Brief Description (What?)

You should begin with a ‘capsule’ statement of what is being proposed and then proceed to introduce the subject as if to a stranger. It should not be assumed that the reader is familiar with the subject.

It should:

Identify a particular idea from which you wish to develop the semester’s work.

This should be regarded as your PROJECT. With some critical reflection you should then be able to discern WHY it is you wish to further explore that single idea or set of ideas.

You should be realistic when designing the program of work and select ideas that you can achieve within the set time frame of 12 weeks.

5. Aims/ Objectives. This is the WHAT of the proposal. It should include your conceptual concerns and state clearly your learning intentions. Use clear Language that is understandable to people outside your discipline. It is often easier to outline your interests in point form.


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Restrict the number of point s to three or four individual, well- constructed sentences.

6. Methods. This is the ‘HOW’ of the proposal. Outline how you will go about carrying out the project. Include background research, the facilities and equipment you will require for the development of your work. You may also outline a methodology, i.e. are you using historical research, field research, studio experimentation, etc.

7. Outcomes. (Nature and scope of the artworks to be produced). States what you aim to achieve, what you will be producing. For example – I aim to produce a series of 6 oil paintings, and a group of research works on paper ….

8. Bibliography. Include all relevant text, Internet websites, articles, video or film. General Points To Remember

• Don’t be intimidated by writing a proposal. It is not a formal contract; it is a flexible working document that can change as your work develops over the semester. All Artists need to write statements, proposals, press statements. Writing about your art is an important skill to develop and this experience will help you in your career as practicing professional artists.

• Use simple language. Write as many drafts as you need to before arriving at a final version. Ask someone else to read it to see whether they understand your ideas. Avoid jargon, clichés, assumptions and grand plans to recreate the world.

• Provide all information requested. • Keep a copy for yourself and keep your working notes. These might be useful later. This

is not a test of your writing ability. Think clearly. • Writing a proposal should not keep you away from your studio practice. Keep working in

the studio while you’re developing your proposal. Studio work supports or acts as a catalyst for the proposal.

• Remember to build upon your strengths. • Think about the feedback you have received from staff and peers about the positive

aspects of your work.

THE LOTUS DIAGRAM -

Use this template to assist you in identifying your individual themes, ideas and interests.

It will make the draft of your Studio Work Proposal much easier.

You will find attached to this information a Lotus Diagram. This is to assist you in “Brainstorming or reflecting on your work, your concepts, themes, materials, processes, media, methods, imagery, ideas.

Instructions for Lotus diagram

1. Reviewing and reflecting on your art practice start in the centre and select 8 key words that are relevant to your work, eg, colour, abstraction, animation, the human figure, drawing, line, performance, text, collage. Scale…. Ideas that relate to you, build upon the strengths identified in semester 1.


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2. Now place each one of these words / ideas in each of the outer 8 ellipses

3. Now expand on each word or idea into another 8 words or ideas, each time more detail is available for you to individualise your practice and locate what your ideas, methods, materials will be to compose your Individual Studio Work Proposal.

4. You can continue this process by expanding the words/ ideas again.

Documents

eLearning Portfolios for Creative Professional Practice: …mams.rmit.edu.au/m3tx2j0wn0zo.pdf · eLearning Portfolios for Creative Professional Practice: Capturing the Student Experience