18-05-2023 | Reflection and Evaluation Statement
This year I have continued to develop a practice which seeks to reconcile seemingly disparate aspects of my identity as a mixed race individual. I have utilised the themes of time and storytelling which speak to the memory and nostalgia associated with my family history. The foundation for my work has been my family’s domestic archive, through which I have established an argument for viewing archives and archival practices via an ecological lens, where all parts are interdependent. I have referenced artists working with archives: Alice Rekab, Libita Clayton, Emii Alrai - all of whom are of either mixed or Arab ethnicity. I have also referenced writers and thinkers: Marina Warner, Martin Shaw, Michel Serres for their work on mythology, storytelling and non-traditional modes of time.
My founding research questions can be found here. I interrogated my family archive via a series of methods towards examining these questions. These included sound (field recordings, interview, working with contact microphones); video; writing (documentary, creative, journalistic); frottage; sculpture; weaving; and installation. All practical work was underpinned by research into both academic and artistic reference points.
I captured the evolution of practical and theoretical strategies by documenting my work with writing, photography, video and audio. I find writing a natural way to reflect upon the successes and failures of any experimentation, though I find effective analysis is best achieved if sufficient visual and/or audio has been recorded throughout the process. I ensured that throughout the year, I kept a regular record of my practical work which I believe made evaluation productive. This is a skill I feel has been instilled in me by my tutors and peers, and one which - though it may sometimes feel painful or arduous - does benefit my practice as a whole.
My original project plan can be accessed here. There were some changes, namely the shift from using clay, to using weaving techniques in my 3D work. This reflected my concerted interest in craft methods of bedouin communities, but also my research into Michel Serres’ theories on time as being a malleable entity where disparate aspects are drawn together. From a practical perspective my move towards weaving helped me to cut down on costs which had to be diverted to technological requirements realised through my final installation plans. I would like to revisit my clay work as my original trials were not successful, both in terms of scale, and in achieving the definition between different colours I had originally envisaged as being integral to my ideas on mixed heritage. However, I am pleased with my final woven sculptures, which I feel make a clear connection to my research questions and have helped me examine my family history.
Throughout this year I have learned the value of planning, and of being flexible to change in order to move forward in the best way possible. Though there are aspects of my work that remain unrealised, I feel I have extensively interrogated my original set of research questions. I have pushed myself in terms of working with installation and site, learning a wealth of new technical skills that I am excited to continue developing. I have been my most ambitious this year, which has often felt daunting, but has resulted in a body of work I am proud of. I look forward to further developing my writing and research practice, as well as my practical work as I continue to investigate my family history towards a sense of belonging.
