1. Realize the Project Proposal and prepare towards final exhibition.

The last six months of the course have been crucial to realize all the practical work involved on the project. Departing from Unit 1 and still considering the creation of a typology of valves, I continued visiting different industrial locations and photographing steam valves, which I chose to be my object of focus as they are an essential artefact for the machine to function as well as being a direct allusion to the human/machine relationship and dependency. During this time I was also considering and researching the final output process of my work. For the typology of valves I was considering the difficulty of the photo intaglio process and I researched for a plan B, a Lambda process, which would suited both my typology of valves and the prints of industrial interiors if I was to present them in a light box. This process allows digital photographic images to be transferred onto photographic paper without the use of a negative. The photographic paper is then developed with chemicals in a traditional manner. A second alternative I investigated was digital negatives that then would be used in the darkroom as a contact negative following traditional processes from the 19th century such as salt printing, lith printing and  platino printing. This process is quite experimental and it would require a lot of time to accomplish a good result. I chose not to follow this process for the time being.

As I continued researching ways of improving and making Intaglio printing possible, I left plan B behind. The tutorials were a very helpful resource to guide me through the evolution of my practice.  I am happy I chose this traditional method as it allows me to connect my digital images with the industrial revolution, not only by the process itself but also by the nature of the chosen paper I used to print on – moulded by a machine from 1907.

I also had to leave behind the idea of photographing industrial interiors as I didn’t gain access to the locations I wanted to photograph. Key blog entries regarding my research on Intaglio and my attempt to gain permission are under the Research category.  Once I methodically photographed all the valves I needed and I worked on them in post-production, then I made some digital positives and I transferred them onto solar plates ready to be inked and printed.

This was a lengthy process that didn’t come without complications. In printing there are a lot of factors that affect the final output; factors such as good exposure on the plate, how much ink is left on them before pressing, how wet is the paper, how much pressure do you apply on the press and evenness of pressure. This was a lot to consider and master. As a report of this process I wrote blog entries inked and printed + part 2, part 3 and part 4 and final intaglio printing where I describe how they will be displayed.

Parallel to my Intaglio printing was the research and production of my chronophotography piece. I chose water as a connection to the outside, an element vital in two ways, one because it made steam engines possible and with them the industrial revolution, two because canals were the main artery of commerce in London during the Industrial era. Leaving behind the photographing of the industrial interiors meant I could spend more time on this part of my project (I would like to thank Andy for suggesting doing a moving image piece).

My chronophotography piece started with a DV recording of canal water. The result was not satisfactory. I looked into chronophotography to provide continuity on my methodology, using photography as the base of my practice and allowing me to continue developing my skills on that discipline. After taking over 6000 photographs I composed a chronophotography movie made out of two different footages overlaid. This presents to the viewer a double set of information of exactly the same location captured at different times, bringing the concept of time capture closer to mind. The pace of the sequence slows down at times as a reminder of the static nature of the footage which reminds us of the pensive quality of photography. This sequence will be presented on 3 consecutive screens that will allow the viewer to look at the time sequence progression sideways as well as being able to follow it on one screen. Showing it on this manner, it alludes to the physicality of the canal as well as intimating a linear time division: present, past and future.

Having photographic quality footage I had to look into different compression settings. On the outset I thought about projecting my footage but the pixel resolution of the projectors from the college is not that high. I was guaranteed access to three iMac computers, so I had to find an appropriate compression for this form of output.  I had different proposals on how to display the work, but when I learned about the iMacs I made the decision of having a single plinth for the three of them.

For the publicity of the show (website, Facebook, postcard, etc) I have chosen an extract of my movie and a few images of the valves. I didn’t choose the whole typology, as that would appear too small for anybody to appreciate.

2. Present a resolved body of creative practice that has evidenced the systematic enhancement of your knowledge and understanding.

A good presentation of the resolved body of my creative practice can be seen in my UNIT2 essay. This essay is a reflection and evaluation of my work during the last two years. In this essay I also go through the contextualization of my practice and the development of my methodology, a good amount of this last one happened during UNIT1, although it didn’t stop there. During UNIT2 I have continued learning and developing my methodology.

Departing from the image of my first valve, a product of the research from UNIT1 into methods of photographing in low light conditions – such as the Zone System – and also from my decision about making a typology as a way of documenting, I was able to formulate a methodical approach to use when photographing the rest of my valves. Also my research into post-production techniques informed the way these images were treated to then create image positives to transfer to Photo Intaglio. During UNIT2 I researched Photo Intaglio, enhancing my knowledge and understanding of this technique. I had to go through a process of experimentation in order to learn how to accomplish the output I desired for my work.

For my second piece representing the element of water, I kept using photography as my base methodology. The aim was still to have a documenting approach to my subject. For the output of this piece I investigated Chronophotography, a process that was new to me but practiced since the 1890s. I looked into the background of the process, learned how to use Final Cut Pro and, thinking of my final output, I created the footage that, after compositing and experimenting with different compressor settings, became my moving image piece. I also researched the field of enquiry for this work, key blog entries can be seen under the  Contextualization category.

This blog has been a great tool to record the evolution of my project. All the entries have helped me to develop my project and my thinking. When I am writing I am asserting my methodology and learning how to situate it in my field of enquiry. It is a very useful tool for reflection and evaluation. Also my entries have been a great tool of reference, as I have learned many techniques and occasionally there might be some details I need to look up.

3. Analyze and reflect coherently upon your own practice and others through your presentation at the programmed symposium forming a synthesis of your practice-based research.

The Symposium was a brilliant opportunity to go back to the starting point and reflect on the whole process. I observed that the fundaments of my initial proposal weren’t too far from my final outcome, which is obviously much more focused and demonstrates broader skills and knowledge. By the time we were due to present our work at the Symposium I had decided what the final outcomes of my project were and I was working on finalizing both my pieces. This allowed me to present the symposium video as a journey of expansion and realization of my practice together with a chronological contextualization of the work. I had to edit the length of the video in half as it was far too long, but this was a good editing exercise and I realized that I was still presenting what was a good synthesis of my practice-based research. The presentation of my work at the Symposium was a good experience and the work was received well. More information about feedback and the video presentation can be found on the Symposium post entry.

There were other key instances, as well as the Symposium, when I analysed and reflected upon my work, these are classified under the Reflection category.

4. Summarize your overall progress and formulate a constructive plan for continuing Personal and Professional Development.

As I wrote in my UNIT2 essay, the last two years have been an extraordinary journey for me, they have opened my mind to a world of different ways of applying myself to my art. The structure of the MA digital arts has provided me with a much-needed support to develop my practice and research. As well as developing my confidence as an artist, it has allowed me to evolve from a practice informed by visual and technical concerns to a grounded practice that I can now contextualise and justify within an established field of enquiry. Writing the research paper was especially useful. It was a task I really enjoyed and one that allowed me not only to focus the whole project but also to learn about the value of having a methodical approach. Furthermore, I feel much more comfortable with my writing and I have now written an Artist Statement to present my work. These are skills that I can clearly transfer to my future practice and also my future work experience.

Through practical research I have developed a visual style that I am happy with, although I feel that these explorations are only the beginning of a much longer project. From the start of the course I have pushed my methods. I have tried new approaches to achieve my ideas. I have learned how to use new methods of photography to work with long exposures such as the Zone System. I have learned about the HDR process to achieve maximum photographic tonality. I have also investigated the process of Photo Intaglio and learned a good deal about it and, with my moving image piece, I have learned about Final Cut Pro and video compression. Relevant key points of this learning have been recorded under the category of Practice in UNIT2 plus the category of Methodology in UNIT1, they have also been mentioned in the above learning outcomes.

I feel that now I have the tools to continue in a line of work that I am passionate about. I am quite interested in exploring different surfaces that digital imaging can be output to and I intend to continue documenting functional architecture. A lot of the skills I have acquired have been very useful in my current teaching job, and I hope that they will also help me to expand upon it and take it to a different level. Besides this I am planning to approach museums such as the V&A and the Science Museum to make speculative applications with regards towards a possible residency.

After July I am going to keep looking for new opportunities to exhibit my work – there are already a couple of things coming up – and expand my practice, using services such as Art Quest. As an experience outside college, the exhibition IS It Over was a good chance to show and get feedback for my new body of work.

I have also been invited to submit some work for an online art magazine called Drain (http://www.drainmag.com). For me, this journey is just starting and I feel both highly excited with regard to what the future holds and empowered by the knowledge, confidence and creative expression that taking my MA in Digital Art has instilled within me.