Critical evaluation

Athena Xoufarides level 6F/T BA/Hons Visual Arts by Negotiated Study

                                                         Critical evaluation.

Overall I found the last year both exciting and a struggle, yet managed to achieve quite a lot. I found new ways of thinking and expanding on new ideas by working at a local ‘quarry site,’ I have installed a Public interactive water feature, (as a Land/Earth Art sculpture,) incorporating the use of some natural waste materials and objects, from around the quarry site, local shops, waste and recyclable dumps etc. This is a commissioned piece authorized by Mike Gale Operations Manager ‘Tarmac’ Atherstone. The use of a pedal powered bicycle and a Hand pump (suggesting recycling) have been used, Lifting the water up and over the installation and back to its source, (a dug out ‘pond hole’ filled with rain water).
I have also completed a children’s coloring in cartoon booklet to be included in a portfolio, which includes a 3-5min DVD documentary recording about the quarry and how it relates to the water feature installation, and a selection of postcard sized prints taken from various photographs from around the working quarry site and the installation. This will be put into a presentation portfolio to be given as raffle prizes (as a form of advertising) and as personal presentations for the various VIP’s that attended the Grand Opening of the Installation, which will take place on Friday 10th July 2012, 12pm – 3pm to be opened by the lord Mayoress of Warwickshire, plus the representatives from the newspapers and local T.V. will also be attending, there will be refreshments and hot and cold beverages.
 Having broadened my horizons I was able to expand on my ‘Inside out, ‘Outside In’ project,’ as the whole aspect of land/earth art, and what it represents with the individual artist, and with my own personal journey to discover and understand the connection between the artist and their work with nature, which they have introduced upon the landscape without damaging the environmental habitation. My research involved looking on the internet web sites e.g. www.guggenheimcollection.org to research Land/Earth artists, such like Robert Smithson, Michael Heizer, Walter de Mario, Giuseppe Pennone, and Nancy Holt .I have visited libraries, (Nuneaton, Atherstone, Birmingham City and NWHC) also visited the Icon Museum Birmingham, The Tate London. (Off which have all inspired to my own individual practice/specialist work involving Land/Earth Art.)  Unfortunately due to illness (through my disabilities) I have been unable to achieve some of the things that I intended to complete by the end of term for example, I was unable to complete the comparisons of the quarry sites, unfortunately the manager of one of the sites was unable to spare me the time and accesses for me to carry out some investigative experiments involving the taking of soil samples, so that I could compare the soils of both sites, one being used for Domestic Landfill Waste and is no longer a working quarry site, the other is a working site and uses only Natural Landfill Waste, The management of the working site have developed new ways of dealing with many of the controversial issues regarding; recycling, reclamation and conservation, and have rejuvenated much of the old landfill sites and transformed them into natural environmental habitats to encourage wild life/nature to return and grow on the old/new landfill sites. (A rare Blue Butterfly has made a welcome return and is now breeding on the vegetation on the natural landfill sites)
 I found doing the Blog site very stressful and needed extra time and help to achieve the required Blog.
I have had to request for a deferral of exam dates (from 31/5/12 – 13/7/12, due to being taken into hospital as my back pain developed into severe pain spasms, which put me behind with completing any outstanding work needed for the original assessment date of 31/5/12, which included the designing and making of a xylophone incorporating materials & objects found around the site, includes various sized rock pieces for sounds and recycled wood’ for the frame. Which I unfortunately did not complete as I ran out of time due to going into hospital and having to defer my exam date.