Private View

All the way through this course, I have learned things at unexpected times.  I was very wound up about the catering for the Private View as our organisation was a complete shambles, but comment from Vanda proved completely true - guests came to see our work, not to be fed at a buffet!    The food became almost an irrelevance, although it was all eaten, and my cakes went down a treat!

We saw the External Verifiers before the show and they said our show was the best in the last 3 years, and the student work had improved greatly since mid semester review, when we were all very negative.  They asked what we thought we had learned, and I said I had discovered I was a thinker, not a maker.  Freddie, the verifier from the RA, looked very surprised at this.  Later Lisa reminded me that Freddie is a knitter (who works in bold colour), and given I had 5 complex knitted pieces on display, she might have found evidence that I am an advance knit maker.  However, I know my thinking skills have developed a lot on the Contemporary Applied Art course, whereas my making skills have developed far less.

The Private View went extraordinarily well.  I wore my red 1958 dress, made from my kitchen utensil fabric, and it got a lot of attention.  I was surprised at how pleased I was that my 5 guests turned up and really looked at everything!  My friend, Pat, from the swimming pool, enjoys modern art, and I expected her to understand the work, but I was very surprised when Wendy and Alan, our retired dentist, cycling, friends made some very perceptive remarks about the varying amount of concept in different people's work.  Kitty's work is challenging but strong on concept, and they grasped what she was doing.  My brother and his wife came along and spent a lot of time looking at my work, did not really get the concept, but thought I depicted our Mum's work in some strange ways, but liked the fact that I chosen her as the theme.  I was also very pleased that former students took the time to attend, as they were interested to see what subsequent students had chosen to represent and in what way.  It was a celebration.

I also found out that NAFDAS (National Association of fine and Decorative Art Societies) had visited our show and asked our tutors to nominate students for Most Improved Student, and Best In Show.  Rosie, who worked on the theme of fire and ice, for jewellery got the Most Improved Student award (£50) and I was given Best in Show (£100!) for My Mother's Work.  When presented with the cheque, I said I would spend it on a day out with my sister-in-law, who cares for her Mum who has Alzheimer's.  We would have a day in London: go to the Tate in the morning, pick up some lunch, the go to a matinee theatre, and be home in time for her Mum coming back from a day's respite care.