Reflecting back over the course, this module has finally given me the means to work in my own practice that allows me to make work other than representational images. I have managed to move from representational photography to the abstract with an aim and a reason for doing abstract work.
In the past, I did abstract work because I enjoyed it. I have since come to learn that enjoyment of it is not enough, that one has to be critical about one’s practice and informed. It may be on some level if I am making artwork for myself that I will never show to anyone, however, as I am aiming for the museum and the gallery domains and this means of consumption requires primarily that I understand my own work, that I can communicate to consumers and readers of the work so that they can understand it, and that I am making images for more reasons than just the pure aesthetic of it.
This module was very difficult for me, the ideas and concepts were in my mind but I felt linguistically paralyzed. It is the strangest feeling of not being able to communicate a feeling, however, communication an abstract is not easy. The most important things I learned in this module are: image construction, image farming, and hunting and how symbols are communicated. Just as a symbol has to be culturally learned, so does an abstract image. Red means stop, had to be learned and taught in order for it to become culturally accepted as a color of danger and the color that connotes stop at a traffic light. This is why individual take driving education, in order to learn what symbols mean. Icons are a little different. The image shows enough information for a person to know that the image of a deer crossing a road means that there is wild-life present and caution must be exercised, however, and amber light on a traffic light, has to be taught that it mean caution.
Being able to communicate abstract images by means of connotation and poetry so far has been a good way to do it. This was a direct result of Jeff Wall.