OCA Study Day Review: Doncaster with tutors Les Monaghan and Garry Clarkson – And first steps towards external engagement
I have been trying to think what might work as an idea for the external engagement project which is required for unit 3.2, so I was hopeful that this study day might kick start some activity in this area. It became the perfect case-study through which I could reflect upon my own project and begin to understand how I need to move forward.
The planned critique sessions offered the chance to show some of the photographic prints from my working practice, and to receive feedback and discuss my project. For myself, this became the most important part of the day. As I began to describe my work, I could sense how this external engagement would be an essential part of the development process going forward. There were many things that I took away from the day, but there were perhaps two big learning experiences which kept reoccurring.
Firstly, I need to engage more externally on a regular and progressive basis. This will help me to test and develop my ideas, and I can synthesise this process, as I build towards a more deeply informed and refined output. Secondly, the profile of any intended audience becomes highly significant as different groups of people will have different levels of interest and knowledge, and empathy, towards the subject [racialised identities and representation], which I have chosen. This is inevitable but still requires deep consideration. I need to really understand what my ultimate objectives and goals are, and this process of external engagement will undoubtedly help me to do this.
I am now envisaging that a workshop style approach might work well for my external engagement project. It is a perfect opportunity to show and present a project on a number of different levels, in person, whilst receiving some immediate feedback. This could not only help to assess the potential success of the final body of work but will also help to identify specific areas which can be developed, as well as the obstacles which could be handled in a slightly different way or avoided altogether. I think this workshop format also suits my personality. I enjoy the face-to-face engagement, and the exchange of ideas and personal stories which become such an enriching experience for everybody concerned.
OCA study days are always enjoyable and productive affairs that enable us to meet up face to face with our peers, which is great to develop new contacts and learn new things. I always come away feeling that I have regenerated my motivation and come up with lots of fresh ideas, and this event was no different.
The rest of the day’s activities were scheduled around Les’s Aspirations10 exhibition which has been showing at The Point. The project centres around the portraits of children seated with (one of) their parents / carers. Both subjects state what they would like to do when they get older (the parent states what they wanted to do at that same age) then these statements are included as text within the final image. These portrait images are highly effective and work as a kind of public survey and societal reflection. The Point is a great facility, a public gallery and arts centre in Doncaster. I’ve heard Les speak before about his social practice and Garry Clarkson led on another study visit I attended, so I knew it would be well worth the trip up the M1 and I was not disappointed on any level.
I first experienced Les Monaghan presenting his Photography as Social Practice at the beginning of 3.1 and found it very inspiring – the deep passion that he has for his practice, and his ability to communicate so effectively. Also, I knew that he would describe in perfect detail, the practicalities of how he develops his projects and generates huge external engagement at different levels and in a multitude of ways.
The exhibition itself ran into 3 different rooms (including a mezzanine-floor), the main room packed full of portraits of varying sizes which creates an intensity just through the sheer volume of work which has obviously gone into the project (Aspirations10 is part of a long-term project and revisits subjects from the original project undertaken by Les 10 years ago). The images themselves were pasted into the walls which really created the sense that these people were a community and the very fabric of Doncaster. There were also larger images in lightboxes which produced a totally different viewing experience which was quite cinematic. There were filmed interviews playing on loop, and this brought an additional dimension which was very relatable on a human level. Finally, there were large tables with monumental photobooks containing selected images from the project. White gloves were required to handle these books museum style which created a sense of reverence. This effect was quite powerful as Aspirations10 features the working-class communities of Doncaster, which is a social group which has historically received very little reverence or respect from society.
Les described the very real challenges of trying to generate interest and find the all-important funding to cover the wages and production costs of making the work, and just trying to stay motivated whilst overcoming the plethora of problems which will just occur as a matter of fact. The life of a photographic artist is tough, and whilst this was quite sobering, it was also important for us to understand.
Because we still need to find our voices within all this noise and distraction, and we must be resilient to make our work and then we must be resourceful and relentless to get it out into the world. In one respect, I found the talk to be very inspiring!
Garry also gave an interesting talk about his socially focussed photographic work, albeit with a slightly different spin, to set us up for the student critique sessions planned for the afternoon. Garry’s experiences of working with newspapers and media editors etc was interesting, and illuminating, in how the market really works and how we need to adapt to survive, or even, how we just need to survive – more tough messages I’m afraid!
Thanks to both tutors Les and Garry for their inspiring support and encouragement, Joanne from OCA study events who also attended, and to my peers who were kind enough to offer their feedback and to spread some positive vibes. It was a fantastic day!
This event was part of an OCASA x OCA Creative Conversations collaboration and we live streamed Les' presentation on the day to an online audience. The recording can be found here and we look forward to sharing some more feedback and thoughts from the day from students and tutors and hopefully running similar events in the future.
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